New York or Bust

Disclaimer – Not Mine

A/N – This is kind of a departure for me, much more drama than I usually do. This idea has been eating at me since the episode where the team came back from a case and they are all getting ready to go out and Hotch declines and says he's going to make a trip to NYC to see Beth. It just really bugged me. You just got home and you're rushing off to NYC, shouldn't Jack be your primary concern? And I can't imagine that Beth's job is as demanding as Hotch's so why wouldn't she be putting forth the effort to visit him?

Anyhow, this is obviously AU. JJ is single having married and divorce Will previously.

Hotch was a bundle of nerves as he reached JJ's house. He had made some major life plans over the weekend and he was anxious to share them with his son and his friend. He knocked on the door but there was no response. He realized that they must have gone to the park. They did that frequently. He strolled through the quiet neighborhood and came upon the open field where he saw his slight co-worker and their two boys chasing a soccer ball. Ever vigilant JJ noticed him and waved. Breaking apart from the two boys she met him part way.

"Hey!" Her face was flushed from exercise. "You're back early. How was your trip?"

"Good." He nodded. "It was good." He rocked back on his heels waving at Henry and Jack as they yelled hello.

JJ frowned normally he would have raced out there and played with them. He was acting goofy. There was obviously something on his mind. "Are you sure? You're acting weird." He was jittery she realized.

"I, uh, I have some news." He gave her a slight smile, uncertain as to how she would view the news. "Good news, I think." But he wasn't sure JJ would view it that way. She wasn't Beth's biggest fan. Added to that was the absolute adoration she held for his son, she might not be happy with what he was going to tell her.

JJ felt her stomach drop. If he told her Beth was pregnant she was going to be sick. She took a deep breath and braced herself. "Okay."

"There is an open position for Director of the MPU in New York." He stated.

JJ frowned, why was he…? The feeling in her gut intensified. "So?" She looked to see that the boys were still chasing the black and white ball around the field. "Why would you want to go to New York?" She hissed.

It was Hotch's turn to frown. "Well that is where Beth lives."

"So, you are going to leave the BAU and move to a new job and new city for Beth?" She wanted to make sure there was no doubt about his intentions.

"I'm sensing some hostility here, JJ."

"Are we friends, Hotch? Are we the kind of friends that can be one hundred percent honest with one another or are we just acquaintances?" JJ asked, the fist on her hip and scowl on her face making him worry before answering.

Knowing very well he might not like what she was going to say he told her, "I leave my son with you on the weekends, JJ. We're good friends. I take it you have an opinion about this."

JJ looked again to make sure the boys weren't going to descend on them and overhear her comments. Assured that they were far enough away she turned back to Hotch. "I think you're a fucking moron."

Hotch's eye's popped open. "O-kay." He hadn't been expecting that. "Kind of harsh don't you think?"

"No." JJ stated, shaking her head. "You're going to uproot and move to another city for a woman. A woman who has no problem waiting for you to visit her. When you're the one with a young son and a job that takes you all over the country. How many times since she's moved has she made the trip down here?" She barely took a breath before continuing. "On top of that did you even consider what a move like that would do to Jack?"

"Of course I did." Hotch snapped, angry that she would even assume otherwise.

"Really because I know that Missing Persons does their fair amount of traveling, probably not as much as the BAU, but still. Where is Jack going to be when you're off working? Who is going to be taking care of him?"

"Beth will take care of him." They had discussed it over the weekend.

"This is the same Beth that can't be bothered to travel to DC for the weekend to see him because it conflicts with her super important museum job?" JJ sneered, incredulously. "What about Jess? How do you think Jack will do with the loss of seeing her and vice versa? What about me and Henry for that matter?"

Hotch scrubbed a hand over his face. If he were honest he would have to admit that he really hadn't thought of that.

"Didn't even think about that, did you?" She said, calling him out on it with disgust. "Maybe you need to start thinking with your brain and not your cock." She spun on her heel and walked towards the boys leaving him dumbfounded.

