Lost In Japan // Aaron Hotchner

XVI

Sean and Arden walked into the diner and were immediately met with a 1950s diner-style themed decor. Her eyes quickly scanned her surroundings as she mapped out all exit routes, windows, and possible hostile out of impulse. She was jumpy in new places.

Sean lead her to the counter and the waiter greeted Sean with a smile. "Hey Sean-y boy, I see you brought a date. What can I do for you?"

"Two house specials and a milkshake. What flavor would you like?" Sean turned to Arden.

"Vanilla," Arden replied. She already knew his cliche plan of sharing one milkshake with two straws. She applauded him for his effort to pull out all the stops. Maybe she underestimated the Hotchner charm. 

The waiter nodded and gave Sean a pat on the shoulder before placing the order. "So how'd you end up working at the FBI?"

Arden chuckled, "That's the question you want to open up with? Work?"

Sean shrugged, "I'm open to any suggestions. I thought that considering you and I both know were each other works it seemed like a good segway."

"Well you're not wrong. So what's your story? You stirred up quite the drama back at the BAU." Arden was going to take her shot. Aaron had given her nothing and she was curious. It was the only thing that he had not given her. 

"Right... that. Well the Hotchner men have been lawyers for the past five generations." She could tell that it was a sore spot, and was ready to drop it at a moment's notice. Arden knew what it was like not wanting to talk about a moment in your life. 

"Let me guess, you want to break tradition and become a... chef?" 

"My, aren't you perceptive. Yes, I want to be chef. I told Aaron that I am not going to Georgetown Law and instead I'm going to stay in New York and train under a chef. Maybe I'll go places," Sean said. 

She nodded, "It seems we're more alike than I thought. I actually didn't end up at the BAU via choice. I was a criminology major but I really wanted to be an artist."

"You paint?" There was look of shock on Sean's face. 

"What is with that look of surprise?"

"I-I just didn't peg you as an artistic person. But do continue. How does one go from being an art major to criminology?"

"It's a long story," she said.

"Does it look like I'm going anywhere? Come on, I want to know how this story goes."

Arden laughed, "Alright then. I'll tell you. A good friend of mine thought I'd make a good FBI agent. So we made a deal. I study criminology and psychology with a minor in art and enroll in the FBI academy and in return he tracks down my birth parents. Of course he still has yet to deliver on his end of the deal."

Sean gave her a confused look. "What do you mean birth parents?"

"I was left at the doorstep of an orphanage run by nuns, basket and all, no note," she explained.