A.N.- Hey! I am so sorry I totally flaked on this story! Hopefully I can devote more time to it. I hope you like this one! Thanks for reading!


Chapter Five

"Sometimes the heart sees what is invisible to the eye."- H. Jackson Brown Jr.

Aaron was in his office, and Penelope could finally take a breath. It was easy when the others were here to keep her mind off of Hotch, but now it will be just him, and she was nervous, knowing there was a strong possibility for embarrassment.

Surprisingly, she spent the first day and a half in her office without any interference, and sexy bosses lurking over her shoulder. She didn't like blocking herself off, but it was better this way. Being near him distracts her, and these victims needs her full attention.

After lunch, she caught up with Spencer, who was working on his theories. If you consider a nutty bar "lunch", that is. She got to work, talking to Spencer about the link between the locations, and Hotch knocked on her door. After hanging up with Spencer, she turned to him. "Sir? Is there something you need?" He closed the door behind him, and she got to her feet, wondering if something was seriously wrong.

"I was wondering, and feel free to say no, but would you mind if I encroached on your space? I hate sitting in that office and not feeling like I'm part of this. You know what I mean?" He asked, and Penelope nodded. She was well aware how it felt every time they took the jet and flew off to some crazy location to deal with an Unsub while she was stuck in her small office, Skyping or calling in her findings.

"Sure. Give me a minute to clear a side for you. You can work with me and join me on Skype. Go grab your stuff." Aaron had a big smile, and with a grateful look he walked out and grabbed his things. Her desk wasn't "messy", but she had a few things scattered around. She grabbed her folders from her desk and when it was ready, she took a shaky breath. Why did she agree to this again? Is she that much of an idiot? Or was she that desperate? Okay maybe a little desperate, but this will only end in tears.

A few minutes later, he knocked and opened the door. Putting his tablet and other papers and pens on the desk, he sat down. She felt her heart skipping, but she gave him a grin and got to work. Having Hotch in here was much different than having Gideon in here that one time. Sure, she's had JJ and Spencer stay in there before, they just sat and watched what Garcia had done, but she can see that Hotchner had fully intended to do his work.

They sat in silence for an hour, completely in the zone. It was actually nice to have him there, albeit pretty distracting. "Hmm..." she thought out loud. Aaron looked up, his pencil still in his hand and the file still open.

"What is it, Garcia?" She jumped, momentarily forgetting he was there and went back to quickly typing on her keys. "Well, sir, I looked into their social media and after looking through everything, and it seems I can't find a link to anything that crosses each other's paths. I did find one thing, however," she tapped wildly on her computer, and Aaron looked over her shoulder, checking as well.

"Yeah, what's that, Penelope?" he asked near her ear. Gulping, she tried to focus on the screen and not the cologne that was wafting to her brain. He smelled of cinnamon, honey and coffee, and she felt her mind explode for a second. Shaking herself out of it, she held her breath.

"Every single one of them rented a house. Not an apartment, but a house. All in different areas around the city, of course, but that seems a little strange." Aaron nodded, and called Morgan on Skype.

While they were waiting for it to patch through, Aaron scooted his chair closer to Penelope to be in the shot. "Yes, we should definitely look into that. I can bet that renting a house like that has little to no security alarms in every house." Suddenly, Prentiss was on the screen instead of Morgan.

"Hello, Garcia! What do you got?" Relaying the information, Morgan walked up to Prentiss, and grabbed the phone from her.

"On this end, Reid is trying to determine what they were stabbed with, and so far we found out from the families that they all were recently engaged. When you called I was just talking to another officer, and they told us there was another body that they discovered. This was a blonde, however, so we need to see if this is the same unsub," he said, tiredly.

"So could there be partners?" Aaron asked, writing some of the notes in his notebook. "I doubt it, but when we check the body we'll know more. I'll call you soon with some details." With that, he cut the connection, and Penelope turned to Aaron.

"So what do you think, sir? Partners?" Aaron looked at the screen, his eyes staring blankly ahead and he minutely shook his head. "No, I don't think so, either, but we'll know more soon."

Nodding, she began typing once again. They worked for another hour in silence, when she heard his pen tap against the table. Glancing over, he was looking at her, but more like through her. She turned and smiled, waiting for him to see her again.

"So what is Jack gonna be for Halloween?" she asked, trying to think of happy things. Aaron moved his chair a little farther back than it was, and gave her a crooked grin. "I let him choose and of course can't decide. He wants to be a pirate, a zombie or a dragon."

"What? What happened to the cute costumes like a bunny or Woody from Toy Story? Is he really getting that big?" she wondered aloud. Hotch shook his head, and smiled wistfully.

"That's how it goes. You think there is all this time and before you know it..."

Penelope stuck her lip out and pouted. Aaron looked at her, and the look in his dark eyes sent a shiver down her spine. Her mind was playing tricks on her, because she swore she could have seen desire in his chestnut eyes.

Trying to clear her mind out of the haze of just seeing that look on his face, she needed to get back on track before it got awkward. "So, uh what is his favorite? Has he said what he is leaning towards?"

Aaron swallowed thickly and looked down, his eyebrows drawn together. "Uh, um... I think he wants to be a dragon, but I can't sew worth a damn and there aren't many scary looking dragons. The ones out there are cutesie and cartoony, and he wants to look like a 'real' dragon," he said glumly.

Shrugging, he grabbed his pen and got to work. Penelope thought about it, and she smiled. "If you want, I can try to make the dragon costume for him. I sew and I have worked as a seamstress in the theatre, so I can try to make one for him. I used to make all of my own costumes growing up," she told him.

