Girls Night Out
Author's Notes: I thought this up after reading a good 90% of the Rossi/JJ and Emily/ Hotch Universes and deciding that Jazzed JJ, Inebriated Emily and Plastered Penelope make for comic gold. And of course, there will be a healthy dose of fluff involving Hotch, Rossi, and Morgan, our Criminal Minds Hotties. Established Garcia/Morgan, just to minimize the fluff (as if).Enjoy, and REVIEW! Or my fluff monster Wendell will retreat back into my closet!
*By the way, the song I imagine them dancing to is 'Pop Goes the World' by Gossip. Check it, it's GREAT!*
Disclaimer: I own nothing! If I did, do you really think this would just be fan fiction? I would turn Criminal Minds into the Grey's Anatomy of crime dramas.
Jennifer Jareau moved through the crowded bar, martini glass in hand, toward a tall table with stools across the room. She looked behind her, making sure Emily Prentiss and Penelope Garcia, her two best friends, were still behind her. Emily grinned back at JJ, taking a sip from her cosmopolitan as they made their way through the mash of people.
Across from the bar, just close enough to motion for another round, was their table. They'd played drinking games here, truth or dare; this had been the place where they'd met Brad, the "real FBI Agent". It was their spot for a girls' night, and they went all out.
Penelope Garcia sat up on one of the raised chairs, arranging her full and colourful skirt around her legs. She, Emily and JJ had made it a habit to get dressed up and feel like a real lady again after some of their most gruesome cases. Tonight, Penelope had chosen her floral patterned sun dress and red heels, while Emily had gone for the perfect little black dress and a pair of emerald green pumps. JJ, however, had surprised all of them by wearing a little pink strapless dress and matching strappy sandals.
"Alright, sweet things, raise your glasses," Penelope declared, raising her mojito. "To friends."
"Friends!" JJ and Emily chorus in response, clinking their glasses together.
"And to getting drunk after being in hell for a week." Emily added.
"Sweet pea, that wasn't hell, that was Georgia." Garcia reminded her.
"Same difference." Emily muttered. The three women looked at each other in silence for a moment, then burst out laughing.
Finishing her first drink with one last deep swallow, JJ turned to her friends. "Alright, I think we should have another drink, but not before a dance."
"Let's go," Emily acquiesced, sliding off her chair and making her way to the dance floor. The song was loud with a heavy beat that made them bounce and gyrate, gaining more than one man's attention. JJ, Penelope and Emily laughed and chatted over the music, finally collapsing back in their chairs a few minutes later.
"I think that warrants a drink," JJ laughed, motioning at the cute bartender for another round. It arrived in record time. It sure does pay to make friends with the bartender, she thought with a smile. And to show a little skin.
They drank and laughed, watching the couples around them and profiling to suit their amusement. The three of them watched two breakups over the course of the night, and several hook-ups, each of which sent them into another fit of giggles.
"I just remembered something—I came up with a new game!" Garcia cried, setting down her drink. JJ and Emily looked at one another. Garcia's drinking games were famous for being extremely well thought out, which gave her the upper hand on her tipsy colleagues. She seemed to have a knack for getting the truth out of them while making it sound like a game. "It's a profiler's version of truth or dare," Penelope explained. "Say I ask JJ a question, then she answers, and Emily and I profile her to see if she's lying. The only rule is, YOU HAVE TO ADMIT IF YOU'RE LYING! Oh, and of course you have to drink if you're caught telling a fib."
Convinced that she could fool her two friends, Emily agreed. She was the only trained profiler there, after all, and Garcia couldn't be as good as she was boasting. Besides, she and Garcia had a plan. JJ was in love, and they knew it. If they needed to get shit faced to get her to admit it, then so be it.
JJ was nervous. She didn't know she'd actually have to answer questions; she thought she was just there to make it look legit. No, she thought resolutely. I am not letting anything slip tonight, no matter how plastered Penelope gets me. Reluctantly, she agreed. The reluctance was simply for Emily's benefit. Garcia had made her participate in this little scheme to make Emily admit her feelings for one of their co workers.
Penelope squealed, giving them one of her mega- watt smiles as she hopped to the floor to order their shots. Her plan was coming together.
"You ready for this?" Emily teased her.
