One More Chance
A/N This is already my fourth One more one-shot. The first one had been just an idea, but I always claim the stories have their own lives. Not only for this reason you should first read the previous stories (One More Thing, One More Person and One More Look), they are all one-shots. Enjoy.
JJ leaned heavily on the door she had just closed. She didn't really mind that she had used more force than was necessary or that the person on the other side might have heard her. It was officially the worst date she had ever had. And she counted in even the time at the high school, when Mike Clark had came to pick her up drunk, vomited all over her mother's flower beds and then passed away. That date had ended before it had even started, but still it was nothing to the tonight's disaster.
The evening seemed to be so promising at first. Hotch had picked her up and they went to nearby restaurant. It was still OK while they were picking their food and it was still fun while they were talking about their work. But that topic was soon exhausted and they were left with nothing.
And it was when the troubles started.
JJ usually didn't have problem with talking to anyone. While she had been working for the BAU, she could always find common language with people of all kind. And tonight she had been there with someone she knew very well, someone who she considered a friend, possibly more.
And she had nothing to say.
She was grateful when they finished the desert and Hotch suggested they should go. She even hoped they would just part on the street, but Hotch had always been too much of a gentleman for that and he walked her home.
In complete silence - JJ realized, as she finally turn on the lights.
She just took off her shoes and threw herself on the bed. For some reason she felt terrible urge to cry. She shut her eyes as it could keep the tears in a bay. She stayed like this until she was completely sure the tears were gone for good. Then she slowly stood up and started to take her clothes off. She needed long bath, some wine and maybe stupid romantic novel.
She was just undoing buttons on the shirt she was wearing when she noticed there was a message on her answering machine. She pressed play and Garcia's cheerful voice filled the room.
'Hey, gorgeous, I promised myself I was not going to call you till tomorrow, but I'm just curious. But no pressure, just call me whenever you have the time...you know, when your hands are free' there was a quiet giggle on the tape and then 'oh, crap, I hope the Boss-man in not there...I meant no disrespect, Sir' then there were few curses JJ luckily didn't catch exactly 'so...well...just call me, JJ, right' and the machine announced end of the message.
JJ checked the time of the recording. It had been not even half an hour ago. She resisted just as long as it took her to get undressed and get into the warm water. Then she gave up to the urge and called her friend.
"JJ, is it really you?" Garcia picked up almost immediately.
"I hope I didn't wake you" JJ asked for good measure.
"Nope...and even if you did..." Garcia chuckled to the phone "So how was it, and how come you are already back home?"
"It was..." JJ hesitated. Although she had called her friend in search of some cheer, suddenly she didn't want to admit to the disaster the date turned out to be "It was nice..." she finally said.
"Oh my god, that bad?" Garcia was good not only with the computers but with people as well. She was already in her save-the-day mode.
"You need warm bath" she ordered her friend,
"Already in" JJ informed.
"Alcohol" Garcia continued.
"Glass of wine" JJ countered.
"And Meg Ryan movie"
"I have Danielle Steel's novel on the ready" JJ suggested.
"It might work as well" Garcia allowed. And tomorrow night we are going out...no objections" she added as she heard her friend taking breath.
"I wasn't going to object" JJ lied "I was just going to say you are great friend..."
"Not even flattery is getting you out" Penelope stood her ground and after some arrangements she hung up.
.oOo.
Hotch wasn't exactly sure how he felt, when he arrived home. So he decided rather not to think about it. He knocked on the next-door neighbor and asked if everything was OK with Jack. After the information that his son was soundly asleep in his bed, Hotch entered the dark apartment. He tried to be as quiet as possible and without turning the lights on, he walked to the living room. Still he managed on the way get himself a nice portion of Scotch on the way and then he collapsed on the sofa.
The feelings were catching up with him. He was happy he had spent the evening with JJ, but it wasn't exactly what he had hoped for. For some reason he just couldn't really enjoy it.
He took another long sip of Scotch when quiet sound from the door surprised him.
"Hey, kid, you are supposed to be fast asleep" he said to his son.
"I wanted to make sure you won't forget to set your alarm clock" Jack said trying to sound mature.
