Author's Note: Special thanks to jenny crum, Kimd33, pandorabox82 (who always pushes me for another chapter), went, RealMe07, PinkAngel17, Flames101, IwouldrockJoshuaJacksonsWorl d, rubberducky96, Yabado, and KricketWilliams for the reviews! I absolutely adore the loyalty to this store. Thank you so much!
Strangers and Fantasizes
"Pregnant," Rossi repeated. His hands dropped from her shoulders as the news sunk in.
"Yeah, so you see-"
"Whose?" he demanded.
Prentiss took a step back, surprised by his strong reaction. "Why does it matter?"
Rossi's ire grew at her avoidance of the question. "Because I'm asking you. Because I want to know. Because it matters!"
"I don't know!" she screamed. "Is that what you want to hear? I was lonely one night and went to a bar. I found some good-looking stranger to fuck in the bathroom and found myself knocked up. Happy now?" Prentiss turned away from him, moving to the window.
"Emily-"
"No," she said, cutting him off. "I know it was stupid. I know something could have happened to me then... could still happen to me now." She half smiled to herself. "I've been tested, will continue to be tested. So far, I'm clean."
Rossi reached out and touched her shoulder, turning her to face him. He spoke in a much calmer voice. "Why, Emily? If you were that lonely, why didn't you come find me?"
Prentiss hung her head. "I couldn't. I can't. I can't let it happen again."
"Why?" Even to his own ears, her was beginning to sound like a broken record.
"Because." She covered her mouth with her hand as she stepped away from him. "Because you scare me, Dave."
Rossi flopped down in the chair. He hadn't expected that answer from her. "I scare you?"
Prentiss sat on the edge of the bed, her hands folded in her lap. "It's not you as much as it's me. I could fall so deeply in love with you so easily, but it wouldn't work."
"Because of my previous marriages," Rossi concluded. He closed his eyes as if in pain. "I guess I could see where that would scare you off. I don't have the greatest reputation when it comes to women."
"No," she said, softly, surprising him. She had moved over to the chair without him realizing it. Prentiss smiled briefly. "I know you. I know that you loved each of your wives. And I know that your reputation is mostly just talk. Even if it wasn't, I know you. I know you're more than that. I know you would love me, do anything to protect me."
Rossi grabbed her hand and kissed her palm. "I would. I will."
Prentiss ran her hand through his hair. "I don't need protected from you. You need protected from me. I'm a train wreck. Everything in my life gets ruined and it's no one's fault but mine." She sighed. "I just don't think I'm the type of girl to fall in love."
He grimaced. "What does that even mean? Everyone deserves to fall in love."
"I just don't think I'm what you need."
"What I need?" Rossi repeated, some of the fire coming back into him. He stood and faced her. "What I need is for you to not tell me what I need. What I need is for you to be honest with me. You have jumped all over the place with reasons why you're scared; why you can't be with me."
Nearly sobbing in relief that she could fall back on anger, Prentiss shot back, "I'm sorry that my answers aren't good enough for the great David Rossi! I'm sorry that I can't give you a satisfactory answer!"
Rossi pulled at his hair. "I don't even know what we're arguing about anymore!"
"Isn't that the point?" Prentiss tossed her hands in the air, feeling oddly pleased with herself. "Every conversation that we have on a personal level ends in an argument. This is why we need to keep it strictly professional."
"Emily." He flexed his hands to keep his anger in check, realizing the game that she was playing, but not quite understanding why. "What are you planning to do about the baby?"
She flinched, startled by his change in subject. She tilted her head, slightly. "I'm keeping it. I'm going to raise it. I-"
"How?"
"I, um," she stumbled. "What do you mean?"
Rossi licked his lips. "Are you going to quit the BAU? Hire a nanny? Have your mother move to DC liked JJ did?"
Prentiss paled. "I don't know. I haven't thought that far in advance."
"What are you going to tell everyone about his father? Are you going to tell them the truth? Or are you going to tell everyone that you used a sperm donor? Maybe it was an old friend that blew into town?" he continued. "And then blew into you?"
"Really?" she huffed.
