BACKGROUND: Here's a little background information. Everything that has happened on the show has happened in here with the exception of the Doyle storyline and JJ never got transferred to the State Department; she is a profiler here. She graduated from media liaison. I haven't decided whether I'm adding the Doyle thing in or not. I'm toying with some ideas and if I happen to do it, it will be completely different than the show and everything I've ever read. I probably will use it to bring the pieces together unless people are really opposed to the idea. However, to fit my story, I changed the timing of certain things. For example, Henry was born before Emily came to the show, a little more than a year after Jack; so Jack is seven and Henry is six(ish). Haley is also alive, and she and Hotch are still married. Age wise, Emily and JJ are thirty five and thirty four respectively. Hotch is early forties. Morgan is the same age as Emily. Rossi is Rossi and Reid is late twenties.

Chapter 1: Long Days, Longer Nights Made Better

It had been a long, stressful day at work. Scratch that. It had been a long, stressful week at work. The recent case the team had been working on was like a roller coaster ride set in hell. Every lead wound up at a dead end or to a new twist in the case. The unsub liked to pick women at random, no discernible pattern to trace. He was meticulous too, leaving no evidence behind. For a while it seemed like they weren't ever going to find the answers they were looking for. Luckily, they got a break.

The unsub was so narcissistic and each kill that he got away with just boosted his confidence and fed his ego. Eventually, that made him sloppy and thus, brought upon his downfall. Unfortunately, that downfall didn't come without its own price. His last victim got away. She was so shook up and dazed, but they managed to do a cognitive interview and even a sketch. The sketch led to a tip line which, in turn, led to a few credible leads.

Once everything panned out and all the ducks were in a row, Garcia came out with one name and two addresses. Lucian Cole… White, mid thirties, deranged in every sense of the word; an all out winner of a guy, a real psychopath, everything they could predict. They all knew going into the bust that he wouldn't be an easy take down. He would fight with everything he had and never surrender. That was what they profiled and that was what they firmly believed. They were not wrong.

Hotch gave the orders before the teams split up. Rossi, Reid, and Morgan were heading to the apartment in town rented under one of Cole's aliases. They figured it'd be a good place to hide out after his failed attack and recuperate before striking again. The rest, Prentiss, Hotch, and JJ, were heading to the outskirts of the profiled comfort zone. Lucien's family owned a large estate out there, presumably where he took the woman once they were in his possession. The team scattered all going to their respective locations. They were going to get the bastard.

Upon entering, Hotch slowly crept up the already creaking steps leaving JJ and Emily to their own devices. Guns drawn, they began clearing rooms. As JJ neared the end of the hallway, Prentiss was heading to the kitchen where she heard a noise. Following the sound, she saw a figure flee the dark room through the back door. Immediately she began running, trailing just behind the six foot four, two hundred and ninety pound man made of muscle.

"He's getting away!" She signaled the others and chased after the man. She wasn't going to let him escape, not if she could help it.

Receiving the notice, JJ and Hotch took off after Emily and the unsub, but they did have a bit of a head start. She was right behind him. Lucian led her over the vast expanse of uneven terrain that was all muddied from the recent rainfall. The empty space only filled with trees could easily have passed for a maze. The night sky didn't give much light to work with and somewhere along the way she seemed to have dropped her flashlight so she was running blind. But Emily never lost sight of her target.

Cole knew they were at the final standoff, and his personality wouldn't allow him to surrender peacefully. He was going to fight 'till the death no matter whose it was. He wasn't too far ahead of her, still close enough to hear the crackling of the autumn leaves crumpling under her steps. But he had a plan. All he had to do was get her deeper in the woods. If he could get close enough without the other goons around, he could take her out and lie in wait for the rest. He was too good for them.

He had a knife, but he preferred to use his hands when it came to the female population. He was stronger than them, bigger than them, and using his own hands made the thrill of the kill that much more invigorating. There was just something about watching the breath leave their bodies and the life drain from their eyes that got him all hot and bothered. So, once they were deep enough into the woods, in a spot he knew all too well, he stopped, staying silent as he perched behind a mosaic of boulders and smaller rocks.

