Another three weeks went by before Mick and I were able to see each other again. When I got back from the urgent case that pulled me away from our date, he was called out. We missed each other until we both got back tonight. I was supposed to be going to Hotch's tonight with the team for a drinks and games night. I told them I would see them tonight, but I had no plans of attending.

I bet Mick to my place by only a few minutes. I let him in and was met instantly with a long kiss. "I missed you." He said quietly before kissing me again.

I smiled and pulled back slightly, "I only just got home, and I really want to shower. Would you like to join me?" I smirked now. He placed his gun in my safe with mine and then followed me to the bathroom.

Once we finished in the shower, I went to the bedroom where he pushed me back onto the bed. I lay back and put my arms around his neck as his lips met mine again. He took control as he always did and flipped us over quickly. I straddled him and let him move my hips to the pace he wanted, until he moved his hands to my arse and let me take over.

I lay in the middle of the bed while Mick went downstairs to get us a beer. I heard a knock on the door and shot up. I got out of bed as fast as possible and threw on some underwear, and the closest shirt to me. It turned out to be Mick's, but that wasn't my concern at the moment. "I'll get it!" I yelled out as I left the room and ran downstairs.

By the time I got to the hall to the front door, I saw Mick standing in the open front door with my team on the other side. "…It's for you." Mick said to me before walking away from them and upstairs.

I sighed as they came inside and into the open living room. "Did you forget that you were hosting?" JJ asked, trying to hide the grin.

"I thought Hotch was hosting tonight."

"Hotch hosted last month when you didn't come. Tonight is your turn." Reid chimed in now.

"So what is a half-naked Agent Rawson doing in your apartment?" JJ tilted her head, "Is there maybe something that you neglected to tell us?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." I turned and headed for the staircase. I ran upstairs and into the bedroom. "You need to leave." I said to Mick as I found a pair of leggings and one of my own shirts.

"Why?"

"Mick, please?" I stopped and looked at him properly. He sighed and shook his head as he got back up and threw his clothes on. He put the code into the safe and took his gun before walking out. He didn't meet my eyes this time. I followed him downstairs and to the front door. I expected him to kiss me before he left like he always did, however he just left without a look or a word. I locked the door behind him and closed my eyes, shaking my head to myself. He was angry.

I took a breath before I returned to the team slowly. I got glasses and drinks out of the cupboards and fridge and took them to the coffee table that sat in the centre of the living room. I sat down and looked around at the silent team. My eyes landed on JJ and Garcia and I sat back, feeling defeated, "Fine."

"How long?" JJ started

"About four months."

"Why did you hide it?" Garcia asked now.

"Because I wanted to."

For the next half hour, they asked questions. The most common question was why I felt the need to lie and hide it; I didn't have an answer that satisfied them. Garcia seemed particularly offended when I confirmed that Mick had told his team from the beginning. JJ didn't look all too happy about it either.
I didn't understand the issue. Why did they need to know every detail of my life? Why wasn't it okay for me to have personal things?

Eventually, they stopped questioning me. We fell into comfortable conversation and laughter as we drank, and I got a few board games out for them to pick from.

I knocked on his door twice before he opened it with an irritated sigh, "What?"

"I know I upset you. Can I please come in and we can talk about it?" He took a second before he stepped to the side. I thanked him as I entered his apartment and he locked the door behind me. I sat down at the small dining table and he got two mugs of coffee before joining me. "So…what is the issue?"

"What is—Are you kidding me?" He shook his head. I waited silently for him to speak again. "Obviously, my issue is that your team knew, and you still kicked me out. What did you do? Did you tell them it was another one-night-stand? That you were just lonely and decided to call an easy option for the night?"

"No Mick, I didn't deny it. I told them; they asked questions, they know about us."

"Then why kick me out?"

"I panicked."

"Panicked about what? Are you really that ashamed to be with me that you can't even have me in the same room as your team?"

"I'm not ashamed—"

"Say I was Ian Doyle, would you still have kept me a secret?"

I sat back, "That's not fair," I shook my head, "Mick, I wasn't hiding us from them, I just wasn't ready to tell them yet. What if I had told them, and then a week later you broke up with me? My team already thinks that I can't maintain a relationship; I didn't want to give them another example. It would have been humiliating. I didn't want to tell them yet because I didn't know if we were going to last."

"What do you want from me?" His voice was soft but stern now. "Do you actually want us to last, or are you just playing along for the security of a stable sex partner?" My mouth dropped open at his words. I shook my head but I couldn't form words. He closed his eyes with a soft sigh, "I'm sorry. I know that you wouldn't do that. I'm sorry. I also shouldn't have brought up Doyle. I—" He took a deep breath, "I'm just mad."

I nodded, "I know," I sighed and grabbed my bag from my lap, "I've got to go shopping and to the dry cleaners and stuff, so I guess I'll see you later."

"Hold on a second," He stood and went to his room. I sat silently for a few minutes before he returned, now wearing a sweater and tucking his wallet into the back pocket of his jeans. I gave him a questioning look, "I haven't seen you in three weeks…apart from last night. I want to spend time with you. Is that okay?"

I smiled and nodded as I stood, leading the way out of his apartment. He took my hand as we went and I resisted the urge to pull away; I wasn't really the public affection type but I couldn't do anything else to upset him.

The next three team outings, Garcia had insisted that I bring Mick. I had managed to find an excuse every time not to bring him. However tonight, I couldn't think of one that I hadn't already used. I was tempted to say he was on a case, but they all saw him about an hour earlier when he came up to speak with another agent and stopped by my desk briefly to see me.

"Okay Penelope, I will ask if he would like to come, but I am telling you that he won't." I had no intention of inviting him.

