AN: Thanks to everyone who is commenting, favorited, and followed on this story. I appreciate the feedback. Here is the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Elizabeth Prentiss slams the door of her car and walks past her driver without a word. As she entered the house, she instructed her assistant that she wanted no interruptions before closing her office door. Walking over to her desk, she sat heavily on her seat.

When she had received the frantic call from the Chernus family that morning, she felt this was an opportunity to get her name back out there. As the saying went 'Out of sight, out of mind' and Elizabeth didn't want to be out of mind.

For several months now, she had been without an assignment of her own. Her contact at the State Department had encouraged her to be patient as there were openings coming. However, it had been long enough that her patience was running thin.

When she decided to go to Emily's team, she hadn't considered her daughter at all only that Emily was an in with the FBI, an unsuspecting in but one nonetheless. An in who was assigned to a unit in the FBI that mandate includes kidnappings.

As much as she was disappointed that her daughter had chosen to become an FBI agent instead of the path she had envisioned for her, Elizabeth was pleased that Emily at least was now assigned to one of the elite units within the Bureau.

She had arrived with the Chernus family with the plan of using her connection to Emily to pressure Emily's supervisor to open an investigation without taking into account that Emily may suffer from the fallout for the breach of protocol. But she could not concern herself with that. Emily was an adult who had frequently told her mother that she could take care of herself. And if it turned out that she couldn't well then hopefully she would finally be able to steer Emily onto the path Elizabeth had always planned for her.

And perhap a different path would be best for Emily after a recent conversation with her friend Congresswoman Karen Steyer. When they spoke the Congresswoman had lamented about the deleterious effect to the legislation she had been proposing because of the actions of Emily's Unit Chief. Elizabeth's ears had perked up when the Congresswoman had mentioned that her supervisor had Emily involved in confronting her with prostitutes. Elizabeth couldn't help but be angry that her daughter had been involved in disrespecting her friend.

So when Elizabeth had arrived at the BAU, she already had a negative impression of Emily's supervisor. But with everything she had learned from Karen Steyer about Emily's Unit Chief, what she suddenly realized when he walked out of the conference room was she had never found out his name.

She immediately recognized Aaron Hotchner. The same Aaron Hotchner that was assigned to her to do security clearances 12 years ago. The same Aaron Hotchner that she and her husband had discovered was involved with Emily that same summer. The same Aaron Hotchner who Edward set up to hear a bogus explanation for Emily's sudden unplanned absence when she was with her ill grandfather in France. And the same Aaron Hotchner that they then arranged to be offered his dream assignment while she was gone.

Flashback-

"Where is Agent Hotchner? I thought he was staying until we left at the end of the summer."

"I took advantage of Emily being out of the country to have him reassigned."

"I know we talked about this but I don't know if now was the best time."

"If not now, then when Liz. There are only a few weeks until we leave. He and Emily have only been getting closer. He needed to be gone from her life before your assignment starts."

"Yes but like you said, it is only a few weeks until his work here would have been done and then he would have been reassigned anyway. Before that Emily would have been heading back to Yale."

"Yes but I learned that he had requested his next assignment be at either the New Haven or New York City field offices.

"What?"

"Yes, this infatuation wasn't going to end when your daughter headed back to school. It had to come to an end now. She will be over him before she graduates next year. By then she will hopefully be more inclined to accept invitations from the young men in our social circle. She has generated much interest. Just last week, Philip Stanworth asked after her again. His son James who I understand went to school with Emily in Rome is planning to run for Congress in a couple of years and looking for a wife."

"I'm not sure if Stanworth is the right choice."

"Maybe not but she needs to start seriously thinking about her future. So far she has refused all of the young men we have tried to introduce her and has taken up with someone completely unsuitable for her."

"What did you tell Agent Hotchner?"

"I didn't tell him anything. He overheard Rose and Kathleen speaking about Emily transferring to Brown to be with her fiance."

"And he didn't say anything to you about it."

"No. Though I will say it seems like the infatuation was more on Emily's side. He was offered and accepted the JTF transfer two days later and was on a plane by the end of that week."

