An/ This is the third segment, and this is the after math of the BAU Bachelorette Auction. The next chapter is the last and it will skip into the future, so be prepared.

I don't own Criminal Minds

Part 3: The Aftermath

JJ stood at the back of the bar after it was all over, her hand to her heart feeling its fluttering. She was going to have a date with Hotch. Hotch. The more and more the name rolled around in her head, the more confused she got. She knew it was silly, and she shouldn't feel this way, but there was a twinge of something that she hadn't felt in a long time...excitement. "JJ, slow down girl. You've got a baby and a boyfriend. You can't want this."She thought to herself, trying to control her seemingly obdurate emotions. She breathed in slowly, waiting for Hotch to meet her here.

She saw him plod over, treading tentatively as a child awaiting punishment. She couldn't help but notice that it was an odd way for him to react since he'd done nothing wrong. It was strange to see the normally lionhearted unit chief without his moxy. "Hi Hotch." She smiled kindly, trying to act as though she wasn't absolutely jumping out of her dress out of excitement.

"Hey JJ." He grinned in return. She certainly didn't act as though he crossed a line, though deep down he knew he did. It would have been all in fun if he wasn't deeply in love with her, but because he was, he felt as though he had betrayed her trust. "Come on Aaron, she doesn't know why you did it. Just have fun and then forget that you even put yourself into this position."

"So..." The blonde liaison began awkwardly, not knowing how to start this whole shebang.

"So..." He said, shifting his weight awkwardly, hands shoved in his pockets. While bidding on JJ had definitely been a thrill of a lifetime, he wasn't sure how well he had thought it through. Because now he was about to go on a date with the blonde beauty, and he had no idea how to deal with that anticipation.

"We should get going." JJ said, pointing the door. The statement came out more like a question than anything declarative, but Hotch nodded eagerly. Opening the door for her, he followed JJ out into the darkness.

"Hey Sweetie." Kevin smiled as he kissed Garcia lightly on the cheek.

"Kevin, you paid six thousand dollars for me?" She said in disbelief, stating what was truly occupying her mind. "You can't afford that. You've still got student loans to pay."

"You're worth it." He reasoned, fingering a velvet box stashed away in his pocket.

"Alright, now you're up to something." She said, looking at him seriously. "Its better to confess now and avoid torture than letting me find out on my own. If I find out you robbed a bank or got involved in a pyramid scheme I will make you pay."

"You'll find out soon enough." He informed sweetly, grabbing her hand in his.

"Soon enough isn't soon enough Kevin! I want to know now." She whined, looking at him searchingly. "I need to know now."

"Just be patient Sweetie." He said firmly, for once telling the love of his life no. He would've spilled the beans if it weren't for the fact that it was a surprise.

"Fine." She relented begrudgingly. "But you so owe me ice cream."

"Emily, be calm, this isn't a big deal. He was just being nice. Just being nice because you scared everyone else. You are fine. You will survive this." Emily mentally tried to convince her self, but to no avail. She waved over at Morgan nervously as he made his way through the crowed. If she were being entirely honest, which she wasn't, she would have admitted that this entire time she had been hoping that Morgan would bid on her. But knowing him and his libido as well as she did, she had been almost positive that he wouldn't. If still being entirely honest, she would have admitted that her opposition to the auction had never really been about feminism, though she played it well, but because she was afraid. Afraid that Morgan would let her down and go home with some bimbo for the night while she was stuck with the creeps from the mail room.

"Hey Baby girl." Morgan smiled broadly, taking her in for not the first time that evening, though it was the first time he had some sort of a small claim to her. "You look great." He said lamely, not knowing how to seriously handle being alone with Emily Prentiss. She intimidated him, she was the only person who ever could, and for some reason, he loved that. He loved knowing that there was someone out there who could keep him down to earth.

"Oh." Emily blushed slightly. "Thanks, its just something that Garcia forced on me."

Mentally thanking Garcia, Morgan looked at her with anticipation. "Well, should we get out there. I promise you a fun-filled evening." He winked, causing her heart to soar.

