Author's Note: I must say, I think this is my favorite chapter of this epic so far. There's not much to say, except...it's prom season! That means angsty dress-shopping (yes, dress-shopping can indeed be angsty!) and time for Aaron to become even more overprotective than he's ever been. He's still the sweet father we all know and love, though. He'll come through in the end. :) Hope you enjoy, and please don't forget to leave me some feedback; I'm dying to know what you think!

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds, otherwise known as the best show in the world. Avery is mine, however! :)

Lyrics are from Drumming Song by Florence + the Machine.


Avery felt like bursting into tears.

Why?

After hours – no, days – of searching, she had found the dress, the one chick flicks and mindless teenage dramas raved about…

…but her father didn't approve.

"But this is the perfect dress!" she exclaimed for what seemed to be the hundredth time.

"Sweetheart," Aaron sighed, struggling to remain patient, "you remember my rules."

"Nothing red, nothing shorter than an inch below my knee, modest neckline –"

"And no slits," he reminded, interrupting his daughter's ramble.

"But Daddy –"

"No, Avery. The slit in this dress goes clear above your knee. That's too much skin," he said sternly. "You're not getting this dress."

She was fuming now. "You are so unfair!"

Cutting in before a full-scale war erupted, Emily placed her hand on Avery's shoulder. "Ave, what about that lavender one you liked a couple pages back? The one with the sweetheart neckline and the black lace on the bottom –"

"I hate it," Avery huffed stubbornly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Oh, sweetheart…"

"It's not the dress I want!" God, when would they understand? she thought to herself.

Aaron flipped through the magazine, eventually reaching the dress Emily had been talking about. "It is very pretty," he agreed. And modest. Modest is good.

"Oh, Dad thinks it's very pretty," Avery scoffed. "Then I guess we have to get it now, don't we? Since it's probably the only one you'll like," she spat, glaring at her father with tears clearly in her eyes.

Her hand now holding Aaron's wrist, Emily turned to the angry teenager. "Avery, stop," she said, her expression hard.

"I don't get it!" Avery wailed, the tears finally breaking free to stream down her rosy cheeks. "Prom is all about finding the perfect dress, which I've found! But sure, I guess Dad can go ahead and pick out whichever dress he likes best. I mean, it's not like I have any interest whatsoever in what I wear. God forbid I –"

Her biting sarcasm finally caused Aaron to snap. "Avery Samantha Hotchner, do not use that tone with me!"

Slamming the magazine down on the ground, Avery forcefully pushed herself off the couch. "I hate you!" she screamed.

Together, Aaron and Emily watched as she bounded up the stairs with red-rimmed eyes and a furious expression. Seconds later, they heard her door slam.

For a long minute, time seemed to freeze. And then, running his hand through his hair, Aaron sighed. "She hates me," he repeated numbly.

Emily met his gaze. "No…"

"Emily, she just said so," he pointed out, his frown deepening – if possible – even further.

She took his hand in his and rubbed his coarse skin with her thumbs. "She's been really moody lately. Whether it's due to all the stress of school and…and well, the stress of prom planning, or due to something else entirely, I don't know. But this morning, I made apple and cinnamon oatmeal for breakfast instead of the French toast she wanted, and she snapped at me because she thought it was my way of telling her she was fat."

Aaron looked at her incredulously. "She's a size five."

"I know."

Sighing once more, he burrowed into the couch, wishing it would just swallow him whole. "It's frustrating; believe me, I know," he barely heard Emily say.

"I just feel so bad," he eventually murmured. "Because I really want her to have a good time, but I explicitly said no slits."

Leaning over and resting her head on his shoulder, Emily reached to kiss him on his stubbly cheek. "And you had every right to," she said, nodding.

"Yeah," he grumbled, reaching around to tangle a hand in Emily's dark silky hair. "Now try explaining that to Avery."

~.~.~

Holed up in her room, Avery held the phone close to her ear as she burrowed underneath her covers. "I found the most gorgeous dress ever," she sighed.

On the other line, Jodie grinned. "Really?"