"JJ."

She didn't even slow her pace. She was close to breaking down.

"Hey." He caught her elbow and was surprised when she pulled away from him. "Why are you so pissed?"

"Because I think you're making a huge mistake for a woman that doesn't deserve you." She stated flatly. "Maybe you should consider what you're giving up versus what you're gaining."

"JJ, I love Beth." He watched as she paled at the pronouncement.

The words were like sharp little arrows to her heart.

"Hey, what are you two so deep in discussion about?" Will LaMontagne joined them on the field. It was obvious that whatever the pair was discussing it was pretty heavy. He might not be a profiler like the pair in front of him but he could read body language. He'd once made a study of JJ's body and it was clear that she was beyond pissed. "Am I early?" He asked lightly.

JJ broke eye contact with Hotch and turned to her ex-husband to smile weakly. "No, you're right on time." She sighed heavily and turned away from Hotch completely. "You're going to have a hungry sleepy boy tonight."

Will dropped a friendly arm across her shoulder. "Good because my boy has a hungry, sleepy daddy." He recognized the distress in his ex-wife's eyes and gave her a squeeze. Whatever was wrong, she was just barely holding it together.

Hotch watched the byplay curiously. He and Haley never managed to get to this level of friendship after they split. While it was never completely acrimonious, they never had the laid back relationship that JJ and Will seemed to maintain with relatively little ease.

With the arrival of Will the boys seemed to recognize that their time at the park was at an end. They both came charging towards their parents both made a beeline towards JJ.

"It's like we're not even here." Will commented laughingly to Hotch.

Hotch however was transfixed by the scene in front of him. He had always been his son's favorite person and now it appeared that role had been taken over by the slight blonde whose waist he was hanging on to. He was startled to realize that they were all looking at him. "I'm sorry, did you say something, son?"

Jack giggled. "I just asked if I was going to get to stay with JJ next weekend too."

"Oh." Hotch looked over at JJ but she wouldn't meet his eyes. "I was thinking maybe you would want to come to New York with me." He told his son.

Jack frowned and looked at him suspiciously. "Why?"

Hotch frowned. Six months ago the little boy would have been jubilant to have been asked to travel with his dad. "I thought you'd like to go and visit Beth, maybe check out some of the stuff New York has to offer. There are a lot of neat places to visit."

"I do neat stuff with JJ and Henry." His son informed him stiffly.

Hotch watched as a small smile graced JJ's lips. "Sure, I know you do, but wouldn't you like to see where Beth lives?" He asked.

"Not really." His little boy shrugged.

Deciding to test the waters Hotch said. "There is a job up in New York that I've been thinking about. It would mean moving up there, maybe with Beth…" He broke off as four sets of eyes regarded him. Will's were curious but the others were openly hostile.

"No." His son's expression was openly defiant.

Hotch looked down at the mutinous expression on his son's face.

"You can move to New York, I'll live with Aunt Jess or JJ, you can visit me on the weekend." Jack bluntly told his father.

"You'll go where I go." Hotch told his son in a tone that brooked no argument.

CMCMCMCMCM

"Is that the part where Henry kicked you?" Rossi laughed.

"Yeah, then his little spitfire of a mother told him she wished he could have aimed higher." Hotch took a sip of the scotch he'd been nursing since Dave mysteriously appeared at his home earlier.

"You do know that JJ is extremely fond of Jack and vice versa?"

Hotch glanced at the stairs wondering if his little boy were asleep yet. He'd gone from being his hero to having his son scream that he hated him.

"And, if I'm playing devil's advocate," Dave continued, "I'd have to agree that JJ made some good points."

"You think I'm thinking with my cock too?" Hotch asked dryly.

Rossi laughed. "I still can't believe our little Jen was so feisty as to tell you that."

"She also called me a moron." He sulked, still upset that she was supportive of his decision. She'd always championed him before.