"Fun-filled evening?" She scoffed teasingly. "Someone is sure of their abilities."

"Alright miss Smartalec." He retorted. "Just you wait and see."

"So." JJ said slowly as she and Hotch sat down on a park bench near the Potomac, frozen yogurt in hand. "This is fun." She smiled nervously, unsure of why she felt so awkward exactly. He, after all, had only bid on her to be nice; But JJ felt more alive than she had in years, and she had a sneaking suspicion that she had her usually reserved boss to thank.

"Yeah, it has." Hotch agreed, unable to hold his grin. This had lived up, if not surpassed his fantasies of the evening, and while he was exponentially happy that his connection with JJ remained while they were alone, it caused him to ache. He wanted her now more than ever, but she had someone waiting for her back home.

"I'm really glad Strauss forced me into this." She teased, still half serious.

"I'd agree with you but then I'd be afraid that Emily would pop out of no where and give me feminism speech." At JJ's laughter, he felt the emptiness within him go away. JJ brought out things within him that no one else saw, and he found it the bitterest irony that the one person he wanted was the one person he couldn't have.

"Thanks for buying me." JJ said appreciatively before adding. "You know, I meant that in the least prostitute-esque way that statement could be taken."

Hotch chuckled slightly at the after thought. "I'm glad I could, I was...shocked when I saw Will wasn't there."

"He basically doesn't care that his girlfriend was being auctioned off." JJ said, trying to hide her annoyance. "No jealousy issues there."

"So he doesn't mind that we're on a date?" Hotch asked, hoping that JJ wouldn't over think the last word.

"Actually, if he knew it was you I was on a date with, he probably would mind." She mused honestly. "But what he doesn't know won't hurt him."

"Why would he mind that its me?" Hotch asked softly.

"He erm..." She began delicately. "He's afraid that I'm in love with you and that's why I won't leave the BAU." She wasn't sure why she was confessing all of this to him, but for some reason, it felt right.

"Oh, thats uh..." Hotch began nervously, entirely unsure of how to proceed.

"He probably has a point." JJ surmised, watching Hotch's eyes widen. She spoke rapidly for him to understand. "Not with the loving you thing, but with the BAU. Maybe I am just holding on to my old life a little too hard." Unexpectedly, she felt her body turn on her, it was as if everything within her screamed that she was a liar. She knew that one day she would have to reconcile her mind with her feelings, but she was facing enough at the moment as it was. Figuring out how she felt would just need to wait.

"But you love the BAU?" Hotch said skeptically.

"I know, but we have a family now. Sacrifices need to be made and he hasmoved all the way from Louisiana and--" JJ trailed off, not really wanting to contemplate the reality of her relationship. "Maybe its time I give something up." JJ tried to keep calm, remembering the conversation she had that evening with Will. She knew that he was being the voice of reason but something longed to remind Will that all the things he had given up for her, she had never asked him to. She never asked him to move to DC, she never asked him to quit the force. He had just done it, hoping that it would push them farther into a relationship, but she was finding more and more lately that she just wasn't fulfilled.

Hotch opened his mouth to speak, but paused, looking straight into her eyes and seeing right through her carefully crafted facade of happiness. "JJ, did you know that the first time I saw you smile, you were talking about a case?"

"What?" She asked in confusion.

"I remember on your second day, that I noticed that you smiled bigger when you were doing your job. It was like it made you happy." He explained.

"It still does make me happy." JJ corrected.

"If it makes you so happy, then how would you dare to leave it?" Hotch inquired.

"Because I should want to be with Will. I should want to be a stay at home mom. I should want to make this work." She said firmly.

"You should be happy." Hotch said softly. "If being with Will makes you feel limited, if being with Will doesn't make you happy to go home at night, what kind of a relationship is that?"

"That's a good question." JJ whispered pensively. She stayed silent for a moment, fighting the urge to lean her lips into Hotch's. She had a boyfriend, whether she wanted him or not. And while things would definitely take a second look, she knew that Hotch was there for her. "So, how are your beloved Orioles doing this season?" She changed the subject to something that was neutral but he would appreciate.

