Author's Note: Thank you Crys for the guidance and your help with the chapter! Read and review!

Ten years prior to "The Truth"

Emily Prentiss was running late, and her mother despised her being late. She was finishing her packing . She was headed off to Yale soon, and she couldn't wait. She was fed up of the moves, of the parties and galas. She wanted to be a normal girl, going off to college, maybe she'd meet a man, get married and live the life she had always dreamed of. Until then, she was Emily Prentiss, daughter of the American Ambassador, Elizabeth Prentiss who was under constant surveillance. She had a new team of guards now. There was one waiting impatiently at her door. He was a new one, and he was a young one. She stopped and looked at him.

He was tall. He had a chiselled chin, strong jaw and very handsome features. His eyes were kind and he actually looked worried. He had dark brown hair, and she was kind of wishing she could run her fingers through it, just to see if it was a silky as it appeared. She calmed her breathing and walked to him. "Can I help you?"

"Miss Prentiss, your mother has been looking for you, and you slipped your tail." He stuttered. This was the first time he met her. She was beautiful.

"I know that Agent…?"

"Hotchner, miss. Agent Aaron Hotchner." He smiled. He had stunning white teeth and his smile made her blush.

"Agent Hotchner, I understand my mother's worried, but I am almost 18 now, she can learn to back off."

"But the tail, is for your own protection." This Agent Hotchner was persistent, she would give him that.

"I don't need protection!" She exclaimed, surprising Aaron and herself. "I am an adult. I can fend for myself! When will she learn that?"

Elizabeth Prentiss's voice came from behind them. "I'll learn it, when you can prove it to me."

"Mother." Emily replied as calmly as she could. She was very angry right now. "I want this gone. I want MY life."

"No." Elizabeth replied. "There is a gala in two weeks. You will have Agent Hotchner here follow you everywhere. Lessons, packing, everything."

"What ever you say mother." Emily said before her mother left. "I can't wait to be out of this hell hole." She finished under her breath.

"I'm sorry you don't approve of this." Aaron stepped forward.

"I've been dealing with this my whole life. I just hate that I can't do anything anymore." She sighed as she leaned against her bedroom door. "I'm sorry Agent Hotchner, this isn't against you… it's against her."

"Please call me 'Hotch'." He offered.

"Only if you call me Emily." She smiled.

"Emily. Of course. I just want you to be comfortable with this. It is only 2 weeks." He pointed out.

"You're going to have to come dress shopping and stuff for that gala, and have to get my stuff ready for Yale."

"I can help with that." Hotch offered.

"You'll come dress…shopping… with me?" she gaped at him.

Hotch nodded his head. "Yes, I'll go with you Emily. Besides that you are now my protection detail I could offer you some input on a dress. If I am going to have to go with you I may as well try to enjoy myself."

Emily blushed a little but nodded. "Well then thank you Hotch. When will be a good time to go for you?"

Hotch noticed Emily blushing and he smiled. He had thought that she was beautiful before but seeing her blush made her even all the more beautiful to him. He couldn't help but wonder if she had a boyfriend somewhere and that is why she kept slipping her tail or if she kept slipping her tail because she really did hate having to be followed everywhere she went. As his eyes took in her face he saw her staring at him and his heart sped up and then he remembered that she had asked him a question.

"I can go whenever you would like to Emily. I'm pretty easy. I mean I'm pretty easy in being flexible. Shit I didn't mean that either. What I meant to say is that as long as you give me a time and promise not to run away from me then I'm willing to go whenever you would like to." Hotch said. He could feel his own face heating up at what he had said. He couldn't remember a time when he has ever been as flustered as he was right then. He knew then that there was something definitely special about Emily Prentiss and he wanted the time to see and learn what it was.

Three days later…

"Aaron?" Emily peaked her head out of her bathroom door.

"Yes Emily?"

"I forgot a towel, can you bring me one?" She had forgotten, honestly, but now that she thought of it, maybe reading the "Art of Seduction" had been a good thing.

"Uh, you're in the shower right?" Hotch stuttered.

"Yes, and I just need a towel." She sighed. "Soon, it's getting cold in here."

Hotch half leapt, half ran to the bathroom. He grabbed a towel and handed it to her over the glass shower door. Before he turned to leave, he snuck a peek at the curvature of her body through the crystallized door. She was beautiful, even if it was just a silhouette.

"I'll be outside." He said as he ran into the door.

Emily snickered, she could see everything. It had worked. Now the best part. Today was dress shopping.

Once she was dressed, she headed out into the hall where Aaron was sitting on floor, his head to his knees.

"Aaron? You ok?"

"Yea. I'm just a little shocked."

"Why?"

"Because you forgot to tell your mother we're going dress shopping."

"Oh shit!" Emily exclaimed. "Aaron, I'm sorry. She ripped into you didn't she?"

"Yep." He smiled weakly. "She also made me promise to get you to try on one pink dress even if you don't buy it."

"She's the devil incarnate, I swear." Emily sighed. "Fine. ONE pink dress, and I'm not buying it!"

Hotch surrendered by putting his hands in the air. "NO PINK. Got it."

With that the pair left, Emily running to the Jeep that was hers. Hotch just hung his head. He hated it when she drove. In the three days he had been assigned to her, he had feared for his life at least a dozen times, and all of them were because she was behind the wheel of that Jeep. She was more careful this time, and she got them there without Hotch fearing for his life for once.

The women of the boutique recognized Emily, and instantly set to pulling dressed and gowns for her. Emily looked to Hotch, he shook his head.

"Emma? Could you pull one pink one for me? Not too pink." Emily sighed.

Soon she was in a fitting room filled with gowns. She sighed, she would do pink last. She tried on a skin tight black sequined gown and left the fitting room. When Aaron saw her, he shook his head. "Too Hollywood."

