As Penelope stepped onto the elevator the next evening, she managed to catch Strauss's eyes as she briskly walked towards her office. Without thinking, she raised her hand and waved to the woman, an easy smile on her lips. And then, their Section Chief was giving her a small wave in return, a tiny smile on her lips. In that moment, Penelope was struck by just how lovely she was, and that same flutter of butterflies came to life in her stomach once more. Shoving that feeling aside, she instead focused on the evening ahead. She had already placed their pizza order, and had made certain to get breadsticks and one of the dessert options as well, knowing that it was better to be overprepared, especially in this situation.
When she arrived at the pizza shop, her order was just being boxed, and she smiled at the good timing that she had had. After paying, she carried the boxes out to her car and placed them in her front seat before making the rest of the drive to Hotch's apartment. Though she didn't want to appear like she was creeping on him, she did choose to park in the empty spot next to his, since it was a familiar sight for her. Taking a deep breath, she got out of the car, slinging her purse across her body before picking up the boxes and heading into the apartment building.
It was a quiet ride up to his floor, since no one joined her, and Penelope used the opportunity to daydream about her future. She knew that she should be sad that she had Kevin had decided to take a break, but she found that that only allowed her to think about Aaron more. A very large part of her wanted to comfort him and to be free if he should ever look twice at her. Not that he probably would, not when he had beautiful women like Jessica in his life. Letting out a soft sigh, she stepped out of the elevator and made her way over to his apartment, and once outside his door, Penelope took a deep breath to steady herself, allowing a soft smile to grace her features as she knocked on it.
From behind the door, she could hear Jack's excited feet barrel towards the door, and a true grin split her lips as the door was yanked open. "Aunt Penelope! We've been waiting for you for forever!" he exclaimed as he waved her inside. "Dad said that we're going to eat in front of the television tonight, since it's a special occasion, and I got to choose the movie. I picked Wall•E! I wanted to watch both of the Narnia movies, but Dad said there wasn't enough time for that, since you and Aunt Jessica have to work tomorrow."
She giggled as she nodded, following him inside. Aaron took the boxes from her hands as he closed and locked the door. "He's right, unfortunately we do have to make money, Jackers. Perhaps if this had been a Friday, we could have watched those two movies. But this way, we can have something to look forward to in a few weeks."
He nodded a little before hugging her tightly. "I like the sound of that." He took hold of her hand and began to tug her over to the couch. Jessica was already sitting there, and she glanced up at them, giving her little wave as Jack plopped down next to her. "You have to sit with us, Aunt Penelope. Daddy can squeeze in next to you, don't worry!"
She lifted her eyebrows at Jessica, watching the other woman purse her lips together in an effort to keep from bursting out into a fit of giggles. "All right, Jackers," she said as she sat next to him, hoping that she had left enough room for Aaron.
"What's this? I have to sit on the end of the sofa?" Aaron asked as he carried in a stack of plates and napkins, setting them on the coffee table.
"Yes! And I want three pieces of pizza, Daddy, and soda!"
"One of those things is not happening," he archly replied, and Jack glowered at him. "And that pout will not get you anywhere."
"Fine. One piece and soda?"
"Yes. Start the movie up, and I'll get everything together for us."
Penelope rubbed Jack's arm before getting to her feet. "I'll help you, Hotch. That way we can both enjoy the movie sooner rather than later." He nodded, a quick look of relief passing over his face before he went over to the kitchen. She followed at his heels, humming quietly as she went. "I may have gone a little overboard, especially for just four of us, but it was an excuse to get cheesy bread and a dessert pizza. I'm sorry?"
"Don't be, this will feed us tomorrow night, too, so it will work out perfectly." He went over to the fridge and pulled out a two liter of cola. "I hope that you don't drink diet, because Jack is sensitive to artificial sweeteners."
