A/N~ Hello! I know it's been a while since I put my last story, and I'm sorry for that. I've been working on this one for a while, I knew what I wanted to do, but it was hard finding time and I changed it every time I looked at it. I'm pretty happy with the final product now, but let me know what you think!
"Hey Em. I've got a question," JJ said leaning against her best friend's desk. Everyone was in the bull pin, Garcia was sitting in Morgan's chair and he was trying to move her, Reid and Rossi were talking about his latest book, and Hotch was standing by Emily's desk going over a case file with her. They both looked up and noticed the barely contained excited look on the media liaisons face.
"Yeah, what is it?" Emily asked curiously. The last time JJ looked this excited, she was on her way to the hospital to deliver her son, Henry. Except this time her excitement wasn't marred by intense pain.
"Well, I was just wondering if perhaps you had September 12th off," she said with a glean in her eye. By now, she had the attention of the whole team.
"Let's see, that's a Saturday right? If we don't have a case-"
"And we WON'T have a case," JJ said raising an eyebrow at Hotch, daring him to defy her.
"Right then, so I guess I'm free. Is there may be a particular reason I need to be free upon that date?" Emily was curious, but extremely confused.
"Oh, well, you know. I was just making sure that my maid of honor would be at my wedding," JJ said nonchalantly, moving her left hand which held a new nice sized engagement ring.
"AHHHHH! OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD! WHEN? HOW? TELL ME EVERYTHING!" Emily screamed jumping up out of her chair nearly knocking Hotch out of the way. She would apologize later. Within seconds, Garcia was standing up there with them and all three of them were jumping up and down hugging and screaming.
Once the initial screaming had died down to occasional squeals, JJ led them all up to the conference room for more privacy. Everyone, even the men, were listening with rapt attention.
"OK, OK, OK. So last night we got into this stupid fight over who was going to watch Henry while the other went out with friends, and then he kissed me, and then we started fighting more, and then he started laughing and I got mad at him for laughing and then he kissed me again, and then after we uh…made up, we decided that we needed a night to go out with just us. So we got dressed up and dropped Henry off at Garcia's and went to Vinchelli's. After dinner we walked around DC and talked for hours. Just as we were going back to the car, he pulled me over to this beautiful pond, got down on one knee, pulled out this ring, which was the one his father gave to his mother by the way, and told me how much he loved me and then asked me to marry him!" Emily and Garcia 'awwed' at all the appropriate times, and all three women had tears in their eyes by the end. Everyone got up and gave JJ hugs and kisses. JJ was using all her self control to hold back her tear of joy as everyone proclaimed how happy they were for her.
"So, why so soon? September is only two months away," Morgan said curiously.
"If you're asking if I'm pregnant again, the answer is no. We decided we just wanted something small. Just you guys, what is left of each of our families, and a few of Will's close friends he stayed in touch with from New Orleans."
"Well you know what this means don't you?" Garcia said with her trade mark mischievous grin. "We are all taking the rest of the day off and going dress shopping!" Emily and JJ clapped and immediately stated talking styles and designers. Rossi, Hotch, Morgan and Reid all groaned in unison. It was going to be a long two months.
"We're out of here bossman! If you need us, don't call!" The three women waved and excitedly hurried out the door of the conference room, grabbed their purses and shut off their laptops, making it out the building in record time.
/
The next two months were filled with nothing but wedding plans. JJ had an absolutely beautiful dress that was perfect for her, Emily and Garcia had their bride's maids dresses, all the men had their neatly pressed tuxes, and most importantly, there was no cold feet from either the groom or bride. The small church and ceremony hall was decorated with beautiful flowers and ornaments, all ordered in excess by Garcia. Rossi had been able to get a good Italian place to cater the reception ceremony, and everything was in place for the big day.
The rehearsal ceremony and dinner went off without a hitch, and brought the women to Emily's downtown DC apartment for a low-key bachelorette party. Jessica, Garcia, JJ, and Emily sat around in Emily's living room with a bottle of wine, continuously congratulating and praising the bride-to-be.
"Sooooo my ladies...question," Garcia said. Finishing off the rest of their glasses, the women nodded, urging Garcia to ask away.
"Describe your first kiss," she said with a grin as the other groaned.
"Oh my gosh this is so embarrassing..." Jessica muttered catching everyone's attention.
"Oh, now you HAVE to tell," Emily said smiling.
"Ok, well, I was a freshman in high school and Haley was a junior. She and Aaron had been dating for about a year, and he decided to throw a party when his parents were out of town," she paused as all the girls gasped. "Yeah, I know. Mr. I-Where-This-Tie-To-Sleep threw really wild parties back in the day. And FYI, I will kill you if you tell him I told you that. Well anyways, I wanted to get to know some upperclassmen, so I convinced Haley to let me to come with her. There wasn't any drinking - he wasn't that loose - but uh, lots of dancing. This really hot senior, Eric, was hitting on me, so I assumed that to mean he loved me. Keep in mind I was fifteen! So, uh, he took me into a room and we kissed," she finished quickly.
