A/N: Here's next chapter. A lot happens in this chapter, but I felt like this was all in the right moment. Let me know what you guys thinks!

Special thanks to CMLeoLover, jenny crum, Christiangirl and BAUMember!

I don't own criminal minds!

"Someday you're gonna look back on this moment of your life as such a sweet time of grieving. You'll see that you were in mourning and your heart was broken, but your life was changing..."
~ Elizabeth Gilbert

As JJ pulled up into the driveway of her modest home, she immediately noticed that the lights in the living room were still on. She knew it meant that Will had been waiting up for her and wanted to talk with her. Fortunately Will didn't know she had overheard his conversation with Hotch. It changed everything because now two men were willing to fight for her. Well, that's what she thought. Will hadn't given JJ any indication that he was fighting for her. If anything he had been doing the complete opposite and JJ needed more than that. She needed someone to support her and to give her time to get back on her feet.

So she fearfully stepped out of her car and took her go-bag from the backseat. She then proceeded to walk towards her family home, forcing one foot in front of the other. She opened the door and dropped the go-bag to the ground as she closed the door behind her again. She continued to walk further into the house to find Will pacing through their living room. He stopped the moment he laid eyes on her and he walked towards her, taking her hands and leading her to sit down on the couch.

She could see that something was eating him up, and it only confused her. ''Will, what's going on?'' JJ croaked out.

He took her hands again and moved closer towards her, looking down on her shaking hands. He kept them still as he gazed into her eyes. He felt nothing but love when looking into those ocean blue eyes. He could see his future with JJ, and he wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of his life with her. ''I have been offered a promotion to Lieutenant.''

JJ couldn't help but smile when she heard the news. It was everything Will had wanted for a long time and she was over the moon for him. So she flew into his arms and felt his arms tighten around her waist. ''You worked so hard for this, Will. You deserve this.'' she whispered, but she felt him pull away.

''The promotion was offered to me by my old Police Captain in New-Orleans, JJ.'' he explained sadly. ''He wants me to start in a month.''

She sat back in shock and pulled her hands away from his. She rose from the couch and faced away from him, realizing what he was about to ask her. She didn't want to hear it but she knew it was going to happen no matter what she did.

''I want you and Henry to come with me!'' Will started off with JJ still faced away from him. ''We can finally start over. We can be happy again, JJ. You wouldn't have to work anymore.'' he went on as he began to explain his future plans to her. ''We can have more kids, and a dog, a house with a pool. We can have everything we ever wanted!''

That's when JJ finally turned around with tears stinging in her eyes and her arms folded across her chest. ''Will, I can't do that!'' she said with honesty. ''That's everything you ever wanted. But that's not the life I want.'' she cried out. ''I can't leave DC. Everyone I love is here. My friends, my family, and….'' she stopped herself from saying the one name that would always keep her in DC as long as he was.

''And Aaron Hotchner!'' he added angrily.

''That's not fair, Will!'' she shot back. ''This is about us. This is about our problems!''

''I don't think have any problems except your feelings for your boss!'' he yelled back at her.

JJ stepped closer towards him in anger and disbelief. ''My god Will, look at us!'' she exclaimed. ''Look at me!'' she pointed out. ''Do I look happy to you? Because I am not. I haven't been happy since I transferred to the Pentagon. I am not happy, Will.''

''My offer still stands. I want you to come to New-Orleans with me.''

She put her head in her hands as her phone buzzed. She took it from her bag and looked at the screen. ''I am needed at work.'' she lied because in reality it was just Emily to check in with her. She took her bag and threw it over her shoulder as she began to walk out of the house and towards her car, needing the escape from their fight. It was as if she couldn't breathe in that house anymore. Will was denying their problems and now he wanted to move across the country and have more kids. She simply couldn't do that. Especially since her miscarriage. She couldn't lose another life. She was too scared to ever have another baby again. She was no longer in the position to give Will what he wanted.