Aaron looked at her, surprised, and he shook his head. "No, I can't ask that of you. We have work and Halloween is a less than a few days away, which I know is not even close to the amount of time it would take, and not to mention you just got back! Thanks for the offer, but no!" Aaron said adamantly.

Scoffing, she waved a hand and shook her head. "Seriously, it's fine! Please! I can get it done, I know it! If mini-Hotch wants to be a dragon than a dragon he shall be! Besides, sewing can be relaxing to some people, you know," she said, hoping to convince him. He narrowed his eyes and smirked.

"Is it relaxing for you, Garcia?" he asked, scrutinizing her.

"Not at all." She rapidly shook her head and smirked. He laughed loudly, and she giggled seeing that. He rarely laughs, so she finds such joy in these small moments.

"But- but I have nothing to do once I go home or I wait for the team to call and ask me to look something up for them. If you are that worried you can buy his second choice and if I can't get it done you can stick him in that. Just let me try. Please?" she asked sweetly. He looked into her eyes, and a small smile popped up before it vanished.

"Like I can ever say no to you, Penelope. Thank you, I would really appreciate it." Excited, she clapped her hands together and danced a little in her seat.

"Okay, we are gonna call him and ask what he wants. This is gonna be amazing!" she exclaimed. Aaron nodded, smiling, and started to dial the number.

After the phone call, which they found out from Jack he wanted to be a "fire breathing dragon"- they got back to work. It was starting to get late when she heard his stomach rumble loudly in the quiet room. Looking over, she giggled, and raised an eyebrow. He was blushing a dark scarlet and he laughed, holding his stomach.

Grinning, she leaned back against her chair, and got up. Stretching, she moved her arms behind her head and stretched. She should be starving, but him being in there was causing her stomach to be all knotted up and choking the little butterflies in her stomach. "Be right back," she said and left.

Coming back inside, she noticed that his neck tie was much more loose and his top few buttons were undone. His hair, although sort of short was sticking in different directions from him running a hand through his hair.

He was so fucking gorgeous she almost fell over. He looked like he just rolled out of bed and she had never seen someone so delicious. Swallowing thickly, she slowly walked into the room, and closed the door. Almost everyone else in the office was gone, but it was good to make sure someone wasn't going to come in and give her some more files to go through.

Walking back to her seat, Aaron's eyes were closed, his forearm resting against his eyes. When she sat down, he looked up and smiled. Rubbing the exhaustion from his eyes, he looked to see what she had in her hands.

"Here you can pick, or are you going home to eat?" she asked, secretly hoping he was staying. Holding out the menus to view, she sighed, and closed her eyes for a moment. She suddenly realized how selfish that sounded in her head, and she mentally scolded herself. He needed to spend as much time at home as he can.

"Actually, I may stay a little bit longer. Jack's aunt didn't mind watching him late tonight," he said. Letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding, she handed him the menus. Glancing down, he handed her the ones he didn't want, and looked up at her, his eyes glimmered against the computer screen next to him. When he handed her that one to look at, she figured she would get her usual, and was happy with his choice in take-out.

When they finished eating, they stopped to talk a little longer after, talking about nothing and everything. For a long while, all work ceased to the back of their minds and they just focused selfishly on each other. It was a great day, but a quick glance to the clock was the moment they broke out of their bubble. It was a lot later than they intended to stay, and Aaron's scowl was a tell tale sign he didn't like how late it had gotten.

"Whoa, it's late. I have to head back. I will be here right away in the morning. If they get a hold of you first, keep me posted. Thanks for letting me stay here, Penelope." Rubbing his eyes, he smiled a brilliant toothy grin at her, and her heart fluttered. She was exhausted, and seeing the bags under his eyes, he was the same.

Grabbing his files, and the trash from their food, he tried to open the door with his hands full. Seeing he needed assistance, she got up, and stood right next to him. "Goodnight. Oh! Here, Hotch, let me help."

Grabbing the door handle, Penelope froze when his hand reached again at the same time, and their hands grazed one another. Surprised, they both gasped and retreated their hands back like they were on fire. Garcia glanced up, and saw how close he was.

Shocked, she snapped her hand down, bracing herself from the fact she was so close. Her arm hit his files, and they began to fly out of his hand. She shrieked, and with quick and quite surprising reflexes, she grabbed the papers before they fell out of their folders and had it clamped tightly.

Too afraid she was going to drop them still, she froze in place, looking at him. Hotch had his hands on the other side of the folder, his face even closer than it was before. Parting her lips, she felt like she was going to pass out. Slowly, ever so slowly, they stood straight up, and Garcia let go of the folders once he seemed to have control over them. She waited for him to move, but he didn't.

His olive skin and dark eyes, he looked like something out of a smutty novel. Well, probably more like a smutty computer programmer novel. Do they make those? She didn't know, and as much as she wanted to think on that and research that at her computer, his eyes were sending her into a trance. Gazing into his mahogany eyes, it melted her brain, but she was okay with that. If that is how she had to go out of this world she wouldn't care. She knew she was impossibly wrong, but she could have sworn what was brewing behind those eyes was want.

His breathing picked up more than before, and so did hers. He was a couple inches away from her heated skin, and she swore she could see him lean the tiniest bit closer. Mouth drying with every second, she moved closer as well. Closing his eyes, he closed the distance, his lips just barely grazing hers.

