Author's Note: This is my first Criminal Minds fanfic! Please, don't be afraid to give me your most honest opinion. Constructive criticism is welcome. I have been working on this for a long time now and I'm hoping you guys will find interest in it. Anyways, without further interruptions, here's chapter one! (Just so you know, in this story, Emily never left the BAU. Well... she's left temporarily, but for a much different reason.)

Story Title: Desperate Measures

Written By: ButterflyCryx

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Criminal Minds or any of its characters. I'm simply a fan with a passion for writing.

Chapter One

Emily Prentiss held her swollen belly while sitting up in bed. She couldn't sleep and was having severe pains near her torso. She tried moving to more comfortable positions but nothing worked. Not wanting to disturb her fiancée, she got up and quietly walked out, descending the stairs to her living room. She entered her kitchen and began searching for something to drink.

The breeze that filtered the air helped relax her. Sipping at her cold class of milk, she quietly walked back into the living room and decided to watch some T.V. She sat on the couch and was careful not to make any noises. With the volume on low, Emily began to watch a marathon of her favorite cartoon, Tom and Jerry. She rested her pale hands on her stomach and felt powerful kicks. She was seven months into her pregnancy, yet she looked like she was about to pop.

'Just three more months Bradley. Me and daddy are so eager to see you' she mentally thought, tracing circles with her finger. She began to think about the arrival of her first born and instantly began to smile. Although she was extremely nervous, due to the dangerous nature of her job, she was determined to make it work. She remembered the first time she told the team she was possibly pregnant, receiving a few shocked reactions. Emily always wanted this. A career she was dedicated to(despite the horrors she's seen/faced), a beautiful home, a lover (soon to be husband) and a baby. She always wanted to be a mother, despite her past mistakes. The kicks got stronger which made Emily snap back into reality and even more restless. Feeling uncomfortable, she stood up from the couch and began to pace. She was wearing a light blue robe that Garcia had bought her last Christmas and matching blue slippers. Her jet black hair was put into a tight ponytail, the natural outlines of her face showing. She was truly beautiful, with or without make-up. While resting her hands on her growing stomach, she realized how hideous her finger nails looked.

Just then, Aaron Hotchner descended the stairs, startling Emily in the process.

"God, Hotch. Don't scare me like that" she complained, putting a single hand to her head. Despite the sleep that engulfed him, he managed a smile.

"I heard small movements. Are you okay? Is the baby acting up?" He questioned, examining Emily's belly.

"Yes, I'm fine. Well, not really. He's being too fussy and I can't sleep. All he does is kick. And kick. And kick" she emphasized, burying her head into his shoulder. The worried fiancée and soon-to-be-father cradled his wife into his arms and told her that everything was going to be okay.

That's when Emily started to sob.

Aaron held her as the tears emerged from her dark brown eyes. He soothed her by whispering sweet things into her ear, telling her that she was strong and that she would get through this. As emotional as Emily had become, he managed to stay calm most of the time and used his patience to deal with her mood-swings and constant demands. Emily finished crying and removed her head from his shoulder. Hotch smiled then used his thumb to wipe away the remains of her tears.

"You're going to be okay. Soon enough we'll be able to welcome our son into the world and then you could look back at this and say-"

"It was all worth it. I know, Hotch. I know. I just hate being so god-damn moody all of the time" she complained, receiving a laugh from her fiancée.

"Can't say I disagree" he teased, receiving a slap on his chest in return. He pulled Emily closer then held onto her waist with his strong hands. He kept them there and looked into her eyes, letting the passing seconds turn into minutes. Suddenly, the sound of little feet brought them to their senses as they turned their attention to the stairs. Sure enough, seven year old Jack Hotchner was at the top.

"Daddy, Emzy... What are you doing down there?" He questioned, his quizzical eyes present. Emily smiled at the boy then looked back at Hotch. Jack was wearing his favorite Toy Story pajamas. It had been a gift from Garcia as well.

The woman definitely got around.

"Well sweetie, daddy just came down to make sure I was okay. Bradley isn't being so nice to Emzy right now" Emily explained.

"Is he hurting you?" The little boy asked innocently. This made both parents smile.

"Just a little Jack, but don't worry. He doesn't mean too" Hotch reassured him, the relief on his son's face evident.

"Can you put me to bed, Emzy? I want you to read me a story."

How could the brunette say no? She smiled at Jack then replied.

"Of course, I'll be up in just a second." she promised, watching the young boy go back into his room.

"Are you going to be okay? I can read to him while you go back to bed-"

"Hotch, I'm fine." she assured, getting lost into his eyes. He gave her a small smile then kissed her softly, so soft that Emily didn't want it to end. As he pulled away she internally groaned.

Curse her hormones.