A little later, JJ stood in front of his door with wide eyes and a distraught expression. So he gently pulled her inside and immediately forgot about his own persona problems, like his break-up with Beth. He was far more concerned about JJ than he could be about his break up from Beth. Especially because JJ was the very reason for their mutual decision. He had feelings for her, always had. He just never knew. And seeing her upset broke his heart.

JJ stared at him, searching his eyes for a connection to make sure someone understood her and could reason with her. She needed someone to tell her what she needed to do next. What step she had to take. Will had planned so far ahead that she couldn't see her own future anymore. She was blinded with regret and pain, and the future seemed too far out of reach.

''JJ, what happened?'' he finally managed to ask when he sat down on the end of his couch. He pulled JJ down and she sat down closely to him. A little too close for their usual liking. But Hotch didn't mind a bit. Being close to JJ was all he had fantasized about since he saw her in the restaurant. She owned his every thought and dreams. He didn't know how, but she just did. Her presence had become intoxicating to him and she was so close, he wanted to do nothing more than kiss her and keep kissing her for forever.

''Will…'' she stumbled. ''Will wants to move to New-Orleans. He wants to have a family. He wants to buy a bigger house and have two more kids. He wants a pool and…and…a dog.'' she rambled on in a panic as the first tear streamed down her face. ''I…I…I can't. Hotch, I can't…'' she breathed out with her arms tightly wrapped around her body.

''JJ, calm down! Breathe!'' he said in a soft tone but he when her eyes widened he realized calm seemed to be out of the question.

''I don't know what to do. I don't how I got here. How did I end up here? This is not right. None of it is right.'' she went on, stumbling through the words like she was drunk. She was in a complete panic because she didn't know what to do or what decision to make. ''I just want to stay. I need to stay. I need to stay…here. All I want is to be here…with you. I can't…How?'' she croaked out and she stopped when the tears started to choke her up. She couldn't get another word out. ''Tell me what to do! I need you to tell me what to do!''

Hotch took her hands as a tear fell down his own cheek. He couldn't handle seeing JJ in such a panic, but hearing her last words confirmed his suspicions. She was torn, just like him. He had no idea how they ended up there, on his couch, falling for one another after nine years of working together. It seemed highly unlikely but it was happening. And he couldn't lose her now. ''Stay!'' he said as he cupped her face affectionately, bringing her close to him, their bodies touching gently. He sat straight up and let one of his hands wander down her back. ''I need you to stay.'' he confessed with a heavy heart. But as they locked eyes, he quickly felt that chemistry between them reignite and by instinct he only knew one thing to do. So he leaned forward, ever so carefully, and he pulled her onto his lap by her arms.

Before either of them could register what was happening, their lips were fused together passionately. Clothes were shed on the way to the bedroom, as they admired each other's bodies, feeling happier than ever before.

It was the kind of love and passion JJ had never known before. He made love to her, real love, and it made her fall deeper in love with him. It was everything she had ever dreamed off as she fell asleep in his strong arms.

After JJ had sneaked out of Hotch's apartment, she went back home to do the right thing. The one thing that needed to be done.

JJ stepped into the quiet living room with the tears stinging in her eyes. She knew where this was going, a part of her had known all along. Ever since she was saved from the hell she had experienced. She had known all along, but was never willing to admit it. But now it was happening, and it was tearing her apart piece by piece.

She made eye contact with him, her husband. The man who had given her an amazing child. The man who showed her what love was like and how to feel it. Yet, so much had changed. She had changed and so had her feelings. She was no longer the same person.

''How was the case?'' Will asked with pain in his voice. The tears in her eyes were a sign of reality and what was to come for them. So he sat down on the couch as JJ joined him, sitting closely.

''I wasn't at work.'' she admitted as she shifted slightly. ''It's not just Hotch, Will.'' she began but he grabbed her hand and stopped her from saying more.

