Hi guys! Thank you all for your sweet words! This is, finally, the funeral chapter. I really wanted to try and get this up sooner because I'll be starting classes soon, but I wanted this one to be just right so I had to take a little more time on it. If updates start coming a bit slower in the next few weeks, it's just me trying to find free time between classes and all that good stuff. Although we'll be officially saying goodbye to Elizabeth, there's still so much more in store for Emily, so I hope you'll all stick around with me!

XxxxX

The next morning, Emily woke early. Jack was still cuddled next to her, and she couldn't help but smile softly at the sight. She glanced over her shoulder and noticed Hotch had gotten up at some point. It was barely 8am, so she hoped he hadn't been up all night.

Just as she was about to move and go look for him, the door creaked open and Hotch poked his head in.

"Hi," Emily whispered, sending him a little wave as she slowly sat up and leaned back against the headboard.

"Good morning," Hotch greeted with a warm grin as he stepped farther into the room, sitting down carefully at the foot of the bed. "George and I made breakfast if you want to go on downstairs. I'll wake Jack up, he can be a little cranky in the mornings."

"I'm not cranky," they heard Jack's sleepy voice say.

"I know you're not, your dad's just trying to get rid of me." Emily joked as she ran a hand over Jack's messy hair. She turned her attention to the older Hotchner. "You didn't have to make breakfast, you know." She said softly.

"I know," he shrugged simply. "Now if you and Jack don't quit being lazy, it'll all get cold. No one likes cold pancakes." Hotch feigned seriousness.

"You never said it was pancakes!" Jack exclaimed excitedly, suddenly much more awake as he sat up quickly.

Emily had to smile at the boy's enthusiasm. "Go ahead down to the kitchen and get some, sweetie. Your dad and I will be down there in a minute." Jack nodded eagerly and left the room a second later.

Emily looked over at Hotch and motioned for him to come closer. He moved so he was sitting next to her. She looked over at him lazily and laced her fingers with his.

"Thank you," Emily said sincerely. "For everything." She added, her voice quieter.

"It's no problem, anything I can do to help." He said as he gave her hand a gentle, friendly squeeze.

She looked up to meet his eyes, fighting back tears. Because of him, she'd almost forgotten what today was. She knew it was going to be the most difficult day in her whole life, but if she had Hotch and the rest of the team with her, she'd be able to make it through.

She and Hotch had been closer than ever lately, that was obvious to anyone. She hardly ever called him anything but Aaron anymore, and he hadn't called her Prentiss in months. She liked having him as her solid ground, the one person she'd been able to completely trust.

She hadn't ever considered anything else but friendship for the man whose hand she was still holding. But falling asleep next to him and cuddling with his son last night, and then waking up to him having made breakfast made her feel like they were almost a little family.

When she looked up and met his eyes now, she could see a future like that for them. It excited her, it scared her, and it even made her a little sad.

Not now, of course. Now she had way too much emotional baggage going on to even consider any kind of relationship; but someday...someday maybe she could have that.

"I meant to get you something else to sleep in last night." Emily said finally as she bit her lip, realizing Hotch was still wearing what he had on last night, sans shoes. His black polo shirt was wrinkled from having been slept in. His hair was even a little out of place. It was a change from the usual spic and span way he carried himself. Emily had to admit, she liked seeing this side of him.

"You didn't even get yourself into pajamas, and all your stuff is here." Hotch pointed out.

She looked down at her jeans and plain blue shirt. "True, you got me." She told him.

"You know that everyone's gonna be here for you all day, right?" Hotch asked gently, knowing she was putting on a brave face.

Emily nodded. "I know," she said, her voice cracking slightly. They sat together for another minute, before Emily spoke up again. "We'd better go make sure there's enough pancakes left for us." She said as she finally rose from the bed and motioned for Hotch to follow her.

"You're right, Jack's been known to eat a whole batch." Hotch chuckled lightly as he followed Emily out of the bedroom.

"I wasn't talking about Jack, I was talking about George. He loves pancakes." Emily said, shooting Hotch a grin as they ascended down the stairs and into the kitchen. Hotch just shook his head and laughed. He knew she was apprehensive and scared about the funeral, and that her attempts at joking were more for his benefit. He hoped that at some point, she would let him help her through her emotions. Because he knew firsthand how suddenly and how strongly the feelings of loss and grief could strike. He looked over at her, pouring syrup on her plate of pancakes even though he knew she wasn't planning on eating much. She was smiling and talking with Jack. He knew that she would be okay, as long as he was there with her every step of the way.

