Revelations And Realisations

Summary: It took them ten years to realize what they really want.

Notes: Answer to the "Future Challenge" on "CCOAC". The story is set in 2022, and we could choose one character. I chose Aaron Hotchner and got David Rossi assigned. Light spoilers for the whole series.

Disclaimer: The show and its inhabitants are not mine, and probably will never be, not even in 2022. But who knows?

June 2022

Salvatore's Bodega and Café

Washington Suburbian Area

To anyone passing the little Italian coffee shop/restaurant it looked a lot like a regular meeting of two business partners. Only Salvatore and his son Marco knew the real reason why David Rossi and Aaron Hotchner were meeting here, in the middle of a working day. Both men were struggling with their private life, not only recently, but if they were honest to themselves for a change, they would know that it all started back in 2012. But finally, ten years later, things were coming to a life-altering point.

David was already seated in one of the booths when Aaron came in through the front door. Although he had turned 68 a couple of weeks before, you still would guess that the man was somewhere in his early 50s. The jet-black hair only had a few strands of gray, and the lines on his face only seemed to be deeper if you were getting closer to him. Maybe it was good for him to choose doing some lectures at the Georgetown over traveling cross-country with the team to hunt serial killers, psychos and rapists. David still did some consulting with them, but he pulled back more and more these days. Too much had happened in his private life to focus on the job he loved so much earlier in his life. After the death of his former wife Caroline back in 2012, he tried to get a constant in his life – but he failed. Several relationships went down the drain, mostly due to the fact that he spent at least as much time at the university as he was spending with the team. Maybe it was also due to the fact that David's heart wasn't true to him. His heart already knew who would be the right one, but his head still had a hard time to come to terms with it.

"Hey, Dave. You okay?"

Dave blinked a few times before looking up to the younger man standing at the table. Like with Rossi, you still would guess that Aaron was in his early forties instead of the mid-fifties he actually was. And one other thing was similar to David. Like his longtime colleague and friend, Aaron tried to get a constant in his and Jack's life. The resident Section Chief for the BAU even got married – to Beth Clemmons, an art curator he met back in 2012 while training for the FBI triathlon. But in the last few years, he was apparently taking a walk down memory lane. Like his first marriage to Haley, marriage no. 2 also went down the drain, once again due to the fact that his wife wasn't very pleased with his working schedule. But while Haley was upset with him for not spending more time at home, Beth was upset with him for being like a clockwork. And so it was no surprise to him that he came home one day, only to find his house empty and a note on the door, telling him that his 2nd marriage was over.

"Yeah, Aaron, I'm fine. Have a seat."

"You said it was urgent. What's up?"

"How you're holding up? I mean after what happened with Beth."

"Well, I'm actually doing pretty fine. And I did some thinking in the last few days."

"So did I. What's the result?"

"Well…", he stopped when Salvatore put two cups of coffee along with some water and two glasses on the table.

"Well?"

"I came to a conclusion. And I could slap myself all the time for not realizing it sooner."

"That your heart already knows the right person for you?"

"Yeah. How do you know?"

"Told you I did some thinking on my own. Came to the same conclusion as you."

"Have you heard from the team? I mean, next to Morgan and Reid."

The two younger men were still working at the BAU with Morgan as Unit Chief. Since Emily's final goodbye back in 2012, they were the last two members of the team working in the same unit. JJ left short after her wedding with Will, turning into a stay-at-home mum within the year after having child number 2, a little girl. Penelope resigned after a gruesome case where an unsub shot several kids before being killed by the FBI and moved to some Midwestern town. The only one they both knew on the team next to Morgan and Reid was Ashley Seaver, who had become a full FBI agent in the meantime.

"No. What about you?"

"JJ sent me an email a couple of days ago. Guess what she was asking me?"

"I have no idea."

"She asked me if I knew a good lawyer. She's apparently filing for divorce."

"You're kidding me? She and Will were literally made for each other."

"Yep. According to her mail, Will suddenly wasn't happy about her being just a housewife. He missed her old self and started to mention that to her at any occasion. I called his captain at the MP. He's on the verge of being fired for irrational behavior, not only to his colleagues, but even to suspects and victim families."

