Author's Note: Here is our finale. This was not how I originally intended on ending the story, but this little ending scenario popped in my head a couple of weeks ago. I wrote it then and after going back and forth about it several times, I decided to keep it with a few minor adjustments.

I just want to say thank you once more for the great response to this story. I must admit, I've grown strongly attached to this storyline and the characters involved, so it's hard to end it. I may do a few related one-shots in the future if the inspiration strikes. Until then, I hope you enjoy the end:

After finally, mercifully passing through the Border Patrol checkpoint, Emily made a beeline for the baggage claim. No matter how many cross-Atlantic flights she made, she was always unbelievably irritated at the amount of time it took to pass through American security. And she carried a U.S Passport. She shuddered to think what a pain it would be in the non-citizen line. The fact that the airport was packed with travelers during the run-up to Christmas did nothing to help. She didn't know why the State Department couldn't wait until January to hold the gala for her Mother.

She raced down the terminal as fast as she could manage against the crowd and the protest of her screaming hip. She was sure that her ride was growing tired of waiting for her. He had to have been standing around at least an hour. Sure enough, as she reached the baggage carousel for British Airways Flight 202, Derek Morgan was there waiting for her. Still wearing that black leather jacket he loved so much. Emily couldn't believe he was wearing it when it was this cold out. According to the pilot, it was well below freezing when the plane landed. She herself was already wrapped in a black pea coat in anticipation of the cold.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow your roll, Prentiss," he said, sticking his hand up. "It's all good. I've grabbed your bag already."

"Oh, thanks," she said, clearly relieved at having already cleared the last hurdle to getting out of National Airport. "I'm sorry I've kept you waiting. Security is such a nightmare."

"Will you just shut your pie hole and bring it in here," he said, holding out his arms.

The two embraced tightly, seemingly trying to make up for the months and miles of separation in one fell swoop. Emily guessed she'd share five similar hugs in the coming days.

"I'm parked pretty close," Morgan said. "Let me carry your bag. You're still walking a little gingerly on that hip, I notice."

Emily didn't fight him.

"Thanks. Being on a flight that long was a real pain in the ass."

"I thought you've been flying again for a little bit," Morgan replied.

"I have," she confirmed. "But only within Europe, and only on the INTERPOL jet where I can get up and move around. Transatlantic commercial flights are a whole different story. And it still doesn't feel a hundred percent on the ground. Even after all that awful physical therapy, I'm not healing as fast as I used to. Must be getting old."

"Hey, watch it Prentiss," Morgan cautioned light-heartedly. "Derek Morgan still considers himself a young buck."

"Yeah, well, you are younger than me," she reminded him.

"By less than four years, and I don't need you shattering my self-image."

"Yeah, JJ said you were a real baby about the whole turning 40 thing."

"JJ has no room to talk, she and Garcia harassed me for a week. And you know she's going to throw an absolute fit when it's her turn here soon."

"Oh I'm sure she will," Emily conceded. "Have fun with that one."

"Oh. Hey. Hey. Hey. Stop. Here we are," Derek said, indicating a shiny black pickup that Emily had blown past in the parking lot.

"You get a new ride?" she asked.

"Yeah. Just a couple of months ago. I've still got my baby. But the old girl's got some miles on her. I just use her for hauling and construction now. Hop in."

Emily hoisted herself into the passenger's seat while Derek placed her bag in the back of the cabin. A few minutes later they were out of the maze of a parking lot and onto the highway.

"Thanks for taking me to meet my mother for dinner," Emily said. "I'm sure it's not at the top of your to-do list on a Monday night."

"Nah, don't mention it," Derek insisted. "We all actually have the next couple of days off. Just got back from a long case in Portland. I think most of us are just going to parlay it into a long Christmas vacation if we can get away with it. Don't forget we're all going out to the bar on Friday night."

"When have I ever forgotten a night at the bar with you guys?" Emily asked.

"Fair point," Derek answered. "So, what night is State having your mom's retirement dinner?"

"Wednesday," Emily answered. "It's still hard to believe she's calling it a career. It's all she's known for over forty years."

"Well, we all have to hang it up sometime," Derek observed. "She have any plans for what to do next?"

"I don't know what her long-term plans are, but for now she's going to start guest-teaching for the international relations program at Georgetown. I pity her students. I know I wouldn't want to sit that exam."

"You know, Blake's adjunct professor at Georgetown," Derek commented. "She teaches linguistics. Reid helps out sometimes."

