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It was drizzling as Hotch pulled into the parking lot of the Whole Foods in Fairfax, VA. He cut the ignition and looked at his wife.
“How are we going to do this?” he asked.
Emily just laughed, stroking his cheek.
“What? You're laughing at me like you laugh when Jack says something witty.”
“I'm laughing because sometimes you treat outings with the kids like D-Day. It’s not so complicated, honey.”
“OK, if its not so complicated then tell me how we’re gonna do it.”
“You get Bree and I’ll get Jack. Don’t worry, the rain won't melt us…we’re pretty close to the front door.”
They walked in and Dave grabbed a cart from the front. Erin started to walk into the thick of the store but he just stood there, surveying the land. She stopped.
“Do you have to do this every time?” She asked, her voice somewhere between humor and exasperation.
“What? You can't go into these things head first, Erin. You’ve got to…”
“Plan a strategy ala D-Day?” She finished the thought.
“I wasn’t going to say that but yes. When we don’t plan then it gets out of control and we buy all these unnecessary things that I never have time to eat.”
“I have a list.” She pulled the paper out of her jeans pocket. “C'mon, Ike, I'm in the mood to fly by the seat of my pants this afternoon.”
“You are?” he couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.
“Yes I am. Let’s do it my way for a change.”
“Yes ma'am.” He nodded, pushing the cart into the produce aisle.
Erin smiled, grabbing the back of his jeans by the belt loops and following. Maybe they could actually do this in under an hour.
“OK, now I can see why this has never been your favorite activity.” Emily said.
“I told you.” Hotch looked at her, dimples poking holes in his cheeks.
Bree whined in her contraption, which was all her father knew to call it. Surely it had a technical name but he didn’t know what it was. He stroked the baby’s back and it calmed her some.
“Emily, can we get these cookies?” Jack asked, holding up a bag of Oreos. He was jumping up and down as if he was already high on sugar. “No, no, I want these.” He put down the Oreos and grabbed the Chewy Chips Ahoy instead. “Can I have these? I want these.”
“Put them in the cart, Jack.”
“Em…” Hotch gave his son that look before he looked at his wife.
“What? He's not going to eat them all in one sitting.”
“Yeah, you hope. Are we almost done?”
“We’re grocery shopping, Aaron; no we’re not almost done. You promised not to be a pain in the ass during domestic outings, remember?” Emily reminded him.
“I'm failing, aren’t I?”
“Miserably.”
“I know that lady!” Jack exclaimed, dropping the cookies in the cart, taking off and leaving Hotch and Emily looking after him.
“Where is he going?” Hotch asked.
“I have no idea. Jack!” Emily, pushing the cart, went after him. Hotch followed behind. She rushed down the aisle and around the corner. She didn’t even know who he was following.
“Hi I'm Jack! Do you remember me?”
“Of course I remember you.” Erin Strauss crouched down to Jack’s level. She put a soft hand on his shoulder. “You're adorable and hard to forget.”
“Your name is Erin…I remember.” He said.
“Chief Strauss.” Emily slowed down the cart as Jack looked up to her.
“Hello, Agent Prentiss. Did you lose something?”
“I lost him.”
“You lost Agent Hotchner’s son?”
“I lost my son, ma'am.”
Erin stood up and looked at her. She knew it; she just knew it.
“Erin, do you think…?” Dave stopped as he came around the corner with a bag of fresh spinach tortellini.
“Uncle Dave!” Jack ran to him and Dave scooped him up into his arms.
“Jack attack!” he tickled him and the little boy giggled wildly.
Hotch came around the other corner at the same time with Bree, who was now fully crying. He saw his teammate, his wife, his boss, and his son. He rolled his eyes.
“I hate the damn supermarket.” He mumbled.
“Give her to me.” Emily gently pulled Bree from the carry-all and cradled her close.
“Do you think Ted will like the spinach tortellini?” Dave asked.
Erin nodded, reaching her hand back for him. He knew it was a test and he passed, taking her hand and lacing their fingers. She pulled him a little closer as Aaron Hotchner stood there frozen. Emily—was she Hotchner now as well—cleared her throat. What a picture it must have been, she, Dave, and little Jack Hotchner.
“Well since we’re all here I may as well conduct my experiment.” She said.
“What do you mean?” Hotch found his voice.
“Dave, Hotch, show me your ankles.”
“Oh c'mon Em.” Dave said, rolling his eyes.
