A/N: Hey all! Here's a new story for you. This was written for the Chit Chat on Author's Corner Christmas Gift Fic Exchange. This story was written for BrightlyShining; I hope I've done your prompts justice and Happy Holidays!

I hope you all enjoy and will let me know what you think! Happy Holidays!

Prompts: O'Holy Night; dirty snow slush; gingerbread; a nativity play.

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

Chapter 1:

"You're coming home, right?"

Emily let out a sigh at the hopefulness she heard in JJ's voice. She snuck a peek through her curtains at the busy, bustling streets of London. It hadn't snowed in over a week and what was left of it was now coating the city in a layer of dirty snow slush, very not pretty. How anyone could celebrate or even want to celebrate Christmas in these conditions, Emily didn't know. She sure as heck wasn't put in the Christmas-y mood. But was that enough to get her on a plane?

"I don't know…" Emily finally responded.

"Come on, Em, we miss you," JJ continued. "And I know you miss us."

"I do, I miss you all. It's just… I might be working," she confided.

On top of the weather, her job was another spirit-killer. Yes, she was heading up her own department. And yes, she was essentially the boss. But, she was so very behind in all aspects of her work. Everything about her career change was a challenge to say the least, near impossible at the worst of times. She really had no idea how hard it was being in charge prior to starting. Really, she had no clue how Hotch did it.

"That's it, time to call in a few favors," JJ announced cutting into her work-induced-blues.

Her eyes widened in alarm. She could hear her friend flipping through pages. "Working through Christmas, my ass…" Emily heard her mutter.

"JJ, no!" Emily exclaimed.

"Well, then, say you're coming home," she countered quickly. "Henry and Jack are going to be in their school's nativity play. Henry's playing baby Jesus. You can't miss that.

"And… Garcia's baking her famous shortbread cookies, you love those. Morgan's even skipping Christmas at home to spend it with us.

"And you so can't miss this… Reid's bringing his new girlfriend to our house for Christmas dinner."

"Reid's got a girlfriend?" she asked in surprise. "Our Reid?"

"Yes!" JJ replied laughingly. "See, now you can't miss meeting her."

"No, I guess I can't…" She exhaled a breath, considering. "How's um… Dave?" she asked tentatively.

"He misses you," JJ divulged readily.

"Did he say that?" she questioned, unsure.

"No, he uh never mentions you, but that's how I know."

Emily frowned at her friend's logic. She was inclined to believe the opposite; that never mentioning her meant he wanted nothing to do with her. That's what she believed. After all, the way they'd parted hadn't exactly been pleasant. She couldn't help but remember the hurt look on his face at JJ's wedding to Will. He hadn't even come to the airport to see her off the next day along with the others. And they hadn't said a word to each other since.

"I miss him, too," she admitted.

Too bad he'd said what he'd said. Too bad she hadn't been able to give him what he'd asked for…

~ ! ~ ! ~ !

"Stay. Don't go."

"What?" Emily replied sharply. She shook her head as if to clear it, sure she hadn't heard right. This couldn't be the important thing he'd asked to speak to her about while they'd been dancing on the dance floor earlier tonight.

Rossi let out a breath. "I said, stay, Emily." He held his hand out to her in a plaintive gesture, pleading with her to heed his words.

"Dave, I… I…" She was at a loss for words. His request had come out of left field.

No, it didn't, a voice in her head argued. You two have always been close. And things changed between you two six months ago…

Six months ago… she thought whimsically. Six months ago she'd received a phone call, from Dave. He'd drunk dialed her, asking her to come over. That's when she'd found out he'd been secretly dating Strauss, that's when she also found out that the Section Chief had dumped him.

But, that was also the night when he'd revealed something that had changed things for Emily. He'd told her that the only reason he'd been with Strauss in the first place was because he couldn't have her.

It had come as quite a shock. At the same time, she'd had no clue how to respond. And luckily he'd changed the subject pretty quickly, making her think that maybe she'd imagined him saying it. But after that night, there was no denying that they'd become closer. And there was definitely no mistaking the emotion in his eyes whenever he looked at her. The pure—

She shook her head, not letting herself think that. "Dave, what are you saying?" she finally managed.

He closed the distance between them. They stood in the middle of the deserted dance floor, the wedding all but over. The cleaning crew would be here soon, she was sure. And when they arrived she didn't want to be in the middle of it all, doing this, whatever this was.

Rossi's hands landed on her shoulders, firmly cutting off her chance for escape. His touch sent warm tingles throughout her body and she didn't want to dwell on why that was.

He gave her a shrewd eye, silently questioning her, as if asking her if she really didn't know what he was getting at.