"I don't have anything to hide," JJ replied. "You?"
"Nope."
Penelope came back, three shots of whiskey balanced in her hands. "Okay, question one: JJ, out of all the guys in the ultimate profiling unit, which would you like to have give you a role in the hay?"
"Straight to the point much, Garcia?" JJ laughed, pretending to give the question some thought. Finally, with a glance to Emily's curious face, answered, "Hotch."
"What?!" Emily sputtered, nearly spilling her shot. "She's lying!"
"What makes you say that, gumdrop?" Garcia questioned, a devilish smile lighting up her features.
"Well, I—well," Emily panicked trying to come up with a reason that would allow for truth and self preservation. She came up empty, and decided to play the part Garcia had given her early. "Because she wants Rossi! Everyone knows that! She can't want Aaron!"
"Oh, Aaron is it? What happened to 'Hotch', Emily?" Penelope asked, winking at JJ. They watched as Emily turned pink, Garcia's smile widening. However, the other blonde at the table was feeling far from content. Everyone knew?
She'd been keeping her crush on David Rossi under wraps for almost as long as she'd known him. At first she thought it was a school girl crush on a legendary profiler, but now, after almost two years, her stomach still flipped over when he entered a room. And everyone knew? And Emily and Hotch…everyone knew about their fondness for each other—it had become even more pronounced after her run- in with Benjamin Cyrus. She, Garcia, Morgan and Spencer had talked about it many times on nights just like these. Wait, if Emily knew about Rossi and she knew about Hotch…
"You dirty little minx!" she yelled, staring open-mouthed at Penelope. "You set us up!"
"Oh my god, did she ask for your help too?" Emily cried, turning shocked brown eyes to JJ.
"You all talk about each other's non-existent relationships, so I figured maybe it could be helpful to have it all out in the open. Now, you lied, so drink."
"Look, I'll drink, but you lied to us too—drink up, buttercup." JJ said, shoving the third shot at her friend.
"Gladly." Penelope took her glass and tipping it back in one long swallow. Smacking her lips, she looked at her bejewelled watch and let out a dainty gasp.
"Oh my, Angels, it is now one fifteen. And I, for one, am now past drunk and shooting straight into hung over. And we are all far too imbibed to drive. All in favour of calling one of the BAUs White Knights to pick us up say 'I'!"
"I" Emily and JJ said in unison, which reduced them to giggles yet again.
"Which one are we gonna call?" JJ asked. "Reid's a no-go, he was really wiped after this last case."
"Does anyone actually want Hotch or Rossi seeing us like this?" Emily asked. JJ shook her head furiously.
"Well, then, it looks like my Chocolate Santa is the winner," Garcia smiled, pulling out her cell phone. Derek Morgan answered on the third ring.
"Hello princess, what can I do for you?" he asked in his silky voice.
"Well you could do a lot of things for me, you charmer you. But right now, the one I'd most appreciate is you coming to get us, because we are far from sober."
"Anything for you, baby girl, you know that." She could hear him smiling on the other end. "Should I bring company?"
Penelope grinned. Her man knew exactly what she'd been planning tonight, and had accepted his part in her scheme whole heartedly. "You know it, my heavenly- bodied Zeus. See you in a few."
David Rossi was lounging on the back deck at his cabin in Little Creek, a scotch in his hand and Mudgie at his feet. He was just about to call it a night when his phone rang. Cursing, he answered gruffly.
"Rossi."
"Hey, man, its Morgan." His colleagues' voice drifted through the phone at him.
"What the hell are you doing calling me at quarter after one, Morgan?" Rossi snapped.
"Well, I just figured I'd be a good friend and tell you that my lady is drunk and stranded with your unrequited love at their favourite club in Georgetown, and they're looking for a ride home. Think you'd like to take JJ off my hands for the night?"
Rossi's breath hitched. For months now, he'd been slowly trying to figure out how to approach the media liaison. She was something completely different than any of his ex wives, different, in fact, than any woman he'd ever met. She stood up to him when everyone else would shrink away, and she had a temper to rival his. He knew the little blonde was a firecracker, but he had no idea how to tame her.
Morgan chuckled into the phone. "I thought so. Meet you there in thirty."
"Okay, Rossi replied, getting up to brush his teeth and find his shoes. Tonight was shaping up to be a good night.
