Disclaimer: We don't own Criminal Minds.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews!! :) Only one more part left to go after this one.

PART 3

Three Months Later

"Freeze! FBI!" Hotch called as the entire team surrounded the Unsub. James Waverly had been preying on the women of Omaha, Nebraska--now he wouldn't be able to hurt anyone else.

"You lied to them!" James cried, pointing his gun at JJ. This slight movement made a pit settle in Hotch's stomach. He had been against using her as bait from the start, but had begrudgingly agreed, admitting to himself that although she fit the victimology, she was good at her job.

"James, put down the gun or we will never be able to tell people that she lied." Rossi encouraged, each member of the team avoiding looking at Morgan who was attempting to sneak around unseen and take down the serial rapist who had murdered seven women.

James lowered the gun slightly, causing major alarms to go off in Hotch's mind. He was an anger-excitation rapist, and the likelihood of him surrendering so easily was slim to none. He noticed the way James looked at JJ, and suddenly it clicked. He reacted faster than James was able to act, darting in front of JJ just before James aimed and fired. The bullet tore into his right shoulder, stopping somewhere in his body. Three agents simultaneously fired, Rossi catching James in the chest, Emily with a perfect head shot, and Reid managed to catch him in the stomach.

Though the pain in his shoulder was mind-numbing, Aaron Hotchner was concerned with one thing. "JJ, are you alright?"

She laughed slightly, fighting the tears in her eyes at the man who had risked his life for hers. "Am I alright? I believe it was you that just got shot. You don't have to save everyone yourself, you know."

"I know. But I had to save you. I love you." Hotch whispered, smiling weakly before he floated into unconsciousness.

"No! No Aaron, wake up baby!" JJ screamed as she held him in her arms. She vaguely heard Morgan calling for an ambulance as her fingers found his thready pulse. "No, please! Please, you just have to stay awake. I love you too, please..." she cried as the paramedics approached and almost had to rip him from her arms.

"He's fading fast, we need to hurry or he isn't going to make it." The male EMT informed the team as they finished loaded Hotch onto the gurney, "We're headed for Our Lady of Mercy hospital, you can catch up with us there."

Rossi was the one who finally spoke, everyone else either crying or completely solemn. "Thank you. We'll be there."

The ten miles to the hospital were probably the longest than any of the team had ever experienced. Emily had ended up driving because Reid was too shell shocked and JJ wouldn't let go of Morgan long enough for him to get them to the hospital. Rossi drove the second SUV behind them alone so he could make the calls to both Strauss and Hailey about what was happening, the fact that there was a real chance that Aaron Hotchner wasn't going to make it--Something JJ didn't need to hear.

Silence filled the first car, shocked that something so small could take down the Unit Chief that had seemed invincible for so long. Each one of them had been hurt in the line of duty, and though frightening, it was always reassuring to know that there was one person who would always be there. A rock. A source of foundation. That although UnSubs may surprise one member--hit them with a board, send raving dogs after them, or knock them unconscious and hide them in a rural cemetery--those Unsubs could never get their leader. Now, Aaron Hotchner, was holding onto his own life, and no reassurances would be enough if he didn't pull through.

"Is there an Agent David Rossi here?" an older nurse in orange scrubs as from the nurses station. Her voice rang through the crowded waiting area clearly, evidence she had a large amount of practice with this part of her job.

"I'm Agent Rossi." Dave said as he stood up and made his way over to her. "How can I help you?"

"Agent, you are listed as Aaron Hotchner's medical proxy, and we need you to sign this form before we can operate on him." the nurse said, polite but solemn--her face not betraying anything to his fallen friends condition.

"Can you at least tell me if he's stable?" Rossi asked as he signed the offered form without thinking twice. There was no way Hotch would survive without the surgery, that was just all there was too it.

"Sir, I can honestly say that I would not be out here asking you to sign this form before we operated if he wasn't." she informed him before retreating behind the glass doors that lead to the operating rooms.

"At least he's stable, for now."Rossi thought. If there was anything he knew for certain about Aaron Hotchner, it was that the Unit Chief wasn't going to go down without a fight.

Jennifer Jareau was used to stressful situations. She had been in too many state championship soccer games, too many press conferences, and too many life situations to really believe that she was able to crack under pressure. But sitting alone in a cold hospital waiting room was too much. Morgan and Emily had gone to grab some food from the cafeteria, while Rossi waited for Hailey to come with Jack. Reid had seemed to sense JJ's nervousness and had wisely left for coffee. Her thoughts drifted to a night not too many weeks previously.

"I can't believe you had never seen the Bourne Trilogy!" JJ teased as the final movie ended.

"I see far too much excitement in my own life, I didn't think I needed the rush." Hotch retorted. Over the months he and JJ had spent a lot more time together, tonight's escapade one of several as she had quickly learned that his pop-culture was not up to par.

She snuggled closer to his chest. Tonight had been her turn, which meant they were at her apartment, Henry sleeping in the other room. She felt incredibly comfortable like this--together, with Hotch.

