Disclaimer – I own nothing related to Criminal Minds.

Hi everyone who is giving this story a chance.

This is the new fic set directly after 'On The Same Page' and 'Didn't We Almost Have It All?"

I'm not sure how long this going to be, I think it will depend on if people like it. It will be updated frequently but not as quickly as the previous two fics.

So if you have any thoughts about what you want to see or if you just want to say hi, leave me a review.

...

JJ entered the small cafe blocks away from her home, stunned to find her two colleagues chuckling away in the corner of the room.

The last time she had seen her BAU sisters, they had been unbearably smug and mocking her about the tale she and Hotch had revealed about their past relationship. The blonde profiler fixed a warm smile and calmed her sudden nerves, as she approached the table. "You're both here early."

"So?" Garcia asked as she and Prentiss waited until JJ took a seat opposite them.

JJ swallowed at the sight of their expectant gazes. "So, what?"

"We know what you and Hotch got up to last night." The TA announced with a knowing smirk.

"Excuse me?" JJ blinked quickly in shock.

Prentiss nudged Garcia to continue in amusement of their young friend's heated blush crossing her cheeks. "Hotch called Rossi last night to postpone when they were supposed to meet up. Apparently, he was spending the night at a friend's house. Rossi, the old devil, managed to get our esteemed leader to reveal your name."

"Why are the men on this team such big gossips?" JJ asked rhetorically.

"OMG! It's true?" Garcia squeaked.

"We went to the zoo with the boys and had dinner together. We talked about old times once the boys went to bed. We had a glass of wine together and I went to my own bed and Hotch slept on the couch." JJ explained pointedly at her excited colleagues.

The two friends glanced at each other sceptically. "That's it?"

"There was a kiss," Garcia yelped in joy only to be instantly hushed by the former liaison's next words, "but that's it. We agreed it was best for everyone involved, that we kept things easy and stayed as friends and colleagues."

Garcia shook her head adamantly. "You can't do that. You love each other."

The single mom sighed apologetically in attempt to quell her guilt. "Loved Pen, what we told you was about our past. We were different people then."

"JJ." The flamboyant woman whined.

"No, Penelope. Hotch and I, aren't going to be playing along with your little, rose tinted fantasy. We have the boys to think about and work. We're colleagues and there're rules." JJ countered with a small shrug of her shoulders.

"Neither of you cared about the rules ten years ago." Prentiss interjected.

JJ eyed her brunette friend pleadingly. "He wasn't my direct supervisor then and we weren't as connected to our careers or as close to our team."

Garcia groaned in dissatisfaction. "Rossi can deal with Strauss and we're all totally supportive..."

"Pen, please. It's been a long few days. Can't we just have brunch and forget what we told you on Friday?" She pleaded to no avail.

"Not in this lifetime, sweet cheeks." Garcia quipped with pursed lips.

JJ eyed the other profiler at the table hopefully. "What do I have to do to change the topic of conversation?"

"How was the kiss?" Emily smiled deviously.

Garcia sat up straight in the wicker chair with a grin on her face. "Ooooh, what a good question Miss Prentiss."

"Seriously?" JJ's eyes widened upon realisation that she had no support at the table.

Garcia rolled her eyes at her best friend's reluctance. "Come on JJ, tell Emily the answer to her question, then answer one of mine and we'll move on and have bagels."

Resignedly, JJ sighed before speaking. "It was..."

"That good?" Prentiss smirked as her younger friend's blush darkened.

She returned the smirk knowingly. "It was better than I remembered."

"See, it was a sign that you two should get back together." Garcia stated wistfully.

"Pen..."

Waving her hands in the air, the TA puffed in annoyance. "Yeah yeah, rules schmules, everything is in the past, blah blah. I get it."

"It's just better for everyone this way." JJ implored solemnly.

"Fine, answer my question before we order brunch." Garcia's expression turned mischievous. "How's Aaron Hotchner in bed?"

...

Seattle, November 2002

They were sitting in a bar inside an upscale Seattle Hotel that the Bureau was reluctantly paying for. JJ took a deep breath as a tipsy Aaron Hotchner started to circle her wrist with his fingers. Throughout the long case, he'd seemed so uptight and serious but now she was seeing a totally different, flirty side of the stoic former profiler.

"Did you always want to join Harris' unit in New York, JJ?" He asked almost huskily.

Softly smiling as they both were leaning in towards each other, with their knees touching under the table, rather unnecessary in the quiet corner of the bar that they were sitting in. "No, but then again I didn't really have a choice."

"Why not?" Hotch shifted his hold on the blondes thin wrist to move a fallen lock of hair behind her ear and smirked at her lustful gaze on him. "Erm, well...the unit screwed up a case, the media caught wind of what had happened and I was assigned to help deal with the backlash, fresh out of the academy. The Beaumont Case is technically my first investigative case."

"That's some job for a newbie. Being outsourced to liaise on a joint investigation and having to deal with likes of me. And that's after dealing with PR nightmare in New York." He praised with a darkened gaze.

"They needed someone who appeared sweet and innocent to be the face of the whole messed up thing." JJ rolled her eyes, the profiler sensing some resentment at the fact she believed she was chosen for her looks and not her ability.

"Are you?" Hotch chuckled hoarsely as her expression became confused from his question.

"Am I what?"

He raised his eyebrows in curiosity. "Are you really sweet and innocent?"

"I guess you'll just have to find out, won't you?" The liaison stood up, taking her coat off the back of the chair. She stopped to watch Hotch finished his scotch in one mouthful and stood up himself. They were both smiling as his hand found her lower back and stayed there until they left the bar together.

The ride in the elevator was silent and they remained in the comfortable quietness as he followed her along the corridor, keeping his hand gently on her back.

