Hello! I have to absolutely first say lots of thanks and send so much love to the people who reviewed and added Until Then to their favorites list. That made me such a happy camper. I honestly didn't expect some of the responses, but was so glad and appreciative to receive them all. I don't know if I should apologize for making some people cry though. I took it as a great compliment, lol. But on to this story. I had some trouble writing it because it was so difficult to put the ideas into words, but I'm glad with it overall. I'm pretty sure I added all I wanted because I read this so many times and sometimes I think of certain things after it has been published, but I think I'm done with it. Maybe it's the end. I don't really know. But I do hope everyone reads and enjoy it because even with the slight difficulty, writing it was fun. I'm still my own beta, so mistakes are on me. Reading it too much makes my brain go numb and picking up mistakes are harder, lol. But remember to review with your comments, criticism, and whatever else you have got to say afterwards! Peace and much love to everyone! =D

Home.

It was more than just a structured building. It was more than just a room with furniture and little knick knacks brought from here and there. It was supposed to be warm. It was supposed to be inviting. It was a place where one would feel safe and at peace. It was supposed to be a place where one would never want to leave.

And for Emily Prentiss, it had been hard for her to find one ever since she could remember.

She used to once think it was easy. She would just have to close her eyes and tap her heels together three times all the while repeating that familiar phrase, and she'd be home. But that turned out to be just the movies.

So she searched the corners of the world, hoping the next one she'd find would be the last. But that didn't happen. The cities still always changed. The street names were still always foreign. The numbers were still always different. The surroundings were still always unlike the last one. Some of them lasted for a few years. Others lasted for a few months. Only one thing was common with every one of them.

None were ever permanent. None were ever solid. None were ever hers.

So for the longest time, Emily never really understood all that much what a home was because it was simple.

She never had one.

But when Aaron Hotchner asked her to come home, she finally understood it.

She knew what home was.

She knew where home was.

Home was him.

He was warm. He was inviting. She felt safe with him. She felt at peace. She would never want to leave.

And she knew that home would be permanent. She knew that home would be solid. She knew that home would be hers. She knew that home would never change. She knew those surroundings would always be familiar. She knew she wouldn't have to search anymore.

But Emily also knew that home wasn't now.

So she told him they couldn't. She told him she had to go. She told him she was sorry. She told him someday again because he remembered after nine months. She told him all of that when all she wanted was to tell him she would stay. She would go home.

They wouldn't have to wait for their someday anymore.

Every part of them broke all over again that morning. Emily was correct after all. That hurt twice as much as it did the first time. Their hearts shattered again. And seven months after, she just felt numb. Her shattered heart remained incomplete. She still couldn't find all the pieces. He took them with him. She would only get them back if she went home.

So in New York Emily stayed without him with her heart filled with gaps and cracks.

New York became another addition to the list of temporary homes she kept in the back of her mind. She didn't know how long this one would last though. It was sixteen months and counting already. Sixteen months and counting was too long. She wanted to stop counting, but she couldn't. It was a habit she couldn't break. So whenever Emily came back to her empty apartment late at night and saw her belongings in those boxes that she still hadn't bothered to remove them from, she noted another day.

Another day in New York.

Another day of a temporary home.

Another day of a fractured heart.

But another day closer to their someday.

...

Her empty desk.

He never could ignore it.

For the last sixteen months, he couldn't avoid looking at it no matter how hard he tried.

That was the first thing he noticed when he arrived to work. That was the only thing that caught his gaze when he looked out his window. That was the last thing he saw when he left.

And every time Hotch stared at the empty desk, it only reminded him even more. It wasn't supposed to be empty. He wasn't supposed to feel empty. She was supposed to be sitting there. She was supposed to be home.

But she wasn't.

She wasn't where she belonged.

When Hotch asked her to come home seven months ago, he hoped everything would have turned out in his favor. He hoped she changed her mind. He hoped she knew that it was time. He hoped she figured it was already long overdue. He hoped she realized he didn't need her to protect him. He hoped she knew all he wanted was for her to come home. He hoped she was ready to finally have their someday.

But despite hoping for all of that, a part of him knew what her answer would be. He knew her. He knew what was going through her mind. He knew she wanted to protect him. He knew she cared about what would happen to his job. He knew the thousand and one worries plaguing her mind. He knew she wanted to come home badly. He knew that she didn't think it was time yet. He knew she was scared.

