First and foremost---a deep heartfelt Thank You to everyone who has taken time out of their busy lives to read my work. And for those who took the time to write a review---I can only hope my story touched you half as much as your reviews touched me.

Well, this is the last chapter, my friends. And a good thing too, because this train called "Rossi & Prentiss" is slowly running out of steam. With any hope, and the help of their friends, the train will glide smoothly into the station. Will Rossi take what Garcia suggested and apply it? Or will Prentiss pack her bags for Texas? Since it is the last chapter, anything is possible. Read to the end to see what inspired me.

I don't own Criminal Minds. But I do own the fantasy of Rossi & Prentiss living happily ever after.

Post script: I had to change the ending. All day long it nagged at me that I had rushed thru to the ending and instead of wrapping it up in a neat bow, I left it pretty crappy. So forgive me, and I hope you like the new end.

Emily Prentiss was a woman with a broken heart. She had been handed a second chance and was did she do? She threw it out the window with both hands. She had finally found love, in the most unlikely of people, and she had to do the one thing she was good at: run away. Texas, she figured, was about as far away from Quantico she could get and still breathe fresh air and freedom.

Her mind was made up; come Monday, Emily was submitting her transfer paperwork to Hotch. Strauss might try to deny it, but Emily had friends in high places, and they would trump the director in a minute. Looking around at her quaint, but pretty little apartment, she breathed a heavy sigh. She had done so much to fix it up and make it a neutral place to unwind after a long day.

"I'm going to miss this place," she muttered under her breath and took a long sip of her Rosé. Placing the glass on the coffee table, she stood, stretched, and walked over to the fireplace to add another log to the fire. It was going to be a chilly night, and she wanted to spend the night on the couch.

A light knock caught her by surprise. Frowning, she stepped over to the door. She wasn't expecting any visitors. And it was too late in the year for Girl Scout Cookies. Spying thru the peep hole in the door, Emily was surprised to see David Rossi on the other side.

Quickly she undid the chain and turned the deadbolt.

"Rossi. What are you doing here?"

"We have to talk."

Emily shook her head. "I-I don't think that would be a good idea."

"Why? Why would that be a bad idea?"

"Because…we don't have anything to say to each other."

David nodded. "We might not have anything to say to each other, but I have something to say to you."

Emily started to reply, when a small sound caused her to pause. Looking down, she saw the box. "What is that?"

"It's a present." Emily looked at him, and David rushed on. "Garcia told me about you wanting a transfer. So, I thought I'd bring you something to change your mind. Which would make it a Thank You present. But if you decide to leave, then it's your going away present."

"That's an unusual way of putting things."

Dave shrugged. "I'm an unusual kind of guy. But I wanted to cover all my bases just in case. So, are you going to open it?"

Emily picked the box up and immediately it shifted in her arms. "What in the world?" she exclaimed and went into the living room. Sitting down on the couch, she waited for Dave to close the door. Slowly she opened the box. Not knowing what to expect, she pulled the flaps back and looked inside.

"Oh! Dave! He's beautiful!" Her eyes filled with tears as she lifted out the tortoise shelled calico kitten.

"She."

Emily looked up. "What?"

"She. It's a she."

"How did you know I wanted a cat?"

Dave shoved his hands in his pants pockets. "The weekend I spent here, I was thinking about what was missing from this almost perfect place you have here, and it came down to two things. One of them was a cat."

"Hmmm. What was the other thing?" She stroked the kitten.

"Me."

Emily looked up suddenly. "I'm sorry."

"You heard me." Dave took his hands out of his pockets and sat down.

"What are you saying?" If she had thought nothing made sense earlier, she had no idea what was going on at that moment.

"I'm saying that there is something between us that I think we can work out and make work. If we try. We got started off on the wrong foot, and I think we were both thrown for a loop; too much happened too fast."

