Disclaimer: Not mine.

A/N: I'm finally working towards getting my couples back together. Woo Hoo! I went back and forth on how I would accomplish that and honestly the only thing that felt right to me was bringing the girls back home.

It may be that the satisfaction I need depends on my going away, so that when I've gone and come back, I'll find it at home. ~Jalal ad-Din Rumi (Persian poet)

Chapter Ten

Emily was waiting for JJ when she arrived at the office. When Will showed up unexpectedly she graciously vacated the apartment giving her friend the space that she knew that she would need. However, she would be lying if she said it was easy and that the suspense wasn't killing her.

"I hope that's not coffee." JJ said pointedly looking at the mug in Emily's hand as she walked into the office.

Emily grinned at her pregnancy coach. "It is, but it's for you." She held the mug out to her. "So, what's new?"

JJ glared at her even as she accepted her offering. "Will is sightseeing with Henry. We had a very long, very necessary, overdue talk. So he is aware that I have feelings for Hotch and understands that while I love him and I love Henry the two of us being together as a couple just for our sons sake is not a good idea. He is disappointed but wasn't completely surprised. We are going to figure out a custody agreement when I get back to town."

"That's very mature of you."

JJ sank into her office chair. "God, it was awful. It'd be a different story if he weren't such a great guy."

Emily nodded in agreement. "What I don't get is what prompted him to fly over here and try to woo you back?"

"Oh, I have Garcia to thank for that." She sighed heavily. "She told him that he owed it to all of us to try to work things out and he thought that since she was my friend maybe I confided that I'd had a change of heart since I've been over here." JJ rolled her eyes. "She also found out that Hotch put in a requisition to replace me and stormed into his office demanding to know what was going on."

Emily, picturing the event couldn't stop the bubble of laughter that came bursting out. "Oh wow, I bet Hotch was pissed to have her challenging him."

"She also inadvertently told the entire office that you were pregnant and Derek was the father."

"Oh, alright then." Emily nodded. "That explains the weird email from Spence and the snarky one from Rossi." She glanced over at her friend. "I guess that means you've spoken to Hotch recently?"

"I called him after Will went to bed. I can't say that I really like the six hour time difference but it does come in hand sometime."

"How'd Hotch take the news that Will had come over?"

JJ smiled. "He was surprised and then a little nervous but once I reassured him that I hadn't changed my mind about the two of us he was okay. He admitted to me that he's been thinking of ways to get himself over here."

"Rossi would probably fly him over here just to get him laid."

JJ bust out laughing. "He said the exact same thing."

"You know," Emily sighed, "I've been doing some thinking myself."

JJ sat back and studied her at the seriousness of her tone.

She looked down and studied her hands. "I accepted this position because I was desperate for a change. The BAU didn't feel like home to me any longer and I wanted to make a move."

JJ nodded, having heard the story when Emily announced her leaving. "Okay."

Emily let out a big sigh and dropped her head. "I think I made the wrong move, JJ." She looked around the office. "I'm doing almost the same thing that I was in Quantico only I've managed to move thousands of miles away from the people that matter the most to me." She folded her hands. "I talked to Clyde this morning." She paused dramatically. "I explained to him that I would be better working at the office in Washington DC. I suggested that Tom Quinn replace me here."

JJ just stared at her, too flabbergasted to say anything.

"He was expecting the request as he had already received an informal request from the Ambassador."

JJ's eye's widened. "Your mom called him?" She knew that Emily hated when her mother interfered in her business.

Emily just shrugged, for once in her life not minding her mother's intrusion. "Unofficially."

JJ grinned widely, realizing exactly where this conversation was headed. "Well don't keep me guessing. How quickly do we leave?"

Emily relaxed a bit, JJ herself appeared happy, not the least bit upset by the news. "I think we could be back in northern Virginia by the end of next week." She picked at her nails. "Ten days. You don't hate me for having you uproot your life only to turn around and whisk you back do you?"

Rather than answer her JJ hurriedly ask. "Have you told Derek, yet?"

"I mentioned that I was thinking about it but no, he doesn't know that I spoke to Clyde this morning." Emily looked at her questioningly. "Why?"

"Don't say anything yet. I want to surprise him." She looked positively gleeful.

Emily raised a brow. "What happens if he has the same idea and he actually does come over here as you're waiting for him back in Virginia?"

"Not going to happen." JJ responded confidently. "I'm going to have a long talk with my pal Garcia tonight." She grinned, "You know if we plan this right we can probably travel home shortly after Will. How do you feel about selling your furniture?" She was already planning it in her head.

