Hello again! This chapter is a lot longer than what I normally post, but I figured you would all be okay with that ;). As promised, the last half of this chapter is dedicated to Elizabeth and George, please let me know all your thoughts on that! Thank you, as always, for the amazing reviews and favorites and follows! It makes me want to write this story to the absolute best of my ability, so thank you!

XxxxxX

Hotch grabbed the phone quickly, hoping Dave hadn't seen the name flashing across the screen.

Without even being asked, Dave swiftly got up and left the office, a smirk spreading across his face the whole time. Hotch shook his head, knowing he was going to have some serious explaining to do.

With Rossi out of the room, Hotch answered the phone and brought it to his ear.

"Emily?" He answered, trying not to sound too worried.

"Um, hi." She said quietly, he could tell without even seeing her that she was chewing on her lip like it was a lifeline.

"Hey yourself." He replied. "Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah…I'm okay…I just, well, I felt bad because I haven't talked to you in a couple of weeks. That's not fair, you were there for me when I needed you and I thanked you by ignoring you. I'm sorry." Emily said shakily.

"I knew you would talk to me when you were ready." Hotch told her sincerely. After working with her for so long, after knowing her for so many years, he felt like he knew her quite well. He knew that no matter how badly you wanted to help Emily Prentiss, she was not going to accept it until she was ready. If she was ready now, he was more than ready to help.

"I know it's a weeknight and you're going to be with Jack, and I don't want to get in the way of that tonight; but maybe this weekend we could meet up again?" She asked, he could tell that it had taken a lot for her to finally give in ad call him.

"You know, Jack's actually been asking me about you a lot lately. He'd really like to see you. I'm just about to head to Jessica's to pick him up. Why don't you come with me? You can come over and after Jack goes to bed, we can talk." Hotch offered. He wasn't exaggerating about Jack asking about the brunette woman, one day Jack had asked who his father kept texting. Not wanting to lie to his son, Hotch told the truth: that he was talking to Emily. At that, Jack had immediately asked to see her, but Hotch knew that wouldn't happen until he and Emily spoke again. He didn't want her to feel like he was using his son as a pawn to get her to talk to him, because he would never do that; so he told Jack that she was very busy but that he would try to get the two of them together very soon. That had appeased Jack for a bit, but he had started asking to see Emily again. This seemed like the perfect time to bring it up.

"I'd love to see Jack, but are you sure you wouldn't mind? It's pretty short notice. I don't want to impose on anything." Emily said honestly.

"I'm sure by now Jessica's already given him dinner, and he always does his homework as soon as he gets home, so it'd be a pretty leisurely night tonight for us. We'd really love to have you, Emily." Hotch encouraged. I would really love to have you.

"Um, okay. Yeah, I'll be there." Emily finally agreed. He could almost hear the smile in her voice, it made him smile too.

"Where are you staying? I'll just swing by and pick you up. Jack will be so surprised to see you." Hotch told her.

"I'm staying at my mother's house." Emily told him.

"Is it- is it the same one you guys lived in when I worked for your mother?" Hotch asked. He remembered exactly where it was. He also remembered exactly where he was and what he was doing the very first time he had seen the Ambassador's daughter. That felt like a completely different life, yet somehow he hadn't forgotten that. He wondered if she remembered that day at all, too.

"It's the same one. You actually remember where it is?" Emily asked, a bit in disbelief.

"I do, I'll be there soon, okay? I'm heading out now." Hotch told her.

"Okay, I'll see you soon." Emily said as she disconnected the call.

Hotch rose, neatly placing the unfinished paperwork in a desk drawer, and collecting a couple of completed files he was going to drop off to the director. He pocketed his phone and headed out of his office, making sure to lock it behind him on the way out.

He bounded down the stairs quietly, though the building was practically empty by now.

Hotch wondered for a brief moment where Rossi had wandered off to, but he was glad the man seemed to have gone home for the night. That was certainly an interrogation he didn't need right now. Quickly, he dropped the files in the director's office and headed out to his car to make his way to Emily's.

XxxxxxxX

Emily was pacing around the sitting room, biting at her already non-existent nails. She was mentally berating herself for being so nervous. It was just Hotch, she was just going to see Jack. However, once Jack went to bed, Emily knew Hotch was going to want to talk. She had no idea what she was going to say to him. She had only called tonight because she'd promised her mother, and she didn't want to break that.

Suddenly, she heard a knock at the door. She jumped, not realizing how much time had passed. She headed to the door and let Hotch in with a welcoming smile.

"Let me just go upstairs and get my jacket, and I'll be right back." Emily said as she hurried up the stairs and into her bedroom. She grabbed her favorite red, fleece jacket that didn't really match everything; but that she wore all the time regardless because she loved it so much. Emily ducked into George's room and let him know she was headed out, but would be back late tonight.

She bounded back down the stairs, pulling her jacket on as she approached Hotch.

"Ready?" He asked. She nodded, and they headed out to Hotch's car and to Jessica's.

