Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds or the LiveJournal community from which I took this prompt list.

Character/Pairing: JJ/Hotch, hints of Morgan/Prentiss, team

Rating: T

Prompt: #13 - We All Float On

Hotch pulls his car in beside her. "Let me buy you a drink."

JJ eyes him warily.

"Why?"

"Because I'd rather you got hammered with somebody who could look after you," he replies.

With a reluctant sigh, JJ crosses to the passenger side, opening the door and sitting beside him.

After three blocks of icy silence from his right, Hotch gives her a sideways glance.

"I know you're mad at me," he says quietly. JJ shoots him a stony glare, folding her arms.

"Good."

There is another silence.

"I didn't mean to embarrass you," he adds.

"Well, you did," JJ snaps sharply, "and you know what else? In the three months we've been dating, you've never second guessed me in front of the team the way you did today. But you know what makes it so much worse?"

Hotch lets his hand drift onto her knee, more to reassure himself than her.

"That you were right?"

JJ angrily shoves him away.

"That I was right, and a little boy died because you didn't believe me."

They travel the rest of the way in silence. He parks up, noting three familiar cars already in the lot. JJ is out of his motor before he's even switched off the ignition, and he has to jog to catch up with her.

JJ feels him slow to a walk beside her. She's still mad.

Hotch tentatively rests his hand against hers, breathing an inward sigh of relief when her fingers tangle around his. She glances up at him, and Hotch sees some of the anger fade away.

"They're waiting for us," she says quietly. He tugs her to a stop.

"Are we OK?"

At the uncertain hope in his voice, JJ feels the smallest smile appear around the corner of her mouth. She gives his hand a quick squeeze.

"Come over tonight and make it up to me."

There is no mistaking her implication, and Hotch fights the temptation to abandon team drinks to take her home right then.

Reluctantly, he guides her into the bar and they find the table. Hotch arches an eyebrow at the way Prentiss is dancing a few feet away. Morgan sends him an apologetic smile.

"She's had a few," he explains. JJ chuckles.

"How many?"

Her friend winces, gesturing to the empty glasses littering the table.

"Enough."

JJ laughs softly.

"This should be interesting."

Seeing Morgan turn his attention back to Emily, Hotch lets his thumb graze the strip of skin just beneath JJ's shirt, bending his head to press a gentle kiss to the spot below her ear.

"What are you drinking?"

"Whisky sour," she replies quietly. She's not in the mood for taking it easy. She just wants to forget.

Emily has discarded the guy she was dancing with in favor of returning to their table. There's an excited glint on her face but it does nothing to conceal the sorrow in her eyes.

The drinks flow and soon JJ loses count of how many rounds they've ordered.

She hasn't had enough to drink. From the concerned looks Hotch keeps shooting her, he would disagree.

They sit in silence, until Emily shakes her head.

"We could have saved them both," she murmurs.

JJ feels Hotch glance towards her but she can't quite bring herself to look at him. Morgan downs the remains of his drink, his eyes darkening to black.

"Instead we lost a kid."

And that seems to be more than JJ can take, because she stands up suddenly, pausing only to dust her hand along the back of Hotch's neck.

Nobody but him and Reid seem to notice her disappearance, and Hotch can see the question in the young scientist's eyes.

He answers with a nod.

No, JJ wasn't OK, but she would be. He'd make sure of it.

It's been a hard case, so when JJ returns and Hotch orders another round, the whole team drinks to yet another endless day.