"Well, for Blake's sake I hope they don't run into each other at a faculty mixer," Emily said.

"I thought you were getting along with your mom now," Derek said.

"I am," Emily confirmed. "At least better than I ever have. And she seems really happy about the big news. But just because we're getting along now doesn't mean I have to pretend she can't sometimes be a pain in the ass."

Derek laughed. Emily smiled. It was true that her relationship with her mother was getting better. Piece-by-piece. A lunch in London here. A phone call there. Emily knew they would never be as close as Derek was with his mother or JJ with hers. There were too many years of distance to cover. But things were getting better. Still, as the pair drew closer to the exit to the restaurant, Emily couldn't help but grow a little bit uneasy. Even now, Emily had always gotten slight pit in her stomach at the thought of meeting with the Ambassador. The pit was shallower now, but it was still there.

Plus, it would be the first time they met face-to-face since the big announcement. Even though the Ambassador approved over the phone, Emily was nervous at the prospect of talking about in-person. She supposed this was natural. Still, it was hard to suppress the anxiety. She started biting her nails before catching herself and stopping A few seconds later, she absentmindedly began fiddling nervously with the thin, platinum, channel-set band on her left ring finger.

"Stop playing with that, Emily," Derek demanded. "I do not want to have to get out in fifteen-degree weather do dig for your engagement ring in my truck."

"Sorry," Emily commented, stopping herself. "I guess I just feel a little bit weird talking to my Mother about this face-to-face."

"I can understand that," Derek agreed.

"So," he asked, "how pissed was Easter when he found out he was going to have to find another intelligence analyst in London because the one he'd just hired fell for the office chief?"

"He wasn't worried about that," Emily answered. "Finding a new intelligence analyst was technically my problem. He was worried that I'd be the one to leave and he'd be stuck with finding a new office head who could put up with him without pissing him off too much. He was pretty relieved when we decided that Victor would take the Scotland Yard job and I'd stay at INTERPOL. Sergio was the bigger pain. He pooped in Vic's shoe the first two times he came over."

"Now I believe that," Derek replied, laughing. "Not to hate on your cat, Prentiss, but I remember that thing being a real devious little bastard when Garcia took him in."

"Well, I think he's finally settled down and gotten used to the idea," Emily said.

"I'm not going to lie, Prentiss, I'm super stoked about this wedding. Italy in the spring is going to be awesome. You better believe I'll be getting in some quality beach time. Those flights are expensive as hell though."

"I'm sure you could get Rossi to pay for it if you nagged enough."

"You know, that's actually not a bad idea," Morgan concluded. "He's way, way too excited about you marrying an Italian guy. Wouldn't shut up about it for the longest time. Honestly, I think he's a little miffed that you aren't changing your last name to Polizzi."

"If I was in my twenties I might think differently about it," Emily admitted. "But I'm 44. I think I'm pretty much set as a Prentiss.

"Rossi of all people shouldn't talk anyway," Morgan noted. "All of the women who married him ended up wishing they hadn't changed theirs."

The two friends shared another laugh, until Emily's jovial mood was interrupted by a passing road sign.

"Hey! You missed the exit!" she said suddenly as Derek sped by the turn-off to the restaurant where Emily was to meet her mother and instead continued along the highway.

"No, I didn't," Derek answered calmly. "I called your mom a few hours ago. You're not meeting her tonight. You're meeting her tomorrow. Tonight, we're going to Rossi's. He's having his big Christmas party, and you promised Garcia you would come."

"God, I forgot about that," Emily said. "That was like ten months ago."

"Well Baby Girl did not forget," Morgan observed. "And unless INTERPOL has you hooked up with some hellacious computer security, I would not want to upset Penelope Garcia if I were you."

"Oh heck no," Emily replied. "As long as my mother's not going to throw a fit about it, I'm all in."

"Good," Derek answered. "Because I happen to know there is a whole team of FBI agents waiting to see you there. Plus, Derek Morgan cannot show up to a Christmas party without a date, and you, Emily Prentiss, are not a married woman yet."

And there we have it. Like I said, this wasn't my intended ending when I started, but I realized that, looking back both at my old stories and most of the plotlines on Criminal Minds, Prentiss never really gets a happy ending, so I decided to quit being a sourpuss and give her one for a change. Again, I might come back to this universe in the future, but there are also other story ideas I want to explore soon as well.

One final time, thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed, and I hope everyone watching enjoys Episode 200 this week!