Hotch was more than annoyed when his phone began to ring at some god awful time. Swearing loudly, he rolled over and flipped open his cell, eyes still closed. "Hotchner."
"Hotch, it's Morgan."
"Oh God, Morgan, what now?"
"Don't worry man, it's not a case. Our lovely ladies are slightly inebriated at their regular girls' night hang out and Penelope called me to come get them, but I figured you'd appreciate the time with Emily..." Morgan trailed off.
He was giving him an out, and Hotch knew it. He hadn't been able to voice his feelings for Emily the way Dave had been able to for JJ, even if it wasn't to her in person. Derek was simply intimating that he'd guessed his boss' attraction; if he was wrong, or if Aaron wasn't ready to do anything about it yet, he'd say no and Derek wouldn't push. But, if he was willing to be brave...
"I'll meet you there." He said finitely, shoving back the covers and closing his phone. Emily Prentiss had been on Hotch's mind constantly for almost a year and he couldn't figure out why. He had no idea when their relationship changed, when an accidental brush of her knee against his on the jet was more than just an accident. He found himself smiling at her when they were working alone, thinking about her when he was at home after a case. He'd even found the courage to ask her out for a drink after a few of the rougher cases. Tonight he was going to pick her up from the bar, be her proverbial knight in shining armour, and then see if she felt the same. Hopefully she still had her faculties, or else his plan would be useless.
Dave pulled into the parking lot, finding a space a few cars down from Derek's SUV. He found his colleague leaning up against the hood of the vehicle, staring at the brick building in front of him.
"Hey, we going in?" Dave asked, leaning beside Derek.
"Waiting for Hotch. He volunteered to come get Em."
"Heh. Of course he did." Dave chuckled. "So how drunk are they?"
"I heard some giggling in the background when Penelope called, but she said they had actually stopped drinking and were now a little hung over."
"Good."
"Why, Rossi? You planning on making a move?" Derek had a gleeful grin on his face.
"Is that not why you called me?" Dave raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah..." Derek replied. They turned as headlights illuminated the bar. Hotch's SUV was pulling into the spot next to the handicapped parking. He got out, surprising them all with his state of casual dress. His blue button-up shirt from earlier in the day was unbuttoned over a white t-shirt, the sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, and he was wearing a pair of well- worn blue jeans.
"Alright, I'm here. Let's go in and see the ladies, shall we?" he said, motioning for Derek and Dave to go first.
The club was still pretty crowded; the three men had to push their way through to the girls' table. Derek snuck up behind Penelope, massaging her shoulders.
"Hey mama, how's that hangover comin'?"
"Strong, hot stuff, its comin' strong," she replied, leaning back to rest her head on his shoulder.
"Ha-ha, too bad. I brought some help," he said enticingly.
"Really? Goodie," Penelope smiled.
JJ and Emily weren't listening to this exchange; they were too busy staring at who Derek had brought with him. Dave and Hotch, both looking very good in their casual wear, were standing next to Derek. He'd brought them—was he part of Penelope's plan too? With one look at the couple across the table from them, JJ and Emily concluded simultaneously that this hadn't simply been a harmless drinking game, it had been a diabolical plot.
JJ turned to her friend. "You think they're here for us?"
Emily raised a brow. "Oh yeah."
The two shared a secretive smile and then turned back to the boys.
"So, are you two wonderful gentlemen here to be our white knights?" Emily asked with a grin. She knew how cute Hotch was when he was flustered, and this time was no different; their unit chief blushed a bit under her grin.
"As a matter of fact, we are," Dave said. He was the more experienced seducer of the two, and he had three ex wives to prove it. He stepped over closer to JJ, taking in her dress and the parts of her it exposed. JJ blossomed in the attention, smiling up at the older man.
"How nice of you boys to get out of bed to come get us in our time of need," JJ laughed. She was now boxed in, with Emily behind her and Dave in front, one of his hands on the table in front of her.
Meanwhile, Aaron was still taking in Emily. She had curled her dark hair, the soft ringlets falling around her shoulders. Her little black dress stretched lightly across her collar bone, not showing anything. The exact opposite was true as his eyes dragged down her body; the dress really was little, showing her phenomenal legs all the way up to mid thigh. Emily blushed under his gaze. He moved around the table, coming to a stop in front of her. She turned toward him in her seat, giving him a sultry little grin.