Emily was embarrassed as she confided. "Most of my furniture is rented, the flat was only temporary." She shook her head. "My god, even when I came here I knew in my brain it was only temporary. My own furniture is in storage back home."

JJ didn't judge her or comment on her confession. She knew all too well what it meant to be confused and make the wrong choice. They were both about to get a second chance. "There is no time for regret, Emily. We have a lot to do." She was smiling as she pulled out a pad of paper and started to make notes.

JJ's enthusiasm was catching. "I'm going to get to experience my pregnancy with Derek." Emily grinned at the realization. "We're going to be able to go to Lamaze and he can rub my feet when they get swollen."

"And he will be there when you go through the incredibly horny phase." She winked at Emily. "That takes a load off my mind. I'm willing to do a lot for you, Em, but I'm not sure I can be that good of a friend."

Emily giggled. "That's okay, I much prefer men, especially my tall, dark, and handsome baby daddy." She paused and looked to JJ with apprehension. "What if he is turned off by me looking like this?" She rubbed a hand over her still barely swollen abdomen.

JJ rolled her eyes. "I hate to bust your bubble but this is some kind of weird machismo thing for them." She leaned over and rubbed Emily's belly. "It's like a full time announcement saying 'I hit that' for all other men to see. They really like it." She grinned. "He is not going to be turned off. In fact you'll probably be the one that gets tired of him."

"Like that's going to happen." Emily scoffed. "You know, I was a little scared to have this conversation with you. I wasn't sure how you'd react."

"Are you kidding me? You're not the only one with someone tall, dark and handsome waiting for you back home." That steamy goodbye kiss had sustained her long enough, she was ready for the next step.

Emily grinned at the besotted expression that her friend wore. "You really do have it bad." She noted.

"I do." JJ glanced down at her watch and did a quick calculation. "Well, I guess I better call Garcie."

Emily frowned as she noted the time and did a quick calculation. "Jay, you know it's like 3 a.m. on the east coast?"

JJ grinned up at her. "Yep."

