A/N: Hi everybody! This chapter takes place during and after episode 4x09 (one of my favourites of season 4). I know some people hate when I include dialogue from the show, but I felt like it was really necessary to explore the background and character thoughts with this scene. And you'll know which one it is when you read it.

Enjoy!

Late November 2008

Adjusting to a new rhythm without JJ was like trying to sail across the Atlantic Ocean amid a hurricane.

The ride had felt incredibly rocky at times with Agent Jordan Todd navigating the ship, but that was to be expected with the woman still learning the ebbs and flows of the media liaison's job. From miscommunication between different field offices to completing the wrong sort of paperwork, Jordan had just about made every mistake in the book.

The poor woman had been thrown into the deep end on such short notice… And that was no easy feat. Coming from counterterrorism, most of what the BAU did daily must have felt like foreign territory to Jordan. It probably didn't help that Hotch already had high expectations of her, only adding to the insane pressure of trying to do her job correctly.

Remembering the frustration of building up layers of trust with every team member and trying to prove herself as capable, Emily really felt for Agent Todd. It was a hard enough gig taking over JJ's job in itself. Add a lack of experience with profiling into the mix, and the brunette couldn't imagine the sorts of emotions flying through Jordan's head.

Considering the circumstances in which she arrived though, the woman had been handling the harsh slashing of the waves incredibly well. Emily had noticed her incredible resilience to get back up after getting knocked down- a quality which many people these days tended to lack in- and also her eager willingness to learn. As hard as it had been trying to find a new groove with the new agent, those traits had significantly helped the entire team with the transition.

Upon taking up a case in Atlanta, their investigation had led them to believe that the unsub took a pick-up class learning how to attract women. Figuring that the killer had used the techniques to draw attention to himself, Emily had managed to narrow down the possible classes he could have attended down to one person.

Viper.

And boy, Emily couldn't think of enough foul words to describe the guy. Misogynistic… Narcissistic… Sexist… Vile. From the hideous silver rings poking out from his ears to his remarkably unromantic Jack-Sparrow-like clothing, all of it had Emily gagging on her own saliva. Even the cologne he wore smelt like somebody had submerged him in rotten diesel.

As much as Emily abhorred the man and everything he represented, she agreed to bait him at the nightclubs. But only because the team needed valuable information about how the unsub was luring women away and killing them. So, after reluctantly running into a second-hand shop to grab a cheap but alluring dress, Emily stood in the locker room of the police station, wondering what on earth she was getting herself into.

As she curled her hair, Emily tried to shake off the nauseating thought of flirting with Viper. And naturally, her mind wandered to Hotch. Something over the last couple of days had him in a foul mood. At first, the brunette thought it was because of not seeing Jack, but she'd noticed similar emotions in Jordan. Upon witnessing the awkward silences and Hotch's subtle but intense glares in the new agent's direction, Emily felt the tension radiating away from the two like heatwaves.

What exactly happened? Emily hadn't a clue, but Hotch was obviously pissed. And with Jordan, all Emily could see swarming in the woman's eyes was heavy regret.

A similar situation had occurred between Morgan and Agent Todd a week earlier, and the brunette had been the one to snap under stress. From what Emily had heard from both parties, Derek had the intention of helping the woman with a problematic detective. And to his credit, he realised the incident gave the impression that Morgan didn't think Jordan could do her job. But that couldn't have been further from the truth.

They'd managed to resolve the incident independently, but the whole debacle had Hotch concerned about Jordan's capability to do her job. Personally, Emily thought she was doing fine, but nevertheless, Hotch had asked that she keep a watchful eye over the new agent. And she shouldn't have been surprised.

After all, Emily knew better than most how long it took for Hotch to trust women.

Finishing up curling her hair, Emily removed her blazer and placed it neatly on a hanger when she heard a few sharp knocks. She glanced away from the locker momentarily, wondering who could be knocking, only to hear Hotch's voice echoing in, calling her last name.

