Penelope let out a huge breath and ran her fingers through her Emily's hair soothingly.
"What do you say we pack up an overnight bag and we go on a road trip?" Penelope suggested knowing that there was no way Emily was going to show her face at work, and she knew that she needed to process. Emily looked up at Penelope with tears in her eyes,
"Really."
"Sure honey. You look like you could use some air. Go get your stuff together. I'll make the necessary calls. We'll be on the road in less than half an hour. Emily knew what she meant by necessary calls and gave her a grateful look. She wasn't ready to face the world just yet.

"Is she okay?" he asked without saying hello,
"Well hello to you too Aaron." Penelope said dryly
"I'm sorry. Did she call you?"
"She did."
"Pen…"
"What were you thinking Aaron? You knew how fragile this situation was. If you had any second thoughts, you should have left it well alone."
"I know, I just, I care about her Pen."
"I know you do Aaron. I don't doubt that you do." She said softening a little,
"But you've hurt her, you've turned my unflappable friend into a blubbering girl." She could hear Hotch sigh on the other side of the line. She knew that he was torn with guilt and the last thing he wanted to do was hurt Emily.
"How do I fix this?"
"You need to decide what you want Hotch, and stand by it. You can't want it one minute and feel guilty the next. I know how much you loved Hayley, I loved her too. She was my friend. She wouldn't want you to feel guilty for loving again."
"You think she'll talk to me."
"Not right now. You need to give her some time Hotch. You gave her something she's longed for and you took it back. She's hurt, and she's angry. She's not ready to listen to anything you have to say tight now.
"I don't want to lose her Pen."
"Then don't. You make that choice Hotch. No one else does." Penelope could hear him lost in his own thoughts,
"We're going to take a little girl road trip. Can you cover?"
"Sure,"
"It's either a road trip or she'll run Aaron. I recognise the face." Pen explained
"I know Pen. Thanks for looking out for her."
"It's what friends do. And I know I've been all tough love on you, but you know I'm here if you need me too. Admittedly I want to smack you right now, but it doesn't mean I don't care about you, or not know how hard this is for you."
"I know. For now, just take care of her. Maybe put in a good word for me. I truly care about her Pen."
"I know you do."

Penelope walked back into Emily's apartment to find her coming out of her room with an overnight bag, changed into her jeans and T-shirt looking a lot younger than what she was.

"So did he survive the wrath of one Penelope Garcia?" Emily asked cringing slightly knowing that Penelope would not have pulled any punches.
"Yes he did. He cares about you Em. More than that he loves you. Deep down you know that."
"That may be so Pen, but the look on his face spoke a thousand words." Knowing there was no getting past that Penelope gave her arm a gentle squeeze.
"I told him you were going to take time out. He's scared that he's going to lose you. He asked if you were willing to speak to him, but I am leaving that decision to you when you're ready."

"I'm not just yet. Maybe in a day or two. I just want to clear my head. My whole world the last few months since Hayley has died, perhaps even longer has been wrapped around Hotch, getting him through this season, helping him navigate it. Making sure that Jack's okay. Which I don't begrudge, I wanted to be there. But it hurts Pen. I don't know if I could go back knowing it will always be her. That no matter how much he may care about me, he will always love her more."
"Honey, he's loved her longer, that's all. It doesn't mean he loves you any less." Emily looked doubtful, the hurt deflected any reason and Penelope knew she wasn't quite ready to hear reason.
"Let's swing by mine real quick so I can change and pack a few things."
"Lead the way."

After a quick stop at Penelope's they were on the road. Emotionally exhausted Emily fell into slumber twenty minutes into the drive. Penelope glanced at her friend worriedly. She knew what it was like to love someone from afar and within time have it within your grasp, only to have it taken away.

