5.10, The Slave of Duty

The atmosphere at the diner that night was somber, which seemed to fit in perfectly with the recent events. No one had talked much on the ride home – not even Garcia had been as chatty.

Wordlessly, Prentiss drove to this place, somehow hoping it would be of some comfort. The rain pelted down against the windows as they settled into their booth.

Somehow, over time, Emily had transitioned over to his side of the table, her head leaning against his shoulder and their knees touching. So that's where she positioned herself then, shutting her eyes.

"What are you thinking?", came the deep voice from above her, and she could feel his words vibrating through his chest.

This question took a second to answer.

"I'm thinking how- how not fair it is for us to love anyone with this job."

He slightly shifted her over so that he was looking into her eyes and raised his eyebrows, even though he understood exactly what she meant. He guessed he'd hoped that it'd never cross her mind, that he could keep those thoughts to himself, but he could only shield her from so much.

"With what we do, it's completely unfair to have anyone in your life – to expose them to that sort of danger every day. Derek, how are we supposed to let anyone into our lives knowing that what happened to Hotch might happen? How do we have kids, or get married, knowing that every day because of this job we're putting them in harm's way?"

He looked into her eyes, and finally saw all of the doubt there. She had thought about it – about a family, kids. He couldn't help a little smile at what a great mother she would make, but it quickly disappeared when he thought about her words.

"I don't know.", he said honestly, as disappointment washed over her face. But what was he supposed to say? Damn, he'd near sworn off ever getting married or having kids for this exact reason.

He had to give her something though. Just because he was hopeless now didn't mean that she had to be as well. He had to give her some type of hope, at least – some reassurance; but he couldn't. Derek couldn't lie to her, so he gave her the plain simple truth.

"Honestly, I have no clue Em. You don't think I've thought about that, you don't think I've imagined a future with some woman and kids down the line?", he said, failing to mention that the only woman he could really imagine any type of future with was her.

"But for now, we have the team. We have each other. And we have some time to maybe figure it out.", he added.

She smiled and looked up at him, falling further into the crook of his arm.

"Maybe you'll forever be the only man in my life, then.", she said playfully.

"I wouldn't mind that one bit.", he responded, smiling and pulling her closer.

5.19, A Rite of Passage

"I think you're paying tonight. You still owe me for blowing out my eardrum.", she said, smiling, as they walked into the diner.

Derek didn't smile back though, and she was met with a stony expression that could almost be a scowl.

"Hey, someone got up on the wrong side of the bed today. What's up?", she said, genuinely concerned what could make Derek Morgan break his usually cheerful demeanor.

"Nothing.", he said, and his curt response just made Emily more worried.

She slipped into the booth next to him though, but made sure not to be touching him. The lack of contact was strange, because she'd grown so accustomed to his warmth. In the diner, they could just fall into each other and be comforted – and neither of them asked or wondered what they were doing; it was just what it was. Anything shared in the diner was theirs, it was purely for comfort. It was the best relationship she'd had in years.

Emily mulled over what could be making him so mad while she ordered her food. It couldn't be the gun thing, because she knew Derek, and he was not one to get upset over a stupid comment that she made.

Suddenly, her phone vibrated on the table and the name 'Mick' lit up on the screen.

She attempted to pick it up before he saw, but the scowl on his face clearly indicated that he'd already seen the caller ID. Though he had no right to be mad at her. Mick was a nice-ish guy. He was... easy to get along with, he didn't ask for much. He was just what she needed.

"What?", she spit out, suddenly defensive.

"Oh nothing; you know, you're free to sleep with any egotistical asshole you'd like.", he said, sarcasm practically oozing out of his words.

"Actually, I am.", she said, moving further away from him. Though as soon as the words came out of her mouth, she regretted them and felt the need to justify herself.

"It's not going anywhere, it's not serious. It's just – a release, for now. Why does it matter to you anyway?", she said softer.

He looked down at his lap, looking like a little boy.

"I just- I don't like him. He's not right for you.", he muttered out.

She turned towards him, shaking her head, her voice louder. "You don't get to decide who's right for me Derek. Since when do you get to tell me who I should and shouldn't date? I sure as hell don't know all the women you sleep with and-", and then his lips were on hers, his arms were pulling her closer.

The kiss was passionate, and full of anger, but somehow, it felt right. She melted into him and all her anger disappeared. When they finally pulled apart, all she could think of to do was put her head on his chest and sigh, because this, just kissing him, was a much better release than Mick had ever been.

