A/N: Oh my God, can you believe it? This IS the LAST PART! I've said it often enough, there will be a sequel, but "Reckoning" is at an end. I truly hope folks have enjoyed the ride, I know I've had fun writing it even if there have been a few monkey wrenches along the way. I just hate it when characters don't behave and force me to alter plans. Thank you to everyone who has provided feedback and stuck with this story. It's no way even close to what Criminal Minds has planned for Season 7, so definitely an AU. I hope folks have enjoyed the ride and hope you'll come back for the sequel.

She hadn't needed an alarm clock in a while. At 5:45 am, Emily woke up and was disoriented for a moment or two, not immediately recognizing her surroundings. It was still dark in the room and for a second, fear gripped her. But then the events of last night came back to her and she relaxed, realizing she was in Hotch's guest bedroom. She reached over and switched on the bedside lamp.

The soft glow of the light made her blink and when her eyes adjusted they landed on the pink rose Hotch had given her. It sat in a small water glass on the nightstand. Sometime in the night it had opened up some more so it was almost at full bloom. The single rose perfumed the air with its sweet scent. She inhaled deeply and felt her body relax a little more.

After they had gone back into the house, she had offered to help him with the dinner dishes, but Hotch had insisted that she go to bed. They both knew she was exhausted and she had offered little argument. While she was in the bathroom, Hotch had been in her room and placed her rose in a glass. The small gesture had made her smile and she went to bed with her eyes on the flower before sleep overcame her.

Emily slipped on her bathrobe and slippers and after a quick trip to the bathroom, padded down the stairs to the kitchen. She hadn't eaten much last night and she was very hungry. She found a surprise waiting for her when she walked into the kitchen.

Jack was pushing a stool over to one of the cabinets. He looked up when he heard her step and then gave her a toothy grin. In a loud whisper he said, "Morning, Emmy."

"Good morning, Jack?" she said in a low voice. "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to get some cereal but we have to be quiet so we don't wake up Daddy," the young Hotchner said.

"Hmmm," Emily opened the cabinet that Jack had indicated and winced when she saw the sugary concoction Jack was zeroing in on. She couldn't believe Hotch, Mr. Anti-Junk Food at the Office, was letting Jack eat this stuff. "Hey, how about we make Daddy some breakfast?"

"Cereal?" Jack asked.

"Uh, how about pancakes?"

"Yeah! With lots of syrup and strawberries!" Jack hopped excitedly up and down.

"Well, let's see what you have first," Emily replied as she opened up the refrigerator door. She saw a little green plastic basket of strawberries, some eggs and milk and after rooting through the pantry, pulled out some pancake mix. "I think we can make some strawberry pancakes."

Hotch was pulled from his sleep by the heavenly smell of breakfast cooking. He slowly opened his eyes and his nose sniffed appreciatively. He sat up in bed and inhaled again, detecting the smells of coffee, bacon and pancakes. His stomach rumbled and it was enough to get him out of bed.

He slipped a sweat shirt over his t-shirt and padded down stairs, his bare feet making his approach a silent one. He peaked into the kitchen and his heart did a little somersault when he took in the scene before him.

Emily was leaning down next to Jack, her arms reaching around him as she helped him cut his pancakes into manageable pieces. They were both giggling about something; the innocent sound of the child's laughter melding seamlessly with the sweet tones of Emily's to make what Hotch thought was the most beautiful music he had ever heard.

As he leaned against the doorway watching them, a sense of peace and bliss settled over him. Hotch realized that this one moment was simply the epitome of perfection. For the first time since they had moved in, Hotch felt as though his home was truly complete.

Emily looked up to find Hotch regarding them intently. Her heart did a small flip seeing him standing there in a pair of plaid pajama pants and a sweat shirt, his usually neatly coiffed hair mussed and a full smile on his face that revealed two adorable dimples.

"Good morning," he said in a voice still roughened by sleep. It sounded low and intimate to Emily and she had to suppress a shudder as she felt her body reacting to the sound.

"Good morning," she said in an overly bright tone to hide the affect he was having on her. She straightened up and moved over to the coffeemaker. "Would you like some coffee?"