End Flashback

Now Elizabeth wasn't sure how to approach the revelation as the stories they were both told were suppose to keep them from ever seeking each other out. From how each of them greeted her, Elizabeth was certain that they hadn't discussed what had happened that summer much if at all. Based on what happened, it wouldn't be too large of leap for either or both of them to deduce who engineered the confusion.

Emily's reaction to learning the truth was only be part of her concern. Aaron Hotchner was an unknown at this point. He was no longer a fresh graduate from the FBI Academy, eager to promptly and completely finish the necessary checks for her new assignment.

Now he was an Unit Chief in an elite team who name was being floated as a possible future director of the FBI. He could potentially cause trouble for them if he found out the truth of what they did.

She had tried to get in touch with Edward on the car ride home however he as expected he wasn't answering as he was suppose to be in meetings all day. She needed to make him aware of this development.

####

By the time her assistant announced that Emily had just buzzed in at the gate, Elizabeth felt uncertain about what had brought Emily to her house but more in control as she had had time to process what she had learned that morning.

When Emily arrived in her office, Elizabeth relaxed in a way she hadn't been able to until that moment. She could tell by Emily's focus on the case that she hadn't put the pieces of what happened that summer.

As they began talking, the questions ended up being more interrogatory than intended as Elizabeth tried to ascertain why Emily had chosen the BAU without asking the question she really wanted - did you make the choice because of Aaron Hotchner - without opening Pandora's box.

It was fortuitous timing when Gregor, the person she had planned to get the banking information from called back as Emily was starting to shut down. Unfortunately he was unable or unwilling to provide the needed information. She was frustrated that Emily was there to witness her embarrassment at the example of her diminished influence.

####

When she arrived back at the BAU after receiving the breadcrumb information, Elizabeth stopped just outside the bullpen door and observed her daughter talking to Aaron Hotchner. She could see some stress however there was a level of familiarity they had with each other.

Elizabeth had seen a connection between Emily and Agent Hotchner from the first time she saw them together. She didn't know how they could have possibly known each other before that day but something in how they looked at each other made it appear as if they had known each other for years as they exchanged greetings before Emily left in a hurry.

It was watching them dance together at a ball weeks later that convinced her and Edward that they needed to separate them permanently.

Even after everything she couldn't deny that they looked good together even if it would only ever be in a professional setting.

A couple of sources she had spoken to that morning as she waited for Gregor to return her call had confirmed that Aaron Hotchner was married and had a child. She had seen a picture on his desk earlier that morning as well as a wedding ring.

While Elizabeth didn't agree with many of the aspects of how Emily lived her life, she was certain that her daughter would not pursue or become involved with a married man. Elizabeth's assessment of Hotchner was that he wouldn't cheat either. If the truth were to be found out, neither one of them would benefit but Elizabeth knew she would lose the final fragile strands of a relationship with her daughter.

Stepping into the bullpen, she walked over to Emily after Aaron Hotchner stepped away as he headed back to his office. Emily immediately caught on to the concerned look on her mother's face and step forward to meet her and explained the latest development with the case. Elizabeth cringed when Emily asked rhetorically if she still thought Emily enjoyed it.

After handing the Emily the breadcrumb information that had brought her back to the BAU, Elizabeth easily lied through her teeth even at Emily's suspicious expression about where she got the information. For a minute as Emily looked at her, she was unsure if her daughter who profiles for a living had caught her lie.

Elizabeth wanted this case to reference her in a positive light. Giving up after being denied by the first person who she called would not have given her the accolades that she was looking for. After Emily had left the house an idea came to Elizabeth about how she could obtain the information needed.

While she hated to call and make nice with this person whom she preferred to avoid interacting with, it was her only option left. But she knew if she ask him, he would get her the information if he was able. So she did what she had learned as a politician to do and made the call.

However with choosing this route, she couldn't tell Emily from whom she received the information. As she had gotten older Emily had figured out what he had been trying to do with her when she was a child and would not understand that Elizabeth was still on cordial terms with him.

Elizabeth felt somewhat guilty after Emily had thanked her before taking the sheet containing the bank codes and walking quickly out of the bullpen towards Garcia's office.

####

As she again walked into her house, Elizabeth felt conflicted. On her way back to the house, Edward had called and she had told him what she had learned. While she had been looking for support and reassurance, he had offered little of either. His final comment before they hung up was even if everything did come out, they had done what they thought was right for Emily.

