Disclaimed!

After I started writing this ages ago, it is finally finished, sad times, but there's good news, I've got a few things wrote which could lead on from this fic woo! Thanks to everyone who has been reading, hope you enjoy the last chapter. Let me know what you think :)

...

"SO MAKE SURE YOU WRAP UP WARM FOLKS. IT'S GOING TO BE ANOTHER CHILLY DAY..."

Hotch stirred as he leaned on the remote, turning up the volume. Hearing the weatherman bellow out his report stirred the pair of them. Hotch had his arms wrapped around the abdomen of the petite woman who was lying with her back fitting perfectly into his hold, her left leg was wedged in between his two legs and while the TV had disturbed both from their deep slumber, the position was far too comfortable to move.

"Mmm, make it quiet" She swatted his hands that were around her and Hotch unwillingly removed one of them as he blindly hunted for the remote he was lying on. The room was once again quiet and Hotch placed his hand back to where it previously rested. His head had been resting on top of JJ's mango and papaya shampoo scented hair, and while he tried to concentrate on going back to sleep he became all of a sudden extremely self conscious and felt rather awkward hugging his sleepy colleague so closely.

The morning sun was beaming through the slight split between the curtains indicating that they must have been asleep for at least a couple of hours. The last thing he could remember before waking up was watching an old black and white movie with Jimmy Stewart playing a shop clerk that JJ had goofily insisted on trying to impersonate at two in the morning. Hotch freed JJ from his grip as he raised his wrist watch to eye level, he cringed upon seeing it was already a little after seven thirty.

JJ moaned as he carefully pulled away, leaving her to the elements without his warmth from the embrace. He made his way into the bathroom noting the bloody towel and clothes in the corner near the bath, something he must have missed last night. During the night he had felt his tortured friend fight against a nightmare that was most likely caused from witnessing Molly's death, but when he pulled her closer into his body she relaxed so he mistakenly thought nothing more of it. After freshening up, Hotch made his way back into the bedroom to be greeted with a barely awake JJ.

"Is everything okay?" With rustled blonde hair, JJ sat up, rubbing her eyes gently while looking at her supervisor who was watching her with a grin as she attempted to pull herself around to the world of the living.

"Yeah everything's fine, how are you feeling this morning?" Hotch spoke softly, not wanting to spoil the tranquil mood the room was filled with, due to the earliness of the day and the light from the break in the curtains, which was casting a golden, yellow haze.

"I'm good. What time is it?" JJ tried to mask the yawn that was escaping from deep within her.

Breaking eye contact he looked down at his watch, "It's nearly 7.40. The team is going to meet at eight for breakfast before heading to the airfield, you up for something to eat?"

Their eyes locked intensely and silently, while not breaking the gaze they had established once more, JJ climbed off of the bed making her way to stand in front of her tall, raven haired friend who had insisted on not leaving her alone at her time of need. She lifted her arms around his neck softly pushing her lithe body into his. He wrapped his arms around her tiny waist and they stood in the middle of the room where their night had begun. After what could have been an eternity in an innocent embrace, JJ turned her head sweetly giving him a little kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you"

They slightly parted and he gave her an honest smile while rubbing slow circles on her left shoulder. "Anytime"

Their eyes were locked once more. After years of working together they formed a silent communication system which was now in full effect. JJ knows Hotch is looking at her needing to know that she is alright to be left alone. He doesn't want her to feel that she's being abandoned. Hotch knows that JJ's trying to convince him that she's not one hundred percent okay but she will be. The unit chief within him soon takes over as he nods and JJ stands aside but quickly he turned before opening the door. "I'll see you downstairs?"

