Author's note: This one needed a note too! So – If anyone has read my other story "Surprise Invaders" you'll have an idea of how Garcia and Prentiss will act. It just makes so much sense to me!

Wordcount: 1091


Prentiss met Hotch halfway up the stairs.

"Hey Hotch, I got these papers I need you to sign." She held the file out for Hotch to take it. He looked at them briefly.

"Will you them on my desk – I've got a meeting with Strauss..." He glanced at his wrist watch. "Now."

"Sure – I'll do that." She smiled at him as he walked past her briskly. That man was always so busy!

Prentiss glanced at the messy desk in front of her. It was completely filled with papers and photographs. She went to the other side of the table to find a good spot to leave the file – it had to be signed and turned in today. She noticed Hotch's diary lying open. She glanced quickly at the door as curiosity got the best of her. Her eyes flashed back to the diary.

What?

January 22: AA, 7 P. place.

Prentiss dumped the papers on the desk and ran down to Reid's desk.

"Do you think Hotch's been drinking?" Reid frowned at her sudden question.

"No?"

"What are the symptoms?"

Garcia showed up holding a stack of files. "What's going on," she asked with a concerned look on her friends faces.

"I have no idea." Reid answered.

"I think Hotch has an AA-meeting tonight!" Garcia's jaw dropped her mouth forming a perfect O. Reid fingers fidgeted.

"And now I need you to list some symptoms!" Prentiss looked at Reid the urgency clear in her eyes.

"Well... There're a lot of different..."

"Symptoms Reid!"

"Loss of control, anxiety, obsession with drinking, loss of interests, unreasonable rensetments, loss of willpower, aggression, cloudy thinking, poor concentration, depression, stress denial..."

"Thanks Reid, I think that will suffice." Prentiss looked Garcia. "You thinking the same as me?" Garcia nodded with a horrified look in her eyes.

"Boss-man has been terribly moody lately."

"He never wants to go out with us anymore."

"His relationship with Strauss has gotten worse."

"He kept glancing out the window instead of reading on the plane when we flew back last Thursday."

"He also sighs a lot recently." The two women looked at Reid the fear growing at incredible speed. If Reid had noticed something wrong it was bad!

"So what do you think? Should we catch that movie Friday?" Garcia suddenly asked. Prentiss glanced over her shoulder and saw Hotch walking towards them.

"Count me in," she smiled.

"Movie? What mov-ouch!" Reid said and cast Garcia a hurt look until Hotch walked past him. His eyes grew.

"Do you think he heard us?" He asked in a small voice when their seemingly furious boss closed the door to after him.

"I don't think he did, but you really can't be..." They glanced up at Hotch's office when his door opened and the subject of all their speculations rushed out and towards Rossi's office.

They looked at each other.

"Did Hotch just look... Concerned?"

"You are aware of what this means?" Garcia asked her face a perfect mask of determination. Reid shook his head. "We'll have to investigate!" Prentiss nodded slowly but Reid's mouth fell open.

"You're going to spy on our boss?" The two women looked at him. "No! No way – I won't do it! Even if he was drinking he's obviously already getting help!"

Garcia turned to Prentiss.

"We'll start following him after work."


"Why couldn't we have taken Esther?" Garcia whined in the passenger seat.

"Hotch knows Esther – he would have noticed us right away. They were hiding in Prentiss anonymous looking car parked a few houses from Hotch's home. They waited for his next move. Prentiss took a sip of her coffee cup and realized it was empty. She looked at her fellow conspirator.

"Can I have some more coffee?" she asked and held out her cup. Garcia had packed a ton of sandwiches and two big thermos of coffee.

"Here you go pumpk..." She stopped and looked intently at Hotch's house. "He's leaving!" Prentiss whopped her head in the direction of the house. She pulled her hat lower on her head feeling a bit paranoid.

"I can't believe we're doing this..."

"Drive – woman! Drive!" Garcia was almost jumping in her seat. Prentiss waited for Hotch to drive past her, then started the engine and followed. They were just going to see were he was going.


She looked at the redhead in front of her.

"Did we really need to get a table?" She asked in a tired voice. "We couldn't just have waited outside in the car?"

"Car-schmar! And I was hungry for something other than sandwiches." Garcia smiled at Prentiss over the edge of her menu. The brunette sighed and glanced at Hotch. As far as she knew, AA-meetings wasn't usually in restaurants. And definitely not small romantic restaurants like this one.

"What will we say if he sees us?" She asked her friend who sighed and put her menu down.

"We're doing research on good date-places." Prentiss nodded. She could do this. She glanced at Hotch again.

"Is it just me, or does Hotch look nervous?" Garcia was about to give her an annoyed comment but she looked at Hotch before doing so.

"You're right... This is extremely disturbing." She frowned. "Is it just me, or does he keep glancing at the door?"

"Maybe he's waiting for someone?" Prentiss suggested.

"Like a date?" The two women looked at each other and nearly burst out laughing.

"Hotch? Dating?"

"I know, I know – I don't even know why I thought of that... But if it wasn't Hotch that would totally be my guess!" Garcia defended herself.

"Well, I suppose I would have done the same. It's just... It's Hotch! I can't imagine him on a date!" The glanced at Hotch's table the same time and saw as he rose from his chair.

"Shit!" Prentiss whispered. "Do you think he heard us?"

Then – Oh sweet lord, is he really doing that? Garcia gasped – he smiled and held a hand out to a young woman who smiled at him and he – Nooooooo! He really IS doing that! – kissed her.


Next up is: Dr. Spencer Reid.