A/N: Wow, I was overwhelmed by the amazing response I received for the last chapter. Thank you so much! I hope you all enjoy this one just as much.

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

The Wedding: Part 1:

JJ stared at herself in the mirror, careful to maintain a blank facade. The hairdresser had just finished with her and her make up was all done. She looked nice with her hair pulled back into a bun with a single white flower popping out on the side. A string of pearls sat around her neck and all that was left to be done was to get into the dress.

She had to wonder how she could look so nice on the outside but feel so wretched on the inside.

"Jenny," her mother, Amy, breathed out a sigh. She'd already warned everyone that only her mother was allowed to call her that. "I've waited for this day… you look radiant…"

JJ gave her mother a genuine smile. "Thanks mom."

Everyone else was silent, Garcia, Emily, even Helen. She turned in her seat to look at them. "Guys, this is a happy day, smile…"

They all attempted to give her their versions of 100 watt smiles, but most cracked with the effort.

"May I have a moment alone with my daughter-in-law?" Helen asked the room kindly.

Garcia shot JJ a panicked look, but JJ just nodded at her.

"Sure," Amy answered. "But remember we still need to get her dressed…"

They all left the room and JJ turned to her mother-in-law. Helen came to sit in front of her. She gave her a kind smile as she took hold of both of JJ's hands.

"JJ, honey, you know you're like the daughter I never had," Helen began.

JJ nodded.

"I love you just as much as I love my son," Helen admitted. "Honey, is this what you want?"

"Helen?" she said in shock. She had no idea she had suspected anything. But she guessed her bawling her eyes out the other day hadn't gone unnoticed.

"JJ, I know my son. He's kind and sweet, he loves you, but he's also impulsive as heck! When I heard what he'd done, booking the church and then proposing just two months before the date… I could have smacked him on the head. I was going to give him a good scolding, but you said yes."

"I said yes, because I want to marry your son," JJ implored.

"Are you sure?" Helen continued to question. "I won't be hurt or offended if you don't want to…"

JJ was completely taken aback. "I… I…"

"I want the both of you to be happy," Helen added. "And honey… your not. You just aren't. And my son… well, I think he's rushing into things and I'm not sure why…"

"Helen," JJ started.

"Marriage is a serious thing… think about what I said," she finished.

She gave her shoulder a pat and then left the room.

JJ let out a frustrated sigh. All this time she had thought they'd been discreet with their feelings. But really she and Hotch weren't fooling anyone.

"Ready?"

Hotch looked to his side. Dave was looking at him intently as they sat there in the church waiting for the wedding to begin. He had been intent on watching the altar before him as well-wishers got in there congratulations to Will before the wedding began.

"Hmm…" Hotch murmured.

"I said, ready? The weddings going to begin in a few minutes," Dave finished.

Hotch didn't answer, what could he say. "Oh yeah, I'm ready to see the love of my life marry another man."

"What's in the bag?" Morgan asked from his other side.

Hotch looked down at the medium sized gift bag he'd brought with him. "Nothing…"

"Nothing?" Reid, next to Morgan, asked. "Hotch, that's obviously not nothing."

Hotch let out a sigh. Of course, it was something. It had been a spur of the moment purchase. After Garcia had left his place two days ago, he'd left the house and went in search for this particular gift.

"It's a wedding present…" he offered.

"For JJ's eyes only?" Dave stated more than asked.

Yeah, it was for her. The impulse to buy it and bring it here had been too intense to ignore. But now that he was here he was hesitating.

"Maybe you should go give it to her now," Morgan suggested.

Hotch looked to the altar, the line of well-wishers was getting shorter. "I think they're about to start…"

Reid stood up. "We'll take care of it; I've got a story about the history of church weddings that will last a good five minutes."

Reid made his way towards the altar.

"Kid's good," Dave commented, amused. "Morgan did we offer our congratulations yet?"