"Honey, we're here." Penelope said gently shaking her friend awake after lugging their stuff inside. Emily stirred,
"And where is here? Oh wow. It's beautiful Pen." She exclaimed as she saw the cottage with the beach directly behind it.
"It is." Penelope agreed.
"Where are we?"
"This is my cottage. This is where I go when I need time out."
"Yours?"
"Yeah, my parents owned it. When they died, they left it to my brothers and I, and when I finished College, my brothers gave me the house. They have their own families and their own houses, and they knew how much I loved this place, so when I graduated, they transferred it to my name. When we have our little reunions we usually meet up here. If they want to get away, they borrow it."
"Thank you Pen." Emily said softly with gratitude. She knew that Penelope had shared something with her that she had never shared with anyone.
"You're welcome. This is my happy place. It's filled with amazing memories. It never fails to bring me comfort, despite what it painfully reminds me. I feel the most me here. I hope that this gives you the comfort you need. The space to just sort it all out in your head, the beach is great for that."
"I think it will."

Penelope showed Emily to her room, and where everything was. Though she didn't get there as often as she'd like, she had a lady down the road look after the house for her. To make sure it was cleaned and aired regularly.

Emily appreciated the room that Penelope gave her. Upon their arrival, she had made herself scarce leaving Emily to her own devices. She took her shoes off and headed out the back door to walk down the beach waving at Penelope who was reading a book in the hammock.

She had met Aaron at a young age, and from that first moment, she was attracted to him. So it didn't take much selling to apply for the position in his team. She wasn't quite ready for his incredibly cold reception of her those first few months, his suspiciousness of her personhood and intentions. She understood them in time, and little by little he thawed. She remembered watching Aaron with Hayley that night they went to the bar and thought how incredibly lucky that they had found each other. There was so much love between them. There was no denying that she was the love of his life and that the sun set and rose with Hayley. She watched him become even more withdrawn when Hayley asked for a divorce. She knew how that broke him. She also knew that Hayley didn't leave him because they stopped loving each other. The day that Hayley left him was the day he came to her apartment to ask her to join the rest of the team on the case despite her request for a transfer. He knew what she was willing to give up for the sake of the team. He fought for her that day, and ever since then, she found herself fighting for him every chance someone needed to.

After New York and Cyrus they gravitated to each other in silent understanding. Without a word being spoken she knew that he trusted her the most, that his relationship with her was different. His relationship with JJ and Penelope were more of those of siblings. He looked out for both JJ and Penelope like sisters. She couldn't quite define them, she just knew they were different.

Though they were already established as friends, and there was that definitive lingering possibility hanging over their heads, Foyet had brought them even closer. Finding him missing from his home that afternoon, seeing his blood on the carpet, she almost lost it. The thought that something had happened to him, that she had lost him, was unbearable. As she watched him lying on that hospital bed unconscious, it took all her strength not to throw her arms around him and never let go.

Then Hayley and Jack were taken away and he had clung to her, took refuge in her and in their friendship. They started to spend more time together. Between Dave, herself and Penelope he was hardly ever alone. Despite her initial need for self preservation, she couldn't bring herself to put any boundaries between them. She was in love with him, and there was no turning back.

Hotch was standing in his office, his focus on the empty desk that Emily Prentiss usually sat. He admitted that every day it gave him great comfort looking out his office seeing her sitting there on his desk. More often than not she would sense his stare, look up and flash him a smile.

He wasn't quite sure when his feeling began changing for her, how his feelings have suddenly escalated to what they were. His heart longed for her when she wasn't around. He missed her when he didn't see her. His day wasn't complete if it was spent without hearing her voice, or seeing her face. He knew he loved her. He knew that, but admitting it was hard, to her and especially to himself. He had always allowed his actions to convey what in words he couldn't, and he saw her heart break when he panicked. He wished he could take that moment back. To take back the look of anguish in her face at the realisation that perhaps maybe what he felt for her wasn't enough. But Penelope was right, he needed to make the choice and if he didn't want to lose her, he had to process and fast.