Author's Note: Just a little one-shot for those that love JJ/Hotch and dislike Will. :D

Dada is a Four Letter Word

"Dad!" Jack shouted, running into the living room with Henry hot on his heels. "Are Henry and Michael spending the night again?"

"I'm not sure," Hotch replied with a frown, realizing that the hour was growing late. He had been busy playing with Michael and lost track of time. JJ had asked him to watch Henry and Michael while she and Will had a talk, which lately meant that they would be having a fight. "JJ hasn't called me yet."

Both boys groaned, but it was Jack that continued speaking. "Well, when JJ does call, can you ask her if they can stay? Henry and I are working on a story and we want to have pancakes in the morning."

Hotch grinned. "I can certainly ask, but I can't make any promises. Why don't you guys go ahead and get start with your story?"

"Okay!" The boys shouted before running back off towards Jack's room.

Realizing that his best play toy had been ignoring him, Michael let out a huge squawk.

"I'm so sorry, little man," Hotch cooed, picking the ten-month-old out of the walker. "But you're just going to have to learn that sometimes, you are not the center of the universe."

Michael gave him a toothless grin and patted Hotch's face. "Dada."

Hotch's face lit up and pride swelled in his chest until the pit of dread swept it all away. "No, no, buddy. Hotch. Say, 'Hotch'."

"Dada," Michael giggled.

"Hooooootch."

"Daaaaaaaaada."

"Henry, come here!" Jack shouted. "Mikey is calling my dad 'dada'!"

Henry came scurrying into the living room. He giggled when Michael repeated the word to Hotch. "He never says that for my dad. It makes Dad so angry. I heard him tell my mom that he doesn't think Mikey is his."

Hotch raised one hand when Jack opened his mouth to question Henry's seemingly innocent question. He quickly hurried the boys out of the room and turned his attention back to Michael, who thankfully ceased his chatter. Hotch knew that things hadn't been going well for JJ and Will lately. There was no bigger indicator than the fact that JJ and the boys spent more time at his place than at their own recently. Still, he couldn't believe that Will would actually go as far as to deny Michael, the baby he had claimed to want so badly. On the other hand, it did say a lot that Henry wasn't bothered by the fact that Michael was identifying Hotch as his father.

Hotch continued to roll around thoughts of JJ and Will in his head throughout the evening. Hearing nothing from JJ, he went ahead and assumed that they would all be spending the night for the fourth time this week. He went about putting Jack and Henry to bed in Jack's room and Michael in the pack n' play in his bedroom. Finally, he made sure that JJ had fresh sheets in the guest room before settling onto the living room couch.

It was nearly midnight by the time JJ entered the house. Hotch could see her eyes were red and her cheeks were tear-stained. She marched into the kitchen without a word, returning with a bottle of tequila and a single shot glass.

"So, I take it things went well," Hotch deadpanned, trying to lighten the mood.

JJ glared as she took her first shot. "Why would a man accuse his significant other of cheating on him and getting pregnant and trying to pass the kid of as his?"

Hotch paused for a moment, suddenly thankful for Henry's admission earlier. "That he was the one who had cheated."

"Got it in one!" JJ slammed another shot. "And he knocked her up! She tried to pass it off as her husband's baby, but he figure out that it couldn't be his. So, now, he and this, this, chick, are moving to Utah together. He assures me that he'll pay child support for Henry and for Michael, if tests prove that Michael is really his. And he'll call and visit when he can."

"What did you tell him?" Hotch asked, eyes wide.

JJ downed her third shot. "I told him to go fuck himself. I never slept around!" Her arms were wildly swinging now. "And I could have! I could have had hundreds of men! And women! But no! I was always faithful. I could have had you like I always wanted to! But, no, I stuck with the guy who knocked me up, who claimed to love me! Who ended up cheating on me and knocking up someone else!"

Blushing fiercely, Hotch rubbed his face. He grabbed the tequila bottle after JJ finished her fourth, and what he determined would be her final, shot. She protested for half a minute before conceding to him.

"I'm sorry that I didn't call earlier," JJ whispered, turning to face him. "I knew that the boys would be safe with you and that you wouldn't mind if we spent the night."

"Of course not." Hotch wrapped an arm around her shoulder when he saw tears in her eyes again and pulled her close.

She leaned her head on his shoulder. "I knew marrying him was a bad idea. Things were just so crazy and I was so happy that he was alive. But I regretted it from the moment I said yes. Still, I never thought it would end like this."

Hotch lay his head on hers. "No one goes into marriage thinking it will. Otherwise, what's the point?"

"We may need to stay here for a few days," JJ told him after a few minutes of silent contemplation.

"You are always welcome here."

JJ sniffed. "It might be longer than a few days."

Hotch smiled. "That's okay, too."

"Did I really tell you that I could have had you?" JJ inquired.

"Um, yes," he admitted, heating rising up his neck.

She buried her face in his neck. "Can we chalk that up to tequila and a bad day?"

Chuckling, he agreed. "Sure. We should probably get you up to bed, though. The kids will be wanting to see you as soon as they're up and you've got a long day ahead of you."

"Yes, I do." With Hotch's help, JJ rose from the couch. "Thanks again for everything. I don't just mean tonight. You've really been there for both me and my boys the last few months and I can't tell you how much that's meant to me."

"I'm glad to do it," he answered, truthfully, leading her upstairs. "It's actually been really nice having you guys here. It makes Jack and I less lonely. But speaking of spending time here, there's something that I should tell you. Tonight-"

Hotch was interrupted by a sudden cry of "Dada!" coming from his room. Both JJ and Hotch rushed in to find Michael standing in the pack n' play, crying. He raised his arms to Hotch.

"Dada."

"Ssh. It's okay, little man," Hotch soothed, gently rocking the baby. "Hotch is here."

JJ starred at them with her jaw dropped. "Did he… Did he just call you 'Dada'?"

Hotch nodded. "That's what I needed to talk to you about. He just started it this evening. I'm trying to reiterate that I'm Hotch. The boys did overhear him, but they just thought it was funny. I-"

"Hotch, it's okay," JJ stopped him. "You spend more time with him than his father so it makes sense that he would call you that. To be honest, it's not the worst idea that I've ever heard. You are an amazing father and I have always been half in love with you."

"JJ," he breathed out, gazing into her eyes. He leaned towards her lips, stopping only when Michael began to snore. Hotch pulled back, disappointed. "We can't. Not now; not with everything you're going through. You need time to sort out the emotions going on and your boys will need time to come to terms with everything."

JJ bit her lip and looked away. "I know; you're right."

Hotch touched her face to draw her back to him. "I will still be here for anything that you need."

"I know. I'm going to go to bed. If you need me to take him, just let me know." She waited for his nod before leaving the room.

"Nine months!" he called after her.

JJ popped her head back into the room. "What?"

Hotch grinned, hugging Michael closer to himself. "In nine months, if you're not dating anyone, I'm going to take you out on a date; the best date that you've ever been on. And at the end of that date, I'm going to ask you a very important question. No matter what your answer is, you'll always remain my best friend."

"Nine months?" she repeated, happy tears in her eyes.

"Nine months." Hotch waited until he heard the door close on the guest room to muttered to Michael, "You just keep calling me 'Dada', little man, and it may just come true.

THE END