"Regular will be fine for one night. Though I haven't drank soda in ages, unless it's mixed with rum. And seeing as how I have to drive home tonight, that is definitely not an option." He let out a little laugh, and she giggled along with him as she took the bottle from his outstretched hands. "I take it you're going to pour the soda in here?"
"I thought that would be for the best," he replied as he opened a cupboard and pulled out three glasses and a covered cup, filling them with ice before giving them to her. She set the bottle on table and opened it before pouring the soda. Once they were all full, she covered Jack's cup with its cover before grabbing them all and bringing them into the living room and setting them onto the coffee table. Aaron was right behind her with the boxes, and as he set them on the table, she took a seat and allowed Jack to cuddle in close to her as Jessica started the movie.
During the opening credits, Aaron served the food, save for the dessert pizza, and she tried to sigh as quietly as possible when he sank down into the sofa next to her. Still, she couldn't cover up the little squeak that escaped her lips when his thigh touched hers, and she felt the butterflies rise up in her stomach as he dropped his arm around her shoulders, unconsciously pulling her closer to his side as they focused on the movie.
It had been a while since she had taken time to watch a kid movie, but she found herself surprisingly engaged with the story being told, not commenting when Jack stretched himself out over her and Jessica's laps. Instead, she just started to drag her fingers through his hair, trying not to tug too hard. Still, by the end of the movie, Jack was fast asleep, and she sighed a little when he turned and cuddled in close to her. "Do you want me to move him?" Aaron murmured in her ear, and she shook her head.
"He's fine, and I want to finish the movie," she whispered in return, and he nodded as they turned their attention back to the last few minutes of the movie. When it was over, Jessica was the first to get to her feet, easily picking Jack up in her arms and carrying him out of the room. "He's so adorable, Aaron. How is he coping?"
"I don't think that he really understands that Haley is gone for good. I think that he's under the assumption that she was just hurt by Foyet, and that she'll come back when she's better. I've been trying to figure out how to get him to know that she's never coming back, and I'm coming up blank."
She nodded as she allowed her head to come to rest on his chest. "Please don't take this the wrong way, but have you thought about finding a therapist for him? I've heard that there are some really great ones out there that work with children for this sort of thing, and it might help him to come to terms with Haley's absence."
He nodded a little, not commenting on the fact that she was very much in his personal space. She tried not to feel awkward about thigs as she realized that it would not look very good if Jessica walked in at them like this, but then again, they were friends, and it wasn't like they were doing anything particularly untoward. "If you would like to research a good one for me, Penelope, I would very much appreciate that."
"Of course, and I'll send you that information as soon as I have it. But I should probably be headed out now. There's still some things I need to get finished tonight before I sleep."
She got to her feet, unsurprised to see that he did the same, guiding her to the door. "If you don't mind, I think that Jack might like having another movie night on Friday, and it will help him adjust to the fact that I'll be coming back to work the following Monday."
"So soon?"
"It has to be. I need to work, to fill the hours up with something besides thinking about Haley and how I failed her when she needed me most." His eyes were suddenly wet with unshed tears, and before she could stop herself, Penelope closed him in a tight hug. "I loved her, you know. And her last words to me were to tell me that I needed to find love again, to let Jack know that there is still good in this world. How can I do that when all I can see is the misery and despair that Foyet wrought."
"That's why you have friends, Aaron. We'll be here to help you find that sweetness and light in life once more." Turning her face, she kissed his cheek before stepping back and giving him a warm smile. "And if you need anything, at any time, don't hesitate to call. I probably keep the weirdest sleeping hours out of all of us, and I am always up for listening to my friends when they need to vent. Okay?"
"Okay," he replied softly, the look on his face so lost and sad. "Dave said that he'd listen to me, too."
"Good. We won't let anything drag you down into a quagmire, we'll make certain that you keep your promise to Haley," she whispered before turning and scurrying over to the stairwell, needing to escape his presence before she went and did something truly stupid. Still, she knew that it would take everything in her to get ready for Friday and her next time with him and Jack.