"JJ, I..." Hotch stumbled for the right words. Normally he was an articulate person, but his mouth felt dry and it seemed as though the words had evaporated before he could speak them out loud.

"Yeah?" She prodded after a moment of silence.

"JJ, I think I'm falling in love with you." He blurted out, then pulled his arm from around her back to look at her deep blue eyes.

"Aaron....I..." Her mind felt as though it were flying at a million miles per hour. She was attracted to Aaron Hotchner, but it had only been three months! She wasn't ready for disappointment quite yet. "I'm not sure..."

"That's ok." He said smiling, though his heart was tearing. "I shouldn't have--"

"No. I mean, I'm not sure that I can go this fast. I think I may be falling in love with you too, but I need to go slow." She insisted, backpedalling slightly--one thing was for certain, she did not want Aaron Hotchner to walk out of her life.

"Slow it is." He said, placing his arm around her once more.

Why hadn't she been able to just tell someone what she was really feeling for once? Her mask had been up so long that after that night, she was almost afraid that it would never be let down again--not even for the man she loved.

Two hours later it was nearly eight at night, and they still knew nothing. Hailey and Jack were somewhere in the air on their way to Nebraska, and JJ hoped that Hailey wouldn't let their animosity towards each other start a fight tonight. If that happened, with both of their emotions raw, there was no telling what might be said--things that could never be taking back, and that was not what she wanted to be doing tonight. No, tonight she wanted to be at one of their many sleepovers, cuddled up in Hotch's arms.

"JJ, sweetheart, that was...amazing." Hotch sputtered as he tried to regain control of his breathing. He had imagined what their first time together would be like, but the actual act had been far better than any of his fantasies.

"No kidding. I had no idea it could bethatgood." JJ admitted from where she was curled into his side. Originally, this was only supposed the be one of their many movie nights, but she liked this, feeling this close to him, far better than any movie--and that was saying something for the woman who owned enough movies to start her own Blockbuster.

Pulling the sheet over their sweaty bodies, Hotch was content to run his fingers through her hair for a few minutes. "I know we've only been dating a few weeks, but...I'm glad we did this." he whispered, kissing her forehead.

"Me too." she answered, a smile on her face as she drew lazy circles with her finger over his heart. "Me too."

"Aaron Hotchner?" A doctor asked as he entered the waiting room, interrupting JJ's precious silence.

Suddenly Rossi was at her side, "How is he?"

"He's going to be fine." The doctor said, smiling at the looks of relief that washed over the two worried faces. "The bullet did significant tissue damage to his upper back, he's going to have to go to physical therapy for his shoulder. It lodged in his collar bone, which was why we had to operate." The doctor explained.

"So, can we see him?" JJ asked hopefully.

"He's in recovery right now, the operation appears to be a complete success. Once he's lucid a nurse will come and get you, you can see him then." The doctor advised, happy to be on the side of delivering good news this time.

"Oh thank God!" Hailey said from somewhere behind them. "I'm his wife, and this is our son Jack." she said joining the trio.

"But I thought Agent Hotchner wasn't married? That's what it said on his medical chart and his proxy forms." The doctor asked, completely confused.

"Please Hailey, don't cause a scene tonight. We're all exhausted, and Hotch just survived what could have been a fatal shooting. Just let this be." JJ said calmly, she had already decided that she was not going to put up with any of Hailey's schemes tonight. Some other night, maybe, but not tonight when the love of her life had almost died.

Rossi stared at JJ in shock, and some awe, for saying what they were all thinking. "No, she's actually his ex-wife, Doctor Morris." he explained as Hailey stormed off. "Agent Jareau is his girlfriend."

"It's complicated" JJ sighed, willing the doctor to understand as she picked up a now dozing Jack and held him close. The four year old was tall but still relatively thin for his age and JJ found him almost light as a Henry as he fell asleep on her shoulder. "I'm sorry for confusing you."

"Oh." Doctor Morris said softly. He had definitely seen more awkward family situations, but it was always uncomfortable. "Well, we will only allow one or two visitors at a time--we don't want to upset him. I'll have the nurse alert you when he's awake." The doctor moved to go back to the nurses station.

Half an hour later, JJ was permitted by Nurse Amy to visit Hotch in the curtained area. She stood just outside, watching as the monitor's beeped, signaling the survival of the man who had risked his life for hers.

"Are you going to come in, or just stand there staring?" Hotch asked smiling slightly. He felt her presence as soon as she had come withing a hundred feet of him.

She entered reluctantly, guilt encompassing every emotion she was currently having. The bullet was meant for her, not that she wasn't grateful, but he could have died. "Aaron--" She stopped, the words dying in her mouth. Instead of encouraging her to continue, he allowed the silence to fill the room. This was her moment, he wasn't about to let it be cut short.

"Aaron, I was so worried." She admitted finally, cursing herself for her failure.

"I know. I'm fine." He assured her, the narcotics still in his system kept him from trying to explain further.

"No. Aaron, I---" She stammered, Why is this so hard?, she thought to herself. "Aaron, I love you." She finally managed to get out.