"We set my alarm clock before I went out, remember?" Jack was leaving tomorrow for a school trip and they were supposed to have early start. Jack was very excited about it and he was worried something would turn out wrong.
"I know..." he said and Hotch knew there was something more on his son's mind.
"Come on here" he tapped the seat next to him and put away the glass. Jack quickly climbed on the couch, hid his bare feet under him and rested his head on his father's shoulder. Hotch put his arm around him and asked
"So, what is it?"
Jack was quiet for a while before he whispered.
"I will be away for the whole week and you will be here alone..."
Hotch smiled. Ever since Hayley had died Jack was trying to look after his dad.
"I travel often and you are always OK" Hotch explained.
"Yes, but I have my aunt and cousins to play with and you will have no one"
Before Hotch had time to assure his son he will be fine, Jack surprised him with bold observation "Maybe you can ask Agent JJ to stay with you. You like her"
Hotch was rendered speechless. He had admitted to his son he was going out with JJ tonight, but he believed he made it sound like just a work meeting. Jack was growing pretty fast.
"It's probably not the best idea" Hotch said truthfully.
"Why?" Jack asked innocently "Were you mean to her tonight? Was she mean to you?"
This time Hotch couldn't prevent quiet chuckle that escaped him.
"No, kiddo, no one was mean. Now, get back to bed, we have early start tomorrow" Hotch ended the conversation. However mature Jack tried to sound, there were still some things he wouldn't be able to understand thoroughly. Or maybe Hotch wasn't able to explain them properly.
As he was getting ready for bed he realized one thing. The discussion with Jack had prevented him from getting drunk. Well, it was nice having someone waiting for you at home.
.oOo.
Garcia was watching the clock carefully. She had promised herself she wasn't going to call before ten, but it seemed that the time stopped at 9:47. She fought the urge for a while longer and then with resignation she picked up the phone.
"Yes?" the answer on the other side was obviously sleepy. She cursed in her mind but decided to go through with it.
"Sir, there's an emergency"
"A case? Where" Rossi asked already sounding more awake. Garcia for a hundredth time thought it was bad idea calling him.
"It's not a case, Sir..." she admitted unwillingly, not sure how to go about it.
"What then?" the voice was strict.
"You know that JJ and Hotch went out yesterday" she started carefully.
"Finally - you can say. But what it has to do with you waking me up on Saturday morning" Luckily for Garcia Rossi was in good mood this morning and was even up for some gossip.
"So?" he waited impatiently for answer and then it hit him "Don't tell me they managed to screw it up?"
"You can probably say it that way" Garcia chuckled.
"And what am I supposed to do about it" Rossi was getting seriously curious where this weird conversation was leading.
"Well, we wouldn't want Hotch to behave again like he was when JJ left, would we..." Garcia started.
"Continue" Rossi remembered the terrible week and could nothing but agree with Garcia.
"I think they are too careful and they need little pushing in the right direction"
"And what is you plan?" Rossi had already guessed it wasn't just an informative call.
"I'm taking JJ drinking tonight and maybe you can take Hotch and accidentally meet us. They can talk in relaxed atmosphere and maybe finally something would come out it."
"So basically you want to get them drunk and throw them at each other." Rossi summarized.
"It sounds so vulgar..." Garcia hesitated "but, again, you can put it that way I guess"
"I'm in, just tell me when and where..."
.oOo.
Hotch realized how right Jack had been yesterday. It wasn't even ten minutes since he had dropped his son off and already he was feeling lonely. He couldn't see himself making it through the weekend, let alone whole week. Luckily his thought were interrupted by his phone. He checked caller ID and as he saw Rossi's name he whispered quiet prayer it would be case-related.
"Hotchner" he answered.
"Hotch, you have to save me. My date canceled on me and I'm stuck alone at home tonight." Rossi sounded really distressed.
"That's new..." Hotch teased. What he didn't know was the fact, that Rossi had been already for some time seeing a woman his own age and that she went for a weekend to see her first grandchild.
"Well, it happens even to the best of us. So what, are you in?"
"Just say where and when..." Hotch unintentionally repeated Rossi's question and hoped that it didn't sound so needy as he felt.
.oOo.
