Admitting In The First Step
Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds, that's CBS. But I do own a two energetic kittens. Maybe CBS would wanna make a trade?
Summary: After getting caught in a compromising position, rumors start spreading through the BAU and the building about Hotch and Emily.
A/N: Here is the real final chapter in this series. I hope you've all enjoyed this.
Thanks for reading, now how about a review? Hmm?
Ernest Hamlin Abbott said, "Rumors aren't news, but they sometimes foreshadow news."
Emily saw it when she arrived in the morning. She had to tell him about it or else she'd feel guilty that he walk around all day not knowing about it.
Emily watched as Hotch walked back up to his office with coffee in hand and prepped herself up.
'Don't get so nervous, you tell him and he'll fix it. Simple as that.' Emily thought.
Emily took a deep breath of air and knocked on Hotch's office door.
"Come in," Hotch called out, looking up when he heard her enter.
"Yes, Prentiss," Hotch said.
"Sir, this is kind of embarrassing, but... um... uh.." Emily started.
"What is it Prentiss?" Hotch repeated, watching Emily's cheeks turned pink.
"Well, the thing is that, uh..." she stammered, keeping her eyes trained at the floor before whispering out the final part.
"What?" he asked puzzled, unable to understand her.
Emily looked Hotch in the eye and said, "Your fly is open."
Hotch eyes widen and Emily had wished she would have just waited until either Morgan or Dave had been here so it would have been them to tell Hotch and not her.
'Great, now he thinks... I don't know,' she berated herself, 'God Emily make a quick exit and avoid eye contact for the
next week.'
"Oh, thank you." Hotch stood up turning his back to Emily and tried zipping the pants.
"I'll go now, sir" Emily said walking towards the door.
"There stuck. Great." Hotch said, but Emily didn't know if he said it for himself or her.
Hotch turned around and said, "Do you have any idea how to fix this?"
Emily walked over to look at his pants and said, "I think I could."
Emily looked him in the eye and said, "Take off your pants"
"Excuse me?" Hotch gasped.
"Take them off so I can get the zipper unstuck," Emily told him.
Sighing in defeat, Hotch unbuckled his belt clearing his throat, "Ok."
His eyes locked on to hers for a moment, and she swore he could see the tint of pink in her cheeks before she snapped out of it.
"Oh right," Emily shook her head, turning around she walked to the curtains, peering into the bullpen, "All clear"
He kept his eyes locked on to her but Emily kept her back to him, allowing him some privacy to remove his pants.
As he sat down on his couch, he lowered his pants, but found that he was stuck in a mild obstacle. His feet were stuck in the dark blue slacks. Looking down he realized that he forgot one thing... he forgot to remove his shoes.
Groaning in frustration, "A little help here."
Emily turned around, and resisted the urge to chuckle at her trapped boss, "You didn't think it was wise not to remove your shoes first?"
The glare that he shot at her would have been considered scary if he wasn't in his current position.
Slowly making her way to her boss, she snorted muttering something that he could only make out as Winnie the Pooh and the honey tree.
Kneeling before her boss, she reached up his pant leg grasping on to the dress shoe, she wriggled around for a bit before pulling backwards.
"Success!" Emily said removing the first shoe. Hotch chuckled at that, "All right now, just the other shoe and we're in business." Emily said jokingly.
"So," Hotch jokingly asked, "How did you become a success at shoe removal?"
"Long story," Emily said, "But short version I learned the art of removals from drunk nights in college."
"Oh," Hotch dryly answered, 'That's not an image I need now, as she's helping me out of my clothes.'
"All right almost got it," Emily murmured when she noticed Hotch's leg was fidgeting "Stop that!" she scolded.
"Can't help it." Hotch said distracting.
Hotch heard a light tap on the door and not really paying attention he automatically said, "Enter."
"What?" Emily said "No!"
The door opened and Agent Anderson eyes widen at the sight before him, seeing Emily on her knees in front of Hotch
with his pants around his ankles.
"I, um," Anderson said. Looking from Hotch to Emily than straight to the ground.
Emily looked embarrassed while Hotch looked annoyed at Anderson's stammering.
"This isn't what it..." Emily started.
"What? Hotch asked, looking directly at Anderson not caring at the moment that Emily's trying to explain the situation.
"I um mm... never mind." Anderson said looking like death was in front of him about to take him, slamming the door.
"You don't think he's going to tell?" Emily asked humiliation on her face of what people will think she did.
"Not if he values his life" Hotch said, "Besides we didn't do anything."
Emily got to work removing his shoe in silence, while Hotch missed their earlier banter.
She stood and turned her back towards him, while he removed his pants and set them down on the couch.
Emily not turning to look at Hotch picked up the pants, tugged at the zipper several times, then at the fabric of the
pants once again and the zipper was fixed.
"All done," Emily said politely, folded the pants set them on the couch and said, "I'll get back to work."
Hotch watched as Emily left the office not once looking in his direction, and he wished that Anderson would have just waited another hour before coming to his office.
