The Great Pumpkin

by pandorabox82

Alex had no idea who she was meeting on this blind date, but upon seeing that it's an old friend, she throws herself into the date. Will this chance encounter lead to something more?

Alex checked her watch for the tenth time in five minutes. She knew that they had made plans to meet at Eckert's Farm in Millstadt, since it was in the middle of where they were currently living. This would be the first time that she had stepped out of her comfort zone and agreed to a blind date, though she knew that she had had to find a way to move on after the way things had ended between herself and James. Even Erin had encouraged her to make a grab for the golden ring of happiness, since she had found that for herself after leaving WitSec and moving to where her eldest child was living.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, she turned and started to make her way back out to the parking lot, fiddling with the hat she'd been asked to wear, when she clocked a familiar body coming towards her. Pausing, she stared at the man until he met her eyes, and an easy smile spread across her lips as she raised her hand to wave at him. "I didn't realise that you lived around here, Hotch," she said as they stopped in front of each other.

"I don't, I'm meeting someone here. Though it seems like the universe has a mighty fine sense of humour," he said as he reached out to touch her hat, a wry smile on his lips. That was when she took a close look at him, noticing the burgundy polo he was wearing. Letting out a little laugh, she nodded and then shrugged.

"At least we know each other, and can spend a pleasant day together, even if this leads nowhere."

He nodded and took hold of her hand, guiding her into the orchard after buying their tickets. "There's a spooky hayride at dusk, I booked us tickets for that, I hope you don't mind."

Alex felt an easy smile spread across her face as she shook her head. "No, that sounds fun, and that's what today is about, right? Having fun and getting to know each other a little better?"

Hotch gave her a warm smile as he nodded, and Alex felt her stomach flip a little at the sight of that rare expression. The last time she'd seen it had been at the bar when the team had been doing karaoke. "That's right. I thought that we could pick apples for a while, then go eat at the restaurant before going on the hayride."

"That sounds like a good plan," she murmured as they joined the line to get on a wagon that would take them out to the orchard. "Do you want to pick up any pumpkins while we're here? It looks like there are a few doing that, too."

"If you want," he said as the line started moving and they climbed up on the covered wagon, moving all the way forward so that the most people could get on. That meant Hotch was very much in her personal space, his thigh pressed tightly to hers, and she tried to ignore the way the warmth of his body bled into hers as they rumbled along the bumpy road back. By the time they arrived at the apple trees, she was a bit worked up, and was never so grateful as to have her personal space back once more. Grabbing a bag from the attendant, she disappeared down the first row of trees, wondering if she was going a bit mad. It had been a while since she was last with a partner, but that didn't mean that she had to go from drought to deluge, as her body seemed to want her to do.

Shaking her head a little, Alex turned to the last tree in the row and began to look over the apples still on the branches, searching for the perfect ones. Feeling someone watching her, she turned her head to see Hotch next to her, his phone in his hand, another smile on his lips. "Taking pictures?"

"Yes. Even if nothing else comes out of this afternoon, we should at least have a few tangible memories of the day. I'll forward these to your number during dinner."

She nodded and reached up to grab a particularly good looking apple, wobbling a little on the toes of her boots, and just as she was about to trip forward, a strong pair of hands closed around her waist, steadying her. "Thank you," she murmured, looking into his eyes. He nodded a little and then time seemed to slow to a crawl as she leaned in closer to him, licking her lips absently and seeing him mirror the gesture. She bobbed her head a little closing the distance between them and kissing him gently. Hotch's hands slid from her waist to her hips, holding her close as the kiss naturally deepened.

When they broke apart from each other, Alex was breathing heavily and she felt a deep blush bloom in her cheeks as she took in the way that desire had blown Hotch's pupils. "That was unexpected," he said as he lifted one hand to brush his knuckles against her cheek.

"But it was nice, yes?"

He nodded before brushing his lips against hers one more time and she sighed against his lips, relishing the way he made her feel. "Well, we should probably get to picking, so that we don't lose each other in more pleasant pursuits."

