Scotch // Aaron Hotchner

Chapter one

It was unusual for me to be at the BAU on a Friday at 6 pm. Usually were we out of town on a case or I left by 5 pm to try to get the most out of my weekend that would be cut short by another case. I looked up from my paper work to see Emily packing up her things and getting ready to leave. She did paper work faster than anyone else I had ever known but tonight she was the last one here besides me. I watched her walk to the kitchen and wash her coffee cup before putting it back in the cabinet. She turned around to notice me staring at her. She walked over towards my desk and I looked away and back to my paper work. I noticed she had walked over to my desk when she put her purse down and knocked twice on the wood desk top.

"Hey Nat, decided to stare at me tonight didn't we?"

I looked up from my paper work and we both laughed at her little joke. Sometimes it was hard to tell when Emily was joking but it was obvious then.

"Sorry Emily, I guess I was just spacing out."

"Oh it's fine Nat it happens to all of us. I think I'm about to head out, you maybe want to go get a drink?"

I looked back at the stack of paper work remaining on my desk. I started to flip through the pages to see if I could do it tomorrow or Monday morning before I have to turn it into Hotch.

"I would love to Emily but I still have this stack of paper work and I would like to get it done tonight so I can enjoy my weekend. Next time though for sure."

Emily had a look of disappointment on her face. I had flaked on her the last few times she had invited me out. I just hadn't felt like going lately. She changed the look on her face and picked her purse up off my desk.

"Oh that's okay. Next time. Well, I'm gonna head out then. I'll see you Monday Nat. Bye."

"Bye Emily."

I smiled at her and she returned a smile back before she turned and left the BAU. I was the only one left now. Well Except Hotch, but he was always here later than everyone. I always wondered why he had so much more work than all of us. I guess it's what came with being unit chief. I looked up at him in his office and watched him for a minute. He was focused. So focused that he didn't notice that I was watching him at all. Eventually I looked away and started back on my paper work. I did page after page until I noticed that another hour had passed. I eventually ran out of coffee and decided that I would go get more and bring Hotch another cup. I grabbed the two cups of coffee and all of my completed paper work then headed up to Hotch's office. I knocked on the door and waited for a response.

"Come in Natalie."

I opened the door and walked into his office with a confused look on my face. I looked at him before asking, "How did you know it was me?".

He looked up from his paper work and look at me, "You're the only one here and I saw you walking up the stairs."

"Oh" I said not realizing he had noticed that everyone had left and that I had walked up the stairs. I wondered if he had noticed me staring at him earlier. I hoped not. I stood there awkwardly for a moment before remembering what I had come up to meet him for.

"I brought you up another cup of coffee." I said awkwardly. Me and Hotch had never been super close like he was to other members of the team. I was the newest member so it made sense but still.

"Thank you Natalie, please have a seat if you'd like". Hotch responded without looking up from his paper work. I handed him the coffee and sat down in one of the seats in front of his desk. We both sat in silence for a minute. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence but it was still a little weird. I don't think he was expecting me to sit down. Another minute goes by before I break the silence by saying, "I finished my paper work sir".

He looked up at me with the same look on his face he always had. He was hard to read even with me being a profiler. I snapped out of my thoughts by him saying "Oh, okay. Just put it in the basket over here.".He pushed a basket toward me that already had a gigantic stack of paper work in it. I assume it's the rest of the teams. I put my stack in the pile and he took the basket back and put it where ever it was before hand. I'm now just sitting here again looking around when I notice the amount he has left. In a spur of the moment decision I decide to ask him if he wants any help.

"Hey, Hotch I can help you with some of the paper work so you can get out of here faster."

He looks at me, surprised. "You don't have to do that."

"I know I don't have too but I want too. Besides I'm sure you want to get out of here and see Jack." He looks at me again and reluctantly hands me a few pages and case files. We sit there in silence working for a little while. I decided to break the silence again. "So, how's Jack doing?"

He responds without missing a beat, "He's been doing fine.".

And that was it. Back to the silence of us just sitting there. I had always wanted to be closer with Hotch. I was friends with every other member of the team except for him. It had never seemed liked he wanted to be my friend. Which was hard for me to accept. I was the type of person who wanted everyone to like me and be my friend. I was brought out of my thoughts by Hotch talking to me.

"How have you been Natalie?".

I couldn't tell if he actually wanted to talk to me or was just being polite since I was helping him out with his work. "I've been doing okay, how about you?". He looked up from his paper work.

"I'm good. Tired of all this work."

We shared a small laugh and he smiled at me. He never smiled. I had only seen him smile around Jack and Haley. He hadn't smiled much since she died. "Well Hotchner it's been a long week."

"That it has, you didn't feel like going out with Emily tonight?"

How did he know about that? Could he just hear all of the conversations that happened down in the bull pen? I must of looked very confused because he laughed to himself before sitting up in his chair and saying, "Emily invited me and the rest of the team.".

I laugh a little myself before going "oh". "You didn't feel like going either?". He immediately went back to his Hotch face and just said "No, bars aren't really my scene."

"You and me both."I put my pen down and leaned back in my seat looking down at my watch, It was almost 9:15. I glance back up at Hotch to see him getting something out of his bottom desk drawer. He pulls out two glasses and a bottle of scotch.

"Would you like some Natalie?".