Prentiss

Hotch and I had argued about whether I would be returning straight away or not. It was heated and intense, but it was cut short by a case and he wouldn't take me off it. It was brunette women being raped and murdered. They needed me.

It was our first night here in Portland, Oregon, and we had gotten to the hotel after dinner together about a half hour ago. I was sharing a room with JJ, so Hotch wouldn't come to my room to argue again. I wasn't planning on going to his, but when I was sitting on the bed in my room and JJ was in the shower, I felt guilty. Too guilty to ignore it. I knocked on the bathroom door and opened it ajar, "Hey, I'm going out for a while."

"Okay. Please be careful." She replied. I closed the door and walked out of the room and to the next one where Hotch was staying. I took a breath and knocked on his door. It opened within a few seconds and he looked shocked to see me there.

"Emily…"

I looked down, "My mother always told me that I should never go to bed angry. I never followed that until now."

He nodded and stepped to the side. I walked in and he closed the door behind me. "Coffee?"

"Yes please." I smiled and sat down at the table. I looked around the room quietly, thinking about what to say. He placed a coffee mug in front of me and sat down across from me with his own.

I laughed to myself quietly, "Wow, our first fight." He snickered. "Aaron—" A knock on the door interrupted me. I stopped and looked down at the coffee, sipping it silently as he stood up and walked to the door. I heard he and Rossi talk briefly before Hotch thanked him and closed the door again. He sat back down and put a file down beside him.

"Sorry."

"Look, I don't like arguing," I shook my head, "I've lost people in the past who I was closer to and I'll lose people in the future that I'll be closer to. She was my mother, but I also didn't know her. The women we're finding justice for, and the women we'll be saving, are so much more important than my grief."

"In order to help these women, you need to be at your best."

"And I am. If anything, I'm more determined to help them. I know that you and the rest of the team are expecting me to react, to be affected, but I feel fine. I'm really not as bad as you all seem to think."

"I need to be certain that you can work efficiently."

"Well how do you want me to prove that to you? Because I don't know what you want." I shook my head.

He looked down at the coffee mug in his hands and nodded, "I guess I don't really know what I expect you to do…"

I snickered, "Well that doesn't happen often."

He smiled and looked up to my eyes, "I'm not going to try and take you off this case, we need you, but I want you to see your therapist again when we get back to Virginia. Even if it's just once, I need it to be done."

"So one appointment, that's all I need to do and then you'll forget about it?"

His eyebrows furrowed, "I'm not going to forget about it, Emily. It's affected you, there is no way I would forget, but I will let you work unquestioned again."

I nodded, "Thank you." I sipped the coffee and spun the mug around on the table in my hands. "So lunch on Friday in Italy…that was interesting."

"JJ was horrified at the idea…"

"Yeah," I nodded in agreement, "It just makes me wonder what will happen if they do find out."

"They'll find out eventually, we know that. Will their reactions be important to you?"

I looked him in the eyes and shook my head, "No. Well, yes…but it won't change my mind on anything. If they're positive, great. Is their neutral, I'll be a bit worried. If they're negative, I might be a little irritated but it's not their concern or their place to interfere."

"I don't think any of their reactions would be even close to Dave's."

"Well, he's seen a lot. We couldn't be the most unbelievable couple that he knows."

I stood with my legs slightly apart and my arms out from my sides. Two women circled me, dressed me and taped a wire to my chest. The whole team was in the room with me, Garcia on a web call, telling me details I'd need to remember undercover. I had to change in front of them several times and each time, Garcia and JJ would make jokes about how awkward this must have been to change in front of the four men of our team. Morgan would joke about whether my "booty call boyfriend" would care that I was in a bra in front of them or not.

Rossi listed a few key points of things I needed to say and a list of key points that I needed to refrain from saying. I was meeting the unsub at a bar. He chose the bar, and I was right in thinking that he'd choose the same one that he drugged his other victims in. Morgan and JJ would be posing as a couple inside the same bar, and Rossi would be by himself inside. Reid and Hotch would be outside in a van, looking at the security cameras, the camera that JJ will have hooked onto her bag, listening to the wire on my chest and listening and speaking to the others through their earpieces. I had to wear my hair out to cover my earpiece.