Her mind exploded, and she had never wanted someone so much in her entire existence. This was something her dirty mind usually conjured up, not something that actually happened. God, she wanted him, just a simple graze of his lips sent her into a lust-fueled haze.

Just about to lean in again, a shrill sound in the background broke up the moment. It was his cellphone, and looking away, he took a shaky breath before grabbing his cellphone. "H-hey, excuse me. Yeah, I just have a frog in my throat," he explained in a deep husky voice over the phone. Clearing his throat, he stood straight up once again, and his voice seemed to even out.

"Yeah. Uh-huh, yeah I'll be right there. Okay, sorry again." Hanging up, he looked over, and awkwardly held up his cellphone. "Yeah, that was Jack's Aunt. She has to get home, and I have to go. I-I'm sorry. I'll see you first thing in the morning. Goodnight, Penelope." Looking like he was about to say something else, he muttered an apology and wouldn't meet her eyes.

Before she could respond, he ducked out of the office and Garcia let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. Resting her head on the now closed door, she took deep breaths, and clutched her thundering heart.

Going home that night, she couldn't sleep, wondering what that meant. She started to work on the dragon costume, and it was a lot easier since she had to make one before. Once she finished cutting the pieces, she pulled out the sewing machine.

She hoped everything would be okay tomorrow, but the blush on her face every time she thought of those lips was proof how hard it was going to be to act professional. They weren't supposed to have inter-office relationships, but she didn't think that would be the problem. She didn't believe he liked her before that, so it may have been an in-the-moment type of kiss.

Did he even realize what he was doing? Maybe he was just lonely. She wasn't sure that could be it, though. Why go for someone who was at work and certainly not the prettiest, and granted, yes she was pretty, but her co-workers were so beautiful they could be in magazines. Hell, she could even see the Rossi in a cigar quarterly magazine.

It just didn't make sense what happened that night. It was something she least expected and that sent her on edge. Maybe he was just looking for something that he knew would never amount to much. Could she really just be a fuck-buddy to Aaron Hotchner? Maybe it was okay for Emily to do that, but she didn't think she could handle something like that.

She decided that she would wait to see what he had to say the next day, and go from there. It was too difficult to determine what she would do if she didn't even know what that was really about. Not to mention, she had enough on her plate just trying to get back to her old self, not trying to figure out the inner workings of her sexy boss.

The next day, she got to work early, and Aaron was already set up in her office, much to her surprise. Now that she thought of it, she should have realized he would have been back since he had asked her yesterday.

Sitting down, he said nothing as they got to work. When the others had called and updated them, there was nothing new on their end. Since she didn't have much to look up at the moment, Garcia pulled out the costume and got to work. She talked about the case, and about the costume, but that was all. He did the same, but she could see he was working on multiple cases, while she just had her single one. He was doing five consultations and evaluations while the team was away, and it was apparent how stressed he was.

Later, when Aaron went home, Garcia left a little later than him. She got more work done, but every possible second went to making the costume. Luckily, she finished the base, and now she needed to work on the accessories.

She stayed up for a few more hours to get as much as she could done. The next day was Halloween, and the team still had no updates. She hoped it would change today.

Getting into work, Aaron was sitting in his usual spot in her office, and she cleared her throat. Looking over, he turned his chair around and smiled. "Good morning. Get any sleep?"

Penelope gave a sly smile, and readjusted her glasses on her face. "Sleep is for the weak. I have in my hands the one thing in this entire universe your son desires most! To become a dragon!" she said proudly. Aaron laughed, and shook his head.

Taking it out, she showed it to Aaron, who's jaw dropped. "Penelope, that looks incredible! The fact that you could pull that off that fast it's... He's going to love it! You went above and beyond, really. Thank you," he said in awe.

She shrugged, and she could feel the blush color her cheeks. He walked up to her, and hugged her tightly. She felt her heart pounding, and she could feel this heat between them, that felt like it was going to ignite her on fire. Pulling away, his strong arms moved to her upper arms, and she tried to ignore it but his touch was making all of her hairs stand on end.

Burying his face in her hair, she closed her eyes, and just relished the feeling of what it would be like to be in his arms. "You don't know what this means to me," he mumbled in her hair. She felt his taut muscles on his back, and may have slid her hands against them. That was worth ten dragon costumes.

The work phone rang, and Aaron sighed, and backed away. Turning quickly, he smiled slyly at her, before sitting down and answering the call. It was the team, and they had gotten something and they will update soon.

After a couple of hours they called back. It turned out that it was confirmed that the latest attack was their Unsub, but this one was a lot different than the others. The woman was raped, and stabbed over seventy times. There were only two words written out like the start of the quote before the Unsub quit. He must have been interrupted. The change in hairstyle didn't make sense, and they all scratched their heads, confused.

After hanging up, Penelope did some digging into Claire Jacobs and found the missing piece. Dialing up Morgan, she smirked hearing his smooth velvety voice over the phone. "Say something dirty to me, Garcia. We're all alone, now," he said huskily. She could hear his voice was as thick as always, but she knew he was joking.

"Yes, my tall cup of hot cocoa, but alas I am not. Okay, so I called because I have looked into her squeaky clean past, and looked into her Facebook profile. She had always had the same type of curly auburn brown hair, but just the other day, she changed it. I just got off the phone with her hairstylist confirming she came in to change it. Also, she had been applying for a loan on a different house, so she could buy instead of rent, and all of the rest of the women had as well prior to their attacks. I needed to confirm this to be sure."