Emily didn't hesitate in letting him come in. Upon realising that she'd already spent so long getting ready, she quickly removed an earring as the man hesitantly wandered into the women's locker room.

The first glimpse Hotch caught of her had taken his breath away. And that was only with her hair and make-up so gorgeously done. She hadn't even put the dress on yet, but lord, he struggled to peel his eyes away. As difficult as it was, Aaron didn't want to seem too obvious ogling her, so he tried keeping his gaze locked to the ground.

"Hey, I'm ten minutes away," Emily reassured, trying not to blush with him standing only a few feet away.

Visiting 'Viper' earlier in the day had really unsettled Hotch. And with the way the man had spoken to Prentiss so seductively and licked his lips like she was prey, the whole idea of sending her out to a club to hang out with some ignorant blockhead just wasn't sitting right with Aaron. Perhaps it was because of his own attraction to Emily that he was so hesitant to even let the woman out of his sight, but he knew that baiting the jerk needed to happen if they were to get anywhere in this case.

As amusing as Prentiss' reaction was having to go clubbing with Viper, Aaron could see the disgust in her expression as clear as day. He felt awful with the rest of the team pressuring her to do this, and Aaron wanted to give the woman a chance to back out. "You're okay with this, right?"

Emily couldn't help but smile at his sweet concern. Yeah… The situation sucked, and she wished she could spend the night flirting with someone who actually bothered to brush their teeth, but the brunette knew she could handle at least a couple hours with the weirdo.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Sadly, I've actually dated people worse than Viper."

Hotch had nothing to respond with except, "wow…"

As Emily removed her necklace, she glanced up to make contact with his hazel eyes and noticed how they were wandering in circles all over her body. The simple act had her stomach twisting into knots and an uncontrollable hot flush emerging from her cheeks. Before the silence made things more awkward, Emily asked, "is something going on with Jordan?"

At the mention of the new agent's name, Hotch flashed back to the incident a day prior, the disappointment of her actions souring his expression. He should have known Prentiss had picked up on something. "Um… You asked me to keep an eye on her, and frankly, I've noticed some uh… Tension."

"I caught her in a lie," Hotch answered without hesitation, "she cut a corner to get us in with the Holden Family."

Fiddling with the necklace clasp, Emily shook her head. No wonder he'd been so angry with the woman. There were many unspoken rules regarding working in the field, and lying to get the job done may have been considered the most incriminating. "Did she misrepresent the bureau?"

"She misrepresented herself."

"Huh," Emily said, chucking her jewellery into the locker. She had expected the woman to make plenty of mistakes, but lying… That wasn't something Emily hadn't seen coming. "So how long is she gonna be in the doghouse?"

"Until she proves she competent," Hotch answered sternly. After what had happened, Aaron needed to be absolutely sure that he could trust Jordan's judgement. He hated to think of the consequences if Strauss or a higher power became involved because an agent of his team couldn't do their job correctly.

Sucking in air gently through her teeth, Emily struggled to find the right words to say. She completely understood Hotch's reasoning, but she also knew how harsh and blunt he could be when his personal boundaries had been crossed. Jordan was capable; she had simply made a mistake. And with Hotch's perfectionism, that often didn't allow room for people to prove themselves.

Emily remembered the struggle all too well.

"That's going to be tricky if you're scrutinising her every move," she explained to him softly.

Hotch didn't think he had been that harsh on Jordan. The woman simply needed to learn her lesson, and he'd reprimanded her the same way that he'd scold any other member of the team, including Emily.

"Prentiss, you seem to do okay."

She hummed sharply as she avoided his gaze, fully aware of the high standards Hotch held her accountable to daily. But Jordan wasn't like Emily. She didn't have a high tolerance for stress, and then there was also the fact that she hardly had any experience with profiling. Jordan needed the space to get better at her job, and Hotch needed to respect that and back off a little, lending support only when he had to.

Her transition into the unit didn't need to be any more complicated than it already was.