"You do realize that she's in love with you, right?" Dave asked, and had the pleasure of watching him spew his scotch all over the place. "Oh, man, you are a fucking moron. Seriously, this is a woman that willing watches your son for you almost every weekend."

"He keeps Henry company." Hotch replied naively.

Dave stared at him for a moment. "Oh wow." The man really was clueless. "Okay, let's do one hurdle at a time." Dave said while shaking his head. "You don't want to join MPU."

Hotch raised a brow. "I don't?"

"No, you don't. And it pisses me off that you would even consider leaving the BAU. You are the BAU and I'm telling you right now that if you leave it, you'll hate it. You will live to regret it. You put too much of yourself into this Unit and this team to just walk away from it." He let Hotch digest that for a minute. "Whose idea was your relocating to New York?"

"It was mutual, it came up in conversation." Admitting that it was one of the ideas Beth thought would help their relationship wouldn't win her any points.

"Hotch I've known you over twenty years. I talk to you almost every day. You've never once mentioned the idea of relocating." Rossi told him.

"Is it wrong to want to live with the woman I'm in a relationship with?"

Rossi shook his head. "Absolutely not. However, I have to agree with JJ, it does seem like you're the only one that's making any effort in this relationship."

"Beth is busy. It's hard for her to get away on the weekend." Hotch reasoned.

Dave nodded. "Fair enough, has she ever come down during the week? We have down time during the week, we don't always travel." He pointed out. "Almost like, I'm sure she doesn't have to work every weekend, because if she did your traveling up there to visit her would be pointless."

"It's just easier." Hotch mumbled. "She's more comfortable on her turf."

"She's more comfortable calling the shots." His friend pointed out. "Relationships are supposed to be give and take."

"I love her Dave. I want to make her happy." Hotch sighed, angry that he had to justify his desire to move.

"And does she love you?"

"Yes." Hotch answered without hesitation.

"Really? Because all I see is you dancing to her tune." Dave argued. "Do me a favor. Before you make the commitment to switch departments and uproot your son from everyone he knows and loves, give it a month." He raised his hand when Hotch started to speak. "And during that month don't travel to New York. Have Beth come to DC."

"You think the only way to measure her love for me is if she is willing to travel here for me?" Hotch scoffed.

"I just want to see if she's going to put forth any effort for you. I know that you think it's ridiculous but do it for me, do it for your team, and most importantly do it for your son. You're willing to change your life for this woman and I don't think she's willing to make the same sacrifices for you. I think she's invested in this relationship as long as she's the one that doesn't have to give anything up."

"That's absurd." Hotch growled.

"Thirty days, Aaron."

"Daddy?"

Hotch jumped at the sound of the little voice coming to him from the stairs. He hadn't heard his approach. "Hey son." He was relieved that the boy was speaking to him. He hadn't since they left the park.

"Can I call JJ?" He asked hesitantly. Calling JJ had become a nightly ritual.

Hotch hesitated, he wasn't sure JJ would want to hear from him. She hadn't even spared a glance at him as she left the park. She managed to console his son after he told Hotch that he hated him and burst into tears. Hotch had to watch as she calmed Jack, dried his tears, and kissed his forehead. The decision was taken out of his hands when his phone lit up. "Hey JJ, I was just going to …"

JJ didn't engage in any niceties or small talk, she got directly to the point. "May I please speak to Jack?"

"Oh. Yeah. Right." He frowned slightly before trying to arrange his grimace into a smile as he held the device out to his son. "JJ is on the phone for you." The words were barely out of his mouth when the phone was swiped from his hands and held up to his son's ear. He watched and listened intently trying to overhear his son's side of the conversation but all he managed to capture was the end. "I love you too, JJ." Hotch caught the phone as his son launched it at him before turning to go back up the stairs.

"Aren't you going to say goodnight to me and Dave?" Hotch asked wistfully.

"Night Uncle Dave." The young boy didn't even turn around.

"Night buddy." Dave sighed at the sight of the heart stricken man in front of him. It was going to be a long month.

Thanks for reading!