Disclaimer - I own nothing!
So I'm a little behind in Season 7, as is the UK but once I saw the last episode that aired here, I couldn't get this out of my head so decided to write it.
JJ/Hotch friendship (read into whatever you want ;D) ending for 7x05 – From Childhood Hour.
*No real spoilers but mentions of storylines up to 7x05, this one-shot was just influenced by reading too much into the little scene where JJ, Hotch and Reid are in the car and JJ and Hotch share this look after Reid finishes talking about suicide facts.
(also a warning of a few sweary words for those who might take offence at not being warned before hand... just though I'd be overly cautious)
Let me know what you think!
...
The Unit Chief sat behind his desk, his gaze protectively watching as the members of his team slowly filtered out of the bullpen.
Rossi was the first to go, the nervous anticipation of his date with wife number one, evident on the experienced agents face as he shrugged off Prentiss' suggestive eye raising.
Prentiss was standing next to JJ as they hovered next to Reid who was packing his belonging into the ancient brown satchel, a small smirk on his face as Garcia dragged Morgan into the bullpen to join the small group.
Laughter floated through the bullpen at something Reid muttered, the exhaustion of his younger colleagues obvious in their slouched shoulders and tired eyes.
One by one their backs turned on the watching team leader, only the blonde profiler glanced up at the dimly lit office and smiled knowingly while the rest of the agents were oblivious to the senior profiler's surveillance.
As the elevator doors slid shut, Hotch returned his focus back to the files in front of him. Jack was at a sleepover with his cousins and some of their friends and with no other distraction at home, the single dad decided to plough through the stacks of folders in order to enjoy a work free weekend with his young son.
Five or so minutes later, a string of curses disturbed the profiler's train of thought. Looking down into the deserted bullpen, Hotch frowned not registering a figure to go with the increasingly vulgar swearing.
Standing from his paperwork imprisonment, the Unit Chief moved to the half open door and stepped onto the balcony that overlooked his agents' desks.
Pausing, Hotch couldn't help but grin at the sight of his former media liaison crawling on all fours between her colleagues' workspaces, her words of frustration an uncharacteristic sound for the quiet office. "For fuck's sake you fucking piece of..."
"JJ." Hotch cleared his throat in humour as the newest profiler froze on the spot.
Placing a fallen golden lock behind her ear, JJ squeezed her eyes tight shut and sat up on her knees, with her back to the amused profiler. "Shit."
"You okay down there?" Hotch asked with a slight chuckle.
Using Anderson's desk for leverage, JJ stood and fixed a polite smile on her lips, before slowly turning to the grinning Unit Chief. "Erm, hey Hotch, I didn't see you up there in the shadows."
"What have you lost?" He asked knowing his colleague's disorganised life had often turned her into a blonde flustered mess.
JJ groaned softly, looking around the abandoned office space. "I had my car keys in my hand when I was standing at Reid's desk."
"You traced your steps back up here?" Hotch asked hopefully.
JJ nodded slowly. "I started at the entrance and worked back to Reid's desk."
"And judging by your language, you car keys nowhere in sight?" He deduced softly.
The blonde profiler moaned deeply. "I was supposed to be home hours ago."
"They'll be here somewhere." Hotch smirked at JJ's own annoyance at herself. "I'll help you look."
The Pennsylvanian smiled gratefully he as skipped down the few steps in front of him, searched her messy workspace and kneeled next to her allotted desk.
Together they crawled around the bullpen for what felt like hours, yet in reality, were probably only fifteen minutes at the most, before Hotch stood in defeat. "This is ridiculous, your car keys aren't here."
JJ huffed and ran a hand through her hair.
Hotch came to the blonde's side near the kitchenette and held out a hand for her to help the petite woman to stand as she spoke. "Well, where the hell are they? They're not in the elevator and the reception space is clear."
"I can just give you a lift home and you can get your car tomorrow. Do you have a spare key at home?" Hotch asked.
JJ bit her lower lip and looked to the ground. "I did. Somewhere."