As she thought back to that summer, she remember the doubts she had had about what they had done after Emily came home. Elizabeth had expected Emily to take her grandfather's death hard. He had adored her from the day she was born and the two had become even closer after Sebastian died.

But she hadn't expected Emily to walk around for weeks as if the world was falling down around her. She had seen Emily sad many times over the years however this time it was different. There were several days that Emily's grief made her want to sit down and tell her daughter what they had done about Aaron Hotchner however she never did.

Edward had reassured her that they did the right thing and Emily just needed some time. That by the following summer they would put the next part of their plan in motion.

But things hadn't gone as planned. The following summer they didn't make it back from her assignment and Emily had stayed in New Haven. As they planned holiday events that year, Emily repeatedly refused their attempts to set her up with eligible young men whom they approved which had resulted in a blow up between Emily and Edward before she headed back to Yale.

Edward had angrily told Elizabeth to talk some sense into her headstrong daughter and get her under control. He complained that her repeated refusal to even meet with these men was adversely affecting his business.

They had very little contact over the next year as Emily shut down any attempt Elizabeth made to talk with her daughter about her personal life. When they met up again at the holidays, Edward and Elizabeth were stunned when Emily announced that she had just graduated from the FBI Academy and starting in January, she was moving to St Louis for her first assignment.

An argument quickly ensued as neither of them knew that Emily was interested in the FBI. Now she was telling them that not only had she applied but that she had spent the last few months training at the Academy.

In response to their accusations, Emily explained that she had done it for herself as she had her own goals for her life and if that meant never marrying, then so be it.

In response to their tirades, Emily angrily responded to their arguments that night that she had no intention of being a bored socialite and/or the trophy wife that the men they want for her were looking for before storming out.

Over the years since doubts in what they had done would creep up in Elizabeth from time to time. Doubts in her fundamental belief that she had been doing the right thing for her daughter.

While she could see the focus Emily had put into her career, Elizabeth worried that, in part, because of her actions that is all that Emily had in her life. Not that Elizabeth could really fault her for that as Elizabeth had done that too, particularly after Benjamin then Sebastian had died.

And now as Elizabeth waited at home not sure if her days as a diplomat were over, she worries that Emily will fall into the same trap. Unfortunately with the inherent danger within Emily's career choice, the longevity in her field may come to a close much earlier than Elizabeth's seemed to be.

####

When Emily was again announced as a visitor at the house later that afternoon, Elizabeth didn't know what to expect. She didn't see her daughter that often and now here she was at the house twice in one day. As she waited for Emily to come over to her office she could feel her stress rise. Had Emily found out about who she called to get the information? Or did she figure out Elizabeth's role in breaking up Emily and Hotch all those years ago?

It turned out Emily just wanted to let her mother know the case was over. They were able to get Mr Chernus back.

Emily had come to the house to deliver the news instead of calling after noticing through the day that her mother was acting strangely. When she hadn't gotten much of a response to the news, Emily shook her head and started to excuse herself to go home. It seemed that there was more than to the usual awkwardness between the two women.

Just as she was turning to leave, Emily was shocked to hear an uncharacteristic comment from her mother about feeling useful. When asked, Elizabeth just mentioned her concerns about her career being currently being on hold. Elizabeth's career has always been a sticky point between the two women for several reasons. Bringing up that as a concern, Elizabeth was hoping it would shut down Emily asking any more questions.

Instead, Emily expanded her questions. Elizabeth also let slip about doubting herself. Superficially it seemed that it only had to do with work. And for now that's what she needed Emily to believe.

Emily looked surprised at the answer and said she had never seen her mother doubt herself before. While Elizabeth was sure that it was true that Emily hadn't seen it before, it overwhelmed her at times about how many things she had doubts about. Especially when it came to Emily and her relationship with her daughter.

She is actually surprised that Emily asks about going out to eat. Elizabeth realized that tonight maybe the last time she'd socialize with her daughter. She was certain now that she and Aaron Hotchner worked together, it was only a matter of time before one or both of them start putting the pieces together. She needed to do what she could to try and avoid that from happening.

