Disclaimer – I own nothing related to Criminal Minds
So I like to post stories or drabbles that I've had saved on my laptop a little while and usually haven't finished (there are a lot because I write when I'm stuck with my assignments or revision). Honestly, these fics aren't my greatest ever work, they're usually just storylines that I've had in my head and wanted to write but never really got back around to it. Most of the fics were written during or before season 7 so the plot lines differ.
This story I've wanted to write loads of times and never found the right plot to write. I've had this one saved a while but never been happy with it.
Let me know what you think!
...
Prentiss frowned at the lone figure standing at the glass doors in the bullpen.
The profiler noted his khakis and white trainers, along with the loose fitting grey jumper. He was definitely no FBI agent she had seen before.
He had un-brushed blonde hair, dark brown eyes and fair goatee on his chin. He looked to be in his late forties even if he dressed like a twenty something and was defensive of the rucksack that he was carrying across his shoulder.
Frowning, Prentiss slowly stood from her seat at her desk without making eye contact at JJ and Reid who were at the respective desks, focused intently on their work. The brunette unconsciously soothed her hair as she made her way over to the unfamiliar man.
She ignored Garcia and Morgan who were chatting aimlessly in the kitchenette and extended her hand towards the stranger. "I'm Agent Prentiss, can I help with something?"
"I'm Francis Chandler. I'm here to see Agent Hotchner." His soft southern accent responded with a warm smile.
Prentiss returned the smile broadly. "Do you have an appointment?"
"I'm afraid I don't. The agent at the front desk directed me up here. She said I might be able to sneak in." He chuckled conspiratorially.
Unconsciously, Prentiss twirled her short hair with her finger and chuckled. "Well, I'll see what I can do for you."
"I'd appreciate that Agent Princess." Chandler cocked his head to the side appreciatively.
The profiler shook her head slowly at his less than subtle flirting. "It's Prentiss... Emily."
"Oh please!" Morgan quipped dramatically behind the two.
Garcia laughed loudly. "Hush now, you take him right up there, Em."
Prentiss shook her head at the blonde's suggestive lick of her lips. "Would you like to follow me, Mr Chandler."
"I'd follow you anywhere." He replied with a smirk.
Emily rolled her eyes. "Original."
"I try." He chuckled deeply.
As they passed JJ's desk, the blonde profiler stood suddenly and manoeuvred herself in between the pair and the stairs. "You can't go up there."
Prentiss's eyes widened at her friends sudden defensiveness. "He's here to see Hotch."
"I don't think so." JJ stood her ground determinedly, narrowing her gaze towards the visitor.
Chandler stepped back and bowed his head slightly. "It's nice to see you again, Agent Jareau."
"You're not welcome here Mr Chandler, I suggest you leave quietly." JJ retorted.
"JJ!" Prentiss admonished harshly.
Morgan approached the small group with a raised eye. "What's going on?"
"I think I should probably leave." Chandler grimaced as he caught sight of JJ's annoyed expression.
The blonde profiler added her opinion sarcastically. "Great idea."
"So, what's going on?" Morgan repeated his question.
Prentiss shrugged. "JJ you're being a little defensive, don't you think. This gentleman is just here to see Hotch."
"Oh please, he's no gentleman." JJ quipped as she crossed her arms.
Prentiss stared at her friend in concern. "JJ, what's gotten into you?"
"I just wanted to see Agent Hotchner." Chandler explained helplessly.
JJ pursed her lips and shook her head. "He's unavailable. I suggest you leave before I call security."
"Is there a problem here?" Rossi asked as he stepped down the stairs behind JJ.
"JJ's stopping Casanova here from seeing Hotch." Morgan replied to the older man in amusement.
The brunette profiler blushed slightly. "He just wants to see Hotch. However, I think I must have missed something."
Rossi watched his two female colleagues exchange a cool look before addressing the stranger. "Do you have an appointment, Mr..?"
"He's Francis Chandler." JJ explained with a knowingly look as she turned to the older profiler behind her.
Rossi met Chandler's gaze before straightening tensely. "JJ's right, you have no place here. Go home, Mr Chandler."
"You too?" Prentiss questioned. "What the hell did he do?"
"I should go. Thank you for all your help, Emily." Francis Chandler stated smoothly, nodding his gratitude to the brunette before turning on his heal and making his way to the elevators.
Prentiss focused on her two knowing colleagues in curiosity. "What's going on?"
"That man should have no contact with Hotch, understood." JJ said harshly.
Morgan and Prentiss looked at each other in confusion before speaking in unison. "Who is he?"
"He's a no-body. But JJ's right, he has no contact with Hotch." Rossi squeezed past the three of them and followed their visitor towards the elevator to escort him out of the building.
