Later that week…

Aaron Hotchner just had a feeling that he was going to have a bad day. Emily hadn't seemed her usual happy self all morning and before he had chance to question her on it, Erin Strauss had decided to park herself in his office.

The unexpected meeting seemed to drag on forever and Aaron had at first been overjoyed by the intruding knock that came to his office door, unaware of the conversation that was about to unfold.

Without waiting for an invite, Emily Prentiss entered her supervisor's office after knocking.

"Sir, I'm so sorry to interrupt but I'm afraid this can't wait." Emily spoke firmly as she stepped into the room, not waiting for either of her superiors to respond before she continued. "I'm handing in my letter of resignation from the BAU, effective immediately."

Hotch's eyes widened to the size of saucers and his jaw nearly hit the floor. "Prentiss…"

"Please don't try to talk me out of it, Sir. I've made up my mind." She offered him a teary eyed smile. "It's been a pleasure working with you, Agent Hotchner." Admittedly that hadn't always been the case, but in recent months it was true. "This team is very lucky to have you." She added and the way her gaze shifted to Erin Strauss for a split second didn't go unnoticed by the unit chief.

What has she done? Aaron wanted to demand answers from the bitch, but refrained for the time being. "Prentiss, I think that's a mistake."

Before the brunette had chance to say anything in response, JJ poked her head around his office door and announced that they had a case and were needed in the conference room.

The Section Chief made it clear that she wasn't happy about having her conversation cut short, but agreed to reschedule at a later date, before excusing herself from the office, casting a curious glance in Emily's direction as she left.

"Emily…"

"I'm sorry Hotch. I can't do this right now. I have to go." Before giving him a chance to question her on her unexpected life-changing decision, the female profiler ran from his office and quickly grabbed some things from her desk, before she fled the bullpen.

All Hotch could do was stand staring in shock for a moment, before in a daze, he made his way to the conference room, finding the rest of his team sat waiting for him.

"What's the case?" He questioned to nobody in particular, his gaze fixed on the door, as if expecting her to walk back in at any moment and say it was all just a joke.

The communications liaison handed him a file, before asking. "Shouldn't we wait for Emily?"

"She quit." He spoke out quietly.

"What!?" Rossi, Morgan, JJ and Reid shouted out in unison.

"Why?" JJ was the first to inquire.

"I don't know." Hotch answered, glancing around at his teammates. He had been hoping one of them may have had some answers.

"What did you do this time, Aaron?" Dave questioned, accusingly, glaring up at his friend.

"Nothing. I…"

"Come on, man." Morgan interrupted angrily. "Everyone can see that there's been something going on between the two of you. Were you guys romantically involved? Did it end badly?"

"No." Hotch shifted his confused gaze between his co-workers. He couldn't believe they all thought that this was his fault. Although given his past mistakes, he knew he shouldn't have been all that surprised. "We're not dating, nor have we been. I don't know why Emily handed in her notice this morning, but I assure you, I had nothing to do with it. I think Strauss may be involved."

A brief silence filled the room, before Dave asked the question everybody was thinking."Why would Erin want Emily off our team?"

"I don't know, but I have every intention of finding out." After quickly glancing threw the file in his hands, Hotch handed the papers back to JJ. "You take over here and I'll catch up on the plane. Wheels up in two hours."

"Where are you going?" Reid asked from his seat.

"I'm going to get her back."


Emily let out a long sigh as she took in the sight of her boss, correction, her former boss through the peephole. She opened the door and he immediately strode passed her into the apartment. She should have known he wouldn't let it go that easily. The female agent closed the door before turning to face him. "Hotch, what are you doing here?"

"We have a case. You weren't at the briefing." He spoke matter of factly.

"I quit." Emily rolled her eyes at the man stood before her. Why did he have to come here? Why did he have to make this even more difficult than it already was?

"Your resignation is still held up in the system, so technically, you're in derelict of duty."

The female huffed out in annoyance. "So what are you going to do about it, Hotch, fire me?"

"What has Strauss got on you?"

"I'm sorry…?"

"Emily you fought to keep this job for months while I treated you like shit. You put up with ten months of being made to feel unwanted and unappreciated, because this job is important to you. If it wasn't you would have handed your notice in a couple of months after you started."

"How is that relevant now?"

"It's relevant because you've fought to keep your position for so long, why give up now? It doesn't make sense. Tell me what she's done and I will help you fight it. If she's blackmailing you, you can't let her get away with it. What dirt does she have on you?"

"She doesn't have anything on me."

Her change in tone on the word 'me' told Hotch all he needed to know. "She's after dirt on me." He announced out loud, more to himself than Emily.