"Yeah." Avery closed her eyes, picturing it in her memory…picturing her wearing it at Henry's side. They'd look amazing together, she had no doubt. "It's champagne-colored with a sweetheart neckline and bejeweled bust…I say bejeweled, but it's not flashy or anything, just really tame and really pretty. And it has this rose-colored, kind of satiny ribbon that ties right underneath the bust-line…and the train is made of satin, too, and has a slit in the side…and gosh, it's so pretty." She let out a shuddery sigh. "But…"

"But?"

"My dad doesn't like it. So I can't get it."

Jodie's grin immediately morphed into a frown. "Oh, that sucks! I'm sorry," she said softly.

Avery shrugged, trying – but failing – to convince herself that it wasn't the end of the world. "It's not fair, but you've met my dad; once he makes up his mind, not even my mom can sway him."

Jodie nodded to herself, understanding. "So, what dress are you actually going to get, then?"

Grimacing, Avery rolled from her side onto her back and stared at the ceiling. "Probably that lavender one…"

"Oh, the one with the black lace bodice?"

"That's the one."

"It comes in a mint green, you know. I came really close to getting it but I chose that canary yellow one instead."

Despite her mood, Avery managed a small smile. "Thanks, Jo."

"Don't mention it," her friend said cheerily. "Oh, hey, my mom was wondering if you wanted to go shoe shopping with me next week. If Esther can come, too, we can make it a movie date."

"That sounds like just what I need." Avery sighed gratefully. "Seriously, Jo. Thanks."

"Yeah, well, that's what I'm here for."

~.~.~

"I bet I could take your mind off of…well, everything," Emily said, mounting the mattress and climbing over Aaron before fusing her lips to his.

He kissed her back hungrily for a second or two before pulling back with a groan. "I'm sorry, I just really can't focus at all right now."

"Hmmm?" Following his gaze, she saw the laptop on his lap that she somehow hadn't noticed in her lust-filled state, and the screen he had pulled up. "Oh, right, we were going to buy the dress today."

"Which one did she want?" Aaron asked, his voice oddly soft.

"The mint green version of the lavender one we suggested," Emily supplied, looking at him curiously. "I think it was on page…seventy-two?"

"No, no…" he shook his head. "Not that one. The other one." He paused. "Her favorite."

Slowly, a smile touched her lips. Taking hold of the laptop, Emily scrolled until she saw the champagne-colored dress and clicked on it. "This one," she said, her voice just as quiet as she handed the laptop back to him. Wordlessly, Aaron proceeded to place the order, his gaze focused, his lips pulled into a straight line.

"You're a good father, Aaron," Emily said sweetly, caressing his face with a smooth palm.

He said nothing further, only placed a hand on her nape and drew her in for a kiss.

~.~.~

"Avery, sweetheart, your dress is on your bed," Emily announced, looking up from her book as Avery came home from school and dropped her backpack by the door.

"Oh, really?" The girl managed the smallest of smiles. "Okay, thanks."

From the other corner of the room, Aaron cleared his throat as he read the newspaper. He felt Emily looking at him and could practically hear her grinning, but still, he didn't look up.

A split second later, the house was filled with the sound of Avery's overjoyed squealing as she came rocketing down the stairs. "Oh my gosh! You got the dress? You got the dress!" She collided with her mother and enveloped her in a bear hug. "You're the best!"

Emily smiled. "And you're the sweetest, but I can't take any credit; that was all your father's doing."

Avery slowly untwined her arms from her mother's. "Really?" she asked breathlessly.

Finally, Aaron set the newspaper down and stood. "Really."

Turning to face him at the sound of his warm voice, the same warm voice that had brought her comfort as a toddler, Avery blossomed into her most vibrant smile. The next thing Aaron know, Avery had launched herself into his arms, her arms wrapped snugly around his middle. "Thank you," she moaned into his chest. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"You're welcome," he chuckled, thinking to himself that her brilliant smile and ecstatic reaction were worth every penny he'd spent on the dress. "Now, why don't you go try it on?"

"Okay!" Immediately, she took her mother's hand in hers. "Come on!"

~.~.~

Two months later…

"Well…what do you think?"

