Disclaimer: Not mine.
A/N: I only have three more chapters written out and I'm starting to panic… It's in my brain but sometimes the translation to paper isn't as seamless as it should be! And it doesn't help that I keep adding stuff as I go back to re-read and proof. Let me know if you think I'm getting in the weeds.
Chapter Six
It was official. Aaron Hotchner's formerly elite team had officially gone to shit. He scrubbed a hand over his face and reflected on the day he'd just had. It started off with them passing a field of forget-me-not's in rural Colorado. That was the first sign that he had to count himself as one of the former elite. Field of damn ass flowers had him waxing poetic about the color of a certain loaned out agent's eyes. He could only hope she appreciated the arrangement that he sent to her office. He blew out a heavy breath and scanned the bar quickly; lighting on the reason he was in the hotel bar at midnight, he dropped into the empty seat beside Derek Morgan.
"Rough night?" He nodded at the beer resting in front of Morgan before placing an order for his own scotch.
Derek turned to his boss and cringed. "Hotch, man, I'm sorry about this evening." He had completely lost his cool and almost blown the entire investigation. His hand curled around the beer that he'd ordered but had still yet to drink.
Hotch nodded solemnly knowing that he tread lightly, something was bothering Derek. Until recently he managed not to let it interfere with his daily work. "It's okay. You think I don't want to take a shot at some of the scums we catch? I know better than anyone that what we do isn't always easy. I understand that it can take a personal toll."
Morgan pursed his lips almost wishing that Hotch would rant and rave about his stupidity rather than being understanding. "Yeah, well, wanting and doing are two different things."
Again Hotch nodded his agreement. "True, but sometimes shit happens." He flashed a rare smile at his employee's stunned expression. "You want to talk about what's really bothering you?" He took a sip of his scotch. "I know all about displaced anger, Derek."
"Emily's pregnant." He finally said the words out loud.
Doing a double take Hotch sat his scotch back down on the bar. "Huh. Well I guess that explains why she was so gung ho on having JJ over there." He shook his head at the knowledge. Emily pregnant; now that was something he actually wished he would have been able to see.
Morgan frowned at his boss' reaction. "I'd wondered if you already knew."
"How would I?" Hotch turned to look at the younger manager in confusion, his voice trailing off. "Oh." Apparently one member of his team knew that he was in close contact with JJ. He shook his head. "Uh, no, JJ didn't say anything." He took another sip of his drink and pondered the idea that he wasn't as subtle as he thought when it came to his feelings for JJ. Then he turned and looked at his friend as realization came in a flash. "Huh."
"You must be tired. That took you a full minute." Not glancing over at his boss he grinned.
"I've got a lot going on. Concern over the welfare of my team has been giving me grief." Hotch grinned back at Morgan. "Hopefully this news will help break Penelope out of her funk. She'll understand why JJ had to go over there and she'll be tickled that you've procreated." He chuckled, "I can hardly wait to see what kind of name she'll come up with for your offspring, Mini M&Em's?" Hotch shook his head in wonder. "I'm sure it will be creative." He raised his glass. "Congratulations."
"Thanks." Morgan dipped his head laughing. "Oh lord, I forgot all about Pen. She hears this from someone else she's likely to go into a tailspin." He groaned at the thought, knowing that the conversation he had to have with her needed to be sooner rather than later.
"I think talking to Penelope would be a very good thing." He swished his drink. "It could be beneficial to both of you. I don't think she's dealing with the Lynch thing very well."
Derek frowned over at Hotch at the realization of what the older man was asking. "Ah man, I don't want to talk to Mama about that." But he also knew that he should. Hotch was right Penelope wasn't dealing well. Especially since that douche Lynch was dating other women already.
Feeling for the other man Hotch replied. "She needs a friend, maybe a guys' perspective would help."
"You could do that." Morgan pointed out.
Hotch was quick to respond. "Not as well as you could. You're her main man, her Chocolate Thunder. You have a connection." And God knew that Hotch did not want to have this conversation with her.
Morgan was thoughtful for a minute. "Well I do have some gossip to share with her. When I tell her who has been kissing on JJ she'll definitely perk up."
"Who's been kissing on JJ?" Hotch demanded.
"Calm down, brother. I was referring to you." Morgan studied the older man closely. Fuck if misery didn't love company. "Does JJ know that you're in love with her?"
Coolly picking up his scotch Hotch turned to Morgan and asked, "Does Emily know that you're in love with her?"
"Touché."
"What are you going to do about it?" Hotch asked after they both had stared miserably at their drinks for a long time without touching them.
Morgan sighed. "I'm not even sure she wants me involved. She didn't even plan on telling me she was pregnant. JJ talked her into it." He glumly admitted.
Hotch looked over at the distressed man. "Obviously this wasn't planned. She probably wasn't sure what she was going to do. I'm sure she always intended on telling you. She probably just wasn't sure how."
"Sure, take her side." Morgan replied snidely. "What would you do if you were in my shoes?" He looked over at Hotch wanting to see his reaction.
