Izzy unpacked her packs, and started a load of laundry. She ordered dinner and sat down on the couch to wait, she was miserable. There was a knock on her door, she grabbed the cash from the bar, her dad was holding her bag of take out.
"Welcome home Belle!"
"Thanks dad! " He came into the apartment and set the bag on the bar. He hugged her and kissed her cheek.
"How was your trip?"
"I don't want to talk about it?"
"That bad?"
She just nodded her head. "Have you eaten? I have plenty."
"I'll take you up on your offer! " She plated their food and sat down at the bar to eat.
She cleared their plates when they were done eating. He looked at her, he could see something was on her mind.
"Come on kid...talk to me."
"I can't." Tears slipped down her face.
"You're miserable, Aaron is miserable! What's going on?"
"I don't want to talk about it. I just want to forget it!"
He pulled her into his arms hugging her tightly. He stayed for a couple of hours longer trying to coax her to talk to him. "I'll call you tomorrow. "
She smiled at him. "Talk to you then." She locked the door once he left, she was exhausted. She went to bed and fell asleep.
XXX
She was in bed with a faceless man, Aaron stormed into the room glaring at her.
"How could you do this?"
"I was drugged! I'm sorry! "
"Liar!"
He stormed out of the room!
She woke up gasping for air, she looked around her room and relaxed. She was at home, in her apartment in Virginia. She slowly climbed from her bed and got dressed and went for a run. Hoping to clear her mind, she ignored the calls that came in during her hour run. She felt better afterwards, she climbed the stairs to her apartment, she walked past a man standing in front of a neighbors door.
"Izzy? "
"Yes?"
He grabbed her arm and started to drag her down the catwalk to the stairs. She was fighting him, trying to break his hold. She broke away and ran for her door, she had her key out and in the lock. He grabbed her from behind, pinning her arms down. She stomped on his instep, his grip lossened, she elbowed him in the solar plexus. He grabbed a handful of hair.
"Freeze FBI! Hands in the air!" She heard her dad's voice and felt relief. A shot rang out and he dropped to the ground. Dave came running toward Izzy. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine! "
He hugged her and kissed her forehead. He called the local police and Aaron. Izzy was sitting in her apartment drinking a cup of coffee.
Aaron came in and sat down beside her, he wanted to pull her into his arms and just hold her.
"What happened? "
"I came back from my run and he was waiting for me outside my apartment. "
He touched her hand. "Are you okay?"
"I'm a little shook up, but I'm fine.'"
"Izzy.." She drank her coffee.
"Thank you for coming but I need to get ready for work." She left him sitting on the couch, she disappeared through her bedroom door.
XXX
"Why did you attack Agent Cooper? " Aaron asked the man.
"Who?"
"You attacked and attempted to kidnap a federal officer. You are looking at 15 years."
There was a tap on the window, he turned and saw Dave. He walked out of the room, he took the paper and read the report.
"He was in Mexico, the same time as Izzy. He came home three hours after we did." Aaron said.
"Let's get Garcia and the rest of the team working on this and find the connection."
XXX
She drove to work that morning, glad to be back. She was ready for her life to get back to normal, she was trying to decide if she really wanted to live and go back into the field. She pulled into her parking place, grabbed her bag and coffee, she headed into her office.
She had twenty minutes before class started, she drank her coffee and tried to focus.
"Hey! Welcome back!" Adam poked his head in her office door.
"Thanks! "
"How was your trip?"
"I'll tell you later."
"Lunch? "
"Sounds good!" She smiled at him as she left.
She walked to the class room to her waiting cadets, she'd only been gone a short time. She didn't take her full leave, after what happened. The morning passed quickly she dismissed for luck and met Adam for lunch.
"What gives?" Adam asked.
"I was drugged with estascy in a bar, slept with someone I don't remember, Aaron showed up after my walk of shame, I passed out in his arms. He took me to the hospital. I'm ashamed! "
"What did he say?"
"I told him I was dehydrated."
"Iz!"
"I'm ashamed! I never turned my back on my drink. The police treated me horribly. Then to top it off, after my run this morning someone tried to grab me."
"What?"
"I was fighting him off, my dad showed up and shot him. Aaron showed up..."
"Tell him what happened. It wasn't your fault."
"I can't! "
They continued to eating their lunch, her phone started vibrating in her pocket. She pulled it out, looking at the caller ID, she swiped ignore. Adam raised his eyebrows at her.
"Stop! "
XXX
"Izzy...call me back. It's important! " Aaron ended the call and laid his phone down. He was about ready to head to the academy and drag her out of there and make her talk to him. Garcia and the others had gathered information about the man they had in custody.
