Well I didn't plan on writing a sequel to Emily's Wedding Day, but several people asked for one because apparently I suck for having Emily marry someone else haha! So hopefully everyone will be satisfied with this ending. So this is for everyone who wanted a sequel…but a huge thanks to Greengirl82 for the classy way to leave someone! So enjoy everybody and if you have the time let me know what you thought.
James paced his waiting room with excitement running through his veins, counting the minutes until he could see Emily. He had waited his entire life to find someone who completed him just the way Emily has. When he finally found her he knew he was a lucky man. But knowing that in just twenty three more minutes he would be the luckiest man in the entire world. All because she was going to be his.
Realizing he couldn't wait any longer, and knowing it was bad luck to see her before the wedding, but at the moment he didn't care, James checked his appearance in the mirror once before quickly heading out into the hallway to go catch a glimpse of his future wife.
As he turned the corner he stopped short and quickly backtracked to hide from view. Hotch was leaning against a door with tears running down his face. James knew Hotch was a strong man and he never thought he'd see the day that he would see the man cry. For a split second he wondered what had caused the unbreakable man to break but then he realized he was leaning against Emily's door. What had happened with Emily? James knew that her relationship with Hotch was a strong one. She considered him one of her best friends. He knew they had been through a lot together, and he understood that they had a bond. The only thing he didn't know was what was going on that Hotch was crying outside of her door. Before he could walk over to the man he watched as Hotch pushed himself away from the door, wiped his face hastily then headed towards the exit. James arched an eyebrow as he watched Hotch leave the building. Why wasn't he staying for the wedding? What the hell happened?
The need to find out what happened overpowered James as he made his way towards Emily's door. He knocked lightly before opening it some. "Em? I'm coming in," he announced as he pushed the door open quickly.
James watched as Emily tried to wipe her face of the tears. "What are you doing here?" she said with shaky breath, "This is bad luck."
The smile that had been gracing James' face the entire day slowly melted away. Emily looked just as heartbroken as Hotch did standing outside of her room. Realization finally came over him. The devastation on Hotch's face as he leaned against the door and now seeing the look on Emily's face. She was flushed, and clearly upset. James should have known that the girl of his dreams wouldn't last forever. In all reality he should have known that his perfect life was going to come crashing down. He saw the way that Hotch looked at Emily, and he knew that Hotch hated him. For the longest time he had no idea why, but it was finally making sense. The man hated him because he had something that he didn't…Emily. But now as he watched his future bride try to school her broken heart he knew that what he was about to do was going to break his.
"You love him don't you?" he whispered softly.
Emily's eyes grew wide in shock. "What? What are you talking about?"
"Hotch," he clarified. "You're in love with him aren't you?"
"No," she quickly denied. "I love you." Emily walked over and grabbed onto James' hand and placed a gentle kiss there. "I. Love. You."
"I know you do. I don't doubt that for a second Em," he started, "but you love him more. And it's okay you know? I want you to be happy, you deserve it. I want you to wake up every single day with a smile on your beautiful face, and I finally realize that Hotch can do those things for you better than I can." Emily started to protest but he quickly cut her off. "We both deserve to be in a relationship where both of our hearts are in it completely. I don't want you to wake up one day and realize that you missed out on a chance to be happier with him. I don't think that's fair for either of us."
A deep sob escaped Emily's lips at his words. "I am so sorry James. I never meant to hurt you. I would never do anything to deliberately hurt you. You have to know that."
"I do." James reached up and wiped a few tears off of Emily's cheek. "It's because I know that, and because I love you so much that I'm doing this. But you have to promise me something."
"Anything," she whispered as she leaned into his hand.
"You find him and you love him without anything holding you back. Don't let anyone get in your way. And I also want to be invited to the wedding," he chuckled softly.
Emily wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and held on for dear life. "You are the greatest man I know. I'm sorry that you got pulled into this, it was never my intention." Emily pulled back slightly to look James in the eyes. "I will always love you. I'll love you for the man that you are, for the woman you made me, and for the sacrifice you're doing now." She leaned up and placed her lips gently against his. After pulling back slightly she whispered against his lips. "Thank you."
James ran a hand through her curly hair. "Anything for you," he confessed. "Now what are you still standing here for? Get out of here, go get your man." James stepped away from her and saw that she wasn't going to move on her own. He placed his hand on the small of her back and pushed her towards the door. "Get going, I think you two have been waiting long enough for happiness."
Emily looked back at the man who let her go. A great man who she knew she could have been happy with. The love she felt for him grew even more at the fact that he was risking his own happiness so she could be with Hotch. Emily grabbed his arms again and pulled him into another hug. After she placed a kiss on his cheek she quickly picked up the bottom of her dress and sprinted towards the exit without looking back.
Emily quickly ran down the steps of the church and realized that she didn't have any money on her so the fastest way to get to Hotch's place was going to be running. She toed her shoes off, leaving them abandoned on the front steps as she ran in the direction of his house. There was no doubt in her mind that she looked like a crazy person running through the city in a wedding dress, but she didn't care.
Ten minutes later and realizing that she was extremely out of breath Emily was a few steps away from Hotch's front door. She clenched her side as she tried to catch her breath. After a few more seconds Emily straightened up and closed the distance between her and the door. Reaching up she knocked quickly three times and waited for a reply anxiously.
Hotch opened the door looking like a hurt puppy. His eyes immediately widened in surprise and hope as he saw Emily standing before him in her wedding dress. "Emily, what are you doing here?" he asked quickly.
Without waiting to be asked in Emily flung her arms around Hotch's neck and kissed him with as much passion and desire as she could muster. Shock quickly faded away as Hotch realized that it was actually Emily Prentiss that was kissing him in his doorway. He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her slightly up in his arms.
When oxygen became a necessity they pulled away from each other and Hotch placed her feet back on the ground. He ran his hands through the slight curls in her hair and placed his forehead against hers. "Am I dreaming?" he wondered out loud.
Emily chuckled softly. "No Hotch, you aren't dreaming. This is real…I'm real." She grabbed a hold of his hand and placed it on her beating heart. "Do you feel how fast it's beating? That's what you do to me every single time you come near me. You make my stomach flutter and you make me smile. I love you Hotch."
Hotch kissed her soft lips again then stepped back. "Wait, what about James?"
Emily looked down at the ground then nervously played with her hands. "He was the one who sent me here actually. He realized that in the end I couldn't make him happy if my heart belonged to someone else."
"Are you okay with that?" Hotch asked even though he didn't want to hear the answer if it wasn't going to be good for him.
"I wouldn't be standing here if I wasn't Hotch. I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. But you have to swear to me that next time you have feelings or something to share, you have to tell me. Don't wait eight years to tell me anything. You feel something, you share right then and there. Okay?"
"I love you so much," he whispered as he gripped her hips and pulled her closer.
"I guess we have an understanding then," Emily smiled as she ran her fingers lightly through his hair.
"That we do," Hotch beamed as he pulled her into another breathtaking kiss. "I love you," he declared again in between kisses. Hotch knew two things for certain. One was that he loved the woman in his arms more than life itself and two that he was never going to get tired of telling her. I guess in the end he actually won both the battle and the war.