Emily stopped hearing any movement in front of her. There were still faint, distant sounds of running behind her, but the unsub had stopped. She found herself circling, looking in every direction for any sign of him. Did she lose him? Did something happen? What did she miss? Then she took another step forward, and Cole made his move. He lunged at her, seemingly out of the blue, and tackled her to the ground simultaneously knocking the firearm from her hand.

They grappled a bit, but he clearly had the advantage. Emily knew that. He was twice her size, but if she could get in one good hit, it would give her the time to find her sig and, hopefully, by then, the rest of the cavalry would arrive. He barely hit her. There were a few good blows both delivered and received, but Emily was holding her own. When she got him in the groin she had the opportunity to feel around for her gun. Cole was already coming at her again, and she had yet to find it. When she saw the shimmer of moonlight reflecting off of something on the ground, she assumed it was her gun and started for it. Cole was right on her, grabbing her before she could make it all the way. It was the first time she noticed the knife in his hand as he swung it toward her, sick of her games. With each swing she took another step back, another step closer to her weapon. On the last step though, she clipped her, a dam break flooding crimson from her wrist. He felt satisfied in that moment and was caught off guard when he felt a warm burn in his abdomen. He completely missed the sound of the bullet leaving the chamber, but he couldn't miss it piercing his skin.

"Emily!" She heard them scream.

"I got him." She responded, quickly applying pressure to her wrist, knowing the attempts were futile. She'd surely need stitches. "He's down." They approached, lights shining slightly in the dark of night. Cole was dead; he bled out. They'd got their man. But all Emily could think was that she wanted to go home. She wanted to get home to her, to hold her, to read to her, and tuck her in.

"I already called it in. Everyone's just a few minutes out." JJ informed the team. Emily walked over to the rocks, the only part of the woods illuminated by more than the few escaped rays of light through the shadows of the trees. And once she stepped into the moonlight, JJ could see her left hand firmly grasped upon her other wrist. "Emily, you're bleeding…"

"I'm fine."

"No you're not." JJ flashed the light onto her friends arm and could see the blood all over, even the trail of it that followed her. "Did he stab you?" She asked while attempting to help stop the bleeding.

"Not so much stabbed as slashed. But seriously JJ, you don't need to do that. I'm fine."

"You're not fine. If you were, you wouldn't have a death grip on your hand right now." Emily conceded; it wasn't worth the energy to argue that fact. It didn't matter anyway. The paramedics arrived shortly after and both she and the unsub got the care they needed. She was patched up and on her way in no time and Cole was resting peacefully in the morgue. And after one more night stuck in a hotel, she'd be home… where she belonged.

It was a long case. It was a stressful case. But they all managed to get through it pretty much intact. They were all just glad to be heading back to Virginia, back to their families, and back home.

By the time the jet landed, it was early Sunday morning on the east coast. After sharing some parting words, the team all went their own way and all headed home. Morgan dropped Emily off at her building, offering, as a gentleman would, to walk her to her door. Kindly, she refused, instead insisting he go home and get some sleep. It was a long trip and they could all use a good, solid eight hours, even if it was daytime. As his car began to drive off, Emily began to make her way up the stairs. She was too tired and lazy to walk, so she went with the elevator instead.

Standing in front of her door, she was worn. Even getting the keys from her bag was a struggle. It took her some time, but once the door was open, all the stress and worry of the week was washed away and replaced with a sense of calm. When she walked in, she saw Sarah asleep on the couch. She called earlier and said she was on her way and would be home early that morning. She assumed that was why she was on the couch rather than the, much more comfortable, guest bedroom. Deciding against waking her up, Emily just made her way to her room. She wanted to drop off her bag before she went in to see her, but boy did she want to see her.