Alex heard herself actually giggle at those words, rolling her eyes at her girlishness before she turned back to the apple that had eluded her. "Well, will you grab that apple that I wanted, then? It seems it was just out of my reach."

He gave her a quick smile and nodded, easily pulling said apple off the limb and handing it to her. Alex took it from his hand and dropped it into her bag before returning his smile, knowing that he would take a picture. Sure enough, he raised his phone and tapped the screen a few times before coming around to her side and holding the phone out in front of them. It was instinctive, her resting her head against his and smiling as he took a series of selfies, and she wondered how it could feel this easy between them. Sure, they had worked well together when she had been with the BAU, but this was more than a good working relationship. Shaking her head a little, she turned her head and pressed a kiss to his cheek, a part of her hoping that he would also capture that moment in time.

Finally, they began to move towards the center of the rows, though she welcomed his arm around her waist as they ambled through the trees, picking apples at leisure until their bags were full. "Do you want to head down to the lake and take a few more pictures, or get in line for the tractor ride to the pumpkins?"

Alex thought for a moment before making her decision. "Let's head down to the lake. I'm not really too hungry yet, and I don't think that it will take that long to pick a few gourds."

"All right." He took her bag from her hands and tightened his grip on her waist as they made their way down to the lake. It seemed as if a few others had the same idea, and she felt another blush stain her cheeks when she caught two women sweetly kissing beneath the willows that lined the eastern side. "They took my idea," Hotch murmured in her ear as they stopped at the edge.

"Well, sometimes ideas are meant to be copied," she whispered as she looked up at him in anticipation. He chuckled before kissing her for the third time that day, and Alex again allowed herself to bend into his touch, relishing the way that he made her feel. When they broke that kiss, she cuddled in close to him, resting her head on his chest as she stared at the water. This was an experience that she would have loved to share with Erin, but she never could now, and she sighed sadly as she rubbed her cheek against his broad chest.

"Are you thinking of James?"

"No, Erin. I would have loved being here with her, but my pride got in the way, and we didn't reconcile until it was too late. But I'm glad to be here with you. Even if I didn't expect this chemistry."

He didn't answer, just rubbed his free hand up and down her side as they continued to stare at the water, and Alex let out another weary sigh as she allowed her composure to break, tears rolling down her cheeks as she considered her own mortality and the fact that everything was so easy between the two of them. "I didn't expect this, either," he said quietly as he turned and looked down at her. "I also didn't mean to make you cry."

"You're fine. It's the memories that still haunt me. Now, how about we get on that tractor and make our way to the great pumpkin patch?"

He must have sensed that she didn't want to dwell on her sadness, as he nodded and took hold of her hand, guiding her back up to the orchard and then to the end of the line waiting for the tractor. It wasn't a long wait, but Alex found that she was grateful for the touch of his hand around hers as the minutes ticked by, as it anchored her to the present.

Alex accepted the hand up from the worker and then took the bags of apples from Hotch's hand so that he could clamber in after her before they took their seats near the exit of the wagon this time. And though there were far fewer people on this wagon, she decided to sit close to him once more, pressing her thigh against his. Hotch gave her another of those melting smiles and she smiled back before pulling out her phone and taking a few pictures of her own. This ride was shorter, though no less bumpy, and Alex found it difficult to keep her thoughts pure when she caught Hotch staring a little too long at her chest.

When they came to a stop once more, Alex lurched off the wagon and took the apples, waiting for Hotch a few feet away from the tractor. He smiled easily at her, and she sighed a little as she nodded, taking hold of his outstretched hand as they walked out into the rows of pumpkins that were available. Alex didn't truly know if she wanted any gourds, since she knew that it would be difficult to get back to their cars with an unwieldy pumpkin. Still, there was something almost soothing about watching excited kids carrying their prized finds to their parents. "Did you ever get to do something like this with Jack?"

There was a short pause as his hand tightened around hers. "No. Jessica was always the one who took him to things like this. My schedule was so unpredictable, and I was always grateful to her for her help. And after we entered the Program, it was difficult to know if we should be out like this. And by the time Scratch was finally dealt with, he was too old to enjoy this. Maybe when I have grandchildren, we can do things like this together."

