I would just like to point out that East City Bookshop, along with many other places in this story, do actually exist. However as I live in England I have never been to them, and am having to use Google Maps to find most of these places and work out how long it would take to get from A to B. I hope it makes sense, please let me know if something isn't /

This isn't beta-read so there are bound to be a few mistakes, my sincere apologies for those. Enjoy :) xx

Chapter One

Aaron Hotchner hated shopping. Because he never felt like he was in control. No matter how well he planned, the second he stepped out of his car he would be swept up in the drama that was humanity. It wasn't that Aaron didn't like people, despite what many may have thought about him he was a social creature, but the profiler wouldn't, or perhaps couldn't, be turned off so he always found himself trying to 'read' everyone around him and second guessing their moves and intentions.

It was exhausting.

Which was how he found himself, somewhat ironically, standing in the true-crime section of a small bookshop, trying to ignore the name of his colleague, mentor, and long-time friend. With a small groan he turned away from the familiar looking books. Aaron looked across the store, trying to find some kind of inspiration.

"…glanced through every suggestion on your list and none of them grabbed me."

Ears pricking up by unintentionally listening in on a conversation Aaron quickly sought out the speaker, a young-looking woman on the other side of the store. Her dark hair was held up in a bun with a couple of pens and she was wearing a dark green jumper and a pair od faded jeans. He noted the phone held up to her ear and could not help but grin at her next sentence.

"Well I'm sorry Chuck, not everyone is thrilled with applied mathematics."

The woman shut the phone a little too harshly and huffed out a sigh, staring at the bookshelf in front of her, rubbing her temple absently. In a move completely out of character for him he picked up a book and walked over to her. "You might find this a bit more interesting."

The woman glanced up at him with a startled look before seeing what he was holding. "You think so?"

Aaron bit the inside of his cheek to try and contain a smile. "Call it a hunch."

He expected a raised eyebrow, so was shocked when she shrugged and plucked the book out of his hand. "Why not. Thank you."

She flashed him a smile before walking away, leaving Aaron feeling a little stunned. On autopilot he picked up the book closest to him before heading over to the children's section to get something for Jack. It was only when he was about to hand the books over to the cashier that one of them was taken out of his hand and replaced with another. He turned around with a confused look, only to see the woman smirking at him.

"Call it a hunch."

With that she turned to walk out of the store, pausing at the door.

"And it's already paid for."

With that she was gone. Aaron blinked.

What just happened?