Two High IQ's Make One Great Romance

Maria and I were talking one day after our classes had ended. Mostly she just wanted to hear about my "exciting" job.

"Well I don't get to do many exciting things. I sit in front of a computer and get information, look at bloody pictures, have to memorize things about serial killers. Everyone else gets to be in the field and actually catch the guy, or occasionally girl." I shrugged. She stirred her iced tea, I took a sip of mine. It was nice just to sit in the studio with Maria. She reminded me of Brianne, in a way, but she was older and had been through more. She understood my love of computers, and my passion for dance.

"Whatever you say, it's still pretty amazing that you work for the FBI. All of the things you must see.... are you allowed to tell me about any of it?" She asked.

"It's all public information. Mostly everything has been on the news. So sure, I guess."

"So what happened on your last case? Didn't you say that the team just came back last night?"

"Yes, they came back last night and were too tired to even greet me properly." I laughed at their behavior from the previous night. "They caught a man who kidnapped three teenage girls. One girl didn't end up making it... it was terrible, really."

"That is terrible." Maria shook her head. "But why do you say they? Aren't you on the team..?"

"Yeah. But sometimes I don't feel like one of them. I have to stay in Quantico while they travel all over the place. And I only began working there a few months ago, and they've all been together for years. It doesn't feel right to include myself in their team. I feel.... too new."

"Darling, you're never going to get anywhere in life with that sort of attitude. Do you really think they wouldn't consider you part of the team? I mean, that Spencer boy came here last week to pick you up. And don't think I didn't see that little dance you guys did. And you talk about Penelope and Derek as if you're related to them. You've got to act like you belong."

"I do, I do, and I know that I am one of them. Just sometimes... sometimes I feel like a kid in a world of adults." I laughed and finished off my iced tea.

"I understand. So tell me about your family." She said. I looked at her with scrunched eyes.

"Why do you want to know so much about me?"

"Because I have to listen to small children and bratty teenagers all day, everyday. My husband is boring, and the rest of the teachers here think too highly of themselves. You're currently my point of interest." I loved how she explained herself. Always right to the point.

"Ok. Well my Dad is in Las Vegas running his company... my Aunt lives here and rents out an apartment to me. My mother passed away when I was two. Umm.. that's about the only family I have."

"Consider me family." Maria winked. I smiled at her. "But I've got to go. If I leave you a spare key would you lock up when you leave?"

I nodded. She tossed the key at me as we both stood. She put away a few stray chairs and then hugged me good bye. "Same time next week."

I stayed in the studio until the sun set. All of my classes needed new choreography within the next few weeks. I was teaching them basic steps, and I planned to put everything together soon. It was amazing to be dancing and thinking of new dance moves again, it made me relax.

I enjoy the walk home in the dark, up until I got about half way home. There was another ten minutes before I even reached my block, but I began to feel extremely anxious. I looked around me, not seeing anything, but feeling like I was being followed. Something wasn't right, I knew it. My belief in the unseen was skeptical, but my belief in my own perceptions was strong.

My pace increased steadily, but the feeling never left. Once safely inside my apartment, I slammed the door shut and dead-bolted it swiftly. I looked out the peephole for a good two minutes before I decided I was safe, for the moment.

I had showered and put on a pair of pajamas. A knock came to my door. I tiptoed to it, and peaked out, seeing the smiling face of my aunt.

"Hi sweety." She hugged me. She had come by for weekly visits, I was always glad to see her. She, strangely, was in a dress and heels with her hair in a high bun.

"Hi Aunt Lucy. What are you wearing?" I asked while laughing.

"We're going out to dinner with Aaron tonight. We haven't spoken in a while, and we both thought it would be nice to go out. I suggested that you tag along."

"Aw come on, I don't want to go out to dinner with my boss. I get enough of him during the week, I don't need to see him on a casual basis."

"It'll be good for you. I don't know how often you get a good meal, and this will be nice. Here," She tossed me a box, "I got you a dress."

"Again? You know these presents are too much." I shook my head while taking out the knee-length red dress.

"Take the damn dress, will you. Get ready. I'll wait here."

I got dressed, straightened my hair, applied light make-up and picked out a pair of black pumps. Aunt Lucy was still waiting on my couch when I emerged from my bedroom.

"Geez you took long enough." She said as she rose.

"It's not my fault that I wasn't expecting to be going out tonight. In fact, I was hoping on having a quiet night in."

"Let's go! I'm paying, don't bother with that." She slapped away the credit card that I was slipping into my purse. "And remind me later that I have to lecture you on why you are the strangest twenty two year old that I have ever met...not going out on a Saturday night..." She was shaking her head in mock disappointment.

"Fine." I pouted and quickly shoved some things into my tiny bag. Aunt Lucy had decided to take her car. It was a nice twenty minute drive to the restaurant that looked nicer than I was expecting. Hotch was waiting for us at a small table.

"Aaron! So nice to see you. How's Jack doing?" Lucy asked as she hugged and gave Hotch a kiss on the cheek. He hugged me awkwardly and we all sat down.

"Jack is good. He's missing his mom, but he's doing ok." I had heard about Hotch's run-in with a serial murderer, who killed his ex-wife. Hotch had managed to save his son, but was too late for her. When I first heard the story, it brought me to tears. How anyone could do harm to such a great guy like Hotch was unbelievable to me. But he never liked to talk about it.