Looking up as Avery exited her large bathroom, Emily felt her heart tug at the sight before her. "Oh…honey," she breathed, rising to her feet and shaking her head in awe. "You look like a princess."

Avery's auburn-brown hair was piled neatly atop her head, two single curled tendrils framing her angelic face. Her eyes were sparkling with excitement, a light blush colored her cheeks, her lips were stained a soft pink…and God, the dress…

Coming to stand before her mirror, Avery twirled around slowly, an almost shy smile spreading across her lips. "I feel like a princess," she said quietly.

Reaching so that she could gather Avery's hands in hers, Emily pulled her into a hug. "You're going to be the most gorgeous young lady there," she said confidently. "I have no doubt. Now…you ready to go downstairs and show your father?"

Avery looked at her mother carefully. "Do…do you think Daddy'll like it?"

And there it was; that innate urge, under all semblances of moody teenage rebellion or angst, to win the love of and please her father.

Emily soothed Avery's worries with a sweet smile. "I'm absolutely sure he will. Now go on, sweetheart."

The shy smile still touching her lips, Avery left her bedroom without another word and slowly descended the stairs, stopping at the top of the second bank as she saw Aaron pacing in the spacious living room.

"Daddy."

Turning at the sound of Avery's soft voice, Aaron swore he felt his heart come to a stop as he gazed at her.

She looked beautiful.

And he was absolutely speechless.

Finally, Avery strode forward until she was standing before him, the fabric of her dress gliding behind her as she moved. "Wow, honey…you're a vision," he managed, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

Her smile bloomed even further as he gathered her into his embrace and kissed her cheek, careful not to mess up her hair or smear any makeup. "You really think so?"

Aaron nodded, swallowing thickly. "My little girl is all grown up," he said, his heart clenching at the words.

"Not yet," Avery said, meeting his nostalgic gaze. "I think I have a couple more 'little girl' years in me; I still like PB and J sandwiches and bedtime stories, you know."

That brought out a sincere, full-on grin. "I'm glad to hear it."

~.~.~

"It's six forty-nine."

"Relax, baby," Emily chided softly. "He'll be here on time. Before you know it, Aunt JJ and I will be fawning over the two of you and taking an endless amount of pictures. My camera's just over there, by the way," she said, nodding over to the coffee table. Avery laughed at her mother, then said, "Can…we not call her Aunt JJ? I mean, I know she's my godmother and I've called her that since as far back as I can remember, and it just seems so right, but…technically, wouldn't that mean that Henry'd be my cousin? Which would mean that I'm dating my cousin, and that's way too incestuous for my brain to handle," she rambled, anxiously playing with the diamond drop earrings she had borrowed from Emily.

Emily didn't know whether to laugh or cry at how flummoxed Avery was getting. "Okay, we won't call her that anymore. I get how that's kind of weird." She gave the girl yet another hug, smiling when Avery breathed out a sigh to calm her nerves. "But really. Relax."

It was then that the doorbell rang.

Smoothing down his beige sweater, Aaron cleared his throat and made his way to the front door, his game face at the ready.

Alright, LaMontagne, he thought to himself as he took a deep breath. Bring it on.

Swinging the heavy oak door open, he gave the boy and his parents a warm, cordial smile. "Henry," he greeted, shaking the young man's hand before moving to hug JJ and clap Will on the back. "Come on in, come on in."

The moment Henry laid eyes on Avery it was as if all else around them disappeared. He barely heard his parents gushing over how beautiful she looked before his feet moved him forward, towards her, an awed grin on his face. "Wow…Avery. You…you look amazing."

Avery's face lit up at his compliment, making her – if possible – even more stunning. "Thank you," she muttered, looking at him shyly and taking in his freshly pressed charcoal grey suit and its perfectly tailored fit, his crisp white shirt, his pale pink tie with champagne-colored stripes that matched her dress so wonderfully… "You look really handsome," she said in return, immediately blushing.

Henry smiled at the adorable rose tint to her cheeks, then remembered he had something for her. Removing his hands from behind his back, he reached toward her, a plain white box in his hand. Opening it, Avery saw that inside was a delicate, cream colored rose. A corsage.

