A/N: Hey all! Here's the next chapter! I hope you'll let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

Chapter 10: Evasion:

Dave watched the aisle, anxiously awaiting the arrival of the woman he couldn't get out of his mind. After waking up that morning and finding no JJ, he'd conceded to giving her some space. He knew she had some thinking to do and he didn't want to complicate things further for her. So, he'd gotten dressed and headed to the lobby where they were all to meet before heading out for the airstrip.

He'd hoped to catch a glimpse of her, gauge her emotional state, but she had been nowhere in sight. And neither was Hotch. When he'd inquired as to their whereabouts, Morgan simply said that they were meeting them on the plane. And that's where he sat now, waiting patiently.

Morgan sat across from him, and Emily and Reid sat together a few seats over; all were occupied in their own worlds, only he seemed to notice the conspicuous absence of their Unit Chief and former Media Liaison.

Where are they? he thought, frustrated.

As if in answer, he heard footsteps coming up the stairs and seconds later Hotch was maneuvering his way up the aisle. Without words, he took the seat next to Morgan, diagonally across from him. Dave gave him a quizzical look, wanting to know where they had been. Hotch's answer was a stern glare.

Oh shit, Rossi swore, mentally. He knows.

Dave didn't know what to think about this. It had seemed at one point that Hotch had almost encouraged him to pursue the younger blonde, but the glare, now, said otherwise.

There was no time to lament the current situation with his friend, because it was now JJ coming down the aisle. He tried to catch her eye but she avoided him, taking a seat in a near unoccupied section of the plane.

He had to talk to her, he realized. He began to get up.

"We're about to take off, Dave," Hotch said, not so subtlety voicing his contempt.

His tone was odd enough to catch the attention of Morgan. The younger man looked form him to Hotch and back again. But he was smart enough not to say anything.

"This will only take a moment, Aaron," he replied pointedly.

He made his way down the aisle, aware of Hotch's glare at his back. He didn't care; he'd deal with him later. He approached JJ tentatively; she'd taken a case file out and had immersed herself into it. He realized that it was an avoidance tactic when he sat down across from her and she still did not acknowledge him.

Dave waited a moment more, still nothing. He let out a sigh, leaning across the space he covered what she was looking at with his hands.

"Dave," she warned.

"She speaks!" he attempted to joke.

She let out a sigh of her own. "Not here, Dave, please…"

She finally looked up and he met her blue eyed gaze head on. He could see the tide of emotions there. "Ok," he nodded. "Where?"

"I… I don't know, yet," she said, voice too unsure for comfort.

"Dave," Hotch called out, voice too much of a command for Rossi's liking.

He let out another sigh. "Ok, later," he backed off, knowing that that's what Hotch's 'Dave' was about and that he was probably right.

He stood up, leaving JJ to her thoughts and rejoined the two men. Hotch continued to glare daggers at him, while Morgan eyed them both curiously.

"Seriously," Morgan started, gesturing at the two of them with a closed file, "What is up with you two?"

JJ knew she was being watched, and not only by one set of eyes, but several. The ones that mattered though were the ones that knew what was up. Seeing Dave now was as confusing as hell. She'd hoped to avoid seeing him, at least until she figured things out. That's why she was grateful when just after her shower this morning, Hotch had shown up.

~%%%~

JJ was pulled out of her thoughts by a knock on the door. She quickly went to the door, having no intention of answering it, but she needed to know if it was him.

With a palpable sense of relief, she swung open the door without thinking.

"Hotch!" she exclaimed, surprised by his early morning visit.

"JJ—" he began, but stopped abruptly. She watched his eyes take her in, up and then down, and if she wasn't mistaken, he blushed.

It took her a moment to realize that she was still clad only in a towel.

Oh man, am I really trying to make it my life mission to be inappropriate with all my superiors?

She blushed profusely. "Oh man, sorry Hotch." She began to move inside, looking for her robe. She found it on her bed and quickly slipped it on.

"It's uh… all right," Hotch replied, shutting the door behind him.

JJ turned around, looking at him expectantly, knowing he was there for a reason. When he didn't say anything she gave him a small smile. "Hotch, what's up?"

"Oh, I was—"

"—checking up on me?" she finished for him.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I left you last night with a lot to think about. I wanted to make sure you were all right."

She let out a sigh, dropping down onto the bed. "I still don't have any answers…"

"I see," Hotch commented, coming to sit next to her. "Do you have feelings for him?"

JJ put her hands up in an 'I don't know' gesture. "I'm attracted to him…"

She wondered if that was the same thing.

"JJ?" Hotch said her name as if she'd been quiet for a bit.