"How's business going Lucy?" He asked. His voice was softer than I'd ever heard. Than again, I'd never heard him outside of a business setting.

"Good, good. Glad to have my niece living in one of my buildings. Makes me feel safer knowing that she's in capable hands." She squeezed my hand. I blushed. A waiter came over and took our drink orders.

"I'm so glad that you recommended her to us, she's perfect for the job." Hotch's eyes flashed to mine and then back to Lucy's. "She's a lot like you."

"Well that's because I practically raised her. Almost." Lucy winked. I blushed redder. I hated being talking about when I was in the room.

"You're perhaps a bit.. more.. forward." Hotch laughed. I managed to fake a giggle. If I could stay quiet for the entire meal, that would be fine. I was tired. I would have liked to be reading a book in bed, or even watching an old movie.

"God Aaron, why don't we get together more often? I've known you... what has it been... fifteen years?"

"I'm always out of town, or when I'm not I'm always with Jack. I'm busy." He smiled. I started tuning out and admiring the scenes around me. My vision went from table to table, eying all of the couples and families having expensive dinners. I wasn't sure how long I was unfocused for, but Aunt Lucy made sure that I wouldn't stay off topic too long.

"Piper, it's rude to stare. Come on, why don't you join in on the conversation with Aaron and I? You've been awfully quiet."

"She's nervous about having dinner with her boss in a friendly atmosphere." Hotch cracked a smile at me before taking a sip of water. I shrugged.

"I'm just tired. I had a long day."

"Don't try to hide yourself from a profiler." Aunt Lucy said. I narrowed my eyes.

"I'd prefer not to be profiled. It seems as though ever since I got to Quantico, that's all that's been happening."

Both of them were silent for a minute. "Piper... we don't intentionally profile. It's part of who we are."

"Yeah, well, not a second goes by that I'm not reminded of that." I crossed my arms and leaned back in my chair. Neither person was too pleased to hear my attitude, but I couldn't help it. I didn't want to come out to dinner in the first place.

"I'm sorry about that." Aaron said softly. This wasn't Hotch my boss, this was Hotch, my Aunt's friend. I knew he had a soft spot for me.

"I'm sorry I snapped. It was rude."

The waiter came, interrupting the silence, and placed our meals in front of us.
"Don't worry about it. I know how tough your last few months have been." Hotch smiled at me again as he started eating. The three of us ate in silence for a few moments, but they quickly resumed some conversation which I was sure to stay out of. I zoned out again, but was jerked back into reality.

"What about Spencer? Is that his name? Wasn't he the one that you went on a date with?" My eyes were wide. Hotch didn't falter. Did he already know? He took a bite of his food and then chewed slowly. Too slowly. I watched him as I began eating as well. My Aunt was still talking.

"Right? That was his name. Spencer. I remember meeting him once or twice..." She trailed off.

"Yeah, it was Spencer." I said, looking at Hotch. He looked at me without an expression.

"Oh I probably shouldn't have said anything... you work with him, don't you?" She finally got the hint that perhaps Hotch shouldn't have known.

"It's alright Piper, I already knew." Hotch said after swallowing. I didn't really know what to say to him. "I know I should not have profiled you at work, but the signs were really hard to ignore. The way you both acted around each other. I also know that you've stopped seeing each other." He took another bite. I blushed.

"You shouldn't have profiled me." Tears were starting to brew behind my eyes. I felt exposed. Hotch had crossed a line. He had explained to me that profiling other members of the team was off limits, so for him to do this to me... was unexplainable.

"I know, it was wrong, and unintentional. But it was also wrong of you to hide a relationship from me."

"Hotch... I feel really betrayed." I dabbed at my eyes. He suddenly realized my expression and dropped his fork.

"Piper, I'm so sorry. You have to believe that I didn't mean to profile you, but it's my life. I just happened to notice signs of you and Reid... how you acted around each other... changes in your behavior when speaking to him... it was impossible not to notice. I'm so sorry."

"It's ok. I know it was wrong to be dating... but..." I shrugged, knowing Hotch would get the hint. I smiled and sniffed back the remainder of my tears.

"Let's change the topic. How's work at your new studio?" Lucy was not very good at dancing around subjects. I sighed and immediately erased the thought of the previous topic from my mind. For now.

"Good. The girls are adorable and so easy to teach. I only have a few difficult students, but for the most part everything has been amazing."

"I had no idea that you had a second job." Hotch said from behind his fork.

"It's nothing big. On Saturdays I teach some classes. It's mostly just for fun. After-wards I usually take an hour or two to dance or choreograph." I shrugged. Our meals were dwindling down, and I could barely wait to run from the restaurant.

"That's nice. You need to fit some fun into your life." He added. We were all quiet for a minute. I let the two of them talk between each other. We finished our meals and headed towards the parking lot.

"It was so nice seeing you again Lucy. We should have dinner more often. See you on Monday morning Piper." He hugged my Aunt and gave me a friendly wave. I smiled and slipped into Lucy's car. She followed soon after.

"I am SO sorry for bringing up Spencer. I had no idea that it was a touchy subject." She grabbed my hand and squeezed it lightly.

"It's alright. It was only a matter of time before Hotch mentioned something anyway. I'm glad we got it out of the way. I feel terrible that it made our dinner awkward." I laughed. She laughed as well.

"It wasn't too bad. We're all friends, it's ok."
We were quiet on the ride back to my apartment. She kissed my cheek goodbye as I climbed out.