"How drunk are you?" he asked.
Emily laughed. "Not so drunk that you should feel guilty about taking advantage of me, but drunk enough that me staying over at you place tonight would probably lead to some very bad decisions."
That confused him, and he said so. She smiled at him. "If I went home with you tonight, Aaron, I have no doubt I wouldn't regret it. But I don't want a one night stand with you; I want to go out with you and be with you before we sleep together. I don't have one night stands."
Aaron smiled at her, letting both his dimples show. She grinned back. He leaned over and whispered in her ear. "I don't have one night stands either. Let me take you home, and then we'll readdress this tomorrow."
She laughed. "Leave it to you to make that sound business like." She leaned in and placed a soft kiss on his cheek.
He smiled. "Alright guys, I'm taking Emily home—have a good night."
Penelope and Derek waved, satisfied looks on their faces. Dave winked at Hotch, and JJ waved at Emily, raising a brow. The brunette laughed at her friend, seeing JJ's foot make its way up Rossi's leg.
Aaron took Emily's hand and led her out the door into the early morning air. He opened her door for her. She smiled at him and watched as he walked around to the drivers' side. They talked about her night, and she told him about Penelope's scheme. In no time, they were at the door to Emily's building. He walked her to the elevator.
"Thank you for coming to get me tonight, Hotch." She smiled up at him. "You didn't have to do it, and I know that."
"Once Derek called and said that I could come and spend some time with you, I knew I had to do it." Emily knew that Hotch was an intensely private person, and such an admission from him was a big step. She grinned and took a step closer to him. He bent over her, fastening his mouth to hers.
She gasped, wrapping her arms around his neck and standing on her tiptoes to get closer to him. His tongue explored her mouth, and hers did its fair share before there was a ding and the elevator opened. Emily broke away; they were both short of breath.
She grinned at him. "Well, that was one hell of a goodnight kiss." He chuckled, one hand still wrapped loosely around her waist. He let her go slowly, waiting until she was in the elevator before waving at her.
"I'll see you tomorrow."
She waved back. "You know it."
Rossi knew JJ wasn't drunk; she was carrying on a coherent conversation, albeit with a smaller vocabulary than usual. She, Prentiss and Garcia had obviously celebrated quite thoroughly, but she was nowhere near plastered. Still, his mother had raised a gentleman, and he didn't feel right about sleeping with JJ while she'd been drinking.
Still, he did want to throw her a bone—being a gentleman could be construed as not being interested by a slightly imbibed mind. So he'd stepped in closer, ran one hand down her arm, told her how beautiful she looked. She'd smiled, blushed, and thanked him for coming to drive her home. They left the bar a few minutes after Hotch and Emily, waving at a very smug looking Penelope.
He drove her back to her apartment. It was a short drive, made shorter by their laughing chatter. Dave helped her out of the car and up the steps to her front door.
"So do you think you'd like to get a little tipsy with me next time?" Dave asked jokingly.
JJ laughed. "David Rossi, are you trying to take advantage of me?"
"Agent Jareau, I would never try to put the moves on you unless you were sober enough to appreciate them."
"Oh, wouldn't you? Are 'the moves' really something to behold?"
"I guess that would depend on what you want to get out of them," He replied seriously.
"Well then, next time I want to go out for a non- alcoholic dinner, should I call you and your moves to come along?"
"I would like that."
"Alright then," JJ stood on her toes to press a chaste kiss to his lips. "Good night, Dave."
*****
"So, Baby Girl, did we do a good job tonight or what?" Derek asked with a grin. They'd gone back to Garcia's apartment after the object of their scheme had left, and were now cuddled on her couch watching reruns of old nineties sitcoms.
"Oh yes, we did a very good job." Penelope gave him a little wink. "You were brilliant."
"Well I'm not just a pretty face you know," he replied, making her giggle. "I got some brains up here."
"I know that, chocolate thunder." She replied, leaning up to peck his lips. "I will never doubt you again."
Author's Notes: WOW! Long enough for ya? This began as a oneshot, believe it or not, but then the muse added some miraclegro and look what happened! As always, reviews are appreciated.