The Long, Lonely Road Ahead

The following events take place after Hotch’s divorce but prior to JJ’s giving birth.

Yes, I know it’s a Mary Sue in some ways, but it was fun to write, so I’m throwing it out there for you to read and see what you think.

The Long, Lonely Road Ahead

Chapter Two

Rossi looked at Hotch and then at me, while the other people at the table chatted about going home for the holidays. Then he downed the rest of his beer and stood up.
“I’m heading home,” he announced. A storm of protests erupted, but he put his hand up. “I’ve got things to do and it’s been a long week. I’ll see most of you on Monday.”
“See you after Christmas,” JJ told him. Then she looked at her watch. “Crap, I’ve got to head out too. I’ve got to pack for the plane tomorrow.”
“Going south to see Will?” Prentiss asked her.
“Yep. Going to meet the whole family,” she admitted, and Prentiss grimaced.
“That’s always a fun way to spend the holidays,” she said. JJ laughed.
“I’m sure it’ll be just fine,” she said, and then she gave Prentiss and Garcia hugs. “Nice to meet you, Terra. Have a good holiday if I don’t see you when I get back.”
“I’m sure we’ll see each other again. I’m here for at least three weeks,” I told her. Pen gave me a look, but I squeezed her hand under the table. She glanced at Hotch and then back to me, her mouth slightly open in shock. Under the table she signalled, “really?” I signalled back with “It’s on.” She pulled out her cell phone and I saw her start to text someone under the table.
“See you later, JJ,” Reid said. He sipped his highball.
“So, Prentiss, how about you? Are you heading home for the holidays?” Morgan asked, and then was distracted by his cell phone vibrating.
“No, I’m staying here this year. Mom’s in the UAE, and I don’t feel like a middle-eastern holiday this year, so I’m hanging around,” Prentiss replied. She turned to Pen. “Want to do something? A movie? Shopping? I know some great shops,” she said to me. Morgan suddenly stood up and stretched.
“I’m exhausted. Come on Reid, I’ll give you a ride home,” he said. Reid gestured to his drink.
“I’m not finished yet.”
“At the rate you’re going, you’ll be finished sometime next week. It’s all melted ice by now anyway,” Morgan said. I glanced at Pen, wondering what the heck was going on. Hotch looked up at me over his beer and I suddenly didn’t care.
“So, what about you, Aaron? Are you spending the holidays with your family?” I asked and he looked down at his beer. Pen kicked me under the table and I flinched. Wrong thing to say!
“Hayley, my ex-wife, has our son Jack with her this holiday, so no, I won’t be spending it with my family,” Hotch answered quietly. I winced at his pain.
“I’m sorry,” I told him. He nodded and then looked up at me, the pain he felt at this loss only in his eyes. Morgan looked as meaningfully as he could at Reid, who suddenly grabbed his vibrating cell phone. He read the text there and then stood up too.
“You know, you’re right, Morgan. I think it is time I went home. I’ll take you up on that offer of a lift,” Reid said. He slid his coat on and put on his scarf.
“Well, I guess if everyone else is heading home, I will too,” Prentiss said, finishing up her drink. “Can I bum a lift too, Morgan?”
“Sure, the more the merrier,” he said, shrugging into his coat. Hotch didn’t even seem to notice that his team mates were all leaving; he just sipped his beer, and every so often looked up at me. Soon, Pen, Hotch and I were the last three at the table, the others having taking their leave. Pen looked at me and then stood up.
“I’m just going to powder my nose,” she said. “I’ll be back.”
“I’ll be here,” I replied, and then there were two. I looked at Hotch. He was sitting at the second table across from me, and almost as one, we both stood up and shifted to seats closer to each other.
“We don’t need two tables…”
“Would you mind if I sat a little closer, it’s so loud in here…”
I grinned at him as we ended up next to each other. I could feel the heat of his body through my sweater.
“So what do you do, Terra?” he asked me. A fairly standard getting to know you line.
“I’m a teacher at a college in Vancouver. I teach English and psychology,” I replied.
“Really? You know, Garcia’s never mentioned that she has cousins,” he stated and I sat back, considering this.
“Why’s that an issue? I don’t go around broadcasting my familial relationships either, particularly to my colleagues,” I said. “Are you wondering if I’m legit or something?”
“No, no, I’m just curious as to why she’s never mentioned it,” he said, taking a pull of his beer.
