5 days later.
With the case finally over, Emily was exhausted. All she wanted to do was sleep. It was late in the night when she got home. When she walked in the door, the house was silent. She placed her bag and purse on the ground near the door and hanging her keys on the hook. She walked over to the couch and sat down. Untying her shoes, and taking them off, she grabbed a pillow and placed it on the right side of her. She patted the pillow before leaning over and lying her head on the same pillow, she swung her feet over and closed her eyes. She hadn't slept in what felt like weeks. With the long hours combined with the pregnancy, it was exhausting and it was taking a toll on her.
She woke up to the sound of a familiar voice.
"Mommy... Mommy..." the little girl stated while gently shaking her mother
"Natalia?"
"Good Morning Mommy." Still waking up, Emily sat up and patted on the couch for her daughter to sit.
"Good Morning baby." Natalia sat on the couch next to Emily.
"I missed you mommy."
"I missed you too. Did you have fun with Marissa?"
"Yahhh but i wish you were there with us."
"I know, but I had to work."
"I know but I get scared when you leave"
"You don't have to be scared baby. I'm right here. I will always come home to you. I promise."
"I love you Mommy."
"I love you too Talia , so much. But I wanted to talk to you about something.."
"You do? Really?"
"I do... but... " she was cut off when she heard her phone ring. She looked down at her phone and signed. He was calling her and she had a feeling why. She didn't want to talk to him now. She just wanted to spend time with her daughter interrupted.
"Everything okay Mama?"
"Yes honey. Everything is okay." she gave her daughter a half smile. She picked up her phone and against her better judgement, she answered.
"Hang on baby." She whispered as she got up off the couch and walked into the kitchen.
"Aaron?"
"Emily. "
"Do we have a case?"
"No but we need to talk."
"Again? About what? I thought we had already talked ?"
"We did.. but... I just need to talk to you."
" I don't have the patience in me this morning. I got home late last night and Natalia got up earlier than she normally does. So please, just tell me what you want to talk about it."
Emily could hear him taking a deep breath, almost trying to figure out what he wants to say next. After the long silence, Emily couldn't take it anymore. All she wanted to do was sleep. She regretted letting Marissa leave when she did, but she was going to get through the day.
"Aaron.."
"I'm here Emily. I want to have a real conversation. No yelling, no arguing, just a conversation. "
She looked over at her daughter who was drawing in the notebook that was sitting on the coffee table. She took another breath and placed her hand on her forehead.
"Fine, Meet me at the park in an hour."
"Thanks Emily."
"Yeaup." she hung up the phone and headed back towards her daughter.
"Hey Natalia Honey. How about we go to the park? "
"Yeah but Mommy...i thought you said that you had something to tell me."
"I do. But i'll tell you later babe. How about you go upstairs and get changed. I'll make you some breakfast okay?"
"Okay mommy."
After clothes were changed, breakfast was eaten, and nausea was passed through, Emily and Natalia were out the door. Thankfully the park wasn't far from her house, and was within walking distance. She looked at the time on her watch and looked around. Her eyes met his, and she stood in the same place. She finally snapped out of it when she heard her daughter's voice.
"Mommy... Mommy?" Natalia repeated while pulling on the side of her mother's coat.
"huh?" She looked down at her daughter.
"Mommy! Look it's Aaron and Jack! Can I go play with Jack? Pleaseee?"
"Yes but stay where I can see you and you can see me okay?"
"Okay mommy!" she let of Emily's hand and run in the direction of Jack. She then followed into her daughter's footsteps. Heading in the same direction, meeting up with Hotch.
"Hey." She said
"Hey Em."
She gave a light nod to him to let him know to sit on the bench behind them.
"Emily...I..."
"Aaron, before you say anything. I just... I just wanted to say something. I know that this is a lot to take in and I know that I kind of just sprung this on you. I'm sorry about that. Although I am not sorry about this baby. This is a life that we created.. together Aaron. We may have been drunk but we still created life together. I would be lying if I said I wasn't scared, I am. This scares the hell out of me but I would be concerned If I wasn't scared. This baby isn't a pawn nor is it something that I can use to trap you with. I'm not sure where your head is at but If this isn't what you want, please tell me. You asked for time and I gave that to you. Now we are here, and I need to know."
"When I got up this morning, I went and got Jack. Jack made me realize how much I love being a father. I love taking care of him and I love watching him grow up. I missed so much of his life and I thought that I would never be able to do it over again. To be there for the birth, to be there for late night feedings, to watch first steps and hear first words, but after a lot of thinking, you are giving me that chance." He gave a her a look before proceeding. "I over reacted before, Emily I'm sorry. I do want to have this baby with you. I want to be here for you in every single way. I want to make sure that you know that you are not alone and that you are not going to be raising this child by yourself. I want to be the father to this one as I am with Jack. "
Emily watched him as he spoke. She listened to every word that came out of his mouth. She wanted to believe him, those are the words that she wanted to hear, but she couldn't forget about what he said before. Fueling with anger and fueled by Pregnancy hormones, she looked back into his eyes. She didn't have to speak for him to know that she was angry.