She turned back and went in. Dress after dress he found a problem with.

"Too Southern." To a red ball gown.

"Too trashy." To a short chic dress.

Finally she was a the pink dress. She sighed. She looked it over. It wasn't pale pink, and it wasn't hot pink. It was a beautiful magenta shade. It was a one shoulder, sweetheart neckline gown. Fitted at the top, and flowed from the hips down. She slipped into it and looked at her reflection. She let her hair out of the ponytail it was in. She decided it wasn't all that bad, but she wasn't about to let Aaron Hotchner know that. She put on her 'pouty' lips and left the safety of the dressing room.

"Wow, Emily that's…"

"Pink." She finished.

"Beautiful. It suits you."

"How so?"

"Well, it accentuates your curves. It brings out your eyes and it compliments your complexion. And the sheer middle section will drive your mother nuts. Does she know you pierced your navel?"

She looked down and saw what Aaron was talking about and she smiled. "Even it's pink, I'll take it."

"Just to piss off your mother?" Hotch looked at her. She was stunning.

"Damn right. Emma ring it through." With that Emma left to ring in the gown, and Emily went to change.

"Hotch?" Emily asked from the change room.

"Yes Emily?"

"Will you be my escort?"

"You're what?"

"My escort. I need a dance partner. I know about you Hotch. I know you come from a similar background."

"Do I have a choice?"

"Not unless you want me slipping you and disappearing into the night." She said.

"Fine. I'll be your escort. But only if you promise not to show your mother the gown til that night. She'll have my badge if she knows I let you buy it."

"Don't worry, she won't, because I'm buying another dress that red trashy one you hated. That's the one I'll show her. You can tell her I tried on a pink one, but you couldn't sway me."

"Fair enough."

They headed home, and this time Aaron was behind the wheel.

The Gala

Hotch paced outside Emily's room. He looked at his watch. He was wondering what was taking so long. Finally the door opened. Emily stepped out. She looked radiant. He hair was down, in loose curls that framed her face. He make-up was soft and accentuated her eyes. She was glowing.

"Hotch, you're jaw. Pick it up." She laughed.

The two went to the ballroom, arm in arm. Her mother's jaw dropped when she saw the choice of gown. She criticized her, but Emily didn't care. She listened then she lead Aaron to the dance floor, just as the quartet began to play "The Blue Danube". The two spent most of the night dancing, whilst the occasional necessary meet and greet of diplomats. As the hours passed, Emily was more and more tempted to kiss Aaron Hotchner. She took his hand as the clock neared midnight, and took him to a secret passage out of the ballroom.

"Emily where are you taking me?"

"I have wanted to do this all night." She led him to her room, onto the balcony. The moon was full and the stars were shinning brightly. She could hear a clock strike midnight in the distance. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him.

He was in shock, but he soon relaxed into the kiss. He pulled her in closer. When they needed air, they broke apart. Hotch looked into her eyes. "Emily." He breathed.

"Hotch… since I laid eyes on you…" She sighed as he pulled her in for another kiss.

Soon his hands were traveling to her waist. "Emily… I've wanted it too." His hands found the zipper on the side of the gown and it came undone very easily. He slid the one strap off of her shoulder and the gown slid to the ground. He body was cream in the moonlight. She wasn't wear a bra under the gown, her breasts were soft and full, the nipples taut. He could see that she wanted him. He stopped himself. "Emily, I'm 24."

"I don't care… Aaron… I'm falling for you… I want you to make love to Aaron Hotchner." She looked at him.

"Emily, I want that too, but your mother…"

"Isn't here and can't come here. Aaron…" She pleaded.

He caved. She kissed him, and slowly undid his clothes. Then Aaron ran into the room and got some pillows. He laid her gently on them. He kissed every curve of her body, starting at her lips then down stopping to kiss each nipple, causing her body to rise up to his. Then he continued to work his way down. He played with he bellybutton piercing, causing her to giggle and squirm. He looked up. "Ticklish?"

She just nodded, as Hotch continued to make his way down. He set to licking the folds that hid the core of her femininity. He slid one finger in, as he licked the tiny pleasure button. She began to squirm. He smiled. He continued to lick and massage her core, eventually sliding two fingers in. Eventually she was on the brink of tears. He stopped. He kissed up her again, and whispered in her ear. "Do you want me?"

"More than anything." She said as she kissed him again.

He slid into her. It was warm and like a glove. "Emily, you feel so good."

"Hotch." She moaned. He kissed her with each thrust. She gently moved in sync with his rhythm. Their bodies moved in sync, bathed in the soft glow of the moon. Only the moon and stars were the only witnesses to the love they made. Soon, both lovers climaxed as they never had before. Soon, slumber claimed them. They held each other, only with pillows under the stars, their love keeping them until morning light.

When morning broke, Aaron woke up to the sun rising in the horizon, and next to his body was Emily Prentiss, the young woman he had sworn to protect. The young woman he felt he had taken advantage of. He kissed her forehead. "I love you, Emily. Now and Forever." He whispered. He got up, careful not to disturb her and quickly got dressed. He left without making a sound.

Emily began to stir. She swore she had heard Aaron say "I love you, Emily. Now and Forever." She got up. Aaron was gone, and she could here the door to her bedroom close. She looked and saw that he was gone, not even a note. She hung her head and tears fell. "I love you Aaron." She whispered. She went and showered, sitting on the floor of the shower letting the water wash away her tears. Her mother had left a note on her door. "Aaron Hotchner has been reassigned. He was promoted. Another agent will be by this afternoon to take you to Yale."

Emily got dressed and put the last of her belongings in her bags, and waited in the drive. She wondered if she'd ever love again.