Hellow people :D I'm new in the Criminal Minds section but after watching the show for a while I came up with this ^^". Beware that this is a VERY AU fic and I hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it :3

Some ages are also messed up, so here is a reference:

Hotch: 25

Garcia: 22

Morgan: 20

Emily: 18

JJ: 18

Reid: 12

Disclaimer: if I owned Criminal Minds, Hotch and Prentiss would be together. And since they are not…

The Road Trip

1

The quietness was starting to drive him crazy. A glance at his watch informed him they had been sitting in the hospital wing for only forty minutes. Yet, it already felt like hours. Hotch clenched the green scarf and brought it closer to his face. Her scent gave him the tidbit of strength he needed to keep himself together for the time being. Then, he slowly raised his eyes and glanced around him.

Aside from him, five people were sitting in the room. A twelve year-old boy leaned sleepily against a blond young woman, a black young man tightened his knuckles, a forty year old man rested his head against the wall, lids shut, and a purple-haired woman clenched a cross in one hand and with the other typed fast and nervously on the keyboard of her laptop. All stood there for the same reason and he was grateful for their presence. As quiet as the building may be, he didn't want to feel alone this particular moment.

A door open and a nurse walked out of the emergency room, holding a file and flipping pages. The six heads lifted at her approach but she walked straight ahead without giving them much of a second glance. The blonde young woman sighed in frustration, making her younger neighbor jump and blink heavily:

"I can't take this anymore. She's been in there for hours!"

"Forty five minutes" Hotch corrected deadpan, but his grip on the scarf tightened again. "And it might take even more. This is tough for everyone JJ, so please calm down and if you can't handle the wait, just get some fresh air."

The blonde glared at him and he held her gaze. After a few moments of staring, she eventually turned towards her younger neighbor.

"I'm going to call Gideon. You wanna talk to him too Spence?"

The boy nodded sleepily and stood up. They walked away in the corridor and silence returned. After another while, the purple-haired woman stopped typing and put her hand on his shoulder:

"She'll be all right Ronny. She's a fighter, she'll come out of it."

Only then Hotch realized he was slightly shaking. The two others glanced at him in disbelief, somewhat amused by the nickname. The man ignored them and acknowledged her support with a swift nod; even if he wanted he could not bring himself to smile right now. His knuckles had turned white from clenching the soft cloth and he too was losing patience. He thought of taking his own advice, but didn't want to miss any update. Instead, Hotch closed his eyes and let his mind drift away, hoping someone would wake him up from this nightmare.

-1 year earlier; June -

Something shook his shoulder. Aaron Hotchner automatically opened his eyes and moved to grab whatever was touching him.

"Hey watch it!" a female voice objected indignantly. The high-pitch tone made the young man wince and release her wrist. "I swear this is the last time I'm waking you up!"

"Five more minutes Garcia." he muttered, half-hiding his face underneath his pillow. Instead of responding, Garcia opened the curtains wide, allowing the bright sunlight to illuminate the room, and pulled the sheets roughly off his body. That last move made him glare at her.

"What was that for?" Hotch protested. "I could have been naked there!"

Before him stood a white-blonde-haired woman in her early twenties, dressed in a flashy yellow and orange dress and purple tights. She adjusted her pink glasses and crossed her arms.

"For one, Aaron Hotchner, it's already close to noon. For two, lose The Hotch Glare; it doesn't work with me. For three, you never sleep commando and even if you did, I've already seen you in your naked glory. And..." she paused and sniffed the air, frowning in displeasure. "Is this alcohol I smell? Don't tell me you've been drinking over Haley again!"

Hotch knew that reprehending tone too well. She'd used it many times with Sean, his twelve years old brother, when he had messed up with something. Taking his silence for a positive answer, she rolled her eyes.

"It's been a week Hotch. You two broke up; big deal!" The man grunted something, and Garcia went on: "I mean, I understand why you're angry; you two have been together for years and that woman had been cheating on you for the last few months…"

"Thank you for reminding me" he muttered, raising a hand to rub his temples in attempt to lift the rising headache. The woman's expression softened as she sat on the border of the bed. She patted his shoulder and offered him a weak smile.