"Are you serious?"
"What?"
"Do you really expect me to change my mind, and smile and everything would be okay? You said 5 days ago that you didn't know if you wanted to be apart of this baby's life. "
"Emily. I asked you to give me time."
"And I did."
"Yes and I'm very grateful for that, but why are you so angry. Isn't that what you wanted to hear?"
"What is it with men that think women will change their minds when they hear men say what they want to hear. This is not that case. You can't just tell me that you want to be here for me and this baby and expect me to get on my hands and knee's and thank you. It's not going to work like that. "
"Emily, this isn't conventional. I know that this baby is going to change not only our personal lives but our work lives too. I can't stand the idea of you having my baby and knowing that there is a child out there who thinks that their father wants nothing to do with them. I want to be there for you both. I'm sorry I let the worst of me to cloud my judgement and for that i regret it all. I know that those words did not make you feel very good but I've thought this through. The fog is gone and i see things clearly now. I want this Em."
"Im not going to just take your word for it. Prove it Aaron. Prove that you want this child. Prove that you want to be apart of his or her life. That is all that matters to me. I have one child wondering about her father and don't need another one asking the same question." Emily stood up and looked over back at him.
"You know what isn't fair?" her voice was low. She avoided eye contact.
"No but i bet you're going to tell me anyway."
"5 days ago, you literally told me that you thought this baby was going to ruin your career. Never once did you think what this change could do to me. My body is going to change. My mood is going to change. My whole life and Natalia's life is going to change and yet here you are, worried about yourself. Not once did you ever consider how this was going to change me. That isn't fair. Meanwhile, before i even told you that I was pregnant, I had already thought about how this was going to change your life and Jack's life. So please, if you don't want to be apart of this baby's life please tell me know, it will save me some of the hurt later. "
"Emily how many times do i have to tell you that I want to be here for you. That I want to be apart of this baby's life. How do you want me to prove that to you?"
"Just by being there Aaron. I have a doctor's appointment next week and you can prove it to me by coming to that. It's not about me anymore. I have to take care of myself and this situation isn't helping. Either you want to or don't. It's an easy decision. "
With that she called for Natalia and they both walked away. Aaron just watched them walk away. She was right, he had never thought about how this was going to change her. Pregnancy and birth is not easy, he remembered Haley's pregnancy. He felt bad, her life was changing in more of a way than his was. He didn't have to go through what she did. He snapped out of his thoughts when Jack came running over to him.
"Dad... Daddy."
"Yes Jack." He looked at him and smiled.
"Are we leaving too?"
"Yes Buddy. Let's go."
Aaron and Jack left and in some way, he felt he left a part of himself at that park. He couldn't shake it out of his mind. How much of an ass could he have been to not have thought about her in the same situation. He was kicking himself on the inside.
When she finally got back into her apartment lobby, she was waiting to get into the elevator, and all she could think about was how slow it moved. She wanted to break, she felt like she had too, but she wouldn't, not in front of her daughter. She was confused, hurt, and frustrated. When she got back into her apartment, she placed her keys down and watched her daughter play with her dolls that were on the floor from the previous night. She ran her hand through her hair and walked into the kitchen. While taking a deep breath, she grabbed a glass and filled it with water and took a sip. The room was silent. She knew that Natalia knew that something was wrong, but if Natalia didn't ask, she wasn't going to say anything to her. Emily sat her glass down on the counter and headed over to the couch.
"Hey baby. We need to talk about something."
"Is this what you wanted to tell me earlier?"
"Yes, come here and sit next to me." sitting on the couch, she patted the spot next to her.
"Okay." Natalia stated as she placed her dolls down and sat on the couch next to her mother.
"Do you remember what you had told me when I asked you what you wanted for your birthday?"
"Mmmm." Natalia had her thinking face and it always made Emily smile. It reminded her of her father. "Oh i remember!"
"Oh you do?"
"Yup! I asked for a baby sister or brother or an American Girl doll."
"You did."
"But I already got a new doll."
"You did, but after you went to sleep, Mommy found out something very special."
"You did! like what?"
"I found out that I have a baby in my tummy."
"You do?!"
"Yeah I do, so that means that in just a few short months, there' going to be a new baby around here. "
"So I'm getting a baby sister?"
"Or brother, but yes."
"YAY!" Natalia screamed in excitement. Emily smiled at her. Her daughter was happy about it. Deep down, through the chaos, she knew that she was excited but her happiness was being hindered. Emily watched her daughter be simply happy and she wasn't going to take that away from her. Emily placed a hand on her stomach and smiled.
This moment was just them two. No interruptions and no drama. The house was filled with laughter and smiles. Emily took in this moment. It wouldn't be them two for long. Soaking up everything, before everything changed.