XxxxX

Emily opted to sit out in the car while Hotch went in to get Jack; she was anxiously sitting in the passenger seat and biting her nails again.

She had to smile when she glanced up and saw Jack racing toward the car, a giant smile plastered on his face.

She opened the car door and got out, to greet the eight-year-old. He plowed into Emily at full speed, wrapping his arms around her waist and hugging her tight.

"Hey, buddy." Emily greeted him warmly, hugging him back. She gently pulled him away so she could bend down to his height. "Good lord, you're getting so tall!" Emily commented. Neither Jack nor Emily noticed Hotch walking up on the scene, smiling from ear to ear at the two of them.

Jack laughed and hugged her again. "I missed you, Emily!"

"I missed you too, Jack." She told the boy sincerely, running her palm over his sandy hair.

"You gotta come back from London more, okay?" He said seriously, sending her a glare that could rival Hotch's. Emily had to let out a laugh at that.

"Yes, sir. You're right! But I'm here now, so we have to make up for lost time." Emily told him.

"Are ya gonna come to our house?" Jack asked excitedly.

"I am! Did you do all your homework and eat dinner with your Aunt Jessica?" Emily asked him.

Jack nodded eagerly. "Yeah! Come on, I got a lot of stuff to show you, Emily!" Jack said as he grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the car. "Come on, Dad! You're driving!" The boy called from behind his shoulder.

Both adults laughed at the boy's enthusiasm, and Emily dutifully sat in the passenger seat, dramatically making a show of it just to make Jack laugh.

Hotch followed, and soon the three of them found themselves back at the Hotchner household.

XxxxxX

The second they got in the door, Jack grabbed Emily's hand and led her up to his bedroom. He showed her various new books, toys, and school projects he had on display in his room. The room looked so different from the last time she'd seen it in some ways. He'd gotten rid of a lot of things, like his dinosaur toys and his toy race cars. Except for a couple that he'd shown her. Emily recalled one of the ones as one she had given him as a Christmas present one year, and she felt her heart melt. She didn't know if he'd kept it because he'd just liked it, or because she'd given it to him; but either way it touched her deeply.

He caught her up on everything happening in the third grade, and about soccer, and everything in between. Emily listened intently, as the two of them sat on Jack's bed together. Jack was growing up so quickly, Emily could hardly believe it. She couldn't even imagine how Hotch or Jessica had to feel, since they'd been there with him since day one.

A few minutes later, their conversation was interrupted by a light knock at the door.

Hotch poked his head in the room with a smile.

"I hate to interrupt you, but if you're interested, I set up a game in here we can all play if you'd like." He informed them.

"Is it Sorry?" Jack asked, intrigued. After all, Sorry was his favorite board game, and he was really good at it.

"It is," Hotch confirmed with a nod.

"Wanna play it with us, Emily? Please?" Jack asked as he looked up at her.

"I would love nothing more, sweetie." Emily replied as she grabbed his hand and led him out of the room.

The three of them played three games in a row, Jack winning the first two and Emily winning the last. After that, Hotch sent Jack to get ready for bed. The boy did as he was asked, and Emily helped Hotch clean up the board game.

"He really had fun tonight, thanks for coming." Hotch said as he put the lid on the game box and stuck it under the coffee table, deciding to put it in it's proper place later.

"Thank you for inviting me, I had a great time, too." Emily smiled. It was true, for the first time in days Emily wasn't worrying. She was enjoying herself, she was laughing, smiling, and joking like she used to. It felt really great, she had to admit.

Before Hotch could respond, they heard footsteps rapidly approaching them.

"I came back to tell Emily goodnight," Jack informed them.

Emily opened her arms, and Jack rushed into them and hugged her tightly.

"Thanks for playing Sorry with me and Dad, and for letting me show you my stuff!" Jack said as he looked up at her, never releasing his hold from around her waist.

"You're welcome, Jack. I'll have to come visit you again soon, how's that sound?" Emily asked with an over dramatic raise of her eyebrow, causing Jack to laugh.

"Okay! Goodnight Emily, goodnight, Dad!" Jack smiled as he hugged Emily one last time, and headed over to his father, hugging him goodnight and racing back toward his room.

"You don't tuck him in anymore?" Emily asked as the two of them sat down on the couch.

"No, he's decided he's too old for that. Sometimes he'll still ask me to, but generally he just comes to find me and tells me goodnight." Hotch informed her.

Emily nodded.

There was a stiff silence between them for a few minutes, but Hotch finally spoke again.

"How are you? Really," He asked her, realizing she wasn't going to start the conversation.

"I'm alright. It's...it's hard some days. Some days I'll go to visit my mother and she won't know me. Or she'll send me away because she thinks she's working and I'm being a meddling kid. Sometimes I leave, but mostly I just go sit in the lobby and wait around, you know, in case she needs me." Emily admitted.

Hotch just reached out and held her hand encouragingly as she continued.

