Usually when I write a story and I end it, I end it. I believe the characters have told me all they wanted to and I can't force something out that isn't there. "How Am I Supposed To Live Without You" was supposed to be a one-shot but two weeks after writing it, I found that Dave and Em still had something more to say. And why shouldn't they since this is their story.

I don't own Criminal Minds.

Song prompt: "Do It For Love" by Hall & Oats

Do It For Love

Of all the stupid things David Rossi had done in his life - three failed marriages…sleeping his way thru the female population at the FBI…letting Emily Prentiss go without a fight - this had to be the most asinine thing he had ever done: he was going to watch the woman of his dreams marry another man.

Stupid, arrogant, egotistical…those were words more than one person had used to describe him, but never in anyone's vocabulary had the word martyr ever been brought up. So why now? Why was he doing the one thing he vowed never to do? Of course the rest of the team decided to watch their friend take her vows to spend a lifetime with the man of her dreams, but not he. He had better things to do in his spare time than to personally rip his own heart out and stomp on it.

But here he was speeding down the road as fast as he dared to make it to the church so he could watch Emily Prentiss get married. There was no rhyme or reason to his actions…unless to do so was his way of preparing his soul for an eternity in hell.

Unless…

He shook his head. There was no way that would ever happen. If she hadn't noticed him before today, what could possibly change her mind? Nothing. Not a thing. She had a one in a million guy, and Dave should know because if he didn't have enough pain, he decided to rub salt into his wound by doing a background check on the luckiest guy in the world. Clean record, promising career, an upstanding citizen. The guy was so remarkable that there was no chance in hell of him ever being President. That in and of itself was notable.

With a guy like that, how in the world could he ever compete? He couldn't. Deep down inside Dave knew that he was risking everything by showing up. Feelings could be hurt and what little friendship they had could be over, but he had to know. He had to know that the choice he made to let her go was the right one.

Parking the car, Dave turned off the engine and got out. Looking at the church, he told himself that there was still time to back out. No one knew he was there. No one would be the wiser if he turned around and walked away. But he would know. And worse than martyr being used to describe him, coward was the one thing he vowed never to be associated with…not now, not ever.

Pocketing his keys, he trudged slowly down the sidewalk to the steps. Think of this as baby steps, Dave. Think of this as a way to close the past and move on, he encouraged. You can do this!

Step by step he climbed to the portico. Never in his life had he ever be afraid to enter the House of God, but not today. The Almighty knew his sins and shortcomings…so perhaps that was the reason his feet had been put on this path first thing this morning. There was more than one way to achieve absolution.

Touching the handle of the massive double doors, Dave paused. Of all the times to pray for a bolt of lightning, it would be much appreciated and welcomed. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he pulled the door open. There was no turning back.

Walking inside, he paused in the foyer. The beautiful strains of Johan Pachelbel's Canon in D greeted him. He had always loved this song, but not today. After today he was going to make sure any copy of the song on his computer list was to be deleted.

It's not the song's fault you let your pride get in the way of your happiness. But what the hell, you want to be miserable, and with Emily gone, why not add to your misery and deny yourself all the good things in life?

"Shut up!" he growled at himself. Moving into the main room, he looked around at the flowers, the satin ribbons, and the people waiting to witness a miracle. And he thought back to his three weddings. The first had been a Marine wedding, the second was an elopement, and the third was at Sun Valley ski resort- ironically the most beautiful and romantic of all his weddings, and yet it was the most disastrous. Coincidence? Actually what was both a coincidence and ironic was that none of his weddings had taken place in a church. Hmmm…

Taking in the beauty of the room, Dave caught sight of his team. Hotch, Reid and Morgan- who had brought a date- sat in the front row. Where were JJ and Garcia? He was supposed to have gone with Penelope, but he backed out. His explanation for not wanting to attend made no more sense to her than it did to him, but she didn't argue. She had watched him closely; studying his eyes for the answers he wasn't forthcoming. She must have seen something because in the end she told him that she understood and let it go.

Now he could add liar to his list. What was he up to on personal descriptive words? He was quickly running out of room on his fingers and toes to count them all. This could not be a good sign.

"Excuse me, sir," an usher interrupted his self-excoriating. "Are you a friend of the bride or the groom?"

Dave paused. Friend of the groom? Friend to the man who had taken away the only woman he had ever truly loved? Friend to the luckiest guy in the world? Friend to the man Dave hated more than anything in the world? As for friend of the bride…had they ever really been friends? He had risked his career for her childhood friend, and she had risked her career to help him solve his cold case. They had shared a drink after work, and talked about nonsense topics during long drives, but had they ever been friends? Co-workers, teammates, buddies, acquaintances…but friends?