"I'll be waiting for you." Hotch said over his shoulder, going into the kitchen so he could get something to drink. Emily sighed then ascended the stairs so she could read to her stepson.

The next morning had been a difficult one. Hotch was called into the BAU to review a case that J.J had recieved. As eager as Emily was to go with him, despite her maternity leave, they both knew that wasn't happening.

"At least let me get some paperwork done. I can stay with Garcia and help her-"

"Emily." he interrupted, giving her a firm look. She stood quiet for a moment, contemplating her thoughts. She didn't want to upset him, but she wanted to help in anyway that she could. Finally, after choosing her words carefully, she spoke again.

"It's not like I'm going to be on the field, Hotch. I'll be safe at the BAU. Remember when JJ was pregnant-"

"Emily!"

He didn't realize that he shouted until he saw the look on Emily's face. She looked down at her feet, concentrating on the details of her shoes. She always did this when she had been shut down. Except this time, he shut her down and he immediately began to regret it.

"Honey, I'm-"

"No, it's okay. I'll just stay home then pick up Jack from school." she said, not making eye contact. As she exited the room, Hotch took a moment to breath. His tie was still undone and his shoes weren't on yet, but he didn't care. It's like time stopped for a moment, taunting him for making a small mistake. He sat on the bed and began to rub his temples. The buzz of his cellphone reminded him what he needed to do so without further hesitation, he sprung into action. As he got downstairs, he watched Emily put on Jack's schoolbag and usher him out the door. He stood by it then decided to call after his son.

"Jack! I love you, have a good day."

The small boy turned and smiled, then waved to his father. Hotch smiled and waved back. Emily kissed the top of Jack's forehead then watched him get on the yellow school bus that waited for him. While it drove away, Hotch approached Emily from behind then embraced her bulging stomach.

"I'm sorry." he whispered, putting Emily into a slight trance. She hated that he could do this to her, That he could own her heart and soul with a single word or touch. She let her eyes close for a moment, then turned so she could face him.

"I know." she simply said and with that, she let go and walked into the house.

Hotch sighed then followed.

The team ended up flying into the state of Michigan after deciding that they'd work on the case. Five homicides have been committed, each family being nuclear. The wife and husband were both tied and kept in their own basement, then they were shot two times in the head. The kids, however, suffered immensely before they died. The boys were tied to a chair then forced to watch their sisters get raped numerous times. After that was done, they watched their sisters get beaten to death. The boys lived the longest (the team hadn't figured out why yet) but eventually got their throats slit. Hotch stared at the gruesome pictures before him and examined each family carefully. He paid close attention to the way there bodies were staged and where they had been left to rot.

"Wheels go up in five." J.J informed them after getting a cup of coffee. She took a seat in front of Hotch while sipping at her hot drink.

"They separated the parents from the kids in each family." Hotch began, keeping his eyes on the photos. Morgan sat beside him then joined the conversation.

"Maybe they didn't want the kids to see their parents being shot." he added, grabbing his copy of the folder that rested in his bag. Reid sat comfortably on the seat next to J.J then shared his opinion.

"Actually, they didn't care for the parents as much as they did for the kids. The parents were the first ones to die in every case, due to the recorded times of deaths listed on this paper. They just wanted to get them out of the way. The children were their main focus."

"So there are two UnSub's?" J.J asked, waiting for an answer.

"Yes, there's evidence that proves it." Rossi said. As they discussed about the case further, Hotch's cell phone began to ring. He checked the caller I.D and saw that it was Emily. Not wanting to interrupt the conversation, he reluctantly put the cell phone back into his pocket and continued to listen to his team members.

Emily sighed as she waited for the beep, deciding to leave Hotch a message. As she paced her kitchen, a loud creek from upstairs startled her. Her senses suddenly went into action mode as she walked over to the staircase.

She was home alone, so the nose being caused by someone else was definitely out of the question. With Jack at school and Hotch in the middle of a case, Emily was left by herself. Taking one last look, she decided to shrug it off and made her way back to the kitchen.

"Hey Hotch, sorry to bother but I was calling to see how's things were going with the case. Get back to me as soon as you can. I love you." Emily said. She hung up her cellphone then leaned against the kitchen counter. Her shoulder-length hair was surprisingly down today, despite the humid weather. She had on a red maternity blouse and black knee-length shorts. The buttons were left open but didn't show since the blouse covered it. She was barefoot due to her swollen feet. As her eyes stared into space, another loud creek from upstairs startled her. This was odd for Emily. She had been home alone plenty of times before. This never happened.

Curious, the very pregnant brunette decided to go upstairs and see where the noise was coming from. As she reached the top, she noticed a shadow from underneath Jack's door. She froze as she realized she wasn't alone.

Someone else was in the house.

To be continued...

A/N: So, what do you think? Be brutal. Any questions? You can leave them in a review or PM me. Thanks for reading!