Prentiss

I was standing in the old decorated room in my long white gown with lace covering the top of my chest just above my breasts and lace sleeves. It had an open back until the dress started again with the fabric at my lower back and into a sweep train at my feet. My hair was done in a slow fancy bun and my lace white veil clipped in the top. My makeup was professionally perfect and I hardly recognised myself. I was panicking. There was so many people out there. The team, Derek's family, people from my past that I hadn't seen in years, plenty of people from Derek's life and most importantly, Derek himself.

I heard a small knock and Rossi walked in, "You ready?"

I turned and looked at him before shaking my head. There were tears in my eyes that I was trying desperately to hold back so the makeup wouldn't run and I wouldn't ruin it. "I can't do it."

"You can do it." He said softly, stepping further inside the room. He got his phone out and typed quickly before walking over and hugging me. A minute later, JJ walked in.

"Hey, Em, you look magnificent, Rossi won't let you fall and once you're out there, you won't see anything but Derek. Trust me on this, you'll be completely fine." She walked over and adjusted the veil in my hair. "Showtime."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I could not back out of this. I was expecting a small wedding but when making lists, more people were coming than Derek and I had thought. We had a sign at the front reading "Today, two families become one. Please choose a seat, no a side" So at least there wasn't 80 people on his side and 10 on mine.

"Drink this and let's go wow them." He held a glass of water to me. I drank it quickly and walked out of the room beside Rossi and down the stairs where the others waited. I felt the back on the dress drag behind me as I went down the staircase.

"They're ready. Are you?" JJ asked.

"No, but if I don't do it now then I'm not going to do it at all." I said quietly. Garcia handed a bouquet to Haley and JJ and kept one for herself. They had dark plum purple dresses with V-neck cross over thick straps. Our bouquets had pale purple flowers mixed in with the white ones that matched the colour of my dress. She handed me my bouquet and looked me up and down, walking around me.

"Perfect." She said excitedly before returning to Reid's side. The all complimented me and I felt my face flush red.

"Don't worry, the blush hides the red flush almost completely." JJ said quietly. I heard the pre-ceremony music stop. Silence fell for a few seconds before the softer music started to play, Haley and Hotch's cue to go.

Haley smiled at me before looking at Hotch and nodding. They walked forwards like JJ had made them rehearse several times and I felt my anxiety grow as I heard gasps, reactions to how beautiful Haley looked. "Oh god." I said quietly as I closed my eyes.

Rossi squeezed my arm tighter in comfort. JJ, Garcia, Reid and Will all turned to me. "Breathe. It'll be fine." JJ said quietly.

"You won't see anything but him and he won't see anything but you." Will assured.

"Are you two secretly married?" I asked before the cue for Reid and Garcia sounded. Jack and Henry ran in and my worry about where they were left me.

"Where have you been?" I asked quietly as I crouched to fix both of their ties that matched the plum purple dresses and the ties of the groomsmen.

"Sorry Emily, Henry tripped and ripped his pants and we had to get new ones."

My eyes widened and I looked over Henry. "Please don't let him fall down the aisle. Please." I said quietly to Jack.

"I won't, don't worry."

I stood as I heard the next cue. JJ kissed Henry's cheek quickly and she walked out with Will. I put my hand on Henry's shoulder so he didn't go with them. Eventually, I got the courage to lift my bouquet from the table beside me and I took another deep breath, closing my eyes and picturing Derek. I was doing all of this for him. Like every girl, I had always thought, planned and replanned my wedding, but none of it ever made me so anxious and stressed as the real thing.

The next cue and Rossi told the boys to go. Jack was holding one pillow with my ring and Henry was holding one with Derek's. Traditionally, they would be on the same pillow, but we changed it to benefit the boys so they were involved at the same level.

I heard the 'please stand for the bride' and then the music changed to the traditional music that played when the bride walked down the aisle.

"Ready?" Rossi asked quietly.

"As ready as I'll ever be." I replied. He smiled and squeezed my arm again before we started walking.

"I think I'm as nervous as you." He whispered as we walked around the plants in the garden that blocked off the room where the bridal party waited to walk from. There was a path to follow that was pre-decorated with small flowers.

