Maybe I should be packing for my 4 month trip to Italy instead of- nope, never mind. Enjoy!

Chapter XLV

Two nights passed and neither Emily nor Ana had left the apartment. The two were perfectly content to stay indoors and get to know one another. Emily bided her time until she eventually told Ana what had happened when she was fifteen and since then, the two had grown almost inseparable. JJ had come by and spent the afternoon with them the previous night. She was left speechless half the time after realizing just how similar the brunettes were and before she left, made it a point to tell Emily how things were being handled at the Bureau.

"There's really no sugarcoating it, Em." The blonde had said, making sure to look around for the girl in question. "It doesn't look good. Hotch said that they found a prosecutor and want to begin the trial as soon as she's well enough."

"What are they charging her with?" Emily folded her arms, her expression darkening.

"Eight counts of grand larceny, accessory to murder and whatever they can scrounge together for hacking us."

"Are you kidding?" Emily raised her voice only to cautiously look around the room and lower it immediately. "Accessory for whose murder?"

"The woman she told you about, Anya?" JJ reminded her. "Around the time that Ana described, a woman by the name of Anya Powell went missing. She worked for a company by the name of 'Bells and Locks'."

"A locksmith?"

"The apprentice of one." JJ corrected. "We think that Hail tried forcing her to open a specific safe and when Ana caught them, he killed her."

"How exactly is that her fault?" Emily defended, angered by the thought the very people she worked for tried to pin the woman's murder on a child.

"It's beyond me." JJ scoffed. "They want to make an example out of her; no matter what their age, a person convicted of these crimes has to be punished."

"What a load of-" Emily was interrupted by an ear-piercing scream coming from down the hall. Both women rushed toward the room and opened it to find Ana sitting upright in bed. Emily touched JJ's arm, telling her silently that she could handle it, and approached the girl. It was a rare occurrence for Ana to go a night without being awoken by her dreams and only Emily knew how to calm her.

"Ana?" she sat on the edge of bed, careful not to touch the girl until she had fully awoken. "It's Emily. You're alright, you're safe. It was just a bad dream." Slowly, Emily placed her hand on the girl's shoulder and eased her back down. Ana's heavy breathing seemed to slow and her eyes blinked back into focus.

"Emily?" JJ heard her whimper. The sound was so soft, it could've easily been missed.

"It's alright, you're safe." Emily repeated as she stroked a few strands of wet hair away from Ana's eyes. "Just go back to sleep." Ana held her hand so tightly that Emily couldn't find it in herself to leave. She turned to JJ and the blonde nodded, leaving soundlessly and locking the front door behind her. This was going to be another long night indeed.

The next morning, Ana had managed to convince Emily that she was well enough to visit the BAU. Her stiches had mostly healed and, with the exception of the commonly occurring nightmares, everything was somewhat normal- until the pulled into the parking garage below the FBI.

"You said she wanted to talk to me?" Ana asked shyly. "Your boss?"

"Technically, Hotch is my boss." Emily ignored the slight mischievous grin on the girl's lips. "But yes, Section Chief Strauss is in charge." They got out of Emily's Lexus and headed into the elevator that would bring them into the BAU.

"What is she going to say?" Ana played with the hem of her shirt and reminded Emily of Reid. She placed her hand on the girl's shoulder and squeezed.

"Honestly, I don't know but we don't think she's one of the ones out to get you." Emily answered truthfully. "I don't think I can be in there though. Are you ok with that?"

"Do I have a choice?" Ana scoffed and Emily didn't answer. Instead she led the girl through the bullpen and to the door of Hotch's office. Admittedly, she was more than excited to see the Unit Chief. It had been over a week since he had dropped Ana onto her guest bed and left and honestly, Emily missed him.

"You're early." His voice snapped her back to Earth as he stepped aside to let them into his office. He smiled at her and Emily couldn't help the flutter in her chest.

"Yea, sorry." Ana began to pace the room. "I couldn't be inside any longer than I had to."

"Of course." Hotch nodded his understanding and took a seat on the couch he had set up on the opposite end of the wall. Emily sat beside him and timidly placed her hand in his. Momentarily ignoring the anxious teenager in the room, the couple stared at each other and smiled, red creeping into their cheeks once more.

