Well, this is it, the final chapter for this fic. After all the angst and sadness, I felt I had to write an epilogue with happiness, and only happiness. Thank you all so very much for travelling this journey with me. There have been tears and laughter and heartbreak, but I do hope that you had a wonderful time reading this story. And thank you too for taking the time to review, it really means a lot to me. Till next time!

Michelle, thank you as always for reviewing, you are an amazingly beautiful friend.

"Thank you, Jen." Emily smiled at the waitress as she poured them tea. After she left, Emily picked up her cup and took a sip of the fragrant jasmine tea. "Can you believe this place hasn't changed one bit since I first took you here three years ago?"

"You make it sound like that was ten years ago." Hotch gave her an indulgent smile.

"Well, lots of things have happened in three years." Which was true. Hotch did make the decision to accept the promotion and found, somewhat to his surprise that he really enjoyed his new role. It was extremely challenging at times but he loved it. Emily was also pleased that he could still occasionally take up the odd consult. He had even joined them on a couple of interstate cases last year.

They were married exactly three months to the day that Hotch had came to her apartment to tell her that he was going to be leaving the BAU. And then 18 months ago, Emily had given birth to their first child together, a precious little girl named Grace, whom Hotch swore was a carbon copy of Emily down to the identical dimples. Exactly what he had wished for. Emily hadn't quite broken the news to him that their daughter might look like her, but temperament wise, she was exactly like her father. The teenage years was going to be extremely interesting. Especially given the fact that Hotch had been completely serious when he said he wasn't going to allow Grace to go out on a date till she was at least 30. Emily had just nodded and patted his knee. Grace had her daddy completely wrapped around her little finger and it was extremely unlikely that would change anytime in the future.

"How was your day?" she asked Hotch as she nibbled on the complementary candied peanuts. He told her about his day which had been mostly tied up in meetings, the only drawback to being in a management position, while she told him about the telephone consult she had had with the Miami P.D. regarding a possible serial kidnapper.

Hotch waited until the waitress left after taking their order before asking his question. He looked at her, a small smile playing about his mouth, before asking in a casual tone. "So, when's the baby due?"

Emily felt her mouth drop open. Surprise and disappointment fought for dominance. "How did you know?" She stuck her lower lip out.

"Sweetheart, this was the place where most of the major events in our lives together have taken place. I proposed to you here, we had our engagement party here, although God knows what people thought about that," he added as an aside, smiling. "And it was here that you first told me you were pregnant with Gracie. As for tonight, you made sure the kids had a babysitter and I'm pretty sure you're not about to propose. Ergo, you must be pregnant."

"Ugh Aaron, you are such a major spoilsport," she grumbled. She tried to pretend she was angry, but she couldn't. She was too happy. A big smile broke out on her face when he got up and came over to give her a gentle kiss, the joy on his face telling her without words how incredibly happy he was at the news.

When he was back in his seat, he put his hand on the table, palm upwards. She put her hand in his and they sat there holding hands, grinning. She was well aware that they looked like lovesick teenagers to the rest of the restaurant patrons.

"You, my darling, may have guessed the first part of the news, but I still have a surprise in store." She smirked at him.

"Oh?" Hotch picked his teacup up. He raised an eyebrow. He didn't look like he believed her. Or if he did, he doubtless thought it was a surprise of little consequence. Oh, how wrong he was.

"You might want to just brace yourself, honey." She paused for dramatic effect. "We are going to be having twins."

"Shit!" The mouthful of tea he had just sipped sprayed out of his mouth like an out-of-control water hose. Emily burst out into uncontrollable laughter at the expression on his face. She had managed to take SAC Hotchner, whom everyone was totally intimidated by and in awe of, completely by surprise with her pronouncement. He was so shell shocked that he hadn't even wiped the tea from his dripping chin.

He stared at her in silence, still stunned as she tried to stop laughing. "Emily, how is that even possible?"

Her mouth twitched helplessly at his question. "Sweetie, if you don't know about the birds and the bees by now, it's way too late."

He frowned his displeasure at her quip. "You know that wasn't what I meant." Picking up his napkin, he wiped his chin.

"All right. Remember that night after I came home from our week long consult in Des Moines? We made love four times that night. I pretty sure it happened then."

Hotch shook his head. "Okay, that answers the when."

"I read that as women get older, the chances of multiple pregnancies increase."

He was still looked somewhat dazed. "I still don't...I can't believe it."

