A.N: Ok finding my blunder just now and am so sorry for the mistake but not here is the reall chapter two and I hope you like it. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, alerted and added to favorites chapter one and now on with the show.

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Chapter two

A shoulder to lean on

Mental the only word that made sense to why she'd asked her boss to lunch. On their own wasn't something they did very often if at all. Normally they didn't share air space unless it had something to do with a case. It'd been a long, too long of a time since that night in a smoky, noisy bar one of the rare times the whole, sans one, gathered to relax and unwind short lived as it was.

The memory struck a cord of pain in her chest remembering that Haley had been out with them cutting a mean rub with Hotch showing everyone else how it's done. They been so adorable together two peas in one large pod was what Penelope always told her. wishing for herself to have something close to what they had the chemistry and sensuality, the friendship and partnership all balled into one neat little package.

But something always disturbed Penelope about their sweet romance, why did it end? A simple, yet complicated question Penelope always found herself mulling over. Sure she'd asked Haley many times over the last two years, but never did the other blonde answer her questions. Yet Haley always professed to harbor deep feelings for the stoic man who'd once been her husband. On the other hand maybe her feelings truly didn't go that deep after all. Perhaps like so many other failed marriages the deep feelings were just residual affects of being together.

"Pull yourself together Garcie now's not the time to analyze someone else's feelings when you have your own messed up romance," Penelope scolded herself reaching into her pocket to pull her keys out.

Romance pa, more like over cooked no good leftovers. The thought made her cringe with discussed after all they'd been together for over two years and most of the time they were good years. But disappointment started to grow within her chest every time they were together. Something kept telling her that he wasn't the right one that there was someone better who'd take care of her and love her for all the faults she possessed as she would them.

"Good luck with that one hon it's not like it'd ever happen," she admonished herself turning to lean against the vintage caddy eyes drawn down to the dry dead grass at her feet.

"You know it's a sign of insanity when you talk to yourself Garcia," a voice said from in front of her.

Startled she went to stand strait but instead over stepped and began to fall forward tripping over the curb in her haste. Instinct kicked in and Hotch launched towards her catching her deftly in his strong arms guiding her back up while keeping her encompassed within the shelter of his embrace.

Blushing fiercely she refused to meet his eyes but rather kept them firmly downward. Foolishness swept though her wishing she'd landed on her face in lieu of his arms.

"Are you ok Penelope?" he asked voice right next to her ear breath ghosting over her skin.

She nodded, "Fine boss man thank you for catching this damsel in distress."

"Part of the job," he retorted seriously in fact the tone had her head snapping up to see if he was offended.

A teasing rarely seen light played in the dark brown orbs and she wondered where this man came from. "Sir did you hit your head, cause I swear I think you just tried to make a joke."

"I do have a sense of humor," Hotch admonished letting her go slowly.

"Really?" she asked feigning seriousness.

"Garcia," he groaned with a shake of his head.

"Yes boss man," she retuned cheekily.

"Get in the car so we can go have lunch."

"Of course sir will do sir," Penelope grinned seeing him roll his eyes.

"Enough with the sir's all ready we're not at work after all besides its Hotch remember or if your feeling daring Aaron."

Penelope nodded trying not to think how weird the situation was or how handsome her boss looked in his fitted Levi jeans and dark blue shirt. Shaking her head to clear those thoughts she opened her car door, stepping behind the steel and glass and faced Hotch once more seeing that he had a far off look in his eyes.

"Hotch," Penelope called observing him closely as his eyes came to lock with hers.

"Penelope."

"If you have other plans, duties and engagements you don't have to go too lunch with me. I just thought you'd like some company. I mean you're a busy man after all with Jack and other arrangements, its ok if you have to do…" she trailed off quietly a rare occurrence in her life.

She'd never been one to become speechless, yet there was something about her boss that caused her to clam up and be at a total lose for words. Maybe it had to do with the fact that by all tens and purposes he was the man, stoic and strait laced. The face of no rule braking FBI agent and she was nothing more than a hacker caught showing off to the highest form of government. An actuality she still couldn't wrap her head around at the best of times ever though she'd been working for the man for over six years something her parents would have been highly shocked about.

"Garcia," Hotch called trying to gain her attention. Finally he settled on, "Penelope?"

"Hu, oh sorry oh noble one lost in my own world for a sec," she answered the question in his eyes.

"Figured as much," he returned standing in front of her door the only thing between them. "And to answer your question, I have nothing better to be doing at the moment. Jack is with Jessica, all my paperwork is finished for once and it's Saturday afternoon and I'm hungry. So weather you follow me to Mel's café or not I'm getting some lunch."

She blinked taken back by the sharp yet teasing tone in his voice. Yup today was definitely one for the record books and full of surprises. "You've convinced me s…" he cocked his eyebrow and she corrected herself, "Hotch lead the way oh sculpted leader of the brave I'll follow."

"Good," Hotch said moving away from her door and towards the back, "don't get lost," he called over his shoulder before slipping into his black Tahoe.