Sucking in her bottom lip and revealing the briefest of dimples at the corners of her mouth, Emily suggested, "I think… In order for Jordan to prove that she's good at her job, it's not going to happen under a magnifying glass. You're going to have to give her the opportunity."

Prentiss did have a point, and Aaron fully trusted what she had to say about the whole situation. It was in times like these where he was blinded by his own bias and perspective that he often failed to see the bigger picture. So, he nodded curtly, asking if Emily had some ideas up her sleeve.

Slightly in disbelief that he'd actually listened, the brunette straightened her posture and smiled gently, "she can come with me to the club. I think she'll enjoy it."

Taking one last look at the brunette, Hotch wasted no time finding Jordan out in the bullpen. Her shoulders visibly tensed as he walked into the room, but upon explaining the idea Emily had of taking her out clubbing, she seemed incredibly eager to take up the rare opportunity.

Half an hour later, after Jordan had bought a dress from down the road and gotten ready with Emily, both women were ready to hit the club.

Hotch felt his knees nearly give way as his attention diverted to Prentiss. Curly hair ringlets twirled against the bare skin of her chest while that black dress hugged her figure so delicately, accentuating her smooth curves and exposing her muscly but toned legs. The heavy eyeliner surrounding her dark eyes really pulled everything together and contrasted well with her brick-red lipstick, while those high heels added at least an extra three inches to her height.

She looked incredible.

For once in his life, Aaron couldn't seem to rip his eyes away from the woman, every muscle in his body aching to touch her.

God… It was torturous.

"Tell me why we're doing this again?" Emily asked, breathing out a slightly nervous sigh. It didn't help that Hotch's eyes were memorising every nook and cranny that her body had on offer.

Rossi, who had noticed Aaron fall completely silent as soon as she'd walked into the room, plopped a hand on his hip. Even he had to admit, both Emily and Jordan looked terrific. "Don't worry about it; you guys will be fine. You look great, by the way."

Smiling humbly, both brunettes whispered thanks in Rossi's direction before turning towards the door.

"Call us if you need anything," Hotch noted, painfully balling his fists together in his trouser pockets.

"I'll update you when we get something." With that, the women made their way out; Hotch's gaze glued to her bouncy curls cascading down the top of her exposed spine.

What the hell was she doing to him?

Distracted by the memory of Emily's soft curves and perfectly tanned skin, Hotch picked up a file and immersed himself back into the case, but not before enduring the slight smirk Rossi was sending him. "Okay. Let's review everything that we have already… Vanessa Holden-"

"You considering it?" He glanced up at Dave like a deer in the headlights, knowing full well he was about to endure a whole interrogation from the Italian.

Damn Prentiss for having him so entranced.

"Considering what?"

Taking a seat, Rossi chuckled to himself, "playing dumb… One of the oldest tricks in the book." Still holding the file open, Aaron sat down opposite Rossi in defeat, "I'm surprised you've restrained yourself for as long as you have. Pretty impressive if you ask me."

"It's not right, Dave…" Aaron lingered, avoiding eye contact.

"What's not right about it?"

He shrugged, "everything… She's my co-worker. I'm her boss. We're not meant to even go down that avenue."

Rossi watched his friend bite painfully hard on his bottom lip as he turned a page in the file. Though the little moments Aaron and Emily shared with each other were subtle, the unspoken glances that they used to communicate hadn't gone unnoticed by Dave. He saw the love in both of their eyes when they were in the same room together, how they would laugh, joke, and talk openly about everything.

He'd seen the strength of their friendship be tested through hell and high waters. Emily begging Rossi to know if Hotch was okay after the car bombing; Aaron freaking out about nearly losing the brunette during those horrible few days in Colorado. Then there were personal matters… Hotch's divorce, Emily's breakup. And yet, after all the trials and tribulations, they had still remained incredibly loyal to each other, acknowledging their own feelings for the other but refusing to act upon them.

"What, are you worried somebody is going to nark to Strauss?"

"By somebody, do you mean you?" Aaron asked with a smirk.