XxxxX

Emily swallowed hard, trying to get rid of the lump in her throat as she looked at herself in the full length mirror in her bedroom one last time.

She's opted for very minimal make up, knowing that she would just cry it all off at some point, anyway. Her hair was pulled back in a low pony tail. She didn't want it falling in her face all afternoon. Her black dress came down to her knees, the neck was wide, so the dress came off her shoulders a bit. She had on little diamond earrings, not for show, but in hopes it would be enough distraction that people wouldn't look too closely at her already red, swollen eyes.

After Hotch and Jack left, Emily had had a small breakdown in the shower. She spent a good half an hour just crying silently. Maybe if she got that out of the way now, she wouldn't cry at the funeral. She didn't want scads of people coming up to her and comforting her and telling her how sorry they were. She appreciated anyone that had known her mother and was genuinely sorry, but she didn't want pity. Emily was still here, still alive. Her mother wasn't. The attention should be on her amazing life today, not Emily's emotions.

Emily took a breath as she reached for the necklace she had just put on- a silver pendant with a beautiful ruby jewel in the middle. It was small, and it had been Elizabeth's. It was one of her smaller, less flashy pieces of jewelry and Emily had always loved it. When she and George had gone through some things the previous day, George had given it to her. He said Elizabeth had mentioned in the past how much Emily had liked it, and he knew Elizabeth would want her to have it. She'd thanked him and had wanted to put it on immediately, but somehow that didn't feel right. So she had taken the precious necklace up to her room and it had sat atop her dresser until this moment.

She took the pendant in her hand and twirled it around in her fingers, her eyes trailing down to her black heels. JJ and Garcia had had some strings pulled and a lot of Emily's clothes had been shipped from London, including the outfit she was wearing now. Her friends were the only reason she wasn't a complete wreck right now. She looked over at the clock on the nightstand and knew she and George had to leave. This was really happening. She took a breath and left her bedroom, finding the older man downstairs waiting for her.

The drive to the church was quiet, neither one of them knew quite what to say. Emily was driving, thankful for the distraction from her own thoughts. She honestly didn't know what to expect, she hadn't been to a funeral in years. Part of her wished it was over with, but another part of her knew that once it was over, that was it. She'd only have her memories of her mother.

Once Emily pulled into the parking lot, everything seemed to be a blur. She didn't remember getting out and walking inside and taking a seat with George on the front row, but here she was. She looked around, barely able to recall the last time she'd set foot inside a church. There were elegant floral arrangements toward the front, and a few placed in some windows. Emily turned around slightly when she heard familiar voices. Sure enough, the whole team had arrived together. She smiled softly, genuinely happy that they'd all been able to make it, and stood up to hug each of them.

Everyone piled into the row behind her and George, since the two of them were the only family in attendance that was the only row that had been reserved. Before Hotch and Jack filed into the row last, Emily gently pulled him by the arm and nodded toward the seat next to her. If she was going to get through this, she needed him beside her.

"Are you sure?" Hotch whispered. She just nodded again, returning to her seat, knowing that she couldn't speak without crying.

Hotch slid into the spot beside her, and Jack took a spot on her other side, between her and George. Jack had taken a liking to the older man in the past couple of days. Emily could tell George reciprocated those feelings.

All too quickly, the service started, and Emily felt her whole body tense. In just a matter of seconds, her mother's body would be brought to the front. She wanted a closed casket ceremony, so that had been honored. Emily and George had already seen her, so it wasn't really an issue. No one else needed that closure like the two of them did.

Elizabeth's casket was brought down by the people she has requested in her will, all men Emily sort of recognized but couldn't name. She but her lip and felt the familiar stinging in her eyes, the one that told her no matter how hard she tried, they'd start falling eventually.

She took a deep breath, feeling like everything was going in slow motion as the casket went by her. She couldn't take her eyes off of it. She was really trying to pay attention to what was being said and what was happening, but it was like no one was speaking a language she understood. Everything sounded a foreign and muffled. Her vision was blurry with the tears that were threatening to fall. But she couldn't let them, not yet. George was reading the eulogy, and Emily had prepared something to say, but George had told her that after he spoke, if she couldn't do it then she didn't have to.

