Hey guys. You guys were such troopers with that last part. I loved reading and responding to all of your reviews. I tried not to give you guys another heart attack with this one, but I am now known for my cliffhangers, I guess haha.
Enjoy.
Dinner for Two
The team relaxes on their plane heading back to Quantico and tries to act as if they aren't fully eavesdropping on Emily's phone conversation.
"We're close to landing, so I should be picking her up in an hour," Emily tells the person on the other end of her phone. "Okay. I'll text you when I have her, is that enough time?" Emily listens. "Yeah, just leave it in the oven on warm, and the candles are in the kitchen drawer closest to the door."
Emily listens to the other end and rolls her eyes.
"Yes, yes, I know, Ashley. You and Garcia just focus on not ruining my place." Emily disconnects the call.
JJ drops down in the seat next to Emily as all eyes go to the brunette. "Garcia and Ashley at your place?"
"It's been a year," Reid says still looking down at his book.
"Since everyone seems so interested, Reid is right. Rach and I have been together for a year. Today is our anniversary. She doesn't know I'm coming back today and we made tentative plans to celebrate for this weekend, but I thought I'd surprise her. Hence Garcia and Ashley probably reeking havoc on my apartment."
"So what's the plan?" Morgan asked.
"Homemade Italian dinner. Rach loves my lasagna, so they are following my recipe, along with salad and garlic bread," Emily says with pride. "Candlelit with the DC skyline as a backdrop. And Ashley's made one of Rachel's favorite deserts."
Rossi whistles impressed. "Wow. Impressive, kid. Where were you when I needed save my marriages?"
"College," Emily says with a smirk. Everyone laughs.
"Getting all the ladies, no doubt," JJ adds. "All this time you should have been taking lessons from Emily, Morgan."
"No lessons needed, believe me," Morgan defends.
"Right? How long did your last relationship go for?" Emily asks.
"Two months, 24 days," Reid answers.
"Not my fault, she…"
"Couldn't handle the job," Everyone says at the same time as Morgan.
"We've heard that a time or two," Rossi says.
"About 12," Hotch adds with a smile.
"I'll give you some advice for free," Emily starts. "If you think she's worth it, don't let the job be the reason it ends. When Rach and I first started, I know you all remember, I called or text her every time we hit a lull or took a break. When the right girl comes along that makes you want to call her just to hear her voice or tell her some stupid joke you thought of, the job won't come between that. You just have to meet her first."
"Aww, our little Emily," JJ gushed. Everyone else was trying hard not to show Emily their grins.
"Shut up," Emily says with a shake of her head. "I'm going back to reading." Emily pulls her book from her lap and tries to focus on the words. "Stop looking at me."
Outside Rachel's Apartment
Emily's cellphone beep sounds through her parked car. She looks down at it.
A text from Ashley: Lasagna's in the oven with bread warming. Salad and brownies in the fridge. Table's all set. We're heading out now.
Emily: Thanks. Getting her now.
Emily grabs the bouquet of tulips sitting on her passenger seat before getting out of her car and jogging to her girlfriend's building. She pulls out her keys and enters the building. She takes the stairs to the second floor. She smoothes out her light blue button up and repositions the flowers in her hand before knocking on the door.
She hears her someone walk to the door and stop briefly before the locks turn. She comes face to face with her girlfriend and a smile breaks out on her face.
"Emily," Rachel says shocked. "What are you doing here?"
"Happy Anniversary," Emily says holding the flowers toward Rachel.
Rachel smiles widely as she takes the flowers. "They're beautiful, babe. I love them and you." Rachel takes Emily's hand and pulls her into the apartment. "Come in."
"We have to go," Emily tells Rachel as she enters the apartment and closes the door behind her.
"Where?"
"Surprise," Emily says with a smirk. "Get those in some water."
Rachel leaves Emily by the door. Emily hears her moving around searching for a vase. "Do I at least have time to change."
"You look fine."
Rachel scoffs. "Yeah, right." She was in sweatpants and a t-shirt. Rachel comes back over to Emily. "Seriously, at least tell me what I should wear since you won't tell me where we are going."
