Hanging up the center's phone, Emily smiled smally to the therapist who had stuck with her in the room. "They sounded really happy," she shrugged, imagining her children's faces.

The older woman grinned. "How's that husband of yours?"

Emily rolled her eyes, leading her therapist from the common room. "Ex husband," she corrected dully.

"Ex husband, are you sure? With the way you two were talking?"

The brown eyed woman laughed, turning to look at the blond beside her. "Maggie!"

Maggie's eyes closed as she laughed. "You two were on the phone last night for how long?"

Blushing, the alcoholic tried to hide her smile. After the two months she had been away, Hotch made sure every day she got a new picture of the kids sent in the mail, and each one she had taped to the wall above her head once she laid down. Every time she looked up to the ceiling on a restless night, she could see their faces.

"Do you need a moment?" The older woman noticed Emily's face sullen.

Emily straightened her shoulders, looking to her therapist as they walked out onto the back patio and shook her head. "I'll be ok," she smiled. "I just miss them."

"They'll be with you again sooner than you know it," the blond tried to comfort her. "How about some tea over by the ranch?" That always helped Emily out of a funk.

Turning to look out over the Cliffside, Emily shook her head. "I'll be alright out here for now. Thank you."

She waited until the older woman was back inside with the other patients before stepping closer to the wooden gate that surrounded the center, her hands atop it. All that surrounded her and the center were the trees and garden planted at the edge of the cliff before you could look off the cliff to the canyon below.

Arizona was greater than she could have imagined. She was afraid she'd be bored out of her mind, the dry heat making her withdrawal symptoms worse than they already would have been.

Instead, after she had gone through her withdrawal, the therapists showed her the horses and let her help them groom them before her three week time stamp which was when she first got to ride them. They had her garden, fix up the broken parts of the fences and continuously clean up around the center inside and in the barn.

Keeping busy helped her keep her mind off of her kids or wanting to go have a drink. In the first month, when she was finally left alone for the day after her journaling session with her therapist or when it was time for bed, she wasn't able to cry. She would stare blankly at the pictures she pasted onto her wall. It was after her first horse ride where the pit in her stomach seemed to harden, but her first call with her heels was when she broke down.

She had cried for an entire day. Without eating or even getting up from her bed for hours, she had emptied her already barren stomach, stumbling and falling onto the floor once she thought she was strong enough to stand. A medic had to be brought in to make sure she would recover alright.

Brushing her hair back from her eyes as a breeze slowly picked up, the single mother watched as a hawk flew from a rock down in the canyon, maybe a good ten miles from her very spot, soar into one of the few clouds in the sky to meet another soaring high.

"Mommy?"

Emily's dark eyes shot open at the sound. She hadn't had a hallucination since her third week. Her eyes snapped shut, hands curling tight around the sanded down wood to try and rid the voice from her head.

"Mommy?"

It sounded closer. Was she really slipping back? She hadn't had a relapse her entire time in treatment.

There were murmurings now. "You're not real," she whispered fiercely, her growing nails digging into the fence. "You're not real."

"Mommy," Penelope laughed, waiting until the addict finally turned her way. "Mommy!"

Emily let her eyes flutter open, her hands unclenching from around the top of the fence as she sucked in a breath. "Penny?" Her eyes filled with tears as the laughing girl raced toward her.

The six year old girl slammed into the older woman, her arms wrapping around her neck so her mother could lift her off the ground.

She was lighter than Emily had remembered, but mayb that was because the older woman was finally getting her body back in shape. After the moment of surprise passed, Emily tightened her arms around her daughter and laughed, feeling her cheeks grow wet. "What are you doing here?" Setting her down, the brunette wiped her eyes. "Did daddy bring you here to surprise me?"

Penelope excitedly nodded her head.

Emily smiled, brushing her daughter's long hair back so she could see her face. She looked so grown up.

"You look pretty, mommy," Penelope giggled.

"Do I?" Her skin wasn't as sickly pale as it once was and her eyes definitely didn't look as tired. "Well thank you."

Looking up from her daughter, Penelope never letting go of her mother's leg, watched as her son slowly made his way over to her. "Hey there, bud." Emily saw his eyes soften when he looked at her.