"That's it? That's what's so embarrassing? Come on! I want the juicy stuff! Did he ravish you?" Garcia asked excitedly. Jessica shook her head. "Did someone walk in on you?" She shook her head again.
"LIAR! She hesitated, blinked twice, and the flush on her cheeks is from embarrassment, not alcohol!" Emily cried out proudly.
"Damn! You and Aaron are going to be the death of me, I swear!" Jessica muttered under her breath. "Okay, so what happened after that, Aaron walked in. Turns out it was his room and he had come in to get a CD and saw us, then stared Eric down until both of us nearly peed our pants out of fear and Eric ran out of the room and left the party."
"I guess some things just never change," JJ said, raising her wine glass to tap it to her new friend's. "Alright, next question is for Emily,"she said, pausing for dramatic effect. "Morgan, Reid, Rossi, Rawson, Cooper, or Hotch," she said with a devilish grin.
Emily groaned. "I hate you right now JJ. Well, Copper is married, so no. Reid is young enough to be my child, I see Rossi as a father or uncle, so that would be gross. Morgan is too much like a brother, plus I think I would end up killing him if I ever had to spend the rest of my life with him. As I have told you several times, Mick Rawson is oversexed and egotistical, and regardless of the fact that he has a British accent, understands the job, and is my type - tall, dark, and handsome by the way - it wouldn't work out."
"So, Hotch is pretty much the perfect guy, huh?" Garcia said with a smug smile.
"What? NO! I never said that!" Emily said in her defense.
"You didn't need to," Jessica and JJ said at the same time, grinning at each other.
"You know, JJ, shouldn't this night be about you?" Emily said with obvious unease in her voice.
"Oh of course my princess. The purpose of this bachelorette party is make the soon-to-be Mrs. LaMontagne happy. And trust me when I say that nothing makes her, nor I and Jessie, happier than seeing the unshakeable Supervisory Special Agent Emily Prentiss squirm!"
"I need another drink."
/
The church bells rang to signal the start of the ceremony. One by one, all the bridesmaids walked down the isle, all leading up to the JJ coming down the long isle to her awaiting fiancé. The audience was made up of just the team, close family, and some of Will's friends from New Orleans. Everyone could see the tears about to spill over from JJ's happy eyes, and no one could ever remember a smile so big on Will's face. Maybe to be compared only to when Henry was born. As maid of honor, Emily couldn't have been more happy for her best friend, and had to choke back tears herself during the reading of their wedding vowels. Deep inside, however, a small voice whispered every so often that the person up there in white with the man of her dreams was indeed not herself. Emily swept that thought away to deal with later, after the party was over and she was alone. Which unfortunately is too often, that nagging little voice kept telling her. She discretely turned her eyes to sneak a look at her 'perfect man' the one she'd never have. To her amazement, he was looking right back at her. It was like he had been looking at her, and only her the entire time. Emily quickly darted her eyes back to JJ and Will, putting on her best smile and tried to control her breathing.
/
"Enjoying the party?" His low voice seemed to come out of no where, and if Emily Prentiss hadn't been more trained to not react to surprises, she would have jumped. Instead she slowly turned around to face her boss, shocked to see how closely he was standing to her, yet unable to step away.
"Of course," she said with a pleasant smile and a voice that sounded more sound than she felt. "I really couldn't be happier for JJ and Will. If anyone deserves this, it's them." That she was sure of. Hotch nodded his agreement.
"Still makes you wonder about yourself though. Want a drink? It's an open bar," he said with a half smile, flashing one of his sexy dimples. How could she not immediately agree? Just as Hotch stepped away to grab their drinks from the bar, Jessica and Rossi walked up. The three engaged in some light conversation until Hotch came back with a drink for Emily and himself. Only seconds after taking her first sip, Garcia ran up to the four of them, squealing and bouncing.
"Em! Jess! Hurry, hurry! JJ's about to throw the bouquet!" she said before hurrying off. Emily, Jessica, Rossi, and Hotch stood in an awkward silence for a moment before Jessica let out a nervous laugh and Emily completely downed the rest of her drink, welcoming the slight burning sensation it left in her throat.
"Pft! It's ridiculous, really, how people get so crazy over this stuff," Jessica said, nervously rubbing her hands together and repetitively shifting her eyes towards where Garcia and three other women were standing.
"Yeah, it's just an old wives tale anyways..." Emily mumbled, suddenly taking great interest in her shoes.
"Yeah, and old wives tale!" Jessica agreed too quickly.
"Absolutely ridiculous!" The women chuckled nervously and bit their lips and stood fidgeting for a moment.
"Hold my purse."
"Take my drink."
