Disclamier: Still not mine. :(

Chapter 14

Jessica dropped Jack off later that day. Emily had been nervous about how Jack's aunt would react to their changed relationship. Aaron had tried to reasure her, but Emily hadn't been able to calm her nerves.

Jack had run into the apartment, his face lighting up when he spotted Emily.

"Emmy!," he cried out, running to her hugging her , "Captain Jack," Emily replied bending to wrap Jack in her arms. Hotch smiled watching the scene in front of him. He moved to Jessica, taking Jack's bag asking how it gone. Jessica told him everything had been fine, before leaning over to say to Hotch, "It's about time Aaron, she's made for you." Hotch laughed as a blush covered Emily's face, she had walked over to them just in time to catch Jessica's words.

Jessica gave Emily a hug, and said "I'm so glad for you two." Jessica had become a big fan of Emily's. She knew she brought smiles and laughter to Aaron and Jack's lives. Jack adored Emily, and after an incident at one of Jack's soccer games, so did Jessica.

Flashback:

Jessica smiled watching as her newphew ran up and down the field, it was the first game she had been able to attend this season and she found herself a little nervous for Jack. Emily smiled at the woman next to her. She had been uncomfortable at first in Jessica's presence, but now they had become friendly, with their concern for Jack and Hotch, giving the two women a common bond.

Emily watched as Jack drew his foot back and then forward, sending the ball hurtling toward the goal. She smiled as Jessica, took her hand excitedly and they watched Jack run down the field, making it to the goal, scoring for his team. The crowd cheered and Emily smiled, watching Jack run to hug his dad tightly. Hotch was always proud of his son but right now, that pride was clear for all to see.

"He's a good little soccer player... but what a thug..." Emily frowned hearing that from the blond women, who sat directly in front of her and Jessica.

"Did you hear what he did to my Danny?" The ladies next to her all shook their heads and moved closer for the latest gossip. Emily felt her pulse quicken, with anger.

"Well, you all saw the bruise on my Danny's face today?" She waited for the nods and affirmations from the rest of her group. "Care of Jack Hotchner..." The women gasped, in over dramatised horror. "Wha... oh... how horrible..." The story teller nodded. "Yep, yesterday at lunch, Jack walked up to my Danny and attacked him. For no reason, well, my poor baby came home a mess... poor thing, he couldn't understand why someone would be so nasty... I'll tell you, having a daddy in the FBI, must make that little bully think he can do whatever he wants." The woman said cattily.

The others nodded sympathetically. Jessica looked horrified that her nephew's name was being dragged through the mud; and wrongfully so. The woman began again. "I'll tell you one thing though, that Aaron Hotchner is one... A grade piece of meat, what I wouldn't do to get my teeth into that fine bit of man... mmm" The women giggled and squealed childishly. Emily felt the undeniable rise of her territorial side, and she picked at her fingers in an effort not to cause a scene; yet. She knew Hotch wouldn't want that.

The game drew to a close. Emily stood up and patted Jessica's knee, silently telling her to give her a moment. Emily stepped down onto the bleacher in front of the mother's meeting, and eyed them scathingly. "Hi..."

She waited for their attention. She got it along with a few surrounding people.

"Hi there, can we help you?"

Emily shook her head. "Actually, I wanted to help you."

The obvious alpha female frowned. "I'm sorry I don't understand."

Emily smiled scathingly, "No, I don't suppose you would. I wanted to help you get your facts straight."

The group looked a little confused and Emily began to explain. "I couldn't help but overhear your incorrect assumptions about Jack Hotchner, and I thought I'd enlighten you, to the truth..." Not waiting for an invitation, Emily, began correcting the obnoxious blond's tale.

"Yesterday, while Jack did hit Danny, it was far from unprovoked." Emily smiled seeing she had the attention of the small crowd. "Jack had been sitting on a bench eating his lunch, with a classmate, when Danny approached, telling Emma Goldman to give him her cookies. When she refused, Danny pushed her backwards off the bench, and then stomped on her fingers. Jack decided to defend her, by hitting Danny, and giving the little girl time to run to a teacher."