"You know I would never do that, Aaron…" Rossi paused for a moment, tapping his finger on the armrest. "And you're crazy to think that we'd judge you for how you feel… After the year you've had, you deserve to move on. Who gives a damn what anybody else thinks?"

Shaking his head, Hotch gulped, not quite believing that he was having this conversation with Rossi. "I don't even know if… If she even feels the same. Not confidently, anyway."

Placing his hands in a fist on the table and leaning in close, Rossi took his time to give his two cents worth, "I've seen how you two lovebirds look at each other… If she didn't feel the same way, it would have been more obvious."

Dropping the file, Aaron crossed his arms together and stared into space, trying to process Rossi's words. It reassured him to know that he'd have Dave's support in whatever he chose to do with his life, but at the same time, Hotch felt terrified.

Because he knew there was no way to reverse how he felt about Emily.

Having a buddy by her side while painstakingly flirting with Viper had significantly eased Emily's anxiety at the club. Although she still felt nauseated by his predatory stares and the crappy attempts to 'woo' her back to his own apartment, they'd managed to gain valuable insight from his class and found the son of the bitch who was responsible for the murders.

The relief of never having to see Viper again felt like a breath of fresh air.

By the time they'd arrested the unsub and processed the crime scene, it was too late to fly back to Quantico. So, the team had exhaustingly returned back to the hotel to get much-needed sleep before the early flight home.

But between processing Viper's sickening remarks about attraction and remembering how Hotch couldn't peel his eyes off her in that dress, Emily just hadn't been able to switch off her haywire thoughts.

As fun as it had been clubbing with Jordan and messing with Viper, the whole night had Emily wanting Hotch more than ever.

She'd explained to Jordan when they came back how she still read books detailing strategies on how to get noticed by a guy. But upon hearing the space cowboy's misogynistic rants about men chasing women and watching every chick get absolutely wasted off their face and be taken advantage of, Emily realised she didn't want to be a part of that lifestyle any longer.

Twenty years ago, the thrill of hooking up with a guy she'd only just met used to be all the brunette could think about. Now, Emily couldn't even bring herself to lay her eyes on another man back at that club; she'd struggled simply letting Viper believe that he had superiority over her.

No, she needed somebody with a more profound connection—a person who she could completely trust and who could be there for her through thick and thin.

And Emily would never find that person in some dodgy nightclub.

At a standstill as to what else could take her mind off things, Emily wet a cloth with warm water and smoothed it over her face, letting the soothing liquid seep into her cheeks. But upon glancing down at her watch to see that it was nearly 1 in the morning, not being able to fall into a heavy slumber only stressed her out more.

Accepting that sleep wouldn't come anytime soon, Emily suddenly had an overwhelming urge to see Hotch. Even if it was just to hear his voice or to talk about something random… She couldn't keep suffering in this hotel room with only her thoughts keeping her company.

She knew that he'd most likely still be up completing paperwork, so Emily quietly tiptoed down to the other end of the corridor, feeling her nerves bundling together like lambs in a paddock.

Aaron had to do a double-take when he heard three gentle knocks on his door. He couldn't help but think it was a little strange as to why somebody would bother him at this hour, and besides room service, he hadn't a clue who it could possibly be. But as he peeked through the viewing hole and saw Emily standing on the other side with her arms crossed, his heart started beating a little more forcefully.

"Prentiss? Are you okay?" He asked with concern in his voice, trying to think of a reason why she'd be here in the middle of the night. Not that Aaron was complaining though, he would move mountains and hills to make sure she was alright.

The first thing he'd noticed was the heavy bags underlining her eyes. She looked exhausted. Then it was her loose white tank top, skewed slightly to the left, exposing the strap of her brassiere. Fluffy black track pants scaled down all the way to her ankles while navy and white polka-dot socks kept her feet covered.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Emily reassured him with a tiny smile, noticing how his tie was completely loosened, draping around his neck like a noose. His expression held a mist of confusion, with gentle furrows in his forehead deepening by the second. "I'm sorry it's late… I just… I need…" God, she was already messing up her words, "can I come in?"