She nodded, returning the sharp squeeze as she thought about the fact that she would never have experiences like this with her own grandchildren. He seemed to sense her turmoil, as he tugged her closer to his side. "I would have loved to have brought Ethan to a place like this."

Alex couldn't say more, because she knew that she would have burst into ugly tears, but Hotch seemed to know this, as he let go of her hand to wrap his arm around her waist. "It's hard to give up on our dreams," was his whispered response, and she nodded as she drew in a shaky breath. "Well, let's go find us a great pumpkin."

She let out a little chuckle as she nodded, stepping forward in tandem with him. There were quite a few pumpkins still available, but nothing truly caught her eye until she spotted a beautiful cream coloured one at almost the end of the row. Alex guided Hotch towards her goal, and then they were in front of the one she wanted and she smiled gently as she crouched down and laid her hands on it. "This is the one." She looked up at him, trying not to roll her eyes at his phone.

"Good. Let's head back with our prize. I just put in reservations for the restaurant, and we have to be there in about ninety minutes."

Alex nodded as she lifted the pumpkin. Since she couldn't carry one of the bags now, Hotch wasn't able to touch her, and she found that she missed the warmth of him. Letting out a quiet sigh, they got in line for the tractor back to the entrance. A small smile spread across her face when she felt him step closer to her, and Alex allowed herself to trust him enough to lean back and rest against his chest, the pumpkin between them. It wasn't the most comfortable position to be in, but it fed her desire for his touch. It didn't take too long for a tractor to pull up, and then they were climbing aboard with the few others that had been in line with them.

As soon as they were seated, Alex put her hand on Hotch's knee, and he covered it with his own, squeezing softly as the tractor bumped along back to the entrance. The clear blue of the day was slowly darkening, and a quick glance at her watch told her that it was nearly six, and she felt her eyes widen a bit to realise that they had just spent three easy hours together. None of the other people that she'd casually seen in the years since James had felt this right, and she wondered why she hadn't noticed this chemistry when she had worked with him.

"You're wool gathering."

She looked up into his face and gave him a small shrug. "Just thinking about how life has a strange way of throwing the right things into place at the right time." Before she could second guess herself, Alex leaned in and kissed him softly. He chuckled against her lips as he returned the kiss, and she smiled as she scooted as close to him as she could possibly get, knowing that their time together would likely be quite brief.

"I see," he murmured as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, allowing her to rest her head on his chest as the ride back continued. It was only as they were coming to a stop that she came to the decision that he would be coming home with her that evening, if he agreed. If they were only going to have this one moment in time, she was determined to make the most of it. "All right, I'll get off first, and you can hand me the pumpkin and apple bags, and then I'll help you off."

"Of course," she said as he stepped off the wagon, reaching out for the items they had picked. Alex tried not to focus on the way his hands lingered on her waist once she was on solid ground as she crouched down to pick up her pumpkin, allowing him to carry their apples this time as they headed to the checkout stand. Alex frowned at him a little when he managed to pay before she could get her card out, and he chuckled a little as they walked side by side to the parking lot. Her car was first, since she had arrived before him, and she popped her truck, letting him set the pumpkin inside while she set her apple bag next to it before closing the lid once more. "Now you have a hand free again," she said as she took hold of said hand and followed him to his vehicle.

Since they were alone at that moment, after he'd stowed his apples in the back of his vehicle, Alex leaned against the door and pulled him close to her body. He smiled and nodded before leaning in and kissing her deeply. Alex lifted one leg and wrapped it around his, holding him tightly to her as they kissed, and she moaned into his mouth when she felt his hand palm her breast, his thumb brushing against a rapidly stiffening nipple. By the time they broke apart, she was breathing heavily, and felt certain everyone would know how aroused she was by glancing at her lips or chest. "You look delicious."

"And you look delectable. I hope that you're still hungry for supper after this."

