A/N: I want to give a shout out to my beta, Danie. With the hours we both work, and some traumatic events in her life she takes such care in giving me help in tightening up my writing. I was missing quite a bit in the telling, so she pulled me back and made me take a fresh look at it. Thanks, Danie!

I should mention that while I work 50-60 hours per week and am a full-time student working on my bachelor's, it's been tough creating and revising this chapter. But it's done and now I'm working on Part IV and hope to have that up in a couple weeks.

I hope you all like this. Wanted a little humor mixed in with the romance.

The guest of honor, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, was visiting to discuss trade and border controls. He'd learned of the BAU when the team had to cross jurisdictions the year before in a horrifying case with nearly a hundred victims on his home turf. When he'd heard that a member of the same team was attending the dinner, he very much wanted an introduction. So, that's how Aaron and Emily spent the first half hour after dinner – discussing work. When the Prime Minister walked away, Aaron let out a sigh of relief. Emily knew that a heavy conversation with a head of state was not what he'd had planned for this night, but really, the man should've known better. It was a State dinner after all.

"I'm sorry," he said through gritted teeth and tight lips but still with a smile. "I thought this would've been fun."

Her lips curved into a smile. "Aaron, it has been fun. Good food, good drink, intelligent conversation, and you've added another important contact to your list. I mean really, the prime minister of another country?"

He shrugged sheepishly, "Well, yeah, it was an auspicious moment when he walked up and said he'd wanted to meet me." He grinned. "He is the first head of state I've met."

Emily tried to remember ever seeing Aaron smile as much as he was tonight, with her, and never had he ever appeared awestruck in all that time. She patted a hand on his chest and leaned into him while glancing about the room. The candlelight gave the dimmed room an ethereal feel with the large potted plants and beautiful full bouquets of spring flowers placed strategically around the tables and dance floor. "It's only just after eight-thirty and we still have the whole evening. A half hour with a man who seemed eager to meet you couldn't possibly ruin this night." She tilted her head up to meet his eyes, the flickering light of the candles sparkling in his eyes. She smiled broadly, engendering a wide grin from him.

"You're absolutely right." He nodded to the dance floor and asked, "Shall we dance?"

"I'd love to."

The musicians had just started a waltz, and though Emily was sure of her dance skills, she wasn't sure of Aaron's, that is, until he took her hand and twirled her in and against him.

"Ready?" he asked.

Breathless already, she nodded.

They weaved back and forth, once, twice and then he expertly twirled her into the crowd of dancers. Emily smiled up at him, awed by his dancing abilities. "I didn't know you knew how to dance a waltz."

"My mother and aunts were old school and believed that young men should know how to be gentlemen. It's a Southern thing."

She chuckled and he twirled her again unexpectedly. She let out a squeak at the quick turn. She came up hard against his chest but he just held her tight and continued in the whirl of the dance.

They continued around the dance floor, barely noticing any of the other dancers. Only when the music faded and they stood still, quietly clapping for the musicians, did the rest of the room come back into focus. Another slow dance began and he tugged her close once again, it wasn't a waltz, but he held her as if it were. With a hand on his shoulder and one of his on her hip, he brought her hand close to his chest as he swayed her gently to the music. They didn't twirl around the room as before but instead remained in their small space of the room, swaying back and forth, their eyes never straying from each other's. The song was ending. His eyes darted to her lips then back up. She wanted him to kiss her again, and he leaned in to do so, but then he jumped slightly. She looked up startled as he turned away. Her eyes followed his gaze. The last person she'd expected to see had tapped Aaron on the shoulder, wanting to cut in. But the song finished and the dance was over, and so was the moment.

"Hello, Emily," Darren greeted her, his eyes deliberately lingering on her body before meeting her eyes.

She rolled her eyes. Ugh, not tonight.

Aaron took a step back and slid a protective arm around her waist.

"Darren. It's been awhile."

"Ten years." Again, he eyed her up and down. "You're looking fabulous as ever."

