This is my first story so I want everyone to be brutally honest. If it sucks, tell me and tell what you think I'm doing wrong. If you like it, I will be greatly pleased.
Disclaimer: I own Nothing!!
This story is dedicated to JWynn. Thank you for the wonderful encouragement and the advice, I hope I did you proud!
It all started with chopsticks
Hotch couldn't remember the last time he laughed. Not 'laughed this hard' or even 'laughed like this,' but simply just… laughed. Being angry, helpless, cautious, grief ridden, guilty, brought to tears, and even so scared for his son that he killed a man with his bare hands, yes; but laughed? The team had talked him into going to their favorite Chinese restaurant where thy proceeded to, once again, try to teach their resident genius how to use a pair of chopsticks. And that was when it all started.
Reid had finally managed to pick up a single piece of sweet and sour shrimp with his chopsticks, but the closer he got the food to his face the more nervous he became and the tighter he squeezed. When he finally had the shrimp within biting distance, between the slipperiness of the sauce and the added pressure he was applying, the shrimp torpedoed from his chopsticks and hit Morgan, who had been in the process of taking his own bite of shrimp, right on the nose. That by its self wouldn't usually make Hotch laugh, but then Morgan just sat with a dumbstruck look on his face and proceeded to cross his eyes to get a look at his nose, at which point no one on the team, with the exception of Reid who was apologizing profusely, could hold in the laughter. As everyone started to calm down, Hotch took the time to really look at his team mates. They were all happy and relaxed and it made him realize that even though he had lost Haley, the only woman he ever loved and the mother of his child, that no matter what happened, his team, his family in a way, would always be there. Now he just had to learn to let them.
With Foyet gone and his son safe Hotch could finally get back to being Aaron and not just SSA Hotchner. He promised himself that he would be more open with the people in his life and not the coldly detached man he had had to become for the last several months. With this decided Hotch joined his team in making jokes at Morgan and Reid and just enjoying himself for the rest of the evening.
Emily couldn't stop laughing at Derek and Spencer; the looks on both of their faces were priceless, and she used the camera on her phone to prove it! So while Spencer was trying to help Derek wipe up the sweet and sour sauce off his nose, Emily took a look at her makeshift family. Rossi was trying to not to snicker at Derek and Spencer as Derek forbade Spencer from ever using chopsticks in his vicinity again, which Spencer replied with a defensive "I didn't want to try using them in the first place!". Garcia and JJ had had the same idea as her and were giggling while making plans for the pictures they had taken with their own phones. And Hotch… Hotch was actually smiling and enjoying the laughter, something Emily hadn't seen since, well she didn't know if she had ever seen that, but it was a nice change from the seriousness that had encompassed him these last few months. She was starting to worry that Hotch may never recover from what Foyet had put him and his family through, but the joy on his face and the softness of his eyes in that moment gave her great hope that he was in the process of healing his broken parts. Emily promised herself that she would do everything and anything she could to help Hotch, even if it was something as small as sitting next to him for silent support or babysitting Jack so he could get some extra work done. Whatever he may need she just wanted to keep him from going back behind that impenetrable wall he'd built around himself. She liked this happy Hotch.
So with their new goals in mind Hotch and Emily and the rest of the team finished off their diner with laughter and light conversation then headed their separate ways back home to get some much needed rest.
Please Review!!