Two days later, around 4 clock in the morning, Hotch very carefully opened his apartment door.
The TV was flickering, apparently Renee had fallen asleep while watching. Hotch put his travel bag down.
" Renee ," he said softly, "it's me, Hotch. I´m home."
The response was a faint snoring and Hotch had to smile. She looks even prettier when she's sleeping, Hotch thought. So innocent and harmless. Renee's blanket had slipped, revealing two very shapely legs and a belly button piercing. Hotch didn´t want Renee to get a cold, so he covered her again. Hotch also touched her hair and removed it from her face. In fact, he wasn´t quite aware, doing it, must have been some kind of reflex.
Renee awoke from his touch, it was dark and she didn´t realize, it was Hotch. She was still half asleep and shocked. "Take this, you son of a..." She grabbed a book and hit Hotch right on the head.
Hotch immediately went down, hurting himself again at the coffee table.
"Great Lord, Renee, do you want to kill me?"
" Aaron ?" Renee sat up.
"Who did you expect, Jack the Ripper? " Hotch asked, rubbing his head.
"Maybe I should wear a helmet, when we meet," he said, grimacing. Renee had a nice strike.
"Erm...It.. I 'm so sorry, I thought, you were a burglar. My goodness, did I hurt you much?"
oOo
"Hi Daddy, you´re home? What are you and Renee doing?" Two very sleepy looking little mice stood at the entrance of the living room, they heard the rumbling and wondered, what was going on.
"Are you making love to each other?" Becca asked, looking curious. Rebecca knew, that would have been the best thing to happen, but Becca also knew, it did not go so fast, with this love-making thing, Becca didn´t exactely know, how that worked, but grown up´s seemed to like it and a question might hurt no one.
"Um, Becca. Uh, how am I supposed to. ... Renee ? " Hotch looked at her quizzically and Renee laughed.
"Come over here, you two." Renee patted on the sofa. Jack sat down next to Renee and Becca sat down on Hotch 's lap, hugging him.
"You know, even adults sometimes make a bit of rubbish, but that is not the same as making love to each other, do you understand? We´d be in the bed room then, sharing a bed and we´d kiss each other. Perhaps we´d put a few candles on and listen to some music. And we would definitely try, not to wake you little mice, because you have to go to school tomorrow."
Hotch smiled briefly, Renee had managed to get out of the affair, elegantly.
"Uncle Dave and Aunty Jess made love to each other, without candles, Renee. Aunt Jess was squeaking and then she laughed. And she said Uncle Dave´s name. Very often." Jack divulged his knowledge.
Hotch groaned, obviously Jack was really a very attentive child. "Yes, sometimes people squeak a bit, Jack. "
Hotch explained and could not help wondering, whether Renee...oh, damn it. It´s entirely immaterial whether Renee was loud or quiet in bed, I do not even want to know, Hotch thought.
"But you have to go back to bed, right now." He took Becca and Jack 's hand and disappeared with the children in Jack´s room. They were almost asleep, when another rumbling was heard.
"Nothing happened, just fell over the travel bag," Renee called from outside and stood up carefully. He must think, I'm a public danger, Renee thought angrily and limped into the kitchen. She poured something to drink for Hotch and herself.
" You´re okay?" Hotch asked, when the children were asleep again.
Renee nodded, "I´m used to this. I´m so sorry for the book."
"You don´t have to," Hotch said. "I scared you, actually it was my own fault. I didn´t want to touch you...in an inappropriate way, you know. I just put the blanket back in place again."
Hotch took a sip of juice. It was hard for him to concentrate, Renee was wearing something that probably might be a pajama, but honestly it wasn´t more than a very tight top and some kind of hot pants. Hotch´s temperature increased.
"Did you get him, the UnSub, I mean?"
"It was a serial rapist, Renee . And yes, we've got him. It wasn´t easy, but it never is."
"I dunno, if I could do your job. I mean, as a psychiatrist, of course, I know about human abyss, but I wouldn´t want to crawl into the head of someone like you do."
Renee shuddered.
"Is it still hurting? " she asked, touching very gently the part of his head, that made acquaintance with the book. In Hotch 's stomach the butterflies started to dance. Renee was so incredibly close to him and her patchouli scent drove Hotch crazy. For a moment, he imagined, to take her right here, on the kitchen counter. To take her top off and to touch her breasts, to caress her nipples, he saw them though the fabric, they were standing already like little soldiers, just waiting for him. He wanted to get lost inside of her, again and again until there was only one thing left, a common climax for both of them. And suddenly Hotch was sure, Renee would scream, just like him ...
"I´m slowly getting used to it," Hotch said, stepping back on the safe side. He didn´t trust himself right now. Renee was still too close.
"Good night, Froglet. Sweet dreams."
"The same to you, Aaron. "
He called me Froglet, Renee thought. And he looked at me as if he wanted me. In Renee's abdomen a pleasant warmth was spreading. "I wouldn´t have said no," Renee whispered. She hugged her pillow and fell asleep again, dreaming about Hotch and the things she wanted to do with him.
oOo
In the morning, Renee awoke by the bubbling of the coffee machine and the soft whispering of the kids.
"Do you think, Renee is still asleep? " Becca asked and sat down on the coffee table.
"I can nudge her a bit." Jack offered and sat down to do so.
"Children, what did I say about waking up Renee? Come over here, breakfast is ready."
" Can I get some waffles, Uncle Hotch? " Becca gave Hotch a charming smile.
"You 're a lucky little dove. I´m really good in making waffles." Hotch said with a smile and a few minutes later, he put a perfectly baked waffle on Becca 's plate.
"Oh, can I get one of these, too?" Renee said from across the couch. She stretched extensively and stood up.