Seconds later the two FBI agents, were stumbling through JJ's hotel room door. Hotch had the petite blonde backed up against the wall before the door shut.

They were both tipsy after their post case drinks, but more than happily aware of what was going on. It had been a tough week and while they hadn't necessarily got off to the best start, by the time they had drank their third drink the two agents knew exactly how this night was going to end.

Wrapping her legs around his narrow hips, Hotch leveraged her lithe frame higher up the wall so they were eye level. Their lips were entangled after meeting with bruising force while JJ attempted to rid Hotch of his jacket and tie. When the items fell to the floor her attention turned blindly to opening his crisp white shirt.

Breaking for air, Hotch's focus went to JJ's perfumed scented neck. "Oh god! I don't usually do things like..."

JJ stopped speaking as his hand ventured further up her thigh he interrupted breathing heavily, "I won't tell anyone. I promise."

Tearing his head from the top of her breasts, JJ smirked as he pouted, "I'm not the kind of woman who will hook up with men from work...I have rules...but...God, I really want you..." Seeing his eyes rise in surprise, JJ giggled as he leaned forwards and kissed her gently, deviating from the rough and passionate touches they had experienced over the past few minutes. "The bed's through there."

Looking in the direction her head had tilted towards, Hotch grinned at her bold direction, lifting her weight from the wall and carrying her into the bedroom neither took their eyes off the other. "For the record, this isn't something I normally do either. But it's been a long week and you're incredibly hot."

They laughed as he placed her softly on the half made bed. "Damn, this going to be top of the list of things I regret doing in the morning, isn't it?"

JJ's gaze turned serious as he climbed on top of her with finesse, as he kept his weight from crushing her. Caressing her cheek softly, Hotch's other hand feathered down her side resting on her knee, arching it so he could fit into the V of her now separated legs, while softly placing a kiss on her lips.

JJ groaned feeling the impact of his lustful gaze rush through her entire body. "God, I'm definitely going to regret this in the morning."

This time when he leaned down to kiss her again she met him halfway, the fierceness of the kiss growing in intensity as it continued.

As the night went on, the newness of each other's bodies took them both to new heights, and at some point in under the blanket of darkness, they became increasingly aware that this was something they couldn't just let go as a one night stand.

The shrill sound of a cell phone ringing against the tranquil bliss of the comfortable silence that emanated in the room stirred them both from their peaceful sleep.

Realising the noise was coming from his cell, Hotch carefully moved his arms from around JJ's stomach, where they must have stayed after wrapping them around her when he pulled her back into his chest a few hours earlier.

The rays of light entering the room through the blinds created a golden haze but the sight of JJ's naked form shifting as she found the covers, caught his attention more than taking in his surroundings.

Reaching for his trousers, he fumbled as he searched the pockets until he found his cell moaning when he noted his second in command's name flashed across the screen.

Running his hand through his thick black hair, Hotch practically sighed when he answered. "Hotchner...now? Yeah okay...no I understand. Get Boulder and McKenzie up to date I'll meet you at the scene."

Turning back to the bed he saw JJ smiling sadly up at him through sleepy eyes. "You got to go?"

"Unfortunately. Another body has shown up. Looks like the case isn't as over as we thought it was."

"Oh." JJ sat up reaching for her robe lying haphazardly on the floor next to the bed as Hotch turned his attention to his worn clothes at the bottom of the bed. She watched him dress in silence stealing appreciative glances at each other as they moved around the room before making out into the living space.

"JJ, I hope you don't feel bad what happened between us, because last night..." Seeing him struggle with his words as they stood in doorway between the bathroom and the bedroom, JJ smirked before walking up to him.

She softly kissed his lower lip nibbling slightly as he wrapped his arms around her waist deepening the kiss as they both moaned at the now familiar contact.

"Call me if you need me to deal with the press. I'm sure Agent Harris will want an update anyway, at some point today. So..." Placing her warm hands on his cheeks JJ rose on to the balls of her feet to give him another kiss before pulling away and stepping aside to let him passed.

Hotch nodded stopping himself from opening the door. "Thank you for understanding."

"I know what the job can be like Aaron. Besides, last night was fun and I can give you some leeway for having a genuine reason for leaving instead of just silently creeping out on me"

"You are definitely not someone who should be crept out on." Determinedly walking up to her, Hotch leant down stealing another kiss before letting his hand fall to her waist and resting his forehead on hers. "I'll see you later."

"You know where to find me." They smiled before Hotch turned leaving JJ to her empty hotel room both found it extremely difficult to wipe the smiles that they had attached to their faces.

...

Present Day

Prentiss whistled loudly. "Woah."

"Yeah." JJ shivered after recalling the first time she had been with Aaron Hotchner, something she had never discussed with anyone other than the BAU's team leader.

"Was it always that..?" Prentiss stopped unable to find the right words to describe the scene her friend had just recounted.

"Intense? Explosive? Passionate? Yeah, every time." JJ smiled longingly. "But he was always considerate and exceptionally talented in that area of our relationship."

Garcia fanned herself with the laminated menu in front of her. "So why don't you want to experience that again?"

"Because I'm not 25 anymore." JJ scoffed lightly before turning serious. "We've been through so much since then and I'm not sure I can put myself through that kind of all consuming relationship again, never mind putting Aaron and everyone else through it."

...

Thanks for reading!

Side note – I may have unknowingly plagiarised my own work, so if any of this seems familiar it's because I use pieces out of unpublished drabbles for my fics sometimes and I can't remember if I used any of this in other stories. So in case I did (hopefully I didn't), let's forget about that and read on for 100% new chapter

Hope you enjoyed it anyway...