As Emily went back to her desk, she noticed several people smirk at her.
'Oh no!' Emily thought 'Anderson, you better say your prayers because you are a dead man.'
Emily grew increasingly angry as she saw a guy from Counter Terrorism wink at her.
Emily's cell phone rang and she was grateful for the distraction if just for a minute.
"Prentiss," Emily said.
"How could you?" Jordan Todd said.
"What? What did I do?" Emily asked.
"It's all over here in Counter Terrorism," Jordan faltered,"That you and Hotch, were... well lets just say you weren't praying."
"Oh my God!" she muttered, "I'm going to kill Anderson!"
"Anderson is the one that walked in on you two? Didn't you know he's the biggest blabber mouth in the entire Bureau." Jordan told her.
"We didn't do anything! Especially that." Emily said exacerbated.
"Ok, whatever" Jordan waved it off, "Does Hotch know that what's being said?"
Emily looked up at Hotch's office, "He hasn't left his office since yet."
Just then Emily noticed that Morgan and Reid arrived and Emily cringed.
"I gotta go," Jordan said "Got a sit-rep to do. Keep your head up and don't take crap from anyone"
"Bye" the brunette grumbled, hanging up the phone.
"Hey Princess, what's new?" Morgan greeted her with a smirk.
"Nothing," she quickly answered, 'Maybe they don't know'
Morgan got a texted and Reid's phone went off to. They both read it, than looked up at Emily in surprise.
"You didn't?" Morgan said "And Hotch let someone walk in to see..."
"You know statistically... thirty percent of office romances..." Reid started but was interrupted by Morgan.
"Kid shut it," Morgan said not looking at Reid but watching Emily. "So tell me is this a new occurrences or..."
"Nothing happened." Emily said looking them straight in the eye.
"Leave her alone," Rossi said walking in to pass Emily's chair and placed a hand on her shoulder looking sympathetically to her.
"Hey all we're saying is..." Morgan started but paused when Dave gave a Hotch glare at him.
"You know Emily, would she ever behave less than appropriate at work?" Dave said looking right at Morgan.
"Well, it's just according to this text it's all over the building..." Morgan said feeling ashamed at not asking Emily but went for teasing her.
"And you believe something without asking her first?" Dave said "For some profiler you are dense. Rumors are being spread about your friends and you believe them?" Dave shook his head.
"Em, I'm sor..." Morgan started but Emily shook her head and walked out of the room, while guys leered at her.
Hotch sat in his office oblivious to what was being said outside.
He looked down at his cell phone that was vibrating on his desk. Sighing he opened it.
'So, is it true? You and Prentiss were caught in the act?' Hotch squinted reading the text.
"What the..." Hotch said when Dave walked into his office.
"Do you have any idea what's being said out there?" Dave asked
"About me and Prentiss?" Hotch asked "Got some bizarre text but haven't heard anything.
"Well according to a clerk in Missing Persons, someone walked in on you and Emily playing 'hide the salami' on the desk," Dave said "And that's the clean version, the others, would make an Don Juan blush."
"I'm going to kill Anderson." Hotch muttered.
"Anderson's the one that walked in?" Dave asked "That man's the biggest gossip I've ever met. Outside of that chick from Forgery."
"It's all over the building?" Hotch said, "Why haven't you asked me what happened?"
"It's not my place. If you say nothing happened, nothing happened." Dave said.
"All she did was tried to help me out with my zipper, it got caught on fabric on my pants and I got my shoes caught in the legs of the pants when I tried to take them off." Hotch said.
"Well I believe you, but anyone else hears that they won't believe you, because it sounds so fake" Dave said.
"I know. I don't believe it myself and I was actually there." Hotch replied.
The only times Hotch left his office, he noticed women flirting with him, while guys him that 'you sly dog' look. It made him sick that people would think that about Emily, not really caring what they thought of himself.
By the late afternoon, Hotch had been dodging calls about his encounter until the call came in. The one that made him want to face the Guillotine instead of face her. Strauss demanding his and Emily's presence. Immediately.
'Great,' Hotch bitterly thought 'I get to hear a lecture on fraternization from the Ice Queen.'
Hotch shook his head thinking 'I get lectured on inappropriate behavior and I didn't even get to do anything inappropriate. Damn it.'
Erin Strauss is at her desk working on paper work when she hears a knock on her door,"Come in."
Both dark haired agents walked in both feeling very different emotions. Hotch feeling anger while Emily feels like she's in a roller coaster of fear, paranoia and judgement.
"Please sit down, Agents." Strauss said, she opens her drawer and pulls out two set of papers.
The older woman ignored the two frantic looks the pair shot to each other before reaching into her desk and passing over two set of papers in front of Hotch and Emily.
"Sign these" Strauss said, handing the duo pens.
"What's this ma'am?" Emily asked looking at the paper.
"This is a disclosure agreement, your disclosing your relationship and are agreeing that you will not allow your personal relationship affect your duties at the BAU," Strauss explained, "Oh, also you will maintain a professional and proper behavior while at work and when you travel for cases."
