"You promise you'll wait for me?"

"I can't promise anything Derek. You know that."

"I have to be there Lex."

"I know but I don't want to move it. Another spot might not open up. You might not be away."

"I have to be there. Have to."

"Then you'll have to make sure your there. I'm not changing my appointment. We might not even be able to find out what the baby is. Sometimes it doesn't work." She reminded him.

Derek leaned back in his chair. The BAU had been quite busy this week and he feared if they got a case now he would miss something very important. He wanted to be the first to know if he was having a son or daughter. He didn't want to hear it over the phone. "I think I may just call in sick tomorrow." He mused out loud.

"I thought you were short an agent?"

"We are." Emily still hadn't returned to duty. She had a few days left, plus the extra week if she decided to take it. Even though they were busy, there was a lot less tension surrounding Hotch. Derek wondered briefly if there was something between his boss and Emily.

"What do you think it is?" Lexi was asking him.

"Huh?"

"Do you think it's a boy or a girl?"

"Having a boy first would be nice....." He trailed off, hearing her little gasp.

"What?" Had he said something wrong?

"What did you say?" She sounded apprehensive now.

"I said having a boy would be nice." He repeated slowly.

"No Derek. You said 'having a boy first'.....what does first mean?" He could hear her tapping a pen on her desk. Technically they were both supposed to be working.

Derek tried to think of a quick answer that would satisfy her. But honestly he had no idea why he said that. It just came out.

"I dunno Lex....I just thought...you know..." He struggled with words. Damn, why did he have to get himself into another hole with her. When he got one step ahead he had to take two back.

She was silent on the line for a bit. They had conversations like this before. Silence could last up to five minutes. Derek usually did not want to hang up the phone. Could he picture himself with more than one child? He figured when he was ready to settle down, once he found the right woman, he could have a few.

"I didn't mean anything by it." He feigned indifference.

"Really because they way you said it-"

"I guess I just always thought that when I would have kids it wouldn't be...just...a kid. Didn't you?" He cleverly turned the conversation around on her. It worked.

"I guess...yeah I envisioned at least two. But that's neither here nor there. I'm going tomorrow at 7."

"Ok, I will try my best to be there." He hung up after saying goodbye. He got an anxious jittery feeling in his legs. Tomorrow could be one of the best days of his life. If they didn't get a case.

*~*

Emily had vacated her childhood bedroom and moved her stuff down the hall. Her bedroom was too stifling; too pink and too much. So she slipped into what her mother referred to as the 'guest room'. It really had been her father's room before the big divorce. It still smelled like him. For the first time in a week she felt calmer. Which was a good thing since she had, had sudden crying fits. This morning she had finally had enough when she snubbed her toe on the dollhouse her father had made for her. She had fell over the gigantic thing and wondered why on earth she had ever loved it. She had never been a girlie girl. Then she remembered how much she liked spending time with him while he built it in the basement. It was the most she saw of him during her 9th year.

The other good thing about this room was that it was sectioned off from the rest of the house. Here no one would bother her. Her mother was constantly coming up to her and annoying her with stupid questions. Her mother wanted to snap out of whatever she was in and go to functions with her. 'Help Represent the Family' she had said. Emily had no interest in going to anything.

Other people were lingering as well. Those who wanted a share of her father's wealth and weren't getting one. Who was she to dictate who got what? Her father had been especially generous with his daughter, ex-wife and mistress. All his estates were divided between them. Emily now owned the house in France. She owned everything in that house. A couple cars, antique paintings and furniture and all the land. That with the inheritance made her set for life.

It still didn't matter to her. She wanted time back. She wanted her concentration back. She had never been so disorganized. Her attention span had become so short and her temper even shorter. That was why she wanted to be away from people. She hoped it would get better before she went back to work. They would probably ask her to do a psychological evaluation.

Ick, she thought sullenly.

Someone knocked on the door. Damn, they found her already. Emily was in no mood to see people. She choose to ignore them. If it was her mother, grandmother or cousin, they would burst in anyways. They didn't care for her privacy. She wished the room had a secret passage way she could escape to.

"Little Emily? Are you here?" It was only Carlota. Emily jumped from the bed to open the door before Lottie yelled again. It might attract attention.

"Hey Lottie." Emily let her into the room.

"You poor thing. You miss Mr. Prentiss." Carlota consoled. "These came for you." She produced another set of flowers. She had gotten so many, but none she liked as much as the daises.

"Who are these from?" She sighed, setting them aside. They were nothing special.

"John Cooley."

Emily gave a haughty laugh. These were going in the shedder. Or out the window.

"What would he think if we sent him mulch back?" She wondered out loud. Carlota just shook her head.

Carlota chatted as she helped clean the room. "Mrs. Prentiss left early today to go to that Baker's function."

Good, Emily thought. That meant her mother would be out of her hair for the evening. A movie marathon with a few pints of Ben & Jerry's, curled up in bed, would be a good evening.

