For Old Times' Sake

Chapter 9

You sat at your desk, looking at the photo frame you kept there.
It was a photo of you and Hotch in high school.
He was giving you a piggy-back ride, and both of you looked so happy. Your arms around his neck, his hands holding yours firmly and your legs entwined around his waist, chin on his shoulder as you smiled for the camera.

Smiling, you brushed away the tears in your eyes as you remembered that day.

------

Running your hands through the marigolds, you sang out loud.

"Forget what we're told, before we get too old,
Show me a garden that's bursting into life,"

Aaron grinned at you. "This place is like heaven. Remind me to thank your parents for bringing me along on this trip."
You nodded as the two of looked around the field, all the flowers in full bloom, reaching knee high.
"Want a piggy back ride through it?" he looked at you.
"Oh my God, yes!" jumping up, you ran to him and climbed onto his back.
"Hey, kids! Give me a smile!"
He turned towards your father, and your favourite picture together was taken.
Later, you had gotten it printed and had written on the back in marker:

  "Mi Amor."  

------

"What's that, Y/N?" Spencer's smooth voice cut into your reverie. Handing him the photo, you gave him a weak smile. "That was one of the best days of my life. Surrounded by the people I loved most in the world in a beautiful place, without a care in the world."
He replaced the photo on your desk. "I don't think I've ever seen Hotch that happy."

A tear escaped your eye and you hurriedly wiped it away, but Spencer didn't miss it.
"Garcia told me what happened. I'm so sorry," he said, tentatively holding your hand and squeezing it. 
Knowing Spencer, this was a very big gesture for him.
"Thanks, Reid." Giving you a small smile, he pulled away. "If it makes you feel any better, Garcia is resolutely calling Beth 'Barf' now," he said, his smile widening when you laughed loudly.
"Yeah, Penelope was exceedingly disappointed that her 'OTP' didn't work out."
His brows furrowed. "What's 'OTP'?"
You laughed again. "One True Pairing, Spencer. Guess you don't know everything after all, huh?"
"Nearly everything." he said, giving you a boyish smile as you got up to see Garcia.

"My liege," you called out dramatically as you threw open the door to her office, seeing Derek sitting in a chair beside her.
"Her, not you." You pointed to her, pulling a chair up to them.
Derek grinned. "You know mama, if you do start to refer to all the guys as 'My liege', you'll be golden."
You threw a stuffed toy at him as he laughed, eyes glinting with mischief. "Just saying."
Rolling your eyes, you looked at Garcia. "So. Barf?"
She giggled. "Yes, Barf."
Derek shook his head. "I don't get it. She goes off to Honolulu for a job without a word, and then all of a sudden she wants to be with Hotch? What?"

"Hong Kong," you corrected.

"Whatever, Dr. Reid." 
You smiled, sighing. "Well. I don't know what I'll do if she moves in. Either Hotch will politely tell me to FO, or I'll get disgusted of all the PDA and run off myself."
"Ew, oh no." Garcia scrunched her nose at the mention of PDA.
"I thought you liked romance?" you teased.

"Oh, I like romance. What I do not like is man-stealing."

"Who's stealing who's man?" Aaron's voice interrupted the three of you, his dry tone sucking the energy out of the room.
"Um. G-gina is stealing Maya's man."

He narrowed his eyes as you looked at Derek, dumbfounded. Gina?
"...In a fan-fiction I read." 
Shaking his head, Hotch looked at you. "Can I talk to you alone?"
Taking a deep breath, you got up. "Sure."
You followed him to his office, sounds of snickering behind you.

"Baby girl, who's Maya?"

"I don't know! I just blurted the first names that came to me!"

Hotch closed the door behind him as you flopped down on a chair.
"What the hell happened to you at breakfast?" he said, sounding pissed.
"Nothing."
"Really? Then why were you behaving like a sixteen-year-old whose parents won't allow her to get a piercing or something?"
You snapped your head up to look right at him. "Maybe because someone didn't have the courtesy to even say goodnight before they went off to fornicate with their 'long lost lover'."
He raised his eyebrows. "You're mad that I didn't say goodnight? How self-obsessed are you? I haven't seen her in months!" he was raising his voice now.
Tears stung your eyes. "Do you love her?"
There was a steely look in his eyes that you had never seen directed at you before.
"That's none of your business."
You laughed bitterly. "I guess not."
He shook his head in a disapproving manner. "You made her feel like she wasn't welcome, Y/N. She came back just for me. How could you do that? She was so flustered when you left-"
"I'm going to move away."
"What?" his voice was challenging as if he was daring you to repeat what you had said.
"My stuff will be gone by tomorrow."
"Y/N. What. Is. The. Problem?"
You looked him in the eyes. "That's none of your business."

Surprise washed over his face as you pushed past him, walking right out of the Bureau.