####

As he is packing up his briefcase for the evening, Hotch looks into the bullpen. It is late and he notices that no one was there. He had stayed at the office to work tonight. Haley had plans to take Jack to her sister's house for dinner. Instead of going home to an empty house, he was working a report for his meeting with Strauss the following morning.

But now, it was time to go home. Haley and Jack would be home soon and he wanted to be there for bath and bedtime.

After picking up his briefcase and getting ready to walk out his office door, he notices Emily opening the glass doors and walking into the bullpen. She is carrying a bag though it wasn't her go bag.

This stops him in his tracks. She had sent a text message earlier that she was having dinner with her mother and that she would come in early the next morning to complete her reports.

He watches as she walks over to her desk and turns on her computer. His eyes then follow her as she walks to the break room and pours herself a cup of coffee. Once back at her desk, she opens the top file on her desk.

Hotch notices that her hair looks different than it was earlier. He takes a second look and it's wavy now compared to straight. 'Huh, it must have started raining.' Hotch walks over to the closet and takes out his umbrella.

Emily was startled when she hears Hotch's office door open and he walks out. It was late and she expected that everyone would have already have gone home at this point in the evening. She was not in the mood to talk to anyone tonight.

The dinner with her mother had been a bust. The interrogation from earlier in the day about Emily's decision to join the BAU had continued in the car. That line of questioning had only ended when Emily refused to answer anymore questions on the subject.

When they arrived at the restaurant, the questions about her personal life started. Was she dating anyone? Offers to set her up with men who would be "perfect" for her. How did Emily expect to have a relationship with the hours her job now required? Her mother knew Emily's personal life had been off limits for years now. She wasn't sure why her mother was suddenly and forcefully delving into these off limits topics.

Then shortly after they placed their orders while their conversation was at a standstill, the Ambassador received a phone call and left the table to answer it.

About ten minutes later, Emily received a series of text messages from her mother. She had been called to attend an urgent meeting at the State Department. She knew Emily would understand after their conversation earlier in the day about her worries about the lack of recent assignments.

Then her parting shot had been Emily had been avoiding conversation all evening so she didn't think Emily would mind an early end to the evening.

The final message Emily received was one that she had received before that the Ambassador would try and catch up with Emily later. Emily knew from experience that this message was more polite than an actual plan.

So Emily suddenly found herself alone in a restaurant with two entrees on the table. Stuck with the check. Just when she thought that their relationship couldn't get more challenging, something like this happened.

Why did she let herself think that something may have changed? Because her mother showed some sign of being human? Emily wants to kick herself. Why does she continue to set herself up for being let down?

After settling the bill as the server packed up her dinner, Emily was out of the restaurant five minutes later. It was still early. Too early to go home for the day. Too many people with too many potential questions at work. The team would still all be there.

As she walked back to her car, a thought popped into her head- the Bureau gym. She needed to work off some frustration. Then after the time that everyone generally had gone home for the night, she would head back to her desk and do her reports. It wasn't like she was going to sleep tonight.

Hotch notices Emily stiffen as he walks out of his office and down the stairs. As he walks closer to her desk, he noticed that the file in front of her was taking a great deal her focus as she attempted to avoid talking to him.

Hotch stopped at her desk and immediately noticed the bag she had walked in with was her gym bag. He sighed as he knew that was what she did when she was stressed. He waited for her to reluctantly look up at him before he said, "I wasn't expecting you back tonight. How was dinner?"

He immediately noticed that she started to work her jaw so maybe dinner wasn't the best topic with which to ask her.

She sighed and sat back in her seat before saying gloomily as she avoided his question, "just thought I'd get some of this paperwork done. The quicker I finish my reports for this last case, the better." She paused and looked at him briefly before continuing, "you're here later than usual." Hotch immediately notices the change in subject as well as that she wasn't making eye contact.

Hotch nodded before saying, "Haley and Jack were having dinner at Jessica's tonight. I'm heading out now." He glanced at his watch and realized that he needs to leave now or he is going to miss Jack's bedtime. He sighs. It is obvious something happened and it is equally obvious that Emily didn't want to talk about it right now. The best thing for him to do is to go be with his son. And to give Emily her space.

"Goodnight, sir." Emily says in a crisp and formal voice as she sat back up in her chair and looked back at her paperwork.