I was posing as a rich woman; he was drawn to the ones with money. We figured that he'd find me irresistible if I were rich, and not just doing well.

"Alright, are you ready?" JJ asked me quietly. She, Morgan and Rossi were all already dressed to suit the occasion.

"This is the most uncomfortable dress I've worn in my life." I complained as I walked out with my team.

"Oh, well maybe you should have brought the one that mystery man gave to you." She smirked at my side.

I rolled my eyes, "You'll meet him one day, Jayje. He won't always be "mystery man"."

"Focus on the case, please." Rossi said quietly. I smiled at him appreciatively.

We reached the cars and I gasped, "Oh, and the dress is worth it. I think I'm in love." It was a 2005 Infiniti G35 coupe, coloured black. It was so pretty.

"Wow…" JJ said as she looked through the open window.

"This is the only thing that makes me happy about this." I said quietly, circling the car I'd be driving.

"We need to go…" Morgan reminded.

I looked at Hotch as I leant on the car and put my hands under my chin, "Can I keep him?"

"You can buy one after the case."

"…Can I test the top speed first before I decide if I buy one or not?"

"We're on a case!" Reid laughed at me.

"I'm sure he'll understand if I'm late…" I smiled convincing at Hotch. He shook his head with a hard face. "Afterwards?" I asked hopefully.

Hotch looked at the cop that was accompanying him and Reid in the back of the truck with all the cameras. That cop had supplied the car. He shrugged his shoulders at him.

"We'll see how it goes." Rossi nodded.

"Do not test that speed without me in there with you." JJ said.

I grinned, "I solemnly swear that I will wait until you are beside me."

She nodded and walked towards where Morgan and Rossi were going, "It's so pretty." She said to herself quietly. She looked at me, "Good luck. Remember, when you leave the bar with him, do not go down the alley."

I nodded and she turned and walked to the SUV. The local cop walked to the small truck that contained the computers and camera screens. Hotch looked at Reid and he got the message. He turned and walked to the truck. I looked at Hotch and he took a few steps towards me.

"Are they watching?"

I looked over his shoulder subtly before looking back at him and nodding, "Yeah, they're not even in the car."

He sighed and looked down, "If the plan doesn't work how it's supposed to, get out. Morgan, Dave and JJ will be right there to back you up, but don't pull your gun on him. There will be too many people around."

"I know, Hotch." I said quietly.

"And when you leave with him, if you take a step down that alley, I will be furious with you."

I laughed lightly, "The only reason I would be walking down there would be because he's too strong for me to fight back, so I won't go down there."

He fought the small smile nodded, "Good luck." He turned but I grabbed his arm.

"Wait, what do I say to tell you all that we're leaving, again?"

"You'll need time for the other three to get out before you so that it doesn't look suspicious at all. Make sure you always have some drink left so that when he proposes leaving, you can stall so that the others can leave first. Just say something along the lines of "sure, just let me finish my drink first" or something. When I hear something like that, I'll tell the others to leave."

I nodded, "Okay."

"You're nervous?"

"He rapes and murders middle aged brunette women with money." I said quietly.

He nodded, "If you decide that you can't stay calm during this, excuse yourself to the bathroom, tell me, and I'll call you when you reach the table again. You can claim it's an emergency and that you need to leave."

"…But we need to catch him."

"Emily, we're not going to get him if you're not comfortable and calm in there. We'll have another chance if your reason for leaving isn't suspicious," He looked at his watch, "We need to go now or we'll be late."

I nodded and took a breath. He gave me the keys to the car I'd be driving and I smiled. He wished me luck again before running to the truck. I walked around the car and opened the door. I glanced over to the SUV where JJ was still watching me. I smirked and stepped in. I turned the ignition and waited for the truck to pull out of the lot first, then the SUV, and then I waited a few minutes before pulling out and driving to the bar.

When I reached the corner, I looked around for the truck where Hotch would be. It was just down the road, around a corner. It wasn't out of sight of the bar but it wasn't suspicious. I could see the SUV in the lot. I pulled in and stepped out of the car. I threw the keys into my clutch and looked around. I walked around towards the front of the bar.

"Keep yourself calm, Prentiss. He has no reason to think you're an agent. Just pretend you're on a normal date." Hotch spoke to me though the earpiece. I took a deep breath and stopped outside the door.