So he just hoped her answer would have been different. He just hoped that all he knew would be wrong this time because he thought he had her. He thought he had her because she came to say goodbye. And when their goodbye continued for the next few hours remembering all the little things about one another again; he couldn't deny that a part of him thought he had her.

But when she told him they couldn't and that she was sorry she couldn't stay, all he knew was correct.

And he didn't have her.

He had to let her go again.

Hotch didn't hate her when she told him they couldn't. He never could. He knew what she was thinking. He wasn't angry. He couldn't be. Her words were as difficult for her to say as it was for him to hear. He was just sad. Their hearts were breaking together all over again when it never even got to heal in the first place.

But in spite of the broken hearts, he was still hopeful because she promised him still.

She promised him the someday he remembered from nine months before because he never could forget it. He believed her. He believed her because he knew her. He knew she meant it.

He just didn't know when it would be.

"You okay?"

The voice beside him startled him.

Hotch turned to find Rossi staring at him with a concern look on his face.

"Yeah… I'm fine." He let out a quiet sigh as his gaze lingered on her empty desk for another brief moment before turning back to the man beside him.

He wasn't fine, but Rossi didn't point it out. He just let out his own sigh.

"Are you leaving now?"

"Yeah, I'm heading out now. I'm back in three days."

Hotch nodded. Rossi's new book was released two days ago, and he was going on a small promotional tour.

New York was one of his stops.

He knew about New York. But he didn't ask about it. He didn't ask if he would go see her. A part of him knew he probably would.

"Have fun. Hope everything turns out good." Hotch gave him a small smile and a pat on the back. His eyes turned to the ground momentarily before lifting them back up and ultimately back to her empty desk again.

It was a bad habit that began sixteen months ago. It was a bad habit he couldn't break.

Rossi's eyes followed his gaze and wasn't a least bit surprised to where his eyes landed. He stared with him silently for a second before turning to the man beside him.

"She'll surprise you," he quietly told him. "She'll come back soon."

Hotch didn't turn to look at Rossi.

"When you least expect it, she'll come home."

He slowly nodded, never taking his eyes off her desk.

"I hope so."

Because it was the truth.

He hoped to see her soon.

He hoped to have her again.

He hoped to see her sitting at that empty desk.

He hoped to finally have her home.

...

Surprises.

Emily was a sucker for them sometimes, especially the good ones. She loved giving them. She loved seeing the looks on people's faces. They were always shocked and scared at first. But when everything was settled, they were always happy.

She loved seeing happy faces.

But as much as she loved giving surprises, she never really was fond of receiving them.

She was surprised the first time she was told she had to move. She was surprised when that plus sign stared back at her face. She was surprised when she found out she first got her job because there were strings attached to it. She was surprised when she walked in that Wednesday morning, her personal life unraveling before her, and she found herself in New York.

So seldom have her surprises been to her favor.

But whenever Emily did get a good surprise, she always remembered. No matter how small or big the surprises were, she tucked them in a little box in the corner of her heart.

And when Rossi showed up at her desk bearing a smile when she was buried in the piles of files and paperwork, she immediately tucked that surprise in the little box in the corner of her heart.

"Are you surprised to see me?"

She instantly stood up and gave him a hug and smile.

"You have a little time to spare an old colleague who's in town for just a bit?" He quietly asked her, eyeing between the work on her desk and her.

Emily couldn't say no. So twenty minutes later, she found herself sitting in the local coffee shop with Rossi.

"What brings you up here to the Big Apple?" She gave him a soft smile.

"Doing a little tour for my new book, if you remembered." He took a sip of his hot coffee.

"Yeah… I do. How long are you in town for?" She missed him.

"I'm heading to Boston in about one hour. I just finished here."

"And you came to see me with the time you have left? You're just too kind, Agent Rossi," she softly replied teasingly. It drew an immediate laugh from him.

"I could never imagine not seeing you when I had the opportunity to," Rossi quietly informed her.

All Emily could do then was offer him a sad smile. She felt the immediate guilt sinking into her heart. She called whenever she could. She emailed whenever she could. But she didn't see them whenever she could. It was more she didn't see them at all. When they came to New York for the case seven months ago was the only time she saw them. Granted she was busy. They were busy. But when she went back to see her parents a total of three times since her move to New York, the third being three months after she last saw him in his hotel room, she didn't go see them. And she didn't tell them she was in town either. She pretended like she was still in New York. A part of her knew if she went to see everyone, she would be finding herself on the same path to go see him. She would be promising him someday again. She didn't want to hurt him anymore than what she already was doing.