Not hesitating in opening the door wider, Hotch stood to the side as she tiptoed in, wondering what was on her mind. Paperwork had sapped his attention for the last couple of hours, but he'd happily drop it all to talk to Emily. Aaron watched as she beelined for the sofa by the window, planting herself down and resting her head against her palm. He sat near the other end, fiddling with his hands on his lap.

"What's going on? You look shattered…"

Brushing a curl of hair out of her face, Emily whispered, "can't sleep…"

"Something on your mind?" Aaron asked, figuring that she needed to vent about whatever was bothering her.

She let her tongue wash over her teeth, unsure of how to respond. "Do you ever have nights where you just… Can't shut off your brain?"

He nodded, admiring how her curly hair brushed timidly against her shoulders.

"I'm sorry, I just…" She tried not to let the emotion invade her voice, but Emily couldn't help it, "a lot happened tonight, and I'm still trying to process it."

Hearing the slight creak in her voice had Aaron wanting to wrap her up in his arms and never let her go. Perhaps it had been a bit much sending Prentiss out there tonight. "It's okay… Do you wanna talk about it?"

Nodding ever so timidly as she closed her eyes, Emily decided to begin telling Hotch about Agent Todd's success at the club. "Jordan did amazing tonight. She was smart, receptive… Thought logically on her feet. I think she has the potential to do really well."

Pleased with how things went, Aaron nodded. "I've been thinking a lot about what you said earlier… About giving Jordan the opportunity to prove herself. I never even thought to consider it."

Emily hummed with a tiny smile, "we had a lot of fun together… Jordan's a great Agent, Hotch. And she's made mistakes, but she's learnt from them." The brunette paused for a second, gathering her thoughts, "I think you should let her off the hook."

"I'll talk to her about it tomorrow and go from there," Hotch said, feeling a lot more reassured about the whole situation with Jordan. But as he gazed at the woman nervously tucking her feet beneath her legs, Aaron could see that she was still bottling something up.

"What happened tonight, Emily?"

The woman sighed hopelessly as she bit down heavy on her lip, "I don't know… I guess I… let some of the stuff Viper said get way further into my head than it needed to."

"Men like Viper haven't got anything better to do with their lives… They'll say and do anything and everything to try and manipulate a woman to come home with them. You know that Prentiss."

"It's not that…" Emily said, bowing her head. "He's a jerk, yes… But all the stuff he talked about with attraction and… Falling in love… Every bit of it was true."

She glanced up to meet his hazel eyes under the dim light, catching a hint of lust swirling around. Then she quickly averted her gaze, not wanting him to see the guilt festering in her expression.

"Why is it bothering you so much?" Aaron whispered, fascinated to see where this was going.

"Because… I can't keep lying to myself like this..."

Aaron scooted a little closer, attempting to search her expression for any hint of strength, but the woman just looked numb. He watched her gulp as she made eye contact with the floor, and Aaron felt his entire body seize up, suddenly realising what was happening.

"Lying about what?" He prodded.

She sucked in a tight breath before licking her bottom lip, feeling all sorts of emotions lingering in her throat like a bad cough. Never in her life had the brunette struggled so much to express what she wanted to say in a few words. And the more she hesitated, the more emotional she became. Closing her watery eyes, Emily felt her voice fade into a hoarse whisper, "I think I'm in love with you… That's why I can't sleep."

It felt like somebody had just pushed him off a cliff, with the powerful ache to touch her becoming more unbearable by the second.

As a hot flush swarmed over his entire body, he couldn't help but gaze lovingly at the beautiful woman as her words sunk in. Memorising every little freckle and watching how her eyelashes fluttered, waiting for him to respond, Aaron shifted himself even closer, catching a whiff of her irresistible fruity scent.