Aaron scowled, listening to it. He seemed upset, and wouldn't meet her eyes. "Morgan, go grab everyone and be ready. We'll look up the people they would have contact with and get back to you," Hotch said gruffly.

"Sure thing, Hotch. We have to meet with her family to get more intel anyways. Thanks, Baby Girl! You are the best. Your sexy brain does something to me, Baby G. Whew is it gettin' hot in here?" Morgan said, his voice light. Smiling, she hung up, and looked at the workers at the bank.

They all went to apply at the same bank, but they all had someone different handling their loans. Aaron leaned over her shoulder, and his warm breath was tickling the hairs on the back of her neck. She felt a tingle run down her spine and she shuddered. "Cold, Penelope?" She froze, and turned her head slightly, seeing him in the corner of her eye.

Hair down in soft curls with a purple headband, she could see his chocolate eyes on her, looking her up and down. "A little, but I'm fine," she croaked. Her mouth had suddenly become dry. She had on a sleeveless blouse, and a flowy silk skirt and she usually grabbed a sweater since her office runs cold but forgot to grab one.

Aaron took off his suit coat, and wrapped it around her shoulders. Shocked at the sudden heat, she turned around, facing him. He smiled, and looked down for a moment, not looking at her eyes at first, but at her small amount of cleavage exposed. At least that is what it looked like, but he probably didn't want to seem awkward about it. Right? Confused, she clutched it tighter against her shoulders. "Thank you," she said softly.

As much as she wanted to figure out that night, she didn't want to start it. She figured he would say when he was ready. In the meantime, she still had a job to do. Looking back to the screens ahead of her, she started digging into each of the workers to see if they matched the profile.

Instead of Aaron looking over her shoulder, he pulled up a seat directly next to her and she felt it was worse than him over her like that. Now she can feel him, his heat and skin was so close to hers, now. She could see his beautiful face in her periphery, and it took all the strength she had not to turn to him and kiss him.

After a couple of hours of digging into each of their pasts, she was positive she was getting close. The tension in the small office was palpable, and she could see half the time he was staring at her instead of the screens. Aaron sighed, and looked down, unsure of something.

"Penelope," he started, but before he finished, she gasped. Reading a background on George Carrey, the bank owner that just started as owner after his father passed down the business to him, and from the amount of times he was in trouble as a kid, has a lot of Daddy-issues, apparently. He had a few arrests on assault on women around the area, but they were somehow swept under the rug, and he fit the profile to a T.

Aaron had relayed the information to the others, and Aaron and Penelope were kept on the phone as they set out to arrest him at the office. He wasn't there, so Garcia looked to see if there were any females matching the description in the area that lived in rented houses, with no security systems (which didn't change much of the criteria, but it helped) and she told them the location that came up.

Racing down there, they waited with baited breath for the confrontation. Aaron was tense, his hands fidgeting and his leg bounced up and down. Garcia, with her squishy ball in her hand, handed him one, before grabbing one for herself.

Squeezing it softly in his hand, he gave a lopsided grin and squeezed the ball until it turned translucent against his tanned skin. "I don't know how you do this Garcia. I can't just sit here while the team goes off into these dangerous situations!" he snapped. His body was as tense as a drum, his eyes boring holes into the phone like it will reveal his team and family are okay any second.

Watching him closely, slowly letting her eyes scan him up and down, she made a sound like a sigh, but it sounded too breathy. It stirred something in him. She nodded, sadly and went to her lowest drawer, and revealed a stuffed animal. "This calls for the big guns, Hotch." Handing him the stuffed animal, she giggled silently and took the squishy ball from his stone like hands. Looking at the stuffed animal, it looked to be an old raggedy brown puppy.

One of its eyes were missing, and there were quite a few thick black stitches covering the worn and loved dog. Raising an eyebrow, he held it up, knowing she would understand to explain herself. Looking sheepish, she shrugged. "You have no idea how hard it is when you hear over the intercom a loud crash and silence or worse, their screams. They never answer me, so I have to wait and I am usually the last to know if someone doesn't make it or ends up hospitalized. I pull the puppy out and it calms me until I hear the news. Stupid, but it works."

He looked at the dog in his hands, and even though he didn't believe that this would help him, he knew she was telling the truth. It was weird, but adorable and he wouldn't expect nothing less out of Penelope Garcia. Smiling, he gave a curt nod and a shrug. "Thanks, Garcia." Smirking, she grabbed a new squishy ball, and started squeezing it tightly. If he was honest, he would have much more preferred her sitting on his lap and cuddling her, but he supposed for now the dog would do.

"We are ready to move." They heard a man's voice over the phone and Hotch held his breath. Looking at how much the guy had to lose, he knew he wouldn't go quietly. Once they entered the home, they could hear bits and pieces of the action, but nothing definitive they could make out. Garcia glanced at him, and looked back at the phone with a shaky breath.

Gunfire was heard, but no voices rang through. Garcia whimpered, and without thinking, he reached over and grabbed her hand, trying to give her a small amount of comfort, even though he couldn't stop the horrible scenarios running through his own head.

She gasped, and he looked down, the coolness of her hands sent a small chill up his arm, and he shuddered. Her small hand fit perfectly into his, and he could feel how scared she truly was, his finger resting on her pulse point against her finger. Rubbing his finger in a circular motion, he could feel her soft hand begin to relax.

After about fifteen minutes after the gunshots, Reid's voice rang through. "Garcia, we are all safe. The victim was shot, but it doesn't look serious, and the Unsub didn't make it. We'll call you later when we are finished here."

