Present Day
Hotch suddenly realized that the first skater's scores had been posted and that they were fairly high. However, there was still plenty of room for them to be eclipsed. As he watched, the second skater in the group was announced, and as she moved onto the ice to take her opening pose, and he continued remembering -
11 Years Ago
Despite his good intentions and Jack's repeated requests, work again took control of Hotch's life. It seemed that no matter how hard he and his team worked, there were always more unsubs committing even more heinous crimes, in more places throughout the country. And, as a result, he and his team were constantly on the go. He did manage to have several short-term romantic relationships, but none of them ever got serious and they all ended amicably. As one woman told him, 'I feel like I am constantly competing with both your son and your job just to get your attention'. Hotch didn't argue with her.
Late one night, while the team was staying in a motel in Montana, he saw on a national news show that Laurel had won her cases and had been awarded slightly more than $26 million combined from the City of Houston, the charity that ran the homeless shelter, and the former police officers. He tried calling her to congratulate her, but his call went to voice mail and he ended up leaving a message. Laurel returned his call the next day and, in turn, left him a voice mail. Life went on until one day –
The team was again on the plane, this time on their way to Chicago, when Rossi moved over to sit next to him.
"You do know she's in Chicago, don't you?" he asked quietly.
"Who?" Hotch was busy studying some paperwork.
"Laurel - and Paige," Rossi clarified.
"How do you know?" Hotch was suddenly alert as he looked over at the senior agent.
"A little birdie told me," Rossi smiled at him. "Plus, I stopped by for a visit with them last month when I was there for a book signing."
"Maybe, if I have the time," Hotch mussed.
"You'll have the time," Rossi assured him. "I'll make sure of it."
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
It was two days later, at a little after 6:00 a.m. on a chilly fall morning in Chicago, when Hotch pulled his rental car into the parking lot outside the ice arena.
"Paige has early morning ice time," Rossi had told him authoritatively. "So, that's the best time to catch them."
After locking the car, Hotch strode towards the entrance to the rink where he immediately confronted by a barred and locked entrance door.
"May I help you?" the woman in the admissions booth asked.
"I'm looking for Laurel and Paige Mercer," Hotch told her authoritatively.
"I'm sorry, Sir, but unless you have business here I am going to have to ask you to leave," the woman replied firmly. "We don't allow sightseers during practice sessions."
Hotch took a deep breath. He had been hoping to avoid this. He pulled out his FBI credentials and discretely showed them to the woman.
After carefully examining and then returning them, she reached under the counter and the gate clicked open.
"I hope you will understand," she told Hotch. "But we have young children with their mothers in here and at this hour of the morning, with all the stories on the nightly news – "
"I understand," Hotch gave her a ghost of a smile. "And, I am glad you are being so careful. Now, I hope you will keep this," he indicated his credentials, "Confidential."
"Of course," the woman assured him. "Now, Paige is on the ice and, since she has finished the first resurfacing of the day, Laurel is probably doing the morning cleaning in the restrooms. If you walk along the back wall you should be able to find her."
"Thanks," Hotch told her as he headed into the rink.
As he walked along behind the bleachers, Hotch pulled his coat closer around him and buried his hands deep into his pockets. Darn, it was cold in here!
He could hear music playing and, when he came to a break in the bleachers, he stopped to look through to the rink. He could see several skaters on the ice practicing various maneuvers and thought he could identify Paige among them, but when had she gotten so tall and where had those long legs come from?
"Aaron – Aaron Hotchner?" When he turned his attention back to the area behind the bleachers he saw a woman hurrying towards him.
"Laurel?" he asked. He saw that she was dressed for work in a pair of beat-up jeans with work boots, and had yellow rubber gloves covering her hands and lower arms. In her hand, she was carrying a bucket full of cleaning supplies.
"What a pleasant surprise!" she exclaimed with a smile. "What are you doing here?"
"I am in town for a case and, after Dave told me you are now living in Chicago, I decided to stop by and surprise you," Hotch explained. "But, it looks like I interrupted you at your work."
"I'm almost done for today," Laurel told him. "Why don't you take a seat in the bleachers while I finish up and then get cleaned up? You can watch Paige skate. It has been a while since you've seen her."
"That's for sure," Hotch agreed. "She is the one on the far side wearing the black skirt with the navy blue and white sweatshirt, isn't she?"
"And, hopefully, landing a double Salchow," Laurel told him. "Make yourself at home, I'll be right back." She turned and scurried away.
Hotch had no sooner sat down in the bleachers than an elaborately made-up woman, dressed in an expensive down jacket, moved down several levels to sit next to him. Her pricey perfume wafted over him.
"Who are you here for?" she asked.
"Paige," Hotch had located her skating on the far side of the rink.
"I'm an old family friend," he explained.
"Oh," the woman commented, looking around. "Are you here by yourself?" She smiled seductively.
"I'm waiting for Laurel." Hotch got the impression he should make that clear.
"How good a friend are you?" the woman purred as she shifted slightly closer. She obviously wasn't going to give up.
"Dotty, isn't that your daughter standing over there by the boards looking for you?" the voice floated down from higher up in the bleachers.
"Oh, of course," the woman stood up.
"That's my daughter, Clarisse," she told Hotch pointing. "She's going to be skating in the Olympics some day." Dotty climbed down the bleachers and headed over to where her daughter was standing.
"Thank you," Hotch turned around to speak with the woman behind him.
"My pleasure," she smiled back. "It looked like you were getting the full treatment."
"You're here with Paige?" she continued.
"Yes," Hotch acknowledged. "I'm an old friend of her and her mother."
"She's a good skater," the woman told him. "If anyone here is going to the Olympics, it's her."
"Aaron," Laurel appeared at the bottom of the bleachers. "I see you have met Joan."
"It appears I have," Hotch smiled as he stood up to climb down. "She has been keeping me company and I have enjoyed it very much."
"The pleasure was all mine, Agent," Joan told him.
"My uncle," she explained in response to his startled look. "I still recognize 'The Look' from The Bureau."
"Mommy," Paige came charging off the ice. "Did you see my double Sow?" She stopped abruptly and looked at Hotch.
"Page, I think you remember Mr. Hotchner," her mother told her. "It's been a while since we have seen him."
"We went ice skating with you and Jack in Houston," Paige immediately remembered.
"That's right," Hotch told her. "And, it is very good to see you again, Paige. You've gotten a lot taller since then."
"She certainly has," Laurel agreed. "And, now, young lady, you need to hurry and get your clothes changed. We need to get you to school."
"Yes," Paige agreed as she hurried off towards the ladies restroom.
"What time does she need to be in school?" Hotch asked, looking at his watch.
"We have about an hour and a half," Laurel told him. "But, we need to catch the bus pretty quickly if she's going to get there in time to have breakfast with her friends."
"You don't have a car?" Hotch was surprised.
"No. Strictly public transportation," Laurel explained cheerfully. "It kind of limits us, but we get by."
"Why don't I give you a ride?" Hotch offered. "I have a rental car and I'm sure the school isn't far. And," he hesitated. "Maybe we can stop somewhere along the way and all have breakfast together?"
"Paige?" Laurel looked over at her daughter, who had just come out of the restroom and was now dressed for school.
The smile on Paige's face said it all.