"Just don't let me fall." I said quietly as we came into view of the standing guests.

"Back at you." I could hear the small smile in his voice. I smiled and tried not to laugh. My fear was rising by the second until I looked up and made eye contact with Derek. Will and JJ were right; he was all I saw. He winked at me and looked me up and down before raising his eyebrows. I smiled and laughed to myself silently.

Finally, I reached my fiancé, soon to be husband. Rossi kissed my cheek and gave my hand to Derek before taking his place beside Hotch a step back from Derek. I glanced and smiled at the three magnificently beautiful women to my left as I stepped up small lifted platform. My heels were tall and I was praying I wouldn't trip. I was successful in getting there safely and without being humiliated in the process.

I was very disappointed, offended and slightly hurt that my mother bothered to RSVP but not show up on the day. The whole team noticed that she wasn't there and they were all very supportive. "I told you, she deserves everything I give her." I said to Rossi quietly.

Derek and I had planned the seating differently to how we normally would. We sat at the head of the largest table. It was a circle with Derek's mother and two sisters to his left, me at his right and Rossi, Hotch and Haley were closed to my right side. The others were around the rest of the table. Normally it would have been Derek, me, his parents and mine, but considering we only had one parent each, mine not even being a real parent, we decided to be different. His close cousins and aunt at the closet table to his left, still close enough to speak with Fran, Sarah and Desiree.

My phone rang and I picked up my mother's call quickly, "I hate you."

"Hate is a strong feeling honey."

"You know what's a strong fucking feeling? Your mother not caring about her only daughter enough to go to her wedding. I fucking hate you."

"I'm sorry I couldn't be there—"

"I am over your apologies. Call me again and I will not hesitate to make your life a living hell. Understand?"

"Emily—"

I hung up and dropped my phone to the table. Derek put his arm around me and pulled me closer to him, kissing my temple. I cleared my throat, "Sorry about that."

Garcia's phone rang and she picked it up, "Hello? No, sorry our team is out tonight. No, we cannot reschedule, we're at a very important wedding, find someone else." She hung up and slipped her phone back into her clutch.

"You can do that?" Reid asked.

"I'm not meant to…" She said quietly.

"They'll find someone else." Hotch assured.

"Everyone, let's welcome our newest bride and groom to the dancefloor for their first dance as a married couple." The vocalist of our live band announced. Rossi insisted on a live band in case CD's skipped and he also insisted on paying.

"Oh dear god no." I said as I stood up. I drew laughter from the whole table and my husband as I took his hand and we walked to the floor metres from the table we were seated at. 'All of Me' by John Legend played, the only song that Derek and I had both willingly agreed to. "Do not let me fall." I said quietly to him as he lifted my hand so Henry could run between us as we walked to the dancefloor. I saw the embarrassment in JJ's eyes and she pulled him up onto her lap, scolding him quietly.

We danced and I didn't fall once like I had expected myself to in these heels. He spun me around a lot and I was all smiles and laughs, feeling grateful now that my mother wasn't here to criticise and scold me for laughing during it. The song we chose was a surprise for everyone. We didn't tell a single person, so they had no idea until it started playing.

"Now can we call up anyone who's willing to try and compete with that for our next song." He said once 'All of Me' finished. He played 'Thinking Out Loud' by Ed Sheeran and made another announcement once that was done, "Don't worry, if you know the groom, you'll know we have some party music coming your way later, but for now, let us allow our scrubbed-up groom and stunningly beautiful bride enjoy another slow song."

"And now for the father daughter dance." The DJ called once the music had calmed momentarily and everyone had taken a break after the third song. Rossi and I stood back up and I took his offered hand. 'I Loved Her First' by Heartland began and Rossi kept me on my feet as well as he did down the aisle.

Eventually, I was allowed a break as the mother son dance was called. Derek and his mother danced to 'A Song for Mama' by Boyz II Men.

"Hey Em." Desiree leant over the table slightly. I followed suit and leant towards her. "What's it like to get married?"

"…I don't know yet; it hasn't really sunk in." We both laughed.

"Text me and let me know. I want to know if it's worth it."

"Will do." I nodded with a smile and we both sat back up.

Rossi leant towards me to whisper in my ear, "They like you."

