A.N. Hello everyone! So this is an oneshot cross-over that I have in mind the last two weeks since I saw the 200th episode of Criminal Minds. To set the facts straight I have watched Criminal Minds from seasons 1 to 7. Emily Prentiss is my favourite character and she was the reason that I saw the 200th episode. I ship Hotchly and still once in a while I will read a story about them. After this episode was over I realized that Emily went in London around the same period when Sherlock faked his death so I thought why not? Emily and Sherlock have many things in common and I do think that they would get along nicely and that they both could learn something from each other. So actually, this story takes place in the present day after Emily returns to London from USA and we find Sherlock in his process to search about the whole "did you miss me?" situation.

This story has spoilers from His Last Vow. No spoiler from Criminal Minds.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Sherlock Holmes. He belongs to Sir Conan Arthur Doyle. Molly Hooper belongs to the creators of Sherlock in BBC. Emily Prentiss and Aaron Hotchner belong to the creators of Criminal Minds. I only own the plot.

Two minds that Think Alike

It had been two months since the entire England was bombarded by Moriarty's video; a video that was enough for the British government to call Sherlock Holmes back from his five minutes exile. Sherlock was back and he was going to find what on earth had happened with Moriarty or whoever was behind this video.

When Mycroft informed him why his airplane had returned Sherlock felt his agony and worry levels incising. Mrs Hudson, Lestrade and John were in danger...and Molly. Definitely this time Molly would be a target, Moriarty slipped once he wouldn't do the same. This was the worst that could have happened because now he would also worry not only about John but about Molly too.

To tell the truth, his worry about John wasn't that big. Not because he didn't care, no, God no. Sherlock worried less because of Mary as strange it may sounds. Sherlock knew that Marry wouldn't let anything happen to John that she wouldn't let anything to separate them. This was crystal clear to him since Marry shot him some months ago. However, Sherlock didn't trusted her completely. Nevertheless his worry about Molly was even greater.

The detective remembered the last encounter he had with Molly Hooper a couple of days before his five minutes exile. He saw a strong Molly Hooper who was trying to give him courage. He saw the opportunity he had lost to be with her. He saw the life that he no more could have.

"I am sorry Molly...I didn't mean for anything like this to happen" Sherlock had told her not daring to look her in the eye.

"Do not be sorry Sherlock. You did everything you could in order to protect John...in order to protect your best friend, your real brother. I know that I would have done the same for you. I would have done the same... " Molly had replied sincerely.

" Molly, I wish things were different...I wish that we could be...em...we could be something more" Sherlock admitted to her.

"But we are Sherlock. We are something more. Don't you see? From all these people in the world we are the same...you give to John more than he will ever understand or will give back to you...and I give to you more than you will ever give to me...and believe when I am saying that I would do that even if I wasn't in love with you. We are something more Sherlock even if we cannot define it completely" Molly said while she wiping her tears away because she knew that this would be her last chance to ever speak to him.

"I wish you to be happy Molly Hooper...I wish yo..."

But Molly cut him;

"Sherlock, please, don't! I have heard this before and...and I know that this most probably is the last time we see each other...so please let me tell you what you already know" .

His green blue eyes found her wonderful brown one and he nodded to her affirmatively;

"I want you to know that I will always be here for you. I want you to know that I never regret anything that I did for you...I want you to remember that you are important to all of us. I need you to never doubt yourself again...I need you to know that I love your brilliant mind and your well hidden heart. I need you to know that I am in love with you...of course you know this but I need to tell you. I am in with love you William Sherlock Scott Holmes and I wish you to be safe...I wish that you didn't leave because I know that your leaving will break me because this time I know that you will not come back...I love you Sherlock. I love you " Molly finally said and felt her soul abandoning her body.

Tears were falling from her brown eyes so she had missed Sherlock expressions during her little speech. Sherlock was completely touched by her words. No, he was lying. He wasn't touched, he was heartbroken.

Molly meant the world to him. Molly counted. Molly was the one person who mattered the most to him. She always was important to him even when everybody else thought that she wasn't. She was the one who helped him to overrun his addiction. She was the one who never lost faith in him even when everyone else did. And the years he was away he was aware of how much more Molly meant to him and he had acknowledged his feelings for her. Yes, his feelings for her. Feelings that he was ready to reveal when he came back but then where was Tom in her life and when Tom was no more, Sherlock had a fake relationship and then he had commit murder and he had to leave the country. Sherlock had cursed his back luck.

However, hearing Molly speaking to him like this his heart skipped. He knew that it was now or never so he let his logic aside and he opened his heart to Molly. Sherlock opened his heart to his heart.