So she didn't visit them. She couldn't visit them.

"How has work been?"

His question broke her from her thoughts.

"It's been good. There's been a lot going on the last few weeks, so I've been keeping busy." Her voice was soft.

"And you? How has my favorite agent in New York been since I last saw you about six months ago?" He gave her a smile.

It was seven months because she was keeping track, but she didn't correct him.

"I'm good." She gave him a faint smile before turning her eyes away from him.

Rossi stared at her for a moment, but she didn't look at him. Instead her gaze was downcast at the coffee between her hands.

"What about you? How have you been?" Her voice remained soft.

"I'm good. Getting old, but still good," he told her with a slight laugh.

"And everyone else? How's everything down there in Quantico?" Emily still didn't look at him when she asked. She was almost scared to ask him that.

"They're good too. Everything's good. Morgan lost a bet to Reid last week, and now he has a friend to go with to one of his next conventions. Garcia and JJ said they just talked to you a while ago, but they still miss you. And we just got back from a case in Texas two days ago. A sadist in a small town was terrorizing everyone for fifteen days, but we caught him. Everyone's a little tired, but that's the story of our lives, isn't it?"

Texas.

Emily didn't hear any other words besides Texas. Her mind instantly went back to their night Texas.

She remembered every little detail. From beginning to end, she never forgot a second.

He scared her. She thought she was going to lose him again. Didn't he know he already put her in that place before? And when she couldn't sleep, she found herself standing in front of him late in the night in his room. She wanted him. She needed him. She needed to make sure he was okay because she wasn't. She didn't care at that moment when she seized his lips in hers, and he kissed her back. It was a relief to stop the fighting for that moment to feel him. The wanting and the needing that was building up in them finally exploded. They ignored the rules, the walls between them finally and completely collapsing. She remembered the feeling of him entering her. He just fit in her. And when she called out his name for the first time, it came out as naturally as if she had been calling him that forever. She stayed the night, their bodies tangling together underneath the sheets in the warm Texas night. Then his hand rested on the small of her back, rubbing tiny circles round and round until she fell sound asleep with her head on his chest. When the sun began peaking through the curtains, she reluctantly pulled away from him, giving him a soft kiss that made him stir. And then they tasted and explored one another once more before she left. Everything else almost flew into place after that.

They began their four month long secret. They began the four month long secret that gave them each other and made them happy. But it was that same four month long secret that ultimately tore them apart even further than before they even started.

The walls that fell were built back up again.

Emily felt tears urging to escape from the mental walk down memory lane as she continued to stare down at her coffee.

"We miss you."

She heard his words. She knew where this would lead up to. Her senses told her this might just end up being similar to the conversation she had with JJ seven months ago in the bathroom.

"Hotch misses you too."

And there it was.

Emily remained silent for a little longer. She felt Rossi's gaze on her, waiting for her to look up. She blinked hard once before lifting her eyes back up to the man across from her, hoping the traces of tears that threaten her eyes were gone.

"But out of all of us, I think he misses you most though." His voice was low, and he gave her another one of smiles.

Emily wondered if he knew he was slowly breaking every part of her inside.

"You know, JJ did something similar like this last time?" She heard the sadness lingering in her voice, and she was positive Rossi heard it too. She wanted to laugh. She wanted to give him a smile. But she couldn't do either.

"Does it work though?"

She didn't answer him. She only looked down once more.

"Did anyone tell you yet that your desk is still empty?"

"Yeah… I know."

"So you know he won't sign any of the applications?"

All Emily did was nod.

"He stares at your desk, you know. I find him staring out at your desk and he's completely lost in his own world. I think he thinks that if he stares at it long enough, you'll pop up like a daisy," he quietly told her with a chuckle.

Emily continued to stay silent for a while longer. That was new information. She felt her chest tighten, her heart aching more with each passing second. She bit her lip before she hesitantly spoke.

"He asked me to come home. He told me to come home." She felt the tears brimming again.

"Then why didn't you?" It was a simple question that bore too many answers.

The words she had said time and time before echoed in her mind. She needed to protect him. She didn't want to interfere with his job. It was for the best until he got to go where he wanted to go. She had to come second to his job.

She traced the rim of the coffee cup. Her head remained low.

"He wants you to come back. You want to come back."

"Like I told JJ seven months ago, it's not that simple."

She didn't bother blinking away the tears that were on the edge of falling when she lifted her head back up again.

