Scotch // Aaron Hotchner

Chapter twenty one

6 months later

"You really can't take off work for one day?"

"No, I can't."

"Fine I'll get someone else to go with me." I hung up the phone without saying goodbye and put my phone back into my bag. I turned around, getting ready to leave Penelope's office when I saw her and Emily standing there watching me. They both flash me an apologetic look but they don't say anything. "Can you guys stop looking at me like that?" I say and they both immediately look down to the floor. "It's fine, I can just get someone else to go with me."

"It still sucks Nat, I mean it is his wedding too."

"You're right, but he's not supposed to see my dress anyway so this works better. So are either are you free tomorrow?"

"I have to go out to lunch with Kevin's parents tomorrow." Penelope says while looking annoyed?

"Trouble with the in laws?" Emily teases. 

"They keep trying to get us to have grandchildren, we're not even married yet. Besides neither of us actually want kids."

"Ouch"

"Yea, anyways I'm sure Emily can go with you Nat."

She shakes her head, "I actually have plans tomorrow."

Penelope looks surprised, "Really? What?"

She laughs, "One, rude. Two, my mom needed help with something so I guess I'm going to help her out."

I raise an eyebrow at her, "JJ going too?"

She looks embarassed, "Yes, JJ's going."

Me and Penelope make eye contact but neither of us say anything. We both knew they were hooking up. Emily had told me but hadn't told Pen, but she figured it out. "I can ask someone else I guess, or maybe I'll just go by myself." I really didn't want to go by myself. I hated going to New York as it was but by myself was something else. Too many people and I was always super paranoid the entire time. I knew there was one other person I could ask but I didn't know if I was going too. 

I look at the clock on Penelope's laptop, "It's already 4:30. I better get started on some work if I want to get out of here at a reasonable time. I give both of them a hug, "I'll see you both on Monday." They say quick goodbyes and we all walk out Penelope's office together. They head out of the building while I turn around and head to my desk. I sit down and start to work on whatever files I had left. We had a bigger case this past week so I was really behind on my work. After a hour or two passed I noticed I was the only one left in the bullpen. I looked up to see Hotch sitting there in his office. I grabbed the two files I had left and walked myself up there. It had become kind of a habit on Fridays. Once everyone left I would go and hang out with Hotch till he was done with his work. 

I knocked quietly on the door waiting for his response. I hear a small, "Come in.". I walk in and sit down in front of his desk. Putting my files in front of me. I greet him by saying, "What's up, Boss man?"

He looks up at me with a small grin, "Boss Man?"

I shrug my shoulders, "Technically you are my boss and you are a man, so it fits."

He laughs a tiny bit, "If you say so." He pauses before saying, "What are your weekend plans?"

"Well I was actually hoping to talk to you about that. I have to go to New York tomorrow to pick up my wedding dress and I have some other errands to run. You know how much I hate going to New York and how much I hate going alone, so I was hoping you would go with me. It can be like a mini road trip."