Early November 2008

Only one word summed up the month of October.

Chaotic.

With the Halloween season in full swing, reports of child abductions flew through the roof at a record high the FBI had never witnessed before. Not only were the team trying their darndest to save all these missing children, but annual performance assessments were also conveniently being carried out by Strauss at her own leisure. Amongst the stress, nobody had time to rest, let alone think, causing everybody to slowly snap under the burden of their duties.

Out of the six abduction cases, only 2 children returned home.

It had taken its emotional toll on everybody. But Hotch had utterly closed himself off from everyone, staying at work into the early hours of the morning and barely talking to anyone. And as much as Emily wanted to help and comfort him, she knew the best thing anyone could do was give him space to process his thoughts.

But boy… Hotch became so irritable when people weren't giving him enough breathing room, and when he shot an irate glare in your direction, it was like trudging through a murky river knowing crocodiles were chasing you.

There'd been a few instances where employees from other departments wandered into his office only to scarper away moments later as if they'd just walked into hell. Even she and Morgan were terrified to stand in the vicinity of his door. When it came to delivering field reports, the two of them played rock, paper, scissors to decide who got to drop the darn things in. Sometimes, if the brunette lost, she cheated and just dumped them on Rossi's desk.

He and JJ seemed the only ones willing to enter the dark abyss, and Emily admired their bravery.

As November arrived, things started quieting down, meaning everybody could finally have a few days to rest. It so happened to be that Hotch was celebrating his 37th birthday on the first weekend off, and JJ had come up with the idea of gifting him a basket full of goodies.

Penelope had gone out of her way to make white chocolate and raspberry cookies in the shape of animals, and she was also in charge of decorating the basket in colourful ribbons. While Rossi generously donated two bottles of his precious whiskey, Morgan and Spencer knew Hotch had a passion for golfing and together had bought vouchers for him to purchase new clubs. And JJ had talked to human resources and arranged a new work phone for Hotch as his other one was getting more outdated by the day.

Everybody found their ideal gift in what seemed like minutes.

Emily, on the other hand, struggled.

It was always a little harder for her to shop for men but shopping specifically for Hotch… That was like trying to gift a present to the Queen. She felt this insane pressure to give him something he'd actually appreciate, and it didn't help that the man was so minimalistic about everything, from the clothes he wore to the artwork hanging in his apartment. The brunette considered filling up the basket with paper as a joke, but after the series of tragic events, that seemed a little extreme.

Then she remembered his great love for those Hershey's chocolate bars, so Emily had gone to the candy store and bought at least ten packets worth of the goodness and scattered them throughout the basket.

On Monday morning back, Hotch had arrived at the unit looking refreshed. While he made his way into his office, the team crowded around Prentiss' desk, attempting to watch his reaction through the window.

"Oh my god, I'm so nervous," the tech analyst said, kneeling at Emily's desk, "what if he hates the cookies I made?"

Morgan just rolled his eyes as he patted her on the back, "baby girl, you're baking is ranked up there with the goddesses. You ain't got nothing to worry about."

"Yeah, but this is the head honcho we are talking about. HEAD HONCHO," she reiterated in a whisper, "the guy expects everything to be 110% better than goddess quality."

"Oh, if it involves chocolate, you're already in his good books," JJ stated, caressing her baby bump, "right, Emily?"

The brunette smirked in her chair.

"Exactly how many bars did you buy the guy?" Rossi asked from behind her.

"Enough to keep him from complaining."

"Please smile, please smile," Penelope kept whispering under her breathe, "I think he's smiling, guys. Is he smiling?"

"I can't tell," Spencer replied with his finger scratching his chin.

The Venetian blinds were partially slipped, making it hard to observe intimate details of his expression. They all watched as he picked up the bottle of whiskey and examined it closely. The moment his head turned to stare daggers into their souls, Emily's first instinct was to turn away and pretend that she wasn't looking, but as Hotch walked out of his office with a soft smile, her shoulders loosened.

It was the first hint of happiness Emily had seen from him since their interview in Pennsylvania.

"Happy Birthday, Sir! Do you like your gifts?" Penelope asked, clasping her hands into a conjoined fist.

