The Arranged Marriage
-Chapter Two-
Disclaimer: I don't owe Criminal Minds; I only owe the stories in a world I created.
Chapter 2: Emily in Wonderland
Summer 1999
Hotchner survives his first six months with the ambassador astonishingly, in fact, he has done so great, that he is now personally working with her every second of the day. It is just as uncomfortable as he imagined it would be, but he needs her reference if he ever really wants to join the BAU, and it just happens that ambassador Prentiss is the one person you get a good reference from if you want to make it anywhere within the FBI.
Her daughter is back home for the summer and now he has the two of them tormenting him, and making his life a nightmare. Personally he isn't entirely sure why he is bothered by the younger Prentiss so much, her mother is by far the most obnoxious human he has ever know, but he hasn't really been around her daughter that much, she just has the ability to get on his nerves very easily. Maybe it is her "I don't give a shit attitude" or maybe that she just says what she exactly what she thinks regardless of who she is talking to. Right now he is pretty sure is because she is intentionally provoking the ambassador and upsetting her, which only makes her ten times harder to deal with.
They are on their way "to fix some affairs" as the ambassador announced that morning, they are riding the limousine somewhere. By now he is used to it, personally, he doesn't understand why all the luxury, sure she is an important ambassador, but all these expensive vehicles and all the attention doesn't really help to keep her safe. But she is obstinate and he is not even going to try to convince her otherwise. He just rides with them, their back is to the driver and he is sitting right in front of them, his eyes focused on the road, partially to give them privacy and also because he is supposed to be aware of their surroundings.
"Do you want anything special for dinner that night?" he hears the older woman ask, but there is no response.
He glances briefly and her daughter is reading a book, he can't really see from where he is sitting what she is reading, but she seems to be really concentrated and not paying attention to her mother.
The purple stripes had been replaced for blue ones, and she is wearing long black laced-up boots, a leather jacket, and fishnet gloves. She looks like Marilyn Manson and it makes him wonder why on earth does the ambassador lets her dress like a troubled person, but he realizes the girl is just as stubborn as her mother is.
"Emily, are you listening?"
"Not really" she replies without looking at her
"Can you take this serious please?" she begs and the girl barely glances at her mother
"Do you want anything special to be served for dinner?" the ambassador repeats.
"Let me see," she says and she closes her eyes feigning concentration "Anything without human parts would be awesome" she offers with such a straight face, the corners of his mouth turn.
"See this is why I can't have a conversation with you! Everything is a game for you" the older woman is clearly irritated but it is quite amusing to watch
"Why do you need my input Mother? " is the way she says mother that surprises him the most "I am sure you will find something fancy and disgusting to serve, you're an expert with all these frivolous affairs"
"Young lady this party is for you," the ambassador says offended
"Is your wedding I am trying to plan here..."
"Well then just mary Tristan yourself and there you go" the girl shrugs. Wait what? They are planning a wedding for her? She is only nineteen, she cannot be seriously thinking about marriage already.
"Okay I am done talking to you, I will just talk to Tristan's mother and we can decide together"
"Sure, you go ahead and do that" the girl is not even really listening anymore and it doesn't really surprise him
"Okay moving onto something else" the older woman states closing her notes and pulling out her agenda "Our financial advisor called me on Monday, he is telling me you want to attend Graduate school?" Elizabeth says
"Yup, I already applied"
"Why on earth do you want to go to Graduate school, Emily?"
"Oh, gee I don't know," The girl says rolling her eyes and finally meeting her mothers "Maybe because I want to buy a dog, I heard they have amazing breeds?" Hotch has to suppress another grin
"You are going to be married in six months" her mother announces "You don't need to keep wasting money with this school nonsense, I am sure Tristan and you will have a lovely life..."
"Well, maybe I still want to work and have my own career you know?" The girl is clearly not too excited about this wedding and he can't fully understand why
"What kind of career can you possibly have?"