"Good morning, my cuties."
"Good morning, Renee," Jack and Becca said in unison and left the table to hug Renee. Renee earned a slightly critical glance from Hotch. She looked down at herself.
"Maybe I should find something to wear," she muttered, and quickly disappeared into the bathroom. She was still wearing the tight top and the short pajama pants ,that showed actually more than it veiled. Was that a tattoo on her butt? Hotch took a deep breath, this outfit had caused him a rough night. It turned him back into a 15 year-old teenager with hormone excess. And he found out, he actually still was. Hotch kicked his butt, mentally. Did he really imagine, to sleep with Renee, that night? On the kitchen counter? Hotch shook his head. He was a bit old-fashioned, for him, the physical act was always associated with one concept, love. I cannot be in love with Renee, Hotch thought determinedly. I just can´t.
oOo
Hotch drove the children to school, after they finished breakfast. Renee decided to cultivate herself a little after she had tidied up the living room. She had already noticed, Hotch was more of the tidy type that never left something lying around. Renee herself was more generous with the term 'order' , so to speak. She was barely in the shower, when the doorbell rang. Renee wrapped herself in a towel and opened the door.
"Who is the clumsy one now? Forgot your k... " She said to Hotch and fell silent immediately. This person was definitely not Hotch.
"Good morning," said the lady with the horn-rimmed glasses and the strict bun. "I´m here to see Mr. Hotchner." Mathilda Coffin looked at the young woman.
" I, uh.. . I thought you were someone else," Renee stuttered.
"Well, that´s obvious, young lady. You´re wetting the floor." Mrs. Coffin said.
Renee felt like she was back at school, she always had to see the headmaster. And this had been pure horror, Renee remembered.
Renee realized, she was indeed dripping. "Is Mr. Hotchner expecting you?" Renee ventured to ask.
"Of course not, that's a surprise visit and the meaning of such ... "
"The surprise, I get it ." Renee completed Mathilda's sentence . " But please, do come in Mrs.? "
A card was shown. "Mathilda Coffin, childcare services. And Mr. Hotchner didn´t mention a partner. This is putting the case in a completely different light." was now the middle of the living room and had everything in sight.
" Oh, we are not ... " Renee tried to explain and Mrs. Coffin gave her a serious look. "Don´t insult me, I do have eyes. You quite obviously stayed here over night and the breakfast table is set for more than one. If you´re not Mr. Hotchner´s girlfriend, then you´ll have to be one of his changing acquaintances? Maybe you introduce yourself, that might be helpful."
Renee squared her shoulders, did this woman think, I am a floozy? She got a bit angry.
"My name is Dr. Renee Malone, Mrs. Coffin. Mr. Hotchner is a man of integrity, he has no changing acquaintances. And yes, I slept here. Maybe Mr. Hotchner didn´t mention me, because I accidentally came back from Germany, a couple of days ago. He takes the kids to school, I guess, Aaron will be back in a couple of minutes. Would you like something, a cup of coffee, perhaps? "
"Thank you."
Oh great, Renee thought. Thanks yes or thanks no? She handed Mathilda a mug.
"You hurt? " Mathilda asked, pointing at the bruises on Renee's knee and thigh. Renee noticed, she was still wearing only a towel. And she was still wetting the floor.
" Uh, yeah. Yesterday evening, I stumbled over Aaron's travel bag. But I definitely have to put something on. Take a seat please, Mrs. Coffin."
Tilly Coffin tried to hide a little smile, watching Renee disappearing as dignified as possible into the bathroom. She looked around a little. The living room was cozy, with lots of green plants and light wood furniture. Someone had furnished this apartment with a lot of love. In one corner there were toys, for boys and for girls, Tilly noticed. She didn´t know yet, how to classify Hotchner. He had made a very uptight, serious impression on her. Abigail Jensen, who she had already visited, spoke with deep respect of him. She couldn´t imagine a better home for Rebecca, than here with Aaron Hotchner and his son Jack. Mrs. Coffin's eyes fell on Hotch 's wedding photo with Callie. She could tell, the bride was not healthy, but she seemed to glow from within. She suddenly felt sorry for Aaron Hotchner. She took the photo of Jack and Becca from the shelf, the two of them sat on an old carousel horse. Jack had his arms wrapped protectively around Becca and the little girl felt obviously safe and very well.
oOo
"Jack and Becca," Renee said, who was now clothed acceptable again.
"They are very close, Mrs. Coffin. It would be a huge mistake to separate them. They have suffered severe trauma´s, both of them. The children need each other. "
"And what qualifies you to that statement, Miss Malone? " Mathilda wanted to know.
"It's Dr. Malone and I have been working in child and adolescent psychiatry at the Charite in Berlin." Renee replied firmly.
"Oh, ich habe ein ganzes Jahr in Deutschland studiert," Mrs. Coffin suddenly said in German and got a dreamy expression. She felt like 30 years younger. She was wondering, what Georg was doing and if he was okay.
oOo
Hotch unlocked the apartment door. He had stopped briefly on the way home and bought some roses for Renee. He remembered Ike told him, they were her favorite ones. That was the least I can do to say thank you, Hotch thought.
"I 'm back, Renee. ", he said loudly and froze momentarily. Mrs. Coffin?
" Good morning, Mr. Hotchner. There is no reason to hide Dr. Malone. A loving wife by your side will make things a lot easier."
" Hello darling," Renee said with an apologetic smile , "we do have a visitor."
A/N Any idea, who might be Mathilda´s former love? And in the next chapter Dave spreads some exciting news to the team, Derek finds out something very strange and Hotch and Renee don´t correct, what Mathilda is assuming.