He got me a corsage.

Her breath catching in her throat as he carefully tied it around her wrist, she barely had time to think before Emily and JJ were guiding them to the couch, to the stairs, to the freshly groomed flowers in the vases by the door…for pictures, so many pictures.

And then, as if in a whirlwind, as if in a dream, the limousine had already pulled up to their driveway.

It was already time.

She was saying her goodbyes and giving an endless amount of hugs when she felt her father tugging at her arm. "Yes, Daddy?"

"Sweetheart…" His tone was hushed, and he was thankful that Emily was carrying conversation with Henry so that it didn't seem that he was rudely holding Avery back. "Your mother and I have said it enough times, I know that much. It's all in your hands now. But please…stay safe, okay?"

"No after-partying, no drinking, no drugs, no sex," Avery replied, looking him in the eyes. "I know the drill," she said, a smile in her eyes.

His lips twitched at the corners before he sobered again. "We want you to have a good time, Avery. Believe it or not, we're not just two oblivious old people; we were teenagers once, we remember how good it felt to be free from parental confines and enjoy ourselves at school dances or things of the sort. But above all, your health and safety mean the most. Have a good time, but have a safe one, alright? Promise me, sweetheart."

She nodded, then rose to kiss his cheek. "I promise."

"Okay," Aaron whispered, watching as, her hand in Henry's, Avery shot him a goodbye smile and walked out the door. Henry helped her into the limo before climbing in after her…

…and then, the car drove away and they were gone.

~.~.~

"What time are they supposed to be back?"

"Aaron, it's been only thirty minutes since they left. You've glanced at the clock every other minute." She brought her hands to the back of his neck and began to skillfully knead the corded muscle she found there. "Calm down," she urged, kissing the top of his head.

He groaned. "Sorry, I'm sorry." Leaning his head back so that Emily's hair was falling on either side of his face like a curtain, he reached up for an upside-down kiss, one that almost wiped his mind blank.

Almost.

"I just keep thinking about all the oversexed boys at that ballroom, staring at her like a piece of meat in that dress…"

"Henry'll protect her," Emily said simply, distracted as she once again lowered her lips to his.

"Mmmm…I know what happened at my prom, Emily," he sighed, pulling away. "Henry's a good kid, but he is a boy, and boys are…"

"Yeah," she interrupted knowingly, not wanting to think of it. "The thing we need to remember is that Avery is a responsible young lady who knows what's good for her and what's bad for her. We've done all we can."

"We have," he agreed faintly. But Emily didn't see the faraway look in his eyes.

~.~.~

Henry groaned. "Please tell me I didn't step on your foot again."

Avery laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck. "You didn't," she assured.

"Thank God," he said in response, breathing a sigh of relief and letting his forehead rest against hers. "You know…" he gazed into her eyes, "you really look beautiful. I know I've already said it twenty times, but I mean it."

She smoothed down his tie, the laugh lines around her eyes making her look ten times more endearing. "You're not half bad yourself," she mumbled, before rising on the tips of her toes and boldly pressing a chaste kiss to his lips.

Henry smiled as he broke away moments later, running a thumb along her flushed cheeks. "Hey…come outside with me a second," he murmured in her ear, his voice warm, soothing.

Avery did just that, taking his hand and letting him lead her out into the cool May night. "What're we doing?" she asked quietly, not wanting to ruin the moment as she looked over at Henry and saw him gazing at the sky.

"You see that star right there?" he asked, in answer to her question.

"Which one?"

He pointed. "The brightest one."

She nodded. "Yeah?"

His breath fanned out against her cheek as he came closer. "You're a hundred times more dazzling."

Biting back her smile, Avery's expression softened exponentially, just in time for her to close her eyes as Henry's lips met hers in a gentle kiss. Unsurprisingly, though, the kiss immediately progressed into something more, and without conscious control over her actions, she found herself arching into his touch as his hands dropped from her face, to her shoulders, to her waist…and lower...

