Acceptable Risk

Chapter 16

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"It's a boy! It's a boy!" Tomas exclaimed as soon as he spotted Emily and the others approaching.

Beaming widely, she rushed to her team member where she was swoop by him in his jubilance and swung about wildly in the hallways of the hospital.

Emily, caught unawares, began to laugh as she tried to join in his laughter, "Okay, okay, Tomas…let me down. Let me down or I'll upchuck on you!"

Shaking his head, he slowed their motion as he let her down and said, "It'll be all right, boss! TJ's going to be doing it to be soon enough, might as well get a good practice." He laughed.

Emily frowned at him as she blinked, "TJ?"

"Tomas Junior! My son, Josie agreed to name him Tomas Junior or TJ for short." He said proudly.

Lt. Canter slapped him on his back and grinned, "I like it a lot, sounds like something from some hero movie. Your boy'll grow up to be a weapons expert like his pa, hey?"

Tomas shook his head, "Josie wants him to be a football player." Canter and he began to laugh.

Emily turned to Hotch, "I don't get it?"

Hotch shook his head, "Me neither, must be an inside joke."

Emily turned back to Tomas, "Hey, can I see Josie and TJ?"

Tomas grinned widely, "Of course boss! Come on, I show you…"

…..

Reid and Mei-Lin remained in the car, they sat in the backseat and continued to talk.

"Spencer," Mei-Lin began. "I should thank you for saving me." She tightened their grasp. "No one has ever done anything like this…"

Reid shook his head, "I lost Maeve," he said quietly. "Because I was not in time but I'm glad I'm able to save you."

She nodded, "So…what now? I mean…you live in America, and I live here…quite far apart."

Reid, "Like Emily said, we have Skype, phones, and texts…and we can fly."

She looked at him, "Fly?"

"Yeah, I can take vacations and fly over to you or vice versa. It's not that hard."

She nodded again, "Yeah, I guess so."

Reid frowned at her hesitation, "Why? What's the matter?"

She shook her head, "Nothing…it's just that, statistically the success in long-distance relationship is less than 11% and dwindles even more as more time…"

She was cut off when Reid kissed her long and hard.

A long moment later when they separated for a breath of air, they were panting hard, "Wow, I…I, like that!"

Reid was smiling as his heart beat wildly, "Yeah, me too."

Mei-Lin looked about them, "How..How long do you think it's going to take them?"

He shook his head, "With Emily, it could take a while. Why?"

She glance at him peripherally, "Well…there was a hotel nearby…" She suggested boldly."

Arching his brow, "Oh!" Thinking about in less than a second, he removed his cell phone and began to text Hotch before he opened the car door and pulled Mei-Lin along with him, "Let's go, Mei-Lin."

She chuckled as she grasped his hand and nodded, "Dutch courage?"

Reid turned to her, "Did you want some gin? Isn't it a little early for liquor?"

She shook her head as they walked away from the car, "You know the popular euphemism is from 1650 when a Dutch doctor tried to create diuretic medicine but during the 30 year war…"

Reid nodded, "The English troops used it to keep them warm in the winter and gave them extra courage…" He smiled at her.

Together, "Thus, Dutch courage!" they laughed as they walked towards the large building.

….

Hotch felt his cell phone buzzing and pulled it out of his shirt pocket and began reading the text and smiled which soon turned to laughter.

Emily turned to him, "What's going on, Hotch?"

Shaking his head, "You'll not believe it; your genius and my genius are um…off to, well…." He held out his cell phone so Emily could read Reid's text.

Soon, Emily began to laugh, "Oh my god! Oh my god! I can't believe it! Well…maybe I can but to actually see it.!" She was blushing.

Hotch gathered her to him, "Does it bother you?"

She shook her head, "Not at all, I'm glad for him. Remember your plea for help?"

Hotch arched his brow at her, "Yes, yes…I do. And yes…I guess we did it. For Reid. We did it."

Emily nodded, "Yes, we did. I hope Maeve Donovan can rest in peace…for Spencer." She said softly, as she stared ahead of her which was a newborn baby asleep in a bassinet while mother and father cuddled together in the bed across from it.

Hotch and Emily nodded at them before they left the hospital.

….

In the car, "I guess it's back home, home for me and Reid tomorrow." Hotch said quietly as he turned to Emily.

Head down, she nodded sadly, "Yeah, I guess."

He turned to her, "Emily, look at me."

She shook her head, her hair a curtain covering her profile.