“Mm, well, probably because my brother and I are her only cousins and I’m the only one of the two of us that she talks to,” I said. “And my mother—her aunt—left us in the lurch about twenty years ago, so it’s not like she’s really got any other extended family. I guess she just wants to keep this part of her life cordoned off.”
“I completely understand that,” Hotch replied. A waitress came by to ask if we wanted anything more to drink.
“This round is on me,” I told him, ordering another drink for both of us.
“I probably shouldn’t,” he said, finishing the beer in front of him.
“Why, what’s your limit?”
“I’ve had three already,” he admitted.
“Meh. Leave the car here,” I said. “It’s the holidays, right?”
“I still have work to do. I’m probably going to have to go into the office tomorrow,” he said, toying with the coaster under his empty bottle.
“That sucks, frankly,” I said. “I mean, I get having to do work on the weekends. I usually work a six day week, as a teacher. But it’s the holidays. Surely you can have a bit of time off?”
“The kind of work we do doesn’t take time off, so neither do we,” he said. We sat for a moment. “What happened to Garcia?”
“She’ll be back shortly, I’m sure,” I said, as the waitress plunked our drinks down in front of us. I paid her and she took our empties away. “Look, Aaron, I know we’ve just met and all, but I’m not here for very long and I’ve had a bit of alcohol in me, so I’m just going to be honest with you. I find you enormously attractive and I’d like to spend some time with you while I’m here.” I winced inwardly for throwing it out like that, but I didn’t feel like I had the time to beat around the bush. Pen would be back soon and if I were to have any chance of jumping his bones, I wanted to know now.
“I appreciate your honesty, Terra. Let me be honest with you, then. I haven’t seen anyone since I’ve been divorced. Even then, Hayley was one of the first and only women I ever dated. I don’t know much about dating, really, and I’m not even sure I’m ready. But I will admit, I’m very attracted to you too. And while I’m not sure where this might go, I’m willing to take a chance,” he said.
“Good. I’m glad that’s out in the open,” I said with a grin. He gave me a small smile back.
“What would you like to do, then?” he asked.
“I don’t know. I mean, we’ve just met. Perhaps we should get to know each other?” I suggested. “We could go on a date or something like that.” All I wanted to do was rip his clothes off and pounce on him, but I knew the social niceties had to be maintained.
“Mm, that sounds about right. Would you like to have dinner tomorrow night?”
“Sure, that sounds good. I don’t know the area, so you choose a good place and let me know when and where,” I said. I pulled out a pen and scribbled a note. “Here’s my email address. I’ve brought my computer, so I check my email fairly regularly. Let me know where to meet you.”
“I suppose it wouldn’t be very appropriate to come and get you at Garcia’s apartment, would it?” he asked, and I could see the sense of humour lurking behind those dark eyes of his.
“Yeah, that’s not something the boss should probably do, eh?” I replied, just as Pen came up behind us.
“What shouldn’t the boss do? Oh, tell me!” she interjected, sitting down on a stool next to me.
“I’ll tell you later,” I answered. Hotch stood up and shrugged into his coat.
“I need to go. I’ve still got some work to finish up tonight,” he told us, putting on his gloves.
“Okay. Thanks for coming out with us, Hotch,” Pen said, sipping her drink. “I’ll see you on Monday.”
“Good night, Garcia. It was nice to meet you Terra,” he said. I wondered if he felt we had to keep this a secret. “I’ll see you tomorrow night—I’ll email you with the address and time.” Or not.
“See you tomorrow, Aaron,” I answered, stopping myself from throwing myself at him. Pen looked at me as he walked out of the bar.
“Tell. You have to tell!” she squeed.
“I have a date with Aaron Hotchner tomorrow night for dinner. He’s going to pick the restaurant and I’ll meet him there,” I told her and she sighed.
“Thank God. Of all the people to break him out of this funk he’s been in, I’m so glad it’s you!” she said, giving me a big hug. “You’re perfect for him.”
“I don’t know. He can profile me in a second. What if he sees something he doesn’t like?”
“He won’t. How could he? I mean, what about you isn’t there to love?”
“We all have secrets, Pen. You of all people should know that,” I replied darkly. I sipped at my drink as I contemplated what Aaron Hotchner would see in me that no one else could possibly know or find out.