Sorry for the late update! Here's the continuation from the last chapter. Read and review, they feed my muse. ;)

Derek looked over to a forlorn Emily typing up a report. Shaking his head, he got up to get a coffee for both him and his Princess and proceeded to place it before her. She raised her head and gave him a distracted smile before going back to her report. Derek rolled his eyes and leaned against her desk, "You going to ignore me forever, Princess?"

Emily huffed and held up a finger as she typed furiously, hitting the last key triumphantly before turning to face her partner. "I'm not ignoring you, Derek. I'm actually working, maybe you should try it out some time." Derek pointed at her, steaming mug in hand, "Down girl, I'm just trying to be nice. No need to snap my head off."

Emily sighed and shrugged, "Sorry Derek. I'm just really tired; I'm not really up for conversation right now." The dark skinned agent plopped himself down in the empty chair before her, for once, face serious as he analyzed the brunette. "Ok, so what's on your mind? Everything all right?" She smiled slightly; as much of a clown Derek was, she could always count on him to step up to the role of her capable best friend and partner.

"I told Hotch I loved him last night." Derek raised a brow, "That's good isn't it? So what did Hotch say?" She winced and shifted, lowering her voice as she shot a half-hearted glare at her lover's office. "Well that's the thing, he didn't say anything. He just said good night and continued working."

Derek shook his head, mentally shaking Hotch till the man woke up. He had this beautiful woman who loved him and his son, who was willing to give everything up for him and he shied away because she said 'I love you'? "Damn, I'm really sorry Princess." Emily patted his hand, "It's all right; I guess I just have to give him some time." She blew out a breath, "Honestly, I can't blame him. Haley and Beth didn't exactly work out for him."

Derek rolled his shoulders, "Yeah, but with you being there for him Em, I'm sure he'll be more than fine. Besides," he shot a wink at her as he stood and stretched, "here he comes now. Try not to kill him Prentiss; I hate the paperwork that comes after." Emily rolled her eyes and smiled, "Thanks Derek." He waved backwards and clapped Hotch's shoulder as the Unit Chief neared Emily's desk. "Anything for you, Princess."

Hotch stared down uncomfortably at Emily, hand scratching his head slightly as he struggled to find the right words. She grinned a little at his discomfort and cleared her throat, "Did you get my letter?" He nodded, his mouth in a tight line, "I did. I think we need to talk. Did you want to get lunch now?" She stood and gathered her purse and tilted her head, "Let's go."

Emily bit her lip as Hotch stirred his black coffee. She hated the silence, hated how it seemed like they had nothing to say to each other. "Aaron? You said we needed to talk." He started, as though he'd forgotten she was there. "I'm sorry, yes." He coughed slightly, irritated at how his courage always seemed to fail him at the most inopportune moments. Emily took pity on him, and she reached out to grab his hand within hers. "Hey, it's ok Aaron. Take your time." Giving him a soft smile, she tugged her hair back away from her face. "I can wait."

The tension in Hotch's eyes bled out and he allowed a dimple to make its appearance. "I honestly don't know why you decided I was good enough for you." She chuckled and winked at him, "The same goes for you Aaron. Now, are we done beating ourselves down?" He rolled his eyes and gave her hand a quick squeeze, "I thought you said you could wait?" Popping a bit of the chocolate chip cookie she ordered, Emily shrugged, mischief bright in her eyes. "Well I would like to be able to finish this very important conversation sometime before we grow old and die." Hotch reached over and stole a bite of the cookie, eliciting a small squeal of protest from his girlfriend. "Well, if you'd stop interrupting me, I might be able to finish before lunch hour is over."

Emily held her hands up in surrender and jokingly gestured for him to continue, "Be my guest."

Hotch grinned a bit, then took a deep breath. "I wasn't angry that you'd said you loved me. I was angry at myself, because I've been such a coward I couldn't even admit my feelings to the woman I loved. I felt like I let you down, like you deserved someone less emotionally challenged." Seeing the protest on her lips, he shook his head, "Let's face it Emily, I'm not the man you go to when you want to have a good cry or when you're looking for grand gestures and declarations of love. I'm just not- Emily! I'm being serious here!"

His brunette counterpart was up in stitches, laughing uncontrollably at the hapless look on his face as he described what he thought she wanted. Seeing a growing pout on his face, which admittedly made him all the more endearing to her, she quickly caught his face within her hands, thumbs brushing his cheekbones fondly. "You silly man, I'm not laughing at you. Did you really think I want those? That I want a man who'd recite poems and sonnets to me, and who had a sensitive heart?" She scratched air quotes at sensitive, the incredulous look in her eyes making Hotch sheepish, scratching the base of his neck. "I thought all women wanted that." Realizing he was quickly losing control over the conversation, he cleared his throat and plowed on, "The point is Emily, I'm not open with how I feel. How long will it be till you get tired of trying to coax how I feel every day, when I don't say 'I love you' back?"

Emily contemplated the man before her, quietly astounded by the fact that he thought she would ever get tired. Of him. Running her hand down his face, she leaned forward a little to kiss his nose, "Aaron, look at me." Satisfied that his gaze was now meeting hers, she smiled. "I know you're not the most expressive man, Aaron. I'm not asking you to change who you are. I don't care if you never do or say anything romantic to me in the entirety of our relationship, you know I don't. You make me feel like I'm loved, like I'm the most loved woman in the whole world. And you know what?" She gave him a look filled with pride and love and he had to resist from falling to his knees and thanking whatever god above that had decided he had done something good in his life to deserve her, "That's all I ever need."

They remained silent for a moment, content to digest what the other had said. Emily had never seen Aaron so vulnerable, so afraid that she couldn't, didn't want to love him that she swore all the more that as long as he let her, she'd love him to the end of the world. Hotch felt his heart soar a little more at the realization that Emily loved him, because he was stoic and closed off and dry. But she also saw the huge, caring (and rather soft) heart nestled somewhere beneath the metal armour, and the little boy still afraid of being rejected of love.

Slowly, the sounds of the café filtered in, and Hotch was surprised to see that they had already been there for an hour. He glanced at his watch and then again at a smiling Emily. She held her hand out to him, as if inviting him to trust in her. This time, he didn't hesitate in taking hold of it, bringing a brilliant smile to the brunette's lips. Emily Prentiss was his Achilles heel, but he knew, even as he entrusted his heart to her, that she'd never break it. She was glad to see him finally take the leap of faith, and for once, in the chaos that was their lives, finally, there was something good and right and real, and they'd both fight to hold on to the goodness that was their love.

This is a state of grace
This is the worthwhile fight
Love is a ruthless game
Unless you play it good and right
These are the hands of fate
You're my Achilles heel
This is the golden age of something good and right and real