Jack looked lost for a minute. Sure they had spoken over the phone and he was ecstatic that she was finally getting better, but he had been harsh with her just before she left. He had even overheard his father speaking with his Uncle Dave, saying Emily had cried the entire flight.

"Are you just going to stand there or do I get a hug?"

Slowly stepping forward, the wrestler took his time walking through the freshly cut grass. "I missed you."

Emily was quick to open her arms, letting the thirteen year old plow into her, his tears immediately soaking into her shirt. "I missed you too," she whispered, running her hand over his head.

"I'm sorry."

The brunette quickly pulled back, looking to her son with wide eyes. "For what, baby?" The pain she saw in his eyes had her heart break. "Guess what? I wouldn't be here without you," she told him strongly, holding onto his hands. "You know that, don't you?"

Jack sucked in a shaky breath, his tears spilling down his cheeks.

"I can see you clearly." The brunette almost laughed at her words. She hadn't been able to see her kids without a blurred film over their silhouettes. "I'm so much better," she promised him, pressing a long kiss to his cheek and letting him hug her once more.

"Are these your babies?"

Emily stood, smiling to the older woman walking back out onto the patio. "Maggie, this is Jack and Penelope. Guys, this is my therapist Maggie."

Penelope ran up to the blond and threw her arms around her center. "You helped my mommy?"

"Your mommy did it all on her own," the therapist said, smiling over to her patient. "I just got to watch her get better."

Feeling her fingers itch to pick at her nail beds, Emily looked around. "So where's your father?" She let Penelope take her hand again and play with the ring she wore. "Is he hiding?" she tried to smile, watching her daughter smile up to her.

"You gotta find him!"

Emily held in her sigh. "Why don't you stay here with Maggie while I try to find him?"

She met her therapist's eyes as she took a breath, waiting for the older woman to give her the go ahead before she made her way around the center. Not seeing the man she loved in months had her nervous, not prepared for how he would treat her when he saw her.

She would always have her addiction, but she was learning to get it under control. If she went home, would she be able to keep her sobriety? It didn't matter if her house was clean and free of bottles; that was the case before and she still found ways to get her hands on alcohol.

Stepping around the side of the center, her eyes squinted from the sun.

"Hey stranger."

Emily bit her lip. She could finally see him clearly. "Hey," she smiled, slowly making her way up to the older man. "Did you miss me?"

Hotch tried his best to hold back the tears he had been wanting to shed for years. Her skin was glowing, her eyes bright, and she gained back the weight she had lost. She looked like the woman he had fallen in love with again: her fingers fiddling, that hint of uncertainty in her eyes, her hair shining.

"Like you couldn't believe."

The brunette held herself back from running into his arms.

"You look beautiful."

Emily gnawed down into her bottom lip as she smiled. "I feel pretty good," she shrugged. "Two months."

"Two months and one day," he challenged. Putting down the flowers he had bought for her, he took a step toward her. "Can I?"

Emily's dark eyes flickered down to his open arms.

Hotch was quick to wrap up the younger woman in his arms, pressing a kiss to her hair as she settled against him. Her fingers nervously played with the back of his shirt before she fully hugged him back.

She laughed, her arms tightening around her ex as he lifted her off the ground. "I might be a little heavier," she snorted as her feet hit the ground.

"A little healthier," he corrected.

Emily tried to keep her eyes on Hotch, but as his hands cupped her cheeks and he looked into her eyes, her heart raced. Was he judging her? Was he checking the size of her pupils? She knew she hadn't slipped but she would understand if everyone needed more time to process her recovery.

Hotch's thumbs brushed over her soft cheeks. "Do you know how proud I am of you?"

The addict's eyes stung. "Aaron..."

"You did this for you, for our kids, for your future. I can't imagine how hard this was," he breathed, brushing back her hair. "I am so proud of you."

Emily gave a watery laugh as she nodded. "I'm pretty proud of me too."

Hotch kissed her forehead, finally stepping back to give his ex some room to breathe. "I know us being here is a surprise. I should have given you notice."

