"To live every day as if it had been stolen from death, that is how I would like to live. To feel the joy of life, as Eve felt the joy of life. To separate oneself from the burden, the angst, the anguish that we all encounter every day. To say I am...
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She didn't get very far before she realized that Ryan was following her.He was silent until they made it to the street where she decided to take out a pack of cigarettes. "Light?"
Ryan promptly took out a lighter. "You know I always carry one for you. Are you really going to start smoking again? I thought you stopped."
She shrugged. "What can I say? Denny really knows how to piss me off some nights."
"Was it really that bad Char? I mean it's only natural we've held feelings for each other at some point in our lives. We've practically grown up together. I know I've thought of you like that a few times over the years," Ryan responded as he leaned against the brick wall.
"No, it's not that. It's the fact that he knows the fucking answer and still decides to keep hounding at it as if he wants to get a rise out of me. Like it's one thing to jest and another to keep poking at it after you know the answer. Why can't he just drop it?" Charlie took a long breath as the nicotine filled her lungs. "I just wish people stopped assuming we've dated just because we're close."
"Why haven't we? I mean I know I've joked about it, especially in high school, but it still stands. We would make a very handsome couple," Ryan joked.
"Because despite what our parents think, I don't think you'd be happy with me. I would have given it a shot back in high school, but everything is too complicated now to even try." She smiled. "Maybe in another life Blaney. I'm gonna finish smoking this and then go back in for some tequila shots unless you want to head home and play some Mario Kart?"
"I think I'm going to head back in and make sure the guys don't start another bar fight. I don't want to be banned from another place. Try and get home safely if I don't see you later. Text me when you've made it home."
"Will do," Charlie responded as she watched Ryan walk back inside.
Moments later she spotted Aaron and JJ walk out of the bar. There was no denying the pain in his eyes as he was unable to look at her. "Charlie are you ready to go home," JJ asked. "Morgan, Reid, and Prentiss have gone home for the night. Either Hotch or I can stay here with you or we can go back now. Your safety is our priority."
Charlie nodded and finished her cigarette. "I think I'll stay for a few more rounds. Why don't you and Rossi get my father and Ryan's into a car and back to the hotel? They respond well to the threat of a police arrest if need be."
JJ looked at Aaron and then at Charlie as if asking for some form of confirmation from her superior. Once she received no opposition from her boss she walked away and presumably did as Charlie suggested. There was silence between Aaron and Charlie as she lit another cigarette. She chuckled slightly as she played with her lighter. Despite always carrying one on her person at all time she still asked Ryan for a light. It had always been their thing, and old habits were hard to break.
"I didn't know you smoked," Aaron stated as he broke the silence.
"I haven't in a while, this whole situation is stressing me out. It's hard to focus between the race, your team, and the situation at hand. I'm sorry for snapping earlier at you. I know you're just trying to do your job. Can we please just forget about it?" Charlie could hear the pleading in her voice. It wasn't intentional, but she wanted things to go back to the way they were that morning.
"Charlie," Aaron softly spoke. "Do you really want to keep doing this? We can't keep living in the fantasy that was the road trip. Life with me isn't like that. It never will be. It can't be. You would never have a normal life with me."
"Who said I wanted normal? Hell, who even said I wanted to live in a fantasy of a world? I want to see what this leads to. I'm not asking for your hand in marriage, I'm not asking you to give up your job, I'm not asking anything but for you to give this a try. It's your call. You know I want to explore whatever this is, but if you don't then I fully understand. I have other things to worry about like not getting murdered."
Charlie continued to smoke while she waited for a response from Aaron. "Your father doesn't approve of me."
"To hell with that."
"You don't care?" He raised an eyebrow. "But you listen to him for everything."
"Doesn't mean I agree with his tactics or his opinions. It's my life and I get to decide what I do with it. I can't live in the shadows of what ifs. If I did then I wouldn't be where I am today, I wouldn't have taken you on that drive when we met, and I wouldn't have made it this far in my racing career. Your move Hotchner," Charlie replied as she put out her cigarette and started walking back inside.
Aaron grabbed her by the arm. She let out a slight gasp as he looked at her. "I don't want you to be another regret in my life. I've cared too much about what others think about in the past. I want to know you. I want to know what it's like to wake up next to you, to share in your pain, happiness, and victory. But I also know that I cannot do all of that while I am tied to this case. What I ask from you is to take things slow. I want to give this a shot, but not if it means putting you in danger. I cannot afford to be distracted while working or someone will end up hurt. Please, just give me some time to solve this case." Charlie nodded. "Although we could still continue to have some fun."
Charlie laughed, "Oh I like the sound of that. Do you want to go do a round of tequila shots with the boys and I?"
"Sure why not, I have to blend in somehow. Maybe I'll stay and have a beer while you play pool with Chase and Ryan."
"I like the sound of that Aaron. I want you to relax a bit."
Aaron knew that she would like him relaxing with her and having fun, but he had anterior motives. He needed to see who were the people who surrounded her. Their unsub had to be someone at this bar. Someone who was willing to stay as long as she did and leave when she did. JJ had confirmed via text that a handful of people had asked Ryan if Charlie had left for the night, and more people perked up at his response. He could feel it in his bones that the unsub was in that bar.