"Remind me how do you get any of your case deadlines done on time?" Hotch rebutted with a deadpan expression.
"I have a system. It's just a messy system." JJ shrugged in contentment.
Hotch glanced down at his hand that was still holding hers, before letting go awkwardly. "I'll just grab my things and we'll be on our way."
JJ nodded silently and followed the Unit Chief to her desk to retrieve her coat, laptop bag and handbag.
Less than a minute later and Hotch was guiding the blonde into the elevator. "Thanks for this. I know my place is out of the way for you."
"It's fine. I can't really just leave you here, can I?" He replied with a warm smile.
They stepped into the small compartment and stayed silent on the journey down to the parking lot. As they passed JJ's black SUV, Hotch checked the space around it for the elusive metal key before shaking his head and leading the pair to his silver sedan.
They placed their belongings on the back seat, before climbing into the front. Hotch smirked as he caught the blonde's eye line. "At least your car is in a secure parking lot."
JJ chuckled dryly at her supervisors attempt at humour. "I guess."
They drove out of the Quantico security checking point in comfortable silence, the toll of the day's case weighing on both of their minds.
Once the car left the base, JJ turned slightly in her seat so she could view Hotch's profile. "Where's Jack tonight?"
"It's Jessica's eldest son's birthday, they're having a sleepover so I was cast aside." Hotch replied keeping his focus on the road ahead of him.
JJ nodded slowly. "How's he doing after everything that was happening at school?"
"He's doing good, he seems happier but still, he doesn't really like talking about it." Hotch shrugged unsurely.
JJ scoffed softly. "I wonder where he gets that from."
Hotch sighed. "I know, I'm trying my best to make sure he doesn't take after me."
"I didn't mean it negatively, Hotch. You're a great father to that little boy and his behaviour is just a sign of his love of you. He wants to protect you. That's sweet." JJ backtracked quickly.
Hotch's faint smile returned to his face. "Still, I don't want him to take after me completely."
"Tell me about it," JJ replied, "the last thing I want is for Henry to inherit my stubbornness, my commitment phobias, or you know, my organisation skills."
Hotch laughed softly. "What organisation skills?"
"I told you I have a system." JJ rebuked.
He nodded slowly in remembrance. "It's just a messy system."
JJ leant her head to the neck support. "At least it's a system."
The occupants of the car went quiet again as they travelled along the deserted road. Stealing a glance to his right, Hotch looked over his colleague's calm expression. "How are you doing?"
"Hmm?" JJ scrunched her eyes in confusion.
The driver took a deep breath before continuing. "The last case was a difficult one."
"No more difficult than the other cases." JJ muttered contently.
Hotch began to nod in agreement. "But when there're kids involved..."
"It's always going to be a bit more difficult but I'm fine. How are you?" JJ prompted.
The Unit Chief gripped the steering wheel tighter beneath his fingers. "I'm fine. I was more concerned about you on this one."
"I noticed the looks." JJ quipped with an eye roll.
"When Reid began divulging suicide facts in that clinical manner, I was just a little concerned." Hotch added slowly.
"The simple mention of suicide is going to set me off, Hotch. Nor are the cases that involve kids or young mothers or female blonde haired, blue eyed victims." JJ stated confidently.
The supervisor nodded. "You handled Bobby's mother expertly when you were questioning her."
"You saw me flinch." JJ prompted softly, hearing the concern in his voice.
"No one else would have." Hotch met her eyes briefly. "I understand that you can deal with the cases, I just don't want you to think you can't react now because of your new position. If you ever need to talk about anything..."
"I'm fine Hotch, really." JJ reiterated.
"Okay then." Hotch slowed the car down as the traffic lights ahead turned red.
They sat watching the red light patiently. JJ readjusted her body so she was sitting forward and began tapping her knees nervously. "Thanks Hotch."
Hotch frowned slightly. "What for?"
"Looking out for me. You don't need to. I'm a grown woman." JJ added stubbornly.