After squeezing one hand behind her spine, Aaron trailed his thumb under the crevasse of her chin, gently tilting her head upwards to look directly into her dark eyes sparkling with lustre. He completely lost track of his surroundings as Emily caressed both hands over his wrinkled cheeks, letting her warm fingers explore his features and trace over the light stubble beneath his nostrils.

Upon brushing a thumb over his incredibly sensitive thin upper lip, Emily felt his jaw quiver slightly. All the blood in her body rushed directly to her cheeks as he slowly massaged the nape of her neck, his calloused fingers kneading at her flushed skin as if he was a kitten. The tiniest murmur escaped as she let herself completely meld into his touch, wanting to drift into a peaceful slumber at the pleasure of his hands wandering around freely.

Feeling her small hands coil around his neck, Aaron allowed her to pull him in, their lips locking together softly in a union so much more magical than what he'd ever imagined. The world around them blurred into the background while his thoughts tangled up in the spider webs his mind had spun. How one person could make him feel like he was hallucinating while simultaneously grounding him to the earth would forever fascinate him for years to come.

His lips were like silk, thin and delicate, yet so incredibly nimble. Emily drifted off into another realm as their noses pressed into each other's flushed cheeks, hot but quick air channelling between every wrinkle, intensifying the heat by the second. She felt herself hum gently into the ever so gentle kiss, savouring every memory of this monumental moment; how his strong hands caressed her neck, the feeling of his smooth hair slithering between her fingers, his angular cheekbones.

She didn't want it to end.

Mutually breaking apart for air, Emily rested her forehead against his, still letting her hands roam under and around his earlobes while Aaron twirled her hair around his fingers. They sat like that for what seemed like forever, letting the sound of their hushed breathes fill in the comfortable silence.

"Feeling tired yet?" He whispered, planting his lips to the tip of her elegant nose.

Emily opened her eyes, tiredly fluttering her lashes at him as she hummed in response. "I don't wanna move…"

Smoothing odd wisps of hair out of her face, Aaron smiled lightly, falling more in love with her beauty with every fraction of a second. Wanting to hold her close, he stood up, aching at the sudden loss of contact, and held out a hand to which the brunette willingly took.

Dragging her barely three feet to the bed, he collapsed onto the mattress, rolled over and motioned for the brunette to lie next to him. She grabbed his hand once again as she lay her head on a pillow and snuggled in close, letting her nose bury into the crook of his neck while their legs entangled together like spaghetti.

No words would ever be able to describe the ecstasy Aaron felt as he pressed his lips to her hairline, inhaling her shampoo that smelt of berries. Something about having her pressed right up against him felt so incredibly right. And Rossi's wise words rung in his head… Screw the politics… Screw what anybody else thought… Right now, he felt like the luckiest man on the planet.

"I remember the elevator," Emily mumbled into his neck, "when we were in Vegas… I didn't want to tell you about it because I was afraid of how you'd react… I thought it would make things awkward between us."

Aaron closed his eyes with a smile, remembering her delicate drunken nature, "you could barely walk that night…I had no choice but to hold you."

Emily repositioned herself so that she was eye level with Hotch. As they gazed into each other's souls, she let her thumb wander under his orb, memorising his long and beautiful eyelashes. The next thing she knew, their lips were connected once again, incredibly light but quick kisses exploring each other's mouths as his hands tangled knots in her dark hair.

She felt herself drifting off as they broke apart, breathless. So, they quickly climbed underneath the sheets, Hotch throwing his shirt and tie to the ground before pulling the brunette close to his hot chest. As Emily nuzzled into his neck, her hands caressed his bare spine, letting her fingers massage every little valley, evoking a pleasurable sigh from Aaron.

Whether what they were doing was orthodox or not, Emily couldn't be bothered thinking about the consequences of whatever had happened tonight. She let herself finally fall into a deep slumber with Aaron not long drifting off after her.

A/N: Any suggestions to improve this chapter are much appreciated; I feel like as I wrote this that I was missing something...

I want to thank all of you for all the amazing reviews, support and feedback! You have no idea how much they inspire me to write more.