Summary: He had felt it for a while now, years if he was being honest. How can he tell her without ruining their friendship and will she feel the same? (I know I suck at summaries)

Disclaimer: Even though I think they belong to me I actually own nothing… and it breaks my heart.

A/N: I know this is just a little early for the Fourth of July but I just had to go ahead and post it even though this is more a H/P fic and not really a Fourth it does take place on the fourth so I hope you enjoy. Please review and let me know what you think…..THANKS!

Song is 'Until It Beats No More' By Jennifer Lopez. If you haven't heard it go to you tube and check it out. It's a beautiful song.

Until It Beats No More

Chapter 1

Aaron Hotchner sat at his desk looking out the window down into the bullpen. He watched as everyone joked and played around, everyone except Emily Prentiss. Her head was buried in the stack of folders on her desk trying to get through the endless stack of files.

He watched her as she worked, shoulders slumped over which he noticed she did a lot when she was working, and her brows pushed together in concentration as she wrote in the file that was open in front of her.

Hotch had been more aware of her since her return to the team after her run in with Doyle and her pretend death. Hell, a lot longer than that if he was being honest with himself, a hell of a lot longer. The team accepted her back with open arms as if she were never gone. Everyone that is accept Reid and Morgan.

Reid was mad more with JJ for hiding the truth from him than he was at Emily. He got over everything rather quickly and forgave them and now they seemed closer than ever.

Morgan on the other hand took a little longer to forgive him and Emily but he finally came around and talked to them about it and forgave them and everything seemed back to normal. He joked around and picked at Emily just like old times; though out in the field he never let her get to far away from his line of vision, afraid something would happen to her.

Hotch knew they were close, as close as a brother and sister would be. Emily fell back into her role on the team, mothering Reid, close friends and almost daughterly with Rossi, sisterly with Morgan and best friends and closer than sisters with JJ and Garcia.

Even with Hotch she was different, not so closed off which in return he began to open up with her more and more until he found himself telling her everything. All the little things that normally he would keep to himself; he now found that he needed to tell her these things.

They spent time together outside of work which all had started when he made her promise to come and talk to him whenever she was having a bad day. And she did, on more than one occasion. Their friendship seemed to blossom as they spent more and more time together. She would go to the park with him and Jack, out to dinner and the movies with them and a few times Emily had invited them over and she cooked for them. Jack loved her and loved spending time with her, always asking Hotch when she was coming over or when they would see her again.

Hotch was lost in thought and didn't hear Rossi knock on the door. Dave stood there in the doorway following Hotch's line of vision to where Emily sat at her desk. He smiled to himself knowing that this had been a long time coming, wondering if Aaron had finally realized that he was in love with Emily.

"So when are you gonna tell her?"

Hotch's head snapped toward the door at where Dave stood.

"What are you talking about Dave?"

"Emily, when are you gonna tell her that you love her?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Hotch said trying to deny it but then hung his head in defeat.

"I don't know Dave; I don't know how to tell her. She has become this important part of my life and I don't want to ruin our friendship if she doesn't feel the same."

"Believe me when I say this Aaron, Emily feels the same way about you. I've seen the way she looks at you Aaron. I've seen how you sit together on the plane most of the time now. The way you both have to seek each other out after we come in from the field just to make sure the other is ok. The way she stands a little closer to you as if she is afraid that you are going to disappear. It would be a mistake to let this chance slip through your fingers. Just think about it Aaron but don't wait too long or it might pass you by."

"Thanks Dave I'll think about it."

At that Dave left and went back to his office leaving Hotch alone with his thoughts. How could he start something with her and jeopardize not only his career but hers as well but didn't they deserve to be happy? Didn't she deserve to finally find happiness, to know what love was? Could he be that for her and was he willing to put everything on the line for a chance to find happiness with her? He thought about that, had been thinking about that for a long time but always too afraid to take that next step. He had finally come to a decision on the matter.

Yes. He was ready for this. Scared? Yes. But he honestly thought that he was ready to sacrifice anything for her. He wanted to be the one to show her how to really love and have her love him in return and that is what scared him the most.

What if she didn't return those feelings? It was a chance he was now ready to take.

In one of their many conversations she had told him that she had never been in love, said that she had loved but had never really been in love. He had felt sad for her because he did know what it was like to be in love even if it had been a long time ago. He and Haley had grown apart over the years and mainly that was because of his job.

He found it shocking to find himself in love again, he never thought that he could or would ever fall in love again but here he was sitting in his office staring at the object of said feelings.