6.02, JJ

Emily and Derek walked into the door of the diner, hands intertwined, not even caring who saw. Because that night, the need for human contact and comfort was much greater than the fear of the team discovering about their relationship – something they didn't even know how to classify.

"I hate the system sometimes. I mean, we fight for innocent people, we have to believe that the system works, and I do. But at the same time, how can they just take a member of the team away like that? Without a second thought? I just... I'm not sure what I believe anymore Em. And it's terrifying."

She squeezed his hand under the table, surprised for a moment because she had only seen him that vulnerable a handful of times, and it was always so unnerving.

"The system works. At least, that's what we have to convince ourselves of, if we do this job. This – them taking JJ away, you have to think of it as the exception.", she responded quietly, even though she was completely fucking unsure of anything right then.

He nodded and put his arm around her, staring off into space.

"The system didn't work for Ellie either.", he said, his voice much quieter, much more broken. "She lost her dad, basically her entire family, and now she's off in a foster home god-knows where."

Emily saw the conflict on his face whenever he got a call form Ellie. The little girl needed him – he was the one part of her old life she could still hang on to, but he couldn't bare to get too attached. He'd already lost so much.

She said the one reassuring thing she could think of, the one thing she was still hoping for. "Not yet it hasn't. But maybe it will."

"I thought about it, you know. Adopting Ellie.", he said, and the words hit her like a brick. Yes, she knew that he loved the girl, that he needed to protect her, but it hadn't crossed her mind that Derek Morgan, proclaimed bachelor for life, had considered actually adopting this little girl.

"You would make a fantastic dad.", she said honestly.

"Yeah, one that's never home – one that doesn't want to talk to anyone but his partner most of the time.", he paused, his face pained. "And.. I love this job too much to leave. I'm not ready to take care of anyone but myself, especially a kid."

So she replied with the only thing she could think of, "Maybe someday then.", before pressing a kiss to his lips, a subconscious promise for the future.

6.12, Corazon

Derek's arm was snaked around her waist as she took another bite of her omelet, for the first time really eating breakfast at the diner. They had just come from his place, and were both pretty hungry.

For the first time since Doyle, Emily felt genuinely happy being with someone. She didn't feel jittery or nervous or worry that it was Ian touching her again – it just felt right. It was like their partnership – it was natural, comfortable, but still somehow hot and new and passionate at the same time.

She smiled as she took a bite of his waffle, recalling the past night's events, and he pulled her in closer.

"Emily, what is this... us? What are we doing?"

The question came unexpectedly, in the middle of a cheerful meal. It's not like she hadn't expected it – she knew it was coming. What she didn't know was how to respond.

There had been kisses and intertwined hands and nights spent at each others houses, but neither of them had put a label on it. They weren't dating, but they were damn well past just friends.

She took a deep breath, knowing it would be hard to explain how she felt. Knowing that it most likely would cost her him, because people wanted relationships, and whenever she said that she didn't, they usually ran. Though she didn't want to lose him, no way in hell.

"I- I don't know. But I like it. It's not complicated, there aren't any strings attached. I don't want to put any labels on it, and I don't know what we are... All I know is that I'm happy Derek, for the first time in a while.", she said truthfully, hoping to God that he wouldn't bolt. She needed him, so much that she was deathly afraid to admit it, even to herself.

"Okay.", he said simply, taking her hand in his.

Emily's mouth dropped open in shock. "Just... okay?", she said, stunned that there was nothing more. She expected an argument, or a break-up, or even a persuasion, but she certainly hadn't expected that.

"Okay. If this is what you want, if this is what makes you happy Princess, then we don't have to do anything differently.", he smiled at her.

She was amazed at how great he was. He was the first guy ever to accept this arrangement, not to pressure her for anything more. And then, for the first time, she felt like she really did want a real relationship – for the first time, she wanted a label.

6.21, The Stranger

That day, there was only one person of the regular twosome sitting in the corner booth, head in hands.

It had been a couple weeks, but this is the first time Derek had managed to come here without her. And he knew instantly by the shaking of his hands and the tears pooling in his eyes that it would be the last time too.

He guessed he just needed some more proof that she was really gone, and being in here without her, that's when the grief really hit. He remembered a thousand moments of her laughing here, of gentle reassurances, of light kisses.

