Prentiss stopped. She got chills up her spine. Something was stopping her from entering the hall. She pulled Reid back.
"Emily- is- is something wrong?"
"I- I don't- know." Prentiss was sweating. Her hands were clammy. She was nervous. She never got nervous.
"Tell me. What's going on?"
"I don't know. I'm just nervous, I guess."
"About what?"
"This, I guess. I mean, every time I go to one of my mother's functions, her friends look at me and say, "Oh, Emily, how lovely to see you! Tell me, are you still working in the FBI? You know, everyone expected that you'd follow in your mother's footsteps. You're not married yet? Such a shame. And then when it's time for me to make a speech, I freeze up and can't think of what to say. No matter how many drafts I write. And then I embarrass my mother all over again."
There was a silence floating through the air. Damn it, Prentiss thought. I've just scared him with horror tales of my mother's friends. He's probably going to walk away and leave me here freezing and I'll have to walk in there-
"Prentiss. Emily." Reid grabbed her shoulders and turned her toward him. "It doesn't matter what your mother's friends are saying. All that matters is that you're here for your mother and you're going to stun them in your beautiful dress. And what your mother's friends think? That's out of your control. So just relax. Let's have a good time tonight."
What did I just say? Reid thought. Where did that come from?
Wow, Prentiss thought. I- you- just kiss me. Kiss me now.
Of course Reid wasn't that instinctual yet, and Prentiss didn't necessarily mind. She wouldn't mind teaching him a few things, and right now, all she wanted was someone to hold her hand and walk her into the gala.
"Thanks, Reid. Thanks. I guess I, uh, just needed some reassurance."
"Anytime, Emily. Are you ready to go inside?"
Prentiss closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I guess. No sense in drawing this out any longer."
Reid grabbed her hand and squeezed it. Prentiss' heart skipped a beat. She looked into his deep brown eyes. He smiled at her. With his other hand, he swung open the door to the building. "Ladies first," he offered. And in they went.