Author's Note: Alright. Yes, I know this story is short, and yes, I know that the summary sucked, but please read it. I was bored and needed new story ideas, so I decided to write Emily and Aaron's memory that they recalled in "the Truth." No, I'm not going to force you to read "the Truth," seeing as it is an (optional) sequel to "In the End."
...But anyway, I hope you like it. (:

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Emily was lying in her bed and reading a book in the golden sunlight beaming through her window when her cell phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID, she smiled.

"Hey, Aaron," she greeted.

"Hey, Emily. I was just passing by the store, and I was wondering if you wanted anything," he said.

"No, thanks. All I want is for you to come home quickly."

He chuckled. "I know, same here. I'll be there in a few minutes, alright?"

"Okay. Bye."

"Bye."

Hanging up, Hotch got out of the car and walked into the store. Finding his way to the floral section, he perused the selections. Red roses? No, too common. Pink carnations? To…Valentine's Day-ish. Tulips? He did a double take. The tulips were in full bloom and looked beautiful. He knew that she liked tulips…especially yellow, orange, and pink ones. Picking up a bouquet that had the exact same colors, he smiled unconsciously. They were perfect. Grabbing the flowers, he quickly purchased them and made his way home, anxious to spend the night with Emily.

~.~.~

"Emily?" Hotch asked, walking into her condo and putting away his key. He had asked her to live with him, but instead, she had invited him over, saying that her place was larger than his apartment.

"In the bedroom," he heard her call back. Entering the room, he spotted her staring out the large window. It wasn't difficult to guess what she was looking at. Outside, the sun was setting and the sky was painted a lovely mixture of pink, orange, and yellow.

Coming up behind her, he kissed her neck slowly. "Hey," he murmured against her skin.

She leaned back against his body, her head coming to rest on his shoulder. "Hey." She continued gazing at the sunset. "It's so beautiful, isn't it?" she asked quietly.

"It is. But you make it pale in comparison," he replied, burying his face in her sweet smelling hair.

Her eyes met his and she smiled. "Sweet talker."

He grinned. "You know it." Circling his arms around her small frame, he pressed the bouquet of tulips to her chest. "I brought you some flowers."

Her smile grew wider as she appraised the colorful blossoms. "My favorite…" she said. All of a sudden, she laughed, the sound like a soft tinkling of bells.

"What's so funny?" Hotch asked curiously.

"The tulips…they're the exact same colors as the sunset," she pointed out. "They almost blend in."

He chuckled. "Wow…they are. I didn't even notice that."

"I think that's what I'm going to call them from now on," she mused, turning to face him.

"Sunset tulips?" She nodded, yet another smile playing at her lips. "Sounds good to me." Pulling her into his arms, he held her close. "Now that's our little nickname for them," he said softly. "Because this is our little memory."

"And only ours," Emily added.

"Hmm…"

Their lips eventually found each other's, but right as Hotch began to finger the thin material of Emily's blouse, she pulled away.

He looked at her, disappointed. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she answered vaguely with a sly expression on her face, as she walked to her bedroom door.

"Where are you going?"

"To put the flowers in a vase."

He groaned. "You can't wait?"

"Well, you see, the thing is Aaron, I don't really want them to die," she pointed out, emphasizing the last word. "That would create a whole different memory," she added, smirking.

"I could always buy you more flowers later," he persisted.

She rolled her eyes. "The more you whine, the longer it will take me to put the flowers away. So, let me go find a vase and I will be right back."

Unable to deny her logic, he relented. "Fine. But hurry back."

"Oh, trust me. I will. And when I do get back, I'll be all yours. For the whole night," she said, dropping her voice to a low and sexy whisper.

"Thank God," he said, letting out a relieved sigh and falling back on her bed. Thinking about the events that would follow, he couldn't help but grin in anticipation.

This was going to be fun.