He nodded as he grabbed her hand and led her over to the restaurant. There was a bit of a queue, but it moved quickly enough, and soon Hotch was giving his name, and they were being shown to a table near the back of the restaurant, which gave them some privacy. She smiled at the host as he handed her a menu, and then looked over the offerings. Everything sounded so good that she was having issues decided, listening with half an ear as Hotch ordered drinks and an appetizer for them to share. "Alex?"

"Hmm?"

"After our hayride, would you want to come back to my place?"

She blushed as she set the menu aside to look at him. "I was going to ask you the same question. Either place, doesn't matter, but I know I want to spend the night with you. This has been too wonderful a day to not take it to its conclusion."

Hotch nodded and then picked up his menu again, finally seeming to hone in on what he wanted, which made Alex a little more anxious to decide. Finally, she closed her eyes and pointed blindly at the menu. Opening them, she saw that she had landed on chicken pot pie, and a soft smile crossed her features as she set the menu on top of his, waiting for their server to get back.

"So, have you decided on what you want?" their server asked as he appeared at their table with their drinks.

"I think that we have, yes." Alex nodded, too, and soon their orders were placed and they were left alone once more. "You know, we could just skip the spooky hay ride and head back to whichever of our places is closer, and spend more time together alone."

Hotch laughed as he shook his head. "I was sort of looking forward to you ending up in my arms after being spooked," he replied with a cheeky wink, and she rolled her eyes as she smiled. "What? Don't think that would happen?"

"We were both profilers, I don't think that there's much that could scare us, and since this is a family place, the scares would be mild, at best. It wouldn't do to terrify children, after all."

He shrugged as he quirked an eyebrow upwards before taking a sip of his coffee. "We'll have to see then, won't we? After all, it will be quite dark by the time we start."

Alex chuckled as she sipped at her own coffee, and nodded, knowing that he did have a small point. "Fine. We'll go on the silly hayride, and then you can prove me wrong." He nodded and they began to eat their appetizer while they caught up on their lives since she'd left the Bureau. A part of her was surprised to know that he had been in Witness Protection, but given the things that had happened to them as agents, it wasn't that large a shock. He was appropriately sympathetic about the end of her marriage, and then they were simply drinking in each other's company, the silence feeling welcome and good.

But when Hotch managed to pay before she even had the chance to pull her wallet out of her purse, Alex frowned at him, letting out a huff of breath as she shook her head. "You didn't have to pick up the tab, I could have gotten it, since you arranged for everything else about this date."

"My mother always told me that I needed to treat a lady right," he answered smoothly as he slipped his wallet back into his pocket while getting to his feet. Hotch held out his hand, and Alex clasped it, allowing him to tug her to her feet. "And believe me, I will treat you right," he murmured in her ear as they exited the restaurant. A shiver of pure desire shot through her system, and she tightened her hand around his as he led her to the staging area for the haunted hay ride. A number of people were already gathered, and she was surprised to see that despite there being a good number of families waiting, there were also an almost equal number of couples and groups of friends.

They joined the back of the queue, and then she stepped closer to him when a cool wind blew through the crowd. He slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her against his chest so that she could draw in some of his warmth. The line moved quickly, but they still ended up on the third wagon. Hotch led her to the back of the wagon, since they were some of the first on, and she sat down on a bale of hay, smiling when he took a seat next to her, their thighs once more touching. The wagon filled quickly, pressing them even closer together, and Alex sighed softly as she let her head come to rest on his chest as the tractor began to pull the wagon out onto the trail.

The first ten minutes of the ride, their driver spun a story about how the farm had become haunted and they were taking their lives into their hands by daring to disturb the spirits that still haunted the property. It was more than a little hokey, just like she figured it would be, until they entered the woods. It started with sounds, the wind whistling through trees, owls hooting, other things that were stereotypically spooky, and she shivered a little when a loud cackle came from somewhere to her right. Hotch chuckled a little before slipping his arm around her waist, holding her tightly as they continued deeper into the forest and their driver spun out his story.

