Hey guys! This fanfic is not dead! I know it took me a lifetime to update it, but I totally ran out of ideas for this chapter. Then all of a sudden I had that super moment of creativity and BOOM, this happened lol I can't express how surprised I am for all the reviews and follows, really, it made me sooo happy!

As always, a huge thank you to my most beautiful beta Betty Drake! I gotta announce also that she gently asked me to join her on 'Wasn't Expecting That' and we've been coming up with crazy ideas, it's gonna be good!

Small note for the sake of this story: Mark never existed (but probably you all guessed) and Hotch broke up with Beth when she moved to NY! And the story is going to be real fast in this beginning, it's all intentional!

Dave suggested they should talk to the team as soon as possible but Emily wasn't ready for that, not yet. She almost begged Rossi to give her a couple of days therefore she could bring herself together. Most of all, she could have the chance to find some sense in everything that happened.

He never discussed this with her. Never. Still when she found her spare key among the bags she barely had undone, Emily had the feeling that there was something else going on. Her suspicions were just confirmed when she found his – their – home perfectly clean. All the furniture, his clothes, Jack's clothes and even the food were intact.

Emily took a minute to reach out for that light blue shirt he adored. Tears sprinkled her dark eyes as her nostrils captured the small waves of his cologne. God, how she hated the scent. A faint smile crept on her lips accompanying the tender remembrance of the countless times she asked him to change it. He was just as stubborn as she was, she loved that about them.

Salty droplets became tortuous oceans as the yellow girlish walls – recently painted – contrasted with the other teenage half. She could almost even hear Jack's voice as he used his Nerf with the tiny brunette to shoot the monsters away during their most recent visit. It had been a short while after Aaron was SWATed right in front of the sandy haired boy. Rage flew her veins wildly. She needed to destroy Peter Lewis. She had to.

The brunette walked in obstinately, her clean leather boots clashing as she took another pile of paperwork upstairs. Emily couldn't be weak at the job. She came to terms with being strong was the only way to save them. To save her.

They had announced his abrupt departure to the team three days after that miserable morning in which her goateed friend talked her into accepting his last request. The smallest thought of losing him forever hurt her to the core and she struggled to push away the possibility that those were his last words to her. But they were and it hurt like hell. As a matter of facts, Rossi told them because all she could do was give them a dead smile of defeat. Yes, she was afraid to even murmur her own surname - put aside with his given name preceeding it -. She knew the pain of not seeing his playful eyes whenever she called him 'Hotch'. Once, he called her by his nickname.

"We do look like a Hotch." his image right beside her in the mirror became crystal clear as a peaceful memory.

She had to compartmentalize, she had to pull through. Her pained sigh told her to move ahead, told her she should just hood her chocolate orbs and walk in as she had been doing it every day. However, she couldn't help the sour taste gracing her lips when she read the plate: "Emily Prentiss". This was not her, not anymore, and she convinced herself playing this character was the only way to protect her - their - family. Thus, she successfully managed to do just that from the moment she crossed the door of her – his – office. Emily became Prentiss. And it never felt more out of place.

Later that same night the new Unit Chief found herself stuck on the same page about that petty monster for over half an hour. Her mind ran vaguely to how the both of them were feeling in that very moment. She missed him so much, especially late at night. Emily was lost in her thoughts when she heard a knock on her opened door.

"Ma'am," Pen's always smiling tone chanted. "I'm sorry to interrupt while you are working hard later than usual a.k.a. 'later than common humanity', but I was peeking through Hotch's life as you asked and I just found something very strange."

Her head lifted in a split second, heels running to the blonde's batcave. Emily gave her no words – also, Penelope couldn't stop rambling – because she knew both of them were torn to ashes. That's why the tech analyst had been the first to spontaneously volunteer on her chase for Lewis, as always, with a mug filled to the brim with strong coffee.

Her brown orbs met Alvez's figure, his ever so smooth eyes seemed tired and she couldn't be more grateful for his effort. He barely even knew her or Hotch. Put aside their marriage and the small piece of them who was about to land stateside. None of them were aware of the existence of a Mrs. Hotchner. None of them were aware she was that very woman.

"We found a sealed file, three actually." Luke turned towards the screens, pointing at the shiny images. "Two of them are from international courts, London and Vienna, the other is local."

"Any guess about the dates?"

"I dug all the land of online wisdom and found zip, nada, but my muse was certainly inspired and our dearest newbie here decided to help with my magic trick and don't even ask how I got it boss lady but I did." the colorful woman sipped the black content in her left hand. "The London file is from October 5, 2013"

She sighed in defeat, jaw immediately tensed, every mini expression stiffened. Emily seemed to be in relentless pain, fighting inwardly for the upcoming truth and the woes of facing it alone were overwhelming.

"It's sealed and encrypted. Should I do my thing on them?"

"No." the brunette replied single-minded before turning towards the new agent. "Luke, please, gather the team for me early tomorrow." one check to her wristwatch – his first gift – invited no further discussion and Alvez found himself nodding. "I must go now, see you tomorrow."

"But ma'am, shouldn't we-"

The loud bang of the door left Penelope speechless. Last time she saw Emily that cold and mysterious, she was trying to save them from Ian Doyle. Bitter remembrances glassed her light eyes as one large palm splayed on her yellow dress clad shoulder.

"So you tell me, Emily and Hotch, were they too close?" the new agent inquired. "I mean, she seems devastated."

"We all are." Garcia quipped within a tiny exchange of looks, lips slightly quivering.

"It's different, I don't know… it's almost like someone murdered one of her closest relatives." he shrugged carelessly, folding his arms across his chest as he leaned on one of the blonde's over decorated tables.

And then it occurred to her. One thing led to another and all the remarkable moments, the tiny signals also, crossed her caffeinated brain like flashes. From the way Hotch had rather called her Emily when they had that case in Chicago, to how he never dated again after he broke up with Beth a while after Emily accepted to run the London's INTERPOL office and ending up with the seasonal trips he had taken with Jack every summer and holidays to somewhere in Europe. Always different places, almost like he was trying to hide something…

She spun on her office chair, typing furiously the keyboards until the three files popped up on her screen. Secrets be damned, they never did any good to their team anyway.

"Oh. My. God." her mouth formed a perfect "o", jaw fallen in a mix of surprise, happiness, hope maybe, and shuddering despair.

In front of her very eyes, Penelope perused a wedding and birth certificate, a custody paper, all of them – for her utter shock – were properly filled with two familiar names and their respective signatures right below: Aaron Hotchner and Emily Hotchner.

To be continued...

Please, if you can, take a minute to let me know whether you like it or not! I'll be delighted to hear from you!