so, here's another chapter! It did take a while, but I did my best and I hope you like it:3

Let me just clear up a couple of issues that some reviewers had made to all of you: Yes, if Hotch and Emily got a few extra clues that meant the rest of the teams only got 2/3 clues. I was aware of this before posting, but if I did more then the chapter would have been incredibly boring, so apologies on that one.

Apparently I didn't make it clear as to who won the scavenger hunt, however I wanted you to work it out, because I'm not exactly a fan of stories where all of the information is spoon-fed to you off of a plate. Aaron and Em came last in the hunt. The clue is towards the end of the chapter when the team are questioning why they are covered in mud as they come back to the barn. If they were there, it was obvious that they had gotten back first, right?

Still with me? Good good.

Let me make this clear to you all. This isn't going to be a fic where they are basically in love and announcing it to the team after the first week. I'm not sure about you, but I would like to carry it on after the team building course is finished and develop the relationship further. Let me be sure that is is clear that they will not suddenly announce it to the team that they are in a relationship within days of knowing themselves. Lets face it, Em and Hotch's characters aren't like that, so that isn't going to happen.

Let me know what you think about that. Would you be interested in a sequel?

Read on...

And review...

Chapter 3

Emily looked up at Hotch sitting next to her from the bacon and eggs she was eating, and looked away when she caught his eye, her cheeks slightly rosier than usual. They'd stayed outside the cabin for a couple of hours until Emily very nearly fell asleep on Aaron and he had to help her back to her bunk.

She looked back up at him and smiled when she felt his hand on her thigh, giving her that much needed comforting touch that she had craved only hours before. Aaron grinned back at her when he felt her intertwine her fingers with his own given the security of the table, so they knew it was unseen by the rest of the profilers. The couple held eye contact for a couple of seconds, before turning back to their food, not wanting to give anything away to their friends.

"So what actually happened yesterday?" Morgan asked Prentiss smirking at the memory of seeing their usually professional colleagues chortling along to some inside joke while un-tacking their horses.

"You see, Morgan. We would tell you," Emily looked to Aaron who matched her face of mock seriousness, "But then we would have to kill you."

"Very funny, but I'm serious here. Why were you two soaking wet?" Everyone was listening in to their conversation at this point, including Rita and Ray.

"Yeah," JJ joined in, "It looked like you guys had jumped into the river or something." At that the two agents began laughing uncontrollably, much to the amusement of the others.

"What did I say?" JJ asked, confused before her eyes widened, "You did, didn't you?" She exclaimed loudly, pointing a finger at the pair.

"We never said that." Hotch told her, not able to stop the slight quirk up that his lips made, telling everybody all they needed to know.

"What the hell went on yesterday Aaron?" Rossi asked him, laughing slightly with everyone else. Hotch didn't answer, instead he just tapped the side of his nose and shared a smirk with Emily, before carrying on with his food, much to the complaints of the other team members.

Before the team was going to ride, they needed to help Rita and Ray with general jobs around the barn that needed doing. Some were quite pleasant, such as grooming the other horses that weren't being cared for by the team.

Other jobs… not so pleasant.

"Aaron and Emily – I have a special job for you." Rita told them with a mischievous glint in her eye, "Since you like to 'jump' into things," Several other team members sniggered at her choice of words, "Could you guys climb on up on the muck heap and start moving things around? It needs airing out."

It was obvious to Emily and Aaron that the other team members thought this was hilarious, so were not hesitant one bit to show that they were capable of doing something so… 'Mucky.'

Until they were out of earshot, that is.

"Really?" Emily asked the sky as she stepped onto the muckheap, pitchfork at the ready.

"You never done this before?" Aaron asked her with one eyebrow raised as he sifted through the straw.

"'Course I have, too many times. Why couldn't she get someone who hasn't done it before to do it? I'm sure they could do with the experience." She added with a cheeky grin.

"Well, that leaves all of them in that crowded barn… and us two on our own, out here." Hotch whispered into her ear as he leaned in close, sending shivers down her spine as his breath tickled the skin of her neck.

"I guess that is an up side." She looked up at him through her eyelashes, before stopping as she looked down suddenly. "Gross! There's horse poop on my foot!" She shook her leg, hoping to get it off. Much to her disgust this technique didn't work. "I'm going to find a patch of grass." Emily told Aaron, huffing as she shuffled back down to the bottom of the heap. "Crap!" She shouted as she slipped, falling onto the concrete next to the muck. "Yeah," Hotch said, flashing his dimples as he helped her up. "Crap – literally."