The next thing to spook her was as the tractor turned a bend and staring at her was a burning pumpkin head. She let out a muffled shriek as she turned her face into Hotch's chest, feeling foolish that something so small could elicit such a response from her. From the way his chest rumbled, Alex knew that he was at the very least chuckling at that, and she swatted his arm lightly before sitting up once more and forcing herself to keep watch over what they were experiencing.

A high pitched scream ahead of them had Hotch jumping a little in his seat, and she smirked up into his face until the sound of hooves pounding caught her attention. Whipping her head around, she froze a little at the sight of a headless horseman stopping in the path ahead of them. She pursed her lips together tightly to keep her fear inside, though she was grateful for the way Hotch shored up his grip around her waist as the horse reared and the man on it threw a flaming pumpkin down to the ground before galloping away. From the sounds around her, quite a few adults had been unnerved by that scare, though a good number of the kids thought it was cool.

Shaking her head a little, Alex tried to steel herself for the remainder of the ride, scooting ever closer to Hotch as they went along. The rest of the thrills were more mundane, which suited her just fine, though she did jump a few more times when performers jumped out at them. Hotch was always right there to steady her, and she found herself all the more attracted to him as a result. By the time they had returned to the start, Alex was more than ready to head to one of their places and fall into bed with him. He seemed to have the same thoughts, as when he helped her down from the wagon, his hands lingered on her hips as a thoroughly enchanting smile danced across his lips.

"So, was that a little more than what you were anticipating?" he teased as he wrapped his arm around her waist, leading her out to their cars.

"I may have not been prepared for some of the things that happened, but it wasn't terrifying," she said, knowing that he would understand. Sure enough, he squeezed her waist as they reached the parking lot, and she glanced up at him, a soft smile on her lips. "But I had a gallant man who kept me safe from all the ghouls and goblins."

He nodded as they approached her car, and then he was bending down and kissing her gently. "I do like to protect people." She nodded in response to that, anticipating his kiss. "Am I following you to your place, then?"

"No, I'll give you my address. It's a two hour drive, after all. I'll be stopping for coffee and gas along the way, so I know that we'd get separated. I'll see you in a few hours?"
"Of course," he replied as he brought out his phone. Alex took it from his hand and plugged in her address before handing the device back to him. "And if I get lost?"

"Give me your number," she said as she fished her phone out of her pocket, calling up her text messages and composing a new one. He rattled off the digits, and she tapped away at the screen, reading it back to confirm that she had it correct. After he confirmed, she sent him a short text that read This is Alex. See you soon., before she unlocked her car and opened the door. "Drive safely, Aaron. I wouldn't want to miss this opportunity."

He gave her a little wink before leaning down and kissing her once more. "I will pray that angels surround us both, then, as I'm driving. See you in a few hours."

Alex had to fight back the giggle that tickled her lips as she nodded. "See you soon." She waggled her fingers at him as he closed her door gently before he left for his own vehicle. The smile never left her lips as she programmed her GPS to take her home before starting the latest episode of her current favourite podcast and setting out on the drive. Halfway there, she pulled over for gas and filled up before getting a coffee from Dunkin Donuts and then getting back on the road.

By the time she pulled into her drive, Alex was thrumming with anticipation, and she felt her face light up when she noticed Hotch already there, leaning against his car as he waited for her. Alex opened her garage door and pulled into her spot before turning off the car and getting out, giving him a small wave before making her way to the door and fitting her key inside. She wasn't surprised to feel him come up behind her, and again she smiled as she closed the garage door and entered her home.

"This is cosy," he remarked as they took off their coats, and she nodded, hanging coat and hat on a hook before crouching down and untying her shoes and tugging them off.

"I bought this place because I needed somewhere to heal and I wanted to be a little closer to Dad, while still having my independence. I don't need much, as there's a guest room for when Erin comes to visit with her partner." Alex tried to smile, but it seemed like mentioning her friend just dredged up bittersweet memories. He gave her an understanding smile before closing his arms around her waist and holding her close as she let out a long breath. "Now, enough about things that make me reflect. How about we focus on things that make us feel?"