She broke away gasping for air, her head spinning with a dozen emotions and stars invading her vision at the lack of oxygen. "Wow," she panted, her heart beating at a skyrocketing pace. "So this is why you brought me out here," she teased, still out of breath.

Henry grinned, his own breathing labored. "It's one of the main attractions," he mumbled, dropping his lips to her neck.

Avery indulged him for a second before twining her fingers in his hair and moving him away. "Stop it before you give me a hickey!" she protested halfheartedly. "My dad would probably shoot you," she giggled. He groaned but stopped nonetheless, knowing she was right. He tossed her a playful grin as he heard the beginning of a new song come over the loudspeakers and heard her resulting gasp. "Oh my gosh, this is my favorite song!"

"Ave, baby, you've said that for the last ten songs," he laughed, taking her hand and toying with each of her fingers.

Her heart flipping at his endearment, she locked gazes with him. "We should go back inside. Please? Please please please?"

"Alright, I guess we can go back inside," he said with mock frustration, his eyes twinkling with mirth. And then, stealing one last kiss, Henry relented to the beautiful girl and walked her back inside.

~.~.~

"You've been staring at the same page for the last…oh, ten minutes or so."

Raising an eyebrow at the amused tone in Emily's voice, he turned off the TV he had been trying to watch and rubbed his eyes. "I can't get her off my mind," he murmured almost inaudibly. It hadn't been the same with Jack, for the obvious reasons. He hadn't know how challenging raising a daughter was until now; rewarding, yes, but stressful and challenging as well. His train of thought was cut short as he felt Emily shift so that she was pressed against his back.

"Come on," she urged quietly, her hands on his shoulders. "Lay back against me." He did just that, unsure of what she was up to until he felt her hands weave into his hair and begin to rub his scalp. Just like that, he gave in, a quiet moan falling from his lips. "Doesn't that feel good?" he heard her whisper her in his ear, her teeth taking hold of the shell and keeping it hostage.

"Yeah," he groaned, bringing a hand back to cup her face and hold her to him. His breathing evened out to the point that she thought he was asleep, but then, she heard the deep rumble of his voice echo in the otherwise quiet room. "Hey…Em?"

"Mm-hmm?"

"Thank you," he sighed. "Half the time, I don't know why you put up with me. But you do. And I love you so much for it."

Emily smiled against the back of his head, resting hers against his. "It's a good thing you're handsome," she teased. "That's all I'll say."

His resulting laughter mingled with hers quelled any fears either of them may have had.

~.~.~

"Henry," Avery hissed, her brown eyes wide. "This is all your doing, isn't it?"

He just grinned.

"I repeat," the DJ announced, "Avery Hotchner, your presence has been requested at the DJ booth for round two of karaoke."

"I hate you," she scowled.

"That's not what you said a second ago," Henry countered smartly, his shoulders shaking with laughter. He paused as she huffed angrily. "Hey," he said, softer this time. "You have a gorgeous voice. Show it off. You know I love hearing you sing," he said sweetly.

"Then I'll give you a private performance." As soon as the words fell from her lips, Avery felt like slapping herself. "Okay, that came out wrong."

He chuckled, then took her hand and gave it a kiss. "Please?"

Avery looked at him for a long moment, before finally pulling away and moving to the front of the room, where the DJ was waiting. "It's a good thing he's handsome," she grumbled to herself as she took her stand at the microphone.

Standing in the front row, their eyes locked as she began to sing.

There's a drumming noise inside my head
That starts when you're around
I swear that you could hear it
It makes such an all mighty sound

Louder than sirens
Louder than bells
Sweeter than heaven
And hotter than hell

Louder than sirens
Louder than bells
Sweeter than heaven
And hotter than hell

As I move my feet towards your body
I can hear this beat it fills my head up
And gets louder and louder
It fills my head up and gets louder and louder

~.~.~

Henry held her closer to him as the DJ announced the last song of the night.

"Is this one your favorite, too?"

Avery shot him a playful scowl, but couldn't help but laugh. "Yes," she admitted, resting her cheek against his.