"We were just on the phone," she pointed out, gesturing back to the center's front doors. "You could have told me then."

"So you don't like our surprise?"

The smile on his face was all she needed to feel better. "I love it."

Hotch let out a breath, smiling down to the younger woman and finally giving her the flowers he had bought. "You're supposed to get out tomorrow so we thought we would get here a day early to give you something to look forward to."

Emily could have broken down. That was the sweetest thing he had ever done for her. "Aaron, I need to talk to you."

"What?" His face immediately went pale. "What is it? Are you ok?"

Her head shook. "Nothing is wrong," she assured him, glancing down to the flowers she held. Fingering the petals, the dark haired woman smiled. "Let's go to the back. I need to tell the kids too."

Letting his hand find hers, the addict led her ex onto the patio. "Don't break the therapist, please," Emily called, hearing Hotch start to laugh.

Maggie looked up, hiking the six year old onto her back. "Don't doubt my strength, missy."

Emily grinned. "Do you guys want to come over here for a second?" She felt herself blush as the man who held her hand pulled out a chair for her, and she pressed her cheek to his shoulder for a gentle hug before sitting herself down; that way he knew she was grateful.

"Mommy, Maggie said there are horses!"

"There are," the single woman said, eyes as wide as her daughter's. "Did Maggie tell you mommy has a horse of her own?"

Penelope's jaw dropped, not noticing Jack's body fall back in his chair. "You got a horse, mommy?"

Emily set her flowers down and finally let go of her ex's hand. "I'll take you to see her in just a little bit," she smiled, "but mommy has to talk to you for a minute."

"You're ok mommy, right?"

The brunette forced herself to keep her smile at the innocence in her daughter's voice. "I'm ok. You should thank Maggie just like I have," the brunette said softly as she nodded, looking over to the therapist near the fence who was doing her best to leave her alone with her family, "she was very helpful." Sitting forward slightly so she could see her children without the sun in her eyes, the newly rehabbed woman let her fingers find the designs on the table's top. "So daddy told me you guys came here to take me home tomorrow."

Jack smiled smally for the first time that entire trip. "Are you excited?" He had missed her so much more than he ever thought he would: the first week, it was hard to even get out of bed.

Emily gave herself a moment to calm her heartbeat. "I am. But I think I'm going to need a little more time before I can really come home."

The six year old's big brown eyes filled with tears. "Don't you miss us?"

"Oh honey I missed you more than anything." Emily quickly pushed her chair back and let the young girl run from her chair and jump into her lap. "But you see how much better I am?" She felt Penelope nod her head against her chest, and the single woman looked up to see Jack give her a smile. "I think that maybe if I stay a little longer, then I'll get even better."

Hotch's eyes softened on his ex wife. She wasn't ready yet.

"I know you were so excited to have me come home, but I need a little more time before I can be one hundred percent better." Now the adults knew that that wasn't at all possible, but if she was going to come anywhere near that point then she needed to stay in treatment.

Hearing her daughter sniffle, Emily shifted the six year old in her lap so she could look into her eyes. "Doesn't mommy seem so much better?"

Penelope nodded her head. "So much better."

"I'm going to get even better if I stay a little longer. Ok?" Emily brushed back her daughter's long hair behind her ears. "But you can come visit me again, and we'll video chat just like you like to."

"Can we ride the horses?" she asked in a small voice.

Emily grinned, pressing a kiss to Penelope's head. Anything to make her happy.

Hotch ran his hand over Jack's head as they walked over to the stables, his eyes on the beautiful brunette woman who was carrying their daughter. He could see the sunlight shining off her dark hair, his eyes locking on her and Penelope as they shared a kiss.

"Are you ok, dad?"

The Unit Chief looked down to the thirteen year old at his side. "Of course I am. Are you?"

Jack looked over to his mother, never stopping his stride. "Yeah. She's better," he nodded. "I'm proud of her."

Hotch followed his son's line of sight and watched as she turned, Penelope on her hip. She was smiling wide, her skin almost golden from the sun as her eyes met his. "Me too," Hotch smiled. And he knew she was proud of herself.