Disclaimed!

So just a reminder that this story deviates from Season 7. Its way in the future, Hotch is dead (sad!) and JJ is telling her kids about her time with Hotch before the kids all became adults and parents themselves.

Anyways, let me know what you think!

...

Winter 2053; Hotchner residence

JJ nodded at her daughter's suggestions, feeling her heavy eyes lift slightly as her tiredness slipped into restlessness. "What do you want to know?"

Elena thought a moment as she moved around the room to find the object she had in mind. "Tell us about this picture."

JJ took the photo frame off of her youngest child and smiled at the picture of Hotch sitting on a couch eating a bowl of cereal. "Oh this is one of my favourite pictures of your Dad."

"Is that the old house, in Alexandria?" Jack asked as he looked over his wife's head at the photo in his mom's hand.

JJ smirked. "Yes it is."

"When was the picture taken?" Henry asked as he watched his mom's lingering look on his Dad's cheeky grin at the camera, as he sat crossed legs, with a spoon half way up to his mouth and a bowl resting on his knee.

"I took it the morning after our first date, with your Dad's phone." JJ replied slowly.

Lucy and Jack shared looks as they watched JJ's engrossed focus on the picture. "You took it the morning of your first date?"

"Our relationship advanced somewhat quickly," JJ shrugged with a lopsided grin, "it wasn't as if we were strangers getting to know each other."

Elena scoffed harshly. "Wait, you always said to take any relationship slow and not to jump into things without knowing your partner is someone who is going to treat you right and you're sure it can lead to something stable."

JJ nodded slowly. "Yes dear and that's totally what Aaron and I did."

"You slept together on your first date." Elena stared back at her mom pointedly.

"Ew, lalalalala." Henry pressed his hands over his ears. "I don't wanna know the gross stuff!"

"Technically, we'd been having dinners for months before then. It's just neither of us realised they were dates." JJ reasoned confidently. "Plus we had like nine years as friends and knowledge of our separate personal lives."

Jack frowned at the topic of the conversation. "Can we please get back to the photo?"

"Sure." JJ smiled sweetly.

Lucy stood and managed to fit into the gap between her husband and Elena on the couch while asking the next question. "Why did you take the photo?"

"Well on our date, Aaron didn't want to do the corny photo booth thing, so I took his phone off the coffee table when we were having breakfast and annoyingly took loads of photos of him to prove a point."

"Was that point, you always get your own way?" Henry queried in humour.

JJ giggled lightly. "You know me so well, son."

"So where did he take you for your first date?" Lucy wondered out loud.

JJ smiled put the picture frame of her husband next to the wedding photo that was now on the table. "Actually, I was the one who planned the first date."

...

1st February 2013; Alexandria, Maryland

JJ checked over her appearance once more in the mirror and smiled happily. Her jeans fit perfectly, her knee length boots added height and her pale blue jumper clung perfectly to her curves.

As she wrapped her cream scarf around her neck, a brief knock on the front door pulled her away from the mirror. JJ skipped down the stairs and opened the door without checking the peephole. "Hey, you!"

Hotch chuckled as JJ's arms wrapped instantly around his neck and she kissed him deeply. "Wow."

JJ grinned as she stepped back into her house pulling him in with her when she took hold of his hand. "You're early."

"The traffic wasn't bad from Jess's." Hotch informed the giddy blonde. "You look lovely."

JJ turned back to the profiler as they stopped in the living room. "Thank you, you look handsome as always."

They stared at each other lustfully before Hotch broke the silence and held JJ's waist. "So where are we going?"

"It's a surprise." JJ said with a smirk before kissing him again.

Hotch raised an eye as they pulled a part. "Are you sure you want to go out?"

"We've stayed in for the last four nights, we decided we needed to go out on a real date, remember?" JJ leaned closer to him.

Hotch beamed happily for the first time in a long time. "Fine, but I just think going out is overrated."

"I'll keep that in mind." JJ giggled and kissed his cheek. "I'll just get my coat?"

Hotch nodded as JJ moved out of his hold and skipped into the hallway. Looking around the messy living room, Hotch smiled at the pile of toys spread out over the floor. "So where's Henry tonight?"

"Garcia kidnapped him to freak out Kevin." JJ shouted in response as she fought with her coat.

JJ returned to the living room while fastening her beige coat. "What's wrong?"

Hotch shook his head to get out of the trance he was in. "Did you tell Garcia about us?"

"No." JJ retorted slowly before her eyes creased in uncertainty. "Would it have been a problem if I had done?"

Hotch looked down at his shoes awkwardly. "No, of course not, it's just..."

"Hotch we'll tell the team when we're ready to." JJ stated confidently.

Hotch nodded quickly. "I don't want my weirdness to ruin the evening."

"I get it. We work together, we have done with the same team for a long time now and everyone has just got back to normal again after everything." JJ reasoned.

There was an awkward pause while a grin spread across Hotch's face. "Thanks."

"What for?" JJ frowned in uncertainty.

Hotch shrugged his shoulders. "Thanks for being so understanding."

"Hotch trust me, in this relationship, I'm the unreasonable commitment-phobe." JJ rolled her eyes sarcastically while wrapping a gold and cream scarf around her neck.