Shrugging, Rossi inwardly smirked. "I'm just trying to clarify the situation. I mean, we should probably have our stories straight when this news all comes out."
Prentiss shook her head. "The only thing you need to do is keep your mouth shut."
"We work with a team full of profilers, Emily," Rossi said. "You don't think they're going to figure out something's up?"
"What is this really about, Dave?"
Rossi let the smirk form slowly across his face before replying, "I think you should let me be the baby's father."
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"Yours."
JJ stopped laughed immediately. Her eyes grew wide and she drew in a deep breath. Of all the possible names, her own was the least likely that she thought she would hear.
"I'm sorry," Hotch apologized after a few moments of silence. "I clearly made you uncomfortable. Forget I said anything."
"No! You didn't! I promise," JJ insisted, placing her hand on his arm. "I'm just surprised is all. I'm... flattered?"
Hotch groaned. He picked up the wine bottle and began to chug it. He could barely taste the wine as it slipped over his tongue.
"What are you doing?" JJ demanded, attempting to grab the bottle from him. He slapped her hand away. "Hotch, stop."
"No," he refused. "We're stuck in here for the night and I'm pretty sure that I'm going to need this to get through the rest of it." With that, he finished the bottle before grabbing the second one from the fridge.
She grabbed the bottle as he sat back down. "At least, let me get another glass before you drink it all. And you better not puke. I'll put you out in the snow."
Hotch dropped his head to the table. "I'm such an idiot."
"For chugging the wine? Can't say that I disagree," JJ tried to joke, but it fell flat. She ran her hand through his hair. "You're not an idiot. I would hope that after all this time, you would know that you can tell me anything." She paused in her stroking. "You do know that, right?"
"I know," he replied, raising his head. He took another chug of wine. "It doesn't mean that I should."
JJ frowned. "Hotch... would it help if I told you why Will and I broke up?"
Hotch pursed his lips. "Is it worse than whispering the wrong name?"
"Ah, yeah." JJ blushed, furiously. "Although, kind of along the same lines." She covered her face, briefly with her hands. "I... I called out your name during sex. More than once."
Hotch opened and closed his mouth several times before speaking. "How many times? Are we talking twice?"
"Um, after the sixth time, Will demanded that I either leave the BAU or he was leaving," she explained. "I couldn't leave again. I was miserable the entire year that I was gone."
"So, let me get this straight, you and Will broke up because you called out my name during, you know, and because you wouldn't leave the BAU?" Hotch let out a long breath. "I mean, I can understand not leaving; it's what broke Haley and me up in the end."
JJ raised her eyebrows. "Oh, I know. I got an earful about it more than once from Haley."
Hotch flinched. "Yeah, sorry about that. I really ended up sticking you in the middle of that. I'm sorry."
"I understood." JJ reached out to lay her hand on his arm. "It was a rough time for both of you."
"It's still not an excuse."
"It's old news, Hotch. Let it go," she urged. JJ withdrew her hand and bit down on her lip. She knew the alcohol was getting to her when the next idea popped into her head and there was no voice to discourage her. "You know, we have ourselves an interesting situation."
Hotch chuckled. "We do?"
She nodded. "We do. See, it appears that in... certain situations... when we should really be thinking about the people we're with, we appear to be thinking about each other. What do you suppose it means?"
"I know exactly what it means," Hotch answered, boldly. His eyes roamed all over her face, taking in her features. "You are an extremely attractive woman, JJ. The most beautiful woman that I've ever laid eyes on."
"And what does it mean for me?" she teased.
Hotch sighed. "It means that you see me as an authority figure and were looking for a way out of a miserable situation so your mind projected an image of me in the situations where you found yourself unhappy."
JJ grimaced. "You truly are an idiot."
"What?" Hotch's mouth fell open.
"If you honestly believe that I fantasize about you night after night because you're an authority figure, then you are an idiot," JJ explained further.
Hotch ducked his head. "Night after night?"
She slapped her forehead, realizing her slip. "Crap."
"Are you saying that you find me attractive?" Hotch needled, grinning widely.
JJ took a deep breath. "You bet your ass I do."