She almost dropped the mug and coffee pot she had just picked up when she realized Hotch was just suddenly there beside her, standing very close. He had moved so quickly and in his bare feet, he had been completely silent.

"I can get it. You're the guest. You shouldn't be doing any of this," he admonished gently as his hand closed over the one that held the coffee mug.

Once again his hand covered hers. His thumb gently rubbed the back of her hand and she could feel the familiar heat his touch was starting to generate in her. Shyly, she slipped her hand out from under his and moved towards the stove.

"Jack was hungry and to be honest, so was I and I didn't think any of us needed those sugary cereals I found in the cabinet. Considering what an anti-junk food kinda guy you are, I was surprised to see them there." She arched an eyebrow at him.

Hotch looked at her sheepishly as he poured himself a cup of coffee. "Sometimes, it's best to just capitulate when dealing with a five year old."

Emily chuckled as she poured out the batter for a couple of pancakes. Hotch took a seat at the small breakfast table next to Jack. "Those good pancakes, Buddy?"

"The bestest pancakes ever, Daddy! And we didn't have any syrup, but Emmy made strawberry syrup. It's even better than maple!" Jack crammed another forkful of pancakes into his mouth and he chewed with gusto.

Hotch chuckled and looked into the small bowl of sliced strawberries covered in a reddish liquid. He raised an eyebrow as Emily came over and set a plate of hot pancakes and bacon before him.

"It's just strawberries boiled down in some simple syrup," she replied as she made a plate for herself. "Pretty easy and Master Jack wanted some type of syrup but you were out of maple."

Hotch didn't have much of a sweet tooth so he only spooned a bit of the strawberry syrup onto this plate. However, after tasting it, he picked up the bowl again and poured a generous amount onto the rest of his pancakes.

"This is great," he exclaimed. The taste of the strawberries only seemed to be enhanced by the cooking. It wasn't too sweet and combined with the pancakes, it was addictive.

Emily gave him an amused look. "I always knew you were a closet sugar addict."

Hotch grinned at her. "Don't tell anyone."

"Your secret is safe with me," she joked.

He gave her a look. "I know it is," he said softly.

They were treading into that unknown territory again that both thrilled and scared Emily. She picked up her own fork and began to eat, breaking eye contact with him and trying to hide the blush that was becoming an almost permanent fixture on her face when she was with Hotch. After watching her for a moment, Hotch also resumed eating.

For a few minutes they all devoted their attention to their breakfast, but Hotch stole a glance at Emily now and then, happy to see her eating more than just a few bites. He sat back and looked over at Jack who was finishing off his pancake.

"All done there, Jack?" Hotch asked.

The little boy nodded his head rapidly. Then as if suddenly remembering his manners, turned to Emily. "Thank you, Emmy for the delicious breakfast!"

She couldn't help the grin that appeared on her face. "You're very welcome, Master Jack. It's always a pleasure to cook for such an appreciative diner."

"Well, Master Jack needs to get ready for school, so Buddy, you'd better run upstairs and wash your face and get into your school clothes."

"Okay, Daddy!" He shot off like a light, leaving the bemused adults in his wake. Emily chuckled lightly and got up to open the refrigerator door.

"What does Jack usually take for lunch?" she asked as she looked inside the icebox.

"Emily, you don't have to do that," Hotch protested as he started to stand.

She waved him back down. "It's no problem. What does he typically have?"

Hotch sighed, though a part of him was thrilled to see her doing this little thing for his son. "Peanut butter and jelly. A yogurt cup. Piece of fruit. There are some bananas, he'll like that. I usually give him a water bottle and a treat. Give him one of the brownies Jess made last night."

Following his directions, Emily quickly put together Jack's lunch and packed it neatly into his Spiderman lunch bag. Hotch had gone upstairs to check on his son's progress in getting ready for school, but was back down with the little boy a few minutes later, a frown on his face.

"What's wrong?" she asked immediately.

