It had been a week since the team had found out about Kevin cheating on Penelope. After the men cornering him and scaring him off into regions unknown, Derek and Rossi kept a close eye on Hotch and diverted Penelope when she looked like she was going in for the kill.

That was until Derek lost her,

"What do you mean you can't find her?" Rossi yelled into his phone.

"She was right in front of me! Then she ducked into a shop, I went in to look for her and the sales clerk said she took off out the back" Derek said as he drove around the mall parking lot looking for her car. "Drive by her house and see if she went there"

"Fine but if Hotch turns up dead or even technologically dead tomorrow I'm blaming you!" Rossi yelled and Derek grimaced and closed his phone. He sure hoped Penelope would go easy on the boss man, he didn't want the job.

Hotch was taking a shower when Rossi called to warn him that Penelope was on the loose. Hotch had quickly dressed and cleaned his house, he knew she would come. She was like a bull seeing red when someone went all Cave-Man like, over her.

Twenty minutes later he was pulling a Marie calendars lasagna out of the microwave and trying to light the candles on his sorry excuse for a breakfast bar , when he heard his door open and them slam… it's a good thing Jacks not home.

"Aaron Hotchner…" turning he smiled at her as she stormed into the room yelling and then promptly stopping when she saw the diner laid out. "Oh my what is this?"

"This is me making up for hitting Lynch." He took her by the hand and walked her over to a bar stool on the breakfast counter. "Sit, I didn't have much"

"Hotch, you really didn't have to.." she said and he could see the look of confusion on her face.

"No I really did" sitting down next to her he turned her so that he could see her face "Penelope, you are the light in our office, you make us all happy even in the darkest times, I could never tell you just how much we all owe you."

"Hotch.."

"No let me finish" he said and she nodded "When I found out that Lynch cheated on you I was livid. Even more so the Derek and we all know how protective he is of you"

Penelope laughed "true"

"I couldn't figure out why, until I hit him, and I realized that I would do anything for you, even if it means sitting at a distance and watching you with someone else, or hitting a boy friend because they didn't treat you the way you deserve to be treated. Like I said, you are the light in our team, and more importantly in my world. I am in love with you"

"Oh Aaron" she said and put a hand on his face.

He smiled and covered her hand with his "I don't know when it happened or how, but I can't live with out you here with me. I can't sit back anymore and watch you with anyone else"

Hotch wiped the tear away that had rolled down her cheek and kissed her , she didn't respond at first, but then suddenly he had her pinned against his God-Awful breakfast bar and was eagerly unbuttoning her blouse as she tried to pull his shirt over his head.

"HOTCH!" pulling back from her he growled, someone was pounding on his door and he was pissed.

"I'll be right back" he said and stomped towards the door, as he swung it open he almost laughed at the look Derek and Rossi's face "Go away, I am still alive and about to ravish the woman I'm in love with"

Both of the men out side his door laughed as he slammed it in their face. Taking a deep breath he let a grin slide over his face, Hitting Lynch was the best thing he'd done in ages.