"Dave--"

"I felt it the moment we first met. When I shook your hand, I knew. But after three failed marriages, I figured I was no good at deciphering feelings of any kind. I kept thinking that if I ignored it, it would go away."

The fireplace and the kitten's purring were the only sounds for a long moment.

"When you confided about Matthew, I knew then that there was something between us. For you to have that kind of trust, and to put your faith in me like that…that is something I don't think I ever got from a woman. Not even my wives." Rossi tried to find the words to make what was in his head and heart make sense. It didn't have to make good sense, or even great sense, it just had to be enough to keep her from leaving.

"That afternoon in San Antonio, when we located the UNSUB, I knew something was going to happen. Call it a sixth sense, or writing too many crime novels, but I had a feeling. A bad feeling. When I rounded that corner and saw him with the barrel against your head---you don't know what I was feeling. I watched him as he watched you. And I could see the fear in your eyes." Rossi swallowed. "I don't remember pulling the trigger."

"I do."

"I didn't mean to pat you on the shoulder and leave. I--"

"JJ told me."

Rossi gave a small smile. "I was hoping you would never find out."

"I could hold that over your head."

"If you decided to stay."

Emily bit her lip and looked down. "Dave, I've done a lot of thinking the past couple of days. I made a few mistakes. I had to work a lot of things out---things that still don't make a lot of sense. I still don't know what to make of all of it. I know I over reacted with the Strauss incident. I know why you did it. And I think I know why you stayed that weekend. At least I want to believe I know why."

She petted the kitten, who had fallen asleep in her lap. "I don't trust people. I think the most friends I've ever had at one time are the guys at the BAU. It's also the closest I've ever had to a real family. I totally suck at relationships. I either get the guy who doesn't want to be with me for anything more than sex. Or I find the guy who wants to commit, but only if I find another job. I used to think it was the job that scared them. But I eventually thought it had to be me. Something was wrong with me.

"I mean, I'm a profiler; I can get into the mind of a killer, a rapist, a pedophile…but I couldn't get into my life. I go to work, I come home. I work a case, I cry into my pillow. I want to quit, then I win. And for a moment, for a brief moment, I thought I had a handle on things: work, life… Then I screwed up in Texas."

Dave started to speak, but Emily cut him off. "I did. I know that now. All I could think of was rescuing those girls before he killed them. I know what I did may be viewed as heroic, but it was stupid too. I let my heart override my brain and my instincts."

"Your instincts were on. And you did what anyone else would have done. You saved all of us."

Emily tried to brush the tears away. "When he shot me, I didn't know what to do. I got scared."

Dave touched her arm. "It's normal to be scared. You were in shock and hurt."

"Scared is good for normal people. Not the FBI. Scared can get you killed." She gave up trying to stop the tears. "They say that your life flashes before your eyes right before you die." Dave nodded. "I saw everything. My failures, my regrets, my wins, my losses. Things I had wanted to do. And I prayed---for the first time since I was fifteen, I prayed with all my heart for one more chance. And then I saw you. And it hit me harder than that shotgun blast; I would lay my life down for you. And I told myself that if I lived, I would tell you how I felt." Sobs overwhelmed her for a moment, while Dave stayed silent. Shaken awake, the kitten looked up at Emily and started licking her hand.

Emily pulled herself together, took a shuddered breath, and continued. "I love you. I tried to bury it, but then Strauss put me on probation under you. And my world got knocked off its axis. I kept hoping that it would go away. And it almost did that day you got on me about crying. Then Salt Lake happened. I wanted to prove myself to you by closing the case successfully. I failed. And I couldn't face you. It hurt too much."

Dave held her hand. "I know."

"I thought I was dreaming when you were making love to me. I told myself that it wasn't possible that after all the years of wondering what it would be like---it would be happening. Then I had to ruin it by passing out."

"Even if you hadn't passed out, it wouldn't have happened."

The corner of Emily's mouth lifted in a sardonic smile. "I know."