"JJ and I have only just kissed."
"Use your imagination." He requested. "Keep it PG."
"You're not dealing with Dave here." Hotch laughed. "So, you want me to imagine JJ pregnant and over in London, what would I do?" He stared at Morgan for a minute. "I'd jump on the next plane and bring her ass back."
Derek raised a brow, imagining trying to pull that with either Emily or JJ.
Hotch saw the reaction and chuckled. "Yeah, that probably wouldn't work. But I'd make damn sure that she knew that I wanted to be involved and not just for the sake of the baby." He looked over at the younger man. "You wanted a relationship with Emily before you found out she was pregnant. Make sure that she knows that. Tell her, be honest with her. Let her decide the pace, but make sure she knows damn well where you stand."
Morgan sat in stunned silence for a minute. "That's actually pretty good advice." He grinned over at him. "Is that what you're doing with JJ?"
"Pretty much." He thought of the pretty blonde and imagined her getting the flowers he'd sent. There was no doubt that she'd misinterpret his intentions, he made sure of that.
JJ groaned when Emily announced that she got flowers again. Will had sent a dozen red long stemmed roses to the office on Monday. They were beautiful, sure, but she read it as kind of his staking his claim. Letting others know that she had someone back in the States. Now here they were again. Obviously she needed to have a more direct conversation with him. She heard the smattering of comments as Emily moved through the office and was looking up as she came through the door. "Holy shit." Her eyes lit up. They were beautiful, absolutely stunningly beautiful.
"Will's taste has improved." Emily teased.
Smile blinding, JJ reached for the card knowing immediately who they were from. "These aren't from Will," she stated, before pulling the card from the envelope.
"Really?" Her friend replied dryly as if it weren't obvious who the blossoms were from.
"We passed a field of these while on a case in Colorado and I suddenly missed you even more." JJ smiled at the card and held it to Emily for inspection.
"What are these?" Emily touched a fragile bloom.
"Forget-me-nots." JJ sighed, touched beyond words at the romantic gesture.
Emily rolled her eyes. "Well I have to give him props; it does have a certain romantic flair." She groaned as JJ reached for her phone and snapped a picture.
"He sent me forget-me-nots." She placed her hand on her racing heart.
"Because he doesn't want you to forget him, yeah, yeah, I got that." She took her pointer finger and imitated a gagging gesture but it was playful.
JJ just giggled, unwilling to allow Emily's mocking to annoy her. "You know, I'd just like to point out that the mean bitchy part of pregnancy isn't supposed to occur until the late third trimester when you're wondering if the baby is ever going to come."
Emily rolled her eyes. "I make trends I don't follow them."
JJ just continued to smile. "See, I told you they were on a case." Emily had been waiting for Derek to call her back and the longer he'd gone without doing so the more worried she became. "He's still working and processing it. He'll call before you know it." She squealed as her phone beeped to alert her of a new text.
Emily watched jealously as JJ literally glowed while reading it.
She giggled nauseatingly then looked up at Emily, "Hotch says congrats." JJ said as she finished typing her reply.
The smile dropped from her face and her eyes grew wide. "He knows?" Her face held a myriad of emotions, anger and hurt being the most prevalent.
Her look had JJ backing up and raising her hands. "Hey, I didn't tell him. I wouldn't."
"So he can talk to Hotch about it but he can't talk to me?" She growled, unsure why she was so disappointed.
Ever the peace keeper JJ said, "To be fair, I knew you were pregnant before Derek did."
"I don't want to be fair!" She snapped.
The loud statement had several heads turning and had JJ pulling Emily into her temporary office. "Okay, listen, I love you, but you're being unreasonable." All the while her hand was running up and down Emily's arm in a consoling manner. "You've had weeks to deal with it. Derek's only had a very brief time. And when you told him you kind of made it sound like you weren't interested whether he was involved or not." JJ winced at the last bit of her speech.
Emily had the grace to look contrite. "Not in so many words." At JJ's stare she conceded. "Fine, I handled it badly. I got nervous. Of course I want him to be involved."
"Emily, I understand that," she unclipped Emily's phone from her belt, "I really do. But," she placed her phone in her hand, "Derek didn't. Only you can fix that. Quit being so damn stubborn and reach out to him. Apologize. Tell him you're scared and that makes you stupid. He'll forgive you."
"I don't know when you got so smart." Emily mumbled.
JJ smiled just as her phone chimed again. "I've always been this smart." She opened her office door. "Now go, I've got to get my flirt on and I do it better when I can give it my undivided attention."
Emily was going to make a smart comment when her own phone came to life. "Oh my gosh, JJ, it's him." She looked over at her friend in a panic. "What do I do?"
"Answer the phone." JJ encouraged, watching as her friend did just that and strolled out of her office. Eyes lighting on the flowers on her desk she decided she didn't want to settle for a text message she wanted to hear Aaron Hotchner's deep, sexy voice.
Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed. Big thanks for all the folks that have left a review and/or have favorited or followed this story. I hope you're still with me!