Auhor's note: This idea has been trapped in my head since Chapter 8 of The Game or something like that! And NOW I finally got it out!
Wordcount: 789
Reid walked the short distance from his car to Hotch's house. He had never been here before but he knew that he was the one living closest to their boss so of course he volunteered to pick him up. But he still found it hard to believe that Hotch's car had broken down. It seemed so uncharacteristic for Hotch.
Reid pushed the doorbell and waited. It was unusually nice weather considering it was October. It hadn't been this nice since 1986. Reid admired the clear blue sky when he heard the door open behind him. A woman stood in the door and smiled.
"How can I help you?" she asked.
Reid frowned and glanced at the numbers on the wall.
"I-I'm here to pick up Aaron Hotchner, does he live here?" Reid knew he did – he couldn't be wrong about something like that.
"Of course – just a moment" Reid felt his frown disappear – he had been right! Of course he had. "Aaron," the woman called into the house. "Your ride's here!" Reid arched his brows at the unusual and extremely casual use of his boss' first name. The woman faced him again. "It'll just be a moment."
Reid heard a door open inside the house and then:
"Annie, tell Reid to come inside, I just need a minute." Reid stepped forward as the woman smiled and gestured for him to enter. He spotted Hotch down the hall. His shirt was open and his hair messy.
Reid and the woman called Annie stood for a while looking and each other. She smiled and he tried to smile back. He felt AWKWARD – capital letters.
"The weather's been extremely nice the last couple of days, don't you think?" Reid grasped the possibility to ease the awkwardness.
"Statistically it hasn't been this nice since 1986." He felt a bit worried as a smug smile spread on the lips on the woman in front of him.
"I just love Chinese food. Do you like Chinese?"
"It... um... tastes very well..." If Reid had seen the look the in Annie's eyes in Morgan's or Garcia's or Prentiss's he would have been worried. But this was a stranger – it couldn't mean the same – right?
"I always found it to be extremely amusing to eat with chopsticks – it's a good exercise for your fine motor skills." He didn't feel comfortable with this situation.
"I s-suppose you're right..."
"Jack is very skilled with a pair of chopsticks. But then again . It really isn't that hard, right?" Reid felt the blush rise. How could this... this... this woman know this?
"I-I-I..." Reid stuttered.
"Don't bully him, Annie," Hotch said emerging from the room he'd disappeared into a moment ago. His shirt was done and his hair combed back to the hairstyle he usually had. He sat on a chair and started to put on his shoes.
"Jack, come and say goodbye to your dad!" Annie said as she stuck her head and torso through a door opening opposite of where Hotch was seated. The small boy came into the hallway and greeted Reid with a slightly shy, "Hi uncle Spenner." He went to hug his father reluctantly as if his father wouldn't leave if he didn't say goodbye.
"Okay, now go back to your cartoon," Hotch said and smiled at his son. Reid always felt at awe when he smiled. "Remember I love you."
"Love you too," Jack said and closed the door after him.
Annie looked at Hotch. "He'll be alright. And he has a play date with Henry Jareau tomorrow – everything will be perfect in a matter of hours." Reid looked curiously at the strange woman reassuring his boss – who actually seemed to relax at her words. Hotch stood and took his jacket.
"I don't know how long we'll be in Kansas, but if the UnSub keeps killing at this speed he'll make a mistake in a matter of days."
"Tell me about it when you get home, and now just hurry up and save the world." Reid's mouth fell open when Annie held out Hotch's briefcase and he leaned in to kiss her as he took it.
"As usual," he said with a small smile.
Annie waved at the two men when they walked to the car.
"Should I keep silent about this?" Reid asked as Hotch settled in the driver's seat. His boss looked at him with a small frown.
"You didn't know?" Reid shook his head "I think you just might be the last one to find out." He started the car.
And this is the end of Aaron&Annie. As far as I'll write anyway – they'll probably get married and have a couple more mini-Hotches. Or something like that.