"Neither," Dave responded truthfully. Confused, the usher moved away to help the couple entering the foyer.

Neither. That was perhaps the most honest thing he had said in a long time. Maybe there was hope for him after all.
******

From across the room, Dave's desire to remain invisible was not lost on one person.

What the hell is he doing here? Ambassador Elizabeth Prentiss asked herself. While making her way along the aisles to greet the guests attending the wedding of her only daughter, she had caught the lone figure standing off in the corner. The lone wolf. David Rossi.

Of all the people to show up today. Of course it had to be him. The one thing that could ruin the perfect day she had had planned since Emily had been a baby. Well, she was going to take care of it.

Discreetly, she moved in beside Dave. "Hello Agent Rossi," Elizabeth Prentiss greeted smoothly, her voice low, her tone unmistakable, her meaning clear. "Fancy meeting you here considering you didn't RSVP."

"Hello Ambassador. I'm not here as a guest so an RSVP wasn't necessary," Dave replied just as smoothly.

"May I ask why you are here?"

"You may. I'm observing." Dave stared at the beautifully decorated room and not the Ambassador's intent gaze.

Elizabeth crossed her arms over her chest. "What exactly are you observing?" She waited for an answer that didn't come. "Could it be my daughter walking out of your life?" Dave kept his eyes forward. "You were too blind to see what was in front of you for three years, and now that you have, you wonder if it's too late."

Dave stared forward. He didn't think he'd be that easy to read, but she had nailed him. Then again, what did he expect from the mother of Emily Prentiss?

Elizabeth gave a short sardonic laugh. "That's it. Isn't it? So, tell me why in the world would a broken down old fool like you want someone like my daughter, or for that matter, why she would want you? I can't imagine what could she possibly have that would make you interested in her other than a warm body in your bed. Oh, I know all about your reputation and how you slept with everything in a skirt. I know about your three marriages…how two of them ended because of your philandering ways…though I must commend you for being able to keep it in your pants for the third one."

Softly the music played and once or twice Elizabeth turn to greet people who came up to her and gave their best wishes for the family of the bride. But she and Dave remained silent - neither ready to surrender to the other.

Finally, Elizabeth broke the silence.

"You love her." Her revelation was plain, simple and non-accusatory. "You honestly love her. How deep it is, or how real your feelings for her are, can only be known by you. But since you didn't RSVP, but you made it to the church, and now you're standing in the corner trying to look inconspicuous while your friends sit together tells me that this feeling is something new to you." Long pause. Deep breath. "Do you want her?"

"Ambassador…I…"

"It's a simple yes or no. Do you want her?"

"It's not that easy to explain." He had barely worked it out in his head, he hadn't tried to figure out how to explain it to anyone else.

"A man with your writing talent, unable to explain his feelings, tells me what I want to know." It wasn't lost on her how Dave swallowed hard. "She loves you too."

"No, she doesn't."

Elizabeth raised her eyebrow. "Are you calling me a liar?"

"No."

"Good. Is she worth fighting for?"

Dave shook his head. "There's nothing to fight for; she's getting married to someone else."

Elizabeth weighed her next words carefully. "She isn't married…yet." Dave flicked his eyes toward her. The first sign of life in the man since she had found him standing alone in a corner. "Have you told her how you feel?"

Dave remained silent as he shifted his eyes downward- it was obvious the man had it bad.

"You came here looking for answers and you haven't even told Emily how you feel? I expected better from you." Elizabeth turned to walk away and stopped when Dave spoke.

"She's in love with someone else."

Slowly she turned around to level a stone cold gaze at Dave. "My daughter isn't forthcoming with her feelings, either. One could say she gets that from me. And although she and I have never had what one could call a 'loving and warm' mother and daughter relationship, there are things a mother just knows." She sighed a little. "Whether you choose to act on the moment or not, she's going to be happy with or without you. Of course, which level of happiness remains to be seen."

"It's not right."

"Which part? Breaking up a wedding? Being in love with a woman who is marrying another man? Or her loving you?"

"All of the above."

"From everything I've heard, you are an opportunistic bastard who wouldn't pass up a screw in the FBI parking lot to save his life. So, why should going after my daughter be any different?"

Dave found his voice. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"What it means, Agent Rossi, is no matter what happens after I leave you, I am still stuck with paying for a wedding." With that, Ambassador Prentiss left Dave to his corner and his thoughts.

Now the ball was in his court.