Immediately upon opening the door, she noticed her bed unmade and a tiny body snuggling with her blanket. A smile spread across Emily's face from ear to ear. Without hesitation, she quietly slipped off her shoes, changed into something a little more bed appropriate, and slipped in under the covers. Sinking deep into the mattress, she cuddled up to the tiny being next to her, wrapping her arm around her and pulling her tight. The girl stirred a little.

"Sarah?"

"No, not Sarah…" Excited by the sound of her voice, the girl flipped around to face Emily, a giant smile taking over her sleepy face as she spotted the woman she'd been waiting for.

"Mommy!"

"Hey baby girl. I missed you so much." The younger Prentiss jumped on her mother, enveloping herself into a tight embrace.

"I missed you too mommy. You shouldn't leave me for so long anymore." The innocence in her voice and statement flustered Emily, and she wanted so badly to promise never to leave again, but she knew she wouldn't be able to keep it.

"I know Charlie. I know." Emily's eyes felt heavy as her head sunk deeper into the pillow. Charlie, shifting slightly from her hold, began running a finger over her mother's bandage wrist.

"Mommy has a boo-boo."

"Yeah. Don't worry though. It's not so bad."

"I always worry about you, mommy." A small smile formed on Emily's face as she stared at her daughter's perfect eyes.

"Oh, you do?" She responded with a laughing tone. "I always worry about you too."

"But you don't have to."

"But I do because you're my little angel."

"Does it hurt mommy?"

"Not anymore, not with you in my arms."

"I make it all better?"

"You make everything better." Scooting closer once again, Charlie kissed her mother, pulled her teddy bear tight, and cradled herself right next to Emily.

"You should sleep mommy. I'll stay right here to make you feel all better." Nothing else needed to be said. With her daughter at her side and the weight of the case lifted from her shoulders, it didn't take much for her to give into the comfort and warmth of Charlie and relax her body right into a peaceful slumber.

She got a solid few hours in before she was gently shaken awake by a pair of small hands. "Mommy wake up!"

Groggily, Emily opened her still sleep ridden eyes and turned to her daughter. "What is it sweetie? Is something wrong?"

"I'm hungry."

"Oh ok. Did Sarah leave yet?" She asked as she slowly sat up in the bed.

"She said she got your note and told me not to wake you unless I really needed to."

"That was sweet of her." She said as she sat up in bed. Looking at the clock she realized it was after one. "What should we have for lunch?"

"Can we make sandwiches and have a picnic at the park like we used to?" With the most adorable pleading eyes, she stuck out her bottom lip and said. "Please."

"Is that really what you want to do today?"

"Yes mommy! You said we could go again before the snow starts coming."

"I did? You don't forget anything, do you?" Charlie shook her head. "Ok, we can go. I'm going to shower and change, and then we can go."

"Ok." The enthusiastic little girl ran out of the room to let her mom get ready.

About an hour later, Emily was freshly bathed, changed, and ready to go. A small picnic basket in hand, the Prentiss women made their way to their favorite playground. It was pretty empty when they arrived, just a few kids scattered about being watched from afar by their nannies. Emily had an eye for spotting nannies. After some time pushing Charlie on the swings, Emily made her way over to one of the tables to set up their lunch. She let Charlie play a little longer before calling her over.

"So, Charlie, you're turning five next month."

"I know. I'm a big girl now."

"That you are. What should we do for your birthday this year?"

"Since I'm turning five and that's a big number, we should have a party."

"We should?" She acted surprised. "And who should we invite to this party?"

"We should make a list. I want to invite all my friends." Emily pulled out a small pad of paper and a pen and together, they began to make a list. Charlie spouted out name after name as she choked down her lunch.

"Oh, and we have to invite Grant and Jill. Sarah will come too won't she mama?" Sarah had become like family to the Prentiss women after working with them for years. Grant and Jill were her niece and nephew. They, although a little older, were taken by Charlie and have been friends ever since.

"We'll have to talk to her next time we see her. Ok?"