"I appreciate the thought. Thank you…" Hotch said, standing at the corner of Emily's desk. A basket full of treats and whiskey was the last thing Aaron expected to see walking into work, and it had genuinely made his day already. That and having the opportunity to spend the last few days with Jack had him feeling like a new man.

"How does it feel to be a year older?" Dave asked with a smirk.

"One year closer to retirement," he replied dryly.

"That's the spirit," Rossi said, patting him on the back, "we'll have to crack into those whiskey's later on."

"Uh… Unlikely guys," JJ piped up, looking down at her phone, "We've got another child abduction in Vegas. It's the second one almost three days after another boy was abducted and killed."

"How long?" Hotch asked, immediately feeling his stomach drop to the ground.

"Since yesterday. From what I can tell, the first child was missing for a week before his body was dumped just off a highway."

Prentiss sighed in disgust, "I don't know about you guys, but I'm tired of losing all these poor children."

Gulping down the lump in his throat, Hotch's first reaction was to get on that plane as soon as possible. After the horrific few weeks they'd all had, the thought of losing yet another innocent child made him feel sick to his stomach. As a father himself, Aaron simply couldn't stand the thought of somebody harming Jack. Just to think about what those poor parents must be going through only made him more determined to catch the person responsible.

While they quickly made their way over to the airstrip. Hotch spotted Prentiss walking over to the aircraft as he arrived and caught up to her.

"You know one bar of chocolate would have been more than sufficient…"

Scoffing, Prentiss retorted, "What a load of trash. You would have eaten one bar far too quickly then complained that I didn't gift you more."

"Hm. I suppose you're right," Hotch said, knowing that's exactly what would have happened. He followed closely behind her, noticing the slight sway of her hip as she walked up the steps.

"How's Jack?"

Emily saw Hotch's whole face light up at the mention of his son, "we spent the day making a ramp out of cardboard and raced with some matchbox cars he got for his birthday."

"Oh, how sweet. Let me guess you weren't allowed to win any of the races."

Out of the blue, Emily flashed back to those distant days with Declan Doyle. She'd play all sorts of games with the little boy ranging from snakes and ladders to hide and seek. He was barely five at the time, but the rule was that you had to let the kid win every game to avoid a meltdown.

Chills crept down her spine at the memory of her past life.

Hotch smiled back at her with dimples in his cheeks, "pre-schoolers… One of a kind."

If the team agreed on one thing on their journey to Las Vegas, it was the determination to not let another child die under their watch. And while attending the funeral of 5-year-old Ethan Hayes was devastating, knowing that he was kept for an entire week gave them the boost of hope they needed to find out who had taken the next child.

Almost three days later, after perseverance through the setbacks, the team located the missing boy; he hadn't a scratch on his body, and after a quick examination by the paramedics, he returned to the warmth of his parents' arms.

It was the best result they could have asked for.

Because Reid wanted to spend some time in Las Vegas with his mom, Hotch figured there would be no harm in staying another night in the city. While he tasked Morgan with finding a suitable place to eat for the night, Aaron returned to the hotel to start processing the necessary paperwork. Before they'd flown out, he'd stashed some of Emily's chocolate bars into his go bag and had been carefully snacking on them at night while he worked.

Damn the brunette for getting him addicted to the darn things.

Morgan had taken his time searching around and found a nice Japanese restaurant in the centre city. Because there were only five of them, they all squished into one SUV. And since JJ was heavily pregnant, she took the passenger seat while Morgan drove, meaning that Emily was squeezed between himself and Rossi in the back. The drive was made more eventful, with Prentiss happening to be in one of those silly moods, squishing the person next to her whenever Morgan sped around a corner.

Having their thighs glued together and not being able to do anything was pleasurable yet torturous. Aaron felt the warmth of her skin through the fabric of his pants, and with the proximity of her gorgeous neck only inches away from his nose, he could almost taste her fruity perfume scent. Burning flushes crept up his entire body as she leant into him during corners, feeling the heavy weight of her upper torso crushing into his own.