Prentiss and Morgan hesitantly followed to the glass doors to where Garcia was observing the whole interaction.
"What was that about?" The TA muttered.
The two profilers shrugged, both were unaware of an oblivious Reid still reading at his desk or JJ entering Hotch's office behind them.
JJ leaned against the closed office door behind her and sighed as Hotch ended his phone call in concern. "What was going on out there?"
"Nothing." She shook her head softly before taking a seat directly in front of his desk.
Hotch's forehead creased. "It didn't look like nothing."
"You had a visitor." JJ announced reluctantly.
"I had a visitor?" He watched his friend's head nod slowly. "Who was it?"
The younger agent bit her lower lip nervously. "I sent him away."
"Why?"
JJ placed her hands on her lap confidently. "It was Francis Chandler."
Hotch froze at the familiar name. "He was here?"
"Yes." She confirmed with a solemn smile.
The Unit Chief sat back in his seat and folded his arms. "What did he want?"
JJ tilted her head to the side. "Hotch..."
"Why did you send him away?" He asked in confusion.
The female profiler tensed. "I didn't want him to upset you."
"You didn't give him a chance did you?" Hotch frowned then urged her to continue with a knowing eye raise. "JJ?"
Sitting straighter in her seat, JJ cleared her throat and forced herself to hold her supervisors gaze. "He's not welcome here, Hotch."
"I appreciate your concern JJ, but I can handle him myself." Hotch stated dryly.
JJ smirked, remembering the day not long after everything happened with Foyet when Hotch broke Chandler's nose. "No offence, but you get a little hot headed whenever he's around."
"Did he say anything to you?" He asked in concern.
She chuckled softly. "Do you honestly think he's going to try anything with me after the last time?"
"Your advanced blackmailing skills are something I'm constantly aware of." He replied quietly.
JJ smirked slightly. "I prefer to have called it a persuasive discussion rather than blackmailing."
"Chandler is my problem, not yours JJ." He huffed.
"I understand that. But it doesn't mean I'm just going to stand idly by if he comes around here." She countered stubbornly.
"I appreciate that." Hotch smiled softly.
JJ tilted her head in concern. "Are you alright?"
Shrugging his shoulders indifferently, the Unit Chief replied candidly. "I don't like that he just showed up here, he's obviously wanting of something, however I have more important things to do than worry about that asshole."
"Are you and Jack going to the cemetery later today?" JJ asked hesitantly.
"I'm picking him up from school and we'll probably go straight there."
"Jack went to school?" The mother of one, queried in surprise.
Hotch nodded. "He wanted too. They're practicing the school play. Jack's the narrator."
"Is it getting any easier?" She prompted in wonder.
"I guess. It's been three years, it's not as sad anymore."
"I'm glad."
"JJ." Hotch cleared his throat with a small cough. "Thank you for dealing with Chandler."
"Anytime."
Rossi grabbed JJ's arm the minute she stepped out of the supervisor's office and dragged her along to the briefing room, bypassing his own office. "How is he?"
"He's fine." She said confidently.
The older man raised an eye in disbelief. "Are you sure?"
"It's not every day the man your wife was screwing around with before the divorce shows up at the office." JJ countered knowingly.
"It's been three years since Hailey's death." Rossi announced quietly.
JJ nodded. "It'll be five years since the divorce next month."
"Such a rough time for our esteemed leader." Rossi summarised.
"He's not as strong as he'll like us all to believe, you know." The blonde agent concluded with a sad frown.
Rossi glanced into the window to see their supervisor on the phone before he rubbed JJ's ar encouragingly. "You're a good friend Jennifer Jareau."
JJ smiled gratefully. "I try."
...
Five years earlier
JJ kicked off her heels and tucked her feet underneath herself as she sat on the leather chair, skim reading over a case file in the Unit Chief's office.
Hotch sat behind his desk, rubbing his forehead with his fingers. "I'm not sure we'd be much help here."
"I've already talked to the lead detective and explained that this isn't a case for us but he was insistent that I showed it to you." JJ replied tiredly.
The rest of the team had left several hours ago, oblivious to the fact that their supervisor and media liaison had stayed well past midnight for the last ten days, dealing with the back log of case requests that had seemingly increased since the departure of Gideon.
Hotch rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hands after closing the manila folder. "I'll call him in the morning personally and explain to him that his multiple cases of stabbings are actually individual incidents."
"Great." JJ stifled a yawn and turned to the next file. "Strauss wanted a complete review of..."
A brief knock at the door interrupted the pair of agents. Hailey Hotchner strolled into the office, glancing between the two agents. "Agent Jareau, can I have a moment with my husband?"
