Shattered. [Aaron Hotchner + Emily Prentiss]

Chapter 15.

"I look horrible!" Leila exclaimed, stepping out of the hallway, presenting herself to Emily, Aaron and Isabelle as they sat on the L-shaped couch, each drinking either hot chocolate or coffees. "These uniforms are terrible!" She added, making Isabelle laugh.

"I don't know what you're laughing about, you'll have to wear one too." Emily said, taking her own mug, as well as Aaron's and walking into the kitchen to refill both - non caffeinated so they would actually sleep. They had walked into the apartment together, after collecting a few of Aaron's things from his, and saw Cheryl, Leila and Isabelle playing Monopoly. Isabelle, clearly disinterested, was the first to notice the two agents, and shot up from her seat to greet them and off to help them with anything, which they declined politely. Cheryl left not long after, giving Emily a timetable of scheduled meetings that she has to be at, monthly. Both agents felt uneasy about the timetable, given their job.

"What?"

"You're going to the same school."

"But she's 4 grades below!"

"At least you have Declan in your grade!" Leila said, hints of jealousy through her words.

Leila had told Belle about Declan, not the whole story behind how Emily knows him, but how their interactions went. Belle was not excited to meet the boy. Yes, they were the same age but from Leila's description, he sounded like the complete opposite to her and wasn't thrilled.

"The school is for all grades, and you're going." Emily said, walking back through the vast apartment. "And you look fine." Emily passed by Leila. "I can try fix the skirt if you want, make it shorter. They wouldn't notice."

"Wait really?" Leila asked, sitting down on the rug next to the coffee table Aaron finally fixed and drinking her hot chocolate.

"Yeah, I'll fix it for you tomorrow, ready for Monday." Emily sat back down, next to Aaron, after placing his steaming coffee on the table and snuggled into his side, as his arm warped around her shoulder to keep her close.

"Yes! Thank you!"

"You know how to sew?" Aaron asked skeptically.

"No, but I'll figure it out. Can't be that hard." They laughed, as shock rid Leila's face.

"I'll do it." Belle said, trying to ease her sister's fear slightly.

"You know how to sew?" Leila asked, still scared.

"Yeah, a girl gets bored when she's alone in a loft most of her days. You pick up a hobby or two along the way, mine happened to be sewing." She replied, walking into the kitchen and grabbing a glass of water, trying to drain the sweetness of the hot chocolate mixed with heaps of sugar that Leila put in them. Reminder : don't trust 9 year olds with a sweet tooth to make hot chocolate.

The little family took surprise at Belle's comment, making her feel slightly embarrassed. She was such a rebellious and hot tempered kid when pushed, so the idea of doing something as tranquillizing as sewing seemed beyond impossible.

"Saves me from messing up your uniform." Emily said, before taking a long sip of her coffee and burning her throat slightly.

"Slow down there." Aaron said, taking the already half empty mug from her hands and placing it on the table, earning a disapproving look from the woman held within his arm.

"I'm having withdrawals!" She tried to take the mug again, but one of his large hands wrapped lightly around her small wrists, haltering her into leaning back onto the couch once again. His grip, the one she once dropped a bottle of booze over, was something that could settle her in an instant. It was mesmerizing watching the interaction from Leila's point of view. Had it been anyone else, Emily would have ripped out their throats with her bare hands, but caving for Hotch wasn't unexpected.