Lauren Reynolds, Ian Doyle, Emily and Hotch Love

Don't own criminal minds or characters!

Chapter 2 – Talking about LOVE!

'As Emily yes' was Emily's only answer. Hotch looked up at her, confusion in his eyes and on his face, not bothering to hide it.

Emily sighed, as she knew she was going to have to explain what she meant by that. 'What do you mean by that?' Hotch asked.

'Well… I know this may seem weird, because I know… I am Emily Prentiss; I have nightmares about Doyle and what he did to me. Lauren Reynolds has nightmares about Emily and her team hurting Ian. She feels protective of him. If that makes sense' Emily tried to explain the best she could but thought she failed miserably.

Hotch's eyes widened in surprise when she mentioned Lauren. He knew most of what happened between them and why she did it and what she did. 'Yea it makes sense, but only as Emily. Why would Lauren feel protective of him? Ian Doyle hurt you Em; he is an idiot and a lot more than that.' Hotch asked curiously, looking in Emily's brown eyes.

Emily felt a strange feeling, a protective feeling, wanting to protect Doyle; she knew that wasn't Emily, that was Lauren. Emily opened her mouth to answer but closed it again as she realized she didn't really know how to answer, she stayed silent for a few seconds, but to Hotch it seemed like years, as she tried to think of a way to explain to him.

She sighed and tried again. 'OK. I, right now am Emily Prentiss, I always will be, I am also Lauren Reynolds. Emily hates Ian for hurting her team and her, everything that he did to her, she hates him for that and Ian Doyle hates Emily Prentiss. Ian Doyle wants to and has hurt Emily, so basically Emily and Ian hate each other.' She took a deep breath, not really knowing if she was ready to say this. Hotch nodded, urging her to continue. 'Lauren Reynolds… Lauren loves Ian. Lauren and Ian love each other. As much as it pains me to say this, Ian is a good person, despite his criminal ways. Ian cares about Lauren and would do anything to protect her, Ian fell in love with Lauren and in return Lauren fell in love with him too'

Emily took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She opened them again, expecting Hotch to look at her with hate in his eyes but he didn't, she decided to continue and said 'Hotch, you have to understand a part of me will always still be Lauren, and Lauren is in love with Ian. Lauren understands why Emily wants to hurt him. Lauren loves the caring side of him and everything good about him. He's like a drug she can't resist, that's why she keeps, in a way, going back to him and protecting him. He means the absolute world to her; she loves his son like she is her own.

Emily's team, see the bad side of him, mainly because he hurt Emily. Emily knows that there is a good side to him. Lauren almost married him, he used his charm on her and she fell for it, fell for him and everything he does.' Emily smiled slightly when she said this as he remembered how caring Ian was to Lauren.

Hotch sat there listening to what Emily was saying. He didn't know what to think, or how to feel. Lauren Reynolds was in love with Ian Doyle, a murderer, a criminal, an arms dealer. He saw Emily smile when she spoke about his charm on "Lauren" and he felt his stomach turn. It was sick. He wasn't going to hate her for it though. He understood that "Lauren" would always be a part of Emily. That means she would always be in love with Ian, in a way. That thought made him want to be sick. He shook his head to try to get rid of the thoughts.

Emily stood up and went to her safe, she typed in code and opened it. She found the necklace and took it in to her hand. She closed it again and went back to the couch and opened her hand. She let it dangle and he looked up at her. She seemed to have changed a little and then it clicked.

She left as EMILY and came back as LAUREN.

She showed him the necklace and smiled. 'This is what Ian got me, I miss him a lot, I think about him everyday. I think the only sad thing about this is that when I was acting as his girlfriend I actually, thought, believed and wanted to be his girlfriend but I knew it wouldn't last because at the end of the day not everything lasts. I still love him though. I would do anything for him, even though he has hurt me. When we were together he never hurt me. He asked me to look after Declan with him, like be a mother to him and I said no.' she said sadly at the end.

Hotch was a little terrified. He could tell that "Lauren" really loved Ian. He wanted Emily to come back. 'Emily…' Hotch tried, he sighed in quiet relief when she answered her name. 'Does Emily Prentiss love someone then?' he asked wanting and not wanting to know the answer, even though he wasn't supposed to be prying into her personal life.

She looked up at him and smiled 'yea I'm in love with someone' Emily said as she felt her heart start to race. Hotch however, his heart started to sink.

He smiled as he looked at her and asked 'well he is one lucky guy, who is it?'

Emily chuckled and said 'yea he is, I can give you a clue'

He smiled and shook his head 'OK, then I can guess' he winked at her and he saw her blush.

'Well he's basically an ex boss of mine, if you know what I mean?' she replied, hating the effect he was having on her.

'How many bosses have you had that you like?' Hotch asked, trying to think of any bosses she could have had.

'Well, I'm not going to lie I have had quiet a few but none like you' Emily said and she put her hand over her mouth, in shock, she couldn't believe she had just said that. She closed her eyes and opened them a bit and saw Hotch blushing. She smiled shyly but quickly said 'I meant that in a good way, I mean…'

'Do you like me just as a boss?' Hotch asked not really wanting the answer.

'No' she said making it sound more like a question than a statement or answer. She sighed in defeat, she has already admitted a bit.

Hotch nodded and asked 'friends but nothing more right?' needing to be sure.

'No, I… I love you, more than a friend and a boss, even though that's not right in a way because you were my boss but, you're not anymore, I don't know if it makes it right though' Emily finally admitted, both to him and herself.

Aaron Hotchner stared at her in shock. He thought the feelings were only one-sided. He had absolutely no clue she was in love with him.

'I love you too' Hotch said as he got up and sat next to Emily. He took her hand in his and she looked at him. He smiled and leaned over to kiss her.

FINISHED!