JJ was surprised on how quickly she was able to get ready. She put on the first thing she found in the closet and put on just basic makeup. She knew she didn't need much, especially when she decided to let her hair down tonight. The cab dropped her off by the club about quarter of hour earlier then she agreed with Garcia, but she decided to go to the bar and start drinking.
She was already halfway through the first drink when Garcia arrived along with Emily.
"I've decided the more the merrier" Garcia said instead of welcome.
"Thank God you are here" JJ said "The guy over there" she nodded towards other side of the bar "tried to pick me up three times"
"It means he has a good taste" Garcia complimented her friend, but JJ not for the first time thought that the short skirt she was wearing was definitely an overkill.
"If you say so..." JJ let Garcia have this one and changed the topic "There's a booth free, lets sit there"
The evening was turning out great. Girls had actually hard time keeping all the admirers at bay and often they just collapsed on the bench, laughing.
But the laugh froze when JJ noticed the newly arrived. Rossi was casually walking towards the bar and there next to him was walking still slightly uptight Hotch.
"I need to disappear, right now" JJ whispered to Garcia. The grand plan obviously wasn't working as JJ still seemed to be too sober.
"You can't, they have already noticed us" Emily turned their attention towards the newly arrived. Rossi was saying something to Hotch and then he nodded his head towards the girls. Right after that they were making the beeline towards the booth the girls were occupying. JJ downed her drink and put her best smile on. She was going to show the slightly uptight Agent Hotchner, that even after last night's fiasco, she was still fun.
Hotch chuckled as he watched JJ's friends quickly disappear from the view. He noticed JJ calling something after them, curses - judging by the look of it. And then he himself almost cursed out loud as Rossi disappeared with some lame excuse as well.
"Do you mind if I sit down" he asked and JJ just shrugged her shoulders in non-verbal answer.
'Really original, JJ' the blonde scolded herself 'You've showed him'
"I see you've decided to go for girl's night out..." Hotch observed.
JJ shrugged her shoulders again.
'This is getting booooring' again the voice in her head 'Say something, missy!' The voice was obviously more drunk that it's owner. But JJ won the battle and still managed to keep a calm exterior.
"Maybe you want to dance?" this time Hotch asked direct question, hoping to involve JJ in this so far one-sided conversation.
This time she was about to shake her head in denial when the voice in her head yelled 'SPEAAAAAAAAAAK!'
She was searching in her mind for any kind of funny punchline, when she noticed Garcia. Unwillingly, but after all, Garcia managed to lighten the mood between the two lovebirds.
JJ nodded towards her friend already shaking herself fearlessly on the dance floor.
"I don't think it's good idea. She didn't drink even half of what I had. I really don't want to do something humiliating"
"I get it" Hotch smiled. "But I was just about to offer to buy you another drink...There goes my intention..."
"You can get me an orange juice" JJ finally made one step forward.
"I can" Hotch caught the bait, but only partially "but you'll have to promise me to tell me about your most humiliating adventure"
JJ hesitated only a heartbeat. Another Gacia's plot was working. In fact, JJ was drunk enough to don't really care.
"I don't think you can handle it" she teased.
"Well, I'm going to risk it"
Hotch came back with orange juice in cocktail glass, with colorful umbrella for good measure. JJ's heart warmed at this attention. She waited for him to sit next to her before she started her tale.
"It was my freshman year in college and it was the spring break..."
JJ couldn't believe an evening could run out so fast. Once she started speaking the surrounding ceased to exist. She didn't hear the loud music, she didn't saw her friends meaningful winks at each other, she didn't even notice when the rest of them left. It was just her and the man sitting next to her.
As the night continued, they were moving closer and closer together, never stopping the conversation. It was like they wanted to make up for all the lost time. When they touched for the first time, they both pulled back, with blush. But soon JJ found herself comfortably leaning on Hotch. She lay her head on his shoulder.
"I think I had enough." she was tired. After all it was well after midnight. Only then they noticed that their friends had been gone.
"And they call themselves friends" JJ complained, not really caring.
Hotch went outside to get a cab and not asking gave the driver her address. They had wasted enough time. They got second chance and they were going to take it. There was no way of knowing if life would give them another one.
THE END