Letting out a deep breath, she visibly relaxed. "Thanks, Spence. Talk to you all soon." Hanging up, she looked over and Aaron noticed she was looking at the dog now clutched against his side. Their hands were still touching, and even though he didn't want to, he looked at their hands. He knew the second he did, however, it would be over.

Penelope looked at their hands, and she jolted her hand away, but it still rested against the table. If there was going to be any more touching, she was going to seriously lose it. She didn't know what to make of any of this. All she wanted was some clarity, but she knew that no matter what, if the words are spoken everything will change.

What if she loses Hotch? What if this gets so humiliating she has to switch teams? She couldn't bare to lose her family and Aaron. Yet she couldn't go on like this.

Aaron glanced at the clock, and it was one in the afternoon. Since that case was the most pressing, he could actually go home on time for Halloween. Excited, he pulled his tie and started to pack up his papers.

"It's Halloween. Any plans tonight?" Garcia looked up at him, and shook her head, smiling.

"No, no. I am supposed to have a blind date later, but I would rather pull a needle through my eye." Aaron winced, and nodded in agreement. He couldn't help but feel a flash of jealousy, and he mentally did a dance that she didn't want to go that night.

"On Halloween? That couldn't end well," he smirked. She shrugged, and after shutting down the computers, she turned to him. "Tell me about it. So call me when you get home and tell me what he thinks of the costume, alright?" Handing it over, Aaron smiled brightly.

"Of course. Happy Halloween, Penelope." He smiled, and turned to leave.

Penelope blushed, and looked down. She gasped, and realized she still had his jacket on. "Aaron! Wait, you forgot your jacket!" Peeling it off, it slid down to her elbows when Aaron looked at her. His eyes were locking her in place, they were so intense.

He grinned and touching the fabric, he rubbed it between his fingers. "Keep it. It looks great on you," he said thickly. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't speak. His eyes trailed over her body, and she froze in place.

He begrudgingly backed away, and left. If he didn't leave soon, he would have missed Halloween with his son, and he wouldn't miss it for the world. But having Penelope against a wall is something he wouldn't miss either.

Once he left, she took a shaky breath, and grabbed her bag. That man was dangerous, and the annoying part was, he knew it. She wanted to go home and change into a Halloween dress for the kids when they trick-or-treat at her house. And yes, she does own one. It has pumpkins and ghosts on it, and she puts on something simple like cat ears to finish it off. Speaking of, maybe she should ask Jack if he wanted to stop by to trick-or-treat at her house. That way she can selfishly see them both again. But first, she needed a caffeine fix. She went to a coffee shop, and ordered herself something to drink.

When she sat down, her phone rang. Answering, she couldn't contain her smile. "Hey it's me, Aaron. You nailed it! He is screaming through the house! He is practicing his roar for his aunt right now!" he laughed. She put a hand to her heart and felt her heart break in utter cuteness.

"That's great, Aaron! I'm so excited for you guys! You are gonna have so much fun! Send me pics!" Aaron chewed his lip, and hoped he wasn't making a mistake. He will feel really stupid if she doesn't have feelings for him. Even worse is that the amount of guilt he'd feel. With the amount of touching they have been doing lately, he had been nervous that she didn't like him that way, but since he was her boss she was letting it happen. If that were the case it would crush him.

"I could do that... or if you want to... if you still don't have any plans, that is... uh... w-would you want to come with us trick-or-treating? Jack would be so excited to see you," he stumbled, and mentally cursed his horrible dating skills. Was this even a date? He didn't think so... but he supposed it wouldn't matter. Soon enough he would ask her out on a proper and more... private date.

He had been realizing more everyday how much he liked her. She was beautiful, sweet and compassionate. She marched to the beat of her own drum and he loved that about her. She loves Jack and Jack loves her. Why wouldn't he be with someone as amazing as Penelope Garcia.

The only thing that keeps stopping him is if this didn't work out, or she didn't like him. Their team were closer than family, and he wouldn't be able to live with himself if they broke up. And he doesn't even know for certain she feels the same way, so it is always a huge, embarrassing risk to put yourself out there. But she was worth it.

"That is so sweet, but really... I don't want to impose!" She would love to go, but she knew he didn't get much time with his son as much as he wanted, and she would never want to take that away from him.

"We would love to have you. Please?" he asked, hoping he didn't sound too desperate. She smiled, and chewed her lip, thinking.

"Like I could ever say no to you, Aaron." she mimicked his words back to him from a few days ago. She heard his laugh, and Jack screaming in excitement in the background. "I'm counting on that," he replied. She blushed, and she was glad he couldn't see it over the phone. She didn't know if he meant it the way her mind took it, and she needed to change the subject.

"Okay, I will be over soon. I want to go home and drop my stuff off. Do you want me to get you some coffee? I am at the coffee shop right now." Aaron said yes, and she hung up and ordered a couple more coffees. She needed to calm down but it was impossible knowing that they almost kissed and now he wants to spend Halloween with her. It won't be alone, though, which may be a good thing. She hoped tonight they could clear the air about how they feel, and finally get a moment to talk this through.

Once she got there, she knocked on the door, and Jack opened the door quickly. Before a word was said he ran into her arms and hugged her. "Thanks, Penelope! This is so cool!" She giggled, and squeezed him hard.

"Anything for the coolest kid around!" He ran off, and went to play with a friend who they were going to have join them trick-or-treating, and then he was supposed to go to the friend's house for a sleep-over.

