Episode: Profiling 101
"Hey, can you meet me somewhere? I need to show you something," Hotch stood outside the house, staring up at it, phone pressed against his ear. The sun was just beginning to set, golden rays filtering down over the rooftop. It was a basic two story house, with 2 bedrooms and a guest room, various bathrooms, a kitchen that would make Rossi proud and a living room that was just... perfect. The whole thing was so domestic that Hotch almost expected a white picket fence to pop up and a dog to come running out the front door.
"Uh, yeah, sure? Why, is there some super-secret you're hiding?" Emily laughed, the sound carrying over and making Hotch's stomach flip and a smile to tug at his lips.
"Kind of," he told her the address, explaining that he couldn't tell her anything else and hanging up. He sighed, staying rooted to the spot. Jack had already been there, obviously, and the moment he'd seen it, he had grabbed Hotch's hand and looked up at him, grinning broadly.
"Do I have my own room?"
"You bet."
"Is Emmy gonna live with us?"
"I think so. For a long time."
"Forever?"
"We'll see."
"Do I call her Mommy now?"
Hotch paused a moment, tensing up. Where was a handbook when you needed it?
"I- Not for now, Jack. Maybe one day."
That had been good enough for him, the small boy running forward and bursting through the door of the house, practically running over the realtor as Hotch just laughed on the front steps, thinking about his crazy, patchwork family.
OoOoOoO
"So, what was it you wanted to show me, Aaron?" Emily stepped out of the car, giving Hotch a quick peck on the lips before surveying the building before them.
"Wow, nice house."
"Yeah, I think so. Wanna... look around it?"
Emily smiled, poking Hotch in the ribs. "I'm pretty sure that's trespassing."
Hotch shuffled his feet, swallowing before answering softly. "Not if we own it."
There was a second of silence, then another and another.
"Oh God, Emily, please say something? Anything? Even that you hate it. I can deal with it. I know it's probably not perfect and it's not really like a substitute for your old apartment, but I just think that-"
"Aaron, it's perfect."
He stopped, jaw hanging for a second before he came to his senses and closed his mouth. "Really? You... mean it?"
"It's beautiful, Aaron, I mean I know you said you were thinking about getting a place, but I didn't know that you were so serious. I mean," Emily shook her head slowly, staring up at the place. "We have a house. We have a house together with Jack and we're going to live here and maybe invite the team over after cases and-" Emily stopped, just staring at the house.
"Em?"
"Has Jack seen it?"
"Yeah, he loves it almost as much as you."
Emily just smiled, leaning against Hotch and breathing. In, out, in, out. They lived together. For real, now. This was her life now and it was everything she ever wanted.
... Right?
Home - Phillip Phillips