"No, don't think so," Morgan grinned. "Come on, let's go."

Hotch gaped after his friends, still sitting there until Rossi looked back to give him a look. He quickly got up taking the bag with him. He made his way up the aisle just as he saw Will and JJ's mother's step out of a room.

He was sure that was where JJ was. So, he stepped up to the door and knocked. He waited there nervously, almost considering running away. Until a second later the door opened to reveal a red garbed Garcia.

Garcia's mouth dropped open after recognition hit.

"Emily," Garcia practically shouted, still staring at him in pleased shock.

"Yeah," Emily replied from somewhere inside the room.

"Let's go now!" Garcia demanded.

"Is it time?" that was JJ's voice.

"Emily!"

"Ok, ok, sheesh," Emily exclaimed, and then she was at the door too, staring at Hotch, her mouth dropped open.

"Uh JJ…" Emily was saying not taking her eyes off of him. "We'll uh… give you the signal…"

"Ok," JJ again.

Emily shot him an encouraging smile and then stepped out. Garcia was a little more forthcoming with her encouragement. She wrapped her arms around him, trapping his arms against his body, giving him a squeeze and then she pulled back, mouthing silently, 'good luck!' Then, she too was off.

Hotch let out a sigh. He was sure everyone was going to kill him if things didn't go the way they wanted. But he stepped into the room anyways, shutting the door behind him.

He scanned the large room and found JJ by the window. Her back was too him, but he could clearly see she was in her wedding dress, and not the one he'd suggested.

"JJ," he said not too loudly.

She turned around, startled nonetheless. "Hotch!"

"Hey, sorry," he said sheepishly.

She came to stand in front of him, not saying a word. He took the opportunity to look her over. She looked absolutely amazing, breathtakingly beautiful.

"JJ—"

"Aaron," she said softly. "What… what are you doing here?"

He gave her a wry smile. "I said I'd come either—"

"No," she stopped him. "In here, now?"

"Oh," he answered. "I… I wanted to give you something."

He gestured to the bag at his side. She stared at it with wide eyes.

"A wedding present?" she said in a timid voice.

"Sort of," he said, holding it out to her. "Open it."

Hesitantly, she took hold of the bag, still starting at him with her beautiful blue eyes.

"Go on," he urged.

She pulled the bag edges apart and stuck her hand into the tissue paper. Her hand came back out with a medium sized box. The bag dropped to the floor as she stared at his gift quizzically.

"A… a Magic 8 ball?" she asked; he could hear a lilt of amusement in her voice.

"Yeah…" he started. "Remember the day I found out about the engagement?" She nodded. "We were talking about how decision making's tough. And you wished for something to give you a hand…"

"Hotch," she said, sounding touched. She smiled up at him.

"Sorry, I kind of opened it already," he apologized.

"You used it?" JJ asked and he nodded, and then she tentatively asked, "Does it work?"

"It led me here, to this moment," Hotch answered openly. "I believe it works."

He watched her pull the black sphere from the box pretty eagerly. Before she could ask her question, he interrupted her. "I'm going to leave you alone to ask your question."

She looked like she was about to protest but he wasn't going to let her. He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her cheek.

"I'll be outside," he said wryly. "You know where to find me."

He made his way to the door and paused. "Go ahead, ask your question."

And then he left her alone.

That's it for part 1; part 2 is on its way.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed: deeda; Hotch Fan; angry penguin; midmac; ThePenIsMighty; canny-bairn; Reading Red; schokokaffe (I love that you love and hate me at the same time, made my day :) ); hot4booth (at this point, JJ and Hotch are so messed up they need all the help they can get, even Derek's :) ); Zolidify; kurussom (yeah, I wanted to make things as realistic as possible, in real life somebody would definitely get hurt); gibbsluvr; kdzl (thank you!); JJandHotch4ever96 (that's why he left so quickly); Everleigh; and spk.

I'll try to update in the next day or two! :)