"Stop thinking about kissing him and do it already." Ana's voice cried. The two turned to look at her, their mouths slightly open. Her hands were on her hips and a slightly smile played on her lips as she raised her eyebrow at the couple before turning around and continuing to pace. Emily lowered her head and chuckled, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. Ana would pay for that later. As she opened her mouth to diffuse the awkward situation, she felt Hotch's hand on the back of her neck, pulling her towards him swiftly. Before she could take another breath, his lips were on hers, gently moving his tongue on the rim of her bottom lip. Her hand immediately went to his chest and up his collarbone to his neck, forcing their lips closer. They both sighed contently against the other before parting. Emily's eyes were still closed as she licked her lips, already missing the feeling of his on them. She didn't see how he looked at her while she came down from the slight high she got from kissing him. Aaron Hotchner had never seen a woman more captivatingly beautiful than Emily Prentiss. From the moment she walked into his life, he knew that she would be the ultimate distraction and that was part of the reason he didn't want her on his team. Years later, he was still mentally slapping himself for being so rude to her. Now here she was; practically on his lap after the events that had transpired in the Jersey hospital. The thought alone stirred him more than he could've ever dreamed and he filled his mind with thoughts that would help hide his obvious desire for her. A knock at the door startled all three occupants and Hotch sprang up to open the door.

"Strauss is here." JJ poked her head and alerted them. Ana turned to look at Emily, a new sort of fear in her eyes.

"It's going to be fine." Emily assured her with a smile as she stood and placed her hands on the girl's shoulders. "I'll be right here." Ana nodded, seemingly not convinced.

"I'll take you to her." JJ offered, seeing the look in her friend's eyes. Ana reluctantly followed the blonde and Emily stared at the door long after they had left. Hotch's arms wrapped around her from behind and his head rested on her shoulder.

"Don't worry." He whispered in her ear. "I already have some ideas as to how we can help her."

"You do?" Emily's voice hitched with hope and he nodded against her neck. The feeling of his 5 o'clock shadow nuzzling against her sent chills running down Emily's spine and she lolled her head slightly to the side as a shudder escaped her.

"Cold, Prentiss?" He teased, chuckling against her skin. The heat radiating off of her nearly drove him to insanity and if that didn't, the sounds that left her lips definitely would. Emily spun in his arms, surprising him, and began to walk forward. Taking him with her, Hotch felt the backs of his calves hit the couch they had previously occupied and allowed himself to plop back down. A coy smile on her lips, Emily slowly raised one knee to rest beside him and then the other, effectively straddling and pinning him to the loveseat. She brought her face close to his but not close enough for him to kiss her. When he tried, she drew backwards and playfully raised an eyebrow at him. Finally, after what seemed like hours of torture, she lowered her body against his, grinding her hips against his. Hotch inhaled deeply, his head rolling in a circle until it came back to her and met her lips instead. Fighting for dominance, the couple wildly wished that they were anywhere but here. A slight sense of apprehension washed over Emily at the thought of Ana enduring Strauss a few office doors away but it was quickly overridden by the sound Hotch made when she dragged her fingernails down his arms. His mouth ravaged her neck and as far down as he could reach on her chest as she tilted her head back and enjoyed the feel of him against her. Suddenly, Hotch grabbed the back of her legs and raised himself. Instinctively, Emily wrapped them around his waist as he pressed her against the nearest wall. With his ability to hold her upright without his arms, it was easier to maneuver there than on a small cough. He continued to use his obviously vast knowledge of the female anatomy to make Emily shiver and gasp at every turn. Reaching from behind him as she dropped her legs, Emily's hands made their way to his belt buckle, undoing it with ease before pressing her palm against him. She realized that he hadn't even noticed when she unbuckled him as his gasp stopped his assault on her neck momentarily. He nuzzled his face against the crook of her neck and groaned as her hand wove itself inside his briefs and took hold of him once more.

"Freezing, Hotchner." She bit her lip at the sight of him incapacitated by her touch. The thought that she could reduce him to this ignited her from her head to her toes in a way she didn't even imagine possible.

"Emily." Her name left his lips initially as a warning- a warning that if she continued, no force on Earth could keep him away from her- but came out as more of a moan.

"Yes?" she answered mischievously as she continued to stroke his length.

"I won't be able to-"

"I know." She whispered against his ear, her hot breath only stirring him further. She brought her lips to his and briefly lingered there as a thought crossed her mind. It wouldn't be fair to bring him to this point and stop, now would it? Besides, it could be hours before anyone came looking for them. A smile danced on her lips as she caressed his neck with her mouth and slowly descended downward. Before he knew it, he was the one pressed against the wall and Emily was almost on her knees before him. Just as he opened his mouth to tell that she was under no obligation to do anything she didn't want to, her mouth opened as well and Aaron Hotchner quickly learned exactly who would hold the reins in their relationship.

I definitely don't plan these scenes lol Review to find out what happened between Strauss & Ana before I leave for Italy!