"You know what I'm saying, Emily. I'm asking you not to go to London. I'm asking you not to give up your life here. I'm asking you to stay here, with me!"

Her mouth dropped open in surprise. Her eyes searched his dark ones looking for answers to her unasked questions. And there it was, the answer, wrapped up in that one burning emotion she saw in his dark depths.

"Dave… I… no, no." She wrenched herself from his grasp, walking to the edge of the floor. "I can't, I—" He was so silent in the face of her protests that she had to turn around to face him. He looked so determined. He looked so in—. "Why?" she asked desperately.

Once again, he took steps towards her, but this time he stopped short, about three feet away. Emily watched him watch her. He was searching for something, she didn't know what. Their eyes met and she had to admit something electric passed between them, something she couldn't define yet. Shivers went down her spine; she pulled her shawl closer to her, though she had a feeling the shivers had nothing to do with the cool, night breeze in the air.

Whatever the thing was, she could see that Dave suddenly knew its name. But he wasn't telling.

"Why?" he started, voice hoarse from emotion. He held his hands out to either side of him, palms up. "You know why. I told you months ago that it's always been you." Her eyes widened; so he remembered that night, those six months ago… "I never wanted to be with Erin. It's always been you. I have loved you for so long and so much that it hurts. I never thought it would be possible… but things changed between us. I know you've felt it. I know you feel it. And I know you feel something for me, too."

He stopped talking abruptly and she realized he was waiting for her to say something. She'd been completely mesmerized by his words, completely taken in by them. And for a moment there she completely believed in them.

But, just as quickly as that moment had come, her brain started turning, thinking. All the reasons why this was ridiculous ran through her mind.

This isn't right! They were colleagues, friends, nothing more. She had her life to live. A life she'd chosen to take overseas. And she was going to do just that. What Rossi said was impossible, because the only thing between them was friendship.

"I'm sorry, Dave, I am going," she told him regretfully.

"But, Emily—"

She shook her head cutting him off. She had to avert her eyes because she couldn't stand seeing the hurt in his eyes. "No, Dave, I'm sorry, but you're wrong. The only thing I feel for you is friendship. And I'm going to London tomorrow. I only hope we can continue to be friends…"

Emily chanced a glance at him. His lips were pursed and he still looked hurt. But at the same time there was a sense of determination emanating from him. "I don't believe that—" He held up his hand to her when she made to protest. "I just don't, Emily. But, I can see you are set on believing it. So go, but, I'm sorry Emily, I can't just be friends with you, not anymore. I just… can't."

She watched him, in shock, when he began to walk away. "Hey!" she near shouted. "What does that mean?"

He stopped, back to her, his shoulders slumped. "It means that I'm letting you go in hopes that that saying is true, 'if you love something, let it go. If it comes back, it's yours forever…'" He turned to eye her carefully. "I told you how I feel. I love you. The next move is yours."

~ ! ~ ! ~ !

Emily remembered how defeated she'd felt when he'd begun to walk off. She recalled how much she'd wanted to tell him what he wanted to hear, but couldn't. She couldn't because she was afraid.

She was still afraid.

That was the last time she'd spoken to him. Six months of not talking to the man who had essentially become her best friend did not make for a happy Emily. She'd been perpetually cranky since and it had all culminated to this moment now. So, what was she going to do about it?

"Ok," she breathed out. "Ok, I'll come."

"Yay!" JJ exclaimed. "I'm so glad. I can't wait to see you… And who knows, maybe Rossi's feelings have changed."

Emily frowned. "I don't know, JJ…"

"Hey, it could happen. I mean look Aaron and I. Six months ago I was married to Will. And now I've got a happy life with Aaron and the boys," JJ said cheerfully.

She rolled her eyes. "You and Hotch were meant to be. Everyone saw it… except for you two."

"Well, who knows maybe you and Dave—"

"No," she denied firmly.

JJ went really quiet at that and Emily realized she'd said it more harshly than she'd intended. She was on the verge of apologizing when JJ asked solemnly, "What are you afraid of, Em?"

It was on the tip of her tongue to deny it, but she'd already admitted it to herself, why not say it out loud? "I'm afraid of change… I'm afraid of messing everything up… I'm afraid of losing him."

"But, Emily," JJ said sadly. "Can you honestly say that you have him right now?"

She let out a sigh. JJ had a point.

Well that's it for this first chapter. I'll have the next chapter up tomorrow or, I guess seeing as its past midnight already, later today. I really hope you enjoyed!

Oh and title is a tentative one. I'm horrible with titles and it may change if/when I can come up with a better one.

Anyways, hope you let me know what you think!