AN: Freaking Bastard and his freaking naps. It's 3:30 am. I have to be up at 6 for work. And I'm still awake. Going to start putting some ideas down. Lord willing, I will get off work, go run errands, get dinner, come home, and go promptly to bed. There will be lots of caffeine tomorrow. LOTS.
MN: She is not happy with me, is she? She wanted the nap too; I was just the bad influence that convinced her it was a good idea.
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The door to the study clicked closed softly and Emily turned toward it. He had his back pressed against the door and he let out a heavy sigh. "I am going to hell just for what I'm thinking of doing to that woman."
She narrowed her eyes at him and spoke softly. "Be quiet! This is the best hiding place I've found all day and if you blow my cover, I will throw you to the wolf to save myself."
"Aren't you the loyal one, Prentiss?" He crossed the room, plopping himself into his desk chair. He moved to open the bottom drawer and she shook her head.
"Don't bother, I already tried that. Apparently she's gathered all of your stash. Afraid the kids will get into it." She perched herself on the edge of his desk beside him, legs swinging gently.
It was only 3pm and they'd both spent most of the last 5 hours avoiding Sandy Jareau like the plague. Early in the day they'd taken to rescuing one another by sending innocent people into the fray. The florist had gotten an earful of exactly what JJ's mother thought Emily should be doing with Morgan, and the caterer had been unlucky enough to intercept a butt pinch aimed at Rossi. Word had spread and now there wasn't a hired hand who would go near the woman.
"Damn woman is dangerously close to not seeing her grandson grow up. She just tried to get me to go upstairs with her for a 'nap'. And she was explicit about what she meant by that!"
His face looked truly pained and Emily sighed. "I'm going to go find your scotch and use it to try to convince her into an actual nap so we can get some work done. I'll come find you when it's safe."
"Thank you." His voice was genuine and he smiled at her as she slid from his desk.
She moved to the door but stopped to look back at him. "We're even for last night, Rossi."
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As she looked around, Emily smiled. The ceremony had gone off seamlessly, as had dinner. The only hiccup had, once again, been Sandy. Somehow she'd managed to rearrange the seating chart at the last moment, splitting the team. She, Morgan, Hotch, Beth, and Jack had been at one table with Strauss and two of JJ's friends. Reid, Garcia, and Rossi had gotten stuck with JJ's mother, aunt, uncle, and cousins. And poor Blake, she had ended up at a table full of divorced men.
Now, with dinner concluded, the kids had all been herded inside to watch movies, play games, and, hopefully, fall asleep. The catering staff was busy moving tables and chairs, clearing the dance floor while the guests stood around, generally talking. When they'd gotten up, Morgan had gone in search of Garcia, Hotch to take Jack inside, and Beth to rescue Blake. She could see Reid in the living room through the glass patio doors, performing magic tricks for a small group of enthralled children. JJ was making her way around the crowd, thanking her guests for coming.
That just left Rossi unaccounted for. Sandy was, however, visible, so she wasn't terribly concerned about him. A glass of wine suddenly appeared in her line of sight and she smiled at the man holding it. "I'm assuming that means the bar is officially open?"
He smiled at her as she took the glass and sipped its contents. "Finally, yes." He took a sip of his own drink before tilting the glass at her. "I didn't have a chance to tell you earlier, you look amazing. Been shopping in Paris?"
She fought the blush she felt heating her neck and ears. "Thanks, and sort of. French boutique in London. You don't clean up too bad yourself."
"Someone has got to keep that woman away from me!" Morgan pushed himself between them, a look of desperation on his face.
"Don't look at us. We're relieved she has someone else to focus on for a while." Rossi grinned as he took a long sip of his scotch.
Morgan shot him a glare then looked back at Emily. "Please, Em. I'm begging you. Do something!"
She shook her head and shrugged. "Not much help I can give you. She's tormenting me too, remember? The only way to save us both is for one of us to manage to convince her that we're off the market."
Morgan's eyes lit up. "Now we're talking." He spun around and scanned the crowd a moment before pushing through it. "Baby Girl!"
Rossi's low chuckle was infectious. "Oh, you're good. Two birds with one stone?"
Emily drained her wine glass and smiled innocently. "Whatever are you talking about? Just because getting Morgan to save my ass may just result in he and Garcia finally hooking up doesn't mean I planned it."