"So should we start again?" Hotch asked hopefully.

JJ closed the gap between them and kissed him thoroughly. "Hi."

"Hi, you look amazing." Hotch smiled warmly down at the blonde in his arms.

JJ nudged his arm with her hand and grinned. "You're such a charmer."

"Are you ready?" Hotch asked in a chuckle.

Reluctantly she nodded and moved out of his hold. "Yes."

"So where are we going?" Hotch asked following the shorter woman out for her house.

JJ chuckled as he nuzzled into her neck while she locked her front door. "Nice try."

"Fine, are you driving?" Hotch questioned, taking JJ's hand to lead her down the icy snow covered steps to the pathway.

JJ tugged the profiler's hand as he led the way to where their cars were parked. "We don't need a car, we're walking."

"We're walking?" Hotch looked down at the excited blue eyes as JJ beamed.

JJ entwined their gloved hands and hummed happily. "What's more romantic than walking hand in hand through the snow?"

Hotch nodded his agreement as JJ pulled closer to him. "Okay then, we walk. Do I at least get a little clue about where we're going?"

"I gave you a clue earlier." JJ replied quickly.

Hotch scoffed sarcastically. "Wear thick socks, make sure your wearing something warm, moveable and casual also don't be late, those aren't the greatest clues ever."

JJ stopped them both in the middle of the street and moved in front of the taller agent and met his caring eyes with a smile. "Tonight is going to be fun, alright?"

Hotch kissed JJ softly and grinned in contentment. "Alright."

They began walking again in comfortable silence, hand in hand while joining more and more people who appeared to be going in the same direction. Seeing the curiosity in the Unit Chief's eyes, JJ leaned in towards him and mumbled. "We're nearly there."

Hotch squeezed her hand in appreciation of the update. "I'm just enjoying being with you."

"Who would have thought, nine years of friendship, two broken relationships, a little transfer and reunion, then four nights together avoiding 'the conversation,'" Hotch chuckled at her air quotation marks, "would lead to our first date."

"Don't forget longing looks, clandestine touches, the odd drink and dinner together as well as late night conversations." Hotch added in humour.

JJ nodded slowly. "How could I forget?"

"So this is our first official date together?" Hotch raised an eye as JJ stopped them at the entrance to the local park.

JJ looked up at him triumphantly. "Are you ready for fun?"

"I'm not sure I like that look in your eye, Agent Jareau." Hotch stated as they edged close to the park entrance.

JJ pressed herself into Hotch and kissed him deeply. "Does that calm you?"

"I'm not sure if calm me is the right word, but it definitely helps." Hotch raised his eyes as JJ pulled his hands towards her and led him into the park where there was a late winter fair set up.

They walked past the food and amusement stalls and gazed at the stage where a local band was playing to gathering crowd. Hotch looked around at the groups of families, couples and friends all enjoying the cold February night. "Where do you want to start?"

"I thought we'd start down here." JJ pointed to where a row of people were leaning against a railing. "What do you think so far?"

"I think this is going to be fun." Hotch responded positively.

JJ sighed happily. "Good, because choosing a first date location is stressful and I thought, screw it let's do something fun instead of grown up."

"We should bring the boys here?" Hotch suggested as they negotiated their way through the crowd.

"It's on all week, maybe we could come back on Saturday?" JJ asked hopefully.

"Wait..." Hotch fore as he saw JJ's intended activity. "We're ice skating?"

"You look petrified." JJ giggled as he stared at the large frozen ice rink.

Hotch shook his head as JJ led them to the queue for skates. "I don't know how too."

"What? The multi talented Mr, former prosecutor, negotiator, SWAT and profiler doesn't know how to ice skate?" JJ taunted with a mischievous grin.

Hotch groaned throatily. "JJ..."

"Don't worry, I'll teach you." The blonde offered before getting them both their skates and leading them to the seating area.

Hotch stiffened as he watched JJ unzipped her boots. "I'm going to fall over."

"Probably, but it'll be fun." JJ shrugged with a small smirk.

Hotch looked around at all the happily oblivious faces in the crowd helplessly. "Erm JJ, maybe we could..."

"I promise, if you fall down, I'll kiss all of your bruises better." JJ kissed him suggestively before handing the previously unwilling agent his ice skates.

...

Winter 2053; Hotchner residence

Elena moved off of the couch and squeezed next to her mom on the arm chair to give the ageing woman a hug. "Dad went ice skating?"

"He was very reluctant to do so." JJ sniffled as she felt her emotions rising.

Lucy snuggled closer to her husband on the couch and smiled warmly at her mother-in-law. "Did he fall?"

"He definitely had bruises the next day." JJ chuckled solemnly.

The thirty nine year old woman hugged her mom closer and sighed. "You were both so in love."

"We were." JJ replied sadly, hating the use of past tense.

Jack kissed the top of Lucy's head and smiled. "Why was he reluctant to tell the team about what was going on?"

"Things had just back to normal after the craptastic-ness that was 2011, 2012 had a lot of personal baggage for most of the team and we just didn't want to wreck the team again." JJ justified weakly.

"How..." Henry yawned slightly while speaking. "How did the team take the news of you both together?"

...

Thanks for reading.