Hotch sucked in a breath as he looked up from his paper and saw Emily walking into the living room with a sleeping Aubrey in her arms, Halie following the brunette like a lovesick puppy. "Hey. She's down for her nap already?"

Emily nodded as she sat next to her husband, tucking her small little Aubrey under the covers and hoisting Halie up onto the bed. "She began falling asleep while reading with Peyton, so I picked her up. She immediately fell asleep on my shoulder." She looked down to Halie and picked up the silent girl before setting her on her lap. "And this one just needed some company, so I told her that she could come up with us."

The older man looked to his wife, his brow wrinkling. "She needed some company?"

"Yeah. She was asking about some things downstairs and I just didn't think that she should be alone right now."

Hotch's eyes went from Emily's down to Halie's, his fingers settings the paper down on the nightstand before he took off his glasses. "Did something happen, Halie?"

Halie's small eyes saddened as she shook her head, her head bending down to look at her hands that lay in her lap. "No."

Emily sighed as she hugged Halie to her chest, her lips laying on the girl's light hair. "Honey, do you wanna tell Aaron what we talked about downstairs? He might be able to make you feel better."

Halie looked up to the older man that stared her way as her heart began to race. "Emily got sick."

Hotch nodded as he scooted closer to the couple. "I know, that's been happening a little bit. But why was that a problem for you, honey?"

"I don't want you to yell at Emily."

Hotch's eyes widened at the small girl's sentiment, looking to Emily to see her give a sad nod. "Halie sweetie, why would I yell at Emily? I've never yelled at her before, for anything."

The little girl looked up to her newest 'guardian' for the time being, her lips forming the smallest pout they could. "My daddy used to yell at me when I gots sick. And I gots sick a lot, so I got yelled at lots." She felt her eyes blurring as she looked to the woman she was sitting on. "Are you gonna yell at me if I get sick?"

Emily immediately shook her head and kissed the young girl's cheek, wiping the salty tears from both their cheeks. "I would never, Halie. And neither would Aaron. Just like I told you downstairs, getting sick is natural. There's no reason for us to yell at you for something like that."

Halie turned in Emily's lap and hugged her tight, her small arms wrapping around the older woman's torso. "Thank you Emmy!"

The older woman smiled against the young girl's hair, feeling the bed move beside her. She looked up to see her husband looking her way, his eyes worried. "I think she'll be just fine, Aaron."

"You don't know that."

Halie took her face from the older brunette's chest and looked toward the man of the house. "I gets it now, Mr. Aaron. My daddy was bad, but you and Emily isn't!"

Hotch smiled at the young girl before nodding, kissing her softly on her pale, little nose. "That's right, Halie."

There was a small movement from between the embracing family causing all their eyes to look down. Emily smiled. "Hey BreBre. You're wide awake now, aren't you?"

Aubrey slowly sat up against her mother's pillow, the blanket clutched in her lap. "Is it food time yet?"