They chuckled together for a moment before the music started. Couples drifted onto the dance floor and Rossi took her glass, setting it and his on the table next to her clutch. "Come on." He took her hand and led her to the floor, pulling her into his arms. "So, now that you've solved your little problem, do you have any ideas for mine?"
She allowed herself to relax against his touch as he steered them around in time to the music. "You could always pretend to be involved with Blake."
He rolled her eyes. "And make it a game for her? We're going to have to do better than that."
They danced quietly through the remainder of the song, both thinking. Unfortunately, neither had managed to come up with an idea before they left the dance floor. As they returned to the table where they'd set their empty glasses, Emily retrieved her clutch, pulling her cell phone out. She checked the screen and was relieved that she still had no calls, texts, or emails.
"If you've got to be chained to that thing, let me hang on to it for you. I can go stash your bag inside. That way you don't have to keep track of it." When she nodded, the plucked both phone and clutch from her hands, dropping the former in his pocket. "Want to go find us refills while I run this in to my study?"
"Sure." They parted and she crossed the yard to the patio where the bar was positioned. She waited in the short line, her mind still on Rossi's predicament.
"Oh there you are, Emily!"
She fought a groan as she turned to smile at the older woman. "Sandy! Hi. Enjoying yourself?"
"I am. But, dear, why didn't you tell me that Agent Morgan and Ms. Garcia are an item? I feel foolish."
Emily bit back a laugh and feigned innocence. "Oh? Are they? With all the craziness yesterday I hadn't gotten the chance to catch up with everyone. Good for them!"
"Yes, yes. But what to do about you?"
Emily chose not to answer, ordering her drinks instead. Once she'd received the glasses, she turned to move back to the table she'd separated from Rossi at. Unfortunately, the other woman collected her own drink quickly and followed. "I mean, surely, there must be someone you've got your eye on. In London perhaps?"
"Yes, Emily, is there someone in London?" She spun to face him as he reached to take his glass, glaring at him for all she was worth.
Before she could give him a piece of her mind, her phone rang in his pocket. He quickly fished it out and handed it to her. She glanced at the display. "Clyde." She'd been answering the call as she issued the explanation.
She set her wine glass on the table and moved away, trying to find a quieter space. "Hello?"
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When she returned to the table, Rossi handed her the glass of wine and took her phone. Unfortunately for Emily, Sandy was still there as well, standing dangerously close to him. "So, who's Clyde? Mr. London, perhaps?"
"He's her boss. And kind of an ass." Rossi's voice sounded gruff, almost hostile.
She shot him a glare. "An ass, maybe, but one who has just personally guaranteed that my vacation won't be disturbed again. He's on his way to London to take over for me for the week." She looked back to Sandy. "And he's definitely not 'Mr. London', except maybe in his dreams."
"Well why not dear? I mean, if he's interested. Unless there's someone else?"
It was Rossi who snapped. "There is no 'Mr. London'. She's a complicated woman with an insane job and a tough shell to crack. Most men don't have the stones for it and Clyde Easter is definitely not up to the task."
As shock spread on the older woman's face, Emily got an idea. She just hoped that he would understand what she was doing. She leaned into him and lowered her voice, giving it the notion of being conspiratorial. "Besides, who needs a 'Mr. London' when I have 'Mr. Quantico' right here?"
Shock turned to bewilderment as the woman stuttered. "You…and he…you're…"
Emily was relieved as Rossi's arm came around her waist. "Guess the cat's out of the bag. But you'll understand if we ask you to keep this under wraps?"
Sandy's face had gone noticeably pale. "Yes, yes. Of course. Now, if you'll excuse me…" She wandered off without waiting for a response.
As soon as she was out of earshot, Emily let loose the laughter welling inside of her. Rossi quickly joined her. "That was brilliant!"
She pressed against his side as she giggled. "Wasn't it? Did you see her face? Priceless."
"Wish I'd gotten a picture. Thank you for saving me."
She slipped out of his embrace as she got her giggles under control. "Just remember, now, you owe me."
He threw back the rest of his drink. "Anything you want. Name it."
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AN: So that wasn't as long as I was expecting because it was longer than I expected. I didn't mean to have the party be so in depth but it just happened, so what was going to be the second part of this chapter will now be the next chapter. And for the record, it's now 5:15am. I guess I'm not sleeping at all.