But what she didn't say was that yes, she did have to. She felt like she owed her mother this. She needed to do this for herself. She realized as George was speaking that she hadn't brought the paper she'd written everything down on. She had memorized most of it; she had read it to herself all morning. But she felt herself starting to panic. She just didn't want to mess this up.

Hotch took her hand in his, subtly so as to not attract attention. She glanced over at him and tried to remain calm, but she felt like she couldn't breathe and like her heart was going to beat right out of her chest. He sent her a questioning look.

"I don't have my speech." She mouthed back, luckily he understood and she didn't have to repeat herself.

"You don't need it," he whispered almost inaudibly as he leaned close to her. "Don't worry, just look at me." He continued, his tone still hushed as he moved back a bit, but still held on to her hand.

She took a breath and nodded, knowing he was right. She wished she hadn't spent the last few minutes internally panicking, because she really would have liked to have heard what George had to say about her mother. She hoped he'd be willing to share with her later. But before she knew it, he was looking at her before he continued. She bit her lip and nodded toward him, signaling that she was ready.

George introduced her and Emily felt like she was on autopilot. She found her way to the little podium, George smiling and squeezing her shoulder encouragingly as he moved to sit back down.

Emily closed her eyes and took another deep breath before she forced herself to look up. All the people she barely recognized suddenly scared her a little. Not that she was afraid of public speaking; she'd always been great at that. But this was so far out of her comfort zone she was seriously considering running out and leaving.

Then she looked down at the front row. Hotch and Jack were smiling at her, Jack sent her a little thumbs up and she almost smiled. George was looking on proudly, and when she looked at the three of them, she knew she could do this.

She cleared her throat and finally spoke into the microphone.

"Um," She started. "A lot of you probably remember me being a little shorter and a lot angrier…" She opened with a joke, feeling some of her anxiety leave when she heard soft chuckles from the audience.

"But I'm Emily. Elizabeth Prentiss' daughter. I—um—well, I never expected that we'd all be here today, remembering her life and burying her. It just seemed like my mother was immortal. Growing up, I thought that somehow she was superior to us normal people. She was always doing something; I hardly remember her ever sleeping. It just seemed like she would live forever. It's no secret that she and I haven't always gotten along. We both always wanted to fix our relationship, but as I got older I got busier, and I would always think there would be a tomorrow to call her and talk it out. But, uh, one night just two and a half months ago…I got a call. My mother had Alzheimer's. My tomorrows were running out. She kept her illness from me for a little while, but eventually it got to the point that…that she couldn't live by herself. I dropped everything and came here from London. I was with her every single day. She and I had so many good talks, and we learned so much from each other while she was still here, and while she was still lucid. She had her off days, but even then, I had to be there. I honestly thought this was the worst thing that could ever happen. She didn't like anyone seeing her when she was having an episode. And I can't say I liked seeing her that way. It was scary for both of us." Emily stopped to take a breath, feeling like she was rambling, but she had to get this out.

"I've spent the past few days wishing for those days back. I thought her illness was the worst thing that could happen, but I was proven wrong. In the end, her disease wasn't what…it wasn't the ultimate end. It was something so simple and so unrelated…a stroke from a brain aneurism. I've learned that her disease was a blessing. Without that diagnosis…I never would have come here. I honestly don't think I would have seen her or spoken to her before her death. I would never wish any kind of disease on anyone, but sometimes what we think is the absolute lowest point in our lives turns out to be the thing that eventually saves us. I think my mother and I had a wonderful last couple of months. And I wish…I wish she was still here. I wish that I could talk to her and see her and hug her again. But I can't." Her voice started crack and she took another pause, praying she could keep her composure for just a few more seconds.

"I said a few moments ago that I thought my mother would live forever. Physically, she isn't with us any longer. But I've learned a lot from her, and I hope to pass that knowledge on to others someday. As long as we all remember to love our families and realize that no matter what, they're always there, my mother can live on. That's the biggest thing I learned from her." Emily finished finally, stepping back and heading back to her seat when people started to applaud.