"Molly, dear, Molly... I didn't want any of this to happen. I believed that I would be done with the last case and then...and then I could speak to you about how I feel for you...because I do not simply care for you. You mean the world to me...you are my world actually. When I came back I had hoped that we had a chance to be together. But you were engaged to another man. The jealously I felt when I first saw your ring is something I cannot describe...and then everything changed and the entire world was shifted. And now here we stand saying our goodbyes to each other. I will not lie to you Molly. I am going to a suicide mission. And if this mission will not kill me then the next one will. You deserve the truth from me Molly...you deserve to know that if sentiment is found in the losing side then I must confess that I am too lost in you. You are the queen in my mind palace...you are the queen of my heart and I wish you to be happy for the rest of your life " and with this Sherlock hugged her tightly.

They stayed like that for quiet sometime and then finally they looked into each other eyes and the same thing, the same desire was reflecting in their eyes.

They shared a kiss that they both wished it could last for an eternity. Alas, the reality was different. Soon afterwards Sherlock left, taking a last look of Molly Hooper in his heart and in his mind. If he was to die in this mission he would die with her image in his eyes and with the taste of her lips upon his. As soon as Sherlock left her flat Molly collapsed into her sofa and sobbed until she felt asleep.

Three days afterwards and after Molly had seen Moriarty's video on the telly she received a message from Sherlock informing her that he was back and that she should be careful from now on.

The two months that followed after Moriarty's video Sherlock was searching every clue and every possibility in order to see what he had missed. They never spoke about their "goodbye" and if anyone who looked at them observed would be able to see that something more existed between the detective and the pathologist. Thankfully, nobody observed and this was making it easier for Sherlock from time to time to look at Molly with no particular reason when he was working in her lab and today was one of these days.

Sherlock wanted to say something, actually to ask her if she wanted to have a coffee with him but he heard footsteps on the corridor and he returned his attention to the tissue sample he had under the microscope. One more chance lost

He heard the lad's door opening and witnessed an unexpected dialogue;

"Emily!? What on earth are you doing here?" he heard Molly saying and with this he looked up and saw Molly embracing a tall young woman with dark hair.

" I am happy to see you Molly! I've missed you! We haven't seen or talked for quite sometime and I am sorry about that, but right now I need your help. Those imbeciles they are driving me crazy, you know how they.. "Sherlock heard the woman cutting her word obviously because she had seen him so he turned up to look at her.

"Oh! Molly, I am sorry, I never asked if you had time to help me. I see you already helping Yard so I do not want to further burden you " the woman with the black hair told Molly and his interest elevated more.

"She has a gun with her but she is not with the police..then who she is and what she is doing with Molly?" his mind was spinning.

"No need to worry Emily. He is not with the Yard, well not entirely...I will help you but first let me introduce you to each other" Molly happily said.

"This is Emily Prentiss, Chief of the London Interpol Office ...and Emily, this is Sherlock Holmes, consulting detective and a friend too"

They shook hands and Emily spoke first;

"I finally meet you . I have heard so many things about you the last two years" Emily told you him.

"I see...Newspapers are hardly a trustworthy source of information" Sherlock' s defence shield was up.

"I do not refer to newspapers . I am an American. I live in London since 2012. Molly was one of the first people that I met when I came here, so my source for you is Molly Hooper" Emily tried to ease him and she had managed it.

In the meantime Molly was trying not to laugh. She knew Emily's story and she knew Sherlock's too. They both were two people that she loved and now that she had them on the same place she was thinking that during Sherlock's absence from London she had in fact in a way replaced him with Emily.

"Oh! I see. I am sorry Molly never mentioned you in our conversations" Sherlock pointed out.

Sherlock was looking for trouble and he found it when he heard Molly telling to him;

"That's because you never asked what I was doing the years that you have faked your death or because you were high because of a case...Emily is a highly respectable criminal profiler who worked with Interpol and FBI before she came in London. The first time we met it was when we both eye witnessed a murder attempt in the summer of 2012" Molly said and Sherlock had left speechless.

"You eye witnessed a murder and you are telling me know?"Sherlock complained

"Technically I am not saying anything to you...but anyway I was able to provide vital information to Emily about the victim's wounds and that was how our friendship started" Molly said to Sherlock and turned to Emily while Sherlock kept examining the tissue sample.

"So, Emily, what they have done this time and how I can help you?"

"Ah, Molly! They are stupid! I was away just a couple of days in order to help the investigations for my best friend..." Emily had started saying but Molly interrupted her;

"Oh God! What happened to JJ? Is she all right?" Sherlock recognize genuine worry in Molly's voice so he raised tactfully his head up and watched the two women spoke to each other.