With a shake of her head Penelope did the same and started the engine, pulled away from the curb and leaving the cemetery behind.

APAPAPAPAPAPAP

Twenty minutes later they both slipped into side by side parking spots music pouring from Penelope's car just before she shut the engine off. She stepped out wrapping her arms tight around her body to starve off the slight chill that filled the air.

"Inside before we both catch cold," Hotch advised holding the solid glass door open for Penelope.

On the outside the rambled old shack didn't look like much, with mismatched shutters, a faded blue paint job and old time letters above the door naming the place, but inside a whole nother world existed as warm coffee fragranced air met them. Busy didn't even describe how packed the place was. With its fifty's feel, a counter flowed from one end to the next filled with patrons sipping coffee and digging into heaping plates of chicken fried steak, roast beef and soups of all flavors.

"Table," Penelope said spotting a semi quiet little corner nook with a window booth seat.

Hotch nodded and motioned for her to lead the way while he took in the surrounding his profiler mind never stopping.

Once seated a middle aged auburn haired woman came up to their table a genuine smile lighting her slight wrinkled face. "What can I get ya?"

"Coffee to start off with Alice," Penelope answered rubbing her hands together for warmth.

"You got it darlin'," Alice replied with a quick wink placing two menus down and then taking off.

"Friendly," Hotch commented observing his table mates actions. "You got cold quick?"

"I think the temperature dropped a few degrees on the drive here," she answered still rubbing her hands together.

Without a second thought Aaron lay his hands over hers taking the soft palms within his own callused ones encompassing the smaller hands.

"Your like a furnish Hotch," Penelope commented but didn't pull back.

"Haley always said so though I don't know were I got it from."

Penelope giggled something coming to her mind. "You know Reid most likely would know the answer to that one. He'd say something like it was genetics or some other thing like that."

"True," Hotch agreed with a brief shake of his head.

Alice returned in that second with two steaming cups of coffee and a milk carafe, "Have ya'll decided on what you want yet?"

"Oh," Penelope exclaimed feeling Hotch's hands leave hers, "no we sure having Alice. Cant you give us a few?"

"Of course sug no problem at all," Alice replied a slight tip of her head and another smile. But before leaving she asked, "How've you been not seen ya in a while?"

Penelope sighed wearily then glanced up into a pair of deep emerald eyes. "Been better Al but that's life right."

"Got it in one kid," she responded a sad tone entering her voice. "I'll let you get back to the menus," and she walked off.

"I take it you two are well acquainted," Hotch said raising an eyebrow in questioning.

"Something like that boss man," she answered ducking her head.

"Explain?"

"Well," she drew out in exaggeration. "It happened some years back around the first Halloween I lived here in Quantico. Worked a pretty late shift upgrading the servers and finishing the paperwork, I hadn't eaten since lunch at one and of course it happened to be rounding nine by that time. As I was leaving Eric the night watchmen was just coming on and he had them most delicious smelling coffee and food I'd ever had the pleasure of inhaling, so I asked where he got it."

"And he told you Mel's," Hotch provided taking a sip of the same dark fragrant brew with just a personal touch of sugar and milk.

Penelope nodded, "When I come inside Alice, sweet woman that she is, was cursing a blue streak at the computerized cash register. I being the Goddess of all things techno offered to fix the problem and got a free piece of cherry pie and coffee for the help. Not to mention great conversation and company for the next two hours I'd sat and ate my late dinner. We've been friends ever since."

"That's Mel's for ya," Hotch commented a touch of nostalgia in his voice.

"I hear an echo of history there boss man spill."

"Not much to tell really Penelope," Hotch answered picking up the lamented menu to cover his face and scan the meal choices though he knew the large placard by heart.

She nudged the fold of his menu with hers trying to get his attention but finding the action a lesson in futility as he didn't budge. "Come on sweet cheeks spill."

Knowing he wouldn't get any peace Hotch sighed and put down the menu seeing Penelope staring at him with wide playfully innocent eyes. "Haley and I use to come here every Sunday when I wasn't on a case to have breakfast different going to church. We'd sit at the counter and talk about the small things how her week went. In those times she'd actually ask about my job. Those breakfasts seem to warn after Jack was born and so did our talks."

"Oh Hotch," Penelope said sympathy clouding her voice. "I'm sorry I asked."

He waved her off, "Don't be."

Just as she was going to reply her phone started its answer me dance in her phone, the tone, "A bad romance" filled the small space. Penelope pointedly disregarded the noise instead focused on her hands resting on the chipped, scratched and well used Formica table top.

Hotch glanced from her multi colored purse setting beside her, to her turned down face curiosity getting the better of him. "You going to answer that?"

"I know who it is and no it's nothing important," she responded picking the menu up to peruse the selections.

"Something you want to talk about?" he tried again tipping the placard down.