Aaron resisted the temptation to wrap an arm around her petite but muscly shoulders and pull her against his body with all his strength, and it might have been one of the hardest things he'd ever done. The best part of the drive was hearing her contagious and wicked belly laugh as JJ and Morgan tried singing along to the radio's pussycat dolls. She was literally curled over in absolute stitches, convulsing in laughter to the point where her face started reddening to a bright scarlet.

"We haven't even seen the alcohol yet, and Prentiss is already dying back here," Dave stated as the brunette fanned at her face.

"Oh Morgan, God… I should have recorded that for PG. That was gold."

"What? You saying that my singing is awful?"

"NO! NO! NO! It was amazing!" Emily quickly clarified, dabbing at the tears of happiness, "I loved every second of it!"

"Emily, let us hear you sing," the blonde requested.

"Yeah, Prentiss. Sing," Hotch egged on, nudging her gently with his arm. That had been one of Aaron's wishes; to hear the woman belt out a song. He bet she had an incredible voice, even if she thought it was terrible."

"No, I sing in the shower. Anywhere else, and it should be considered illegal."

"Oh, come on, Prentiss, how bad could it be?" Morgan asked, locking eyes with her in the rear-view mirror, "just a little bit of Madonna?"

The brunette scoffed, "I'm genuinely honoured that you think I can pull off her music."

"Don't worry, Morgan," JJ reassured, tapping him on the arm, "Emily's a loose cannon when she's got alcohol in her system. Just load her up with plenty of wine and make sure you've got your phone on record."

Everybody chuckled while the brunette's mouth dropped to the floor, "still feel like drinking?" Rossi joked, exchanging smirks with Hotch.

"JJ, you make me sound like a drunkard. I'll just have a couple glasses. No more. No less."

"Uh-huh. You forget that you always change your mind half-way through your second drink."

Hotch stifled a laugh at the blonde's comment. He really was appreciating this insight into Emily's drinking life.

"That's… Because I'm usually at a bar and hanging out with you and Penelope on the weekend where I allow myself to get wasted."

"I say twenty bucks you'll be begging for more drinks," Morgan piped up from the driver's seat.

Not believing these insinuations getting thrown her way, Emily crossed her arms together and pursed her lips. "Fine. I'll prove you wrong, Morgan. I am perfectly capable of limiting myself to two drinks."

Enjoying the entertainment Emily was providing, Hotch found it difficult to leave her side as soon as they arrived at the restaurant. But by pure chance, they happened to be seated next to each other at the table.

He'd never been a great fan of Japanese cuisine or seafood for that matter, so Hotch had chosen a delicious curry rice with chicken and steamed vegetables. On the other hand, Prentiss kept flipping back and forth between a ramen noodle soup or regular sushi. Ultimately, she decided on the latter.

The evening was calm and relaxing as the team celebrated their success. They talked about the little boy Michael Bridges who was saved earlier and the sad reality of the unsub losing her child. Then, they moved onto the topic of JJ's pregnancy. Emily died to know the little boy's name, but JJ wouldn't give up the valuable information that easily. They made bets about how much the baby would weigh, whether he'd look more like JJ or Will and rough guesstimates as to what day he chose to enter the world.

Slowly, but surely, by the end of their meal, Emily was onto the last quarter of her second glass of wine, and the instinct to ask for one more drink nabbed at the tip of her tongue. Remembering the bet Morgan had placed in the car earlier, Emily refused to let her guard down and pay up. There was a bar in the hotel's lobby; she'd snag another drink from there if she had to.

After having ice-cream for dessert and Emily painfully savouring the remainder of her drink, the team finally started making their way back to the hotel. JJ looked shattered and was on the brink of sleep in the passenger seat, while Rossi had already passed out with his head resting upon the window. Hotch joked to her that it always happened after the Italian drank a few glasses; he'd get sleepy within an hour of his last drink.

Though Emily couldn't see Hotch's face properly in the darkness, she couldn't help but gaze at his profile every now and then as the gentle moonlight highlighted his sharp jawline and his curvy but soft-looking nose. Having this powerful temptation to trace outlines around his angular face, Emily physically had to hold her hand. How could everything about him look so flawless? Even the way his lips pursed together and the slight hint of his dimples twitching had Emily blushing at the cheeks.