"Lottie did you buy anymore ice cream?" She asked.

"It is in first freezer." Carlota said gathering up the laundry and taking it away. Emily thought of starting her movie marathon night early. She went downstairs into the kitchen. She had her own staircase as well. It was very handy.

She got a pint out from the freezer and was grabbing a spoon when she heard a knock at the kitchen door. No one knocked on that door. Of course, her boss had never shown up at her mother's house either.

"Hotch?" She asked opening up the door. He looked slightly uneasy and she didn't feel like being bossed around tonight.

"Prentiss." Was his greeting.

"Yes?"

"No has heard from you in days. We were getting worried." Emily tried not roll her eyes. She seriously doubted she was that close to anyone in team. Her friendships there had been spoiled the night Morgan flipped out at her. She had put a considerable distance between herself and them since then. Except maybe for Reid. Although they had not gotten off on the right foot they were making progress. He was the only one who had not chosen sides. She appreciated that. Hotch, JJ and Garcia clearly backed Morgan.

"I'm fine." She lied.

"So you're going to be back on Monday?" He asked casually. It was only Wednesday, which would give her four days left to recoup.

"Yeah, I guess." She answered. They stood in an awkward silence.

As Emily said "Would you like a cup of coffee?" Hotch said "I better be going."

Emily had only said that to be polite, the ever ingrained diplomat training never leaving her. She was surprised when he accepted. He could just be being polite as well. She put on a pot anyways.

"ATF has been investigating the plane crash." Hotch told her. "They don't believe Ethan Prentiss was the direct target." He continued.

"I would rather not talk about that." She snapped abruptly.

"Oh."

Emily had never seen Hotch so submissive. She shut up him right up. Possibly he realized it wasn't the time nor the place to bring it up.

"Cream or milk?" She asked passing both. He accepted the cup silently but didn't bring up any conversation.

"Any cases lately?" She asked next, to fill the silence.

"A few. We have been busy this week. There was an arson case on Monday that we got just in time. JJ has a case for us tomorrow, I believe. The Florida Keys."

"Be careful of the alligators."

Hotch gave a little laugh. "Morgan won't appreciate it. He finds out the sex of the baby tomorrow."

"Big day."

"Yes. I should go. Thank you for the coffee. See you Monday." He passed back the coffee cup.

That was a very weird conversation, Emily thought later on. She never expected Hotch to go out of his way to see her. Of course, it was strictly business; so she supposed it was okay.

*~*

Hotch was treading dangerous waters. He was more drawn to her than ever before. Was it some kind of twisted guilt? He was thinking of her all day and she filled his dreams at night now. Maybe it was because she had been gone so long. But this was getting ridiculous. It was professional to go out of your way to see your subordinate just because you felt like you had to.

He had tried to end it but that hadn't worked. It only made it worse. Still, he could never see it going anywhere. Emily clearly had no awareness of his feelings. They would eventually go away. He knew he should also stop taking it out on Emily and the team. It was messing with the dynamics. He needed to fix this somehow.

*~*

Derek was not in a good mood the next morning. He made the abundantly clear to Hotch, who was getting more and more frustrated with him. He would miss the entire appointment. He sat sulking at his desk, flipping his cellphone open and close. They would be leaving in 20 minutes. Now he would have to wait all day. There was no way to refuse not going.

Hotch walked out of his office with his go-bag. "Morgan." He called. Derek looked up but didn't answer. He knew he was being childish, but this was an important day. Hotch knew that before he accepted the case.

"You can stay here for the day and work victimology, but I want you on the scene by the end of the day." He said.

"Really?" Derek perked up. He had just enough time to get down to Richmond. Without speeding. He just hadn't counted on the traffic jam.

"Damn it, Damn it, Damn it!" He punched the rubber steering wheel. This was not good. He called her, but her cellphone was off. She must already be at the hospital.

He got there 20 minutes late. It might be over already. He raced up with stairs to the obstetrics floor. He didn't see her in the waiting room. The receptionist waved him in.

Lexi and her mother were waiting inside the office.

"Did it happen? Did you find out?" He shot questions at them. Lexi waited until he was finished, as usual.

"No, Derek. We haven't found out yet. The doctor will be in soon to tell us." He sighed in relief and then kissed her. He was so glad they waited.

"Did you have the ultrasound?" He asked next.

"Yes, but I couldn't tell what it was. The doctor is looking at it closer on her monitor. And well, we told her to draw it out as long as possible so you could make it."

"Thanks babe." He said.

The doctor came back in smiling happily. "I have a verdict." She announced.

She handed them the papers. "Congratulations you're having a baby girl."

*~*

So Daisyangel, Celine79 and those I shall not mention, got their wish. Congratulations ladies. Please review, even though I know there isn't a lot of action in this chapter. More to come.