“Do it.” She bounced Bree a bit and Erin stopped her.
“I wouldn’t recommend bouncing.” She said. “I did that with Teddy and you know that to this day he still has to shake his foot to fall asleep. He’s 20 years old.”
“Are you serious?” Emily immediately stopped bouncing the baby.
“Yes.” Erin nodded. “Why don’t you just show your ankle, David, what are you so worried about?”
He sighed. He slipped his hand out of hers, put Jack down, and showed his ankle. Hotch did the same, glaring at his wife. They both quickly put their jeans legs down so as not to alert the masses to the fact that they were packing heat.
“I knew it.” Emily managed not to shout it and scare the baby. “I knew you two always have to be on. Can someone explain to me why you need to wear a piece to the supermarket?”
“You never know what could happen.” Dave replied. “There could be a hostage crisis…”
“…or a robbery gone awry.” Hotch finished. “Anything could happen and we always have to be ready to respond.”
“In the Whole Foods?” Erin asked, skepticism dripping in her tone.
“Anywhere.” Dave and Hotch said in unison.
“I win.” Emily declared. “JJ owes me $20. I told her you two pack heat everywhere but bed.”
“Well…”
“Don’t you dare, David.” Erin said through clenched teeth. “We need to finish with this list and get out of here. I'm sure we can all be…discreet…about what happened here today.”
“I can if you can, ma'am.” Hotch replied. Bree was asleep now and he helped his wife get her back into the contraption. She loved sleeping on his chest just like Jack did as an infant.
“We never saw each other, Agent Hotchner.”
“My lips are sealed.” Emily said. “Thank you for the bouncing advice though.”
“Anytime. I raised three; it seems with each one there were new things to do and not to do.”
“I’ll see you guys on Monday.” Dave said, taking Erin’s hand again and turning to leave.
“Bye Erin! Bye Uncle Dave!”
“Goodbye sweetheart.” Erin came back and gave Jack a kiss on the cheek. “It was lovely to see you again.”
“You too.” He waved as they turned the corner and disappeared from view.
“I am never coming to this Whole Foods again for as long as I live.” Hotch said. “I knew they were…I suspected something. I really didn’t want to know; really really didn’t want to know.”
“Well, can I just say that the ankle piece thing isn’t the only thing JJ owes me twenty bucks on?” Emily started pushing the cart in the other direction. She made Jack walk beside her so she could keep an eye on him. “I guess we really don’t have to constantly worry now about her trying to destroy us, do we?”
“All the rules still apply, Mrs. Hotchner.”
“Oh, I know that. It’s just nice to feel a little weight off our back. Don’t you think?”
Hotch put his arm around Emily’s waist, pulling her close to kiss her temple. That was a nice feeling indeed. It didn’t make him like the supermarket anymore but it felt good. It was out there, it couldn’t go back in, and he could be open and comfortable with his family. That’s all a man could ask for. If the repercussions came, Hotch would be ready for them.
“From now on I'm only going to the Whole Foods in Alexandria.” Erin said as she grabbed the ground beef. “That was so embarrassing.”
“You're embarrassed to be seen with me?” Dave asked.
“You know that’s not it. It’s just…”
“The tide has turned. Now you’ve got nothing to hang over Aaron Hotchner’s head.”
“That’s not it either. I'm supposed to lead by example, David.”
“You are. You're a woman in love and it looks like other agents are experiencing it as well. You should be praised for your efforts.”
“You're pushing it.”
“I like to push it.” He replied.
“I know. Packing heat….did you really have to go there?”
“I didn’t go there, you wouldn’t let me. Hotch and Prentiss are good at keeping things to themselves.”
“I can see that.”
“So you have nothing to worry about, baby.” Dave gave her a quick kiss on the lips. He knew public displays of affection weren't her thing.
“We’re still never coming to this supermarket together again. Deal?”
“You'll get no argument out of me. Still, I'm glad it’s out there. I don’t like keeping you a secret. I never have and I never will. The people closest to me need to know. It doesn’t make it a topic for lunch discussion but they need to know.”
Erin was walking just a little ahead of him so she knew he couldn’t see the smile on her face. It was an embarrassing situation but she wanted them to know too. Dave loved her; she wanted the whole damn world to know. For right now, Hotchner and Prentiss would do. She would never tell him how important it was that his friends find some way to accept what was happening between them. Erin knew she didn’t have to tell him anything; Dave just knew.