"Whatever I was going to decide was going to be difficult. Whether it was staying here or going back, the inevitable outcome wouldn't be in his favor." Her voice was shaky and she felt her lips tremble slightly. She bowed her head for a moment and tucked her falling hair behind her ear. She took a deep breath before she quietly continued.

"I'm just trying my best to not hurt him."

"You're hurting him now. You're hurting yourself now too. The two of you are bad liars, you know. You say that you're good, and he says that he's fine. Both of you are going to keep hurting at this rate."

Emily remained silent for a while, staring down at her coffee.

"I promised him," she heard herself suddenly confessing quietly. "I promised him someday." The tears were begging to escape, but she did her best to hold them in. She had to compartmentalize.

"So what are you waiting for?" Emily heard the love and concern in his voice. He just wanted them to be happy.

"Until Strauss retires maybe." She looked up, managing a pathetic and weak smile for her attempt to lighten the conversation.

"That might be a long wait, don't you think? Because I don't think Strauss is planning to go anywhere any time soon." Rossi gave his own small smile in return. "I know you're afraid of his position being in jeopardy. You know the rules, and you want to protect him. I understand. But maybe sometimes you have to break some of the rules. Not everything is always set in stone. Maybe you don't have to choose one or the other for him or for yourself. You can have both now. He can have both now. You don't have to wait."

Looking away from him again, Emily breathed in. She didn't know what to say. Everything in her head felt too heavy and too much for her to sort through when all she wanted was to go to the bathroom and cry a little. But she couldn't at the moment. Her fingers were shaky as she tucked her hair behind her ear once again. The quiet enveloped them until she heard Rossi speak.

"It's getting late, and I have to stop by the hotel before going to Boston. And I'm guessing you still have that stack of files sitting on your desk to complete, so maybe we should get going," he said in the low voice.

She just nodded. They both stood up and left the coffee shop. The walk back to the field office was silent. And when they arrived in front of her building, Rossi pulled her in for a hug.

"I hope to see you soon. I like surprises, and I'm sure everyone else who misses you does too," he whispered to her.

Emily wouldn't let any tears fall in front of him. She held them all in when he said that. He pulled away from her and gave her another smile. She tried her best to return it, and with quiet goodbye, she turned and walked into the building, never turning around.

And when she stood in the quiet elevator alone, she quickly wiped the lone tear that fell.

...

It was another day. It was another case solved.

They were in Seattle for six days. It was six days of trying to solve the murders of the three families all in their homes. Everyone was tired. They wanted to just leave. So they didn't stay the extra night. Once the case was solved, they headed straight to the airport on their way back home.

The lights were low in the plane. Each of them found their own quiet place to unwind. And when the plane took off, sleep took over.

But Hotch didn't sleep. He was tired. His body was worn out. His head was screaming at him to rest. But he couldn't sleep. Instead he sat in the back by the window, his stare out to the dark sky and he thought about her again.

He thought about the next time he would see her because it was nine months again. It was nine months again since he last talked to her. It was nine months again since he had her. It was nine months again since he last touched her. It was nine months again since he last tasted her. It was nine months again since she promised him still for their someday.

She was good. That was what Rossi told him when he came back from his tour.

"I went to see Emily."

Hotch stopped writing.

"I surprised her, and we went out for some coffee. We talked for a bit. She said she was good."

He looked up for a brief moment.

"That's good."

And he bowed his head and continued writing.

But Rossi told him two months ago. Two months ago was a long time. So like those nine months he had experienced before, Hotch had to hope once more that she was still good and happy because he still couldn't ask if she was.

It was passed midnight when the plane landed. The ride back to the office was quiet, and when they finally stopped, everyone said their goodbyes and climbed into their own cars, away from the work until Monday.

Hotch didn't though. He didn't climb into his car to go back to his empty apartment to sleep because he couldn't sleep. He couldn't pick Jack up. It was too late for that. He had to wait until tomorrow. So for the night he would be alone again like most of his other nights. And like those other nights where he was alone, he just buried his time into his work. Work would be his escape once again.

He walked into the quiet building, his bag in his hand, and with a nod to the security in front, he made his way into the elevator and counted the seconds until it stopped. The hallway lights were soft. He wasn't surprised that all he heard was silence. There wasn't supposed to anyone.

But when Hotch pulled open the glass doors of the bullpen, he was surprised to find Emily sitting at her desk.

Nine months.