Dave looked at her intensely. "No you don't know. It took every bit of power I had to pull away. Even when you were enticing me, I told myself that you were drunk and didn't know it was me. So, maybe you wouldn't remember and we could have some fun. But I couldn't."

"David Rossi---gentleman," she teased.

"That is one secret you may not share with JJ and Garcia. I don't care what they bribe you with." He brushed a lock of hair from her face. "You saved both of us by passing out."

"And yet you stayed."

"I had no where else to go. A friend was hurting and needed my help. I am glad I could be there."

"I'm glad too."

"So, why are you running away?"

"Dave--"

"Emily, you can't run. I will follow you. I will corner you. And then I will profile you until you come clean with me."

"I'm running because I love you and I can't be with you."

"Who says?"

"Rules. Regulations. Our beloved director."

"Rules were meant to be broken under extenuating circumstances. Regs change all the time. And our beloved dictator---err, director won't be there forever."

"I won't ruin your career."

"Tesoro, my job is an FBI profiler, but my career is a writer. If I lost the FBI tomorrow, I would survive. I want to be with you."

Emily looked up at him with weepy eyes. "I can't promise you forever."

Dave nodded. He knew how hard this was for her. "How about baby steps until we figure it out together?"

"Are you sure?"

"You think I'm going to let you keep my cat?"

"I thought you gave her to me."

"I'm sharing. At least until I know for a fact that you are staying. If you leave, the cat comes to live with me."

Emily's heart nearly burst. "Yes, I'll stay," she breathed. And then she kissed him. With all the passion and love she had been holding in for so many years---it all came out as she wrapped her arms around him.

Dave was surprised by the force of her kiss. For a second, he let her take charge. He had never let a woman have the upper hand, but this wasn't any ordinary woman. This was his woman. His Emily. And he loved her! He felt her tongue outline his lips and try to tempt them open. She wanted in. Groaning softly, he complied and not only let her in, but let her have complete access. He tasted her hurt, her anger, and her love thru the tears she had shed earlier on her lips, which now coated his.

Emily could barely believe what was happening. It was unreal, and unbelievable and so wonderful at the same time. She gave herself to the kiss, and didn't protest as he pushed her down onto the seat cushions. But someone did have an opinion about what was happening. And they were not happy.

A slight squeak brought them both back to reality. "What was that?" Dave asked as he tried to come back from ecstasy.

"Oh my god! The kitten!" Emily explained and sat up quickly. The bundle of tri-colored fur tried to shake off the humiliation of being crushed between two savages.

"Oh sweetie, I am so sorry," Emily purred to the disgruntled kitten. Looking at Emily, the kitten left the warmth of her lap and walked over to Dave. Narrowing her eyes, she nipped him on the hand. Then with her tail straight in the air, she walked back to Emily.

They both laughed. "I think I've been put my place."

Emily stroked the kitten. "What do you think we ought to call her?"

They looked at the kitten, who was now washing herself. Together they announced: "Strauss."

Laughing, Emily replied, "We really can't do that to her; she's too sweet. How about Desdemona?"

"Othello. My favourite Shakespeare play." Dave's eyes sparkled with admiration.

Emily looked at him. "Mine, too!" Maybe this was destiny.

Unable to fathom the insane humans, Desdemona got up and moved to the back of the couch. Even to a cat, some things were sacred, and laughter at her expense was not one of them. Turning her back, she continued washing.

Dave leaned over and stroked Emily cheek. "I can think of a better place we can finish negotiations to make you stay here."

Emily raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Without a word, Dave stood up and took her into his arms. With a quick and determined pace, he carried her to the bedroom, and kicked the door closed behind them. Holding her tight against him, Dave took a moment to stare at the one thing that would and could change his relationship with Emily forever. There was no doubt in his heart and mind that he was ready to make that leap.

Setting her on her feet, he looked deep in her eyes before kissing her deeply and wantonly. He could feel the heat rise between them as they furiously worked buttons loose and quickly tried to shed the barrier of clothing.