She wasn't as ferocious as before when Morgan zoomed around a corner, but still, Emily allowed her body to gently rest into his right shoulder. He was like a hot water bottle, with the perfect warmth radiating from the places where their bodies touched. A cold ache lingered in her stomach each time their arms lost contact, and that's when Emily realised that there was no possible way to keep denying her feelings for him.

The thought saddened her, though.

Back at the restaurant, they'd exchanged glances of amusement with each other as someone made a joke or if they happened to tease one another, but that's all it would ever be.

The possibility of him kissing her delicately on the neck or them waking up together snuggled in bed would only ever exist in her dreams and some nights that had Emily numb, knowing that their relationship would never cross the line. As hard as it was for her to admit, she wanted more from Hotch. The way his eyes gleamed whenever they saved a life… How he'd order his food in a particular fashion best suited to his needs… His lingering gazes in her direction as she gave a profile…

Everything about him drove this intense desire throughout her entire body, and Emily didn't know how much longer she could pretend that it wasn't bothering her.

Things became more complicated though, as Hotch was her boss. Then there was also the fact that he was a newly divorced single father with a 3-year-old son. It would be selfish to Jack and awkward for the rest of the team if they went above and beyond a working relationship, and that's what had Emily's mind whirring 24/7.

While Emily craved another drink from the hotel bar, the others were absolutely dead beat. After Morgan reluctantly handed her twenty dollars, she followed them up to their rooms and pretended to head off to bed as well, but soon after, she snuck out of her room again.

That third glass of wine was calling her name.

As the liquid bliss swirled over her tongue with satisfaction, Emily felt herself completely loosen up. The sounds of late-night chatter and slot machines singing echoed throughout the lobby while women in tight neon dresses waltzed around men, bribing them for cigarettes and alcohol. The brunette sat at the barstool, twirling her glass around, observing the x rated extravaganza Vegas had to offer.

Watching a hooker seduce a middle-aged man into the elevator is what made Emily go for her fourth glass of wine.

And she couldn't give a flying toss about anything else as she drowned her worries and concerns with the alcohol.

His expensive cologne alerted Emily to his presence well before a finger tapped on her shoulder. Intense heat rose to her cheeks as his tie was non-existent, leaving him in just his buttoned-up blouse and trousers.

"Oh… Hotch. I thought you were asleep…"

"I could say the same thing to you, Prentiss," Aaron retorted back with the briefest of smirks as he sat. Something about her appearance had Hotch unable to peel his eyes away from Emily's body. Perhaps it was the way her lips pursed tightly together as she drank or the soft golden glow reflecting off her angelic skin… Whatever it was, her natural beauty had him enchanted.

Paperwork had been getting boring, and in the back of his mind, he figured the brunette would be down at the bar, drinking to her content without Morgan's harassment. He'd watched her bite her lip in frustration at the restaurant, obviously wanting to prove Morgan wrong. But Hotch knew her well enough to know she wouldn't last long, and it was Vegas after all.

He pulled out a note and left it on the counter. "I think Morgan deserves a refund, don't you think?"

Emily snorted, "not a chance… This is the best twenty dollars I've ever earned, and I intend to spend it at the pet shop."

"Pet shop?" Hotch asked as the bartender handed him a mug of beer. He'd seen Emily tipsy on the odd occasion, but to see her mixing up her words and thoughts as well as slur drunkenly… That's when he questioned how much she'd drank since they arrived back. "What exactly do you plan on buying?"

Her dark eyes fixated on a disco light above them as she contemplated the question, "tuna… For my neighbours' cat. You know, I really likecats. Maybe I should getacat."

Hotch watched her swig the rest of her wine.

"A cat? Why not a dog?"

"Idunno…" Prentiss replied with a shrug, "dogs are such high maintenance. Cats you can just leave at home, and they don't even care if you leave. Dogs, you have to walk ALLLLL the time… Let's face it. Nobody likes to walk a dog." Aaron grinned as she went to have another sip of her drink, but nothing came out, "and nobody likes having no wine either." She glanced at his full mug of beer, "gooddrink?"

