Monday, January 31, 2012- Quantico

Two days after returning from Helena, Aaron and I have our first therapy session together.

Over the weekend, I had time to get my worries out before the therapy. I had a dream the night before that was weird- Aaron and I were dancing around the same banquet hall that the Graduate's ball had been in last December. The dream went perfectly well until the very end where Aaron and everyone else at the ball all of a suddenly leave me. I took it as a possible omen of things not working out the way that I want it to go.

That morning, I arrive at therapy twenty minutes early out of nervousness. I had to check in with Dave before returning to the familiar psych office on the other side of the city. Neha's secretary greets me as usual- she's a skinny blonde woman that quietly judges every patient that walks to door. Behind a fake smile, she always gives me the Oh-she's –a- crazy- broken- hearted- jealous- woman look in her eyes every time I walk in for a session.

I'm signing in when Aaron walks into the office. Neha's secretary suddenly sits up straight and fixes her hair. The sight of him and the secretary's behavior here makes me a whole lot less anxious than I was before. Aaron signs in and gives me a warm smile.

"Emily, good morning," He greets me. We don't get to sit down as Neha opens her door to allow a patient to walk out of her office room. Neha quickly walks the patient over to the front door before turning to us.

"Aaron, it's a pleasure to finally meet you," Neha greets Aaron and they shake hands. "I'm so glad that you've agreed to start sessions here."

"Me too," Aaron replies, "Thank you for having me."

"Of course." Neha takes note of the discomfort on my face and decides to ignore it. She beckons us into her office where Aaron and I sit a large dark blue couch and Neha sits in her chair. Like I had, Aaron observes the trinkets on Neha's desk and the bright and warm colors that are coming from the walls. Neha brushes down her skirt after sitting down.

"So to start off- tell me a little about yourself," Neha says to Aaron.

"Well, I've worked with Emily for almost seven years now and it's been wonderful," Aaron says with a smile. Neha scribbles something down and then places the pad on her desk.

"Aaron, you're a profiler which means you can read people's behavior, right?"

Aaron's smile falters. "Yes."

"And as a psychiatrist, I'm also able to read people's behavior. So with us both having the ability to read people and see when they're scared, nervous, lying, or hiding behind something, what do you think I'm going to say about your response to my question?"

Aaron sighs and mutters, "That my response was too….professional. A better response would be that I've ….."

Aaron trails off and glances towards the window. It's weird seeing him like this, at a loss for words. Neha takes her pad and starts scribbling down more notes. When she's done, she looks up at us and asks, "How did you two meet?"

The question gets two different reactions from us- Aaron shifts uncomfortably in his seat and I scoff. Neha's eyes flicker between us as she comments, "I'm guessing it didn't go well."

I smile and say, "Well, our first meeting was interesting. How can I say this..."

"I was an ass to you," Aaron finishes for me. He flashes his puppy eyes at me, "I'm so sorry for that."

"How was he an ass?" Neha asks me.

"He didn't want me on the team. On my first day, I showed up, he said that there was a mistake in me being put on the team, left without letting me on to go on a case and then still didn't really want me on the team after he came back." I think back to feeling like an unwanted child on my first day official day working at the BAU. "He and an older senior member Jason Gideon didn't make me feel wanted for a while."

Neha looks me straight in the eye. "So when did you feel like he trusted you?"

October 2007

I'm sitting at the Hilton Sky Bar in Chicago, Illinois. I'm alone, swirling a cup of scotch to drown the outcomes of the crappy case that the team- sorry, the remains of our team has just finished. Our team of Aaron, Spencer, Derek, JJ, and I had barely made it in catching the UNSUB that's been setting off explosives throughout downtown Chicago all week.

I'm blaming myself for the last explosion where twelve people had been critically injured. It didn't need to happen- I had suggested to Aaron that we go to the press and shut down the public's perception of this man being unstoppable. Aaron, who wanted to spend time just polishing the profile, had chosen to reprimand me for questioning his judgment. Two hours later, the UNSUB called in to a news station and decided to live up to his name of being Chicago's first bomber by blowing up a car on LaSalle Street.

"May I join you?"

I look up from my drink to see Aaron standing next to me. He's still in his suit and tie and looks like hell. As I'm in the middle of my fourth glass of scotch, I feel like telling him off for not even considering my suggestion.

"JJ said that you were really upset over the case so I came to check on you," Aaron states.

I reply harshly, "I've been upset over many cases and you've never checked on me before. What makes this any different?"

Aaron sits down and orders a scotch from the bartender. When he gets his drink, the Unit Chief turns to me and says, "Ok. Let me hear it."

"Hear what?"

"You were right, Emily, and I was wrong. It's been a hell of a few months and I know I haven't really been a good person to you. So, I want to hear everything that you're feeling."

I push my drink away and turn to him. "Fine. You trust JJ, Spencer, Penelope, and Derek with your life. If they had my suggestion about the case, you probably would have listened instead of cutting me off! It's been a year, Hotch- what is your problem with me?"

"I don't trust people very well," Aaron says, "And you can ask the others if you don't believe me. It's something that I've struggled with in the past and I'm sorry that I hurt you. Can we start over?"

I see a genuine look of apology on his face. "I guess."

Aaron extends his hand out to me. I stare at his hand suspiciously before asking him, "What are you doing?"

"Starting over. Hi, my name is Aaron Hotchner."

I chuckle and shake his hand. "Emily Prentiss. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Present Day

"I should have stepped up, "Aaron says when I finish telling the story. Neha, who had been jotting down notes on the story, places her pad on the table again.

"Now, now, now," Neha interrupts. "Our goal isn't to figure out who was at fault. Our goal is to work together at rebuilding the trust between you both, ok?"

Aaron and I both nod in agreement.

Neha smiles. "Good. So for next week, we're going to talk about the support systems in your lives. I know that your team and Ambassador Prentiss will be involved. Anyone else?"

I expect Aaron to mention only Jessica, his sister in law, but then he brings up someone I didn't expect.

"My sister in law, my fiancée-"

"Your what?" I exclaim in disbelief. "You and Beth are still together?"