He held her hand and stroked it gently, trying to comfort them both. ''JJ…'' he breathed out, but he soon enough realized he didn't have much more to say. He didn't know how to speak the obvious words. It just scared him too much.

''It's so much more.'' she started and the first tear fell down her cheek. Her immediate response was to wipe it away, but when more tears fell down, she just gave up. ''Somewhere along the line something went wrong and when I came back nothing was the same. My problems just showed us how unhappy we both have been.'' she went on and she squeezed his hand when he had tears in his eyes as well. ''And you're right…'' she said. ''About Hotch and I. There are feelings there, but…''

''But…it's not our biggest problem.'' Will said to finish her sentence.

''I feel like I lost myself after everything that happened, and spending all that time with him made me realize the mistakes I have made. I mean, the things I should've done differently.'' she explained. ''When you were shot in that bank, I was so helpless and scared, that I jumped at the chance to marry you.''

''I pushed you. I pushed you into it ever since we had Henry.'' Will said sadly. ''That was my mistake.''

JJ suddenly rose from the couch and pulled away from him. She needed a second to herself. So she turned around and faced away from him, letting the tears fall even harder. This, the situation was the last thing she ever wanted to happen. She never thought it would happen, and it was crushing her. ''But if that would've been the only problem, than we could fix this, you know.'' she said as she turned around. ''I didn't stop loving you, Will. I never fell out of love with you.'' JJ said. ''I am just no longer the same person that fell in love with you. And I'm also not the person anymore that you fell in love with.''

''I know. We're no longer right for each other.'' he said as he rose from the couch to step next to JJ. He stepped in front of her and looked into her eyes, seeing a reflection of his own pain. ''I know.''

''I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry.'' she cried out. ''You're the man, I want to want.'' she whispered in even more pain.

Will pulled her against his body and embraced her. He held her tightly as she continued to cry in his arms. Her body was shivering and the moment was breaking his heart. He never believed it would end that way. So sudden and filled with so much emotion. It was the end of a few amazing years they spend together. Years neither of them would ever forget. In his heart JJ would always be his true love, but circumstances had forced them apart and they had tried to repair the relationship but it just didn't work. So now it was the end. It was officially over.

''I can stay with Michael for the night.'' Will said to break the silence and put a step forward.

JJ pulled away from him, the tears still in her eyes. ''I have to go.'' he said as he turned around in complete disbelief, not exactly knowing what he had to do or where he was going. ''I am going!'' he whispered to JJ before he disappeared out the door. Out of his house. The house where they were once a happy family.

JJ cringed when the door fell shut in its lock and she dropped down to the floor in tears as her body shook heavily. Her legs were folded under her body as she rested her head in her hands, the tears taking on a life of its own. For a moment, just a small second, she felt relief. But that didn't last very long as she was crying in the middle of the dark living room. Her mind started wondering to the mistakes she had made. She had cheated on her husband with a man she cared for more deeply than she ever imagined possible. How had she become that person? When did it all go wrong? And where was she going to end up?

As those questions raced through her mind, the tears increased and she curled up in a little ball. It was a moment of pain and loneliness she had never felt before. She held her hands in front of her eyes as the tears streamed down her skin. Her body was shaking slightly as she kept on crying, letting out all the pain and disappointment she was feeling. She felt angry and fearful all at once. She was angry with herself for letting Will go and not being able to love him the way she once did. And she was fearful of her future. She had no idea where she was headed and it scared her.

But as she cried, she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. She didn't need to look up to see who it was. It was his touch. The one that comforted her, made her feel so much better. It was Aaron Hotchner. And when she finally looked up she saw a tear slip from his eye. She couldn't imagine him crying over her pain, yet it was happening as he sat down next to her on the floor and he pulled her into his arms with love and care, like she had never felt before.

"The emotion that can break your heart is sometimes the very one that heals it..."
~ Nicholas Sparks