The women all 'oo-ed and ahh-ed', the woman who had been crowing earlier, blushing furiously. Emily continued.

"Aaron received a phone call from Emma's mother last night, thanking him for raising a boy willing to stand up for others. Emma has a large briuse on her cheek, and a broken finger, your Danny has a small bruise. Given this information, I fail to see how Jack can be perceived as the thug or the bully, and I hope you keep your lies, and nasty comments to yourself in the future."

Jessica stood up and stepped down along side Emily with a thankful smile. The blond sat, mouth slack, as she watched, the aunt of the child she had been verbally bashing and the woman in front of her, link arms and begin to walk away. Aaron was watching as Jack, ran toward the two women, when Emily turned back to face the mothers, setting her focus on the blond.

"You'll never know just how great he really is, catty shrews, aren't his type." Emily said waspishly. Jessica laughed nodding, while giving Emily a squeeze. Emily returned it and turned, as Jack crashed into her and Jessica simultaneously, one arm each wrapping around their waists. Emily laughed, her fingers threading through his hair gently. Jessica looked to Emily saying, "It's good to know, he's being watched over by someone who's protective instincts rival Aaron's." Emily smiled and ducked her head blushing, as Jack left them, running back over to Hotch and chattered to him, about the game excitingly.

They said their goodbyes and walked toward the car park. Jessica stood and watched as they headed past the group of women from earlier, Hotch's arm wrapped around Emily's waist, as she eyed the blond coolly, and dropped her head to Hotch's shoulder with a victorious smile. Emily reached unconsciously for Jack, taking his hand and pulling him into her side. Jessica chuckled to herself, wondering how the agent would feel about being likened to a lioness protecting her cub.

End Flasback

Jessica smiled at the family picture in front her. Jack had joined them, hugging both Emily and Aaron's legs. Both adults laid a hand on Jack's small shoulders. She said her goodbyes, so happy that Aaron had found someone to love again.

Later:

Emily and Jack, were watching one of the liitle boy's DVD's, while Hotch took a phone call. Jack looked up at Emily suddenly and said, "Emmy, if you want, I can go play in my room for awhile, so you and daddy can be alone."

Emily looked at the little boy shocked, "Jack, both your Dad and I, want to spend time with you. We can be alone later, after you go to sleep." Emily wasn't sure where this was coming from, but she had a bad feeling it had something to do with Beth. She asked Jack softly, "Why would say that?"

"That Beth lady, didn't like it when I was around," Jack said softly, after cheaking to make sure Hotch was still on the phone. "She said I was always in the way." He paused, "Emmy, I love you, I like it when we're all together, and I want you to stay with us. But, I don't want you to get sick of me , and leave Daddy and me, cause of me." Jack finished quickly, looking down.

Emily crushed Jack to her chest, kissing his head. Her anger at Beth was fierce and red hot at that moment. "I could never get sick of you Jack, and I love you and your Daddy too much to break up with him." Emily said trying to reasure the sweet little boy next to her.

Jack nodded and asked, "Really?"

Emily smiled, even through her anger at Beth was still running high, wanting to go find the woman and kick her ass. "Really Jack. I have never loved anyone as much as I love you and your Daddy." Jack pulled back a little looking at Emily, watching her quietly, then Jack grinned throwing his arms around her.

"Emily's right buddy, we always want you with us." Hotch said interupting, he had overheard their conversation, quickly ending his call to reassure his son. He was both incredibly angry that Beth had said such a thing to Jack, and incredibly touched by what Emily had said to Jack, to comfort him. "Unless we're in the bedroom with the door closed, then you knock first before coming in." Hotch said winking at Emily.

Jack scrunched up his face in disgust, while Emily slapped Hotch's bicep in mock shock.

"DADDY! Gross." Hotch chuckled. He and Jack had, had a discussion about privacy and closed doors, recently after Jack had walked in on Jessica and her husband, during one of his stays, and he had gotten the same grossed out look then, as he was being given now. Jack rolled his eyes at the two adults, causing Hotch to cry out, "Ah!, did you see that eye roll, did you?" Emily smiled at his question.

