Fifty Ways to Love You - Emily Prentiss x OC

42. the meeting

For once, I woke up before her, and I kissed her shoulder. My kisses trailed across her shoulder to her collarbone, and stayed at her neck for a while. She smiled when she awoke, and turned to kiss my forehead.

"My Galina," she murmured, content prevalent in her voice and demeanor, "good morning. Did you sleep well, my dear?"

"You never call me 'dear'," I noted with a grin. "I do like it, though. And I slept fine. You?"

"Good. Hey, last night, we never talked about how you're doing. We said we'd talk later, we never did,"

"You literally just woke up, how do you have the energy for this?" I laughed. She shrugged.

"I want to know how my girl is doing. You're important to me, dearest,"

"Stop being cute!" I teased. She laughed. "But in all honesty, Em? I'm getting by. It's just one of those times, you know?" I sighed.

"I know, love. Make sure you ask for help if you need it, alright? It's nothing to be ashamed or scared of. I've got you, love, always, always, always. Kiss me?" I pulled myself up to meet her lips. "Good girl," she said as she pulled out of the kiss. My heart fluttered. "I love you,"

"I love you, Emily." I laid my head down beside hers and kissed her cheek. "Now, what was that call about last night?"

Her face heat up, anxiety overtaking her. "Um, I—I'm sorry about this in advance,"

"Em," I started. My tone was full of worry, and this brought me to the forefront of her mind as opposed to the phone call.

"It's not—don't be scared, baby, it's not—not about you, not really. Um, it was my mother,"

"Fuck," I said without thinking. I watched a smile spread across her face. I sat up and matched her smile. "Sorry, I shouldn't talk about your mom that way."

Emily sat up and leaned against the headboard with me. "No, I had the same reaction. Uh, she—she wants to meet with me sometime, catch up,"

"Oh?"

"Yeah. And since she knows—"

Emily was interrupted by the alarm clock, which made me jump. She got up to turn it off. "Isn't it way too early for that?" I asked in reference to the clock.

"Yeah, I'm getting to that, just let me explain," she said. She climbed back in bed and got under the blanket as she sat beside me. "Since my mom knows how unpredictable my work is, she wanted to meet this morning for coffee,"

"What?"

"I know, baby, I'm sorry, but I feel like I can't just ditch her,"

"No, it's fine, love, it just sucks for you. I assume you don't want me to be there? That would be awkward, right? I mean if you want me to be there, I will, but—"

"No, no, no, it's alright. I—hell, she, she doesn't even know I have a girlfriend. I barely ever talk to her. That's why I was so confused when she called me last night,"

"Yeah,"

"It's not personal, not about you, baby, it's..."

"No, I get it," I said as I took her hand in both of mine, "don't worry about it. When are you meeting her?"

"6:30, because I have to be at work, so we can't do much later than that,"

"Right. Let me call JJ, see if I can get a ride this morning." Emily was about to open her mouth when I added, "No, let me text her. She's probably not awake right now."

-

JJ agreed to drive me to work that day, and Emily went to meet with her mom for coffee. She was early, but her mother was earlier. "Emily!"

"Hello," Emily greeted, putting on a smile.

"How have you been? It feels like it's been ages!"

"It does! I've been alright, how are you?"

"I'm good, I'm good. I hear you've been promoted,"

"It's just temporary, until Agent Hotchner returns." At that point, Emily thought that to be the truth. "But yes, I'm acting Unit Chief until further notice. And you've been given an assignment, I hear?"

"Yes, yes, to Belarus. I leave in just under a year,"

"Good for you." Emily found conversations with her mother awkward and stiff, and this was no exception. Emily sipped the coffee she'd gotten and avoided eye contact to avoid further awkwardness.

"So, Emily, have you been seeing anyone?" Elizabeth pried.

"No, not really," Emily lied. It was rather believable, but her mother didn't buy it.

"Oh, come on, there's no one in your life you've taken a romantic interest in?"

"Mom, I'm not sixteen, you can't pry into my life like that," Emily almost chuckled.

"Then there is someone. What's his name?"

Emily was torn. Did she make some guy up, who her mother would most definitely then want to meet, or did she come out, something she'd done when she was eighteen but her mother firmly denied, and deal with the consequences of that instead?

Emily chose the latter. "Galina," she told her mother with confidence.

Elizabeth knew full well the origin and gender of the name, but her homophobic subconscious refused to believe it. "Galina? He must be foreign. Where's he from?"

"She is Russian. She immigrated here when she was young."

Elizabeth pursed her lips and stared blankly at Emily. Half of Emily felt triumphant, the other half terrified of what her mother would say. At least they were in public so she couldn't make a scene.

"'She'? Emily, even if that was just a Freudian slip, you know I'm...simply appalled,"

"I'm not asking for your approval," said Emily, plain and simple. "You asked if I was seeing anyone, I tried to spare your feelings, and when you pressed the matter, I didn't lie to you. Would you rather I have lied?"

"I—well!" Elizabeth fumed. She took a moment to try and compose herself. "I would like to meet the girl my daughter thinks she is so in love with,"

"No,"

"Well, why not?" Why do you think, dumbass?

"Because she doesn't deserve this! She doesn't deserve to be talked to or about the way you're talking about her. I'm not going to let you sour my relationship with your ego and presumption. Galina deserves no part of that,"

"Emily, you're acting like a child,"

"That would be you, mother,"

"You're shielding her from the harsh reality of the opinions of most of the world!"

"Believe me, she is well-acquainted with your type of attitude,"

"And you don't want your mother to meet the woman you 'love'?" She didn't use air quotes, but she may as well have.

"I really don't, no."