JJ smiled at his awkward stance, "Yeah, save me a seat"

Once again he turned not managing to open the door. This time he retraced his steps back to standing opposite the confused woman. He took a deep breath making sure her ocean blue eyes were focused on his, "Jaje, you're the toughest person I know. I hope you know how much I respect you and how valuable you are to this unit"

Wrapping her fragile hand his JJ looked up into his determined gaze, "You're pretty valuable yourself Hotch"

He squeezed her hand in recognition of her words both smiling at each other's attempt at a pep talk, "See you downstairs." Hotch repeated his former words and JJ softly nodded. As Hotch stood in the hotel corridor in front of JJ's closed door, he rubbed his forehead. He knew JJ was going to be okay, she always was, but still he was concerned. The opening of another door further down the corridor disturbed his thinking. David Rossi strode out only to stop, smirking at the younger man in front of him. Rossi's eyes were raised accusingly, "Where you in JJ's room all night?"

"She needed someone, Dave" Hotch attempted to walk past him to try and avoid his long time friend's less than innocent innuendos.

Rossi smirked at his response. "Uh huh."

"Dave!" Hotch turned around practically begging him to stop by giving him a stern glare.

Rossi nodded seeing that it hadn't been an easy night for his workaholic and emotionally stunted friend, "I'll see you at breakfast Aaron"

Meanwhile behind the door that had caused a night of breaking emotional boundaries that both of the usually private agents were normally so reluctant of even approaching, JJ was focusing on getting herself ready by standing tensely under the scalding water that was dripping pathetically from the shower head. Behind her tightly closed eyes, she saw Molly's scared expression, JJ heard the young girl begging her to let the pain end, only for seconds later to see Molly's distressed face transform into Allie. JJ's older sister just stood where Molly once did, silent and serine. The experienced agent opened her eyes, letting the water burn her nightmare away, knowing it wasn't healthy to keep thinking like she was. Turning off the water and reaching for the towel, the churning of plumbing made a low growl forcing thoughts of the Henkel's barn, that usually haunt her dreams, to the forefront. By the time she dried her hair and was fully dressed, countless victims and their families had passed through JJ's mind and now as she packed her belongings the Blackberry, which relentlessly rang informing her of nationwide horrors, pierced the hotel room with a shrill tone.

A quarter of an hour later JJ walked through the hotel reception, familiar laughter drew the weary Pennsylvanian to the dining room where the team was causing a commotion around a table in the centre of a practically empty room. Reid was clumsily, trying to mop up split coffee with a napkin while Prentiss and Morgan were in stitches of laughter, ridiculing the young genius instead of helping him. Rossi sat with a smirk at the sight in front of him and she watched as Hotch's attention turned from the situation at the breakfast table to the observing blonde. He could see from her tired gaze that everything wasn't right but as their eyes met JJ shrug him off with a thin smile.

"Here Spence, use these" JJ approached the table, handing Reid some more napkin's from the side table she had passed, her motherly instincts kicking in.

"Thank you. You do realise that the trick would have worked if you didn't knock my arm?" The doctor accusingly eyed Morgan who tried to hide his smug grin with a 'what-me' look.

All the team gave their colleague concerned glances as she sat next to their unit chief, although they continued to mock Reid as he attempted to clean up the mess he made. Which JJ was thankful for, it meant they knew that she had a tough day yesterday but they weren't going to draw attention to it. Listening to the joking banter, Hotch unexpectedly extended his hand to JJ's under the table, gently tightening his grip, trying to avoid causing her tender hand any pain. JJ's puppy dog eyes turned upwards, she gave him a reassuring smile and he nodded pulling away his hand slowly.

Looking around the table at her jovial teammates, the dark thoughts that had recently plagued her disturbed mind temporarily disappeared. She knew too well that they couldn't save everyone and not every case ended with what felt like a win, but at precious moments when she was relaxed with those she cared about around her, JJ was grateful that they at least had tried to make a difference. Hotch's statement in her hotel room wasn't completely true. She wasn't the toughest person he knew, she was just trying to survive the difficult days, as they all were.

...

So that's it, thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read. Lots have you have alerted and reviewed and you're all awesome. Special thanks goes to deeda, anon, angry penguin and everyone else who has reviewed over the last seven chapters!