Disclaimer: Dow'ning CM, CBS, and and now Starbucks too!

Author's note: Well, that took some time! Didn't really know what was gonna happen and then pop – I knew! Inspiration sure is weird...

"Hallo?"

"Miss Adams, this is Aaron Hotchner, Jack's father."

Annie smiled and felt the urge to throw herself on her couch twining the wire from the phone between her fingers. It was a shame her phone was wireless.

"Please call me Annie, Hotch."

"Of course, Annie."

"How can I help you?"

"Well, I talked to Jessica yesterday, and I came to realize that I've been rather dependent on her lately. Maybe too dependent. She recommended that I got a nanny for Jack, and brought your name up." Oh God – had she mentioned that she asked for him?

"I'd love to help."

"I'd really appreciate. It won't be that often, and I'm only asking because Jack suggested you too."

Bless you, Jack!

Annie caught sight of her sister standing in the doorway to the kitchen. She watched Annie's excited face with a smug smile.

"It's really no problem at all! I really have too much spare time anyway and Jack is such a great kid!" Her sister cast up her eyes and went to sit in front of Annie on the carpet.

"I don't know when I'll need you, but I might have to call you if we have a case. Of course Jessica will come and watch him at night." She heard a noise that might have been a sigh from his end of the line. "I know I it sounds impossible and I understand completely if you can't work under these circumstances."

"It sounds perfectly alright Hotch. I'm actually quite flexible!" Her sister gave a sharp bark of laughter and Annie felt her cheeks redden. If she wasn't mistaken she might have heard Hotch laugh too, but she wasn't at all sure about that.

"If you're fine with it, maybe we could meet, so I could explain Jack's routines." Annie doubted that his routines were different from other kids'.

"That sounds reasonable."

"So if you're free we could meet for coffee, tomorrow maybe?"

"That sounds perfect. It's my day off, but I have some errands downtown."

"My break's at 12 so if you can meet me at 12.10 at the Starbucks across from the FBI-office?"

"I think I can manage that. I'll meet you there then."

"Okay then. Uhmm, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow."

She ended the call and looked at her sister expectantly. Her sister closed her eyes and talked with what should be an old and raspy voice, "In your near future, I see a tall dark stranger..." She ducked to avoid the pillow Annie threw at her.

"He's not exactly a stranger. Besides, it's note like it's a date or anything!" She pulled her knees to her chest and tried to make the broad grin on her face go away.

He had come as fast as he could but leaving the building in the middle of the day turned out to be quite troublesome. First Rossi had stopped him and asked where he was going then Morgan had done the same wearing a knowing grin. Then Strauss had showed up and demanded a meeting with him, which he convinced her into having later. And now he was stuck on the wrong side of the road, tapping his foot impatiently as he frowned at the red light telling him not to cross the street.

This was taking forever!

Finally the light turned green and pushed his way through masses of people. As he entered the coffee shop he looked around still frowning. He felt his frown ease away when he spotted her at small table by the window.

He thought his way through the crowded place.

"I'm sorry I'm late." She looked up from the book she was reading.

"It's perfectly OK. I was having quite a nice time." Hotch glanced at the queue and sighed.

"Looks like I won't get any lunch today." He cursed inwardly of his lack of planning.

Annie pushed a sandwich and a cup of coffee towards him.

"I kind of got this for you." She smiled apologetically at him. "We can't let the people who're supposed to protect us go around starving." She pointed. "But it didn't know how you take your coffee so I just got it black."

He took a sip from the cup and gave a sigh of contentment.

"Black's perfect." He put the cup down again. "But you could have gotten me a cup with milk, sugar and vanilla essence and it would still be better that the coffee they serve at the office."

Annie gasped and he gave her a slightly worried look.

"You made a joke!" A big grin spread across her face. "Now you just need to smile."

Hotch looked at her with a perfect pokerface. "I never smile at my own jokes." She laughed out loud and Hotch felt rather good about himself.

"I wouldn't have guessed, but you're actually fun!" She calmed and looked at him with a small smile on her lips. "But we're not here to joke around. Tell me what you want me to do with Jack."

Hotch began explaining slowly drinking his coffee. Annie had some questions and the conversation went smooth and uninterrupted. Hotch was enjoying himself. Looking at his watch he realized he had to leave if people weren't going to question his absence.

"I think this sounds fairly reasonable. I will be in touch with you suddenly and expect you to drop everything and come rushing." She looked at him with a slightly teasing smile.

"Hotch are you okay? That's the third joke today? I wouldn't want you to strain your humor too much!"

"I feel perfectly fine." He stopped as he pushed the chair back at the table.

"But I still feel that I haven't thanked you enough for last time when you took care of Jack." He heard himself say. The smile on Annie's face disappeared.

"I told you, I won't accept any payment for that time, Hotch. I was doing a friend a favor!"

"I was thinking more in the line of taking you to dinner."

"Oh." She looked aghast. "Oh! I... That sounds okay." Her cheeks got a bit of a blush and Hotch felt a smile spread on his face.

"I'll call you."

Hotch is getting some action! Boo-yah!

And it totally seemed like a date!