When Aaron Met Emily
Chapter 7 – Not-so-peaceful Talks
By some higher grace, Emily and Aaron did not run into each other until the next day. They were a lot more hostile with muttered snide comments and backhanded insults. Neither one actually understood why the other was so mad but they did not really care because they themselves were mad anyway. Finally it was Norma who had had enough when she caught them bickering over who bumped into who in a chance passing in the hall. The older woman marched forward, caught them both by their ears and hauled them into a random spare room.
"This has gone on for long enough," She huffed. She made them stand in front of her and with her hands on her hips, she paced in front of them. "I told you two to begin acting like mature adults and I meant it! The gala is tomorrow and I, nor Mrs. Prentiss, will tolerate you behaving like overgrown children." She stopped before Aaron, "You're here for our security, but you seem to be more concerned with protecting your toast! And you!" She rounded on Emily. "For such an educated girl, you lose all your common sense whenever he's concerned. Now I don't care how you do it or how long it takes, you're not leaving this room until you've sorted out your differences!" Norma stormed out and very audibly locked the door behind her.
"You know what?" JJ smiled. "I could see us doing the very same thing."
"Comforting," Hotch made a face.
The two enemies were left awestruck but the older woman's actions. All the fight had been drained from them. "Did she seriously just lock us in?" Aaron stared at the door dumbfounded.
"Yep," Emily huffed and whirled around to plop on the bed. "And don't bother trying the door, it won't open."
"What kind of bedroom door can't be opened from the inside?"
"Didn't my mother tell you?" Emily raised an eyebrow, Aaron shook head. "It's an extra security measure she put in place since we're not here all the time. There are actually two locks on the door, the regular main one that can be opened or closed from either side, and then a master one that can only be accessed from the outside with a special key. That way, when we lock the doors after we leave, even if someone managed to break in through one of the rooms they wouldn't be able to access the rest of the house nor could they get in through the front door without tripping the alarm. Both locks share the same deadbolt so you can't tell there is a second one."
"Huh, maybe Norma didn't use the master." Aaron walked over and tried but true to Emily's word it didn't budge.
"Told you," Emily fell back on the mattress. "I'm the one who suggested it after all."
"You did?"
"Yep, I had read about companies doing something similar for important rooms and offices. I may not come home often or care very much for the upper-class social side-effect of my mother's work but I certainly don't want my family to be robbed."
"You know this is most civil conversation we've ever had."
"That's because we haven't got anything to fight about…yet."
"Yet," Aaron echoed. They were quiet for moment then he asked, "How long do you think she'll keep us in here?"
"Knowing Norma? Probably half an hour if she feeling generous, an hour if she's really irritated."
"Which means we won't be getting out here for another three days," Aaron muttered pacing until he heard a barely concealed snicker. "Did you just laugh?"
"Don't let it get to your head," Emily stared at the ceiling. "Good humour is hard to find around this place."
"Was that a compliment?"
"Hardly, I was dying for some comedy. You could have told me a bartender joke and I would've laughed."
The corner of Aaron's mouth lifted ever so slightly, "A horse walks into a bar and the bartender asks, 'Why the long face'?" Emily bit down her lip to keep from making a sound but Aaron knew she was amused. "I guess I'm not so bad after all."
"That doesn't mean I like you," Emily asserted though her tone lacked all conviction. "A couple of jokes don't change the fact that you're arrogant, rude, self-important, and quite frankly a dick to be around. Besides, you made me get a stomach ache yesterday."
"Excuse me? I gave you a stomach ache?! And how exactly did I do that?"
Emily cackled, "I love how you don't even try to deny the rest of that statement."
"I'm getting there," Aaron promised. "For now, get back to stomach ache."
"All that trudging around the garden, making noise with the bushes and whatever. I went swimming just to drown you out and my stomach still had food in it so I got sick – THANKS TO YOU!"
"You could have said something."
"Yeah right! Since when were you interested in doing me any favours?"
"Well you got your revenge anyway. Because of all the noise from your swimming, I tried to focus on my work but wasn't careful in the gardens and ended up aggravating my pollen allergy. Both of us were sick yesterday."
"Oh," Emily frowned. "I guess what they say about hatred being bad for your health isn't just talk."
"No I guess not," Aaron shrugged.
"Did you just agree with me?" Emily asked with a growing smile.
"Don't let it go to your head brat," although Aaron's voice didn't have half the hostility it normally did.
Emily got up, "Norma is right. Regardless of whether we're friends or not, we do have to maintain decorum at the gala tomorrow. We can't keep going like we have or we'll end up embarrassing ourselves."
"Are you calling a truce?" Aaron looked her skeptically.
"I'm thinking more of a polite deal, we both agree to let bygones be bygones and promise to be nicer to each other."
"Sounds like a truce to me."
"We weren't at war Agent Hotchner, no need to sensationalize. This is a civil deal between two adults, take it or leave it," Emily extended her hand.
Aaron deliberated for all of a minute, "Done." They shook hands. "My wife Hayley will be disappointed. She's coming for the gala tomorrow and wanted to see us in action."
"I'm sure Norma will give her a full recap."
"Which she did," Hotch filled in. "Hayley always claimed her ribs hurt after hearing all the details of what happened at that house."
"Yay you two finally made up," Penelope cheered.
Hotch and Emily shared a melancholy look. Em sighed, "Yeah we did, just in time to say goodbye."