Walking toward the door, Aaron noticed she changed clothing. She had on a low-cut halter black dress that hugged her curves, and it had an orange belt in the middle. She had black high-heeled shoes on, and her hair was down in soft curls. She thankfully brought a coat that was hanging on her arm. It was supposed to be chilly that night. She was stunning.

She blushed, feeling his intense gaze rove over her body, and looked at him. It was only fair. He had on jeans and sneakers, and a white undershirt that clung to his body, paired with a red button-down plaid long-sleeve that he rolled a quarter way up. It was so unexpected she blushed deeper. She noticed she seemed to be doing that a lot lately. He looked like a rugged outdoorsmen, and her ovaries were now weeping. He couldn't be that sexy in real life.

"You look... amazing, Penelope. Come in," he said thickly, his voice falling a few octaves lower than he intended to. She walked through, and when she got close enough, he grabbed the tray of coffees from her and he lead them towards the kitchen. Food was laid out everywhere, and Aaron stood behind the island while Penelope decided it would be best to sit down. His eyes seem to make her a little unsteady.

"Thanks for inviting me. Wow, you went all out! This stuff looks great!" she said, looking over the food. A lot of the food had eyeballs and fake fingers in them. The boys ran through the house, and Jack's friend was dressed up as the Joker.

An hour later, it was time to take them trick-or-treating. The boys were like rampaging maniacs, trying to get as many houses as possible. The sky was overcast, the heavy gray clouds were threatening their fun, but seemed to be holding off for the time being.

The boys ran ahead, hitting the houses while Aaron and Penelope stayed back, and kept an eye on them. They were having a great time, and kept the conversation light and kept a good amount of space between each other.

When there was a half an hour left of trick or treating, Aaron could hear thunder in the distance. They were talking about what new plays Garcia was trying out for when the phone rang. Garcia hated that sound lately. It seemed like they were always at work and they never had a moments peace.

It was Aaron's phone, and when he checked it, he relaxed. "Don't worry. Just Max's parents." he assured her. Answering, he turned around and looked at his surroundings.

"Yeah, we're are the corner of 19th and 5th. Yeah, sure. Okay. See you in a few." Hanging up, he put his phone back in his pocket.

"They called and said that storm is approaching any time, and they are going to pick up the kids before they get poured on. They should be here in a few minutes." Garcia nodded, and shivered. It was much cooler than earlier, and that storm was causing the wind to pick up more than it had.

"Hey boys! Come on over here!" The boys looked to each other and ran quickly to Aaron. "Listen, we are gonna have to cut trick-or-treating a little short. The storm is almost on us. You can go to two more houses, but that's it. Your mom and dad are on their way, Max." They groaned, and ran quickly to another house.

When they finished the two houses, Max's parent's car pulled up, and after hugging Aaron, and even Penelope, he grabbed his overnight bag from Aaron and got into the car. Thunder rolled, but this time, it was getting closer. Penelope turned back, and began heading back the long way to Aaron's house.

"Thanks for coming tonight. I hope it wasn't too boring," Aaron asked, scratching the back of his neck.

She looked at him like he was crazy. "Are you kidding me? This was much more fun than my night was going to consist of. Thank you for inviting me," she told him. Aaron grinned, and looked down. This was a great day, and he wanted her to have a good time.

They made it back to his neighborhood, and soon enough they would be at the house. It was dark now, and as the wind picked up, so did the drizzle. It was starting to get cold, and Garcia was shaking, the cold now getting to her.

Aaron was walking next to her in a comfortable silence, and when he saw her shaking, he turned toward her. Taking off his jacket, he brought it around her shoulders, and she gasped at his touch, not expecting it.

The darkness shadowed his features, and as he adjusted the coat, he faced her. He was so sweet to her, and now she was shivering from something else. The heat of his jacket and the look in his eyes etched itself into her soul. He had a look of determination on his face, and he slowly leaned closer.

Cupping her face, he tilted her head, looking up into his strong gaze. Her eyes held a hint of something else as well, and that's when he realized the same need that mirrored his own. Leaning even closer, he felt the internal struggle dissipating in his mind. There was no way he could stay away now. No way he'd want to. He could feel the heat between them, and he couldn't hold back anymore.

He paused for just a second, waiting to see if she'd flinch away. The lightning in the distance lit her face, and he could see the fear and yearning in her eyes. Maybe she was afraid of the same things as he was, or maybe not. He decided if she isn't moving away, he would take his chance. He needed her. He wanted her. If she said no, he'd be okay, but he wouldn't be if he never took the risk.

His lips ghosted across her plump lips, and her long lashes fluttered shut, and she let out a shaky breath. He did the same, as he gently pressed his lips against hers. It was nothing like he thought it would be. It was more.

Penelope couldn't believe this was happening, and she kept waiting to see if she would wake up. His hands were moving into her hair, and she almost let out a moan. Clutching his sides, she brought him closer and deepened the kiss. And he seemed to relax further into their embrace.

Flicking his tongue out, he silently begged for entrance, and she parted her red lips further, letting him in. His let one of his hands out of her hair, and trailed down until it reached her hip. He grabbed it, and closed the distance between them. He left his hand there, and although it was dark, they were still outside, and she was grateful he didn't pin her against a tree at that moment.

Not that she wouldn't mind some exhibitionism, but she was already too nervous and confused to do it now. The thunder crashed louder and quicker, and suddenly, the heavens broke and rain poured heavily on them. Gasping, they broke apart, and looked around them. The rain pelted them with big, oversized droplets, and they started laughing loudly.