Her cell finally stopped singing as wide honey eyes locked with ocher colored orbs seeing the sincerity in the depths. "No sir just…" she paused knowing that she's slipped in the formality but couldn't help it. "Private…" she finished with and replaced the menu to cover her face.

Cocking an eye brow she couldn't see, Hotch said, "Understandable, Penelope, but if you need to talk…"

"How's Jack?" her question floating over the noise and paper in front of her.

'Smooth,' he thought but accepted her change in subject. "Growing like a weed, smart as a wipe and getting into everything."

The mention of Jack always brought a smile to her features and now was no exception she loved the little guy as if he was her own. The last three almost four months had been a killer on her not to see her little tiger everyday at least once. She'd grown so attached to him it hurt to not be able to stop by after work and see him and talk with Haley about everything.

Another pang of regret flashed through her heart at the painful thought. She missed her best friend just as equally in those long months. Sure Morgan held the best friend card but both JJ and Haley held the best girl friend card for so long and when JJ wasn't in town Penelope had always went to Haley and sometimes even if JJ was. The very idea that she'd not be able to see Haley again constricted her heart painfully.

However, she pushed that all aside she wasn't here for comfort but to support Hotch to help him in his time of recovery and grief.

Dropping the thin laminated paper to the table top she surveyed Hotch with serious eyes, "Any nightmares?"

"A few," Hotch offered slowly, "but then that is to be accepted after all. Some nights are worse than others, but we'll get there."

"Of course you will Jack's strong like his father," Penelope commented seeing Alice return. Quickly she added, "And you?"

They gave her their orders and settled into a short space of quietness letting the diners around them encompass and enclose them.

Finally Hotch spoke again answering her question, looking down at his joined hands in front of him, "As well as can be expected Penelope."

"It takes time boss man, to heal, to move on it all takes time," she stated resting a over his trying to give him strength something she didn't feel at the moment.

Quietly he confessed, "I miss her."

Without meaning to a single tear formed and slipped down her cheek to splash against her hand the only way she knew it had fell at all. Quickly wiping at the moist and apologizing, "Sorry I seem to be a bit emotional today."

"No need to apologize. We all have our moments of weakness," Hotch stated simply.

"You don't," the statement slipped out before she could stop herself. "Hotch I didn't mean…" she trailed off.

Hotch waved it off as a deep bone weary sigh left his lips. "And maybe I should have."

"I'm sorry boss man I shouldn't…" and she stopped as his words permeated her confused and emotionally muddled brain. "Come again?"

"Maybe I should've shown some weakness," he replied pulling his hands from her grasp and running one through his hair staring out the now frosting window. "I lost her because I didn't want to face what I knew was coming. What I should've prevented from happening in the first place. But I couldn't tell her or show her why."

Penelope gave him a confused look. "You're not making much sense oh wise one. All this mental mambo jumbo is hurting my head so please strait English."

He faced her once more a sad grin pulling at his lips. "Life makes no sense Penelope," he stated cryptically. "It's true though. You see I'd lost my father when I was barely on the cusp of manhood, thirteen to be exact. Granted we never had much of a relationship one should have with their father and he was never the ideal parent either, but I still missed him, still wished he'd been a better man. After dad died I became the man of the house helping Mom raise Sean the best I could, school, and ever getting a part time job top help pay bills."

Sadness enveloped her heart which cried out for the child Aaron had been. "Too much for a child to be burdened with."

"True but there was no one else and I refused to be like my father and leave everything up to Mom. Besides I wanted to prove I was up to the challenge that I wouldn't let her down," Hotch answered as memories slipped though his mind. "I never got the chance to tell Mom that I loved her that she meant the world to me." Briefly he turned from those warm sincere brown eyes covered by simple green frames to glance out the window. "She passed away two months before I graduated high school breast cancer. All I had left was Sean and being eight thought I knew how to raise a teenage that bucked and balked at every turn."

Reaching out she grasped his joined hands once again gaining his attention. "She did love you Aaron," Penelope whisper, "A mother always loves her children no matter what."

Hotch nodded emotions choking his throat yet no tears fell from his eye. Clearing his voice, "I know that now but back then I though she left me cause I wasn't worthy of her love. I'd figured that's way Dad never stayed around and took notice of us. It's why I never could explain to Haley my thoughts and feelings. I figured when she walked out that I wasn't worthy of her love either."

Penelope gasped quietly feeling torn for such a broken and emotionally scared man one who she'd always seen as strong and put together, now knowing the truth.

Timidly she reached across the table and cupped his lightly stubbled cheek in her palm forcing him to face her when she said, "You were and are worth of love Aaron Hotchner and you always will be never for get that."

Their eyes locked for a long expanse of time as Aaron saw the truth of her words shining within her eyes her own pain shimmering just below untouched. For Penelope it was being able to see what so many had over looked in their strong stoic leader… his heart.

The atmosphere was broken when Alice returned with their lunch and wasn't picked back up. Instead they settled on other topics Jack, work and life outside the BAU, safe topics that wouldn't conger up to many painful memories.