Their eyes closed and bodies as close to each other as possible, the two teenagers swayed back and forth, let the song's slow beat take them to a more blissful state. It wasn't long before Henry spoke again, saying something he had wanted to say all night. "Hey, Avery?"

"Hmmm?"

"I love you."

Running her thumb along his cheek, Avery fought back her watery smile. "I love you, too."

~.~.~

Once again, Aaron was pacing the hallway.

"It's eleven-oh-six."

Emily shot him an incredulous look. "You're worse than Avery was when she was waiting for Henry. They'll be here in a minute, Aaron." But she, too, couldn't help but begin to worry.

Just as she said the words, however, the limousine pulled up to their driveway.

"I had a great time tonight," Henry said softly, his gaze locked onto hers.

"So did I," Avery sighed contentedly against his lips. "I'll…see you Monday?"

"Monday it is, then. Good night, Ave."

"'Night, Henry."

Aaron and Emily opened up their front door just in time to see Henry giving Avery a goodbye kiss. Her hand on Aaron's wrist, Emily looked at him carefully, noticing the set of his jaw. "Honey," she whispered, giving his hand a comforting squeeze.

He said nothing in response until Avery was finally in the house, beaming brightly. "Well?" Aaron prompted, a smile of his own beginning at the corners of his lips.

That was all it took for Avery. "Oh my gosh, it was amazing. The DJ was wonderful and played all of my favorite songs, everyone looked so beautiful and colorful, the food was really good, and Henry…Henry was such a gentleman," she gushed, adrenaline still coursing through her veins from their last kiss. "But God, my whole body hurts," she moaned a second later, finally in-touch with the real world after such an amazing night.

Aaron immediately expected the worst, his nerves suddenly on high alert. "What happened?"

Avery looked at him curiously. "Nothing 'happened', Dad," she assured. "My legs and feet hurt from my heels," she explained, taking said heels off and letting them drop by the door. "My head is pounding from singing at the top of my lungs with Esther - screaming at the top of my lungs would actually be more accurate," she amended, laughing at herself. "The bass beat was ridiculously loud, so that didn't help my headache one bit." A radiant smile blossomed on her face, nonetheless. "But it was so worth it."

Emily rubbed her shoulders comfortingly. "That's great to hear, sweetheart. Now come one, let me go help you out of your dress so you can get some rest. You look exhausted," she smiled. "In the good way, of course."

"Yeah. In the good way," she agreed, returning her mother's smile with a suddenly tired one of her own.

Half an hour later - once her dress was hanging on the back of her door, all the borrowed jewelry had been returned to Emily, all her makeup was scrubbed off, and all the pins were out of her hair -Avery sat at the edge of her bed, combing out her hair when she heard a knock on her door. "Come in."

Aaron walked in the room then, in his hand a tall glass of cold water. "Thought you might be thirsty after all your scream-singing."

Avery grinned at her father. "Thank you," she said, downing the beverage in three hearty sips and setting the empty glass on her bedside table.

"So…you had a good time?"

"A very good time," she said in agreement, plopping back on her bed and burrowing deep into the soft sheets.

"I'm glad," Aaron said sincerely, absentmindedly tucking the girl in like he had done when she was little. He was at her door, about to leave, when Avery spoke once more.

"Hey, Daddy?"

He turned to face her, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Yes, sweetheart?"

"Thanks again for the dress," she said. "You're the best dad in the world."

And at that, she fell asleep, leaving a happily teary eyed Aaron Hotchner standing in her doorway.


Author's Note: As always, thank you so much for reading. And well...what did you think? Was that enough sweetness for you? :) Please leave me a review, if you have the time. Your feedback never fails to put a smile on my face and spur me to update faster!


Also, there are only TWO MORE DAYS until the deadline for submitting your FINAL Profiler's Choice Awards voting ballot! I cannot tell you how grateful I am; thanks to you all, Daddy's Little Girl got nominated for Best Hotch/Emily, and Memento Mori got nominated for Best Post-Ep! I'm truly honored. If you have the time and would like to vote, the ballot and rules are at the short link here (copy/paste and remove the spaces):

d . pr/N11A

Ballots are due November 30th! And again, thank you all so very much! :)