"Run!" Aaron yelled as the thunder crashed once again. They ran the short distance to the house, and after Aaron unlocked the door, Penelope ran inside to the warmth of his house. Once she turned around, Aaron was standing in the darkness, soaking wet, his breathing was ragged. He slammed the door and immediately cupped her face again. She gasped, his hands were frozen, but it felt so good against her heated skin.

He kissed her fervently, and she met it with the same amount of vigor. He was an amazing kisser. Kissing her deeply, he explored her mouth and groaned, feeling her do the same. Their tongues battled for dominance, and he gave up, and instead slid his hands downward once again, and grabbed her ass. He massaged them and gave one hard squeeze, before moving his large hands to her hips.

She whimpered, and Aaron felt like he was losing control. Fucking hell, he wanted her. Kissing her, he trailed hot kisses against her wet skin, and started to kiss her neck. Grabbing her jacket, he pulled it off, exposing her skin covered in goosebumps. She shivered, and when she clutched his sides once again, her hands slid under his shirt, and touched his hard, muscular flesh, her nails raking downward.

He could feel his cock stiffen, and he reached up, and grabbed her breasts. He needed her, more than he could possibly say. "Fuck, Penelope. You feel so good," he breathed near her ear. She groaned, and bit her lip.

"Aaron, please..." she whimpered. She wanted him so badly, and when he grabbed her leg and hitched it over his hip, he thrust his swollen cock against her. She threw her head back, and parted her mouth, loving how good it felt.

Looking at the desire written on her face, he grabbed her thigh that was over his hip, and moved his hand along her porcelain flesh. His hand ghosted the panties she was wearing, and he swore under his breath. If they didn't stop soon, he was going to take her against his table. Or the floor... whatever he could make it to. Because he was positive he wasn't going make it to his room.

She kissed his neck, licking and lightly sucking the tender flesh. She reached for the hem of his shirt, and pulled up, the wet clothes sticking tightly to his skin. He helped her, and threw off his shirts to the floor and kissed her roughly.

She ran her hands through his hair and tugged, trying to find any way she could to get closer to him. His kiss was melting her brain, and she needed more. More of him.

The couch was nearby, and she walked backward, leading him to it. His eyes roved over her flushed cheeks and hardened peaks visible through her dress.

When he got to the couch, she pushed him back, and she straddled him. He could feel her heat through his jeans and she started to kiss his neck, and bare chest. His chest was heaving, and he ran a hand through his hair, throwing his head back. Those lips...

She kissed his navel, and got to the floor on her knees. Skillfully unbuckling his belt, she pulled his pants down, and he lifted his hips to allow it. His cock was so hard, and seeing her on her knees in front of him was a sight to behold. The only way to make it better would be if she was naked.

His cock sprang free of his boxer-briefs, and she gasped. He was huge and hard and thicker than others she had seen. Kissing his thighs, she slowly teased him until she got closer to his shaft. She brushed her lips against it, and his cock twitched.

"Penelope..." he groaned. She gave a sly smile, and without warning, she took his cock into her mouth. He gasped, and swore under his breath. She sucked him hard, and let her tongue roll over the head, before deep-throating his cock. He winced, and bit his lip. Her tongue massaged him and she moaned around his length, and he couldn't breathe. He could never have described what he thought it would be like, and this was more. She had no idea what he did to her.

Penelope bobbed her head up and down, and massaged his balls. His cock was even better than she imagined, and hearing him swear and come undone was getting her so wet, she kept rubbing her legs together, hoping to alleviate the need she had for him.

Aaron was groaning, and calling her name when suddenly, he stopped her. Confused, she looked at him with her big doe eyes. Panting, he took a minute to say anything. "I'm sorry. If you kept it up I was gonna come. That mouth is so fucking... there's no words."

Grinning, she rolled her eyes. "That's what this was about? I think that is the point, baby," With that, she stroked him up and down, and licked the pre-cum off his swollen length. He tried stopping her again, and instead of stopping, she brought her mouth on him again.

"Fuck, Penelope! I... oh god... I wanted to take you out on a date before-Jesus..." he couldn't finish. She could feel he was close, and she had never seen something so sexy as Aaron Hotchner moaning out her name.

"I'm close... so close," he warned. He didn't know how she felt about swallowing, and he didn't want to presume. He learned that the hard way with Haley. Let's just say she liked a lot of warning before... so she could get out of the way.

Penelope moaned, listening to him. His voice was thick with want, and she felt his hips jerk slightly. Gripping his thigh tightly, she moaned wantonly, and that was all it took to send him over the edge. She swallowed every drop, and when he began to soften, she plopped him out of her mouth and when she sat up, Aaron cupped her face.

"You are so incredible." He kissed her, and he tasted himself on her lips. Usually that bothered him but he could care less at the moment. She smiled, and he could still see a hint of lust in her eyes, and he dropped his hand on her knee. Her dress was still pretty wet, and she was pretty clothed, unlike Aaron.

"I really want to take you upstairs right now," he murmured in her ear. She bit her lip, holding back the moan on the tip of her tongue. She wanted him so badly, but she should use this moment of clarity and head home. Staring into his eyes, she leaned over, and smiled at him. Kissing him on the lips lightly, she stood up.