"That's funny because I just texted him and he accepted the invitation." JJ intervened. I closed my eyes and groaned as I dropped my head onto my arms on the table. "It's just dinner in a bar. Relax." She rolled her eyes as we all stood and started to gather our things. We still had three hours left of paperwork before five.

The worst part about him coming tonight was that we were currently in a bit of an ongoing argument, coincidentally about how I kept him separate from my team. When we were in an argument and you brought alcohol into the mix, it was never pretty.

When I got home, he was already here. Having returned from a case only yesterday, Sam let them all leave early today.
He was dressed in a nice outfit, obviously already ready to go. He had a beer in hand. "Hey." He said once he heard me enter the open living room.

"Hi." I sighed and sat beside him on the couch.

"Do you want me to stay home tonight?" He looked at me with a look that told me he was already anticipating the answer. I shook my head in response. He raised his eyebrows, surprised, obviously. "Really? I thought you didn't want me near your team."

"No, I wanted to keep my personal and professional life separate because when you don't do that, things get messy. This afternoon, I realised that it just isn't an option here, because my team is both personal and professional, and I guess you are too. Can we please just not…argue again? Just while we're with the team." He only nodded. I smiled and thanked him quietly, and then I kissed him before I got up. I grabbed a beer out of the refrigerator and told him I'd be about a half hour as I headed upstairs.

I showered, changed, and applied my makeup, and went back downstairs.

"Forty minutes; you were close." He smirked as he stood. He set his holster and put his gun in it. He grabbed his keys, credentials, and wallet too. I put my gun into my bag and threw my keys and wallet in too. I held my bag open for him as we walked downstairs and he threw his keys into it.

We walked into the bistro part of the bar and I saw the team all seated around a large table. I smiled as Jack and Henry yelled "Emmy" and came running across the room. I apologise to a young couple who the kids almost ran into as I hugged them to me. "Who are you?" Jack looked at Mick.

He smiled and looked at me.

"This is a friend of mine. His name is Mick." I looked at Mick again, and I could tell that I messed up there. He did not appreciate being referred to as a "friend", even to a child, so it seemed. His jaw was tightened now. I guided the boys back to the team and they returned to their seats as Mick and I sat.

They all greeted us with smiles, and JJ introduced Will and Mick when she realised that I wasn't going to. They shook hands and then Mick went to get us drinks, and the others whose drinks were nearing empty.

"So you two are?" Will questioned our relationship when Mick sat back down.

"Friends." As soon as I said it, I closed my eyes and shook my head. Mick turned his head slowly and looked at me. I could feel the anger coming off him. "I'm sorry."

Just before he could say anything, his phone rang in his pocket. He showed me that it was Sam and then excused himself. "I'll just give you a second to work your story out." He said to me as he stood. The whole team could tell his was angry now.

The team were all looking at me for a few seconds before Garcia spoke first, "He did not like that."

I shook my head, "I am so stressed out right now."

"Why?"

"Because you invited him! And I'm not ready, and I didn't have time to prepare, and now I've called him a friend twice in ten minutes and I'm going to have to argue about it when I get home."

"You haven't ever introduced him to anyone before? Hasn't he met your mum yet?" JJ asked.

"You think I wouldn't let him near you guys but I would take him to my mother?"

"…Well, she's your mother?"

"No, see, you're thinking of your mother," I smiled at JJ, "My mother would rip him to pieces." I suddenly became aware of Kevin's presence beside Garcia, but decided to leave her unquestioned for now. I wasn't sure when that started up again but I was too uncomfortable right now to worry about it.

He returned to the table then and I smiled weakly.

"Sorry, so where did we land on what you two were?" Kevin asked. Garcia knocked him and scowled at him.

"Why are you back?" I glared at him. I heard Mick sigh.

"They're dating, but Emily is clearly uncomfortable with the idea." Reid said matter-of-factly.

Mick and I looked at each other and I tried to apologise with a sympathetic look. "So…I'm hungry." I grabbed a menu to change the subject, and the others followed quickly. They didn't want to be stuck in an awkward situation either.

"You introduced me as a friend, twice in five minutes!" Mick raised his voice. We had only returned home a few minutes ago, and the argument started almost as soon as the door closed behind us.

"I told you that I wanted to wait to tell my team. I told you that I needed to be ready. You answered that door weeks ago, and I wasn't ready, and I'm still not, and now I'm uncomfortable and—"

"Why? Why are you so uncomfortable with the idea of being with me? Don't be with me if you don't want to be."

"I do want to be with you. I'm sorry about tonight; I haven't had to introduce a boyfriend in close to ten years, okay? I was stressed with you being there and I wanted it to go well and I ruined it myself. I'm sorry."

"Emily, I love you. But I don't want you to force yourself into this."
I was at a loss for words now. He just told me he loved me, but I couldn't return that right now. It hadn't been that long, and I was still so closed off from him. I felt guilty now for not being able to tell him that I loved him back. Now it would just be something else to resent me over.
"I can see the panic in your eyes right now. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have told you right now, like that. I don't expect you to return my words. I want you to tell me when you know it's true."

I sighed in relief, "I'm sorry."

"Let's pretend that tonight didn't happen. Take me to the next team outing and we'll do it over. Better."

I nodded and hugged him. He wrapped his arms around me tightly. "I really do love you, Emily." He whispered in my ear.

I pulled back just enough to kiss him, long and passionate. If I couldn't return it right now, I at least wanted to show that I appreciate it. I pushed him backwards towards the couch and pushed his coat of his shoulders too.

He sat down and pulled me to straddle him as he unzipped my dress slowly. He lay back and took me with him, kissing down my neck now. I sighed and closed my eyes, melting into him.