A/N: Hey everyone!
I appreciate all your support with the story. If you've made it this far, I'd love to know what you are thinking of the chapters and whether you are still enjoying it. I will be starting University in a couple of weeks, so would be good to have a fair idea of how many people are still interested so that I can work my timetable around writing. Let me know in a review :)
For reference, this takes place before 5x04.
"There is a Princess inside all of us." - Anon
October 2009
Emily nearly stabs herself with the eyeliner when the doorbell chimes. Smoothing out her hair, she peeks through the peephole, mischievously smiling as her brunette counterpart stands on the other side. It's a sight to behold; Aaron Hotchner and a bouquet of flowers. With no keen interest in botany, Emily doesn't recognise the plants instantaneously, but the colours are beauteous, a mixture of magenta and white.
"Oh, Hotch, you didn't have to," she says, inhaling the florescent scent. Her memory drifts to her late grandmother at a rest home, the entire building synonymous with a botanical garden.
"It's a special occasion," he answers, feeling his cheeks heat up at her simple yet elegant outfit for work. She could be wearing the blandest clothes and somehow flaunt them so gracefully. "Happy Birthday, Em."
Bundling the bouquet in her right arm, her smile is radiant as she pulls him into an embrace. He kisses her softly. "Thank you. It's just a shame my boss wouldn't let me have the day off."
"You know I did give you the op-"
"I'm joking," the brunette grins, quieting him with her lips. "And I appreciate these; they look and smell beautiful."
Aaron locks the door behind them, following her further into the apartment as she fumbles around her cabinets for a vase. "Take you out for dinner tonight?"
"Anywhere I want?"
"No. I'm gonna drag you over to that Sloppy Inn on Halston and third," Aaron teases, leaning against the wall with his hands stuffed in his pockets. Emily hums as she finds a vase she likes.
"Hmm… Let me think about it," she says, filling the jug with water. "Any idea what the caseload is like this week?"
"From what JJ's told me, there's a few waiting that we'll need to look at this week. Most of them look low profile and can be investigated remotely. Otherwise, we'll look at the other ones, flying out Tuesday or Wednesday."
Emily nods as she pops the flowers in and arranges them the way she wants. "My mother called last night."
"And?"
Aaron follows her to the master bedroom and watches from the doorway as she continues with her makeup. "Dad's back in town."
"Finished his mission?"
She nods, glancing down at her eye shadow palette and selecting a navy to match her shirt. "They want to take me out for lunch sometime this week. Would you… I mean, don't feel like you must. Did you want to tag along?"
"Of course." He nods without hesitation. "It's about time, don't you think?"
The brunette half-heartedly laughs, fluffing her hair slightly in the mirror as she examines herself. Hotch finds it hot. "I suppose."
"What's your hesitation?"
She bites hard on her bottom lip while Aaron helps to slip on her black blazer. "Nothing. Just… Okay. I'm kind of nervous for them to meet you. Given our circumstances, I know they won't be accepting of it at first."
"At first," Aaron repeats. "They'll warm into getting used to it. Just like the team."
"I hope so." Emily sighs, grabbing her go-bag that she'd packed the night prior. "Perhaps it will ease the blow given that they have already met you, but I know how quickly they judge and jump to conclusions. Particularly my mother."
"Don't let it trouble you," Aaron reminds her, standing out in the hall while she sets her security alarm and locks up. "You've got better things to be worried about besides what your parents will think of me."
"Like?" She asks, looping an arm around his as they make their way down to the car.
"Enjoying your birthday?" He retorts in the same tone. "I promise to go easy on you with the paperwork."
The comment makes her giggle. "I don't believe that for one second."
"Why?"
"It's not in your nature."
Aaron glances at her oddly with a smirk. "Are you implying I'm not nice to you, Prentiss?"
"Me, lazing about in the bullpen while the others slave away? In my dreams. Although, I'd love to do that one day. Just lean back in my chair with a glass of wine while you yell at Morgan and Reid to get their shit together and finish reports."
"That's something I'd be keen to witness." Hotch paused, gazing her up and down. "You look beautiful, by the way."
Emily can't help but blush at the comment as she rests her cheek upon his shoulder. "Mexicana. That's what I want for dinner tonight."
Aaron nods, separating from her as they reach the car. "Mexicana it is."
"And a back massage."
"Okay."
"And a big fat bowl of chocolate and ice cream."
Hotch passes her a suggestive look.
"Hey, when a girl's bleeding left, right and centre, you don't question her."
Aaron smiles softly in compassion. "I'll run a hot bath for you when we get home and pamper you like you're the queen."
"Ahem. Excuse me, I AM the Queen."
"Just for today, Prentiss. Just for today."
Like every Monday, time passes painfully slowly. Hotch is pulled into meetings with Strauss for most of the morning, leaving the others an opportunity to catch up with overdue paperwork from the week prior. However, it would be a stretch to assume they achieved anything with Penelope dragging in a scrumptious chocolate cake for Emily, its flavour so rich in cocoa that nobody wanted to eat until midnight.