'Crap' Hotch thought, 'I thought she was past the 'sir' addresses.' Then he realizes what she is doing. She is creating distance so she can work through whatever happened. She is pushing him away. Tonight he needed let her.

He lowers his voice and says calmly "goodnight, Emily" as he picked up his bags and walks out the doors to the elevators.

####

Hotch walked into his office, dropped a stack of paperwork on his desk and plops down in his chair. What a morning! It was fortunate that he has stayed late the evening before to prepare for his meeting with Strauss. Three hours later and the meeting is finally over.

He looks out his window into the bullpen. He rolled his eyes at Morgan and Garcia once again flirting in the break room while Reid and Prentiss are talking at their desks. He noticed that while she was smiling at whatever Reid was saying, the smile didn't reach her eyes.

Emily seems tired this morning and he wonders how late she stayed after he left last evening. He was greeted with a significant pile of completed paperwork from her when he arrived this morning so it wasn't an insignificant amount of time.

He turns back to contemplate the piles of paperwork on his desk. He needs to sort through all these files or tonight he was going to be the one here extremely late. He looked up at the clock and noticed he has 90 minutes until the daily briefing that was delayed today because of his extended meeting with Strauss.

####

Hotch caught himself as he looked down into the bullpen at Emily for the fourth time in less than an hour. There was just something in her demeanor that her assurances of being fine weren't satisfying today. He was worried about her but knew there wasn't anything he could do. Emily wasn't going to talk about it until she wanted and unless it affected her job performance, he couldn't push her. Most likely it had to do with the text he received from her last night that she wouldn't be back because she was having dinner with her mother.

He hadn't been prepared to see Ambassador Prentiss again. Early in her time with the BAU, Emily had asked him since he knew her mother, did he like the type of person she was. He had sidestepped the question then and answered vaguely that her mother was an impressive person. At that point he was still apprehensive about her intentions and he didn't feel comfortable saying anything to her that could come back and bite him in the ass.

But now months later, he thought back to Emily's initial question - did he like the type of person she was. And to be honest, no. When he was assigned to her, he was there to do a job and he hadn't delved too much into personal opinions. However he had been relieved that his assignment was time-limited as she was not someone who he would have wanted to work for long-term.

Back then when he and Emily were alone together, she had shared stories of experiences she had growing up. From those stories, he knew that the women had had a tense relationship for years. It had always struck him that the shrewd and unforgiving diplomat persona that she elucidated in the office also extended into her relationship with her daughter.

Now as a parent himself, Hotch considered what he wanted to be to his son. He had once told Elle on the jet that he delineated his life so he was Agent Hotchner at work and Aaron/Daddy at home. He wasn't always sure how successful he was because no matter how hard he tried he couldn't make Haley happy. But he still pushed forward because he wanted more of Jack's memories of him to be of daddy than of Agent Hotchner.

From his previous experience, the lack of familiarity between the two women while they had been discussing the case the previous day didn't surprise him though it had with just about every other member of the team.

It hadn't taken him long to surmise that the Ambassador was using her relationship with Emily as a means to an end to get her foot in the door in order to twist his arm to take the case. It was clear she knew where Emily worked and knew enough about the team's mandate to pressure him. This was not the type of case the BAU generally handled.

What had been most perplexing was the Ambassador's reaction when Emily introduced him as her supervisor. There was a several seconds look of shock. Then her mask was quickly back in place and then it was back to business.

He had a good record when he worked for the Ambassador so he was unsure about what the initial reaction was all about. After that he wasn't sure if it was the case or the time that had past but she seemed nervous while they discussed how to proceed before taking the first opportunity to leave to go back to her house once he agreed the team would take the case.

When she had offered to make phone calls, he welcomed the help as she had contacts they did not. However he did not expect her to leave. Taking off and leaving the wife and daughter of the victim that she had brought with her in the BAU's hands.

Leaving with excuse of making a phone call which due to the time sensitive nature of the case, would have worked better if it was from their office. They could have even have found her a private office with a secure line if that is what she needed. Not that he was expecting her to act like a field agent but her departure was abrupt.

As Hotch was mulling over the details of the bizarre case as he went through the team's reports, his office phone rang. He answers the phone and responds to her greeting, "Hello Ambassador."