"Excellent."

"I didn't pick you to be the sort of guy who loops back for more drinks. I thought that's just something I did…"

"Well… It's Vegas; how could I not?" Hotch retorted as he observed her eyes darting around absent-mindedly.

Her elbow slowly hit the countertop, and she rested her head in the palm of her hand, letting the strands of her wavy hair intertwine in her fingers, "answer me one question, Hotchy. Which one do you like more? Beer or whiskey?"

Aaron tried not to grin at the nickname 'Hotchy'. He kind of liked it though, and the way it rolled off her tongue in a drunken whisper was adorable. He knew that once she sobered up, and Aaron explained the events of the night that Emily would be absolutely mortified. She quirked an eyebrow at him, waiting for his response while she twirled a piece of hair around her finger.

"Uh… Depends."

"On what?"

"What I feel like drinking. It's like if you prefer wine or cider."

"Hmm, yeah," She said with a smile, "there's so many options. But you have to have one you like more…"

"I like them both equally," Hotch admitted, taking another swig. As soon as he placed the mug down, he watched as Emily took the glass and sniffed the contents before taking a mouthful herself. So, he shouldn't have been all that surprised in her already drunken state, "you owe me."

"Ugh… I think I prefer whiskey. How do you drink that stuff…? It's awful."

"Personal preference," Hotch replied, moving the mug so that it was out of Emily's reach- not that she'd go for it again considering her reaction.

"I once dated a guy who… I don't even know who the hell he was called, but he used to drink vodka straight. Then, he'd mix the stuff with beer and make himself really sick. That was always a fun night."

"Please tell me you didn't follow in his footsteps," Aaron asked, curious to know more.

She chuckled slightly, "of course not. It was vile… But the memories… I'll never forget." They made eye contact under the colourful disco light, "you have gorgeous eyelashes. Did you know?"

Hotch felt himself flushing at the compliment, "I do now."

"They're so long and perfect," Emily admired, continuing to stare into his orbs, "Best I've seen on a man in a long time."

"Really?" Aaron asked with scepticism. JJ wasn't kidding when she said earlier that Emily could be a loose cannon with alcohol. He had to admit though, watching her talk without a filter amused him.

"Yes, really… You sound surprised."

"I am. Do you say that to every guy you drink with?" He watched lovingly as little dimples emerged at the corners of her mouth and her cheeks blushed to a rosy tone.

"Well… I wouldn't say it if it wasn't true," Emily muttered back sarcastically, "somewhere out there, a lucky woman will appreciate your good looks. If they haven't done so already."

Aaron took a moment to reflect on her drunken confession of attraction. Whether she was just saying it because she was intoxicated or if she actually had the same feelings as he did, Hotch couldn't tell. And as much as he wanted to compliment her back in all her beauty, Aaron didn't want to take advantage of her while she was in such a state. So, he simply whispered back, "thanks, Prentiss."

"So, isit true?"

He finished the remainder of his drink, "is what true?"

"You're dating?"

Biting the inside of his cheek, Aaron took his time answering the question. There were many reasons he hadn't gone back into the dating world, with the main one being that he was already in love. How could he open himself up to somebody else when Emily was the only woman on his mind?

"No," he answered, smiling back at the brunette, "what about you? I haven't heard much gossip from the Garcia rumour mill lately."

The woman started to laugh before shaking her head, "oh, I wish. It's too much effort… Relationships. What's the point if you just get dumped?"

"I guess it's always fun while it lasts," Aaron reasoned, pushing his empty glass back to the bartender.

"Yeah, that's all men seem to want. Sex and then they move on to their next target," Emily muttered with spite, "why does it always have to be like that? God… I think I need anotherdrink…."

As Emily was about to call over the bartender, Hotch interrupted her, "I think you've had plenty, Prentiss. You're already going to have a sore head tomorrow; why prolong the agony?"

The brunette sucked on her bottom lip, "Awww… Why do you have to ruin the fun, Hotchy?"