"Southern temper. Is she's still living out in Georgetown?"

"Yeah. Why are you asking...? Oh I get it. She's the one."

"Exactly. And about you. I would try the new Tech Analyst to find her."

A week later found both men one step closer to their goal. While Dave worked on a plan to get to talk to JJ (at least), Aaron coerced the new Tech Analyst Alexandra Harding into doing some extra work for him. And to his big surprise, she said yes immediately, reasoning that the whole office would talk about their good chemistry back then all the time and that she would like to see him happy. Only two days later, she walked into his office (Erin's old one, only redecorated) and put a thin file on his table, the word "surprise" written across the top.

When he came in about half an hour later, his secretary told him about his visitor, and for the first time since starting the new job, he couldn't get into his office soon enough. Was he really that close to his true soul mate? To the woman who had his heart since the day she walked into the main office of the BAU all these years ago?

Across town, David Rossi was in the middle of a lecture when one of the secretaries came in and told him that he had a visitor. He gave the class something to work out on their own and followed her to the dean's office, only to be stopped in mid-step when his phone vibrated in his pocket. He sent the woman an apologetic look and turned to one of the windows to answer his phone.

"Rossi."

"Hey, Dave, it's me."

"Hey, Aaron, what's up?"

"How the "hunt" going on?"

"That's why you call me?"

"Yeah, because I'm already one or two step closer."

"Well, I'm still working on a plan. Aaron, I give you a call later. I gotta go."

Without waiting for a response, he hung up and walked into the office – and was once again stopped in mid-step. Right in front of him, with the back to him, JJ was seated at the table.

"JJ, what brings you here?"

Upon his words, she turned her face to him. A face that, even though it still held all the beauty his mind connected to her, also held lines of worry, deeper than the last time he saw her. Her eyes, eyes he used to know as light blue diamonds, were tired and slight dull, and her fair blonde hair had streaks of grey in it. But all in all, she still was the most beautiful woman walking this Earth to him.

"Hey, Dave. How long since we saw each other?"

"About ten years. Jen, we both live in the same town, only a phone call away."

"Why didn't you call?"

"As a matter of fact, I was about to do so, but you beat me. How's Henry and Amber?"

"Well, Henry is apparently taking after his godfather. He's way smarter than the rest of his class, and his teacher even talk about him skipping the next grade. And Amber, she's a walking talking doll. Can I tell you something?"

"Sure, everything. But why don't come with me back to the class and then let's have a coffee?"

"Sure, why not."

True to his upbringing, Dave let her walk out of the room first, noticing that she was even thinner than she was back in 2012. Reaching the classroom, he gave his students a bit more homework for closing the class earlier. Five minutes later, they were sitting in the park opposite the university, both holding a cup of coffee.

"So, Jen, what's on your mind?"

"Am I'm not allowed to visit an old friend?"

"Sure, anytime. But I know you, and you hardly do something quite random on a short notice."

"Well, you're right. I take it you know about my marital problems?"

"Yeah, Aaron told me about the other day."

"Well, it got worse since then. Will got fired three days ago and he was aggressive that I packed some things for me and the kids and got me a room at a nearby hotel. And I filed for divorce immediately, claiming that I was afraid about the safety of my children."

"You need a place to stay?"

"Honestly, I was afraid to ask."

Within the following weekend, JJ managed to get all of her stuff (including all her kids' possessions) from her house to Dave's mansion. Dave even got her one of the best lawyers in town to finish her marriage. And even though they both kept pretending that it was just temporary, they both also knew that it was probably just a matter of time before their hearts would win over their minds.

Aaron on the other hand also had a busy weekend. First, he had a short meeting with the new Director of the FBI in order to get him a couple of days off the job. He reasoned with family issues without giving his boss too much information. Upon leaving the Director's office, he called Jessica, his former sister-in-law, and got her to watch over Jack for the next week, telling her that he had to go away for the job. And last but not least he got himself a plane ticket to Wichita, Kansas.

TBC