"You'll find a better girl to take care of you. I mean, once people get to know you, you're a very likable person."

"Are you hinting I am asocial?"

Garcia's eyes widened like saucers.

"Oh of course not!" she immediately replied. "You are just very intimidating and that makes people freak out a bit especially when you do The Hotch Glare and it would really do you good if you smiled a bit more because you have those cute dimples to die for and if I didn't have already my sweet Kevin I'd totally go for you but I know you don't see me other than a very cheerful attaching and sometimes annoying tenant who meddles with your life all the time but who you love because if you didn't I would have been standing on the pavement in front of your house years ago" she paused briefly to catch her breath and added: "Although given the annoyed expression on your face I supposed I'd better step out of the room to let you dress up and finish preparing lunch."

The young man stared at her deadpan. Garcia immediately stood up and hurried out the door. While they both knew he would actually never throw her out of the house, Hotch still imposed a line between them; and even though Garcia was nosy and part of the family, she respected it. At some point.

After the woman's departure, Hotch headed to the bathroom and took a shower. Once he put a decent pair of jeans and sweatshirt, he headed towards the kitchen. Smells of lasagna filled the place but he didn't feel hungry. The thought barely crossed his mind that he spotted Garcia cheerfully humming behind her pans.

"You don't have to do all this you know" he said. The woman jumped in surprise, not having heard him approach.

"No offense, but the Hotch brothers are not known for their cooking. You almost poisoned me with that fish the other day" she pointed out. Hotch winced, knowing she was right. The only time he and Sean had decided to join their effort to prepare a decent meal had them ended in the ER. "And this is healthy food. Now pick up a plate. Lasagna's almost ready."

"Sorry, I'm not really hungry."

The woman dropped her tools, turned back and started speaking very quietly:

"If you tell me you're out till the evening, I am going to be very mad."

"I just need to take a walk" he protested, raising his hands defensively. "Just a few hours and I'll be back. Promise."

Her scrutinizing gaze reminded him of his mother's when she was searching for a lie. When she found none, Garcia pulled him into a tight hug, patted his shoulder again and said:

"Go get some fresh air. I'll put some lasagna aside before Sean eats it all."

The man nodded his thanks and, taking his jacket, stepped out the house.

Raising his eyes, Hotch met the clear sky of the midday. Deep blue and cloudless, yet a light wind started to rise. He wondered for a few seconds where he should go, before opting for the public park. The place was close by and usually quiet; exactly what he needed right now. Luckily, a free bench was waiting for him in the shadow of a huge tree. Hotch sat there, closed his eyes and let his mind wander.

Since Haley had left him, he had a hard time getting back on track. Working his law classes until exhaustion couldn't distract him anymore and despite his hate for alcohol, it helped him to forget for a few hours. The following mornings though...Garcia was right to be upset with him.

The young man shook his head, feeling guilty at her earlier expression. When he and Sean had first moved across her street, she had turned out to be a great help to them, keeping an eye on his brother when he was out too late or cheering him up when he felt down. They had become close with time and when her parents died in a car accident, Hotch had readily agreed to let her live with them. Since then, they were family, even though she still joked about being their tenant.

Although sometimes he wondered how they managed the cohabitation...

Hotch felt rather than heard someone approach and stand in front of him. Since he was not in the mood for a chat, he tried to ignore the presence and stay in his own mind.

"You do know you are making grumpy grimaces even with your eyes closed?"

The young man felt a hint of annoyance and opened his lids, ready to snap at whoever was there that they could get lost, when he suddenly lost his voice. A tall brunette with big dark eyes was staring at him with friendly curiosity, hands stuffed in the pockets of her sleeveless jacket. When he didn't utter a word after a few minutes, she tilted her head on the side and asked in a very candid, yet teasing, tone:

"Do you always look so intense when you stare at people?"

And that was how he met Emily Prentiss.

Here is for starters...let me know if you liked it?

Thank you for reading :)