"I'm doing you a favour. Come on… Let's get you to bed."

"I'm partying."

"Now, Prentiss."

After having an intense staring competition with each other, reluctantly, Emily clumsily trundled off her seat. As she slowly stumbled away, Aaron was instantaneously by her side, looping an arm securely around her back to keep her from falling. He took the time to appreciate the curve of her abdomen while her head fell onto his shoulder as they walked; he felt like the luckiest man in the world simply having the chance to hold her this close to his body.

"Why do I do this tomyself?" Emily slurred, holding a hand over her eyes, "I hate Vegas."

Hotch simply smirked as they stepped into an elevator. Still having a tight grip around her torso, he felt Emily's arm drape over his blazing neck like a dead weight, her silky but warm skin imprinting its mark. Aaron listened to her mumble drunkenly to herself, rambling about her regrets and sorrows. And as she started to close her eyes, he looked down at her rosy face, allowing his other twitching hand to brush through her perfectly manicured bangs. The strands of hair threaded through his fingers like melted butter, and Aaron couldn't seem to pull himself away.

"Where's your key card?" He whispered before she fully passed out.

"Hmm… Somewhere."

"Incredibly helpful, you know?"

After searching through her pockets, Aaron managed to retrieve her card along with some unopened minty gum. They took their time strolling down to Prentiss' hotel room, where the woman bombarded herself onto the bed and was already half asleep. Hotch did the honours of taking off her shoes and draping a blanket over her before sitting on the edge of the bed and watching her fight sleep.

"Hotchy…" Emily mumbled with her eyes squinted.

"What?" Aaron asked as he watched her roll onto her side and bring her knees up to her chest.

"I like having you here."

Aaron felt the tiniest of smiles creep out as the brunette quieted down, letting the divine spell of peaceful sleep take her under its wing. He caressed the back of his neck, feeling the spot where she'd touched him; the loss of contact had him aching once again for her body, and he suddenly didn't know how he'd cope in the coming days with her in such close proximity to him.

Making sure she was well settled and in a calm slumber, Hotch ever so gently brushed a hand through her dark and wavy hair one last time before reluctantly heading back to his own hotel room.

She could have sworn somebody was pounding her head to death with a hammer.

And as Emily rolled over, the ecstatic beaming rays of sunshine through the curtains only intensified the short and sharp spikes of pain. Struggling to open her eyes, she reached over to the bedside table to smash the cancel button on the alarm clock before burying her face under the sheets.

Remembering they were flying back to Quantico that morning, the brunette frustratingly groaned into her pillow. Not only was her head throbbing, but her eyes stung like she'd swam in chlorinated water, and the thought of travelling across the country with the team mocking her for her irresponsible actions already had Emily wanting to crawl under a rock and never emerge.

Why did she choose to drink last night?

Before she knew it, Emily was dreaming once again, and it wasn't until she felt gentle nudging at her shoulder that she roused to see Hotch crouched next to the bed with the smallest of smirks. It slightly alarmed her to see the man in the hotel room with her in such a state.

"Sore head?"

"What are you doing here?" Emily asked hazily as she sat up and palmed her forehead.

"Checking up on you," Aaron replied, "I set the alarm, but you fell back to sleep."

Crinkling her eyes, Emily glanced in his direction confused, "you set the alarm? How come I don't rem-"

"You had a little too much to drink last night, Prentiss," Aaron clarified. He watched as the brunette rubbed at her eyes and sighed in disappointment. Even with her hair flying in all sorts of directions and her makeup from the previous day smudged, she still looked so beautiful.

"Why did it seem like such a good idea at the time?" Hotch stood up and passed Emily a glass of water along with two pills which she willingly took. "You were with me?"

Taking a seat towards the end of the bed, Aaron nodded. As her cheeks reddened to a bright scarlet, that's when Hotch felt his heart starting to race. Were all those things she said last night true? "We were down at the bar together… You don't remember?"

The woman pressed on her temples to alleviate some of the pressure and recall the night's events prior; bits and pieces slowly floated back into her memory, but everything was hazy. It was not knowing if she'd said or done something stupid that scared Emily more than anything. What if she had said something weird to him? Or done something out of line? Or worse, drunkenly confessed her undying love for him?