Hotch's eyes smirked. "Yeah, well I feel responsible for you more than the others."
"Why is that?" JJ's eyes snapped to his demandingly.
"I brought you back."
The younger profiler's eyes creased. "Rossi was the one who told me to take the classes."
"Yeah but I gave him the idea and did all of the paperwork. He just wore down Strauss." Hotch smiled thinly as he pulled away at the green lights.
JJ shook her head softly. "I wanted to come back."
"I know. Maybe I should have insisted on a more thorough psych evaluation." Hotch sniped in jest.
The blonde giggled at his relaxed demeanour. "Oh please I'm on a team full of crazies."
Hotch grinned in agreement. "That's true."
"I wanted to come back, Hotch so you don't have to add me to your worry list." JJ reassured confidently as the car passed through her neighbouring streets.
Hotch nodded gratefully before his smile dissipated and his expression turned serious once more. "Can I ask you something?"
"Sure." JJ tilted her head to take in Hotch's neutral face.
"Why did you want to come back?" The team leader paused momentarily before expanding. "I know you didn't want to leave in the first place but the Pentagon job was putting you on the fast stream, it was 9 to 5, safe, better pay and you didn't have to deal with death every day."
"My day at the Pentagon consisted of back to back meetings. It was all about getting the upper hand, departmental struggles and politics, backstabbing and then the other half the time I was just cleaning up some bureaucrats mess. I was less human there than I am when I'm at my jaded lowest in the BAU." JJ explained with a slight scoff.
Hotch straightened in his seat at her frankness. "Yet with your new experience, you could have gone anywhere? So why come back to us?"
"At the BAU I have purpose. We help people and with what we see every day, you can't just walk away from it. You can't just move on and forget what kind of monsters are out there. At least when I'm in the middle of it trying to stop the bad guys, it feels as though I have some control." The blonde took a breath as she realised suddenly that the engine was switched off and they were parked outside her house. "Besides, I missed you guys."
Hotch smiled affectionately. "We missed you too. I just wish you had a chance to put all of the darkness that BAU is entangled in, behind you."
JJ inhaled slowly and closed her eyes. "You sound like Will."
"He wanted you to stay with the DOD?" The profiler raised an eye.
JJ nodded once. "Of course he did. He hates that I'm back at the BAU. He'll never actually come out and say it but he isn't happy. Now that he's back at work too we're trying to figure out how we both fit together."
"Been there," Hotch groaned sympathetically. "I'm sure you'll work it out. Will's a detective he understands law enforcement."
JJ ran a hand through her loose hair. "You would think that wouldn't you."
Hotch silently watched his private colleague compose herself. "Do you want me to swing by and pick you up tomorrow morning, with your car being at work?"
"You don't have to do that, Hotch, I can call one of the Communication girl's that live nearby."
Hotch shook his head adamantly. "It's no problem, really. I'll be going over to Jess's first thing and taking Jack to school, so I can stop by here on the way, say 8.30?"
"You're sure?" JJ asked as she leaned through the separation of their two chairs to get her things out of the back seat.
Hotch nodded. "Of course."
She sat back in the seat sitting forwards, with all of her belongings on her knee. "Thanks, you really don't have too though."
"I'll be here for 8.30. Try and be ready." Hotch smirked at his little dig.
JJ chuckled while searching her handbag for her house keys. "I'll do my best."
"You okay?" The Unit Chief asked as the blonde's dark blue eyes widened.
Groaning, JJ held up her car keys. "I am so stupid."
"I can't remember you being this disorganised." Hotch laughed at the soft blush creeping up agents fair cheeks.
JJ banged her head against the head rest and groaned. "I blame the profiling classes, it's knocked out all of my common sense, and replaced it with disturbing serial killer facts."
Hotch laughed again. "Maybe we should get Reid and Garcia to come up with some kind of system for you."
"I would never forgive you." JJ replied dryly before meeting his eyes and smirking. "Night Hotch."
Hotch nodded as she opened the car door. "I'll see you tomorrow morning."
...
Thanks for reading