"I'm blaming you for that, that's your eye roll, you taught him that, before you... I'm not even sure he knew what an eye roll was, now..." Hotch said pointing his finger at Emily. Jack laughed as Emily caught Hotch's pointing finger between her front teeth, and bit it gently, a playful glint in her eye. Hotch snatched back his finger and looked up at the ceiling.

"Oh lord, give me strength."

Emily and Jack both laughed at Hotch's plea, and gave each other a conspiratorial smile.

Later that evening:

Emily cooked them dinner, as she sang and danced along to the small radio, Hotch kept in the kitchen. Jack clapped, laughing as he danced along with Emily. After dinner the two boys cleaned up the kitchen, while Emily took a shower. Jack had insisted on helping his dad load the dishwasher. Looking pensive Jack asked his dad, "Daddy, how come Emmy was so suprised, when I told her that I love her?"

"Oh buddy," He said softly sadly, "Emily has spent a really long time believing that nobody loved her, and she grew up thinking that she was pretty much unlovable." Hotch answered his son's question, wondering how he could explain Emily's mother, the cold and distant, Ambassador Prentiss, to the curious boy.

Jack looked horrified. "But daddy, we love her." Jack said.

Hotch smiled. "Yeah Jack we do, and I think she's finally believes that, I think Emily's realised that we love her alot, and she's starting to understand that she's not alone anymore, that she has a family that won't leave her during the hard times..., no matter what" Hotch said softly to Jack. "She's stuck with us isn't she, daddy?" Jack asked, happy with the thought. Hotch chuckled. "She sure is buddy," Hotch replied smiling at his son.

"She loves us daddy, I know it!" Jack said enthusiastically. Hotch smiled, glad his son could recognise love, at such a young age. After Haley died, he had been worried that he wouldn't be able to show his son just how much love there really was in the world. His heart tightened, relieved he had been able to keep his promise to Haley. Their son, did know love.

"Yeah she does buddy, and we're not gonna leave her are we?" Hotch said smiling down at Jack. Jack shook his head vehemently. Hotch grinned, so proud of his son, of the man his boy was becoming.

"She makes you happy too, doesn't she Daddy?" Jack asked. Hotch grinned, thinking about exactly how happy Emily made him. "Yes, she makes me very happy, buddy."

"Me too, Daddy!," Jack said grining back at his father.

Later that night:

Hotch, watched from across the room, as Emily quietly read to Jack, one of his favoriate stories, Charlie And The Chocolate Factory. He loved the way she looked at Jack, the way she cuddled him close to her as she read, the softness in her voice. He was filled with love and warmth, as he watched them together.

When she finished the chapter she was reading, she kissed the top of Jack's head, and said. "Okay Captain Jack, that's enough for tonight." "Okay Emmy," Jack replied, hugging her in thanks. "Hey beautiful." Hotch said, moved over to them, smiling. Emily smiled, her eyes bright as she leaned up to kiss him. In the background both adults could hear Jack making exaggerated kissing noises.

"What was that for?" Hotch questioned, his smile still in place. Emily shrugged her shoulders. "Do I need a reason?" she asked. Hotch chuckled and shook his head. "Absolutely not, you can kiss me whenever you want." Hotch replied.

"Bluh! You two are gross." Jack said, making gagging noises. In reality Jack didn't care, he had never seen his dad smile so much, and his Emmy looked really happy too. Hotch pulled back slightly looking down into Emily's eyes. "I love you," he said softly. "I love you too, Aaron," Emily replied smiling.

Does that mean Emmy can stay Daddy, can she stay with us forever?" Jack asked hopefully, smiling at the two adults. "I hope so son," Hotch said looking down at Emily, smiling softly. "Oh you'll never be able to get rid of me now, Aaron." Emily replied smiling up at him, her heart filled with love and happiness.

I hope you enjoyed the sweet fluff of this chapter! Up next, telling the team, and Strauss.