A/N: This is a short chapter and I am sorry for that but I barely had any time today. But I wanted to update. The next chapter will be longer, I promise! I hope you guys like this chapter!

Special thanks to samcarter1980, Rid3ThatChocob0, jenny crum and 14hpgirl19!

Thanks for reading.

Please review!

I don't own criminal minds.

Chapter 13: Emotions

Three weeks later…

It was the end of May and JJ was graduating in a week. The nerves had been present for a long time and she couldn't shake them. It felt like her entire life had depended on graduating. When she heard that she graduated officially, she couldn't help but be excited. Another part of JJ was worrying. In a week her high school years were really over. She was going to say goodbye to a lot of people she cared about deeply. She knew the hardest goodbyes were the ones at the end of the summer and she had no idea how she was going to deal with it. Saying goodbye to her friends was going to be hard. They were all going to different universities. JJ knew she had Hotch by her side but she didn't know what he wanted to do after his internship in New-York.

Hotch finished his midterms in May and he already had his degree in Law. There was nothing he had to do. He only needed to move out of his dorm at Georgetown. He was going to live with JJ for a week until they were going to Florida. He was going to rent a apartment in New-York when he was going to work there. He was looking forward to the internship but he already knew that he was going to miss JJ a lot. They had been together for almost four months. Their relationship was still going the same. They were happy together and they both wanted to spent a lot more time together whenever they could.

Georgetown…

JJ and Hotch were packing up his dorm room. Mike had already left and only Hotch's stuff was still in there. His clothes were already in the boxes and that only left the things that were on his desk. JJ and Hotch packed silently. Both of them knew that everything went by quickly and they wished things would have gone slower. For Hotch it was still unbelievable that he finally had his degree and that he was finished with school. He wished he was a few years younger, so he and JJ could attend Georgetown at the same time. They were both going into new chapters of their lives. JJ was graduating and going to college while Hotch was finally going to get a real job. He still had no idea what he wanted to do after his internship but he knew that he wanted to be with JJ no matter what.

''Do you think we have everything?'' JJ asked for reassurance when they were done with the packing.

''I think so.'' Hotch replied as he sat down on the edge of the bed and he sighed deeply.

''Are you okay?''

''I am okay. It is just hard to leave this place. I have been here for such a long time. I just wished my mom could have seen me. I wished she could have seen me get my degree. I don't know, I just miss her.'' Hotch said emotionally.

JJ knew Hotch was having a hard time with his mom's passing when important things were happening in his life. She just didn't know what kind of relationship he had with his mother because he never talked about her. Whenever JJ tried to talk about it, he would avoid it.

''I know she will be proud of you, Aaron. You are an amazing person.''

''I hope so.''

''I know so. Maybe I shouldn't ask this but what was your mom like?'' JJ asked carefully and she sat down next to him. She softly put her hand on his leg and she waited for him to say something.

''She was a good mother. She was a fighter. Even after my father beat her, she still lived. She tried to make the most of it and when he finally died, I remember how free she felt. She suddenly became herself and was happy. I see some of that in you as well. You are strong. You are joyful and happy. I treasure everything about you, JJ. I don't know what I would do without you.''

''She sounds like a great mother. And you actually don't have to think about being without me because you are stuck with me for a while. I love you. I am not going anywhere.'' JJ said confidently and she stepped off the bed. She knelt down between his legs and she cupped his face with her hands. She saw an emotion in his eyes she had never seen before. He looked so sad that it could make her cry. JJ knew Hotch wasn't an open person when it was about his feelings. He had built a wall and she was still breaking it down. She just wanted him to be able to tell her anything. She loved him and she wanted to be there for him.

''Aaron, talk to me. I am here. You never talk to me. I just want to be here for you. I know you don't like to talk about your feelings.''

''I am so in love with you, JJ. I never thought that these feelings were possible and they are. When Haley broke up with me, she broke my heart. But then I met you. I just don't want that to happen to us because we are both moving on with our lives. I can't even think about that. I love you too much.'' Hotch admitted.

''I feel the same way.'' JJ said and she leaned forward to kiss him gently. Hotch returned the kiss and they both got lost in it. Every time they kissed, it was like they melted together.

''We should go. Sam's parents are waiting for us.'' JJ said after she had pulled away from his embrace.

''Yeah.'' Hotch agreed and they both stood up.

They took the boxes with them to the car. When everything was in the car they left. They drove back to Crestwood.

Crestwood…

JJ and Hotch put Hotch's things into JJ's room. They ate dinner afterwards. Hotch and JJ went back upstairs afterwards to get the rest they needed. JJ dropped onto her bed and Hotch dropped down next to her. JJ automatically crawled into his side and Hotch wrapped his arms tightly around her. JJ was resting in his arms when she started thinking about Hotch's relationship with Haley. She knew they had been together for six years. She just didn't know what the relationship was like. It was one of the things she didn't know about Hotch.

''What was it like to be with Haley?'' JJ asked curiously, hoping that Hotch would give her an answer.

''Where did that come from?'' Hotch asked after JJ had just blurted out her question.

''I am just curious. I want to know what it was like. I don't know anything about it.''

''At first I was head over heels in love with her. She was the prettiest and sweetest girl at our school. The first year was the best. But as the years passed by, she became more demanding. She wanted me to be by her side every second. She wanted me to be someone I was not but I still did what she liked. I guess I was blinded by love. I really was in love with her but I don't miss it for a second. I would never trade what we have.'' Hotch said to answer JJ's question.

''That must have been really hard.'' JJ stated and she saw Hotch nod in agreement to her statement.

''It was but I thought I was happy at the time. I honestly don't know how she is doing now. I haven't been in contact with her since the break-up.''

''I am glad we are not like that. I don't like it when people are fake. I want us to be ourselves no matter what.'' JJ said.

''Me too. It is the most important thing.''

''We should go to sleep. I am exhausted.'' JJ said as she pulled away from him to crawl under the blankets. Hotch joined her under the blankets. JJ turned on her side and Hotch moved behind her and he pulled her against him.

''Sleep well!'' Hotch whispered into her ear.

''You to.'' JJ said.

They both fell asleep quickly because of their exhaustion. They were both having a hard time with the speed everything was going. Their lives were becoming more complicated as the months passed by. For now they both wanted to enjoy the moment because it could be over at any second.