Part XXV

JJ was quiet on the plane, and no one was really saying anything, but that was to be expected. No one had thought that what had originally seemed to be a normal case would have turned out quite like that. It was unnerving to say the least.

Rossi and Prentiss sat next to each other on one of the couches, Rossi casting hidden glances over to where Hotch and JJ sat.

Neither of the two agents had said a word to each other since she'd been rescued, but Dave had the faint feeling that they'd still had an entire conversation with their eyes, nonetheless.

He felt Prentiss nudge his shoulder with her own, and he looked over at her and saw her knowing grin.

She nodded in Hotch's direction and then rolled her eyes slightly. Yes, it seemed that she'd figured it out, too. Not too surprising, though, Rossi thought. She had always been a quick study and had probably picked up on the subtle nuances even before he had.

Rossi glanced over to where Morgan and Reid were sitting, a chessboard on the table between them, and a smirk came across his lips.

Reid was trying to explain to Morgan what he was doing wrong and it was fairly amusing.

"You see, Derek, if you move your knight there, you open me up to use the Zwischenzug Strategy, which would leave you crippled and completely open to my second attack, and thereby I would win the game in no less than-"

Morgan cut him off.

"Reid!" Spencer paused, giving him a look. "Don't. Go. There. You say another name of another strategy one more time or try to correct me one more time…I will smack you…is that understood?"

Reid simply nodded, but it was obvious to both him and Prentiss that Reid was probably boring a hole through his tongue from trying not to say another word.

Prentiss let out a small laugh and Rossi smiled.

It was strange…it was obvious to the two of them that Hotch and JJ had probably had this coming for a long time, but they hadn't noticed their own connection. Feeling brazen, Rossi carefully placed a hand on Emily's wrist…

..and then she rotated her hand so that their fingers touched.

He gave her a side look, and she returned it with a slight quirk of her lips, not quite a smile, but he knew what it meant when he felt her fingers gently entwine with his.

He looked back towards Hotch and saw that JJ had fallen asleep, her head on their Unit Chief's shoulder.

Rossi caught Hotch's eye and gave him a reassuring smile. Yes, it was alright with him that they'd found each other. Their silent leader and blonde media-liaison fit together well, and both of them were good for the other person, that much was most assuredly obvious.

Hotch returned the smile with a slight nod, giving a pointed look towards Rossi's hand where it lay with Emily's on the small space on the couch between the two of them, and a small grin escaped the corner of the usually stoic man's face.

Yes, apparently Hotch approved of the two of them as well.

That was good to know.

Hotch drove JJ over to Jessica's, the two of them picking up their boys.

Both Henry and Jack seemed to be just fine, and JJ breathed a sigh of relief. She had been worried that Henry might have anxiety over being separated from her, but apparently Jessica had had no problems with her little boy.

She held Henry on her lap as Hotch drove and was surprised as he turned left at the light, and she gave him a questioning look.

"Where are you going?"

He looked at her in surprise. "I was heading back to your house…"

JJ then realized that she had been subconsciously expecting the four of them to go to Hotch's home, and she flushed slightly as she realized what she had implied in her question.

She quickly recovered from her embarrassment and simply nodded.

"Right, of course you were. Sorry…got turned around."

However, in the back of both of their minds, they knew that it was an excuse. A really lame excuse, she thought to herself as he made his way down the roads back to her house. What had she been thinking?

Hotch said nothing, and for that she was eternally grateful.

He tightened his hand on the wheel and continued to focus on the road, but as soon as he pulled in front of her building, which to him was all too soon, he felt his heart sink a little.

JJ stepped out of the car, her eyes not catching his pained look as she headed towards her building without a backward glance.

He paused and stared for a moment, and then pulled away.

Now was not the time to do this. Now was the time to try and focus on what was most important for him and his boy…and his thoughts kept going to JJ. Even as he carried his sleeping son out of the car and into the house, and placing him under his covers…his thoughts were focused on her.

He sighed as he headed to the front door and locked it; unable to earlier as his arms had been full with Jack.

Hotch then kicked off his shoes and padded down the hall to his room, loosening his tie as he went.

He stepped inside, threw his tie on the chair just inside the door, and began to unbutton his shirt…when he saw the bed.

It was the same as it had been when he'd left only a day and a half ago…

Rumpled, the covers tossed, the sheets twisted…all from when JJ had slept in it. Without thinking about what he was doing, he walked over to the bed and picked up a pillow and held it to his nose, deeply inhaling...and a low groan escaped him.

Her smell…it was her scent, the one that he knew from working with her every day for the past seven years.

And, suddenly, he had no desire to ever wash those sheets again.

He put the pillow back onto the bed and cast a painful look towards it. No…he couldn't sleep there.

He grabbed the blanket from the end of the bed, instead, and quickly left the room, closing the door behind him. He would sleep on the couch tonight…and possibly every night from now on. That memory was a bit too strong, and he would have to wait until it faded…if it faded.

Part 25/?