Authors Note: Well, all. This concludes my foray into Hotch/Prentiss-ville. I hope you've enjoyed A Christmas Catastrophe! It's back to Garcia/Morgan-land for me…familiar territory. LOL Thanks for reading and Happy Holidays!

FYI—I have a poll up on my profile asking which 'clichéd' storyline you'd like to read and with which couple. If the storyline/couple you'd like to see doesn't appear there, please feel free to PM me with what you'd be interested in seeing! Some that have been mentioned to me outside of the poll are lacunar amnesia (for Derek w/ a Morgan/Garcia pairing) and a drunken Vegas wedding for Garcia/Morgan. I'm interested in knowing what you'd like to read! Thanks. – Angie

"Would you like to come in?" Hotch asked softly. He was standing just inside the doorway in a pair of worn blue jeans, a red cable knit sweater, and white socks. He looked so handsome in his laid-back outfit.

She tried to think of something to say but couldn't, so she nodded instead. He stepped back; it was a small step, and her body had to brush against his in order to get inside. When she started to pull her coat down over her shoulders, he stepped forward to give her a hand and then hung it up in the closet.

Her mind was racing as she followed him into the living room. He still hadn't acknowledged her statement, and she wasn't sure if that meant that he was angry or if he was just waiting for her to continue. "Your tree looks nice," she said weakly.

"You're a horrible liar, Emily," he said with a twinkle in his eyes as he sat down on the couch.

It was then that she noticed the mugs that were sitting on the coffee table: one, two…three. Hotch, Jack, and…? Her eyes flew to Hotch's. "I—maybe I should have called," she said in a rush. "Are you…are you expecting someone?"

"Yes," he said solemnly.

In the half a second before his next sentence, Emily's heart skipped a beat.

"Jack and I are expecting Santa," he informed her. "We always leave hot chocolate out for him, and I just hadn't had a chance to take care of ours yet."

"Oh," she said, a relieved sigh mingling with a nervous laugh.

He leaned forward and seized her hand. "Have a seat, Emily," he coaxed.

She tried to sit on the other end of the couch, but he gave her hand a solid tug so that she had no choice but to sit down on the cushion next to him. "I—"

"Daddy?"

They both turned to look as Jack stumbled into the living room half asleep.

"Hey, Buddy," Hotch said as he stood. "You OK?"

Jack nodded. "Just thirsty," he answered. "Hi, Ms. Prentiss," he said, brightening when he noticed Emily.

"Hi, Jack. You can call me Emily if you want to," she told him.

"My dad says that would be rude," he informed her.

Emily smiled at the little boy. "I'll work on him," she promised.

"Are you spending the night?" he asked.

"I'm sorry?" Her eyes flew to Hotch's. Had he told their son about him?

"There's a present for you." Jack ran to the tree and picked up a brightly wrapped package with a large bow on it, then brought it over to her. "See?" He pointed to the tag. "It has your name on it. But you can't open it until tomorrow."

"Oh," Emily said softly, struck by his thoughtfulness.

Jack nodded enthusiastically. "Daddy said he invited you for Christmas, but he wasn't sure if you'd come or not. But we got you a present because a gentleman is always prepared, right, Daddy?"

"Right, buddy," Hotch agreed, his heart swelling with love at the sight of his son. He picked the little boy up in his arms and gave him a gentle squeeze. "How about that drink?" he reminded him.

"Can I have chocolate milk?" Jack asked with a crooked grin.

"Of course you can," Aaron said as he headed for the kitchen.

"He's hoping to catch a glimpse of Santa," Hotch said with a grin as he settled down next to Emily once again.

"He's a sweet little boy," she told him.

"I'm lucky," Aaron agreed softly.

Neither one of them said anything for a moment, but she finally gathered the courage to speak.

"I didn't know I was lonely," she admitted.

He still didn't say anything, just studied her face…waiting.

"I…I've always been alone, and I've always been content," she continued. "Until you." She laughed nervously, then looked down as he laced their fingers together. "I…I know I've known you for a long time, but we've only been dating for two months, and…" She took a deep breath. "Already I feel like I can't live without you. That scares the hell out of me. And when I'm scared…I tend to run. It…it's what I do…it's what I've been doing my whole life. And then…I sat there in Strauss' office and denied that anything was going on with us…" Her voice trailed off as she choked back a sob.

"Essentially ridiculing our relationship," Hotch said softly.

She nodded as she lifted her eyes to his. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.

He didn't say anything, just smiled tenderly at her.

"Are you going to say something?" she asked.

"What about your career?" he returned.

"It's always been the only thing I've had, so I—I've clung to it." Her eyes softened as she they locked on his. "But I'm…I'm hoping it's not the only thing I have anymore."

He could have demanded more from her, but that wasn't his style. It was enough for him that she was here. One swift tug of her hand and suddenly she was on his lap; he was looking up at her as she straddled him. "It's not the only thing you have. You have me," he said huskily, as he lifted his hands and pulled her face down onto his. "You'll always have me," he said just before their lips met in a hot kiss, both of their tongues thrusting forth frantically. One of his hands came around to cup the back of her head, the other falling to her waist; he held tightly as if he thought she'd flee again.

Her hand rose to clench a fistful of his hair as she wiggled her hips trying to get closer to him, but he pulled away with a chuckle. "After what just happened, I don't think this a good idea." There was no guarantee that Jack wouldn't get up again. It was Christmas Eve, after all and his little boy was excited.

She sighed in resignation as she lowered her forehead to his chest. "You're right," she whispered apologetically.

