I Love This Show, And Their Relationship Is So Great.

OK, here is my take on this prompt! In my version of events, Penelope and Hotch go as friends ( who both want more than friendship) to Will and JJ’s wedding, they start dating soon after, are engaged by Season 9 ( a bit after Route 66), get married and discover Penelope is expecting triplets soon after their honeymoon. So they move to a bigger place, get a massive car and are starting to settle in before their 3 kids are born. This was so much fun to write, and I’ve included some lore from the show that I thought made a clever « get me out of here » code… Any ideas for a title gratefully appreciated, as I struggle with those a lot!

« Sorry, Penny, I’m stuck in traffic. There’s been a massive pile-up so I’m going to have to find another way back from the university. Tell Jack I’ll be there as soon as I can. I love all 5 of you » Aaron said to his wife.

« OK, Aaron, drive carefully. Jack, the pickles and I need you back in one piece », Penelope replied, the phone tucked between her head and her shoulder, one hand cradling her ever-growing baby bump.

Being pregnant with triplets was no walk in the park, especially as an unexpected and not exactly planned first pregnancy.

At least she had a really cute outfit for the neighbourhood barbecue in their new residence. Her green dress with the white spots flowed and clung to all the right places, and she’d found cat eye glasses and a pair of ballet flats ( alas, high heels were not going to be an option for the foreseeable future, but having three babies made up for it) in a perfect matching shade of green. A white flowery heabdand and cardigan, plus a pair of diamond and pearl earrings ( a « just because » present from her lovely, handsome husband) completed the look.

Calling out to Jack as she reached the kitchen, she somehow managed to grab hold of the mac and cheese dish that was the Garcia-Hotchner contribution to the social event. Holding the dish proved a little complicated, as her nails had just been done and were longer than she usually opted for. They were painted a pearlescent white with green spots and she loved them.

Jack arrived, wearing his shoes and jacket.

« Where’s Dad? He said he’d be here! It’s not like he’s with the FBI anymore, he’s a professor, so what’s his excuse? » Jack grumbled, clearly upset at missing out on Dad time.

Penelope quickly explained the situation, whoch seemed to mollify the pre-teen.

He grabbed a bottle of soda from the fridge, as well as the house keys, and the two left the house. 

Once they arrived at Sarah Jones’ residence, they made their way to the garden, where there was a group of dads milling around the grill, drinking beers and chatting as the women brought out trays of sausages, burgers, kebabs and assorted cuts of chicken for them to cook. 

Penelope dropped off the mac and cheese on the nearby  table, which was heaving with all sorts of salads, rolls, chips, dips and crudites. Jack placed the bottle of Coca-Cola he’d been carrying in the gigantic cooler that was under the table, before running off to play basketball with Sarah’s twin boys, Matt and Luke. 

Penelope looked around, taking in the women around her, who were clustered in little groups of 4 or 5.

Her eyes met Celia’s, who was mother to Charlotte, a girl in Jack’s fifth grade class.

Penelope sighed inwardly as Celia waved at her, gesticulating for her to come and join her coven. 

« Hi Penelope, glad you could make it. I think you’ve met Caro, Jen and Liz, right? », Celia asked, sipping some sort of fancy, fruity  alcoholic beverage whilst simultaneously smoothing her already perfectly coiffed dark bob. 

« Yes, how lovely to see you all again », Penelope lied, as she had no interest in joining their mindless chitchat about shopping, having lunch out, shopping, gossiping about other moms and their perceived failings, or whose husband they were sleeping with and shopping. She was sure she had been or still was their preferred topic of discussion, as none of them seemed to believe that she was actually married to her tall drink of water of a husband.

She participated in the conversation about the PTA, the upcoming school trip, how the lunch menu needs to be improved. She twisted her wedding and engagement rings, the diamonds, opals and pearls glinting as they caught the light. 

Where on earth was Hotch? 

Her thoughts were interrupted by an exuberant « Hi Dad! » from the other side of the yard. She watched Jack run to his father, who hugged him and smiled broadly at his son. 

He ruffled Jack’s hair as she called out to him. 

« Hi honey, over here! »

« Sorry for the delay, sweetheart, the alternate route home took forever! » he replied, before sliding his arms around her, dipping her and giving her a kiss worthy of a Hollywood movie. 

« Hello ladies, thank you for keeping my wife company. Now, Penelope, let’s see if we can get you a non alcoholic version of whatever your friends are drinking » Hotch declared, his hand on Penelope’s back, before guiding her away.

The two of them ended up sitting on a bench, virgin mojito and beer in hand, watching Jack play with his friends. Aaron’s free hand was either holding his wife’s or was gently resting on her prominent belly, which he kissed tenderly.

The abandoned clique of mothers, plus anyone else in the vicinity could not help but admire the blissfully happy couple, who seemed to be in their own little bubble of not so newlywed joy. 