"I know, honey. I found out at the scan this morning and it still hasn't really sunk in." She took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. Her joy and excitement at the thought of the babies within her was almost overwhelming, but there was also niggle of anxiety. After losing their baby she had experienced a somewhat anxious pregnancy with Grace. And now here she was carrying twins. Which meant an increase in pregnancy complications for both mother and babies.

Hotch seemed to have read her mind, because he reached across the table and cupped her cheek in one hand. "Everything's going to be fine, sweetheart. I'll be with you every step of the way, I promise." He smiled ruefully. "Well, every step of the way after today, in any case." She had called him to accompany her to the doctor's but couldn't reach him as he was in a urgent closed meeting with the assistant director and Director. So she had gone alone instead. Not that she had minded. The surprise on his face was completely worth it.

"Thanks, sweetie." She looked at him, secure in the knowledge that she and the children would always come first for him, before anyone or anything else, including his career.

"Did I thank you that night, three years ago?"

"I'm pretty sure you did." She wondered why he asked.

"Well, just in case I didn't, thank you for dragging a lonely workaholic who was practically beyond salvation out of his office and thank you for feeding that same starving workaholic. But thank you most of all for letting me know that I had someone to turn to. Because if you hadn't done so, I won't be sitting here with the most amazing woman I have ever met, who also happens to be my wife and the mother of my children, whom I love more than words can describe." His eyes blazed with his love for her.

Emily tried to smile at him through the tears in her eyes. "I love you, too," she whispered.

When they reached home, they found their little girl sitting on the couch while their babysitter, Lauren, read to her. Grace's face immediately brightened upon seeing her second favourite person in the world after her adored big brother. "Daddy!"

Hotch strode over and picked her up. She immediately curled her little arms around his neck rested her dark head on his shoulder. "What are you still doing up, cheeky little monkey?" He pressed a kiss on her head.

Grace lifted her head up and gave him a toothy grin. "Me, up," she nodded enthusiastically.

"I'm really sorry. She woke up a little while ago looking for you and didn't want to go back to bed. I kept her up so she won't wake Jack up." Lauren looked apologetically at the both of them.

"That's all right. Come on, let me walk you out to your car," Emily replied.

When she came back in, her daughter was sitting on Hotch's lap, drowsily rubbing the corner of her green froggie blanket against her cheek. "Come on, bedtime sweetie." She stopped in front of the pair. A faint noxious smell reached her nose. "Gracie, have you done a poo?"

Grace looked at her. "No."

Emily raised an eyebrow. "I think you have sweetie."

"No!" she retorted emphatically.

"Are you sure you haven't done a poo?" She frowned at her younger child.

"NO!" shouted Grace.

Hotch turned her in his lap so that she was facing him. "Gracie, have you done a poo?"

She looked up at her beloved daddy. Hotch gave her a stern look. Or rather, he attempted a stern look. Pushover, thought Emily.

Little Miss Recalcitrant finally answered. "Yesh." She looked completely unrepentant.

Emily shook her head, laughing. "You are a little devil!"

"All right, let's go get you cleaned up," said Hotch, standing up and shifting Grace onto his right arm. "Then it's bedtime for you. No arguments."

As Emily removed her make up, she could hear the low rumble of Hotch's voice emanating from Grace's room, which was across the hall from theirs, her high pitched voice answering intermittently. She finished and walked into her daughter's room, watching as he zipped her into her pink sleepsuit while she stood up in her cot. She loved seeing the two of them together. Grace completely worshipped her dad and Emily knew that Hotch was so enamoured of his precious little girl that it would be a miracle if she didn't end up spoiled. At the moment, all she had to do was flash him a dimpled smile, say 'Pees' (her word for please) and he would fold like a deck of cards. Emily thought that was darn hilarious for a tough ex hostage negotiator. Grace was well clued in on who held the balance of power in the father daughter relationship at the tender age of one and a half.

"Goodnight, beautiful girl," murmured Hotch, kissing her cheek. He stepped aside to give Emily some space.

She pulled her little girl into a tight hug, as always, offering up a brief prayer of thanks for this precious gift. "Goodnight darling, I love you," she whispered, pressing a kiss into the soft raven curls on her head and breathing in her delicious baby scent. The depth of her love for this child of theirs never ceased to amaze her. She gently laid Grace down in her cot.

"Wuv you, mummy," she answered in her sweet little voice, her eyes already closing as she stroked her cheek with her blankie.

Later that night, as they lay in bed, Hotch's hand resting protectively over their babies, Emily knew that neither of them would ever need to worry about being alone again, surrounded by more love and laughter than both of them had ever dared dreamed of.

I hope you enjoyed this :)