He put a hand under her chin and lifted her head so their eyes met. "Let's take this into the bedroom," he said as he stood. He held onto her as she wrapped her legs around his waist, then strode purposefully towards his room and placed her on the mattress. After locking the door, he walked leisurely towards Emily, pulling his red sweater over his head on the way.

Her eyes met his, and then travelled down his muscled torso to the waistband of his jeans. She crawled up onto her knees and towards the end of the mattress, waiting patiently until he was standing in front of her. She ran her hands down his chest until she reached the waistband of his jeans and unbuttoned them. She slid the zipper down, and then watched as he pulled them off; the only remaining items of clothing were his socks and boxers.

She grinned, her lips lifting in a wicked smile. "Why, Agent Hotchner. Are you packing heat…or are you just happy to see me?" she teased in a husky voice.

"So damn happy to see you, Emily Prentiss," he replied as he lowered his lips to hers for another searing kiss. His tongue took possession of her mouth, exploring every inch as she moaned in satisfaction. With a chuckle, he pulled away and reached for the hem of her shirt, then pulled it over her head. He tossed it to the floor, and then reached for the clasp on the front of her bra. The straps fell down her shoulders as her nipples hardened underneath his gaze. He lifted his hands until his fingertips were resting on the area just above her breasts, then moved them slowly downward passing over her taut peaks. To her discontent, they didn't stop…just kept moving down over her belly until they reached the waistband of her slacks and tugged softly. Clearly they were in his way.

She moved onto her back, then lifted her hips so she could pull them down over her thighs; he took hold of them and tugged them the rest of the way off her. He stroked her skin, moving his fingers along her inner thighs and up to her lower belly until he hooked his fingers under the lacey waistband of her thongs. She lifted her hips again, and he pulled them off her with a swift tug. His eyes never left her body as he stripped himself of his boxers and socks. He covered her body with his and lowered his lips to one of her shoulders, then lifted his head. "This is payback," he informed her.

"Excuse me?" she asked in confusion.

"The way I see it…you owe me a Christmas present."

She frowned in bewilderment. "But…I gave you a Christmas present," she reminded him. "The picture…ring a bell?" she asked dryly.

Hotch feigned innocence. "The picture? But according to Strauss—

She silenced him with a kiss and then laughed when he pulled away; she let her head fall back on the soft pillows.

"Seeing as that's now property of the Behavioral Analysis Unit, I'll just have to find another gift," he decided. "I wonder…is it right here?" He stiffened his tongue and lowered his head to her breast, lapping roughly over one of her taut nipples. She lifted her back up off the bed in anticipation, but after another lick, he pulled away with a heavy sigh. "No," he said, pretending disappointment.

He traced a path down to her belly button with his tongue and it darted quickly in and out. "Not there either," he informed her, as he moved lower, grinning as her breathing became more shallow.

"Aaron Hotchner," she said breathlessly. "You are such a tease."

He chuckled as he placed soft kisses along the insides of her thighs, until finally his fingers parted her, and his tongue swirled skillfully around her core. Her hips bucked up off the mattress; he loved that she was so responsive. There was never a doubt as to what Emily Prentiss liked in the bedroom. "Damn," he said as he lifted his head. "It's not there, either. Where…in the hell…could it be?" he asked softly, as he dragged his body up over hers until their eyes met. Hers were dark blue and churning with anticipation as he poised himself at her entrance. With a single thrust of his hips, he'd filled her and her arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders, molding their upper bodies together. "Ahhh…here it is," he said in a strained voice as her body stretched perfectly to accommodate his. He leaned down and placed a tender kiss on her shoulder. "It's so…warm," His lips moved to her throat. "And wet." Then her other shoulder. "And so tight."

"Don't move," she begged. "Stay like this."

He bent his arms so that his body sunk into hers, and he heard her sigh in relief. Two days without seeing him had been far too long. "You feel so good," she breathed. She could feel him throbbing inside of her and knew it wasn't going to take much to send her over the edge.

"So do you," he returned.

After a moment, she loosened her hold on him and gave his shoulder a nudge. He straightened his upper body again and looked down at her questioningly. She shook her head. "This isn't your present," she told him. Reaching for his wrist, she guided his hand to the area just above her left breast to where her heart was. "This is your present." She'd never been so honest with him, and he didn't think she'd ever make him happier than he was in that moment. Until her next words. "I love you," she said determinedly.

"Oh, God, Emily…" He pushed himself up on one arm, and started moving inside of her, his strokes long and leisurely. He wanted this to be perfect for her…to take his time, but after her declaration he could barely control himself. And when her hips fused with his, it was his undoing. His body increased it's tempo until he was moving swiftly in and out of her; she met him thrust for thrust, her hips soaring up off the mattress to take him. Emily groaned in pleasure, and when he lowered his lips to her neck, suckling gently, she moaned his name. He felt her entire body shudder around his…and exploded inside of her.

After a few minutes, he moved up onto his side and studied Emily's face. Her lashes were resting on her cheeks, and her lips were parted just a bit; he could hear her breathing. He took it as a compliment that she was still struggling for breath. When she felt his stare, her eyes flew open.

"Like what you see?" she teased.

His lips twitched. "That was the best…non-Christmas present I've ever received" he informed her.

Her eyes danced with delight as he lowered his head to the area above her heart and graced it with a soft kiss. "But this…" That was all he said before kissing the spot again. "Is forever mine." He lifted his eyes to hers, his expression tender and determined at the same time. "I love you, too, Emily."

And it was then he decided that he'd be ringing in the New Year with a proposal he was certain would make both of them happy.

***THE END***