When she looked up at Hotch and Emily she saw shock and surprise written all over their faces.
"What?" Strauss said to them, "You can't allow the Bureau to dictate who you're with in your off time. As long as the two of you don't allow your personal life interfere or affect your abilities professionally. It's fine."
Still looking skeptical at Strauss, Hotch said, "Ma'am we're not..."
Strauss cut him off and said, "Agent Hotchner, I know what has gone on all day in your unit. I want when we're through here, you to send Agent Anderson in. I will be having a discussion with him on the inappropriate way of spreading gossip." She gave a small smile. "Now will you sign your contracts?"
Emily and Hotch look at each other and sign the contracts.
"One last thing Agents, I spoke with Agent Rossi he agreed to do quality reviews to ascertain if your personal relationship affecting your professional duties." Strauss said. "You may leave, oh and please send in Agent Anderson."
Hotch and Emily nod and leave.
'Don't they know the fraternization rule is only frowned on, not written in stone?' Strauss quietly thought to herself, placing the contracts in the file. 'I guess I should have told them how I met my husband.' Strauss smiled.
Hotch went back to his office after telling Anderson that Strauss wanted him in her office asap.
Emily took pleasure in watching Anderson turn three shades of white at that.
The day went on as usual and no one looked at Emily or Hotch twice with the smirks and no one made anymore subtle comments on their "morning romp".
After everyone left for the night, only Hotch, JJ, Dave and Emily remained behind at the BAU.
"Jen, I'll walk you down to the your car," Dave told her.
JJ nodded and went over to Emily, "I know why everyone stopped picking on you and Hotch today."
The blonde passed the memo to her friend, one that was sent out while she and Hotch were in Strauss office, she read it in shock.
"I can't believe she actually did this," Emily gasped in shock, "It's so un-Strauss."
Dave walked over to them, "You do know that when Strauss was an agent here, years before she moved up the ladder, Strauss got involved with her teammate and was teased and tormented mercilessly for months."
"What happened?" JJ questioned eagerly.
"Well two other agents on her team threatened to viciously kill anyone else who picked one Strauss and her guy."
Dave said.
"Who was her guy?" JJ asked
"Who were the agents who did the threatening?" Emily asked
"The guy is her husband and her defenders you both know. Gideon and me" Dave said taking JJ's bag and escorting
her to the elevator.
'I guess Strauss does have a soul' Emily thought 'That's a scary thought.'
Hotch sat at his desk looking at her in the bullpen, with one thought going through his mind ever since he came back from Strauss' office 'I know I like her, but if everyone just assumed that we did what they had thought and it never had bothered me, does that mean I actually want to pursue something with her?'
Hotch looked back at his desk and thought, 'Well I did sign the contract without a second thought.'
'But so did she' Hotch heard this little voice say to him, 'You were flirting with her early this morning while she helped you with your pants.'
He shook his head and made up his mind, 'Just go to her, lay the cards on the table and whatever happens, happens.'
Hotch got up went out the door and straight to her desk, she looked up in surprise to see him.
"Something wrong sir?" Emily asked, thinking 'He looks funny, god is he here to 'dump me' from our stupid contract?'
"Grab your stuff, we need a drink and I don't think drinking on the job is covered in our contract," Hotch
said.
Hotch watched as Emily put her paperwork together and set it aside on her desk
'Well...' the brunette thought, following Hotch to his car 'This will be interesting...'
Hotch drove Emily to a little bar not far from the Bureau building.
"All right so about today, first thank you for helping with situation today. Before Anderson came in I was having fun,"
Hotch said.
"No problem sir," Emily said reverting to type in uncomfortable moments.
"Emily, we're off the clock and according to our "disclosure contracts" we can act like a couple" Hotch said boyishly smirked, hoping she'd get where he was going.
"Excuse me? But we aren't a couple, we should have just told Strauss what really happened." Emily said than added, "Besides this is something we both don't want."
The brunette avoided eye contact with him, biting her lower lip.
"I never said I didn't want this," Hotch said taking her hand which was tearing at a napkin "We always had this connection but neither of us actually had the courage to pursue it"
Emily nodded still avoiding eye contact, Hotch took his free hand and turned her chin to look at him.
"Do you want this?" Hotch asked, "Because I do."
Emily whispered "Are you sure?"
"Yes," Hotch said "Do you?"
Emily nodded her head and smiled, which made Hotch's heart melt.
"Best thing is we won't have to disclose it, Strauss did that for us" Hotch said "Who knew she'd actually do something
nice for anyone."
"Seems Gideon and Rossi stood up for her when she started dating her future husband back in the day" Emily said, "She had a hard time until they put the fear of God in their harassers."
"I knew Dave had a bigger connection to her." Hotch said.
They laughed got up and decided to go back to Hotch's place.
"I need to check the rest of your pant suits." Emily snickered, as he pulled her into a kiss before closing the door to his apartment.
Albert Einstein said, "Gravitation can not be held responsible for people falling in love."
The End
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