"I told you, not long after I started working for you, I hate politics." Emily shook her head at the situation. "Looks like you were right all along, my arrival at the BAU was too good to be true. She put me on your team as a favour and now she expects something in return and with her connections if I don't do what she asks of me, she can make me un-hireable in my field. Walking away on my own terms is the only way we can protect your career and I can still get another job doing what I want to do. I refuse to whisper in her ear, but she can ruin me, Hotch. I can't let that happen."

"No. She can't get away with this." Hotch could feel the rage flooding within him. Erin Strauss had always been a pain in his ass, but she had always, at the very least, had the decency to stay away from his team and just pick on him. Coming after Emily was going too far and he wouldn't allow it. He couldn't allow it. "I will fight tooth and nail to keep both of our careers. Strauss has many political connections, yes, but so do I. You put up with so much from me when you first joined this team. Please don't give up so easily now."

"I have to."

"No you don't. Come back to us, Emily. Come back to me."

There was long pause while Emily thought over everything he was saying, before she spoke again. "I don't know, Hotch…"

"Emily, please."

"What if I told you, we could happen now?" She asked him, taking a step closer.

"Excuse me?" The male agent's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"We could give a relationship a shot. I've tried, but I honestly can't ever see myself giving it a go while we work together. That's why my feelings are all over the place. I want to try, but I can't do it, not while we're colleagues. But if we don't work together anymore, Aaron. There's nothing else stopping us."

Hotch froze before her. He could have Emily Prentiss as his own, the woman he had lusted after for over a year and a half. She was telling him right there and then that if she came back to work for him, they would most likely never stand a chance of having a romantic relationship. But if he let her go, let her give up on the job she loved, they could try. "No."

"I'm sorry…?"

"Emily, I'm falling for you and I want to have you by my side for the rest of my life. I want you, you know that. But if working together means that all I can ever have from you is friendship, then friendship is what I will take. I can live without you romantically, but I can't live without you on our team. You belong in the BAU and everybody on the team loves you, Emily. We're a family and I know how much this job means to you. I won't let you give up on your career for mine."

"Aaron…"

"Please, let me worry about Strauss. She's not as untouchable as you think and I won't let her do this to you." He promised, taking a step closer to the other profiler, gazing intensely into her brown eyes. "Emily, I want you on that plane with me. I need..."

He was cut off as a pair of soft lips pressed gently against his own. Hotch stood frozen in shock and before he had a chance to respond to the unexpected kiss, she had pulled away from him.

"What was that for?" He asked, incredulously.

"Well… kissing you is not going to be appropriate behaviour when we're working together again, so I thought I'd take my chance to do that while you're not officially my boss." She smirked cheekily at him.

He grinned from ear to ear. "That means you're coming back to the team?"

"Yes. I…"

This time it was Emily who was silenced, as Hotch wrapped a hand around the back of her neck and forced their lips together. Unlike the sweet kiss Emily had offered up, this one was heated. The male profiler wasted no time pushing his tongue into Emily's mouth as she gasped at the contact. He kissed her passionately and desperately, reveling in the fact that she didn't hesitate to kiss him back with equal amounts of passion and desperation.

"What was that for?" She repeated his earlier question, when they finally broke apart.

"You told me that if we're working together we most likely wouldn't have a chance at a romantic relationship. Like yourself, I'm taking advantage of a situation where I'm not your supervisor. Problem?"

"No." She beamed. "No problem at all."

The female agent grabbed hold of the man's tie, harshly using it to pull him forward, before sealing their mouths together again. Her tongue lightly brushed against his bottom lip and he gladly parted his lips allowing her entrance.

Aaron found his hands wrapping around her waist, eagerly forcing their bodies flush against one another as they continued to make out. The pair shared tender kisses for a few moments longer, before Hotch found himself checking his watch, frowning as he noticed the time.

"We have to go. We have a case."He announced, resting his forehead against hers.

Emily let out a small snicker. "Wow, you really know how to talk dirty to a girl."

He smirked and pressed one more, gentle kiss to her swollen lips, then another to her forehead, before reluctantly stepping back from the beautiful brunette.

Emily sighed. "You know this can't happen again. Not once we're officially back to being co-workers." She told him.

"Okay." Hotch continued smirking and rolled his eyes, before leaning down and pressing a chaste kiss to her lips.

"I mean it." Emily chuckled and lightly smacked the male's chest.

"Whatever you say, Agent Prentiss." The man spoke out sarcastically.

"Aaron!" The female profiler couldn't contain her laughter, despite meaning what she was saying. "I'm being serious."

The male agent nodded. "Fair enough. No more kissing. As long as you promise not to quit again, I can live with that rule." He offered her a small smile, before adding confidently with a wink. "When you change your mind though, I'll be eagerly waiting."