"We'll get a few hours down tonight," Derek said, mapping out their route. "I'd like to make it to Abilene, but that might be pushing it. We'll at least get to Midland."

"We can go all the way to Dallas for all I care. I just want to get home," Emily said.

"That's exactly why you weren't left to drive yourself. Because driving until two in the morning after a long case is ridiculously reckless."

"Well good thing I have a babysitter."

Derek decided to stop talking and just let her cool off. She would come around.

The start to their road trip was frosty. Emily glared out the window and didn't comment as Derek played with the radio.

After an hour, he pulled into a gas station. They didn't need gas yet but he needed a bathroom and something to drink so they might as well top off the tank.

"What's your road trip snack of choice? Bureau's treat," Derek kidded, holding up the credit card Hotch gave him. Emily just shrugged. "Come on, Prentiss. Are we really going to drive twenty-eight hours in silence? I think we should make the most of this."

Emily met Derek's eyes looking so genuine and started to feel childish for being so pouty.

"You like Twizzlers, right?"

Emily was surprised and actually kind of touched that he remembered that. "I do. Thanks, Morgan."

As he walked inside, Emily decided she could lay off the pouting. She was still super annoyed she had two and a half days of driving ahead of her and her ear hurt like crazy, but there was nothing they could do about it.

When the gas pump quit, she closed out the sale then pulled the car up by the convenience store door to wait for Derek.

He climbed back in the driver's seat and passed the treats to her.

"Chicken in a Biskit crackers? Nice."

Derek looked at her, surprised by the sudden willingness to converse. But he sure wasn't going to complain. "Childhood favorite. They were calling my name."

Emily popped the box open and handed them to him.

"How's your ear feeling?"

"Bad," Emily said. Okay, she doesn't want to talk about that yet, Derek noted. Over the next couple of hours, Emily did soften up, but they weren't back to normal. She said she didn't have an opinion on the music they listened to or what they ate for dinner. He was having a hard time getting her talking beyond just pleasantries.

It had gotten dark as they were rolling into Midland. Derek pulled into the parking lot of a cheesy looking Mexican restaurant with neon palm trees on the sign.

"You don't think we should find hotel rooms first?" Emily asked.

"We'll be fine on a weeknight," Derek said. "I'm desperate for a good meal."

They went inside and the restaurant was surprisingly busy, full of a lot of families.

The waitress introduced herself and asked what they would like to drink.

"I'll have a Modelo and she'll have a margarita on the rocks with salt," Derek said.

"I'll have a water," Emily interjected.

"Prentiss," Derek said. His tone sounded like, "Be serious."

"Okay, I'll have a margarita," she relented. Her stubbornness could only go so far. It did sound good.

The waitress came back with chips, salsa, and their drinks.

"Just keep these coming," Derek said to her, flirty smile and eyebrows working. The waitress blushed, clearly finding Derek attractive.

When she walked away Emily scoffed.

"You act like that now but when we get fast refills you'll be happy," Derek joked.

"Wow. Do you always get what you want from women?"

"Definitely not. But I am usually forgiven quicker than this and you're clearly still annoyed with me."

"My ear hurts and I'm still not home," Emily said before taking a large gulp of her margarita.

"Be for real. He was shooting at us. What was I supposed to do?"

Emily shrugged. She didn't have an answer. She knew she was just being stubborn.

"What do you normally do that gets you forgiven so quickly?" Emily asked before hiding behind her drink. It was a joking question but could totally be taken the wrong way.

"You couldn't handle it," Derek half joked half flirted back.
Emily laughed. "Gross, I think."

Over the course of their meal, Emily softened up even more. The margarita sure helped. They were finally having a bit of fun, joking around and laughing. Emily did a great impersonation of one of the more annoying deputies they worked with over the last week and Derek was cracking up.

When it was time for the check, Emily caught a subtle smirk on Derek's face when he reached for it. She leaned over to look at it and saw the waitress's number scrawled along the bottom.

"How often does that happen?" Emily asked, a lighthearted laugh in her voice.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Derek tried to play it cool.

They paid the bill and made their way outside, headed for the rental car.

"Pretty bold of the waitress, really," Emily said. "What if we had been together?" Derek just gave a hearty laugh. Emily stopped walking toward the car and stubbornly planted herself for dramatic effect. "Rude!"

"Come on now, I didn't mean it like that," Derek said, stopping in the middle of the parking lot.

"I'm obviously kidding but ouch." They continued walking towards the car.

"Emily, I meant no one would ever believe you were with me. Not the other way around."

"Sure," Emily said sarcastically.

"I mean it. You probably date foreign dignitaries and cabinet members," Derek said. Emily couldn't tell if he was joking or not. They climbed into the car and Derek headed for a hotel.

"If that's what you think then you would be sorely disappointed to learn about my last few dates."

"Well maybe I should throw my hat in the ring then," Derek joked

"Okay now you're just trying to butter me up. I'm still mad about my ear."

Derek laughed, but then added, "I've always hated that expression. Butter someone up. It sounds gross."

"Noted," Emily said with a laugh. She had to assume he thought it sounded somewhat sexual.

They pulled into the hotel parking lot and it looked very full. They each grabbed their bags out of the trunk and headed for the front desk.

"Hey, good evening. We need two rooms for tonight," Derek said to the man working the front desk.

"I have one left."

Derek and Emily looked at each other. "You're joking," Emily said.

"We can keep driving," Derek offered.

"Which way are you headed?" The hotel worker asked.

"East," Derek answered.

"You're not going to find anything close," he replied. "There's a huge ball tournament one town over. This room is only open because someone canceled last minute."

Derek looked at Emily apologetically. "I guess you were right we shouldn't have waited until after dinner."

"Calm down, Romeo, it's a double queen room," their front desk friend quipped.

Derek clearly wasn't appreciating his sense of humor.

"You should have led with that," Emily said. "We'll take it."