Sighing, Hotch leaned over and lifted her hair aside, "There you are Emily." He tried to cheer her up. "It's not the end of everything, you know?"

She nodded, "Reid will argue about that fact, he'll say long-distance relationship will have less than 11% or something like that and…and…"

Hotch reached over and grabbed her chin gently and turned her head to face him, "Well, Reid's wrong. Besides I don't care much about stats."

"What are you talking about?"

"You and I…we've known each other for a long time. Long distance is just an excuse…and INTERPOL or the FBI we can change our destiny."

"Hotch?"
He sighed happily, "Emily, what I'm trying to say is we can change our career easily if we want to."

Her eyes widened, "You mean you'll change if you want to…wait." She frowned and shook her head.

"What?" He frowned as well. "What's the matter?"

"No you won't. I know you, Hotch. The FBI/BAU is your life."

He smiled, "Is it?"

She leaned forward and looked closely at him, "Am I talking to the real Aaron Hotchner?"

"Yes."

"But, you just said you're willing to change…and I know you, Hotch, and you have Jack at home…"

"Do you, Emily?"

"Yes." She said firmly. "Yes and I will not want you to give up anything for me. I'm not selfish."

"Emily…"

She shook her head, "No Hotch. I can't ask you to give up everything you've worked hard for."

"So, what are we to do?"

She looked ahead. "The only thing is for me to move back."

He shook his head, "I can't let you give up your job…your career."

"It's nothing, Hotch. You know me, I've never settled down on anywhere."

"And will you settle down in Virginia?" He looked at her. "You didn't before."

"I didn't have anyone to hold me there before…" she held her breath. She stared at their hands, particularly his.

He nodded, "And now, you'll have me and Jack."

She nodded, "Yes." She smiled as she thought of his son whom she adored.

"So, are you prepared to settle down?"

She nodded without hesitation. "Yes."

"With us?"

She nodded again.

He sighed with satisfaction. "Then, will you do me one favor?"

She looked up at him in askance.

"Well, actually two things." He smiled.

She nodded apprehensively.

"Will you …."

They were interrupted by their respective cell phones.

They sighed at the same time as they answered their phones.

"Prentiss."

"Hotchner."

….

Three hours later, Hotch and Reid with their baggages hurriedly packed and ready to go, were at Heathrow Airport.

A very teary-eyed Mei-Lin clinging onto Reid's hand, reluctant to let him leave, "When…when…" she couldn't go on as she hic-cupped.

"I'm sorry, Mei-Lin, this case with the Replicator is taking precedence and our Section Chief is anxious for our return."

Mei-Lin nodded. "I'll wait for you to call."

He leaned down to kiss her softly and whispered.

Hotch and Emily looked away from them, "I'll keep in touch." Hotch said as he held her tightly.

"And I'll keep you up to-date." Emily nodded.

"Good luck on your findings. I'm glad your agency has confirmed the whereabouts of Mei-Lin's father's actual location."

"Me too. And I'll be headed there as soon as my team gets their gears ready."

"Promise me you'll be careful?"

She nodded, "I will, and you haven't answer me; what were the two things?"

"Not until you come back safely."

She shook her head, "Oh no Hotch! That's not fair! I'm not going to be able to concentrate on anything else! Please tell me? Now?"

He watched her for a moment and nodded, "Okay, first…will you please from now onwards call me by my first name? I'll love to hear you say it." He begged her with his eyes. "Forever."

She smiled softly at him, "I love you, Aaron Hotchner."

He closed his eyes briefly as he savored her words and opened them.

"I love you too, Emily."

"What's the second thing?"

"Hey, Hotch! They're calling for boarding!" Reid called out.

Emily almost lost it as she turned to the young doctor angrily, "Beat it, Reid! Hotch…Aaron's about to tell me something important!" She waved at him.

Eyes widened as Mei-Lin laughed at boss as she tugged at Reid, "Come on, I'll walk you to the line."

Reid nodded, "Oh…oh…yeah…I'll meet you in the plane…Hotch. Bye Emily!" He waved at her.

Emily returned his wave absentmindedly as she returned her attention to Hotch. "You were saying?"

He grinned, "It's been a long time since Haley…"

"Aaron Hotchner…" She warned him.

"Okay." He took a deep breath and let it out before he spoke again. "Emily Prentiss, will you marry me?"

…..

The End

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I want to thank many people for making this story a success! Without your encouraging reviews, it would not have been possible!

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