"Not much… I remember drinking your beer," Emily stated with a chuckle, "I'm sorry."

Hotch's deep cheek dimples emerged, "yeah… That happened."

"And…" She paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts, "it all gets blurry after that." The gentle ticking of the alarm clock filled the silence between them as the brunette stared into space while Hotch gently fumbled with his fingers. But Emily couldn't help but feel as though there was something Hotch was holding back. It terrified her to ask the question she'd been dreading, so instead, the brunette said, "I'm sorry if I said anything awkward last night… I completely lost control… Of everything."

Aaron shrugged, remembering her indirect confessions of attraction for him, "the last few weeks have been hard. It was nice to break away from it for a while."

The brunette nodded, thinking of all the poor children they weren't able to save. "Do you wanna talk about it?" Emily asked, clasping her cup of water.

"I keep asking myself what went wrong. I didn't look into the family's backgrounds hard enough; I never made sure to triple check witness statements… If I had changed something I did, maybe I could have made a difference."

"Hotch…" Emily said, biting her bottom lip, "these sorts of cases… I know they affect you badly because of Jack. But you have to remember that we all did everything we possibly could. Sometimes though…" She sighed heavily, "we can't save everybody. It's just a part of the job, and… We have to accept it."

Aaron made eye contact with the white bed sheets before slightly nodding, "I'll let you get ready."

Emily watched him walk to the door. Before he opened it, she whispered, "thank you for taking care of me."

After taking the quickest of hot showers, Emily sullenly made her way down to the hotel lobby, where she grabbed a coffee and winced at the high-pitched chimes of those stupid slot machines. In amongst it all, the previous night's lost memories slowly returned to her like the way tree roots search for water.

Her heart swelled up with love when she remembered standing in the elevator with Hotch. Though bits and pieces of what exactly happened were still fuzzy, she vividly recalled resting her head on his warm shoulder while his arm securely held her close to him. Emily could have sworn his fingers threaded through her hair at one point, and part of her struggled to believe if that actually occurred or if she just dreamed it.

Either way, it made her question whether he held the same feelings for her as Emily did for him.

While Morgan and Rossi stayed behind to help Spencer investigate a childhood case, JJ and Emily made their way to the airstrip. The whole way there, the brunette couldn't stop replaying the fragile memory in her head, the true story getting blurrier each time.

"You okay?" JJ asked as Emily rubbed her head, "you've been a little quiet."

"I'm just tired."

"Well… I'm not surprised; sounds like you had an eventful night." JJ wasn't about to reveal to her that she'd spotted Hotch sneaking out of her room only hours earlier. It wasn't unusual for everyone on the team to visit others in their hotel rooms, and at the time, JJ assumed Hotch was just dropping off some notes to her. But, when she saw Emily reeling from an awful headache on the couch later on, that's when the blonde pieced together that the two agents must have been drinking together.

Why else would Hotch check up on her?

"JJ, I'm gonna be honest… I feel a little weird about last night."

She shot an odd glare in the brunette's direction, "what do you mean weird? Did something happen?"

Emily searched for empty words, "I got blackout drunk, and… Everything is slowly coming back to me in bits and pieces, but… I don't know. Have you ever questioned whether something actually happened or if you just dreamed it?"

"Probably back when I used to drink in high school, but not for a long time. What's bugging you?"

"You know what, it doesn't matter," Emily said, rubbing at her eyes. The blonde would never understand the situation anyway.

Her stomach was flipping into knots as she made her way onto the jet. Hotch happened to be sitting right in the back corner completing his paperwork and didn't even bat an eyelid when Emily collapsed into the four-seater compartment- still reeling from a sore head.

As the flight progressed, Aaron occasionally glanced protectively over to the brunette napping in the window seat. He felt like the time they'd spent together was a dream. Never had they been that intimate or touched each other for so long, but it evoked strong feelings deep inside that had him hot at his core and begging for more.