"Okay then." She shook her head and stood to leave the office, she was not going to stick her nose in that one. "I guess I'll go start making some phone calls of my own."

~~~CM~~~CM~~~

The incessant ringing of the phone finally penetrated Penelope Garcia's sleep filled brain. She moved just about the time she heard Kevin pick up the phone.

"Hello." He grumbled, followed shortly by, "JJ? Do you know what time it is?" Garcia's eyes pooped open and she was reaching for the phone before he could say anything else. "Peaches! Oh my gosh, Peaches. What's wrong, is it Henry? Will? You're okay?"

"Penelope." JJ said, "Did we, or did we not, have a conversation about you trying to rule my life?"

"I tried to call you all day yesterday. I must have sent you a hundred emails."

"Oh, well maybe I would have picked up had I not been busy dealing with Will. You know my ex who suddenly, on the advice of my bestie, decided to fly to London in an attempt to rekindle our romance. Even though before I left for London I had a long talk with him and told him it would be best if we made a clean break of it while I was gone. I asked him to find other living arrangements, Pen. I wasn't interested in rekindling anything."

"Oh."

"Did I interfere in your relationship with Kevin when you didn't want to discuss it?"

"But Peaches…"

JJ continued to rant. "No, I didn't because I know that when you are talking about something that affects you personally sometimes you can't talk about it, sometimes you don't want to talk about it, or have to explain it to another person. I love you, Pen, but you really overstepped your boundaries. You should never have encouraged Will to come over here to fight for me."

"But…" Penelope sputtered still trying to get a word in edge wise. Something she was not familiar with at all.

"But nothing. Listen, I'm glad that you and Kevin were able to work out your differences but that's not going to happen with Will and me."

"But he loves you so much." She argued.

JJ took a deep breath. "And I love him, as Henry's father I will always love him. But I'm not in love with him. I don't think I ever was. I have feelings for someone else Pen."

"You've met someone new?" An incredulous Penelope asked.

"Not exactly." JJ responded evasively.

"Okay, what is going on? First you fly over to London with absolutely no warning, then I find out Emily is pregnant, then I get a requisition for your replacement." Garcia growled, feeling more than a little antsy that she was not in control of this conversation and she was becoming the last to know everything concerning her friends. Another thing she was not happy about.

"Technically you didn't get that Pen. You were snooping."

"I may have a program set up to inform me of anything that comes through for any member of the team." She grumbled. "If I would have done this before you would have never had to leave us the first time." She was of course referring to the time when JJ was transferred to the State Department.

"Well if you would have taken an opportunity to read the request for my replacement before storming Hotch's office you would have known that I was the one that requested to be released."

"I don't think I…" Pen started only to challenge, "Hey how do you know that I questioned Hotch about the replacement?" Before JJ had a chance to respond Pen shouted. "Oh my god! That's what you meant by not exactly. You're in a relationship with Hotch!"

"Not yet, but I will be." JJ confidently replied. "Which is why I can no longer work for him."

"That's just…, how can you?" Flustered she sighed. "Damn. Poor Will."

"Pen, poor Will was doing better until you decided to intervene." JJ not too kindly reminded her.

"Ugh." Penelope hit the palm of her hand against her head. "Does he know about Hotch?" Then another thought occurred to her. "Does Hotch know about Hotch?"

The question was absurd, trust Pen to come up with it. JJ giggled. "Yes, Will knows; so does Hotch."

"How? When?" She thought back on the interaction between the two of them. "You've kind of always had a thing for him, haven't you? I remember how disgusted you were when Haley divorced him."

Trust Pen to remember that! "Yeah, to be honest, I have. But Pen, I promise you, I never did anything while he was with Haley or I was with Will. We haven't really done anything now. Just a couple really incredible kisses and we've been talking a lot, and sending email and texting. This relationship has serious potential, Pen."

"Wow."

"If I've managed to render you speechless you must be surprised." In fact Penelope's silence had JJ worried. "Hotch is a really good guy Pen."

"Oh Peaches, I know, he's, like, the best. I just can't believe that I didn't see this." She had moved from the bed into the living room and was pacing furiously. "I can't believe that I convinced Will to go over there." She winced. "Jinkies, I'm so sorry."

"Well, to be honest I didn't see it happening either. One minute I was ready to board my flight and the next minute he was giving me something to remember him by."

Penelope snorted. "Please tell me he didn't actually say that."

"Shut up."

"Oh my stars, he did! How adorably corny."

"I'll have you know when a man can kiss like Aaron Hotchner can kiss he's allowed to be a little corny, although I didn't find it corny at all." JJ muttered in Hotch's defense.

"Well obviously because he kissed your brains out."

"Pen, I have to tell you something and I need your word that you'll keep my secret."

"You're not pregnant are you?"

"Maybe calling in the middle of the night wasn't the smartest idea." JJ sighed. "Pen, we've only kissed, I'm not pregnant."

"Right. Sorry, I know that, I just got swept up in everything."

"I need you to promise me that you won't let Aaron know that we've talked. Or anyone else for that matter."

She crinkled her nose in confusion. "Okay Peaches, but can I ask why?"

"Because we're coming home and I want to surprise him."

She couldn't believe what she'd just heard. "You're coming home!" She screeched. "When?!" There was no way she was going back to sleep now.

"Well, we've got some stuff to clear up it will probably be a week, maybe two." It seemed ridiculously far away now that she knew it was going to happen.

Something in what JJ said caught her attention. "Wait, are you talking you and Henry or you two and Emily?"

JJ smiled. "All of us, we're all coming home."

"Oh my goodness, Derek is going to be so extremely happy."

"Pen you just promised me to keep it a secret." JJ scolded.

"You've got to be frekking kidding me. How am I going to keep a secret of that magnitude?" Did she forget who she was talking to?

"I don't know, but you're going to." JJ cautioned. "You're also going to make sure neither of them decides to get inventive and come for a visit as well." She was finding out that Aaron Hotchner was a man full of delightful little surprises so the thought of him showing up out of the blue wasn't completely impossible. The BAU often got requests for consults from across the pond; usually they were handled by consultation over the phone and written reports. But if he really wanted to he could always convince the requesting agency to fly him over. It would be up to Garcia to make sure that didn't happen.

"How in the world do you expect me to do that?" Garcia moaned.

"Oh I'm sure you'll figure it out. I have the utmost faith in you." JJ responded. "Do that and you can consider yourself completely forgiven." She grinned, imaging the pout that was most likely prominently displayed on Penelope's face.

"Fine." Her voice said that she herself wasn't overly confident of success.

"I'm counting on you Pen." She felt a teeny bit bad that this secret was really going to test the limit of Penelope Garcia's control, but after all, she did deserve it.

Thanks for reading! I can't believe that I'm actually 10 chapters in to this story. No one is more surprised than me! A big THANK YOU for all of you that continue to read, follow, and comment – I am so glad that you're still with me!