You Can Still Wear White, a criminal minds fanfic

I've never really written much of anything before, however I've been quite the creeper here lately, reading stories and what not. This is basically Emily/Hotch centered, and it is based off the song "You Can Still Wear White" by Matt Kennon. This is what happens when insomnia strikes :P so, I know, this is probably a really big epic fail. But reviews, whatever your opinion may be, are much appreciated :)

-Melina.

Baby why you sitting here all alone,
in the bathroom crying,
Oh girl what's wrong?

Emily Prentiss was sitting on the floor of the bathroom of the church she'd be getting married in the very next day. She, her husband to be, and the wedding party had just finished the wedding rehearsal. She was crying, although she knew it was silly. She couldn't help it. She brought her knees up to her chest, put her head down, and just let the tears fall, all the while praying she was able to get her composure back before someone realized where she was.

In the fellowship hall, everyone who would be participating in the wedding aside from Emily, seemed to really be enjoying themselves. Well, all but one individual. Aaron Hotchner knew his soon-to-be-wife acted a bit stand off-ish during the rehearsal. He also noted she was not present at the dinner, though he knew where she was. He waited a few minutes more, before someone asked him where Emily was.

"I have a very good idea of where she is," He replied. "Let me go see if I can get her to come down here, okay?" He said, turning around, and walking towards the bathrooms near the sanctuary. He tried opening the door to the women's room, but it was locked.

"Em, sweetie, I know you're in there. Can you please let me in?"

Emily looked up, and tried to calm down in an effort to make her voice not shake and crack when she spoke. Her efforts failed as she shakily said "Yes... hold on a second."

She stood up and looked at her reflection in the mirror. I am a mess. She thought. The last thing she wanted was for Hotch to see her looking like this, but she knew if she didn't unlock the door soon, he would just bust through the door. Reluctantly, she unlocked the bathroom door, and opened it, allowing Hotch to enter.

As soon as she saw her puffy eyes and tear-streaked face, he pulled her into a hug. "It's okay baby, I'm right here now." She hugged him back, and as much as she tried not to, began crying again. Hotch gently held her in his arms, and slid down the wall onto the floor, where he proceeded to fit Emily in his lap. "Tell me what's got you so upset, please." He said, although he had a good idea of what it was.

Emily said nothing, and just shook her head. "It's nothing..." she choked out.

"If it were nothing, you wouldn't be in here crying." He said soothingly, still holding her.

Emily remained silent.

You know you can tell me anything.
Are you getting nervous, bout wearin that new ring?
Well if that ain't it, is this about your dress?
I thought we've been over this...

"You can tell me," Hotch said. "I'm not going to be mad."

Emily took a deep breath before saying, "Just... this."

"Just what honey? Me holding you? Us being in a bathroom? The wedding?"

"That," Emily said.

"The wedding?"

She nodded, wiping more tears away.

"You don't want to get married?" He asked, showing more emotion than he intended.

"No that's not it!" Emily said, sitting up, facing him now. "I love you. I love Jack. I want to get married to you and spend the rest of our lives together. I do. I swear."

He hugged her. "So do I. If that's not what it is, then what is it? Is it what we've been over a million times?"

Emily bit her bottom lip. Something she did when she felt nervous, scared, guilty, or just... out of place. "Yeah..." She said softly.

"Your dress?" He asked again, moving some stray hairs out of her face.

She nodded again. "It's just... it's... white. I can't... I shouldn't... you know..."

Hotch hugged her again, and softly kissed her forehead when the embrace ended.

Baby you can still wear white,
No matter where you've been.
No lookin' back we're startin' all over again.
I want you by my side, I gotta be your man.
You're perfect in my eyes.
You can still wear white.

"We've been over this, that doesn't matter." He said calmly, looking her in her big brown eyes.

"But it's white... it's just... it's supposed to symbolize something I'm clearly not." She said. She'd always been so old fashioned. White wedding dresses symbolized innocence, purity... virginity.

"Oh Em," Hotch said. "I know that's been bugging you, but no one is going to think a thing of it. You, darling, certainly will not be the first person to wear white in a situation like this."

"I know... I just had my whole life planned out at such a young age, and so far none of it has happened like it was supposed to!" She said, flustered.

"God works in mysterious ways," Hotch reminded her. He'd told her that so many times lately, Emily had begun to hear the phrase in her sleep.

She sighed again.

You and your bright eyed baby girl,
mean more than anything.
Oh you're my whole world.
I can almost see her smiling,
that little basket in her hand droppin' petals down the aisle.

"You know I think the absolute world of you and Bella, and I have a son too, you know. Bella and Jack get along wonderfully, Jack adores you, I love Bella like she was my own, and I like to think she can at least tolerate my existence."

For the first time, Emily cracked a small smile. "Bella loves you. So much." Emily said softly, thinking of her dark-haired, brown-eyed three year old daughter. How beautiful she was, how much she loved her. How, even though Emily never planned on having a child when she did, she wouldn't ever in a million years regret her decision in keeping Bella. Truth was, Bella was the product of a drunken evening in Vegas a few years ago, when the team took a trip there for fun, and not for work like on previous occasions. Emily tried contacting the father, just to let him know he had a child on the way, after she found out she was pregnant, but he wanted nothing to do with Emily, or his unborn child. Emily knew she didn't need him anyway. Her child deserved better than that, and God as her witness, she would give this baby the best life she could give. All she'd wanted for so many years, was to be a mother. Secretly, she knew she'd never have any children of her own. She assumed it was her punishment for getting an abortion all those years ago in Italy. When she found out she was pregnant with Bella, she took so much precaution, making sure she and the baby were as healthy as could be.

