Author's Note: Special thanks to hot4booth (I knew a vague amount – enough to know to look for the real gifts when I was writing this), Jotchprossi18, p95000, dakota1013, SQ215, Flames101, and The Dog in the Manger (I'm still squealing! And I will update that one soon – just need to get "Anna Poppins" updated first!) for the reviews. Merry Christmas Eve Eve to those that celebrate and Happy Friday to everyone else! My goal was to keep each chapter between 500 and 600 words. This one completely got away from me!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the dvds.

Thursday, December 22:

JJ groaned when she entered the bullpen and found Prentiss and Reid once again waiting at her desk. Today, however, they were also accompanied by Morgan. All three were grinning widely.

"Let's see it," Morgan demanded. JJ pulled the bracelet from her pocket and handed it to him.

"The tag said "The," she told them before they had a chance to ask.

Reid took the bracelet from Morgan, studying it closely as if looking for a hidden clue. "'JJ, you are the most wonderful woman in the-'"

"Office? Apartment? Universe?" Prentiss offered. JJ just shrugged.

"What's wrong?" Reid asked, noticing her lack of enthusiasm.

JJ shook her head. "I just... I don't think this may be what you guys are thinking. I think it may just be someone trying to cheer me up. A friend."

"JJ, no," Reid protested. "This is basically a love carol. Someone is declaring their love for you. It even says 'my true love' right in it."

"At the very least, I don't think it's Rossi," she countered, torn between wanting to believe someone had romantic feelings for her and unable to have that hope.

"You don't think it's Rossi what?" Rossi asked from above them. All of their heads whipped up. JJ covered her eyes with her hands and moaned. Rossi frowned. "What'd I do?"

JJ walked away, her hands still in her face as she felt a blush encompass her entire body. "I just... can't even... Oof!" JJ stopped suddenly when she ran into something warm and solid. She removed her hands and looked up to see the confused face of Hotch staring back at her. JJ felt her blush deepened and her stomach flutter.

"Are you okay?" Hotch asked her.

JJ bit her bottom lip as she nodded. "Yeah. Uh, sorry, I, uh, ran into you."

Hotch glanced back at the other four. "Something going on?"

"Oh, you know, just the usual."

"Mm-hm," he muttered. He looked back down at her and she realized that he hadn't stepped away from her. "When does Henry get home tomorrow?"

She was momentarily distracted by his body heat. "Uh, not until dinnertime."

"Would you like to have lunch with me tomorrow then? Just something to keep your mind off of Henry until her comes."

"I'd like that." She smiled widely at him, her heart pounding loudly in her chest. She hoped he couldn't hear it.

"Me, too," he whispered in her ear. Hotch gave her a small grin before returning to his office, leaving JJ standing there staring after him.

Rossi touched her shoulder after a few minutes, causing her to jump. "What was that?"

"What was what?" she asked, evasively.

"That little 'conversation' between you and Hotch."

JJ shrugged one shoulder. "He's just trying to keep my mind off of missing Henry."

"Sure, sure," Rossi replied, giving her a wink before wandering away.

JJ was quiet the rest of the day. It occurred to her that she had become a bit more introspective than normal since the bracelet had come into her life. She thought about her body's reaction to Hotch's proximity. She had always been attracted to Hotch, he was a handsome man, but earlier the only thing she could think about was how sweet his lips would taste on hers.

She vigorously shook her head as she absently picked up the latest present from the front door. She realized as she pulled out the gold charm shaped as an English lord that the reason she had been so disappointed at the idea that Rossi or Garcia or a random person in her building was that she wanted the bracelet, the charms, the "true love" to be from Hotch.

JJ gazed down at the tag in her hand, which read "world." Her entire world was now rocked. Was it possible that she had fallen in love with Hotch and never discerned it? Sure, they had grown closer since left the BAU; first with phone calls nearly every day and then by clinging to each other through the Emily lie. Sure, she had written him every day he was in Pakistan, but that was just because she didn't want him to be lonely... as lonely as she was without him around. And, sure, since the entire team was back together, they hadn't given up their closeness, continuing to see each other outside the office for playdates with the boys and sometimes without them, but that didn't mean... Did it?

JJ smacked her forehead, but refused to name it even to herself. She suddenly found herself looking at lunch tomorrow with a lot more trepidation.