" She was kidnapped. Hotch called me and asked me to go home to help them find her. Thank God I found her before it would be too late" Emily appeased the pathologist.

"So, I came back today and they have jeopardized the whole office! They are unbelievable! We are after this notorious drug lord who has also staged various other crimes all over the world and I asked a simple DNA test in order to verify vital information. Do you know what they told me? That our lad isn't working today due to something, I do not even remember what this something is!" Emily was clearly annoyed by this situation.

Molly understood that Emily's anger wasn't only because of this. She had mentioned Hotch and obviously she had seen him too. It was breaking her heart that Emily could not be with Hotch. Honestly, there were parts of their story that reminded to Molly her story with Sherlock. Emily reminded to her Sherlock quite often and this was one of the reasons that she befriended her immediately when they first met. Molly couldn't help Sherlock during that time but she could help Emily if she ever needed a friend to be here for her.

"It's ok Emily. I know it must be hard for you to see them, to see him after all this time...Just relax and I will run the test for you" Molly smiled to Emily and Sherlock noticed that Molly's reassurance relieved Emily.

Sherlock was observing the two women and their conversation so he understood that Molly knew better and that this "him" was about someone important for Emily. He had seen Molly's expressions changing and her attempt to ease Emily's pain and he wondered one more time if it would be possible for such a kind creature to be in love with him.

It had been so many years and Molly and Sherlock had been through the depths of high and low and still he doubted his luck and what he should do about Molly. Sherlock watched Molly leaving the lad and sorrow was pictured in his face.

However, he was unaware that Emily had noticed not only his expression but also the fact that he has observing her conversation with Molly the whole time.

"Sooo, Mr. Holmes how your case is going?" Emily knowing that Molly will need time for the test started a discussion with Sherlock.

"Well, not so good and please call me Sherlock" he replied and even he didn't believe the words he uttered but somehow Emily reminded him a part of himself. Most probably it was the fact that she flew an ocean to rescue her best friend. Few people would do the same and he was the one who faked his death in order to save the people he loved.

"Sure! And I am Emily" she smiled back to him and she was starting to see the reasons that Molly loved this man. Molly never said directly to Emily that she was in love with Sherlock, but the way she spoke about him, the way she defended him from time to time or even got mad to him were enough for Emily to understand Molly's deeper feelings for the detective. She was after all an accomplished profiler but above all she was a person who observed and paid attetion when people talked to her.

"So, Sherlock, are you having difficulties to trace the whereabouts of Moriarty's video?" Emily's question took him aback.

"I thought you said you didn't read the papers Emily" the detective tried to tease her.

"I do not, but you might forget that I am Chief in Interpol's office in London thus I investigate this situation too. Moriarty was an international criminal and whoever is behind this video has to have connections all over the world like he did. So we are monitoring the situation from afar" Emily explained to Sherlock.

"So, you too believe that is not Moriarty behind all this?" he asked her.

"Yes. I think that the actual Moriarty is dead that behind this is a brother or a sister or even a lover of his. The former would be the best case scenario for you while the later is the worst thing it could happen. A ruthless and vindictive lover is the only thing that you do not want. They are unpredictable and they do not care about the victims. They kill no matter what in order to avenge their loss because they held the person or the people who killed or imprisoned their loved one the only responsible for their loss and suffering" Emily explained with such a natural way to Sherlock.

Suddenly, Sherlock realized that Emily in fact had a point on that she was saying.

"Emily, thank you! This is really helpful! The last weeks my mind is so blocked I have tried to think everything over and over but it seemed that my thoughts didn't compute. A lover that was too obvious for me...however, a brother or a sister is what we have to look for" Sherlock admitted to her.

Molly entered in to take something form her office she nodded at Emily and exit again without saying a word to Sherlock. He watched her closely and he was disappointed when Molly didn't speak to him at all. His behavior didn't go unnoticed from Emily.

When Molly exited the lad Emily cleared her throat and told to Sherlock;

"Why don't you speak to Molly about who you feel about her?"

"Excuse me?" Sherlock asked Emily.

"You heard me very well. I know Molly many years and trough her I know you. And now I see you around her... and I am asking, why you don't express what you feel about her to her?"

"I do not think that the why concerns you Emily" an irritated Sherlock replied back.

Emily gave him a look which was saying "you might be Sherlock Holmes but I am Emily fucking Prentiss do not dare to lie to me or I will kick your ass".

