A/N So yeah, I was watching that episode of FRIENDS when I wrote this. I hope you enjoy this purely hypothetical situation!

Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds or the LiveJournal community from which I took this prompt list.

Character/Pairing: JJ/Hotch, slight Prentiss/Hotch

Rating: T

Prompt: #46 - Dust

It's been sitting in her mind for 24 hours, festering into guilt and self-hatred.

A relationship that had been a long time in the making, but had barely stretched its wings.

How could she have done that? To her best friend? Emily had dug out that old dagger, dusted it off and buried it straight into JJ's back.

"I didn't know you liked 'Friends'. What episode are you watching?"

Emily stifles a groan as JJ sits down beside her. Anyone but JJ.

Hesitates. "The One Where Chandler Crosses A Line," she says eventually.

JJ chuckles. "Right, where Chandler kisses Kathy and then has to tell Joey."

Emily winces. They watch for a while until she can't hold it in anymore, because it's JJ and she feels horrible enough.

"JJ..."

The smile slides from her friend's face. "What's the matter?"

"I need to tell you something. I don't want you to hate me."

She's dusting off every cliché in the book and JJ panics.

"Is it Henry? Did something happen? Is it..."

She'll go on forever but there's no easy way to say it so Emily goes ahead and blurts it out.

The three words hang in the air between them.

"I kissed Hotch."

There is silence that goes on forever.

JJ takes a deep breath, barely held together, and the sound of her breaking heart shatters Emily's defenses.

In the end, it is the calm that she finds hardest to take.

"Why?"

A soft voice, but there are layers. Layers and layers of hurt and betrayal, and Emily thinks she probably would barely have to dust the surface before they all come tumbling out.

"I don't know," she replies quickly, just in case hesitation is further enraging, "It just..."

"Were you drunk?" JJ interrupts, "Was he drunk?"

"No."

"Well, do you have feelings for him?"

The words are choked upon, taught and strained and Emily closes her eyes against the hurt JJ must be feeling.

"I don't know."

Another stretch of silence.

Golden bangs falling forward until Emily isn't sure whether JJ is still staring at her or not.

Both women waiting for the other to move. Emily tugs her bottom lip between her teeth, blinks in surprise when JJ is the first to break the quiet.

"Did he kiss you back?"

Emily won't lie now.

"Briefly."

JJ's bottom lip crumples, a single tear breaking free. Dusts off the imaginary flecks from her pants and stands up.

"Thank you for telling me."

Nothing else could have sounded worse.

Emily is miserable for the rest of the week.

JJ can't stand to be near her – to be expected, she thinks – and hasn't spent more than two minutes with Hotch since Emily obliterated their relationship.

He is miserable too.

The rest of the team tells her that it wasn't really her fault they broke up. JJ had ended it because Hotch had no intention of ever telling her.

Emily appreciates their attempt to put a smile on her face.

Having let it occupy her thoughts for the best part of a week, Emily realizes (in relief, she would later understand) that she's not interested in Hotch.

That spark of attraction, or whatever the hell it is that landed them here in the first place, is gone.

They are not worth making the hurt and longing that Hotch has been wearing all week a permanent expression. He belongs with JJ.

So it's a good sign, Emily thinks, when they leave work together the following Friday.

She drafts a letter of resignation just in case, because she would rather leave than cause any more hurt.

But it's a very good sign, Emily thinks, when they arrive together on Monday morning.

Hotch heads straight up the stairs, granting her the smallest of nods, but JJ stops beside her desk on the way up to his office.

Emily glances up, and there's the slightest dusting of pink across her friend's cheeks.

"Morning," JJ throws out cautiously. Emily blinks in surprise.

"Hi," she replies uncertainly.

JJ takes another two steps up the stairs then stops again.

"Do you want to get coffee?"

Three weeks later and the letter of resignation is still sitting on her desk.