"And Henry mommy. I almost forgot Henry." Henry? Henry was almost a year older, but they were in the same grade. But it had to be a coincidence. She would know if her friend's son was in the same class as her daughter. Then again, no one on the team even knows she has a daughter. And while she has her reasons for keeping it like that, it just goes to show that you don't know everything. Anyways, it had to be a coincidence. There are plenty of boys, in Virginia, in that city, in that school named Henry. Right?

"Who's Henry baby?" She had to press her for more information. It wasn't her proudest moment, interrogating her four year old daughter, but secrets are usually secrets for a reason. And hers needed to remain just that, a secret.

"I told you before mommy. He's my friend and he's in my class. We play together all the time at recess, and Sarah took me over to his house to play lots of times." How had she missed that? It must've been the case earlier that year where they were away for a while. Sarah did ask about taking Charlie to a friend's house, and Emily agreed, but she was a little distracted and must've missed the kid's name. She didn't know that friend was Henry, but if it was during a case that meant JJ wasn't there either. So there was that. But she did say lots of times. Maybe she was exaggerating. Kids are known to do that.

"What do you talk about?"

"Did you know his daddy's a police officer?" Another coincidence…

"That's cool. What does his mom do?"

She looked like she was wracking her brain for an answer. "I don't remember."

"That's ok. Why don't you go play? You have another hour before we go home, and if you're good, we'll watch a movie and order dinner tonight." The little girl jumped from the table squealing before running back over to the playground. Keeping an eye on her rambunctious little spitfire, Emily pulled out her phone and made a few calls. It was time she called in a few favors and made her little girl's birthday better than she ever could have imagined. She'd worry about the Henry thing later.

After a fun time making use of every apparatus in the park, the Prentiss girls headed home. The rest of the evening was spent in complete relaxation mode. They changed into their pajamas early and went over Charlie's homework for the next day before settling down in front of the TV for a movie and takeout. Emily didn't have much energy so instead of forcing herself to cook some mediocre food, she ordered their favorite Chinese takeout and a nonviolent princess movie.

As the movie came to a close and the credits began rolling, sleep was evident on both their faces. And while they were both content exactly where they were, snuggled together under a blanket, Emily knew they would sleep much better in their own beds.

"Come on Charlie bear, it's time for bed."

"But I'm not tired."

"Yes you are, and so is mommy."

"No I'm not."

"We can read a story." She tried to entice her, not wanting to argue her into submission or use the 'because I said so' line.

"Any story?"

"Any short story you want." Emphasis on short.

"Ok, let's go to your room." Charlie hopped off the couch and, without giving her time to debate, took her mother's hand, escorting her up the stairs and to the master bedroom at the end of the hall. Usually, Emily would insist she sleep in her own room. She was pretty good about that, but after a long case, or any case really, Charlie liked to sleep in her mother's bed, if for no other reason than to know she was still there.

As Charlie ran to her room to fetch a book, Emily set her morning alarm and got clothes out for the following day. Once Charlie returned, both settled in her big bed. "What book am I reading you tonight?"

"I'm going to read to you mommy." Emily smiled as a warm, happy sensation took over her body. Her daughter was something else. And as Charlie began reading in a soon to be five year old, I only just learned how to read kind of way, Emily slipped down deeper into her pillow and fell into a light sleep. She didn't know how long she was like that. She didn't even know she was until she heard the hushed voice of her daughter and a light kiss being placed on her cheek. "Night mommy. I love you."

"I love you too Charlie. Sleep tight." She whispered back, allowing her daughter ample room to snuggle with her. And that was how the night came to a, like she wished every night could, close.

Ok, so this is my first Criminal Minds Fanfic and I do have other stories right now (for other shows), but I had this written for a while and wanted to put it out there. If this gets some positive feedback I'll continue to post. In fact, if people like it, I'll have the next chapter up by Friday night. So let me know what you think.

I also apologize for any spelling or grammatical errors. I am only human, thus I make mistakes.

Opinions are always welcomed; feedback, input, whatever. Tell me what you think. Should I continue?