"Ugh, Pen, your baking is almost too good," the brunette says, her chair almost falling backwards as she reclines in the kitchenette. "I need lessons."
The tech analyst snickers, stabbing the plastic fork into the slice. "Well, pumpkin spice, good thing you bring that up as I believe a certain spooky holiday is approaching, and you all know how much I simply loveeee to dress up and bake. Halloween party at mine? Anyone? Hmm?"
"Ah, providing we don't have a case, sure," JJ agrees, "Henry's super excited this year. He has the best costume idea ever."
"Oh yeah?" Morgan asks. "What's the little guy planning?"
The blonde places a finger to her mouth. "I'm afraid I can't say."
Derek laughs, fiddling around with a small sugar sachet. "Okay then. We'll just have to wait and see. Hey skinny boy, who you dressing up as? Baby Yoda?"
"I was thinking a killer clown," the youngest agent remarks casually, his nose in some textbook.
"Right, of course. Have you ever worn something normal? Like Batman or something? Why'd ya have to choose all the scariest costumes?"
"Why shouldn't I? That's half the fun of Halloween!" Reid justifies. "Besides, there's no such thing as a normal costume on October 31st. You can be whoever you want to be. Just because YOU have a vengeance against it."
"Aw, sugar, does someone frighten easily?" Garcia teases. Morgan merely rolls his eyes with a smirk.
"Maybe just of Reid," Emily pipes in, Spencer passing her an odd look. "Let's all be honest; geniuses combined with snow-white face paint, red wigs and a colourful jumpsuit would terrify anybody."
"I'm not that scary, am I?"
"Depends how you define scary," Rossi jokes, sipping his freshly brewed coffee.
"Ah, looks like we've got company," JJ notes, watching as the boss man slips back into the bullpen. "Hey, how'd things go with Strauss?"
"Oh, you know, the usual. Unit quarterly reviews; case evaluations." He glances down at the dirty dishes scattered about the table. "Please don't tell me you've all been sat here eating cake while I've been gone."
Everybody's gaze turns to Prentiss, who, in response, brings her index finger to her teeth. "It's my birthday… We saved you a slice."
Hotch studies them momentarily, with his tense gaze lingering on Prentiss slightly longer. Then he cracks a small smile, breaking the tension amongst the others as he waves his hand to the plate Garcia offers. "Thanks. I'll save it for later. Conference room in 5. We've got lots of cases to work through."
"Yes, sir," Penelope answers as she watches him walk back to his office and the others clean up. "Will he ever let us have fun?"
"It's not about fun," Emily comments as Morgan helps her up from the chair. "He knows Strauss can walk down here at any second, and with recent events, I don't think it's any surprise that she and the director have him under the microscope."
"Do you know something we don't?" Derek asks.
"No. At least nothing Aa, I mean, Hotch has told me. Does it come as any surprise to you that he's been monitored so closely after what happened?"
Morgan shakes his head. "What do you think, Prentiss? You think he's still fit to be Unit Chief?"
Everyone looks for her reaction. However, Emily struggles to think of words. She sighs, putting her plate in the dishwasher before biting her bottom lip. "I… I don't disagree that he's made some rash decisions the last few weeks. It's been hard, but I think he's through the worst of it."
"Your judgement is better than any of ours. I trust that," he answers, making his way up to the conference room along with the others. Prentiss lingers back, her gaze casting across to Aaron's office. She watches him stand at his desk, sorting through files before following the team inside.
Truthfully, sometimes she simply didn't know with Hotch.
"So, have you heard back from your mother?" He asks, sipping at the soda.
Prentiss is chowing into her tacos, the chicken and vegetables dropping out either side as she eats like she's been starved for weeks. Hotch assumes she's too engrossed to have heard the question.
"Em?"
"Huh?" She glances up, mouth still filled with food. Aaron can't help but smirk at her sloppiness.
"Have we got a date for meeting the parentals?"
Emily swallows. "I haven't heard from them. Hopefully, it's next month."
Aaron chuckles to himself as he takes another bite into his burrito.
"Holy shit, I forgot how good these were. Why don't we come here more often? We could get discounts, you know."
"A five per cent discount off the alcohol, probably," Aaron answers. "Wouldn't make a difference. You'd just buy more."
The comment makes the brunette nearly choke on her food. "Hey, where I come from, you make the most of it. And yes… Guilty as charged. How's the food?"
He nods, swallowing his bite before answering. "It's worth the 30 bucks."
"Can I have a bite?"
On any other occasion, Aaron would simply refuse. There was nothing more annoying than having to share his food; it may have been his biggest pet peeve after arguing with Reid about word definitions. However, he pushes his plate over, letting the brunette cut off a sizeable chunk of his grilled pork and beans. "Hey, go easy on it, would you? Just because you're a fast eater."
With a big grin, Emily's dimples around the corner of her mouth emerge as she apologises. "We definitely need to learn how to make these at home."
"We already do," Aaron remarks, sipping at his drink.