"Got a call while I was upstairs. They need me to go in today and Jess is already on her trip. I can drop Jack off at school, but there's no one to pick him up and stay with him afterwards and I don't know how long I'll be at the Bureau."

"Well, I can pick him up," she said without thinking. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Emily wanted to kick herself. So much for trying to be a temporary fixture in the Hotchner house.

Hotch's eyes lit up. "Really? You'd do that?"

"Emmy, you're coming to get me after school?" Jack asked in an excited voice.

"Uh, yeah, if your Daddy says its okay," she stammered, a little overwhelmed by the enthusiastic response. Looking at the two happy faces before her, she couldn't help but smile.

Hotch nodded, more than okay with the arrangements. "It would be a lifesaver, Emily. Look, Buddy, can you stay here with Emily for about ten minutes while I go get ready for work?" When Jack nodded, Hotch turned to her. "I'll drop him off on my way in. Fortunately, I've got one of the Bureau cars here along with my personal one. I'll take the Bureau one in and you can use my car. I'll get you the keys and directions to Jack's school. I'll let his teacher know that you'll be picking him up today."

"You'd better describe me to her, Hotch. Remember, I don't have any ID I can show her," Emily warned.

Hotch nodded and with a smile at her and a ruffle of Jack's hair, he hurried upstairs to get ready.

Jack turned to her and said in his enthusiastic voice, "We're going to have an awesome time, Emmy!"

Emily laughed and shook her head, wondering how in the world she had gotten into this situation.

His steps were firm and solid. The peace and assurance he hadn't felt in over two years added power and strength to his walk. Confidence radiated from him. His steps were lighter resulting in years dropping away from his face and body. He looked handsome and magnetic and had he bothered to look, Hotch would have found more than one admiring eye turned towards him as he made his way through the Bureau lobby. But he had only one thing on his mind as his carried him across the marble floor.

For the first time since it was put up, Hotch found himself able to look at the photo on the Wall of the Dead without feeling as though someone had stabbed him and was slowly twisting the knife in his gut. Hotch walked up to Emily's picture and smiled at it, knowing that it was only a photo and the woman shown was very much alive and safe in his house and would still be there when he went home that night.

"Agent Hotchner."

Hotch turned his head and looked into the flustered face of Michelle Berenson, Deputy Communications Coordinator. She turned to look at Emily's photo and nodded her head. "I'm having maintenance come up now so they can remove Agent Prentiss' picture from the Wall. I'm glad you're here. It saves me a trip to tell you we're attending to this immediately."

She spoke rapidly and nervously and Hotch realized he probably scared her with his visit over the broken glass a few weeks ago. He smiled at her, trying to put her at ease. "Thank you, Deputy Berenson. I appreciate your quick attention to this matter."

She let out a short huff of air and only her media training and experience prevented her from rolling her eyes. "Technical Analyst Garcia has already left me multiple messages about this. I've been helping to deal with the onslaught of calls and reporters since the news broke about Agent Prentiss' return and the Doyle Mission. This has been the first opportunity to deal with this issue."

"Oh Deputy!" they heard a voice trill out and turned to be confronted by the sight of Penelope Garcia, dressed in head to toe lemon with lime green sandals rushing towards them. She frowned when she saw Emily's picture on the Wall. "I thought this was being taken down today?"

"Yes, yes, yes," the woman said in a harried voice. "I'm just waiting for maintenance to send a man up. See? I'm waiting right here for him."

"Then I guess I'll wait with you to keep you company," Garcia said sweetly, still not convinced the woman would actually do as she promised.

Berenson turned eyes that appealed to Hotch to help her. The Unit Chief simply shrugged and said, "Good idea, Garcia. I'm sure Deputy Berenson would like to hear about some of your experiences on our cases as you keep her 'company'."

Berenson looked askance at Hotch, but he simply smiled at her and lifted his eyebrows at Garcia who beamed at him. As he turned to go, his back was momentarily to Berenson and he was close to Garcia where he said in a low voice that only she could hear,

"Make sure that damn photo is off of there before the hour is up."

"As you wish, my liege," Garcia whispered back, a grin on her face.

