A few hours into the night, Both Natalia and Emily were fast asleep. Emily woke up when she felt Natalia crawl into bed with her. Gladly accepting, she cuddled more into her daughter when she fell back asleep. Emily woke up to the sound of someone knocking at the door. She wiped both of her eyes and confused, looked at the clock and noticed that it was after 10. She got up out of bed and grabbed her robe and her gun that was hidden in her nightstand. She slowly walked down the stairs and when she finally got to the door, she looked through the peephole. She took a deep breath and started shaking her head when she noticed who it was. She put the gun away in the drawer near her and then opened the door.
"Do you have any idea as to what time it is?"
"Hello to you too Emily. "
"What are you doing here Aaron?"
"I think you know why I'm here Emily."
"I do know why but I want to know why you couldn't have waited until the morning. It's past 10. I was sound asleep. " She said as she opened the door and he followed her in and shut the door behind him.
"What do you think you could spring a baby on me and then expect me to be okay with it? I can't stop thinking about it"
"Aaron I know that you are upset but I don't think yelling at me late in the night is going to help with this situation. "
"Emily this is going to confuse things. It's going to confuse people. What are people going to think?"
"What are you asking me to do? You really think what people think matters? What happened 8 weeks ago, happened and we certainly can't change it. This is what things are now. I can't change it Aaron. "
"Do I really think about what people think about me? Of course I do Emily. I am the unit chief and one wrong accusation could get me fired. So yes i care about what people think."
"Well then I feel sorry for you. You know what scratch that, I'm not going to play into this. I'm not going to apologize for this. I don't feel sorry for you and I'm not going to either. If you can't accept that this happened then that's a you problem. I can't change this or I'm not going to change it. I'm not going to do that again. So screw you if thats what you were implying." her arms crossed, them both standing in her living room.
"Emily. How can you be sitting here and be okay with everything? How are you not freaking out?"
"Is that what you think? You don't think that I'm not freaking out? Of course I am. I'm scared Aaron. I'm scared that I have to do this all over again... alone. I promised myself that this wouldn't happen again and If it did, then I would be happily in a relationship. But I don't have that option of freaking out, of making sense of everything. I have another child to think about. Nothing good happens to Natalia if she loses me. I have to stay sane for her. I have to accept things the way that they are Aaron. " uncrossing her arms and walking closer to him. She looked into his eyes. The room when silent for a minute. Her eyes met his. She then took a step back and he watched her as she walked into the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water. He was shocked and he had every right to be. He had one question and he was pretty sure that he knew the answer to the question but he had to ask.
"Are you sure that Im the father?"
She took a deep breath and took another sip of water before looking back into his eyes. "Yes. I cannot believe that you would even ask me that. I'm not sleeping around and i'm insulted that you would think that." putting her glass down in the sink and heading back into the living room
" I don't know what to do Emily. "
"Okay I can't keep doing this. You are mad, I get it. But i'm not going to let you sit here and berate me. I didn't do this on purpose. It takes two. So if you are done. I'd like to get back to bed. I'm exhausted and I'm still not entirely feeling very well "
"Emily we need to talk about this."
"Talk about what? You mean you yell and I listen? Last time I checked, that isn't having a conversation."
Aaron was about to say something, but something or someone for that matter, caught the both of their attention. They both looked over to the stairs when they heard a little voice speak.
"Mommy?"Natalia said as she was standing at the bottom of the stairs with her teddy bear in one hand. Emily looked at her daughter and started to walk towards her.
"It's okay baby, come on. Let's go and get you back in bed. You have an early day tomorrow."
"Thanks for that." she said as she walked past Hotch. She shook her head and Emily lifted her up and carried her up the stairs.
As Emily was carrying her daughter back to her bedroom, she knew that this is a shock for the both of them and that it would change things a lot but at the end of the day, none of that mattered to Emily. No matter how scared she was feeling, she was bringing a new life into the world in just a few short months.
As she disappeared onto the second floor, he sat on the couch and ran his hands over his face. A thousand thoughts had clouded Aaron's mind, mostly the negative things rather than the positive things. He chose to see only the negative. He felt like he had too. Why was he the only one who was thinking about the important things. Yes they were about to have a baby but what does that mean for the BAU? the team? for them and their relationship. He didn't know.
