"You needed me?" I asked slipping my cell phone from my pocket. "And I quote 'please come to the lair we need to talk.'"

Penelope turned away from her screens and flashed a smile at me when she saw me standing in her doorway. "Yes." She enthusiastically pointed at a chair across from her. "Plop a squat because we need to talk because I'm apparently the last to know about your personal life."

Letting out a heavy sigh I crossed the room and took a seat. "Wow," I began shaking my head, "Seems like my personal life is a major topic of conversation today, huh? What did Emily talk to you?"

"No." Garcia leaned forward, all her jewelry jingling with every move, patting my knee. "Morgan told me, which of course he heard this morning from Emily."

"Figures."

"Sweetie, do you really think secrets can be kept from anyone around here and especially from me? Though you don't let much out about yourself personally there are still a bunch of profilers around."

"Really?" I asked sarcastically. "There are profilers around here, I had no idea."

"Alright smarty pants." I had to try so hard to keep a straight face when she called me a smarty pants. "Would you care to share what happened last night, and maybe skip to the reason why you were late this morning?"

"Would you believe me if I told you that I forgot to set my alarm clock?"

Penelope's face fell in disappointment, clearly she was hoping for more than what I had just told her. "Seriously?"

I nodded once to assure her what I was telling her was in fact the truth. "Fortunately that was all that it was, nothing scandalous from me."

"Why do you say fortunately? You're saying you didn't want anything to happen last night between you or your sculpted God?"

"You heard me." My phone started buzzing alerting me that I had an email sent to it. "I've got to get going."

As I got up out of my chair Penelope grabbed me by the hand, the look on her face a mixture of sheer joy and as if she was guilty of something. "Are you coming out with the team tonight…everyone's coming."

Lifting an eyebrow I couldn't help but question her. "Everyone?"

"Yeah." She nodded her head eagerly. "Somehow we even got Hotch to agree."

"What if I told you I had plans?"

"I'd tell you to bring him." Her eyes were shining brightly. "If you don't show up you'll have to explain why your computer spurred a virus that knocked out the rest teams'."

/0/0/0/

Without wanting to test and see if Penelope's threat was real or have to explain why my computer fried everyone else's, not that anyone on the team would believe that I'd be capable of doing such a thing, I ended meeting the rest of the team at a local bar. And as I promised I brought along Mike.

For the most part everyone seemed to be enjoying a rare chance to relax, even Mike seemed to be meshing pretty will with the team, but then there was Aaron.

The whole air around him seemed to tense up as soon as he saw Mike in right behind me, there was a cold jealous gleam in his eyes as he pressed his lips together in a hard line. All my feelings that Hotch was just tired yesterday from either the case or having to deal with my foul mood were quickly erased.

Finally after a while the tension between Hotch and Mike was getting to be too much, the two of them were starting to act like teenage boys, which was when I decided that I needed to step away.

"I'll be right back," I whispered to JJ, pushing out from our table.

JJ with a concerned look on her face was already picking up on how awkward things were Mike, who was sitting on the other side of me, and our boss, Aaron had strategically placed himself as far from Mike as possible. "Are you alright?" she asked.

Crossing the crowded bar I took a seat at the bar and buried my face in my hands and let out a heavy sigh. When the bartender asked me what I wanted all I could do was mumble a shot of whatever he felt like, of course I didn't care to ask what he brought me when I lifted the shot glass to my lips.

"Are you going to be able to stand after that?" Mike asked from behind, when I turned to look at him I saw him with a grin and beer in hand. "Last I knew you were a lightweight when it came to drinking."

"I guess I just needed something a little stronger."

Mike reached out and placed a hand on my thigh, out of surprise I gripped the edge of my barstool. "What is going on with you?" Mike asked.

I looked down at his hand, which was still resting on my thigh. "I don't know Mike, you tell me?"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" He slammed his beer on the bar, his temper clearly getting the best of him. "What has happened to you, you're not the same girl that left Chicago a couple months ago?"

"I know I'm not." I got up to get away from the bar because our heated exchange was starting to draw the attention of some on lookers. "I don't think this is the place for that discussion."

Grabbing me by the arm Mike spun me around so I was facing him, his fingers digging bard into my arm. "No, I think we need to have it now."