"You have no idea how much I want to... believe me. I swear if I take one step in that direction... Jesus... But I think we need to take tonight to think what this could mean. Not just for me or you or our careers, but Jack too. I never want you to wake up and regret something about us. If there will even be an us. Let's just get some sleep and we can meet up again tomorrow. If you want to?" Garcia asked.

Aaron thought about it, and knew she was right. Yet he did know he wanted a relationship with her, but he didn't know what she wanted. He could see she wanted him, but she seemed a little nervous. He would do anything for her, so he nodded. "If that's what you need, I will do whatever you want." Cupping her face, he leaned in and kissed her softly, and soon enough he deepened the kiss.

His hands went into her hair, and he leaned over her, and she laid back on the couch. He slid his body between her legs, and kissed her jaw, while his hand slid up her thigh. She giggled, and pushed his hand away.

"What do you think you're doing?" she smiled. He shrugged, and she put her hands of his chest, playing with his chest hair. Kissing her on the mouth, his hand brushed against her panties. "I am kissing you, what does it look like?" Kissing her, she pushed his hand away as he gripped her upper thigh, and he smirked at her.

"I thought we said we were going to take time tonight to think it over," she moaned, as his hand that she pushed away was now on her breast. He pinched her nipple through the fabric, and captured her moan in his mouth.

"So that means I can't kiss you?" he asked innocently. He cupped her full tit in his hand, and after seeing her writhe under him, arching her back into his touch, he felt himself stiffen slightly again. She let her hands wander, his hard body felt so soft, yet his sinewy body was taut with muscles. She could feel her need amplifying, and she could feel herself giving in.

Knowing they needed to think on it, she at least wanted to give him one good last kiss. She kissed him roughly, and he moaned in her mouth. His hands went under her dress, and brushed his fingers over her covered pussy. Gasping, she cupped his face and moved her hand into his hair. She was so wet, and she needed him so much she could barely think straight.

He kissed her jaw, and moved down to her covered breasts. He wanted them free, but he had other ideas. Kissing lower, he leaned back on his knees, and lifted the hem of her dress a little higher, and he began kissing her thigh with open mouth kisses. Gasping, she opened herself wider for him, and Aaron could see how wet she was when he moved her panties to the side. Her glistening pussy was right near his face, and he wanted to taste her. He could feel his lust was consuming him, that all self-control was gone once again and he didn't care at the moment.

He could see her squirm and the lust in her eyes, and he wanted her to feel as good as he made her. Darting his tongue out, he tentatively licked at the swollen bud above her sex. She cried out, and clutched his hair tightly in her hands. His groan against her sex was tickling the sensitive skin, and she needed him so badly.

Licking her clit, he took a long finger and teased at her entrance, and she was so close already, she knew it wouldn't take much more to make her come. Pulling her panties down, he lapped at her juices, and he could see by her thrashing she was getting close. He had never seen anything more beautiful than Penelope about to come.

His fingers moved into her wet pussy, and moved his fingers quickly, and hooking his fingers upward, he felt her walls flutter. "I'm-I'm... oh god!" she cried. She came moments later, and he drank the sweet honey from her lips, groaning at the delicious taste of her juices. Aaron moved up, and stared into her glazed over eyes. She smiled bashfully, and kissed him soundly. She tasted herself on his lips, and she liked that. From Aaron's eyes she could tell he liked it as well.

Feeling his length hard against her thigh, she groaned, wanting more than anything to finish this upstairs, but she knew she had to go. She knew what she wanted but she needed to make sure he realized what this could mean. After tonight, she could never just stay friends with him.

Sitting up, she kissed him, and cupped his face. "I will see you tomorrow. Call me." Pouting, he grabbed her face and brought their lips together again. He didn't want her to go. She giggled, and after giving him one last kiss, she looked into his chocolate eyes and saw disappointment. She hoped hers mirrored the sentiment, and walked to the door.

Waving, she shut the door behind her, and Aaron grabbed his hair. He decided to reluctantly go to sleep, so the sooner he went to bed, the sooner he would wake up and see her.

Penelope drove home, and after getting back into her apartment, she checked her phone and got multiple messages from the team saying they got in a couple of hours ago and are safe. After seeing some pics of JJ's son in his Halloween costume, she got ready for bed. Once she slipped into her Pjs, she got another text.

Grinning, it was from Aaron. He wrote, Hey, hope you got home safe. Missing you. Goodnight.

Seeing as how he just sent it, she wrote back, I got home fine. I miss you too. I will be in my bed dreaming of you... she didn't hear back from him, and she sighed, and put her phone on the charger. After ten minutes, she heard pounding on her door frantically.

Her heart thundered in her chest, and she covered her short shorts and t-shirt with a robe, and grabbed the bat by her bed. She asked who it was, and peeked through her peep-hole. "It's me, Penelope. Please," Aaron said. Shocked, she opened the door, and he walked in and cupped her face. His eyes were intense, and she loved seeing him like this.

"You left and I... I swear I will be on my best behavior. No sex. Just please spend the night with me." Kissing her deeply, she moaned, and kissed him back passionately. Nodding, she agreed. "No sex, though." she said between kisses. He nodded, and his hands rubbed along her curves.

"Kissing... We can kiss though," he murmured over her lips. She was panting, and wrapped her legs around his torso, and he brought them to the bed. "Kissing only on the lips," he amended. He didn't want that, he wanted more but he wanted to sleep next to her, and he would do whatever it took for her to let him stay there. She nodded, and sliding backwards, got into her covers, and Aaron grinned, following her.


A.N.- Hey! Hope you guys liked it! Leave me some love! Can't wait to read what you thought!