/
She really did look beautiful, he thought. The dress, her smile, the way her hair is blowing in the wind...Oh, and JJ looks really nice too! Hotch though as he looked at Emily Prentiss leaning against the rail of the outdoor porch of the reception hall. It looked out onto the water, which she was staring at. The way the full moon was hitting the water and her silky black hair couldn't have been more perfect. Hotch took a deep breath and slowly walked out onto the balcony to join her.
"Hey."
"Hey," she whispered back. They stood in silence for a few moments before Emily looked down and softly chuckled before looking back out at the ocean.
"So Garcia caught the bouquet and now Morgan is having a panic attack in the women's bathroom," she said with a small smile. Hotch couldn't help but let out a low chuckle.
"I have no doubt she'll be circling around a video of that before we go back to work Monday," he said, making her smile. He told himself he should make her do that more often.
"I should get back in there," she whispered after another moment. Surprisingly, it wasn't awkward standing out there with him. The cool breeze picked up and she hugged her shaw a little tighter around her shoulders, the action not going unnoticed by Hotch. Guiding her back inside, he paused as they passed the dance floor. He didn't know why, but he didn't want to let go of her.
"Agent Prentiss, may I have this dance?" he asked with a slight bow that made her laugh.
"Well of course, kind sir," she said giggling, extending her hand which he took immediately. As he spun her around in fast circles to match the song, she laughed more and more, and he found himself smiling as he watched her more than he had in a long time. For what seemed like hours, they alternated between twirling around and laughing, and talking quietly while doing the waltz during the slow songs. Nothing about what they were doing was wrong, even Strauss wouldn't have been able to find fault in how they danced or how close they were.
After seven turns on the floor, the two decided to return to the table for a drink. Morgan, who had several empty glasses in front of him, didn't acknowledge their presence, instead staring with wide eyes at JJ's bouquet. The pair exchanged a look and Hotch rolled his eyes.
"Aaron, Emily," Jessica said walking up to the table and taking a seat after exchanging hugs with each of them. "JJ and Will are heading out now to the airport, and then I'm going to head out. Jack's sleeping over at Nathan's?" Hotch nodded. They all stood up to walk over and congratulate the newly wed couple again and threw rice at their backs as they retreated to the limo. The team said goodbye to each other and the other guests before they all departed their different ways. As MOH, Emily stayed behind to wrap up all the loose ends at the reception hall. Running a tired hand over her face, she sighed and sank down into the nearest chair. She jumped when she felt two strong, warm hands landed on her shoulders, rubbing out the kinks. Tilting her head back, she relaxed when she realized those wonderful hands belonged to the man she was slowly falling in love with. Hotch winked and changed the angle of his hands, making her let out a soft moan in appreciation.
"That feels amazing," she said in a breathy sigh. "Weddings are stressful. I'm getting hitched in Vegas," she stated, resting the side of her head against his strong forearm. He pulled her up out of her chair and to her feet.
"Come on, I'll drive you home." Emily smiled her thanks and latched her hand into the crook of his muscular arm.
/
The drive to her apartment was mostly silent aside from a small conversation about Jack. To Emily's surprise, Hotch reached across the center of the car and took one of her hands, grasping tight. Looking up at him, she smiled, but his eyes were already back on the road. He opened her door for her as they pulled up to her apartment. She didn't say anything as he started walking her into the building and up to her floor.
"Thank you, Hotch. For everything," she said softly. Hotch shook his head and let out a breathy chuckle.
"Emily, you've helped me more than you know," he said raising a hand to cup her face. Neither could truly say who initiated what happened next, if he kissed her or she kissed him, or if they leaned in together, on the same page as they had been more and more often, but their lips collided. Their lips moved together gently and passionately, one of her hands cupping the back of his neck, the other resting against his chest. His right hand was sprawled out on her lower back, his left still touching her cheek.
Somehow she opened the door and after looking it behind them, guided him into her bedroom, all while their lips kept contact. They moved slowly, as if they had all the time in the world to be with only each other. When the back of her legs hit the edge of the bed, they broke the kiss to catch their breath and look at the other. All Emily saw when she looked into Hotch's eyes was passion, and maybe...love? Regardless, it was all she needed. Kissing his again, her hands moved to his chest to push his jacket off of his broad shoulders. They slowly stripped the other and moved to the bed, finally joining as one in slow, gentle, passion motions.
/
Hotch woke up the next morning confused. Where the hell was he? The shifting of something - someone - beside him brought him back to reality. Did last night really happen? It must have. He wasn't drunk, and she surely wasn't either. This is really it, he told himself. I'm finally with her. He smiled before nestling his face into her hair and letting himself fall back to sleep.
A/N~ There you go! I'm a coward though. I tried to make M, I really did, but I couldn't. Felt a little too awkward. So that's why it ended a little strangely, but I'm pretty happy with the rest of it. Tell me what you think!