Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds.
AN/I just want to thank every body for the awesome reviews! I totally appreciate it!
"I'm out." Emily said, slamming Morgan and Reid's money onto Morgan's desk. Emily had been keeping the pool of money in her desk drawer since they had made the bet, but now that she had no interest in it, she thought it would be best if someone still part of it kept the money. She also wanted them to know that for all of their mocking her, she had found out before the rest of them.
"Why?" Morgan asked, confused at what could change Emily's mind. The brunette was well known in the BAU for her love to gamble.
"Because." Emily taunted wickedly. Morgan and Reid's heads shot up immeadiatly, their mouths wide open in surprise.
"YOU KNOW?" Reid questioned excitedly, ready to finally find out where JJ had been going all these weeks.
"Maybe." Emily smiled coyly.
"She told you?" Morgan moaned, cursing the 'girls' club' of the BAU.
"No, she didn't tell me. I just found out." Emily defended.
"What is it? Is the girl getting some? 'cause if so, the money's mine." Morgan asked, ready to claim his winnings. "Who's she sleeping with?"
"Hotch." Reid said automatically, looking for a confirmation from Prentiss to see if they were on the right track.
"I wish. Then he wouldn't be here to critisize my consoltations." Emily admitted regretfully. "Actually, I'm not really at liberty to say anything." She had really been looking forward to seeing the look on Morgan's face when he found out JJ was becoming a profiler, now she would just have to wait and see.
"Not at liberty to say?" Morgan asked incredulously.
"She made me promise." Emily defended.
"But that doesn't mean you can't give us a hint." Morgan said deviously
"Ok, fine. I was shocked when I found out what JJ was doing, but I wasn't surprised." The two men stared at her as if she had grown another set of ears. While she just grinned at them triumphantly. She had been shocked that JJ was taking the profiling lessons--it seemed something totally out of character for the blond, especially since she had always insisted she didn't want to become a profiler. But, she hadn't been surprised--JJ was already a better profiler than a lot of the people in various field offices.
"Emily, those are the same word!" Morgan practically whined.
"Actually, to be shocked suggests something that jars the mind or emotions as if with a violent unexpected blow, whereas to be surprised suggests a completely unexpected occurrence, appearance, or statement." Reid recited from the dictionary.
"I don't need a vocabulary lesson" Morgan snapped at Reid, then turned to Emily. "Come on, give me something else."
"Okay, I found out what it was last night." Emily relented, but added, "That's probably more than I should be telling you."
Morgan scoffed in disdain. While Reid seemed momentarily lost in thought. Suddenly, Reid's eyes widened and he asked "You mean she's--" He began to ask, but Emily knew he had figured it out and interrupted.
"Yes. But don't tell anyone!" Emily insisted as though Morgan wasn't there.
"Wait! What just happened. My man, come on!" Morgan begged but Reid just smiled knowingly, happy to have beaten Derek Morgan at a profiling game.
"Hey, Hotch, are you ready?" JJ stood outside his door, reminding him of their lunch 'appointment'.
"Sorry, yes. I got caught up in a case file, our briefing." He reminded himself.
It was a weekly occurrance, JJ and Hotch getting together for lunch to discuss the direction the BAU should take. Recently, the lunches seemed to happen with more frequency, but both chalked it up to a desire to do their respective jobs better. They walked to the small restaurant in focused conversation, but the mood continually brightened as the meal progressed. Finally, Hotch couldn't take it anymore. He had to ask the question that had plagued him for weeks.
"So did you have fun doing whatever you did last night?" Hotch tried to ask casually but was met with a scoff from the blonde.
"Seriously? You too? Ok, lay it on me. What does everyone think I've been doing?" She asked.
"Well, Emily thought you were exercising." He said first, trying to gague her reaction.
She laughed out right. "I need to be exercising, but that is definitely not what I'm doing. Next?"
"I thought you were learning to sew or knit or something like that." He smiled.
"You think I'd fill my free time with yarn and needles? I think not. Next?" She laughed as the waiter approached them, her friends really were so far off the mark.
"Reid thought you were going back to school." Hotch scoffed slightly at that, taking the check from the waiter and didn't bother to monitor her behavior.
JJ tried to control herself, "Really, why would he think that?" She asked lamely, trying to deflect attention away from herself. It was so close--too close for comfort. She should have known that of anyone, Reid would guess the closest.
"Something about the pursuit of knowledge in improving our cognitive abilities." Hotch smiled, redirecting his attention to her, then added the last theory that had a pit in his stomach. "Derek thought you might be seeing someone." He tried to brace himself for the possible rejection.
"Yeah right." JJ laughed. "Seriously? That's as bad as exercising." Then noticing the look in Hotch's eyes, gasped, "You thought I was seeing someone!" She grinned widely.
"Well, you are an attractive woman and--"
"And I'm spending my lunch break with you. I see you on Saturday afternoons with the boys. Sometimes you and I have movie nights on Sundays with Henry. I'm pretty sure that if I were in a relationship with anyone you of all people would know about it." JJ pointed out laughing.
Hotch chuckled too, incredibly lightened at the revelation that JJ was not only single, but that she would have revealed her potential dating life to him. "Well, I guess it's back to the drawing board."
"Emily, can I see you in my office?" JJ asked the moment she came back from lunch, eyeing Emily so she would know not to argue.
"Sure." Emily smiled, hoping that this would be her chance to review JJ's case file.
She followed JJ silently to her office, closing the door quietly behind her. JJ sat down at her desk, and reached for the bottom drawer. Grabbing a stack of ten files, Emily groaned slightly, thinking that JJ just wanted to give her more consultations.
JJ held onto the files protectively, and eyed Emily warily, "you promised you wouldn't tell anyone." She glared.
"I know. I won't tell anyone." Emily smiled, realizing that not only had JJ completed the profile for a case, but she had done it for several. She chuckled to herself lightly, it would be just like the media liaison to not only do what was necessary to pass the class, but to achieve far beyond anyone's possible expectations.
JJ reluctantly handed the files over to her friend, "Emily. I'm serious, please don't tell anyone." She practically begged.
"I won't." Emily promised again, and sat in the chair across from JJ while she studied the files. She whistled slightly in awe after the first case file was complete, "JJ, this is perfect--you've done all of these?" She asked in shock as she moved to the second file.
"There are some cases we can't justify using the entire team. Others, I can't really even justify adding to everybody's loads of consults." She explained. "So, this is part of why I wanted to do the class. I call the detectives and let them know that the team can't provide a profile, but that I've been around you all enough that I will take a look at it. They're so grateful to have somebody listening and helping that they have always agreed."
"Well, I'm taking these to Rossi and you're getting your certification." Emily promised excitedly.
"That's what I'm afraid of." JJ mumbled slightly after Emily had left her office.
AN/ As always, I'd love to know what you think!