When Emily finally reached the top of the stairs and into Natalia's bedroom, Natalia looked into Emily's eyes. Emily knew she wanted to ask her something but she "Mommy why is Aaron yelling at you?" Natalia asked when she was being tucked back into bed.
"He's just upset honey."
"But Why was he yelling at you? That's what woke me up."
"I'm sorry baby. We didn't mean to wake you. We were just having a conversation and we both got angry. Nothing to be worried about. "
"Are you sure?"
"Yes honey. Very sure."
"Okay mommy. Good night."
"Goodnight baby. Love you."
"Love you too Mommy." She said as her eyes closed
Emily stood up and gave her daughter a kiss on the forehead and walked out the door and shut it behind her.
When she walked down the stairs she saw Aaron sitting on the couch. She again sat next to him and didnt say a word. She was tired. Tired of having the same conversation, tired of going around in circles, tired of being yelled at.
"Emily.. I..." he finally spoke and turned his body to look over at her.
"Aaron.. " she said as she cut him off "I know that you're in shock and that this is something that none of us were expecting but the unexpected happened. I can't change this or I won't change this rather. You just need to accept that this happened. Accept that this is a life that we created together. But if you cant accept that then tell me now, say the words and I will never speak about this to you again. Ive raised a child on my own before hell i'm still raising her on my own and i think she turned about pretty great. I'll do it again, if I have to. Just tell me now."
"Emily, this is just a lot to process. I mean you are having my baby.., our baby. I want to be happy, I should be happy but I just can't.. I can't stop being reminded how things at the office are going to change. How Strauss and the director are going to gave a field day."
"Do you want me to leave the team? Is that what is going to change your mind?"
"Emily.. No. You worked so hard to be apart of this team. I can't just let you do that."
"And I'm not going to sit here and let you blame me either. I didn't want this to happen. I love this life that I have, I love that I get to raise Natalia and watch her grow up. The last thing I wanted was for things to change. But things have changed and they will continue to change. I've accepted that. I've come to terms with it. "
Her voice was low. She was tired and it was obvious. He came over to yell at her and to demand answers to his questions. But now, looking at her, he felt guilty. Guilty for blaming her, guilty for waking her up so late in the night. He remembered when Haley was pregnant with Jack and in the beginning, all she wanted to do was sleep. Now looking at Emily, he could see it in her face. She needed sleep. He glanced at her again and then looked back down at his hands.
"I think I should get going Emily. It's late and we both have to get up early in the morning. "
"Aaron, before you go. I... I understand how you're feeling, but you cant expect for this child to be swept under the rug. Whether you want it or not, this baby is coming just a few months. "
He grabbed his coat and before he put his jacket on, he turned to face her.
"Emily. Please just give me some time. Time to process this. Time to think about things. I'm not asking you to raise this child on your own and I'm not asking you to get rid of it. All i'm asking is for time."
She gave him a look and nodded. She would give him time but she wouldn't give him forever. He opened the door and left. She closed and locked the door behind him and let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.
She gathered herself, and headed back up the stairs. When she got to her bedroom, she looked into her bed. She saw the small figure and smiled. She wondered when she got up and went into her mother's bed but right now that didn't matter. She got into her bed and snuggled into her daughter. Her thoughts were all over the place. All she wanted was her mind to settle. She closed her eyes, with the hopes that she would fall asleep at some point, but that would never happen.
She groaned when she heard her phone ringing. She picked up the phone and looking at the call ID. She put her phone up to her ear.
"Penelope. You better not be calling me for a case and you just want to hang out or something."
"Sorry sugar. I wish. We have a case in Arizona and Hotch wants everyone here in 30 minutes. "
"Alright fine, Ill be there. I have to call Marissa to come for Natalia. "
"Sounds good. Thanks Em!"
Never getting a moment to Process everything, she got up and out of bed. Changed out of her pajamas and repacked her go bag, taking things out that she didn't need and adding things she did need into her bag. By the time she finished, Marissa had already arrived at her apartment.
Getting into her car, the conversation played over and over in her head. She knew that she was doing the right thing by giving him time. She couldn't rush him into it. It made her sad, sad to think about the option that he might actually turn his back on them. For a second, she thought about if he chose to be a father to their unborn baby. That thought quickly left her mind as quick as the thought came. Life was never made easy for her, she always had to fight for something or someone. The longer that time had passed, she had convinced herself that he didn't want them. Her whole life was filled with people who didn't want her, why would he be any different?