"Good." I replied in a quiet, relieved voice, "I was hoping that would happen."

We were to speeches now. Derek's mother, aunt, two sisters and cousin had all gone first. There were a lot of funny stories and things I could tease him with later. Garcia was called up now. She downed her half a glass of wine and walked up. "Alright, just get hella drunk first then…" I joked quietly. Quiet laughter came from our table and stopped when Garcia reached the microphone.

"Ah, hi." She waved to the guests. I tried to keep my laugh back. She was so awkward. "Derek and I have known each other since I could remember, he is my knight in shining armour, I am his 'baby girl' and I cannot believe that Emily had the nerve to swoop in and take him away from me!" Laughter spread through the room, "But seriously, when Emily first joined our team at work, I was so filled with hatred. I couldn't understand why we needed to bring someone new into our close family and why it had to be an attractive female that I knew from the beginning, Derek would fall in love with. But then I actually talked to her for the first time, like, we introduced ourselves and I fell for her harder than Derek did. If I were a lesbian, I'm telling you, I would go for it." She smirked at me. "It was a dream of mine to have two of my best friends who were perfect for each other to marry if I couldn't marry them. Now, I thought the hope of that left when I discovered that Emily and Hotch weren't attracted to each other, not to mention that Hotch was already married…but then Derek broke up with his nightly girlfriend and I was like, praying to Christ that they would date and have babies and live happily ever after. Then Derek went to his next girlfriend, who wasn't Emily, and then his next, and his next and so on, and then one day, he storms into my office and says "Baby girl, get those wheels turning. Find me everything you can on Prentiss" and I was so confused. I was like, you've known her long enough now, I don't think she's a murderer, and then when I asked why, he came right out with "I think I'm in love with her" and that was the day my life both fell apart and turned into heaven." Laughter again. "And I feel like Derek will get embarrassed a lot tonight so I brought this photo to commemorate Emily's high school days…" She turned to the screen behind her.

"No…" I breathed. The picture came up and laugher roared. I dropped my head in my arms. "Kill me now."

Garcia's speech went on and then JJ was up next.

"I cannot compete with that, Pen. You've left me in a tough position." She laughed as Garcia and several others did before she continued. "So several months before Derek officially asked Emily out, little do they know that the whole team knew they were seeing each other beforehand anyway, and we heard them in Vegas…Emily, keep it down next time…Derek approached me about the rules of dating co-workers. I thought he was talking about Garcia and I just couldn't deal. I couldn't stop my laughter so I told him to ask Hotch and let's just say, his curiosity stopped there because let's be honest, Hotch is a very intimidating being, and then we're in Vegas, finished on a case. We all go to Hotch's room to continue our night on a quieter level. Emily and Derek were somewhere we didn't know at the time. We thought they were both out getting laid by strangers, but much to our surprise, they were getting laid by each other." She paused, not being able to continue in the laughter coming from her as she remembered the night and the morning after, "And then Derek was offended the next morning when Emily tried to cover for them and they ended up having a make out session in front of all of us. In front of Hotch, and Rossi and Reid. Reid is just a little boy!" Laughter again. JJ spoke through events and left a lot of people in laughter several times before her speech ended. Reid went next and left Rossi and Hotch for last.

Rossi went first, "Lay a hand on my daughter, I dare you." He joked, opening his speech with a warning to Derek, "So when I first met Emily, even I thought I might fall for her, just like Derek and Reid thought they would. And Garcia…but thankfully, I took the father figure role instead. Thank god for that; it just seems completely wrong now. When I met Derek, I thought he was an egotistical little shit, and let me tell you, I was not wrong." Laugher erupted. Everyone that knew Derek knew that it was true. Rossi continued, his speech shorter than everyone else's once he ran out of scotch. Hotch went up next.

"I still don't know if this relationship is legal, to be honest, but hey, no one listens to Strauss anymore." Hotch started. My eyes widened. Strauss was here tonight after a long argument between Derek and I that he won. Hotch didn't even care, he laughed with the others. "But whether it is or not, our team is in full support. Emily pushed herself into our unit, staking out my office until I returned from a case and starting as a lap dog to try and get me fired. Then she tried to resign because she didn't want to get me fired and then lots happened and now here we are. Derek, as Rossi said, is an egotistical little shit, didn't listen to me when Emily first came and he wasn't the kindest of partners. But she grew on him, I guess, they're married now, so I assume she did something right somewhere along the road to change his heavily made up mind."

