Part 3
Aaron Hotchner had long ago changed out of his black fitted suit into a clean white under shirt and dark blue pajama bottoms. The thermostat was set to a comfortable temperature for late May. He felt at ease while he cradled his now slumbering five-year-old son, Jack, in his arms after Jack had read him a bedtime story. Jack had weeks ago insisted that on his last official day of Kindergarten, he should be able to stay up late and read the bedtime story. Aaron had not been able to decline the request.
However, two hours after Jack had fallen asleep and four hours since they had arrived home, Aaron was still awake. When he had uncharacteristically left work minutes after the jet had landed, he had attempted to vanquish thoughts of work. He had succeeded until Jack had fallen asleep.
He worried about the fate of his team. Although, he would not hold any of them back, he wished that the team could remain intact or as intact as it could with the loss of both Emily to death and JJ to the Pentagon. The Blackberry® ringing in his pocket interrupted his thoughts before they could turn darker.
He frowned when he noticed the phone number on the display was the small police station of the large gated community.
"Hotchner," He answered the phone without revealing the concern he felt.
His brow relayed his confusion when he heard his Technical Analyst answer him back.
"Aaron," She stated firmly and his eyebrow quirked upon hearing his first name. She only referred to him as such when she was either pissed or extremely happy. "You have got to bail me out of this."
"Bail you out of what?" He asked for clarification.
"Jail, of course." She replied snippety. "Why else would I be calling you in the early hours of the morning demanding to be bailed out?"
He rubbed a palm over his brow and left side of his face. He should be shocked, but he was not.
"Must I ask why you've been arrested?" He asked wearily.
"Being my lovely self," She replied.
"Garcia," He ordered her to explain by using only her last name.
"Hotch, seriously, I was being my lovely self. The neighborhood watchman," She paused and he heard a male muffled voice. She continued as she ignored that voice. "Fine, a Community Law Enforcement Officer took it upon himself to hand cuff me, and bring me to the Community Station."
"Garcia," He stated wearily before he again repeated part of his earlier question. "Must I ask?"
"He refuses to believe that I am a FBI Special Agent. Hotch, we both know that I am, btw I was coming to see you, mister I'll talk to you later, but not really."
Ah. It clicked in his mind that she must have looked suspicious in his neighborhood after midnight. She did not live in the area, which meant that her car would be unknown to the patrol that stopped every unknown car that came through the gate no matter the fact that one had to have a pass code to open it.
"Give me a few minutes and I'll be there." He answered.
"HDYK?" She asked surprised.
It was telling how much influence and interaction she had had with him the past few months, because he recognized what the acronym she had just sprouted meant 'How did you know?'
"Garcia." He stated in an authoritative tone.
"Right. Profiler. Got it." She replied before she hung up.
Aaron shook his head in disbelief as he gently lifted Jack higher into his arms before he stood from the comfortable position on the bed and proceeded to get the two of the ready to make the trip to the station located right within and to the side of the front gate.
Of all of the team that he thought he would have to bail out of jail, Penelope was next to last on his list. He would have never had suspected that it would be because she had said she was a FBI Agent. On the other hand, he would have suspected her getting arrested for hacking into classified information or stalking His Royal Highness, Prince William.
Occasionally Jack stirred in his arms; when Aaron would make quick movements, when he secured the front door and the security system, and when Jack was buckled into the backseat of the SUV directly behind the driver seat. Jack awoke from his peaceful slumber when the driver side passenger door was as quietly as possible closed. The SUV broke the tranquil silence. As Aaron backed out of the drive way and into the street, Jack spoke. "Where are we going daddy?"
"We are going to pick up Ms. Penelope, because she can't drive her car to our house."
Every bit of what he told Jack was the truth, however heavily veiled. He would not tell him that they were going to bail Penelope out of jail. If he could prevent from telling anyone, he would, however the Bureau would ultimately discover what had happened. He preferred it would be from him not only of the fact that he was her direct superior, but he wanted to protect her from unnecessary ridicule or gossip.
"Okay." Jack replied before he snuggled farther into the seat and closed his eyes as if he were trying to go back to asleep.
Without traffic or any other obstacles, the drive to the station was quick. Aaron parked, unbuckled his seat belt, and retrieved a drowsing Jack from his seat. As soon as he walked through the front entrance of the station, he heard her.
"Just you wait until the FBI BAU Unit Chief SSA Aaron Hotchner gets here. He'll tell you that I am not some insane psycho frump looking for trouble." She screeched at the two uniforms that flanked her chair where she sat seething with arms crossed.
Aaron said a silent prayer of thanks for the blessing that she was no longer handcuffed, because he had not yet thought of a veiled honest reason that he could tell Jack why she would be so.
"Ms. Pen'lpe!" Jack squealed thoroughly belaying the fact that he had minutes ago awakened from a sound sleep and then again from a slight doze.
"Jack!" Penelope responded in a surprised and embarrassed tone as she scanned the small station for him and his father. When she located them walking towards her, she stood from her seat which made the uniforms place their hands just above the skin of her upper arms as if readying to restrain her. Her eyes winced at the dark look that crossed his face, before he snapped a combination of the frozen attorney and interrogator masks of his that she had long ago jokingly nicknamed thus. However, nothing about his or her current demeanor called for any jokes whatsoever.
"Pardon me," Hotch stated authoritatively, which effectively got the two uniforms' attention.
"Agent Hotchner," The uniform that originally handcuffed Penelope greeted him and extended his right hand. Aaron shook the hand firmly as he balanced Jack on his hip.
"Officer," He greeted before he looked at Penelope and chose his words for the uniforms' to realize that they had made a mistake. "Garcia, I hope that you have not yet considered leaving the BAU. You are a valuable asset to the unit and irreplaceable in Jack and my life."
"She is actually a Special Agent?" Officer Smyth asked in a combination of outrage and disbelief.
Both Penelope and Aaron were prevented from retorting their response, because Jack had spoken even though he knew it was best for him to keep silent while the adults spoke. "Mister, Ms. Pen'lpe is the bestest 'puter Agent there ever is!"
The facetious support of a child had never meant more to her than at that moment.