"Yeah, but not as good as here. Would they let me sit in if I went up to the chef? Or pass the recipes?"
"Emily, let me ask you one thing."
"What?"
"Do you wanna work here?"
She wipes her face with the napkin, contemplating her answer. "I wouldn't say no. It's a great feed. Good alcohol. The pay might be a hell of a lot better."
Hotch smirks.
"No. Of course not. I just… I wanna do something more creative at home when it comes to food, you know? Everything I cook feels bland, and I repeatedly make the same things. Not to mention the fact that I consistently find a way to fuck up the meal. Wouldn't it be cool if we could learn to cook like badasses?"
"Take a couple hints from Rossi," Hotch suggests, finishing up the remainder of his meal.
"Like we have time to share cooking tips over a corpse…."
"What do you mean? Looked like you were having a grand old time slacking off eating cake this morning. Could have done it then."
Emily quirks a brow. "It was a grand old time. Penelope bakes like she broke into every cake shop and stole all their recipes. Except, the difference between her and I is that she actually executes on the first try."
Hotch watches her talk with amusement before pulling an envelope out of his pocket and passing it to the brunette. She shoots him a curious but grateful glance.
"What's this?"
"Open it and see."
"Are you finally firing me? Is this it?" She jokes, shredding it open with her nails.
"Should I?" He questions back, thanking the waiter as she takes their plates.
"Book store vouchers! Lucky me."
"If you look hard enough, you might find a cookbook for this place. Or some random one that you'll keep screwing up."
Emily purses her lips together, sealing the envelope with a satisfied grin. "I appreciate it. Thank you. I've never felt so spoilt on a birthday."
"What do you want to do? Head to the bar? Watch a movie? Shop?"
"I'd love to do all that, but I want to head home. That back massage and ice cream are calling my name."
"Ah. Right. How could I have forgotten?"
A short time later, they're back at Prentiss' apartment. Hotch is busy running a hot bubble bath with all Emily's essential oils while she reprepares her go-bag. They didn't go anywhere all day, but it eases her mind to pull everything out and reorganise, ensuring she has everything needed if they get called out.
As she's sitting on the bed refolding her clothes, Aaron crawls behind her, letting his hands caress up and down her biceps while his mouth trails short kisses along her jugular vein. Emily can't help but lean into him with a satisfied moan, losing herself in his touch as his palms knead along her collarbone.
"Okay?" He whispers, planting his lips to her earlobe.
"I've been looking forward to this all day," she says with a smile, bowing her head forward as Aaron gently rolls and punches at her upper back. The relief it brings to her is indescribable.
"Can I take your shirt off?"
Emily nods, Aaron watching her back muscles flex as she lifts the blue fabric above her head and chucks it on the ground. In between his massages, he's kissing delicately upon her shoulder. The way he tends towards her is delicate and sacred, his hot breath imprinting her skin. It paralyses her, wanting to enjoy every second of his loving touch until she absolutely has to move.
Next thing she knows, he's unhatched her bra, allowing her tender breasts to break free of their cage. Her nipples harden as they expose to the cold air, but they warm as his palms engulf them in a soft massage.
Hotch knows that during the first couple of days on her period, Emily's worst symptom is breast sensitivity, so he doesn't keep there long, moving down to her lower back where he presses solidly against her pelvic bones, hoping to relieve any cramping that could be lingering. It's then that the brunette plants her whole body weight against him. Her head nestled into the crook of his neck while his hands keep caressing their way up her spine.
"I need this special treatment every night," she teases, tilting her head to meet his lips. Hotch greets her with a grin, inhaling her fruity scent.
"Hm. I like doing it… Ready for your bath?"
Emily pulls his arms out from behind her and wraps them around her waist. "Hm. Nearly. Just a few more minutes here."
"Okay," he whispers, resting his chin upon her shoulder. The simple act reminds him of Jack, bundling him up in his arms while they sat on the couch and watched TV together. He loved cuddles from Jack. He missed his little guy, but nothing quite like his tender touch. It was always so tranquil and quiet, allowing Aaron to drift away into his thoughts. Sometimes the boy even fell asleep.
"Thank you for tonight," she says, caressing his knuckles. "For being with me. For bringing me flowers and presents, and dinner. For staying when I tried to push you away out of fear."
Hotch doesn't say anything. Only hums as he plants a long kiss against her shoulder.
"You've made me feel like a princess today."
"I'm sorry if I don't make you feel like that every day," Aaron confesses. Emily shrugs.
"It doesn't matter. It makes it all worth it on days like today."
"It matters to me," Hotch whispers. "I try not to be distant with you most days, but sometimes work just gets in the way. I don't feel good about that."
"Its… That's just what comes with the job. I'm just lucky that I get to see you every day. Most couples don't get to experience that."
"Well, you wouldn't define us as a normal couple, would you?" Aaron smirked.
"Hmm. What's not normal about running from serial killers and sleeping across motel rooms all over the country?" She laughed.
"Come on, Princess Prentiss. Get in the bath, and I'll tend to you your ice cream and chocolate."
"Yes, sir."