Hotch continued and then the DJ called Derek up for his speech to me. He kissed my cheek and walked up to the stage.

"As it's been stated twice tonight, my egotistical arse was not nice when Emily first came to the BAU. I was like Garcia, I didn't take to the idea of someone new joining us but my god, am I grateful. I fell in love the night that her first case with us ended and we went out for drinks and she danced with me. I actually had a real conversation and I was like, whoa, she's absolutely amazing. Then I fought it because she seemed completely uninterested, to which I'm pretty sure she was until like, the start of this year, and then I decided that I wasn't going to fight the feelings I had for her, but rather I would fight for her. And it's always been her." Tears pooled in my eyes as he spoke and I think they did in his too, but he would never let them fall. Not in front of this many people. "As most of you don't know, and yes, I have asked Emily if this is okay with her, Rossi and Hotch, Emily fell pregnant a while back. My child, of course, she made it very clear to me that she was offended when I asked the same question. Then at 8 weeks, she was involved in an explosion that resulted in the loss of our child. This, as in any relationship, caused huge setbacks. She wouldn't speak, she wouldn't eat for a while, and we were both grieving privately rather than supporting each other despite offering the support. I thought it was over, I thought that that is what would separate us, first emotionally, then mentally, and eventually physically. Now she doesn't know this, no one does, but we had a night where we discussed separating because it was just so…much, and I left in frustration from the conversation. I got majorly drunk and I cried all night. That was the night when I realised that I literally wouldn't be able to live without her by my side. So, I didn't let us part, I didn't let her run when she tried on multiple occasions and I kept her as close as I could when she finally joined the team again and went into the field with what no one knew was no will to live at all.

I know this is going to make her cry so I'm going to stop that there. But Emily, you are the most beautiful person I have ever met, inside and out, and you gave me a new reason to quit every negative thing I used to do. You encouraged me and believed in me when no one else would and you inspired me to change so I could provide when you needed, which was a loving and adoring partner, a shoulder to cry on and someone to laugh with at any given time. Now, sure, I don't always appreciate it when you wake me up at 4 am because you can't sleep and you're bored and you come onto me, but let's be honest, I do that a lot more than you do and I'm not sorry. I just hope that we don't turn out like Rossi and get married 3 times, so let's just strive for one marriage. I love you with everything I have, my queen." He lifted his glass, followed by everyone else except for me because I was forcefully instructed to sit motionless and look pretty. "To the love of my life and my bride."

I had tears streaming down my cheeks as he and everyone drank from their glasses. I wiped them away the best I could without removing my makeup or smudging the eyeliner and mascara. I was called once Derek had sat down.

I walked up and smiled at Derek when he pulled stupid faces, trying to make me laugh. I shook my head and cleared my throat before I stepped up to the microphone. "I would like to start by thanked Fran for bringing such an amazing man into the world and into my life. It's an incredible feeling, meeting someone who means more to you than you ever thought was possible. I never thought that love was a real thing until I fell for Derek, and I didn't even know it then. I never thought it was love until about our fourth date, to be honest. Sorry Derek…" I smiled as he grinned and raised his eyebrows. I talked for about the same time as Derek before I thanked everyone for coming and I returned to the table with my team and family.

"That was beautiful." Haley said to me quietly.

"That was extremely nerve-racking." I replied.

"The fourth date, huh? Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe we only had two before Vegas…" Derek said.

I gave him a small guilty smile, "Yeah well, you were trying too hard."

"I was not. I wasn't even trying at all."

"Oh, well that's comforting…"

"Not what I meant."

I smiled, "I know."

We continued dancing all night to typical wedding songs and to not so typical wedding songs. I danced with every member of our team at least 3 times throughout the night.

Sorry, this was very long compared to what I usually write in one chapter and I sort of gave up writing the speeches.

I'm ending this here as I have a long-awaited Twilight fanfiction that I'm still writing and I have two more CM stories in my head. I hope you enjoyed this. Let me know your thoughts.

-A xx