"I don't know" she argues "There are so many things...I was actually thinking about law school" she says and is almost a whisper, but the ambassador burst into laughter
"Oh don't be ridiculous Emily" she continues to laugh "You? going to law school? You can't even dress properly" he watches the look of hurt in the younger woman's eyes, and he is suddenly very annoyed with her as well. What the hell is her problem
Is she seriously telling her daughter that she is not smart enough to go to law school? Does she know her daughter is an honor roll student? She was asked by a Yale teacher to become his assistant, and the girl obviously wants to continue with her studies.
"You have a career mother," she says placing her book down and looking out the window.
"That is different Emily, I didn't have the chances you have now"
"What are you talking about?" the teen finally snaps "You are a Prentiss!; you were probably born in a gold crib mother"
"Yes Emily but I didn't have the choice to marry someone like you"
"You married dad"
"That was different dear"
"Oh yeah I know; you only marry dad because you got pregnant with me"
"Oh, honey that is not true... look you have no idea how lucky you are, you are going to get married and you won't have anything else to worry about for the rest of your life, just to be a good wife"
"Mother you don't have to pay for it if you don't want to" she states after a few minutes "But I am going to grad school, I can work and pay for it if is necessary but I am doing it, I am not asking for your permission " the seriousness in her voice makes him realize she might not be as annoying as he originally thought.
"Fine whatever" Her mother states "You are only wasting money but I will make the arrangements, is not like you will ever get anywhere"
They spent most of the day running errands and now they are at a wedding venue, the ambassador is going around taking measures and talking to the manager about colors, and arrangements, and stuff Hotch didn't even know it is possible to have at a wedding like a goose ice sculptures and floating candles.
Emily, however, is sitting at the small lounge are reading her book, not the least interested in the fact that her mother just rented the entire city of Washington for her wedding. He approaches her slowly and his eyes finally land on the book she is reading.
"Helker Skelter?" he says looking at her surprised, her eyes meet his for a brief second
"I figured if I want to become a serial killer this is my go book" he laughs and then glances at the ambassador
"Shouldn't you be excited about this?" he points with his head "Isn't every girl dream to plan a perfect wedding?" God knows Haley hasn't stopped talking about them being married one day, very soon perhaps
"Oh no this is all on her," she says indifferently " She planned all of this on her own, for all l care we can into any City Hall and get hitched"
He frowns taking a seat next to her
"You sound very excited" he points sarcastically
"You have no idea" she stops reading and looks at her mother "She has been planning this since I was five years old, God she is already decided we are having a boy" he almost chokes
"I am sorry what? You are pregnant?" was that the reason she was getting married
"No! genius" she says rolling her eyes and he is not even mad at the insult
"I just mean... Tristan's mother's and the ambassador decided we were getting married when were like five..."
"Wait what?" he watches her confused
"They are wealthy and important and according to my mother the perfect family to marry into, my parents have been planing my marriage with Tristan for years" is her response
"Your mother is arranging your wedding?" he asked baffled "Are you saying you don't even like this guy?"
"I mean I know him since I was eight... so I think so..."
"Wait" he stops "You were serious about that? You have seriously know him that long?"
"I mean our families have always been close, my parents think Tristan will be an amazing husband... Anyway, is not like they are asking me to marry a monogamist you know"
"But you don't love him why will you even agree to this...?" his head is spinning he can even comprehend what she is saying
"Is love even a thing now at days?" she questions "There is no such a thing in my world" she hates to phrase it like that but it is true, her world is all about status and class and meeting social expectations
"She can't force you to marry someone you don't want to," he says firmly "That is against the law"
"She is not forcing me" she offers "I just don't have much of a choice; I mean I am nineteen what am I supposed to do? Wait tables? And then what?"
"You have a college degree or you will soon, you are smart...you could be anything you want..."
"She doesn't even want to pay for my graduate school, she just doesn't think I can do it..." she stops glancing at her mother briefly and he finally puts all the pieces together.