"Aaron!" She shouted, swatting his arm playfully, who answered her with a chuckle as he turned away to carry on with his job, "You know, I never really thought of you as the jokey type." She told him, scraping her foot along the concrete floor.

"And why is that?" Aaron asked her, his shovel stopping mid-motion.

"You're just not that talkative out of work, I guess." Emily shrugged her shoulders before outstretching her arm as Hotch pulled her back up to him.

"Is this not enough for you?" He asked her while pulling her close with a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Well, I'm hoping that you don't do this with all of your subordinates. That would be strange." Emily looked up, biting her lip as she grinned.

"Of course. All the time." He told her dryly. "In the break room, my office, hell even in the supply closet. Hell, I don't know where to stop!"

"Oh sure." She swatted his arm playfully again as she went back to her job, "Well, this crap isn't going to shift itself."

"That's something you don't hear every day." Aaron told her, who sniggered.

"Alright guys, we're going to be doing something a little different today." Rita announced to the team who were sitting on their horses in a line across the arena. "We're going to be practicing a game called pole bending. Basically you weave in and out of the line of poles as fast as you can and then back again." The team looked up and down the poles set up at the far end of the arena.

"I'm pretty sure that Hotch and Prentiss have an advantage." Reid complained. Because he wasn't particularly skilled in physical activities it was a fair enough comment to make.

"That's why they will be doing a Puissance at the other end of the arena." Ray told them, but continued when he saw their confused faces. "It's where you jump a single jump and it gets higher and higher until you knock it over. The person that jumps the highest wins."

"Twenty says Prentiss wins." Morgan whispered to JJ, who grinned mischievously at his.

"Twenty says Hotch wins." She whispered back to Morgan who held out his hand and gave hers a firm shake.

"Deal."

Although the two competitions were carried out at the same time, the pole-bending team kept stealing glances at Hotch and Prentiss. The jump started out incredibly small, with both riders not needing to do too much to encourage their horses over the brightly colored fence.

Once the jump reached around three feet, the pole-bending group stopped to watch the competitiveness between the two agents who were oblivious due to their determination.

"Come on!" Emily erred Ping on, who responded by soaring over the large-ish fence.

"Yes!" Morgan whispered, hoping the bet he had placed was a winner, and JJ sent him a scornful look.

This carried on for a couple of fences until both horses were struggling to get themselves over the incredibly large fence. Both Midnight and Ping had rattled the last pole, but it had stayed put and not fallen to the floor.

"This is the big one…" Morgan whispered to JJ beside his, who was too busy watching the event in front of her to reply. Emily was approaching the fence, encouraging Ping on with all she had, to which he responded, giving an almighty jump over the fence. Morgan waited as the pole rattled in its cups, but relaxed when it stood it's ground and didn't fall.

"Yes, Prentiss!" He shouted, raising his fist.

"You know," Emily started as she walked Ping near to the other group, "Anyone would think you betted on me and Hotch." Morgan and JJ both looked down, not quite sure what to say to the woman who had seen right through them.

"Kinda…" JJ began, but was interrupted.

"If I'm right, you betted one me?" She looked at Morgan, who nodded. "If you win, we split it." She grinned, she might as well make a little money out of it, right?

"Deal." Morgan repeated, grinning back.

"Okay Aaron. If you get over this, the jump will raise again. If you knock it over, Emily will win." Ray shouted to Hotch who was circling Midnight in determined anticipation. After nodding in acknowledgement of Ray's words he began to canter and lined up to the jump.

"Come on. Come on. Come on." JJ whispered this mantra under her breath, as he got closer to the jump. Time seemed to go in slow motion as he took off, soaring high into the air and over the fence. Midnight had underestimated the size of the jump a little and knocked it with his hind legs.

"No!" JJ whispered harshly as the pole rocked.

Left. Right. Left.

Drop.

"Yes! Come on Prentiss!" Morgan cheered, happy for his friend but also for the money he would receive.

"No way!" JJ whispered, mocking anger for Morgan's benefit. Emily and Aaron rode towards each other and met in the middle of the arena.

"Well done." Hotch told her, who was still grinning wildly at her achievement.

"Thanks, you did great too, though. It gets to a certain point where it's the ability of the horse – not the rider." Emily said to her friend.

Wait. Were they friends? Boyfriend and girlfriend? Emily mentally shook her head; it could wait until later.