"I hope so, because I sure love that little girl, just like she was mine. And besides, she's so excited about being Flower Girl! She's been talking about throwing those flowers out on the aisle for weeks now. Remember last night? How she asked you to cut up that paper in small pieces, so she could practice?" Hotch smiled at the memory, that Bella sure was a character. Just like her mother.

"Of course I remember." Emily looked up, into Hotch's eyes. The man who stepped up when he didn't have to, the man who made sure she got enough to eat, enough sleep, went to the doctor on time; the man she'd accidentally fallen in love with, who'd fallen right back in love with her. The man she was about to marry. Her small smile grew wider. "I love you." She said.

"I love you, more." His reply was soft. She ran her fingers through his hair, and leaned in for a kiss. When they pulled apart, Hotch said.

"Speaking of that Bella of ours," she smiled at the term 'ours.' Bella wasn't even his child, yet somehow, he'd always considered himself her father, as did Emily, though neither of them mentioned it out loud until Hotch proposed a mere 6 months ago. "She was asking for you. She doesn't want you to miss out on the party."

"We better not keep her waiting, then." Emily said, removing herself from Hotch's lap and standing.

And if people talk, well we'll just let them talk.
Do what you want, this is only gonna happen once.

As he stood, Emily said. "But what if people think I'm a bad person..."

"Baby, we'll just let them think that. Let them talk. Because anyone who knows you, knows you're one of the most amazing people in the world. You love your daughter, you love your soon-to-be-step son. And I sure hope you love me. Because I love you more than anything else in the whole world. And I mean that. Marriage is special, and sometimes it doesn't work out the first time, but then, there are times, like right now, when you just know it's meant to be. Emily Prentiss, I believe you are the one for me. I believe you always have been, and I am so glad we're together now."

She smiled again. She loved his ability to make her feel better. He never failed, he always knew just what to say. "You're right." She said. "And I also love you, more than you know. I know we were meant to be... and I know I say this a lot... but. Thank you. For everything. Just. Everything. You're wonderful." She gushed.

"Yeah, yeah. Cut this lovey dovey mushy gushy love-fest thing," He said, clearly joking. "We're beginning to sound like a Nicholas Sparks novel."

"Oh hush, you're ruining the moment." She replied, laying her head on his shoulder, breathing in his scent. She pulled away, but still held onto his hand. "Come on, what are you so worried for? Let's go to the dinner, and stop your lolly-gagging around!"

Hotch had to laugh, as she lead the way down to the fellowship hall.

Once they got there, Bella greeted them. "Mommy!" She said excitedly.

"There's my girl!" Emily said, picking her up.

Baby you can still wear white,
No matter where you've been.
No lookin' back we're startin' all over again.

Bella looked at Hotch, and then back at Emily. She whispered something in Emily's ear. "You know what Isabella?" She asked.

"What Mommy?"

"I think, that would be wonderful." She smiled, moving Bella's wild hair out of her eyes.

"Really?"

"Of course!" Emily put Bella down, and Bella ran off to another part of the room. Hotch stood beside Emily, confused as ever.

"What was that all about?" He asked.

Emily replied with "Oh, you'll see!" In a sing-song voice.

Hotch was trying to guess what was about to happen, when suddenly Bella came running back to the two of them, this time though, she was headed for Hotch. "Daddy!" She exclaimed.

Hotch picked her up and hugged her, the goofy grin never leaving his face. "Mommy said it would be okay to call you that now bu only if its okay with you."

"Well of course it's alright with me, princess." He smiled again.

I want you by my side, I gotta be your man.
You're perfect in my eyes.
You can still wear white.

The three of them made their way to their table, where a now eight-year-old Jack Hotchner approached them. Bella was sitting in Hotch's lap, and Jack was standing next to Emily. "The whole family's here!" She proclaimed, sitting Jack in her lap. "I'm not embarrassing you, am I?" She asked Jack, forgetting he was slightly older than Bella.

"No." The boy smiled at her. "I like sitting with you. I like that I will have a new Mom."

"Well you know what? I'm equally as glad to have a new son." The four of them remained in constant good spirits the remainder of the dinner. Those good moods carried onto that night, where the new family had a relaxing night at home, falling asleep on the king-sized bed watching Toy Story.

The next day at two o'clock in the afternoon, Emily made her way down the aisle. She and the love of her life, Aaron Hotchner, were married. She was now officially Emily Hotchner, with plans of getting Bella's name changed from Isabella Marie Prentiss to Isabella Marie Prentiss-Hoctner as soon as she could.

The ceremony was wonderful, the reception was incredible. Everything about this special day had been planned by all the members of the BAU. Which, of course, was not very traditional. But everything was ... perfect. Traditional is, as they say, such a cliche these days.