"Yes, a good longtime," she replied sarcastically. Tonight of all nights, he had to pick this one to show up at a formal function. She glanced up to Hotch, watched his jaw tighten ever so slightly. Still holding onto Aaron's arm, she clenched her hand, hoping he'd take the hint and remain calm. Instead, Aaron stiffened in response, the protective, possessive male streak present.

"You feel like another dance?" Darren asked suggestively.

"Darren, this is Aaron Hotchner," she introduced him and looked up to meet Aaron's eyes, but he didn't take his eyes off Darren. "Aaron, this is... Darren Stiles."

Darren held his hand out to Aaron and said, "Adam."

Aaron's brow furrowed, "It's Aaron."

"Oh, sorry," Darren chuckled, rocking on his heels in good humor. "I'm bad with names."

Emily glanced up through her eyelashes to see Aaron's reaction to the younger man. If he'd take a moment to look at her, he'd see her eyes dancing with mischief, but as it was, it was better he didn't.

Darren turned back to Emily, asking, "So, I was thinking of leaving this gig and heading over to something a bit more fun. Care to join me?"

Aaron pulled her tighter against his side and through clenched teeth, declared, "She's with me and you're out of line."

Darren gave a nonchalant shrug. "No matter. We could make it a threesome."

Emily nearly choked while holding back a snort of laughter. At her sudden flinching, Aaron's hand started to slide from her waist. Emily gripped Aaron's hand, placing it tightly against her hip, thinking to prevent him from doing something rash. She then wrapped her arm around his waist and peered up to his face. Finally, he glanced down to meet her eyes, which were now brimming with unshed tears, but her attempt to hold back her smile failed. He looked back to the younger man who now had a wide cheesy grin. His frown of anger turned to confusion.

Suddenly, Darren started laughing, bending over and covering his mouth as to keep from roaring. Aaron's eyes darted from Emily to the other man then back at her again, and this time she had an open-mouthed, wide smile on her face.

"Aaron, I'd like to you to meet Darren... my cousin."

He blinked. Then he looked to the other man who was now standing back up and holding a hand to his mouth, his eyes dancing with mirth... looking just like Emily's.

"Your cousin?" he asked.

"Yep."

"You should've seen the look on your face, man." Darren sobered suddenly. "Wait, you aren't carrying are you?" he asked with false trepidation.

Emily shook her head as she kept her eyes on Aaron. Darren hadn't done this to her in ten years, and she couldn't resist watching the play unfold before her. "I'm sorry, I should've said something, but," she hesitated, unsure how Aaron was going to react. "It's an ongoing ... joke." It was then that she realized she couldn't read him, his face blank, not even a furrowed frown.

"And you thought that tonight was a good time to play out your... joke?" He shrugged her hand off his arm.

Emily's eyes grew in worry. "I, uh, I, didn't even know he was here. He, um, he just does this when he sees me at functions, and I, just, um," she stammered and faltered. Her worry intensified as Aaron turned away from her and placed one hand on his hip and the other on his forehead. He only ever did that when he was upset, angry, or extremely troubled.

Emily looked to her cousin who was no longer laughing. He mouthed an I'm sorry to her then his gaze darted back swiftly to her date. She turned back to Aaron but he'd already closed the gap behind her and was suddenly towering over her. She tripped taking a quick step back. Before she could fall, he grasped her waist and pulled her against him, his cheeks dimpling with a huge smile.

"You are so going to pay for that," he chuckled.

Darren was now laughing again, not doubled over this time, but laughing all the same.

A smile crept up her face as she realized she'd been played, just as well as they'd played him. She had felt horrified, it having been their first date and she'd done something absolutely stupid. However, her hard-pressed-to-smile boss had just pulled a fast one on her. Then her eyes sparkled with mischief as she realized she could have the last word.

Emily wrapped an arm around his neck and pulled his head down to her lips and just before their lips touched, she asked, "You promise?"