Disclaimed!

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...

Seattle, December 2002

Hotch hummed happily as he felt her soft fingers trace a pattern across his naked chest. "What are you doing awake?"

"Listening to the rain." JJ said tiredly.

The Unit Chief of the Seattle Field Office smirked into the darkness. "Is that the only reason, you're awake? Has it got nothing to do with what happened earlier?"

"How do you do that?" She asked suspiciously.

Hotch tightened his hold around her waist and rubbed his hand along her silky skin. "Do what?"

"Read my thoughts." JJ answered quietly.

He nuzzled her hair with his nose and chuckled. "I'm a trained profiler, remember?"

"I didn't realise we were so serious." JJ admitted hesitantly. They'd been sleeping together for the last month but because of their work commitments their relationship had gone no further than the odd drink in a random bar where they'd talk about life before Seattle.

The media liaison knew all about his soon to be ex wife and his transfer to the Pacific North West to get as far away from his ex and her suffocating family just as he knew that she was fresh out the Academy and her Unit Chief in New York thought of her as cheap work labour rather than a trained agent.

After the third or fourth drink they'd always end up at his apartment which was a few blocks from the Bureau's field office.

Hotch turned them both, so they were lying on their sides facing each other. "You don't want to go out on a date with me?"

"I thought this was just sex." JJ stated factually while running her fingers through his short hair.

"You thought that?"

She sighed, hesitant in her retort. "I was unsure about whether or not I'm a rebound. You've just got out of a marriage Aaron and I'm okay if this is just about sex or companionship."

He scoffed loudly. "It's way more than that JJ."

"Oh."

"Is that okay with you?" Hotch asked after pressing a kiss to her nose.

JJ giggled. "Sure, I guess."

Hotch turned onto his back and rested his hands under his pillow behind his head. "Don't sound so enthusiastic about it."

Sighing dramatically, JJ sat up and manoeuvred herself, so she was straddling his stomach. Rubbing her hands over the agent's chiselled chest then leaving them on his strong arms, she gave him a good view of her own nakedness before leaning down and kissing him deeply.

"Enthusiastic enough for you?" JJ asked against his mouth.

Quantico, October 2004.

JJ rubbed her eyes tiredly. Looking at the amount of work she still had left to do, the liaison groaned quietly.

She had only left New York last night and as she stared at the clock on the far wall, the exhausted blonde realised she had nowhere to go tonight and, other than her go-bag, all of her belongings were in her apartment in Brooklyn.

A soft tap on the door dragged JJ out of her thoughts quickly. "Agent Jareau."

"Agent Morgan." JJ's brow creased at his presence.

He sighed deeply. "Look I'm sorry for being an ass earlier."

JJ smiled warmly. "Don't worry about it. I've dealt with worse today."

"You've worked with Hotch before?" He asked with a cocked head as he hovered in the doorway. "I noticed he used, what I assume is your nickname."

JJ attempted to conceal her deer-in-the-headlights expression by straightening the files on her desk. "I was assigned a long term case in Seattle the year before last. Agent Hotchner was the Seattle Field Office SAC at the time."

"I haven't known him that long. Has he always been a tight ass?" Morgan asked in amusement.

JJ chuckled. "He's never taken any bullshit."

The profiler laughed briefly. "I see."

"Most strangers or associates call me Jennifer. My friend's call me JJ." She informed him. "I hope you can count me as a friend one day."

"I hope the same thing." Morgan grinned. "Well I'm out for the night. Sorry again for today."

"I appreciate you stopping by." JJ nodded before he left her alone with her thoughts once more.

Glancing at her wrist watch, the liaison wondered if any of her DC friends would be awake and were willing for a roommate for a few nights.

JJ had done her post grad course at Georgetown and still had some friend's in DC, most were in politics, but since she joined the bureau four years earlier, her job had taken her all over the country and she had lost touch with many of her college friends.

As she started to pack up her things, JJ decided just to book a hotel room for the evening and bill the Bureau, before disturbing one of friends when Hotch entered her office quietly.

"Are you going to be okay tonight?" He inquired thoughtfully.

JJ met his eyes slowly. "Sure, I'll figure something out."

"If you need anything..."

JJ chuckled in amusement. "I don't think your pregnant wife would like it if I crashed on your couch."

Hotch tensed at the mention of Hailey. "I erm, haven't told her you're here, yet."

"Okay. I really hope you don't want to talk about her to me, because it's been a very long day and I really don't think I'm going to be the most receptive audience." JJ replied hoarsely.

The profiler took a step closer to the blonde slowly. "I wouldn't have gone back to her..."

"Aaron, I get it." JJ cut him off with a glare.

"Hailey and I were supposed to finalise the divorce not have a kid together." He kept his voice low as he attempted to get the liaison to understand.

JJ ran a hand through her hair to gain her composure. "I know that it was her, but it doesn't make it any easier."

"I'm sorry." Hotch whispered.

Nodding, JJ took a deep breath and grabbed her coat. "Me too."

"JJ... I wish we could have made it work." Hotch admitted as he stood in the middle of the room.

JJ's eyes widened at his admission. "Aaron, the moment she came to Seattle it was over for us."

"We could have made it work." He stated with a hint of optimism

JJ shook her head. "You were always going to go back to her. The moment she told you about the pregnancy you were going back with her."

"Hailey deceived me JJ, in more ways than the pregnancy." Hotch began as they were caught in a frozen standoff.

"I..."

He sighed while she stared at him. "I was going to give you time, to process what happened. But Hailey... Let's just say I didn't have much choice but to return to DC. I want to be a good father, JJ. I don't want my kid to go through the same shit I did."

"I know." JJ whispered.

"I never meant to go back to her. I never wanted to hurt you like that." Hotch explained. "I can't begin to help you understand... What I mean is things between Hailey and I, aren't perfect..."

JJ blinked a few times as he rambled before finding her words. "But you're trying to work it out?"

"I'm trying for my child's sake." He stated solemnly.

JJ forced a thin smile on her face. "Then there really isn't anything else for us to talk about, is there?"

"No. I guess not." The profiler straightened with disappointment.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Hotch." JJ met his eyes once more signalling their conversation was over for the evening.

Hotch hovered in front of the waiting blonde before moving. "Yeah, see you tomorrow."

...

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