"You do realize that Morgan and JJ bet on us?" The female agent asked the male, who shook his head.

"I wouldn't expect any less… Wait. Who bet on who?" He asked suddenly.

"Morgan bet on me and JJ on you."

"I knew I always liked her…" He trailed off cheekily when Emily scowled playfully.

"Aaron!"

The team hadn't ridden again after lunch to give their horses a little rest ready for a midnight ride Rita had organized for later on. That had meant that the spent the afternoon relaxing, and had taken a little walk together. They were currently tacking up their horses ready with Rita and Ray who were going to ensure that they didn't get lost in the darkness.

"You okay?" Emily asked over Aaron's stall door as she walked by for some leg boots for Ping.

"Yeah, almost ready. Are you?" Hotch asked in return.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She said, stepping into Midnights stall to stand alongside Hotch behind the horse.

"Good." Aaron smiled, then pulled her into a hug with the protection of the large horse from anyone seeing the exchange. Emily pulled her arms up and hugged him close.

"Is everybody ready?" Rita called out, disturbing thee moment as Emily moved out of Hotch's grasp.

"Crap, I'd better get those boots." Hotch smiled as she hurried off.

"It's really nice out here at night…" Emily mused as her and Aaron trailed along at the back of the group, with Rita and Ray leading the way.

"Mmm." Hotch hummed in content agreement, "I love working at the BAU, but this is great, too." Emily nodded in agreement.

"Amen." It was silent for a couple of minutes and the group reveled in the tranquility of the wildlife surrounding them. Every scuffle in the bushes, every sound was just adding to the calmness of the atmosphere that the BAU team didn't usually get to appreciate in their world of criminals and justice. "Do you know the time?" Emily asked Aaron suddenly, so he reached into his pocket and checked his blackberry.

"12:30." He confirmed as he attempted to slide his phone back into his pocket, but it missed and crashed down onto the floor below them. "Crap." He whispered loud enough for Emily beside him to hear, but not for the group ahead of them. He hopped off of Midnight in time to see Emily hop off of Ping.

"Here let me help." She said as she dropped to the floor and began blindly searching for the missing phone with one hand, while holding the reins with the other.

"Thanks."

Hotch said appreciatively as he began searching too, only to bump their heads together in the process.

"Sorry." Emily laughed, holding her hand up to her forehead.

"It was my fault." Aaron said, not quite sure what else to say until he saw her holding her head in the semi-darkness. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, don't worry. I'm fine." She laughed and carried on searching the dusty floor with her fingertips. Suddenly they closed around a rectangular object and she held it up triumphantly. "Gotcha!" She exclaimed and handed it over to her superior who checked if it still worked – which it did.

Emily slowly brought her hand up to rest on his cheek and both looked the other in the eye and leaned forward…

"Are you guys alright?" Morgan's voice cut through the darkness and the pair drew back quickly, although they knew that the poor lighting ensured that the profiler didn't see this.

"Yeah, sorry. Hotch dropped his phone. We'll catch up." Emily called out to the figure she couldn't see, and the sound of retreating hoof-falls proved that he'd received loud and clear.

"Why didn't you tell him we'd already found it?" Hotch's voice came across puzzled, so Emily quickly set things straight.

"So we could do this." The female agent ran her hand through his equally dark hair and pulled his lips in to hers, kissing him passionately. He moaned into her and quickly seized control, gliding his tongue over her lower lip, asking permission to enter.

Soon they separated, through lack of oxygen, not trying. While trying to catch their much-needed breath, they simply took pleasure from having their bodies pressed flush against the other.

"We… should… probably catch… up." Emily mumbled into his chest, suddenly caught up in the toned muscles that she could feel through the thin material.

"Yeah…" Aaron drifted off. Neither of them really had the intention to do this until they finally caught their breath, which happened a few minutes later.

"Come on." Emily persuaded, untangling herself from his muscly arms.

"Ugh." Hotch moaned as he pulled himself into Midnight's saddle.

Was that thing getting higher?

As they began to walk Emily nudged Ping closer and closer to their companions until her and Aaron's legs were practically touching, so she reached out, and rode along in silence, hand in hand.

Like it?

It is not going to be an awkward relationship. Just sayin'.

Uh huh, I went there.

I didn't finish the scene so I could carry it on into the chapter and get this up as soon as possible. Let me know what you think, pretty please?

Go review. Now. *Motions with hands* Go.