Ok so this is from the episode "Damaged" again after the show ends. Hotch just signed his papers and goes to talk to Emily.

It's April of 2008. Emily's 37, Hotch is 42.
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"What appears to be the end may really be a new beginning." – Author Unknown.
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Hotch signed his name on the dotted line and leant back in his seat, contemplating what effects this would have on things.

He looked out his window and seen Emily sit at her desk with some papers, and knew he needed to tell her what he'd just done... not yet though, right now he needed to get his own mind straightened out.

He knew things would be difficult as he was still angry at Haley for cheating and he knew she was still mad at him for going to work... but he had other things to think about right now... like his son and his future with Emily.

An hour... or maybe more... later, Hotch finally stood from his chair, looked down at the papers one more time and sighed before looking out his office window into the bullpen.

Seeing that the room was empty he knew that Emily was back at her apartment, so he packed his bag quickly and headed out the door and towards the elevator.

Twenty minutes later he found himself on her door step, knocking on her door, not really remembering the car journey, being more preoccupied by what he was planning on saying and doing once Emily let him in.

~.~.~.~

Emily had just begun her post work ritual and after she placed her glass of wine on the table and sat on her sofa she picked up her remote to play 'Mama Mia' when she heard a knock on her door.

She looked at the clock on her wall and once she seen that it was after nine she knew it could only be one person, so she stood, wrapping her sofa's throw around her for warmth and walked towards the door, checking the peep hole first out of habit before opening the door.

"May I come in?" Hotch asked, almost nervously.

"Of course you can." Emily replied with a small smile, stepping aside and granting Hotch access to her kitchen come living room. "Would you like a glass of wine?" She asked as she stood and watched him walk into the room and sit on the sofa.

"Uh yea thanks." Hotch muttered as he sat down, not making eye contact with Emily.

As Emily poured another glass of wine from the already open bottle, she kept her eyes trained on Hotch... knowing that he had something on his mind, but not entirely sure what... though after what Reid had told her about interview earlier she had a fair idea.

"So what brings you here at this hour?" Emily inquired, once she placed the wine glass in front of Hotch and sat down beside him.

"I uh... signed the papers today." He said quietly, not looking up from the wine glass on the table.

"Oh... that must have been hard for you." Emily stated quietly, reaching out an arm to comfort him as she spoke, not really knowing what else to say or do.

"Uh yea, it was a bit, but I knew I had to do it... and I'm ready to move on now." Hotch said, for the first time looking Emily in the eye.

Emily knew this would be coming... after what Reid had told her today, she'd guessed it would only be a matter of time before he spoke to her.

"Are you sure?" Emily asked cautiously, not wanting to push Hotch away.

"Yes I am... and I'd like to move on with you Emily." He said firmly, though Emily seen right through it.

"Hotch." She said after a moment. "I know you think you're ready but... what if you're not?" She asked carefully.

"What do you mean?" Hotch asked back after a moment.

"Don't get me wrong, I love you and I'd love if we could have a future together but... I was talking to Reid today, after we got back from the case... and he told me that you weren't getting what you wanted in the divorce... and that tells me you're not ready yet." Emily told him, hoping she wasn't making him angry.

"Emily... what I wanted in the divorce I'm not going to get anyway." Hotch confessed.

"Exactly, and I don't think you've fully accepted that, and until you do... you're not ready for a relationship... don't get me wrong, I'm here to talk to you no matter when, but until you have your issues sorted, you'd only be hurting yourself by getting involved with me... or anyone else." Emily said soothingly.

There was an awkward silence in the room after Emily finished talking... Hotch was processing what she'd said and Emily was sitting in anticipation for his response.

"You're right you know... I didn't get what I wanted in the divorce." Hotch whispered eventually. "She wouldn't admit that she cheated on me... it said the reasons for divorce was that my job tore us apart... and as true as that was, she still wouldn't take any of the blame." He added almost bitterly.

"I'm so sorry H- Aaron." Emily whispered, placing a hand on his knee as a silent form of support, knowing anything more intimate could send him mixed signals, especially in his current state.

"I'm the one who should be sorry." Hotch sighed eventually.

"Sorry for what?" Emily asked in confusion.

"Sorry for dumping all that on you... I shouldn't have burdened you with my problems." He clarified.

"Aaron Hotchner... never say that to me again, your problem is my problem, because we may not be getting together now, but encase you've forgotten, you promised me you'd give me the relationship I deserved and when I told you I'd wait from now until forever for that to happen, I wasn't joking, so don't ever feel the need to apologise for something like that again." Emily scolded, causing Hotch to smile for the first time all evening.

"Thank you Emily, really. And I promise you that soon I'll be ready, and you'll be the first person to know when I am." Hotch replied, giving Emily a small smile as he spoke.

"Glad to hear it." Emily joked, leaning over to give Hotch a warm hug.
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Finally got that chapter finished... I was half ways through it when my laptop got a virus and it shut down completely (giving me a small panic attack) but thanks to my mum's friend (who is like the male version of Garcia) it's all better now so I'm back to writing again... YAY! Tell me what you thought. =)