The lights were barely on, but he made her out. He made out the hair that grew longer again since nine months prior. He made out the black coat that hung on the back of her chair. He made out the way she sat there, staring at the empty desk before her, lost in her own world. Her hands touched the bare space, feeling for a moment and remembering where all her belongings and work used to be.

She was where she belonged.

Hotch didn't make a sound.

He didn't move.

He just quietly watched from the doorway.

...

She was just in town for two days to see her parents again.

It was just two days here before going back to her temporary home.

When Emily called Garcia a few hours ago, she didn't tell her she was back. Garcia told her everyone was in Seattle. They just finished the case on three murdered families, but they'd be back tomorrow morning. She would be gone already though. She would be on her way back to New York. They talked for a while. They talked like she was still hundreds of miles away in another state.

But then Emily couldn't sleep. Her flight was in a few hours, and she couldn't sleep. She didn't know why. A part of her wondered if it was because it was nine months all over again. It was nine months all over again since she last saw him. It was nine months all over again since she last felt him on her. It was nine months all over again since she promised him still.

So she found herself driving, trying to clear her head. She didn't know how she ended up here, but when her car stopped, she couldn't help but get out of the car. She found herself flashing her badge, and soon enough sitting at her empty desk in the barely lit bullpen, once again going down memory lane in her head.

She remembered all the work she did here. She remembered the physics magic with Reid across from her. She remembered the conversations with Morgan beside her. She remembered meeting Rossi here. She remembered the laughs with JJ and Garcia whenever they would drop by her desk.

And then her eyes looked up at his dark office. She remembered the first time she was in there. He didn't know about her. He didn't know why she showed up with a box unexpectedly. And then she surprised him four days later. She surprised him, and he gave her a chance without any promises. She had to prove herself to him and to everyone else. And she did. She proved herself to be part of the team. She proved to him that he could trust her.

Before she could stop herself, Emily pushed herself out of her chair and took the few steps up the stairs. And hesitantly, she pushed the partially open door further back and stood in front of his office, staring into the dark. In a moment, she took a small step forward and gently leaned against the doorway and switched open one of the lights. Emily remained still for a minute, staring into his now dim office. Everything seemed to be in place like she remembered. Her arms crossed against her chest as she gently rubbed her arms with her hands.

He wasn't there, but Emily felt close to him. His office was a part of him, so she felt close to him.

Then Emily took a small step inside. She immediately felt tears beginning to sting her eyes. She hadn't stepped inside his office since that Wednesday morning when their four months came crashing down. She didn't look at him when she entered she remembered. She asked him what would happen when she stepped in. She asked when in the back of her mind she knew it was probably over. She just hoped he would have had a solution. She hoped for something different than what was probably going to be the inevitable. But he didn't know, and they remained silent for what felt like an eternity. Then she left without ever looking at him, and they didn't talk for the next two days.

Emily let her eyes roam as she took another step forward. His desk was still neat. He never left work on the desk when he was away on a case. She felt the small smile forming on her face at the two new photos of him with Jack adorning his shelf. Those were the only new things she noticed. He looked happy in the pictures. She hoped he was happy and good still despite Rossi's words from two months ago nagging the back of her mind.

"Everything's still in place." His voice was quiet.

Her heart froze. He wasn't supposed to be here.

"Nothing's really changed."

Emily didn't move. She couldn't speak.

"Only the two pictures with Jack are new."

She heard him take step towards her. The tears were wanting to pool over. Hotch took another step. She had to take a deep quiet breath and blinked her eyes twice before slowly turning around.

"Hey." Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Hey." The exhaustion was evident in his voice.

They stood there motionless staring at one another. It felt like New York once again as their eyes took in all the details of the nine months that passed between them.

She still looked beautiful.

His eyes still spoke more than the face he wore.

Emily felt the tears wanting to break free the longer they remained still staring at one another. She turned her eyes away. But Hotch didn't. He kept his eyes on her as he took another step forward. She felt her breath caught in her throat. Then he took another step. Her heartbeat quickened. And then he took one final step.

The nine months distance between them disappeared once more as his arms wrapped around her waist. He slowly pulled her to him, his familiar scent making her world a little dizzier. It was Texas and New York all over again. Emily found herself leaning into him; her own arms holding him close as she slipped them underneath his open suit jacket. She closed her eyes and buried her head into the crook of his neck and breathed him in. They held each other in the silence until she spoke.

"You aren't supposed to be here." Her voice trembled.