Desperately I looked around for help, a small group of people were now gathering around us, I was hoping I would catch a glimpse of Morgan, Rossi, or even Hotch but I couldn't clearly focus on any one person. My heart was pounding so hard I could feel the blood rushing through my body.

"I can't help it if I seem different than the woman you knew from Chicago," I cried, tears threatening. "I'm with a brand new team doing something I've always wanted so excuse me for changing into someone I like more."

"So you're happier, that hurts Sam. I've looked after you since our years at the academy. Tell me, were you just using us in Chicago to help your own career or was someone on your new team pulling the strings?" There was a brief pause as Mike's expression changed from rage to shock and disbelief. "God, I can't believe I didn't see it when I first saw you yesterday-

"Mike, believe me it's not like you think," I pleaded.

"You're not even going to deny it, that's a new level of low Sam." Mike let go of me and stumbled back a few feet, running his hands through his hair.

"What?" I yelled. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Shit Sam, did you sleep with someone to get ahead? Is it Agent Hotchner?"

"Alright, you've got the wrong idea," I screamed. "I'm calling you a cab so you can get back to your hotel."

"Don't worry Sam; I've already taken the liberty of getting him a ride."

I whipped around and saw Aaron glaring at Mike, his eyes hard and full of rage. He was doing everything he could to keep his temper under control, the only couple of times I saw him like this was when dealing with an UNSUB.

"Oh, isn't this convenient."

His voice was dangerously calm. "Sam, go outside and I'll be right there," Aaron ordered. "I'm going to let the rest of the team know what's going on and that I'm taking you home."

All I could do was nod to acknowledge I had heard him and turned to head out of the bar, on my way out I saw the concerned faces of my team. Whereas JJ and Reid looked more concerned than anything Morgan and Rossi looked like they could've committed murder but I wasn't about to stop and talk.

I wasn't outside by myself for long before Hotch emerged from the bar, slipping an arm around my waist he lead me to his SUV without a word. Part of me was afraid to know what had happened after I left or even look at my Unit Chief but I couldn't help it.

Aaron's face was void of any expression that was pure loathing, which I knew wasn't directed at me.

Hotch and I rode in silence for a while, I stared out the window getting lost in the passing lights as tears started silently rolling down my face. All the emotions that I was holding back finally broke loose and I suddenly felt horribly exhausted. My head was resting on the door, my eyes struggling to stay open when I felt Aaron reach over and take my hand in his.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't protect you this time, Sam," I heard Aaron mutter before I lost consciousness.

/0/0/0/

A soft rustling coming from my living room caused me to stir from a restless sleep; I was surprised to find myself lying in bed still dressed in the jeans and blouse I had worn out to the bar. The last thing I remembered was riding back to my apartment with Hotch silently holding my hand as he drove me home.

Aaron.
I crawled out of bed with a splitting headache and shuffled out of the bedroom expecting to see Hotch but instead I found Garcia sitting on my couch flipping through a magazine.

"Where's Hotch?" I asked, rubbing my forehead.

"He left about an hour ago." When Garcia said that it had been just an hour I glanced over at a clock on the entertainment center and noticed it was just after eleven at night. "He just wanted to make sure if you woke up someone was here for you and since you gave me a key to your place-"

'Well you can go upstairs and get some sleep," I interrupted as I crossed the room and gave Penelope a tight hug. "I'm just going to change and call it a night."

Garcia got up off the couch, tossing the magazine she was flipping through on the coffee table, and gave me a weary look. "Are you alright? I mean seriously."

"I will be," I assured her. "I'm just going to need some time to think…this was just not a way I wanted to kick off the weekend."

Wow, that was one long and intense chapter! It also happens to be one of my favorite chapters...next one is my favorite though! :D

So all my Hotch/Sam fans is this the turning point for the two... I mean we have Hotch coming to the rescue. I'm also sure many of you want to kill Mike for what he did and what he accused her of. I want to hear what many of you have to say about the future of Sam and Hotch and what this means for the rest of the story... things haven't even started heating up at the BAU and there are many more surprises in store for our favorite profilers but we are close to half way done with the story.

Next chapter: Sam reflects on the issue with Mike and her feelings for Hotch as well as someone comes clean.