Early the next morning Penelope went for a long run along the beach. Emily was still asleep when she left, and assumed that she would remain asleep for another hour or so. They had stayed up pretty late the night before and she knew that Em was exhausted. Neither of them knew what time Hotch would be arriving, and they had both hoped it wouldn't be till later. In saying that, as she neared the cottage and found a figure sitting on the back steps she chuckled.

"I should have known you would be here early. She's still sleeping, and if you know what's good for you I wouldn't start with waking her up so early. It's not the way to make a girl swoon if you catch my drift." Hotch smiled,
"I would never make that mistake twice. Emily Prentiss being awakened before she has to be equals one very angry Emily Prentiss."
"You have learned much my Grasshopper. So if you know that why are you here so damn early?"
"I figured you would be up early."
"And?"
"I don't know, thought you might want to chat." Penelope raised an eyebrow,
"Aaron Hotchner did you really just use 'chat' in a sentence?"
"What can I say, you girls have influenced me. Seriously Pen, you're constantly there for everyone at a drop of a hat regardless what's going on in your world. I wanted you to know that there's someone here for you too."
"I appreciate that."
"Jack and I, we wouldn't have made it this far if it wasn't for you, for Emily, the rest of the team, and I…"
"Aaron, you don't need to thank me for that. It's what friends are for"
"And I appreciate that."
"Aaron, you didn't have to drive here at six in the morning to tell me that."
"Pen I know,"
"Know what? Oh…"
"Yeah,"
"He told you?"
"Yes he did."
"Good, I'm glad."
"Pen,"
"It's okay Aaron, he found the love of his life. She's pregnant and they're going to get married. It's not an uncommon progression."

Hotch watched her turn her gaze towards the beach, her face in complete resolution. He saw the pain her eyes that she tried so hard to hide.

"I've always known it wasn't me, but I never thought I'd lose him as a friend, and if I did, I didn't think it was something he would initiate. I think that's the part that hurts the most. That he chose to walk away. He didn't even fight for us. I didn't even get the chance to be the one to walk away."
"I'm sorry Pen."
"Aaron, if you love that girl up there. You tell her. I know it hurts to move on from Hayley, I get that, but you have a shot for happiness here. Take it. You deserve it and she deserves it. The kind of love you share, it comes once in a lifetime. You were fortunate enough to be given a second chance. Don't throw that away." Penelope allowed him to see through her, so that he could see what she was trying to say. If Hotch had any doubts, the look in her eyes quenched that. Penelope dropped her hand on his shoulder as she walked past him to head to the shower.

When Penelope came out half an hour later from her shower she saw that he was busily cooking breakfast.

"Nice Hotchner, you sure know how to worm into her heart." Aaron smiled as he looked up from the waffle griddle expertly lifting the waffles with a spatula. He handed her a plate full of food and a fork,
"Thanks, I'm going to take my breakfast, my book and Ipod and head down the dunes. You do your thing."
"Pen, you don't have to go."
"Ahh, but I do." She answered simply, and he caught on.
"Okay, but you know you would never have to do it on our account."
"I do. Good luck."
"Thanks Pen, for everything." Penelope merely answered with a wave and closed the porch door behind her. Hotch watched as she walked down to the dunes with her plate full of food, a bag over her shoulder that held her book, towel and Ipod and thought Derek Morgan was a stupid man.

Hotch stood by the door of the room where Emily slept. There was something calming about just seeing her so peaceful. So beautiful. He wanted brush the loose strand of hair that fell over cheek, caress her face with his fingers. More than that he wanted to wrap her in his arms and never let go.

"Seriously, you need to staring, it's creepy." Emily murmured as she stirred rubbing her nose with the back of her hand to warm it without fully opening her eyes. Hotch took it as white flag and crossed the distance between them. He sat by the edge of the bed caressed her cheeks with his fingers,
"I'm going to say something and I need you to listen to me, and hear what I have to say." Emily opened her eyes and looked at him,
"I am in love with you Emily Prentiss, in that over the ball park, can't eat, can't sleep, can't breath kind of way." Emily inwardly gasped as his eyes vouched for every word he uttered.
"I know that you think my pulling away after I kissed you was because I still loved Hayley, and I admit Em, a part of me will always love Hayley. She gave me my son, she played a huge part on who I became, she was my best friend for half my life, and I know that hurts you, but hear me when I say…I have never loved anyone, as much as I love you. When you're not near me, I find it hard to breathe, when I can't see you, I find it hard to concentrate, like something's missing. As corny as it sounds, I feel incomplete without you. You make me a better person just by being in my life. You challenge me, you bring out the best in me, more than anything else you love me for me, and all of my short comings. You love so unconditionally and I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I am grateful that you have been brought to my life. I loved Hayley and she will always be a part of me, but you are my present and future, you are the one I can't live without. I just need you to be patient with me. I need for us to take this slow, but know this Emily Prentiss, I am going to marry you one day, and you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives together. For now, forgive me. Let me love you. Let me show you how much I love you." Emily's eyes filled with tears as he spoke so earnestly.
"I love you too." She murmured sitting up. Hotch pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly. Emily buried her face into his chest and breathed him in. The thought the she had almost lost him overwhelmed her,
"Hey, sweetheart what's the matter?"
"I thought I'd lost you." She answered tearfully. Hotch held her face in his hands and brushed her tears away,
"You will never lose me."