"Every time I come in here Boss man, you got some smooth R&B playing", Penelope said. "I'm no profiler, but…"

"Is there something you need Garcia?" Hotch said, trying to hide a smile.

"Oh. Right. Yes, um, we're ready at the round table, Sir", Garcia said.

"I'll be right in", Hotch said. He took out his remote and let the last strings of Brian McKnight's 'Crazy Love' finish playing before he cut it off. Smiling, he headed to the round table.

"Again?" Morgan said, whispered with Garcia. "When I was in his office, I swore I heard Boyz II Men in background."

"That's nothing", Reid said. "I distinctively heard Nas playing when I went in before. I know because Morgan made me commit his album Illmatic to memory."

"Shh, here he comes", Rossi said, as Hotch walked through the door.

"Go ahead Garcia", Hotch said. After Garcia presented the case and the team packed up, Rossi snuck into Hotch's office to have a peek. His best friend was changing and he needed to know why.

He went into the office and turned on the radio. A R&B station started playing over the speakers.

"Hmm" Rossi said. "New music." He wandered around the office for a moment more. "New cologne too." He saw Hotch heading his way and ducked in the corner behind the potted plant. He listened as his friend's phone rang.

"Hotchner", he said. Immediately his tone lightened and his smile was wide.

"And how are you?" Hotch said, sitting on the corner of his desk.

"I miss you too", he said, smiling into the phone. "This shouldn't take long. Simple case; only a state away. Jessica has Jack, so I was thinking…" Hotch had a knock on his door and Morgan walked in.

"We're all ready, just waiting on you and Rossi", Morgan said.

"OK, be right there", Hotch said. Morgan closed the door softly as Hotch continued his call.

"You'll meet them soon enough. Right now, I just want it to be us. Even just me you and Jack. It's amazing how good you are with him", he said smiling until he looked at his watch.

"I really got to go", Hotch said. He paused for moment.

"I might be late", Hotch said. "No matter what time?"

Rossi smiled as he listened on.

"Then it's a date", Hotch said. "OK, bye then." Hotch closed his cell phone, grabbed his briefcase and headed out his office.

"So a new love, huh?" Rossi said, stepping from behind the plant. "Oh this should be good."

Rossi was the last to step on the plane. Hotch looked up suspiciously.

"Where were you?" Hotch said.

"Doing some last minute detective work", Rossi said, winking at him. Hotch furrowed his eyebrows and went back to his folder.

12 hours later, as the team touched down, heading back into the building, Hotch called everyone's attention.

"Hey", Rossi said to Reid. "I bet you Hotch is going to tell us to go home and leave the paperwork until tomorrow."

"You're on", Reid said. "He's been riding us about that lately; he's not going to let up now."

"Hey everybody", Hotch said, looking at his watch. "It's been a long day. Why don't we leave the paperwork until tomorrow?"

"Are you sure, Hotch?" Morgan said, with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah", she said. "We could all use a break. And no one in tomorrow until 10."

"10?" Penelope said. "Wow, Hotch never let's us sleep in. What's gotten into him?"

"More like what has he gotten into?" Rossi said under his breath as he watched Hotch leave.

"OK , Old Man", Morgan said. "What are you not telling us?"

"Yeah, what gives?" JJ said.

"Let's just say, there is someone new taking up Hotch's time", Rossi said.

"Who?" Reid said.

"I wish I knew. I only got bits and pieces when I was listening in", Rossi said.

"So that's what you were doing?" Penelope said. "Did you find out anything juicy?"

"I wish. All I know is that she knows Jack and is good with him, she's influencing his musical tastes and is willing to wait up for him when comes in very late", Rossi said.

"Well alright Boss Man!" Morgan said. "It's about time. He needs some fun."


Hotch stood outside her apartment door and shook the rain off of his coat. He raised his fist to knock, but the door opened almost immediately.

"How did you know I was here?" he said, embracing her.

"I saw the shadow as I walked to the kitchen", the woman said. Hotch stood against the inside door and looked at her. She stood about 5'6, with a thicker build and chocolate skin. She had medium curly hair and bright eyes that she frequently hid behind wire rim glasses. Her smile lit up a room and she was putting fresh roses in a vase.

"You didn't have to send these", she said.

"I wanted too. I wanted to show you just how much you mean to me", Hotch said. He nuzzled her neck. "You've really turned my life upside down, Tia."

Tia giggled as he kissed her neck. "So have you. Who'd imagine me with a…"

"A White boy", Hotch said, laughing.

"I was going to say FBI agent", she said with a smirk. "But we'll go with that too."

He grabbed a pillow from the sofa and tossed it at her.

"Hey!" she said. "I don't see color. Heck, my first celebrity crush was Kermit the Frog."

"So now I gotta be green?" Hotch said, holding her from the back.

"Nope", Tia said. "You're actually blue, black and red."

"I'm confused", Hotch said.

"Blue for Thor, because you're so mighty", she said, kissing his nose as she pushed him down on the sofa. Black for Batman, my dark night defender, and red for Spider-man."

"Spider-man?" Hotch said, snaking his arms around her waist.

"Oh yeah", she said. "You do know your hands go everywhere, right?"

"I'll show you everywhere", Hotch said, capturing her lips with his.


At 10 o'clock, Hotch walked in and went to his office.

"He's wearing a turtle neck", Reid said.

"Hotch doesn't wear turtle necks", Morgan said.

"I know what I saw", Reid said.

Rossi waited for Hotch to sit at his desk. "Are you going to tell me, or am I going to have to blackmail you?" he asked, walking in.

"What? You got nothing on me", Hotch said, and then laughed at his own joke.

"OK, she's gotta be special. She's got you cracking jokes. Who is she?"

Hotch sighed. "You not going to let this go, are you?""

"Not a chance", Rossi said.

Hotch got up and closed his door. "This stays between you and me."

"Maybe", Rossi said, smiling.

"Her name is Tia. She's an administrator at Jack's school. We met at the teacher/student function. The overhead was playing the Temptations and I was humming along. She made a comment about me having great taste in music and well, we kinda spent the whole evening talking."

"OK", Rossi said. "What does she look like?"

"She's short, about 5'6, kinda fuller figured, not really skinny and…"

"Black?" Rossi said.

"How'd you…"

"Lucky guess", Rossi said smiling. "Good for you, Aaron. You deserve some happiness. How long have you guys been seeing each other?"

"About three months now", he said. "I was trying to think of a good way to introduce her to the team. What do you think?"

"I think I may have an idea", Rossi said, grabbing his phone.


* More soon guys. We meet Tia and Hotch in their element. Stay tuned!*