Sherlock saw her intense look and understood that Emily wasn't try to pry. She cared about Molly and her wellbeing.

"I cannot tell her anything...I...If anything happens to her I will not stand it. If harm comes to her because of my involvement with Moriarty, I will kill myself and this time for real. She is far too essential to me in order to lose her...so I cannot endanger her when I do not know what's going on " he honestly answered to Emily.

In Sherlock's words Emily recognized herself. She recognized her attitude to protect her team, her actual family, when Doyle came after her in USA. Emily understood the agony and the pain in which Sherlock lived because he wanted to keep his family safe. This was the moment when Emily realized why Molly felt so close with her even if they didn't speak so regularly. Emily realized that Molly was there for here because she knew how this pain was and that she was there to support her no matter what. Emily admired Molly even more because this calm woman hid inside her such a great strength; to be there for the others even when no one is there for you.

Molly had told many times to Emily that sometimes she was like him and now Emily could see why. If indeed Sherlock Holmes was like her then she knew that she had to tell him. And she would tell him because she owned to Molly and wanted to see her happy.

"Sherlock, please believe me when I say to you that I know how is to be afraid for the lives of the people that you love. But, please, believe me if you alienate Molly you will regret it for the rest of your life...you have to tell her again how you feel about her, you have to let her decide what she wants" Emily said to him and her mind floated back to Washington and to him; to Aaron Hotchner.

Sherlock seemed to balance what he wanted to say and finally spoke;

" I see no other way out..I have to alienate her no matter if I want it or not. It's for her safety".

Emily knew that she had to tell something more drastic to Sherlock and she knew what this something was. No matter how many memories would bring back to her she had to help Molly to be happy like she had helped her many times since she came in London.

"I have someone important back home...he knows that he important to me but he doesn't acknowledge how he feels about me...That we have is more than a friendship and he...he is a kind and loving man. He is the best and one day he could run the Bureau I see it... "Emily's voice was trembling.

"And where will you be that day Emily?"

"Honestly, I do not know...I hope that I will have sort things out...but my point is that I have seen the way you look at Molly Hooper. I have seen the way she speaks about you and the way she looks at you. If you lose her now you will regret it forever" Emily said trying to hold her tears back.

"You know that for her safety I must stay away for her" Sherlock said again.

"Sherlock, just because you have a great deal of skeletons in your closet that doesn't mean you cannot live your life that you cannot love her. You own it to you both to be honest about your feelings" Emily almost yielded at him and she brought herself back in order immediately.

"It is safe for you to say so..." Sherlock complained.

Then an angry Emily Prentiss stared talking again;

"Listen Holmes you DO NOT know me. But I know things about you. Sure, I do not read the papers but I came to work in London around the same period when you faked your death so I know about this, I lived it too along with the rest of London" Emily gather her strength and dove to her own chest of skeletons.

"Before FBI, I was an Interpol undercover agent for a well known terrorist. I got attached to him, formed a relationship to extract information from him...At a later time, he asked me to marry him and be mother to his son...a boy that I love got arrested but not before he learned that I was an undercover. After Doyle's arrest -that was his name- I fake his son death in order to save the boy's life. Years later I was working with BAU in FBI. I had friends, a job that I loved and I even had lingering feelings for my boss. Then Doyle escaped and started killing the members of my team in Interpol. His intention was to reach me because he thought that I had killed his son and he wanted revenge...he threaten me to kill the people I hold most dear; my team in the BAU. So, I fled. I abandoned the team in order to take him down. Eventually, my team found out the truth and found me. I was badly hurt. I undergone a tough surgery and I resuscitate me two times..." Emily stopped to take a deep breath and to wipe away her tears. All this was really too much to take on but finally she had to speak the truth.

Sherlock gave her his untouched glass of water and she took it gladly.

"And then he...he..the man that I love, he who is my friend and the one who gets me the best, suggested to fake my death in order to keep me safe, in order to take down Doyle. I had no idea how long it could take. I fled to Paris and lived in Europe. It took them some months to trace down Doyle. I came back physically fully recovered to help them find Doyle who was approaching his son, Declan. When everything was back the way it was before, the man that I love gave me space..he let me be because he was afraid that he may screw up on us and he couldn't lose me again. So he never told me again how he felt...We shared a kiss and a year after that, before I leave for London, we share a dance. During that dance he told me that he was mad that I let the skeletons in my closet to deprive me from happiness"

Emily looked at Sherlock took a last breath and concluded that she was trying to say;

" Therefore, Sherlock Holmes, do not do the same. Try to be with her... or better let her be with you; and if this doesn't work at least you' ll know that you tried to see if a romantic relationship can work between you two".