"Good." Hotch smiled, instantly understanding. "They got beat by Tampa Bay but I've got a feeling that they can pull it out against the Red Socks."

"Is that so?" She asked with interest that only a fellow sports fan could muster. It was hard to turn a blind eye to how well suited she and Hotch were for each other, they meshed like two pieces to a puzzle; but there was something else that Hotch had in his arsenal. For good or ill, whether it became something more or not, he was one of her best friends. He understood her better than she understood herself sometimes, and that was something that she couldn't shake.

"Kevin, seriously, you need to tell me what's going on!" Garcia commanded as she speared her cheesecake. She was now having dessert on the roof of her apartment, following a candle light dinner at the same location. While she sometimes doubted her snuggle bear's romantic capabilities, tonight he certainly proved that he could do it well.

"Would you be patient?" He chastised. "I'm getting there."

"Not quick enough." She muttered with a grin. She was under no circumstances a patient girl, he definitely knew that he was killing her.

"Do you remember when we met?" He asked, changing the subject to lead into the conversation he felt they needed to have.

Garcia nodded. "I had just gotten shot by a psychotic cop and you stuttered like the Rain Man. Yeah, I faintly recall it, why?"

"When I first saw you, I knew you were the most beautiful woman in the world." He began.

"Ha Sugar, tell me something I don't know." She interrupted, causing him to glare. "Sorry, continue." She said sheepishly.

"And I knew that there was no way I could ever live without you." Kevin said nervously, his voice starting to quiver.

"Kevin--"

He stood up and walked right next to her. As he reached her seat, he knelt on one knee, facing her, his face wide with wonder. "And I don't intend on ever living with out you. Penelope Sophia Garcia, will you do me the honor of being my wife." He pulled out a velvet box from his pocket, revealing a large ring with a pink heart shaped diamond.

"Hah---" She said, tears streaming down her face.

"Of all the times for you to not have a witty response." He muttered, looking at her searchingly. His Penelope was rarely inarticulate, but she couldn't get a word out.

Finally nodding excitedly, she hopped up from her seat. "Yes!"

"Oh thank heavens." Kevin huffed, jumping to his feet and pulling his new fiancee into a tight embrace.

She kissed him happily, glad that she would never have to do another bachelorette auction again.

"That one, definitely." Emily said pointing at a couple where the husband was sitting far apart from his wife. She and Morgan, having nothing planned, decided to play the ever enjoyable game of 'profile the random public'. So now sitting at a booth at Denny's, they looked around, now guessing which husband won the "You're sleeping on the Couch" award.

"What do you think he did?" Morgan chuckled, loving that Emily was the type of girl who was up for anything. It was good to know that he could be with her and have fun no matter what they were doing.

"Probably laundry issues." She mused, looking closely. "Like he's the kind of guy who manages to get the socks three inches away from the hamper and his wife told him to fix it and it lead to a blow out."

"Why do you say that?" Morgan inquired, knowing in his gut that she was right.

"Because his shirt is starched, his wife is obviously doing his laundry." She reasoned.

"Oh so men can't wash clothes." Morgan taunted. "Emily, isn't that the least bit sexist?"

"Oh don't even." She scoffed.

"Don't try to explain yourself, that small thinking is what has led to generations of working men being unable to be stay at home fathers..." He teased as she took a sharp intake of breath.

"Morgan, when was the last time you saw a man starch his own shirt." Emily pointed out, trying to fight a smile.

He went to speak but she instantly interrupted him.

"Other than Hotch." She said with an amused grin

He paused a minute, racking his brain for a decent example. "Fine, you win." He reluctantly grumbled.

She threw her arms up in victory.

"Wow Miss Prentiss, who knew you could be so fun?" He flirted, noting that the evening had been going much better than his expectations--which had been high. He realized that maybe Emily was a girl he could want to be with for more than one night.

"What can I say?" She smiled wickedly. "I'm just full of surprises."