"Can you hear me?" I tested the wire.

"Yeah." Reid confirmed.

"Good luck, pumpkin." I heard Garcia's voice. She must have been on the phone to them, probably helping set things up.

"Thanks Pen." I said quietly. I walked through the doors to the bar.

"So, what do you do for a living?" He asked. He was attractive. Tan skin, dark hair, a stubble. His eyes were a light brown and he was tall and well dressed. His hair was short and looked a bit messy.

"I'm a shareholder in several large businesses," I lied, "But most of my money is inherited. Only child," I shrugged my shoulders. I sat forwards and leant my arms on the table, "What about you?"

"I help people." He nodded.

I smiled, "How so?"

"Well, I help women. There's always something they need, and most of the time, it's something only a real man can give them."

I nodded, "Well, that's very nice of you." We had already been here for quite a while, approximately two hours.

"Do you want to get out of here?" He asked, sitting forwards.

I smiled, "Yeah, just let me finish my drink first." I said as I lifted the glass and sipped it. As soon as I had said it, I heard Hotch through the earpiece, telling JJ, Morgan and Rossi to leave.

Rossi was sitting behind the unsub, I could see him. He drank back his drink and glanced at me as he stood and walked out. A few seconds later, I saw JJ and Morgan walk past us and out the door, their hands linked to make it seem a lot more believable.

A few minutes past as he talked to me and I smiled and nodded, drinking my drink slowly. "Alright Emily." Hotch said quietly. He never called me Emily at work or anywhere that wasn't in one of our houses together or on the date we had gone on, or if I was upset.

I drank the rest of the drink and smiled at him. He stood up and I followed him, standing and grabbing my clutch. There was an alley down the side of the bar opposite to the parking lot. He held my hand as he walked out and he turned to the right.

"Uh…I've got my car here." I said quietly.

"We can pick it up later; I don't live far." His hand tightened on mine and I took a silent, deep breath. We kept walking and for a second, I thought he was going to just walk straight past the alley, but at the last minute, he ran to the side and yanked me with him forcefully.

I tried to stop him from pulling me down there but he was so much stronger than I originally thought he was. He pushed me against the wall hard and his hand was around my throat. "We're coming! Hold on!" I heard Hotch tell me through the earpiece.

I couldn't breathe, I tried to pry his hand away but it was too tight. He threw me onto the ground and smirked at me as he stood over me. He undid his belt and I tried to pull myself away, still trying to get some air into my lungs.

"Jason Waller! Step away from her!" I heard Morgan yell. I coughed and tried to pull myself up but he pushed me back down with his foot.

"Jason, we won't ask you again," It was Rossi this time, "Step away and put your hands up."

I looked up at him and saw him pull a gun out. He went to turn towards Hotch, who was standing the closest. "Gun!" I grabbed his gun and pointed it away from anyone, over my head. It shot and I kneed him in the crotch. Morgan ran over with is gun ready and rolled him over onto his stomach. He cuffed him and Hotch held his hand out to me. I took it and he pulled me up.

"You okay?"

I nodded, "Yeah, thanks." I looked to my left where Morgan had the guy standing against the wall.

"I should have seen it; you're nothing but a useless FBI agent, and you can't be that good if I got to you this easily."

"Shut up." Morgan pushed him hard against the wall. He winced.

I walked up to him and kept a safe distance, "You're going to hell."

He lunged towards me but Morgan held him back and Hotch pulled me backwards towards him. Rossi walked to me and hung his coat over my shoulders; it was cold out and I was only wearing a dress.

"What do you get out of raping and killing these women?" I shook my head.

"It's more about what they get. I help them."

"You help them? You destroyed them!"

"Emily," Hotch scolded lightly, "JJ, take her to the car."

JJ walked over and pulled my arm lightly to make me follow her. We went to the coupe I had driven here. I sat behind the wheel and she sat in the passenger seat. It was silent for a few seconds before she grabbed my clutch from beside me and opened it. She held the keys out to me, "You want to test the speed?"

I stared at her for a few seconds before my lips curled into a smirk and I took the keys. "Hotch is going to kill me," I said quietly, "But you only live once…" I turned the key and started the car. JJ and I both put the seatbelts around us and she smirked at me.

"Let's go."