Hotch walked through the bullpen to his office, stopping to say a good morning to Dave before reaching his own door. He didn't even spare a glance for Emily; his girlfriend. The two profilers had been officially a couple for about a year now, and although it wasn't a subject discussed by the team, they all knew about their relationship and were happy for them, they were a perfect match.
The last year had been the best of Emily's life, she was never happier than when she was with Aaron and Jack, and she knew that Aaron felt the same. After his divorce from Haley he had thought that he would never be loved again, didn't think he was even capable of loving someone again, and then she was there. Obviously she had been there literally before that, but then one day he seemed to turn around and really see her, of course it had taken him weeks to even ask her out but to his surprised joy she had accepted. Since that first date it had only gotten better; they fell in love, and once Emily had been introduced to Jack it seemed that they were all set for a happily ever after. About a month ago they had even had a discussion about having a child together at some point in the near future, it turned out that it was Jack who was the most excited about the idea instead of the adults.
That was until the past week had happened; Aaron had stopped coming over after work like he usually did when Jack was staying over at his Aunt Jessica's, they had barely had a conversation that wasn't about work and if she really studied him, he seemed to be avoiding her.
Emily had experienced this behaviour in a guy before, it usually meant that he was about to break up with her. Surely if Aaron felt there was something wrong he would talk to her instead of shutting her out? Had she done something wrong? The past few days Emily's inner paranoid teenage girl had come out to play and had succeeded in filling her mind with ideas of things she could have done to drive him away.
When she thought about Aaron leaving her, and having to imagine a future without him, she couldn't help but cry. She was having one of these moments when JJ came into the break room looking for her, and seeing her so upset she went and pulled her into a hug.
"Em, what's wrong?" Emily looked around checking that they were the only occupants of the room before answering her friend.
"I know that mine and Hotch's relationship is kind of a taboo subject for the team, but can I talk to you?" She was basically pleading, JJ was really the only person she could talk to about Aaron; although the team accepted and encouraged it, their relationship wasn't something they saw or talked of. Work and home lives were kept separate, even if it meant that Emily had no one to talk to about it; JJ and Garcia knew the basics but there was something about knowing the intimate details about your boss's love life that was just plain weird.
"Of course, what is it? What has he done? If he's hurt you I have ways to make him disappear for good, don't ask me how but I can get it done." JJ threatened protectively. Emily wondered what had they taught her over at the State Department?
"He hasn't done anything...yet. Oh JJ, I think he's going to break up with me." Saying it out loud broke the floodgates and she burst into tears all over her friend's nice new blue shirt.
"Oh honey, please don't cry, are you sure? He loves you so much, we can all see it. What makes you think he'll break up with you, has something happened? Did he say something?" JJ was already planning in kicking his ass even if he didn't break up with Emily, just for making her cry; he promised to make her happy and he wasn't following through.
"He won't talk to me, it's like he's hiding something from me, some bad news, and he hasn't stayed overnight in over a week and unless we had a case that's never happened before. I'm really worried, we talk about everything and now he is just shutting me out. What did I do wrong Jay?"
"Nothing at all honey. Maybe he's in one of his black moods, unless he actually tells you something is wrong, you shouldn't think there is."
"You're right, I should just wait for him to say something, even if it is a break up."
"It won't be. Come on, let's get back before someone sends a search party for us." Emily wiped at her eyes and she got one last hug from JJ before they returned to the bullpen.
That afternoon Hotch and JJ were handing out case files to the rest of the team that needed consultations on to the team. Emily was getting even more frustrated as she had asked him out for lunch and he had declined. Some thing was definitely going on with him, and she did not like it.
Hotch walked between the desks passing out the files and when he held his arm out to Emily to give her her share, he called her 'Prentiss'. He hadn't called her 'Prentiss' in months, not even at work. Instead of taking the files from him she sat there stunned.
"What?" Hotch looked confused; he hadn't even realised what he had said, although the rest of the team sure had noticed it and were holding their breath. The combined tempers of Hotch and Emily were what made the team glad that they never fought at work, it would be an argument on a colossal scale.
"No, that's it. I have had enough of this." She stood up and looked Hotch in the eye. "Aaron, just do it already, I can't take the wait any more."
"Do what?" He looked completely stunned, which surprised her as he should know how he has been acting recently. She glanced behind him and saw the team edging away, trying to give them privacy, or as much as they could given their current location.
"Break up with me. You've been acting funny for over a week, I know what that kind of behaviour means I have seen it before." She could feel the tears pricking at her eyes again, yet he stood there saying nothing. He wasn't even denying it. Awesome. Emily turned around and started walking away, she couldn't look at him right now.
She hadn't got five feet before Aaron came up behind her and grabbed her around the waist, holding her very tightly to him. She couldn't stop herself reacting on instinct and leaning back against him, placing her hands over his.
"Em, I am not breaking up with you, now or ever, I told you before that I am never going to leave you. I know that I have been acting distant but it's your own fault, you can read me too well, and there was something I was planning and I knew you would guess but I wanted it to be a surprise for you." She turned around in his arms to face him, and she could see that he was telling the truth. Well now she felt stupid.
"Was it really that important that you wouldn't even talk to me or let me see Jack?" He chuckled at that, which only confused and irritated her more. Was he laughing at her?
"I told Jack what I was planning and he got so excited he talked about it nonstop, there was literally no way to make him stop, so I had to keep him away from you else he would tell you." Oh.
"So it's a good surprise then?" She bit her lip, she had calmed down now and was starting to feel bad about shouting at him when he was actually doing something nice.
"That would depend." He smirked at her.
"On what?"She eyed him suspiciously, she had never liked games or riddles, or just not knowing things.
"On whether you say yes or no." Before she could open her mouth to ask what the question was, Aaron had got down on one knee in front of her and pulled out a small black box from inside of his jacket. He opened it to reveal a silver band holding a princess cut diamond big enough to make her gasp, with a round ruby on each side of it. It was perfectly her. She looked from the beautiful ring to the man holding it who had the biggest grin on his face she had ever seen.
"This isn't at all how I planned on doing this. Emily Prentiss I love you, so much that when you aren't with me it hurts, I adore you and I promise to love you for the rest of our lives. Will you do me the great honour of becoming my wife, Emily sweetheart, will you marry me?"
"Yes!" She practically screamed at him, making heads turn in their direction, as she lunged at him, kissing him passionately on the lips and then lightly on every inch of his face.
When they parted Emily sharply punched Aaron in the upper arm.
"Ow! That's what I get for proposing?" He asked shell-shocked.
"No, but you have no idea how crazy you were making me, that is what that was for." Emily told him while the team nodded their heads in understanding; never mess with Emily Prentiss. "Come on, future husband, let's go call Jack." The two newly engaged agents then went to Hotch's office to make the call while the rest of the BAU A-team watched them happily.
"It's going to be confusing having two agents called Hotchner" Reid noted.
"Maybe, but just think of all those dark haired Hotchner kids we now get to be godparents to!" Garcia said excitedly, grabbing JJ into a girly squeal-filled hug.