Hotch nodded once and strode towards the elevators. For two years Aaron Hotchner felt at loose ends, drifting through life. It was his sheer iron will that got him through each day in some functioning manner, but he had felt empty and lifeless. The only time he could muster up any energy or spark was when he was with Jack, but even then, the darkness that seemed to surround him threatened to encroach in that bright spot in his life.

Now, as he walked the hall towards the BAU, with each step he took, it was as if he was reclaiming himself. Now that Emily was back, he felt revitalized, renewed. He felt hope again.

Two years ago, Aaron Hotchner felt his life spin out of control when he lost Emily Prentiss. He had not realized until she was gone how much she meant to him not only as a member of his team, but to him personally as well. His team had felt lost deeply and while they all managed to do their jobs, they were all just getting by. They coped, they functioned, but they hadn't lived. That was no longer good enough for Hotch.

He strode through the bullpen, nodding to Morgan and Reid and returning JJ's wave. He trotted up the steps to the catwalk. His eyes met Rossi's for a moment and Hotch inclined his head in greeting before stepping into his office.

He moved to his desk and sat down, his hands simply resting on the blotter that was centered on the top. Hotch leaned over to remove a photo from his desk drawer. It was a photo of Emily from Jack's birthday party, a picture he had kept hidden away for two years whether to torment him or remind him of happier times, he wasn't certain. However, he no longer felt he had to hide it and unlike the Bureau photo in the lobby where it represented death, this photo, the photo of Emily in pink, the wind blowing her hair and where he could almost hear her laugh, this photo showed Emily as she was now, alive.

Hotch leaned forward and propped the photo up against the paperweight shaped like the Capitol. She was alive. She was back here with them, with him. Like Emily herself, no longer did her photo have to be hidden away.

He stood and looked through the blinds out into the bullpen. Garcia and Rossi had joined the others, the effervescent blonde talking and waving her arms, obviously telling them about her encounter with Berenson. His eyes traveled over to JJ's bright head where she stood listening in rapt attention, her arms already full of folders. Morgan was laughing and Reid was smiling. Rossi had perched himself on Emily's empty desk.

Hotch's eyes went to that desk and he knew it would not stay empty long. The Director had called him in to discuss Emily's reinstatement. If all went smoothly, she would be back here with them in a few weeks. The Bureau was already chomping at the bit to have her as one of their agents again.

Hotch turned and sat back down behind his desk. He looked over at the photo of Emily and smiled. He finally had his team back, his family and he would be damned before he let anyone take a single one of them away from him ever again.

They were back together and Aaron Hotchner would make sure they stayed that way.

Fini.

A/N 2: So yes, I do like having things come back to a full circle. This story started off with Emily's picture on the Wall and it ends with them taking it down and a new photo of Emily that represents her return. I also felt it was necessary to show how the team, but especially Hotch had healed during this story from a man who seemed to be lost in the beginning because of grief and guilt, to the in control, confident man we know he truly is because he not only has his full team back, but he has Emily back. He now knows what it's like to lose both and he's not going to risk having that happen again so he will protect it with even more ferocity than before.

As I've said many times, there's a sequel to this story coming and I've laid the groundwork for it in this story. It'll be another one that delves into Emily's past with the CIA/Interpol and it'll also explain why she has some trust issues with the team and Hotch in particular. It's not necessarily about the BAU folks, it's just trusting someone in general. The working title I have for that sequel will also tell you what book at Hotch's freaked Emily out. The sequel is tentatively titled Divine Comedy but I reserve the right to change it. That won't appear for a few weeks at least. I am trying to finish my other CM story, "A Rose By Any Other Name" which is my crossover with NCIS.

Don't forget that the 2nd Annual Profilers Choice Award for Criminal Minds fiction is now open for nominations. The ballots are found in the discussion forum (when in the list of stories for the CM fan fiction section, look to the top right hand corner of your screen and you'll see a link for "Discussion Forums"), Chit Chat on Authors Corner, 2011 Profilers Choice CM Awards - Nomination Ballot.

Thanks again for reading, and please leave some feedback if you can. Merci!