This rebellious girl with blue hair strips and studded belt, is just a persona she is playing, she only acts like this to get under her mother's skin, and now he knows why. Elizabeth Prentiss is an arrogant self-centered woman, she is just an obstinate politician who doesn't believe her daughter can achieve anything on her own, Emily feels like she will never be up to her mother's expectations.
"You say you wanted to go to law school?... your intelligent, you can do it...you know?" he offers "You don't have to get married and do exactly what she tells you to do..."
"I am not really sure I can get into law school?" she says chewing her lip
"Emily you have a 4.13 GPA" and the girl looks at him surprised not only because he is using her by her name but because he knows about her academic transcripts
"I was there the day Stiles offered you the TA position" he explains "With that GPA you can get into any law school in the country...trust me when a teacher like Stiles believes you are incredibly gifted, you could go anywhere you want "
"Wait he said that?" she asks genuinely curious
"Yes," he responds truthfully "He worships you... and does your mother even know about this?"
"About what?"
"The TA position, your grades, all o your accomplishments...?" how could she not know, if she was his daughter he would be so proud
"My mother hardly even knows when is my birthday..."
"I am sure that's not true but you should seriously consider going to law school..."
"Honestly I don't even know if I want to go to law school... I just want more than this..." she points sadly
"Then why are you getting married?"
"Because is the easiest way to get rid of the ambassador" she explains "If I get married she will finally be proud of me and I can just focus on my life... I can convince Tristan to let me continue with school..."
"You can continue with school without getting married... I just don't understand why are you agreeing to this"
"Did you always wanted to be on the FBI?" She asks wanting to just change the conversation
"No, not really" he confesses "I was a lawyer and then I became prosecutor, then this just happened"
"I am not surprised, you got that sharp useless look about you," she says and he smiles again, and Emily can't help to notice he is incredibly good looking. She has become really nervous and she isn't really sure why, she is an expert around man, even at her young age, she usually haves them wrapped around her finger. But he makes her feel so uneasy in a way no one ever had, his straight face and dark eyes are unnerving and yet fascinating.
"So why the FBI then?" She questions
"I don't know I am just good a reading behavior and I actually like this"
"Working for Rosie O'Donnell?' she asked eying her mother and he smiles deeply and she realizes he has the most adorable dimples she has ever seen.
"No, just...protecting people I guess..." he offers softly, is been a while since he felt this uncomfortable around anyone and is not a negative feeling. He just feels like a high school kid asking a pretty girl to prom. She is only nineteen and he is twenty-seven, he is much older than her yet he doesn't understand why she makes him so nervous.
"Your wife must be really proud of you..." she is secretly jealous and she doesn't even know why.
"I am not married" he hears himself saying "I mean we have been together since high school we are just not married yet..."
"How come?" she asks intrigued he seems like the kind of guy who will marry his high school sweetheart
"Well I had to go to law school and then I just got busy with work...but I am sure will be getting married soon"
"Do you want to marry her?"
"I do," he says but is not really sure actually
"Good" she smiles "Then you must really love her..."
"Yeah I do" and is not a lie, he does love Haley, doesn't he? They have been together for almost a decade, she was his first love and the perfect girl. She is pretty and sweet and just the ideal wife, even his parents feel the same way.
"Emily dear, can you please come to look at these linens please?" The ambassador approaches interrupting his thoughts.
"I am going to make her get black tablecloths and go all gothic theme, just watch," she says with an entertained smile, and she walks away, he is smiling uncharacteristically and he doesn't even know why. He watches her walk away, and he finally realizes why he is so bothered by her. She is not the rich privileged girl he thought she was, she as an incredibly beautiful and smart woman, and for the first time in his life he realizes he is not sure if he really wants to spend the rest of his life with Haley.
"Anyone who has a continuous smile on his face conceals a toughness that is almost frightening."― Greta