"Of course, ma'am." JJ briefly looked at Hotch's tense expression before slipping on her shoes and carrying the remaining folders on her lap out with her, closing the door quietly behind her.
Looking down into the bullpen as she made her way to the briefing room, JJ frowned at the lone figure standing at the glass doors in the bullpen.
The liaison noted his khakis and white trainers, along with the loose fitting red t-shirt. He was definitely not an employee in the department, after all JJ knew everyone in the unit.
He had un-brushed blonde hair, dark brown eyes and fair goatee on his chin. He looked to be in his late forties even if he dressed like a twenty something and was defensive of the rucksack that he was carrying across his shoulder.
Placing the files on the roundtable, JJ walked with a concerned expression to the glass doors, doing her best, to ignore Hailey Hotchner's yelling floating down from the supervisor's office.
The unknown male saw the liaison approach him and smiled warmly. "Hello."
"Hi, do you have a visitor's pass, Mr..?" JJ inquired politely.
"Chandler, Francis Chandler. Is this what you want, sweetheart?" He held up the plastic red pass and grinned.
"It's Agent Jareau." JJ replied curtly. "Can I ask who you're here to see Mr Chandler?"
"I'm not here to see anyone, just waiting for my friend." He shrugged.
"Your friend?" JJ frowned in confusion before realisation hit. "You're here with Hailey Hotchner?"
"I am. She, erm, needed a ride." He answered with a smug grin.
"A ride." JJ reiterated detachedly.
Chandler opened his bag to show his gym gear. "Hails needed a ride from Yoga, she needed some things signed. I offered her a lift."
"How nice of you." JJ stated dryly, feeling uncomfortable by his familiarity with her boss's wife. "Were you escorted up here?"
Anderson rounded the corner, mumbling apologetically. "Sorry Agent Jareau, here I am, I just needed..."
"Guests aren't supposed to be left unattended, Agent Anderson." JJ condemned as she folded her arms.
Anderson shifted on the spot. "I'm sorry but he was, erm with, Agent Hotchner's wife."
JJ looked over the stranger suspiciously. "I need to get back to work, Agent Anderson make sure our visitor here, stays in the lobby."
"Yes Agent Jareau." Anderson gulped quietly.
Francis Chandler smirked as he met the blonde's scrutinising eyes. "Agent Jareau."
"Mr Chandler." JJ pursed her lips before turning on her heels and wandered back into the briefing room.
The liaison signed the bottom of her last case file and added it to the 'done' pile. Glancing at her wrist watch, JJ grimaced as she saw it was past 3 in the morning.
Groaning, she stretched out the knots in her neck and found her shoes which had somehow ended up at the far side of the briefing room.
Collecting her belongings, JJ set off to distribute the files in pigeon holes only to pause at the sight of the Unit Chief's office still illuminated in light.
By passing the kitchenette, JJ placed the files on Morgan's desk in the bullpen and wandered up the few steps to Hotch's office. She tapped lightly on the doorframe before pushing the door open.
Hotch lay on the couch at the back of the office, reading a case file that was resting against his bent knees. He frowned instantly as JJ stepped into the room. "What are you still doing here?"
"I was in the briefing room finishing off the request files, what are you still doing here?" JJ responded with a raised eye.
He waited for her to sit on the coffee table next to him before speaking. "I was just going over the budget reports, Strauss wanted."
"Are you alright?" JJ asked tentatively.
Hotch sat up slowly, banging knees with the liaison momentarily before readjusting in his seat. His tie had been discarded along with his suit jack and the usually pristine white shirt was crumpled and had four buttons undone at the neck and wrists so the sleeves were pushed up his arms. "I'm... fine."
"Hotch." JJ whispered knowingly.
Hotch blinked a few times, taking in JJ's, non-judgemental and understanding expression. He decided pity or anger would have been easier to deal with. "I just wanted to get this work done."
"Okay." She answered disbelievingly.
A few seconds passed before Hotch spoke again. "Did you meet him?"
"Who?"
"The yoga teacher." He retorted with venom.
JJ sighed. "The man Hailey was with?"
"She wanted to tell me she's moving on." Hotch stated bitterly. "With her damn yoga teacher."
"You've separated?" JJ gasped.
The profiler nodded once. "She moved out last month."
"I'm sorry."
"Go home JJ, it's late." Hotch snapped harshly causing his colleague to flinch. "Sorry."
JJ smiled reassuringly as she stood and patted his shoulder with her hand. "You know where I am, if you need me."
Hotch returned her smile half-heartedly. "Thanks, JJ."
...
Thanks for reading!