"But on some days, she knows exactly who I am and what's going on. On those days, we play a lot of cards, watch a lot of crappy TV, and we do a lot of talking." Emily told him, unable to stop the smile from spreading across her face.

"That's good, I know it's not ideal, but I'm glad you guys are getting those days." Hotch said.

Emily nodded. "Yeah, me too." She smiled.

They talked for a while longer, and Emily's worries and anxieties faded away in no time. Hotch was able to calm her fears and put her at ease. He was always willing to listen to her. He didn't discredit her emotions. He never told her she was being irrational, even when she probably was. It was refreshing and wonderful and so nice to have. Emily had called a cab to take her home, not wanting Hotch to have to rouse Jack and drag him along; and also not feeling comfortable to stay the night again.

The entire time at Hotch's, and the entire drive home, Emily could only hear her mother's voice in her head.

You can't let him get away, Emily. You can't.

She didn't plan on it.

XxxxX

Emily reached out and squeezed George's hand in hers as they sat in the parking lot of Elizabeth's nursing home.

"Are you ready?" Emily asked gently.

"I'm ready," George replied with a nod as he moved his hand and unbuckled his seatbelt.

Together, they headed into the home and up to Elizabeth's room. They walked in together and found Elizabeth sitting in her favorite spot: the chair by the window. The television in her room was on, but they could both tell Elizabeth wasn't paying any attention to it.

"Hey, Mom." Emily greeted her mother as she headed over to her and hugged her gently. The two had probably exchanged more hugs in the past few weeks than they ever had in Emily's entire life.

"Hello, Em." Elizabeth replied with a light smile. Emily knew her mother was nervous about George coming, but Emily had assured her that she would call the nursing home and make sure Elizabeth was having a lucid day before she brought George with her.

"Hi, Liz." George said gently as he inched closed to the two brunettes. He sat down on Elizabeth's bed and gently reached out to hold Elizabeth's hand in his. Emily smiled, he was probably the only person on the planet that called Elizabeth anything but her full name, or Ambassador. With the exception of Emily, of course. Seeing her mother relax and her eyes soften, Emily quietly crept out of the room and headed down to the lobby to wait for one of them to come and get her.

Neither Elizabeth nor George seemed to notice Emily leave.

"Hi, George. It's so good to see you." Elizabeth said honestly, taking in George's appearance, as if she was trying to store away every last detail.

"I'm really glad to see you, too." He smiled.

"Well, welcome to my humble abode." Elizabeth joked as she rose and gave him a brief tour of the room. The two of the headed out of the room and down the stairs, hand-in-hand, while Elizabeth showed him around the rest of the home.

The two of them talked about times past, Elizabeth bringing up most of the subjects because George didn't want to bring something up that she might not remember right now.

Many of the old stories had them both practically doubled over with laughter. Elizabeth hadn't laughed like that in a very, very long time. Emily's daily visits cheered her up, but there was something about George that just made her feel even more at home.

After the two of them had been asked three times to keep their volume down, they went back to Elizabeth's room, still holding hands and giggling the whole way, like teenagers.

Elizabeth opted to sit on her bed and lean up against the pillows on the headboard instead of her chair, motioning for George to sit next to her. He did just that.

They didn't speak for a few minutes; they just enjoyed each other's company.

Finally, Elizabeth scooted a little closer to him and rested her head on George's chest.

"Thank you," She whispered.

"For what?" George asked.

"For coming here today. For sticking with me all these years, when I know at times it probably wasn't easy. For becoming a sort of father figure to Emily after the divorce. You didn't have to look out or her the way you did, the way you have. But you did, no questions asked. It means a lot to me… all of it means so much to me. I just never took the time to thank you." Elizabeth told him.

"I've always known how grateful you are, Liz. Don't ever doubt that." George said firmly, but softly. He pulled Elizabeth just a little closer to him.

"I'm so glad." Elizabeth whispered, tears brimming in her eyes. She blinked them back quickly. After another few minutes of silence, Elizabeth spoke again.

"You know, Emily's been harassing me since day one to let me have you visit." Elizabeth admitted.

"Why didn't you let me, Liz?" George asked the burning question. He wasn't mad; he just wanted to know if it was something he had done to make her uncomfortable.

Elizabeth sighed, raising her head from his shoulder and looking at him.

"I just- I didn't want you to see me like this. You and I have been more than colleagues for years, George. Emily sees you as family. I see you as…" She cut herself off.

"As what?" George prodded. He squeezed her hand. "My answer is probably the same as yours." He added at her hesitation to continue.

"I didn't want you to come and visit because I…because I love you, George." Elizabeth said finally, the tears falling quickly from her eyes.

George brushed them away with his thumbs.

"I love you too, Elizabeth, I love you, too." He replied, the words feeling so foreign and yet so familiar on his tongue. Neither of them had ever said those words out loud before, but in this moment it felt right; like they'd done it every day for almost thirty years. George wished that they were having this conversation under better circumstances, completely unaware that Elizabeth was thinking the exact same thing.