He nodded, and she gave him a firmer smile before digging her hands in the fabric of his shirt and tugging him close for a blistering kiss. It took him a moment to respond, and then he was matching her hunger for hunger. Alex groaned against his lips as he slid his hands down to her ass, pulling her even closer as he devoured her. Somehow, even though she didn't want to end the embrace, she managed to tear her lips away from his, breathing heavily as she relaxed against his chest. "I think I can feel what you're feeling," he panted, and she nodded as she took hold of his hand and led him to the bedroom.

A part of her was surprised when he fumbled for the light switch, but then she caught the look in his eyes, and she fairly melted as she reached up and started to undo the buttons on her cardigan, only for him to step close and still her hands before he took over that task, taking incredible care to make certain that each button slipped from its hole smoothly. Hotch's hands brushed against the skin of her chest as he started undoing her blouse, and she shivered as she leaned into those brief touches, wanting to feel his fingers on her breasts. He chuckled as he pushed both her shirt and cardigan off her shoulders, letting the garments fall to the floor as his hands drifted lower, working on the fastenings of her trousers. Alex needed something to do with her hands, so she reached out and tugged his polo shirt from his pants and up his torso. He stilled his movements and allowed her to pull it completely off his body before he knelt and tugged her trousers down her legs.

Alex looked down at him, seeing the pure lust on his face, and grinned before moaning as he hooked his hands in the waistband of her panties and started to roll them down her thighs until they dropped down her legs on their own and he fitted himself between her thighs. The way his breath felt against her skin was sinful, and she shuddered a little as he pressed his lips against her vulva. Hotch dug the fingers of one hand into her ass, holding her close as he started to eat her out, and she bent over him to steady herself as his free hand moved up her back to unclip her bra. She had to help him, and he chuckled against her core, making her shudder hard, her thighs shaking and on the verge of giving out. Hotch gently maneuvered her back towards the bed and she sat heavily, her back thumping against the mattress as he spread her legs a little further, his mouth never leaving her vulva as he drove her closer and closer to orgasm.

She had almost reached the crest of her pleasure when he pulled back from her body, hurriedly stripping off the rest of his clothes before he covered her with his body, his erection pressing against her core. Alex gave him a small nod before wrapping one leg around his waist and pulling him closer, wanting to feel him inside her. Hotch smiled crookedly as he thrust into her pliant body, and she smiled back before trying to lean upwards, wanting to kiss him once more.

He gave a small shake of his head before bending low and pressing his mouth against one breast, his tongue darting out to draw patterns on her sensitive skin as he dragged his lips down towards the closest nipple. The moment he closed his mouth around her nipple, Alex felt like she was seeing stars, and she gave herself over to the pleasure he was giving her, letting go of her thoughts and letting sensation take over. Her orgasm came all too soon, but Hotch continued to lavish attention on her body, ramping her up to another explosion of pleasure until she was collapsing against the mattress, breathing heavily as he followed her into the valley of bliss.

"I don't think I'll be able to move for hours," she said after she had managed to catch a little of her breath back, and he nodded, allowing her to cuddle closer to him. As she rested her head on his chest, Alex ran one hand up and down his back, her fingers tracing the scars that she found there. "This is going to seem rash, but…"

"You want to see me again?" he asked, giving her that same cheeky grin that had made her knees knock earlier. She nodded and he leaned in to kiss her softly. "I was going to ask the same question. I didn't really date after the Program, since I still didn't know how to talk about that aspect of my life. It's nice to find compatibility with someone who can understand all the sticky details."

It was her turn to nod, and then she kissed him as she pushed him off her body. "I feel the same way. Now, before we get too comfortable, the bathroom is right next door. Grab us a few washcloths, and I'll scrounge up something for you to wear tonight." Hotch quickly complied, and she waited a few moments before she went over to her dresser to grab an oversized t-shirt to put on before she rummaged around for something he could wear, finally coming up with a pair of flannel pants that had once belonged to James. Next time, they'd have to bring go bags, she thought as she turned to look at him, smiling as she drank in the sight of his body, her mind starting to make plans of when they could next meet.