Under Pressure // Aaron Hotchner

TWENTY EIGHT

"We got her Hotch," Morgan announced. 

Four words  and he found himself running towards the parking lot. He did not care that the his entire team had been in that room. Hell, the President of the United States could have been there and he still would have found himself running to towards her.

It took him until the car was turned on with the lights and sirens blaring for him to notice that Garcia had been ten steps ahead of him. She had programmed the location of the hospital into the car's GPS. He knew he shouldn't have abused the power he had as law enforcement, but Aaron could only focus on getting to her. 

It had taken him the fear of losing Charlie to realize that she had been right. Aaron Hotchner had fallen in love with the woman who drove him crazy. The woman who managed to seduce him quicker than he could have ever thought possible. 

He loved the way she was focused on what she wanted. How she bit her lip when she was deep in thought. The way she was a blanket hog. How she put hazelnut in her coffee. Aaron loved everything about her.

His entire life he had cared about one thing, and that was the opinion of others. He had cared more about what her father would  think than her happiness. He had been selfish. 

It took Aaron Hotchner ten minutes to get to the hospital. During which he did not care how desperate he looked as he frantically looked for her. He had run every red light, broken every traffic violation in the book, and now all that was keeping him from her were the nurses who demanded he show them his badge. 

"I-I must have left it in the car," Aaron stammered as he rummaged through all of his pockets. "My colleague Derek Morgan can vouch for me."

"Sir, without documentation that you are indeed a FBI agent we cannot give you that information," the nurse stated. 

Aaron wanted to scream. He wanted to yell in frustration, but he knew that it would get him nowhere. He called Morgan. "Morgan, I can't find my badge and the nurses won't tell me where Charlie is."

"We're on the third floor, Room 304. I can meet you in the hallway. We have local PD stationed all around."

Aaron thanked the nurses despite their lack of cooperation. He appreciated they were doing their job, but it had meant that the clock had been ticking against him. He needed to see Charlie. Wanted to see her face. 

Aaron ran up the stairs as fast as he could. It would have been torture for him to wait for the elevator for a mere three flights of stairs. As soon as he reached the third floor he saw Morgan who immediately gestured towards the room Charlie was in. 

The moment he slammed the doors open and laid his eyes on Charlie he knew that he was absolutely, undeniably, in love with her. Before she could even register the fact that he had stormed into the first aid center his arms were around her. He held her as tight as the paramedic would let him.

"I love you," he stated as he looked her in the eyes. "Most ardently, I love you. I can't bare to lose you."

He could feel her relax under his touch. "Aaron, did you run all the way here? Your heart is beating so fast."

"As soon as Morgan called I ran every red light I could to make it to you."

"Aaron, you could have gotten hurt," she said as she caressed his face. 

" Charlie you were right, I love you and I can't believe it took me this long to realize it." 

"Aaron, you know my father would never approve."

"Then I'll leave my job for you," He stated. "I'll go back to being a prosecutor." 

"Aaron, you love your job."

"I don't care. I don't care that I've only just met you a few weeks ago. I love you and I want to spend the rest of forever with you. Forever is such a short time when I consider spending it with you. Please, give me a chance." Aaron knew he had made mistakes. Knew that he could have handled things better when they concerned her father.

"What about your work? Travel? You're never home and I'm never home. Aaron, you were right, this could never work," Charlie told him.

"I don't want to hear what if's Charlie. I want to hear that you're willing to try this. I want to know that you will give us a chance."

"What about what people think? You never wanted to be in the spotlight. Never wanted to be noticed in a crowd. What if this interferes with your work?"

"It's a chance I'm willing to take. I love you and I never want to risk losing you ever again." 

He stared into her eyes waiting for her response. He leaned in waiting for her to make her move. Begging her with his eyes to do something, anything, to alleviate his suffering. Charlie closed the gap and kissed him.

"I love you, Aaron Hotchner, but you are not leaving your job for me. We can work something out."

Aaron chuckled, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

The two were distracted by the sound of David Rossi chuckling as he leaned against the door frame. "Aaron Hothcner, Strauss is going to read you the riot act if she finds out what you did."

"If, if is good," Charlie retorted. "I'm sure you boys won't tell her." 

"Oh I think we could keep our mouths shut," Garcia giggled. 

Aaron rolled his eyes as he realized that his entire team had been right behind him. He was never going to live this down. The jokes were writing themselves. How Aaron Hotchner had fallen in love with Charlotte Pierce.