Sherlock had listened carefully what Emily had told him. He understood why she was telling him all this. He understood that they both were alike that they both were afraid of losing people important to them

"What about the boy? What about Declan?" he asked Emily trying to give some thought into her words.

"Declan? I have adopted him. He is my son and I love him. I gave him the opportunity for a better life" Emily replied back to him and then Emily did something unexpected.

She slightly lifted her blouse and showed to Sherlock the scars in her abdomen;

"You see? Even now, so many years after, I have these with me. Sherlock, believe me, with the work we both have chosen to do, skeletons are easy to be found in our closets. But I have known Molly for about two years and she doesn't care about them. She cares about you, so made your mind soon. Because if you don't gonna try to be with her then you should step aside and let her be happy even if you suffer"

" Like you did?" Sherlock asked Emily with no hesitation.

"Yes. And I regret it every single day of my life because some things are just meant to be..." Emily finally spoke and realization hit her. Some things are meant to be...are meant to be.

Sherlock saw her eyes brighten up and he knew straight away that thought had crossed Emily's thoughts.

Molly came back in the right time.

"Oh, Molly here you are...I have to go, I will talk to you later" Emily told her

"But Em, I will have the results that you want in about half an hour" Molly said not knowing what had happened.

"I need to run Molly, something important came up...I will call you and tell you everything" Emily said while she was hugging Molly and then she turned to Sherlock;

"Sherlock nice to meet you" and with this Emily was out leaving a bewildered Molly behind her.

"Sherlock Holmes, what did you do to her?" Molly eyed the detective.

"I did nothing wrong. We just talked...but I have the impression that she will not be staying for long in London" Sherlock stated.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if I am correct and I know I am, she soon will have good news to share with you" Sherlock looked Molly in the eyes.

They were staring at each other when Sherlock finally made his mind;

"Well, Molly...there is something that I want to discuss with you..."

*Emily was in a cub to the way to her flat. It took her a meeting with Sherlock Holmes and an hour to realize what the past two and a half years that she was on the whole phone/ skype communication with Hotch really meant. She knew what she wanted to do. She wouldn't fight it anymore what she wanted to tell him from the moment he told her he was single again.

Emily entered her flat, took out her phone and dialed his number.

" Hotchner" Emily hear his voice.

"Hello Aaron...it's Prentiss, I mean Emily"

"Emily! Is it everything all right?" a full of worry Hotchner asked her

"Yes, yes, everything is ok, but...but I have something to tell you and I cannot wait" she clarified in order to calm him down.

However Emily wasn't sure how to tell him.

" I'm coming back. I' coming back home Aaron. You are the first one to tell" she decided that this was the better way to tell him.

"Am I?" he haltingly asked her.

"Yes, you are"

"Why?"

"You know why Aaron. But if you do not I' ll tell you in person. Just be single until I come back" she told him and she could see his smile forming in his face.

"So, are you coming back to me" he asked her so he could be sure he heard correctly.

"Yes, I'm coming back to you"

"It was about time Emily. It was about time" he exclaimed and the continue their conversation.

It had been two years since she had come back to him and a year since they were married. They couldn't be happier and in few months they would have their son in their arms. The Hotchners couldn't be happier; they both worked in a job they love, they already had two sons, Declan and Jack, and now they were excepting their third child.

This morning Aaron brought their correspondence in. Aaron took the bills and gave to Emily the rest. She was looking to see if there was something of great importance among them and the Emily she found one.

Among the files Emily found a letter with a familiar address that took her back to her years back to London

"221B Baker Street..." Emily read the address.

She opened the envelope and read its context. Aaron looked at her and saw her widely smiling.

"Aaron, I know where we'll go for our vacations in January; London!" she begun to tell him

"Em, we will have a baby by then" he pointed out to her.

"Well, to be exact, we will have a three month son by then but we have to go. All of us actually. You, me, Jack, Declan and the baby "she declared calmly.

Aaron couldn't understand the reason so he asked her why.

"It's simple; we have to celebrate life. Life which when it gives you lemons you make lemonade. To celebrate the fact that the skeletons in the closets are not intimidating.." Emily replied to him.

"Sorry Em but I do not follow y..."

Emily looked at him and said smiling full of delight;

"Sherlock Holmes and Molly Hooper are finally getting married!"

A.N. Here we are dear readers. Tell me what you think. I would love to hear your thoughts. I have put a "complete" in this story but I may come back and write a small epilogue with Emily and Aaron attending the wedding. Tell me if you would like to read something about it.

Take care everyone!