Aaron knew he'd made a fatal mistake by going down to the bar in the first place. Had he just stayed put in the hotel room and resisted the temptation to see her, perhaps these intense urges to touch her would be non-existent. But the thought of Emily hooking up with some random dude and getting taken advantage of also concerned him, and in Vegas… That was entirely possible.

He didn't think he could stand seeing her kiss a guy.

The memory of her hair threaded through his fingers would plague him for the rest of the day, and as he watched her snoring delicately, Aaron wanted more than anything to just hold her in his arms. But knowing full well that they couldn't do that… It was eating him up from the inside.

Amongst Aaron trying to process his feelings, he tried tackling the remainder of his paperwork, but he was too distracted. So, for the rest of the journey, he rested his eyes and reflected on the precious time he and Emily spent together.

Though the woman happened to be incredibly intoxicated when she whispered words of attraction, Aaron believed that she too felt something out of her control. How she had smiled and talked to him so openly… The multiple compliments she had thrown in his direction… The way she had leant into him without hesitation as he took care of her… All of it sent an overwhelming sensation bubbling through his entire body.

And Aaron should have realised it sooner.

Shortly before they were due to land, Emily finally arose from her long slumber. He packed up all his paperwork and moved to the seat opposite, where they quirked their eyebrows at each other.

"How are you feeling?"

"I've had better days." The headache had essentially diminished with only a slight throb reminding Emily of her actions. But the lengthy nap had definitely helped lift her mood. As she took a sip of water, out of nowhere, Hotch pulled a Hershey's chocolate bar from his blazer and slid it across the table.

They exchanged smirks as her whole face lit up, "will that help?"

Grabbing the bar, Emily smiled across and whispered a thank you before taking a bite out of it, its sweet flavour melding into liquid. "How much did I drink?" She asked, pulling her legs to her chest.

"I don't know," Hotch replied honestly, "but you were pretty out of it when I arrived."

She bit the inside of her cheek, "this has been bugging me all morning... What awkward things did I say?"

"Just that I had the best eyelashes you've ever seen…" Aaron could have sworn her lips puckered so tight that it cut off the circulation. The way her eyes cringed and how her face darkened to a pink tinge had him amused.

"Let's be honest, you do have nice lashes," Emily finally admitted after wanting to shrink underneath the table. She couldn't believe her drunken self said that directly to his face. If she ever had the opportunity to drink with Hotch ever again, she'd hire someone to make sure she didn't drink more than she needed. Damn her mouth for not having a filter.

Hotch grinned, leaning back in his seat, "I'm glad somebody thinks so."

Emily just laughed as he blinked dramatically in her direction, literally batting his eyelashes. She felt a massive relief that they were joking about her drunken shenanigans rather than being awkward. "I'm sorry I was a mess last night," she said a lot more seriously, "just ask Penelope or JJ."

A beautiful mess, Hotch thought.

"You know you were this close to spending the night in my room," Hotch said, holding his thumb and index finger only inches apart, "and you're the most useless drunk when it comes to remembering where you've put stuff."

Emily quirked an eyebrow and nodded with a smirk, "sounds about right… Why were you even down there anyway? I was certain everybody went to sleep. I even stood by the door to make sure there was no noise before sneaking out."

"You're not that difficult to profile…"

She rolled her eyes, "I should have known…"

"You really don't remember anything?" Hotch asked a little hopelessly.

Emily hesitated to tell him about the elevator, "It's still coming back to me. And it's scary… Losing control of everything. You'd think I'd have learnt my lesson by now when it comes to alcohol, but no."

"Well… At least you're an adorable drunk and not aggressive." Hotch secretly enjoyed watching her intoxicated.

Emily wanted to cry at the compliment.

"Now I'm really gutted I can't remember anything," Emily muttered passionately with a smirk, "what else aren't you telling me?" The way his dimples twitched had Emily flushing in embarrassment. "Hotch… Come on, I'm dying over here."

"Those are stories for another day…"

Her mouth dropped open, "that is so not fair. I should have gifted you one goddamn chocolate after all."

A/N: This chapter took me absolutely ages to write. Not entirely happy with how it turned out, but I'd love to hear what you guys thought of it. Thanks again for reading!