Hotch out his arm around her and hugged her close to him. Jack rested his head against her. George placed a gentle hand on her arm. Emily buried her face in Hotch's shoulder and finally let herself cry silently.

XxxxX

Everything else seemed to happen so fast, and before Emily knew it, it was over. Elizabeth's casket had been lowered and covered. The headstone had been ordered and would be placed within the next couple of weeks.

Everyone had left shortly after the burial. But the team, Emily, Jack, Henry, and George were all still standing around the fresh grave site. Emily had been staring at it for nearly ten minutes now, unmoving. The rest of them were standing a few steps back, no one was willing to leave her just yet.

Emily dug the toe of her shoe into the grass and finally turned around to face everyone. She grasped the necklace around her neck and turned her attention to it, so she wouldn't have to meet anyone's eyes.

"I…um, we can.." she started to say they could leave, but she didn't want to. Once they left, Elizabeth would be alone. Emily knew it was only her body and she wasn't actually buried under the earth, but it still felt that way.

She felt the burning at her eyes, the tightness in her chest…she couldn't stop the sobs as they started to wrack her body.

In an instant, everyone surrounded her. They embraced each other in a momentary group hug. They all backed away shortly, knowing Emily needed her space. Emily loved her friends, she really did, but right now she wished they would leave. She'd forced herself to stop crying for their benefit, but she felt another pang in her chest and she knew another round of sobs wasn't far away. She focused on biting at her lip and counting blades of grass.

"We'll go." Garcia said softly, as if reading Emily's mind. "How about you, Hotch, and Jack go take a walk? We'll see you guys later, yeah?" She offered.

Hotch nodded. "We'll see you soon." He gently put an arm around Emily and Jack carefully took her hand in his. Together, the Hotchner boys walked with Emily over to a bench not too far from Elizabeth's grave. It was close enough that Emily could still see it.

Hotch helped her sit down and sat next to her, Jack following and sitting on Emily's other side.

"It's okay Emily, it's just us now." Hotch whispered as he pulled her closely to him, allowing her to hide her face in his shirt as she started to cry again. She finally let herself break down, feeling safe and secure near her best friend.

They stayed that way for quite some time; Emily let herself cry until she felt like she physically couldn't produce anymore tears. She didn't feel any better, but at least she didn't feel like she was going to cry at any second.

"Thank you," Emily said finally, her voice tired and shaky. "Sorry you had to see that."

"Don't apologize, Emily. Don't ever apologize for how you feel, okay?" He said seriously.

Emily looked up at him, her head still resting on his shoulder. "Okay." She told him.

"Emily?" Jack said softly.

Emily wiped at her eyes one last time and sat up straighter, focusing all her attention on Jack. "Yeah, sweetie?" Emily answered him.

"Sometimes when I miss my mom, Dad lights a candle and we talk to her. Maybe later you can talk to your mom." Jack offered sweetly.

Emily smiled at him and hugged him tightly. "That's a great idea, buddy. Thank you for sharing that with me," Just when she thought she couldn't adore that kid any more than she already did, somehow it always seemed to happen.

The three of them were about to get up and head back to the Prentiss house, when a tall man approached them. He was dressed in a suit that probably cost more than Emily's whole shoe closet, and that was saying something because she was very serious about her shoe collection. His hair was silver, and he walked with a purpose.

Emily nearly froze when she realized who was approaching them.

"We need to go," She said as she stood up quickly, but not quickly enough.

"Emily?" The man said. Emily had to take a deep breath before she could speak.

"I have nothing to say to you. I don't even know why you're here. We have to go." She said as she gently took Jack's hand and led him and Hotch away, her pace quickening until she got to Hotch's car. She opened the back door for Jack and closed it behind him before she got into the passenger's seat, knowing that the team and George had already gone back to the house in their respective cars, Hotch was her ride.

Hotch knew better than to ask any questions, so he just got into the car and started to drive.

Once they'd driven awhile and no one seemed to be following them, Hotch decided to speak.

"Who was that?" He asked.

Emily tucked a loose strand of hair that had fallen behind her ear. "My father." She said, her voice full of anger.

Hotch didn't ask any more questions, he just drove her as far away from him as he possibly could, taking back roads and long routes just in case he was following them. He was the last person on earth Emily needed to deal with right now.