I'm once again thinking about Gotch moving to a new neighborhood and there's a neighbors party and Penelope arrives before Aaron can get out of work so she's out there making instant-friends with everyone she meets and it's loud and funny and her hair is pink this month and she's wearing a new white and green polka dot dress with nails that look like you can't do anything with your hands wearing those but she manages and when Aaron gets there he just sees her surrounded by everyone and the people he's met in passing over the couple of weeks since they've moved there look at him and then her and go "Oh? Oh! Oh wow." because they are so different no one expects they'd be together, but they really are, and Aaron calms Penelope without silencing her and Penelope brightens the light in his eyes without pushing him too far out of his comfort zone and by the time he's got an arm around her waist and hers is looped around his neck playing with the hair at his nape, they look like they belong with each other so completely that the neighbors just, hearteyes at them.

Sunrise on The Reaping thoughts ( tried to not spoil anything)

Well, I read it in 6 hours, give or take! 

It was really gripping, the characters were all really distinct and relatable in some way. Some of them were really surprising and there were some neat parallels to other Games and characters in them.

So much bird, flower and snake imagery, it was a bit much at times.

Haymitch’s Reaping ceremony was brutal, not at all what I expected, but very fitting for his character. 

All the nods to other characters throughout the series was fun, though maybe a little overdone.

I liked the full-circle aspect of the plot and the character connections.

The mentor situation played out in the opposite way that I thought it would, and I thought it was a bit unlikely/unrealistic, but maybe it was just because it was a Quarter Quell that it happened like it did.

It was interesting to see the evolution of the Games since TBOSAS, and I felt some of the events from that were mirrored/echoed in this book. 

I will elaborate more once more people have finished it and don’t want to avoid spoilers. 

But overall, it was a great read and I think it will make a fantastic film.

Criminal Minds Season 13

Barnes as the person in charge is just awful! She makes Strauss look like an angel and gives me serious Dolores Umbridge from Harry Potter vibes ( “Order! I will have order!”).  Seeing the team in different roles just makes me so sad, especially Penelope.  JJ as Unit Chief is just about the stupidest decision I ever heard, really not a fan of her character, and haven’t been since she stopped being liaison officer.  Alvez and Simmons have more depth and are more interesting.

Love Spencer and Emily’s relationship, they have such a lovely older sister-little brother dynamic.  Still missing Hotch and Morgan! Some of my favourite episodes is when the team is at its smallest in Season 4, which is one of my favourite Seasons overall. 

What's one unpopular opinion or niche headcanon you have for your OTP?

At the moment my OTP is Rollisi from SVU. I think Sonny is quite messy, especially when cooking, and Amanda likes things neat and tidy. Amanda’s desk at work is immaculate and she can always rely on everything being exactly where she left it/where she says it is if she instructs people to get her something. Sonny can also find things, but only he can, as his desk is organised chaos. Amanda once tidied it for him as a surprise, it took him days for him to get it back to how he likes it.

The engagement ring that Hotch uses to propose to Penelope in my AU Into The Gotchaverse. It’s supposed to be rose gold, with an opal in the centre, surrounded by alternating diamonds and pearls. I figured Hotch wouldn’t go for a stone of any particular colour, as Penelope wears all of them ( Jack comes to help and says he thinks Penelope’s favourite colour is rainbow!) and a coloured gem could clash with whatever outfit she was wearing. Pearls and diamonds are also neutral/go with anything, and Penelope also wears gold and silver jewellery, so rose gold seemed like the best choice. Traditionally opals and pearls are not used in engagement rings, as opals are supposed to come loose very easily and pearls represent tears/sadness, so not very auspicious. I feel like Hotch would know that and mentions it once Penelope has accepted. She, of course, loves it! Now I have to write the proposal, in my head it is very romantic, thoughtful and sweet, so I hope that translates to the page!

Criminal Minds Season 12

About halfway through Season 12 now and am so over the Reid prison arc!  If only Hotch were still there, he’d go back to his roots and would have prepared an airtight case to get Reid set free! It’s so traumatic to see him suffering at the hands of the other inmates, like he did with Tobias Henkel and the bullying he was subjected to at school.  I miss Hotch a stupid amount, and Morgan too, but mostly Hotch.  Steven Walker is OK, but doesn’t seem to have any particularly notable character traits so far.  Luke Alvez is growing on me, he gets on with everyone on the team and he tried to comfort Penelope, so he’s better than Gideon by a long shot!

1. Penelope Garcia

2. Aaron Hotchner

3. Alex Blake

4. Tara Lewis

5. Spencer Reid

top 5 criminal minds characters 👀

ask me my top five of anything!

emily prentiss

aaron hotchner

alex blake

spencer reid

elle greenaway

Bernie's not the only one with magical powers..... well, I guess he's just a Detective through and through.

sorry to advice you to lower drastically your expectation for now on 'cause season 24-25 (and current 2) new showrunner sucks royally, can't write svu storylines nor he's able to write/develop new characters', quality is going down especially after ep9 :/

I know we get a Carisi-Rollins wedding, so there’s that to look forward to. Your Honour, I love them! Shame the character development/creation and plotlines decline after early Season 24. I have also been watching OC, which had a pretty dreadful third Season, so as long as it’s not as bad as that, I’ll live. Thanks for the heads up though!

Yes, Sonny has serious golden retriever energy! I love him so much!