####

It had been two hours since Hotch finished his phone call with the Ambassador and he was still unsettled. The call had started pleasant enough with her thanking him personally for the assistance of the BAU on the case.

However, he knew from a conversation with Emily earlier that morning that the Ambassador had sent her thanks to him with Emily so he wasn't buying that as the primary reason for the call. He didn't have to wait long for the real reason for her call.

After exchanging pleasantries, the Ambassador mentioned that she had "misspoken" when she told Emily from whom she had gotten the bank code information that Garcia had used to hack into the Russian bank account they were tracking. After apologizing, she gave Hotch the correct name.

For the case report, Emily would have completed that section since the information came to her. Hotch mentioned this and offered to transfer the call down to Emily's desk.

What happened next was strange and left him unnerved. As he answered, the Ambassador was flustered. Hotch had worked for the Ambassador for months and he dealt with politicians and diplomats on a regular basis. In his experience, they didn't get flustered easily.

Then suddenly she blurts out that it would be painful for Emily to hear the name which immediately had the hair on his neck standing up.

After pausing for a few seconds, she had started to explain, trying to backtrack and said that he and Emily had a misunderstanding when the Ambassador was posted to the Ukraine. It was obvious to him that the Ambassador said more than she had intended. After Hotch said he would take care of it, they hung up.

Shaking his head, Hotch pulled out Emily's report on the Chernus case before calling down and asked Emily to come up to his office. It seems it is up to him to clarify the name but it should be a quick fix for the report.

After a couple of minutes, he said when he heard the knock on the door, "Come in."

"You asked to see me, Hotch." Emily said as she walked into his office nervously, closed the door behind her before continuing into the office and stopping in front of his desk.

He nodded and gestured towards file in front of him and said, "yes, it's about your Chernus report. There is a change that needs to be made." He paused and looked at her confused expression before continuing, "your mother called me and mentioned that she misspoke when she provided the name of the person who gave her the breadcrumb information."

Emily looked at him and said unable to keep that annoyance she was feeling towards her mother out of her voice, "Oh, OK. That should be a quick fix. Did she happen to give you the correct name? I'll make the change and get it right back to you."

Hotch nodded before he said, "yes, it's Anton Melnik." After stating the name, he focused on Emily and what he saw surprised him.

For the first time since she joined the team she did something that had just mentioned a few weeks ago Emily had never done, she blinked. It was quick and he would have missed it if not looking at her in that moment.

Then though her mask was back up, she was looking at wall in front of her over his head. When she didn't say anything, he said, "Prentiss"

When she didn't reply, he said again a bit louder, "Prentiss" which she responded to by shaking her head before saying without looking at him, "I'm sorry...I'll make the change and have the file back to you as soon as possible." She then quickly turns and walks over to the door.

As she reaches for the door knob to open it, Hotch says, "Emily, are you OK?" as he stood up looking at her worriedly.

Emily opens the door and says without look back, "fine, sir."

Hotch watches as Emily walks down to her desk and drops the file onto her desk on her way out of the bullpen.

Now even two hours later, Hotch still saw red flags.

The question was what was he going to do about it. Should he research and try to find out what the connection was to his agent? Could this person now pose a threat to Emily or the team now that the Ambassador had made contact with him? Is that why the Ambassador slipped when she spoke to him? Was she trying to put him on guard?

Or did he need to let it go?

He doesn't want to cause Emily anymore pain but as they recently found out with Derek, secrets can have unintended consequences.

He couldn't let it go… yet. According to demographic information he was able to pull up himself, the person the Ambassador named was mid to late 50s and a mid level Ukrainian diplomat. There wasn't much else on him that Hotch could find.

Looking back over Emily's Bureau application, he noticed that the only posting that Ambassador Prentiss had in the Ukraine was from '78 to '80. Emily was listed as having a tutor while there. Though, Emily left the Ukraine in '79 and went to live in France and attended a village school there until the Ambassador changed postings in '80.

So that left him with what possible "misunderstanding" could a man in 30s have had with an 8-9yo?

AN: In the next chapter JJ and Emily will talk. Chapter 15 will go back to Hotch and Emily when one of them realizes what happened between them.