Mitchell Barks, is a leader of a human trafficking ring. He had women drugged and taken from bars in Mexico. One of the bars was the one Izzy had been at the night he'd gotten there. He needed to talk to her, ask her if she'd seen anything. She must have, that's why he tried to grab her this morning.
He picked up his phone trying to call her again, it went straight to voice mail. He cursed under his breathe. Garcia approached his door and knocked.
"Sir, I found something...about Izzy."
"What is it?"
"I found her lab work from the hospital in Mexico."
"And?"
"She...she was drugged. The toxic screen showed Ecstasy, "
"Thank you." He sat down in his chair, his head in his hands. "It made sense to him now."
XXX
It had been a long day, all she wanted to do was soak in a hot bubble bath. She had music playing, she was slouched down in the tub, soaking all the stress away. Someone was pounding on her door, she ignored them. If it was important they would come back or call. She closed her eyes, and slid down a little farther.
Two hands grabbed her pulling her out of the tub. She started fighting the hands off, a towel was wrapped around her. She looked up into Aaron's warm brown eyes.
"What are you doing?"
"Why didn't you tell me the truth? "
"About?" She started to walk away from him, he pulled her back into his arms.
"Being drugged."
She clinched her jaw. "Please." Tears started to roll down her face. He wiped them away.
"Talk to me!"
"I was drugged...I woke up in a strangers hotel room...I left." She pulled on a robe.
"You don't remember anything?
She turned and faced him. "Nothing."
He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. "You were in my hotel room..."
"What?"
"I found you in the bar that night. I used the pick up line Morgan used on you. You kissed me. I told you I loved you. We left together."
"What?"
He tilted her face up to his. "You were with me that night." She leaned forward, closing her eyes. His lips were on hers. His kiss was gentle at first but then became more demanding. He lifted her up in his arms and carried her out of the bathroom into her bedroom. She pulled off her robe, dropping it on the floor. She pulled his shirt off him and started to kiss him. He groaned her name, picking her up and carrying her to the bed.
He finished undressing, climbing into bed with her, they slowly made love to each other for the rest of the night.
XXX
She woke up to him staring at her. "What are you doing?"
"Watching you sleep."
"Creeper?"
He grabbed her and started tickling he. "Creeper? I'm a creeper?" She was out of breathe from laughing.
"I..take..it...back...I..take...it..back! I surrender!" He kissed her, pulling her into his embrace.
"I need to talk to you about yesterday morning."
"What about?"
"The man that tried to grab you. His name is Mitchell Barks, is a leader of a human trafficking ring. He had women drugged and taken from bars in Mexico. One of the bars was the one you had been. I thought at first, that you had seen something and that's why he tried to grab you yesterday, but now I'm thinking he didn't want to let you go."
"I don't know what to say."
"Be careful. I need you to be safe..."
She reached up and touched his face, "I promise..." He leaned down and kissed her, trailing kisses down her neck. She looked over at the clock, six-thirty. "We're going to be late."
"We'll shower together and save time."
"Somehow I don't think.." She lost her train of thought and couldn't concentrate.
They were both late to work that morning, she had to go without her coffee.
XXX
It was the morning of the FBI triathlon, Izzy was going to go ahead and run it, even though her training was cut short. She had made a commitment. Aaron was also running it, so the whole team would be there cheering them on. She wasn't expecting to do well, but she was just going to enjoy the work out.
He picked her up holding her close to him. "Kiss me for luck?" She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.
"Good luck!"
"Same to you!"
He sat her down on the ground, she smiled up at him. She beat him in the swim and the bike but he passed her in the run, she got a leg cramp and had to slow down. She came across the finish line, and saw Aaron, her dad, Morgan, JJ, Garcia, and Jack waiting for her. Jack was holding a sign up, she could make out her name only until she got closer. She crossed the finish line and read his sign.
IZZY,
WILL YOU MARRY MY DAD?
Aaron was down on one knee next to his son, holding a box, she walked over to the two Hotchner men. Aaron took her hand in his.
"Izzabelle Cooper, I love you. Will you marry me?" Jack came over and got on his knee beside his dad.
"Iz, I love you. Will you be my mom?" He held up a locket for her to see.
"Yes." She leaned down and let Jack put the necklace around her neck, she picked him up for a hug. Aaron slipped the ring on her finger, he pulled her in his arms, she kissed him.
They were engulfed by their friends in hugs. Rossi walked up to his daughter and pulled her into his arms, hugging her tight.
She whispered in his ear "You're giving me away at my wedding and dancing with me at the reception." He pulled back and looked at her with tears in his eyes.