Scotch // Aaron Hotchner

Chapter fourteen

Months passed and me and Aaron kept dating. We continued with our little secret dates and spending the night in each others hotel rooms. I even had started keeping some of my clothes at his house and he even kept a spare suit at mine. It was going great except for the fact that he kept making excuses on why I couldn't meet Jack. I would ask and he would make an excuse like, "he's at a friends" or "maybe later".  It hurt that he didn't want me to meet Jack but I figured maybe he had a reason he wasn't telling me. I tried to ignore it as we were working on our most recent case but I just couldn't. 

I sighed and closed the file I had open. I leaned back in my chair and just closed my eyes. We were dealing with a sexual sadist and we couldn't figure out the abduction sights of the victims. Once we figured that out we had a better chance of catching him but until then we really had nothing. I mean we could wait until another body but we really didn't want that to happen. I was distracted which wasn't the best but I was trying my hardest. Rossi noticed and so did Emily but they didn't say anything. Me and Emily had been fighting for the past month. She was upset that I was hiding something from her and I was upset that she couldn't just respect my privacy. So we hadn't really talked to each other outside of work in about two weeks. 

The team could sense something was off between us but as with most personal issues they ignored it. I really wish we wouldn't sometimes. I did it too but I was trying not too as much. I was pulled out of my thoughts by JJ and Reid talking to me. 

"Earth to Natalie."

I sit up and open my eyes. "I'm sorry guys I zoned out, what did you need?"

They laugh a little bit, "We were just wondering if you had come up with anything"

"I haven't, sorry."

JJ looked over at me, "It's ok. I think everyone's a bit distracted."

"I guess, what's distracting you?". She just shrugged her shoulders but I saw her look up and look over to Emily. I had been telling Emily that they would be a great couple for years but we all kind of gave up on it when she married Will. Me and Reid exchanged a glance but neither of us said a word.  I went back to looking through files and the victims routes when I got a text from Hotch. I open it to see he texted me, "My hotel room later?". He and Rossi had gone to one of the victims home's which was two hours away so I hadn't really seen him all day. I text back, "Miss me?"

I put my phone down only for a second before it went off again. "I do"

"Then I'll see you later." I put my phone face down and go back to the file. I had to get something before I left today. I kept thinking to myself, how do you abduct somebody without any trace? Well obviously there couldn't be cameras or any place that would leave a witness. They ruled out a lot of places automatically. But without any witness's at all? I couldn't figure it out. "Reid, did any of the victims visit any of the same places on the days they were taken?"

"No, completely opposite schedules actually. The closest I have is they both went to a gas station. But two different gas stations on two different sides of town, and they both have security cameras that show the victims leaving just fine."

I groan in frustration, "I can't figure this out for the life of me."

"Maybe Hotch and Rossi will have answers when they get back."

"Maybe, I'm going to get coffee. Does anyone want some?"

"Me." JJ and Reid both said replying at the same time.

I laugh and get up and head over to the coffee pot. I start brewing some and I sit there just waiting. I bring the coffee back over to my friends and the day continues to progress as slowly as it did before. Hotch and Rossi eventually make it back with no new information to add so we get to go back to the hotel a little early. I chilled in my room for about 30 minutes before I decided to go to Aarons room and visit. I walk down the hallway and knock on the door. He answers pretty quickly.