"Something comfortable is fine. It really doesn't matter."
Rachel narrows her eyes at her girlfriend, challenging her.
"Maybe not sweatpants?" Emily relents.
Rachel runs to her bedroom. She comes out a second later, no longer in sweatpants but dark wash jeans with the same shirt. "This?"
"Perfect."
They leave Rachel's apartment hand in hand. Emily opens the passenger side door for Rachel when they reach the car.
Outside Emily's Apartment Door
Emily puts her key in the lock, but before turning it, she turns to Rachel. "Close your eyes," she says to Rachel.
Rachel steps closer to Emily. She takes her face in both hands and kisses her. Emily moans into the kiss.
"Definitely not complaining, but what was that for?" Emily asks when they pull away.
"Just realized I hadn't properly greeted you," Rachel says with a smile.
"If I leave the building and come back, will I get that again?" Emily smirks.
"Open the door, Ms. Prentiss." Rachel says before closing here eyes.
Emily opens the door and guides Rachel inside. "Keep your eyes closed for a minute." Emily lets go of Rachel's hand and rushes over to the drawer to grab a lighter.
"It smells amazing in here," Rachel says with her eyes still closed.
She lights the short candles lining the breakfast bar and then moves to the two long candles standing on the dinner table. Emily places the lighter back in it's spot and then takes Rachel's hand in hers once again.
"Okay, open them," Emily instructs.
Rachel gasps when she sees the table set up for two surrounded by the room in candlelight and the DC skyline behind the table. "Emily."
"Go have a seat. I'll bring the food."
Rachel moves in a daze toward the table as Emily heads to the kitchen to plate their food.
"You didn't have to do this. We had plans for this weekend," Rachel says her seat at the table.
"I know," Emily says from the kitchen. "But today is our anniversary. And we wrapped our case and came home today, I wanted to surprise you. It's our first one. I wanted it to be special."
"I love you," Rachel says as Emily comes over with their plates of lasagna, salad.
"I love you, too." Emily places the plates down. She pecks Rachel's lips before she goes back into the kitchen. She comes back with a plate of garlic bread and a bottle of wine.
"Is this your lasagna?" Rachel asks. Emily uncorks the wine and pours them each a glass.
"Yes, it is."
"How'd you do all this?"
"I have my ways." Emily takes her seat across from Rachel.
"Garcia or Ashley?" Rachel asks with a smile.
Emily chuckles. "Both." Emily takes Rachel's hand on the table and runs her thumb over the back of her girlfriend's hand. "Before we dig in, I just want you to know how much I love you, Rachel."
"I know, Em."
Emily smiles. "I am in love with you, Rachel Montgomery. We had some hard times this year, but we also had some really great and amazing ones and I wouldn't trade that for anything. I wouldn't take back any of the hard ones because we're here. We made it through them and even still this has been the best year of my life. Because of you. Going to Dean's that day was the best decision I've ever made. So, thank you for being an adorable scatterbrain and leaving your notebook in your booth and putting up with my job, and more importantly me."
Rachel sniffs, wipes a tear from her eye and lets out a small chuckle. "Thank you for bringing my notebook back to me. I feel exactly the same way. I love you so much, Emily Prentiss. And I'm looking forward to more years with you."
Emily wipes the hand from her eyes. She lets out a breath. "Okay. No more crying. It's our one year anniversary. We should be all smiles."
"I agree," Rachel says. "Only smiles from now on. You know what would really make me smile?"
"What?"
"Fudge brownies with M&Ms courtesy of Ashley."
"Hmm. Well, if it will make you smile, I think I can produce a batch," Emily says with a smile.
"God, I love you."
Emily laughs.
Everyone's heart in tact? Just to clarify: this is me getting back to the original one-shot set up that this series started with that were not in chronological order. The last part was in chronological order because of it's continuous plot. Does that make sense?
Tell me what you think.
If there's anything you want to see, let me know and I'll see if I can make it happen. My track record with prompts for this story is not good, someone asked for a fluffy story with Rachel meeting the team and you all know what that turned into. But I will try.
Looking forward to everyone's comments on this one.
Thanks.
TVCrazed.