"Hotch," she said urgently. "I don't think I can face him, at least not yet. I know this isn't fair to him, but I just can't, not until I know what I'm going to do…"

Her friend nodded, understanding.

~%%%~

Hotch had arranged for them to be 'held back' while everyone went on to the airstrip, thereby minimizing any time with Rossi. Even now, he was all but ordering Dave to stay away. She was grateful for Hotch's help. But at the same time, she felt horrible for the way she was treating Dave.

After all, he hadn't been the one to come to her; she'd gone to him and demanded he tell her his feelings. She could feel his eyes on her. She wanted to talk to him, she did. But she needed to make sure she could answer any questions he would have. For that she had to answer her own questions first.

JJ couldn't' help it; she looked up to meet his eyes. They stared at her, feelings guarded. She wondered what he was thinking. Did he still care for her? Or did he suddenly realize that caring for her was a huge mistake?

Rossi eagerly stood up when the pilot announced that it was safe to do so. He'd given JJ the entire plane ride home to herself, not even once approaching her after his initial attempt. He hoped she'd be ready to talk now.

She was still sitting, gathering her things, when he took the seat across from her.

He held up his hands when she seemed about ready to protest. She stopped and waited.

"I know right now isn't the time, so," he conjectured, "name a time and place and I'll be there."

She looked at him, considering for a moment. "Coffee, tomorrow?"

He nodded quickly. She then named a shop and a ten am meeting time. She stood up then, looking around her, everyone seemed to be occupied.

"Dave," she started, voice low. "I don't regret it… I just need to think about some things…"

Rossi nodded in understanding, appreciating her parting words.

He started to get up to leave himself, when he was suddenly halted by a heavy hand on his shoulder.

"Wait."

Dave turned around to see Hotch standing there, still the same severe look on his face. He didn't say more until everyone else had gone ahead of them, off the plane.

"Sit," Hotch demanded.

"I'm not a dog," Dave replied tersely, having had about enough of Hotch's displeasure.

Hotch didn't reply, only taking a seat and waiting for Rossi to do the same.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Hotch said angrily the second Rossi touched down.

"Straight to the point, I see," Dave replied. "I don't think this is any of your business."

Dave didn't really believe that; Hotch was their Unit Chief, and he and JJ were two of his colleagues. This was Hotch's business in that what he and JJ had done was against the rules. But, he didn't think Hotch was worried about the Bureau side of things.

"It is," Hotch replied adamantly. "JJ is my employee, she's my friend. And you should know, more than anyone, how off-limits she really is."

"You said it yourself, Aaron, I don't let the rules stop me," Dave shot back.

"Come on, Dave, this is serious," Hotch replied. "Have you seen how confused she is? She has no idea what to do, and that's all thanks to you! She's barely had time to think through her relationship with Will, and now she has to think about the two of you."

"Wait a second, we both know she isn't happy with Will," Rossi said, quickly. "What's wrong with letting her know that I'm here for her if she needs me?"

"That's fine, but you didn't tell her that, you slept with her!"

"I know that that was probably too soon," Rossi agreed calmly. "But, what two consenting adults do is none of your business. Unless…"

"Unless what?" Hotch asked suspiciously.

Rossi shrugged his shoulders, he was angry enough to say something he shouldn't. "Unless you've got feelings for her, too."

Hotch's jaw dropped. Rossi gauged his reaction. He seemed shocked at what he proposed, but he didn't deny it. At least, not right away. And that hesitation, had him suspicious.

"JJ is my good friend," Hotch said shortly. "That's all."

"Fine," Rossi allowed.

They sat there in silence; both of them letting the anger in their system die out.

"So," Dave began after a bit. "Are you going to report us? I'm not backing off, unless JJ tells me to."

Hotch eyed him carefully. "I won't," Hotch finally said. "But if she says go, then you better back off."

Dave nodded his head once. He would do whatever JJ asked of him.

That's it for this one. I hope you enjoyed the Rossi/JJ/Hotch tension. I couldn't resist throwing Hotch into the mix. But, don't worry, this will definitely stay a JJ/Rossi story.

Thanks to everyone who's been reading and reviewing: HansonFanGermany (I love writing JJ/Hotch conversations); Longbourn22; anitarose (thanks so much for the huge compliment, it's not even close to what she writes, but I appreciate it); ilovetvalot; Julieta; p95000; Angels-heart1; Shannon Jethro Gibbs Snape; CriminallyCecy; and SinBin19.

Don't have the next chapter written out yet. But I imagine it will have a JJ/Will scene followed by the JJ/Rossi conversations. Hope to have it up soon.