Emily slowly pulled her head away. She wanted to look at him. She wanted to see the face that she had been missing in the last nine months closer. But she knew if she did she would break. So she turned her gaze out his window, focusing on her empty desk. Hotch pressed his nose into her hair and slowly inhaled for a moment. He didn't have to turn his eyes towards her gaze. He knew where they were at.

"And you are supposed to be there," he whispered to her.

The tears were ready and waiting, but she wouldn't let them fall. She couldn't let them fall. She wanted to completely crash as he began the circle movements against the small of her back like that Texas night again.

Emily needed another focus from reaching the breaking point. She needed to compartmentalize. She needed to be strong. Her eyes looked away from her desk, and she bowed her head as her hands began making her own small circles on his back, releasing the tension she felt in him.

"I miss you."

His broken voice made her heart ache. Hotch glanced down at her.

"I miss you too."

Emily heard her voice waver. She was still refusing to look at him. Instead she placed her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes once more. They stood still and silent once again and listened to their steady breathing.

"Do you remember when you were trying to protect me?" He asked quietly, breaking the stillness that surrounded them.

His mind was traveling back. He was doing what she was doing. He was remembering.

She nodded against him. She never forgot it.

"I don't need you to protect me now."

He meant it. He needed her to hear it. He needed her to know it was okay. He needed her to realize that all he needed was her.

She remained silent a bit longer as her hands continued to rub the circles on his back. She was trying not to crack.

"Do you remember when you didn't trust me? Do you remember when you didn't like me?" Her voice was gentle and low. She slowly opened her eyes. Maybe he'd remember that too.

"I trust you now."

Hotch didn't hesitate when he said those words. Emily lifted her head off his shoulder and finally looked at him. He just pressed his forehead against hers, raising his hands to cradle her neck and tangle in her hair and breathed her in.

"And I love you now."

His voice was calm and steady. Her hands stopped moving. She thought she stopped breathing. She felt her heart pounding hard against her chest. Everything around them became still. She didn't see that coming. She didn't know if those words would ever be uttered between them. But he said them. He said them to her. He said them to her when she probably needed to leave him again.

She felt the tears on the corner of her eyes, waiting for the seconds to pass before she couldn't hold it in anymore. And when they began sliding down, his thumb brushed them away, and Hotch cradled her face in his hands, pressing his lips to hers. He never could forget the taste of her. She heard the cry escape from the back of her throat. He was everything she remembered from nine months ago. Her hands gripped his shirt, and he kissed her with a little more force. She took it and returned it. And when they pulled away a minute later; her lips lingered on his for a brief moment before he heard her shaky voice.

"I'm trying to do the right thing for you."

She had been since the beginning. She had been since she took that first step and filed for her transfer to New York.

"Then come home."

He sounded solid, but she heard the heartache in every word he spoke. Her hands moved up, and her fingertips held his face. Her eyes remained close as she breathed deeply to control her shaking voice.

"I'm scared."

It was the first time she ever uttered the words that he knew all along. But he hoped she knew he understood them because he was too. He was scared she would promise him someday again. He was scared that he would have to let her go again.

"You don't have to be."

Hotch still held her face, their foreheads leaning together as he stared at her. He wanted her to look at him. He wanted her to see he meant it.

"I don't want you to regret it."

Because she didn't want to be his regret. She didn't want him to hate that they didn't wait. She didn't want him to hate that she came home so early. She didn't want him to hate her despite the words he told her now. She felt the tears sliding down once more.

"And I don't want to wait every nine months, Emily."

Her heart torn as she thought about nine months again. Her tears screamed when he said her name.

"Stay."

All she heard was the desperation in his voice with that single word and at that moment, Emily wanted everything to stop. She couldn't handle it anymore. She didn't want them to feel the ache in their hearts any longer. She didn't want to feel numb. She didn't want the tears to keep falling. She didn't want to pretend to be strong when she wasn't. She didn't want to wait nine months to have him again. She didn't want the distance. She didn't want to tell him she was sorry again. She didn't want to promise him someday anymore.

Emily just wanted to go home.

"Okay." It was hardly audible. She didn't know if he heard her.

So she slowly nodded in his hands. She slowly nodded as she opened her eyes to look at him. She slowly nodded as she heard his breathing stop. She slowly nodded as her fingertips held him a little tighter. She slowly nodded as she heard their heartbeats beating louder and louder. And she nodded once more before she caught Hotch's lips in hers; giving him her answer with all the energy she had left.

She was going to stay.

She wouldn't have to promise him someday anymore.

He didn't have to wait nine months to have her again.

She was finally coming home.