Derek let a tear slip down his cheek as all those happy memories were replaced by the ones from the warehouse – the ones with her pale skin and the blood oozing from her stomach. The ones with her hand clinging onto his and her begging him to let her go.

Didn't she know that he couldn't? He was in love with her, so head over heels in love – there was no way he was letting her go. So he held on, but somehow, she slipped away anyway.

His hands began to shake more violently, and he pushed them under the table, squeezing his eyes shut. He could practically hear her laugh, feel her warmth at his side as she leaned into him.

"Hey, can I get you anything?", came the voice of the waiter that had served him and Emily sometimes. Ben. Yeah, that was his name.

"No, thanks.", he said slowly.

"Where's your girlfriend?", Ben asked casually. For the first time, Derek really took him in. He was a gangly kid, probably in high school. He probably had no idea of the horrors in the world. He had no idea what it was like to love someone with your whole being just to watch them die in front of you. So he answered with something that would be easier for the kid to understand, and easier for him to say.

"We broke up."

"Damn, really? Then there's no hope for me – you guys were the most in-love couple I've ever seen. Sorry man.", he said in disbelief, walking away.

And suddenly, Derek couldn't stand it. The anger bubbled up inside him, mixed with the guilt and all he wanted to do was go put a bullet in Ian Doyle's head. He was sure this was the only goal he could work towards – the only thing he could focus on at that moment.

So he did. He walked out of the diner with his heart heavy with guilt and his head determined to do one thing – kill the man who'd taken Emily away.

7.03, Dorado Falls

The ride to the diner was almost painful. They both wanted so much to get back to the place that they used to be, but both knew that things would never be the same.

Emily sat down at the red booth, looking around. "Wow, it hasn't changed a bit."

He didn't quite know how to respond, since he'd only been there once in her absence. If he was being honest, he'd say he never thought he'd be coming back to this place.

There was a couple minutes of awkward silence, probably the first ever to occur here. And Derek found that he couldn't take it. Them – they had always been so comfortable with each other, that was the one thing that made them them. And he wasn't about to let that go.

He knew that the only way to get past the awkwardness was to talk it out, so he took the initiative, no matter how much it hurt.

"You have no idea how much I missed you.", he said, looking into her eyes.

"I missed you too Derek. I missed us.", she replied, her dark eyes shining with tears. "And I'm so sorry for those seven months. I couldn't –... if I had a choice, I would have told you, you know that right? You would have been the first one to know.", she said with sincerity and pain in her voice.

And all he could think of was that it was her, undoubtedly. She was here, she was real, and so he did the only thing that he could think of – he took her hand in his, where it just felt oh-so right, and planned on never letting go again.

"I know."

7.24, Run

When the hype from the wedding had finally died down, Derek and Emily ended up in the diner, with the topic of her leaving on both of their minds. Emily knew she'd gotten his approval, she knew he understood, but she also knew that it wasn't honest. He had something to say about her decision, and she wanted to hear it.

"How do you really feel about me leaving?", she asked.

He looked up at her, that broken look on his face, and responded. "Honestly, I'm so angry. I'm angry and I'm upset because Emily I already lost you once – and it was hell. Now you came back and we'd just managed to get back what we had, and now you've decided that you're leaving again. So I'm pretty mad, and I'm going fucking insane trying to figure out how I'm going to live without you again."

She looked into his eyes, completely stunned that he had thought that her leaving the BAU meant that she was breaking up with him. He'd been her solid ground the whole time she'd been back – the furthest thing from her mind was letting him go.

"Derek I'm leaving the team, I'm not leaving you.", she said in a gentle voice, and watched as his face suddenly became hopeful.

"I just can't deal with the job anymore, but you, you're the only one still getting me through the days. I love you. You're the only thing I'm still sure of. And... yes.", she said, breaking into a smile.

He took a minute to figure out what she was talking about but when he did, his face lit up like fireworks on the Fourth of July.

He dug into his pocket and produced the diamond ring that he'd been carrying with him since his failed proposal a long time ago. And now, finally, she had said yes. She'd said yes.

Automatically, he slipped out of the booth and got on one knee – he was going to do this right. "Emily Prentiss, will you marry me?"

She just smiled and pulled him up, her lips meeting his in a passionate kiss. An answer wasn't necessary – he already knew what it would be.

And right then, there, was when Derek Morgan realized that his partner leaving the team was not an end, but rather a whole new beginning.