As her pajama top slid to the floor, Dave sucked in a deep breath as he scanned her well toned body. A body that would soon belong to him and only him. "Sweet mother of God!" he groaned and leaned down to nuzzle her neck. He wanted to go slow and make it a moment that both of them would remember for all of their lives, but his body wanted her more than even he was prepared. Somehow between the tasting, nibbling, and kisses, he managed to shed his clothing in a pile next to hers.

Emily shyly looked at Dave as he shed his clothing, and caught her breath. Not sure exactly what she was expecting to be under the FBI suit and tie he wore every day, she was thrown to see that Dave was very fit. And very excited. Hesitantly, she reached out to touch him, and took secret pleasure as she ran her hands over his chest and up to his neck. Taking his face in her hand, Emily kissed him the way a woman does when she lets a man know she was ready to be made his. Forever.

Picking her up once again, he didn't break the kiss until he carried her over and placed her gently on the bed. As he started his lovemaking, he felt Emily slowly pull away.

Balancing himself on his elbows, he looked at her. "What's wrong?"

Emily sighed. "I don't know. I mean, I want this, but do you? Are you sure about this?"

"I made myself a promise that if I ever made love to you, you would be sober and remember it."

A secret thrill went thru her. "Oh really?"

"I always keep my promises." He started to kiss her again, but stopped when he felt her hesitancy. "What else is it, Tesoro? Get it out now, because once I start, I'm not stopping until Monday morning."

Emily tried to put her thoughts into words. "I think I realized that I don't know how you feel---about me. I don't remember you telling me how you feel."

Dave nearly groaned. "Emily, I know what you want me to say. And I can't."

Emily's heart plunged. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Oh God! This wasn't happening!

"I can't say them," Dave continued. "Because they are trite. They're over used. And you don't go for trite and over used; you are original."

"Dave, it's okay," she reassured.

"I'll tell you how I feel, if you can answer this one question." Emily nodded in anticipation. Leaning down, close to her ear, Dave whispered: "What are you doing New Year's Eve, amore mio?"

Laughing and crying at the same time, Emily felt her heart overflow with more love than she ever felt possible. And it was all thanks to David Rossi. Pulling him close she chose to show him how much he meant to her.

Cupping the small of her back to curve her body closer to his, Dave promised to himself that the only tears Emily ever cried would be from happiness and ecstasy.

While Dave and Emily found and forged a lasting bond between them as friends and lovers, on the back couch was the kitten. Looking around, Desdemona jumped down onto the seat cushions and curled up. With a big yawn, she closed her eyes.

She decided she loved the couch, too.

The End.

FOR ALL TIME

Sun comes up on this new mornin' Shiftin' shadows, a songbird sings And if these words could keep you happy I'd do anything

And if you feel alone, I'll be your shoulder With the tender touch, you know so well Somebody once said, it's the soul that matters Baby who can really tell, When two hearts belong so well

And maybe the walls will tumble And the sun refuse to shine When I say, I love you Baby you gotta know (That's for all time) Baby you gotta know (That's for all time)

Moon shines down on this good evening One warm kiss in the cold night air For this good love I'm receiving I'll go anywhere Just as long as you are there

And maybe the walls will tumble Sun refuse to shine When I say, I love you Baby you gotta know (That's for all time) Baby you gotta know (That's for all time)

oooo then on these quite dayswe're souls embracedso silentlyoooo the rain may wash away

All these words that young lovers say

And maybe the walls will crumble And the sun refuse to shine When I say, I need you Baby you gotta know (That's for all time) Baby you gotta know (That's for all time)

Say that you never know (That's for all time) Baby you gotta know (That's for all time) Baby you gotta know (That's for all time) Baby you gotta know (That's for all time) (Know that's for all time) (Know that's for all time) Say that you never know (That's for all time) Baby you gotta know (That's for all time)