London Calling Chapter Eleven
Disclaimer: Not mine but oh how I wish…
A/N – Laying the ground work to bring them together.
Derek shook his head as Penelope caught sight of him flushed and turned, all the while muttering to herself. For some reason his bubbly pal was totally avoiding him.
"She's done that a time or two to me as well." Hotch commented, having just observed the exchange. "I wrote it off to her still being pissed at me over the requisition to replace JJ." But now he was curious.
"Maybe she was embarrassed by her behavior." Derek surmised.
"You're kidding, right?" Hotch laughed.
Derek flashed a wide smile. "Have you ever known Garcia to be embarrassed?" He scoffed. "Of course I'm kidding. So why would she be going to such lengths to avoid both of us and why does she look guilty?" He narrowed his eyes in the direction of Garcia's lair.
Hotch thought for a moment before sharing. "I did, unfortunately, happen to catch her and Lynch coming out of the supply closest. Both of them were adjusting their clothes and Lynch had lipstick smears on his lips and neck."
Derek thought about it for half a second before declaring, "Nah, too easy."
Hotch considered that and agreed. Meaning there could only be one other reason that she was avoiding him. "She knows something." But she had known about Derek and Emily so that didn't explain why she was avoiding him as well unless… "And she's got a secret."
Derek swung around to look at him. "What kind of secret?"
"A secret that involves JJ and Emily." His gut was telling him that he was on to something.
A slow smile graced Derek's face. "You know, Mama cannot keep a secret," he lifted a brow, "Which is why she is so studiously avoiding us." He rubbed his hands together in glee. "How are we going to break her?"
"We're going to have to tread very lightly and bring our best game. She's already skittish; we need to be extremely cautious. We don't want to spook her." Hotch put his hand to his chin in thought. "What's Emily been like when you've spoken to her recently?"
"She's been in a really good mood, very affectionate." Morgan colored as he remembered their last conversation. She'd also been extremely flirtatious and more than a little suggestive.
"Don't worry I'm not going to ask for details." Hotch jeered, Morgan's expression relating more than his words.
Choosing not to comment Morgan asked Hotch the same. "What about JJ?"
Hotch frowned. Yeah, what about JJ? "I haven't talked to her for three days." He was being ridiculous. She was working. He was working. It's not like they hadn't communicated via email and text, they had, frequently, but he wanted to hear her voice.
"Interesting." He looked at Hotch pointedly. "You think she's avoiding you so she won't spill whatever secret it is that Mama is keeping?"
The pair stood together pondering what that might mean when Rossi came up them. "What are we looking at?" He stood and adopted a similar pose, more out of mockery than camaraderie.
"He might be a useful ally." Morgan commented, looking to Hotch for approval.
"Yeah, but it's the return favor that usually bites you in the ass." He stared at the older profiler. His friend had started questioning JJ's decision to move from the BAU and Hotch's role in it. While he wanted to confide in his friend he wasn't sure what JJ thought about it. He didn't want to overthink it, but he also didn't want to talk about it if she wasn't ready for the rest of the world to know. And he didn't want to convey that in an email or text and chance that she misinterpret something. Long distance relationships blew.
"Yeah, but he's got that snake charmer thing going for him. He could ask the questions and get the answers that we're not able to. Like you said, she's wary, and if we handle it wrong heaven only knows what could happen."
Hotch nodded sagely. "True." He stroked his chin thoughtfully before turning to Rossi. "Okay. We do this in the war room and if anyone comes in we're discussing the Elder case."
Rossi looked at him oddly. "You really need to get a life."
"I'm trying, Dave." He smiled over at Morgan. "That's where you come in." He ushered him in the room and closed the door behind him.
Dave sat in stunned silence as his oldest friend finally confided that he was, in fact, carrying on a flirtation with Jennifer Jareau, one that they had every intention of exploring to its fullest once she arrived back in the states.
"So why all of the secrecy?" He wondered, more than a little miffed that he was going to have to admit to Erin that she'd been correct in her assumption.
Hotch shrugged. "I don't know I was a little impulsive at the airport." He smiled at the memory. "I wasn't sure where it was going to go, if anywhere. Plus there was Will to consider, I wouldn't want to do anything to offend or upset him, and honestly I wasn't sure that JJ wouldn't get over there and miss him and want to fix that relationship."
"Sometimes you got to go after what you want. Devil be damned." Rossi commented.
Hotch nodded. "I wasn't pushing, Dave. There's a difference. I let her know that I was here, waiting for her. She knows I want a relationship with her. She knows I want her."
"Does she know that you're in love with her?"
"I asked the same thing, I'm pretty sure that she doesn't." Morgan piped up.
"Oh and you've been so forthcoming to Emily." Hotch scoffed.
"Well I might not have said the words, but it's implied."
Hotch raised an eyebrow. "You don't think my actions imply the same thing? I don't want the first time I tell her I love her to be thousands of miles apart from her."
"You love her?" Penelope's voice broke in. They had been so focused on their discussion that they failed to notice the door opening until it was too late.
Hotch, not even attempting to backtrack or misdirect, looked up at the stunned blonde and answered honestly. "Yeah, I do."
"Oh!" Her eyes began to bat furiously. "Oh!" She shoved the armful of folders she was holding at Rossi as she moved to enfold Hotch in a smothering hug. "That is fantabulous!" She pulled back and reached for the tissue hidden in her cleavage. "That is, uh, it is beyond words! This is just… Oh. She's going to be…." She was beside herself in her fluster. She took a deep breath, pursed her lips then looked at Hotch. "She's coming home." Then she turned to Derek. "They're both coming home." When that didn't create a stir she hollered, "Soon. Like really soon. They're coming home in a few days!"
Just like that she spilled the beans. What had JJ been thinking when she confided in her anyway? She had absolutely no power over love. And she'd seen the absolute truth in Hotch's eyes when admitted that he was in love with her Gumdrop. So she was going to turn the tables on her friend. She wanted a surprise; boy was she in for one.
~~~CM~~~CM~~~CM
Emily looked at the message she was holding and frowned. She'd re-read it several times but she still couldn't believe it.
"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" When the delivery had come JJ had hoped that it was from Hotch. She'd been intentionally avoiding speaking to him and she was pretty sure that he knew it. She was worried that he would misinterpret the reason.
"It's from my mom." Emily handed the missive to JJ to read.
JJ, snapping out of her own person thoughts, glanced down at the official looking document. "She wants you to meet her in Paris?" She looked up at her friend. "Did she say anything about Paris when you spoke to her on Sunday?"
Emily shook her head. "Not a word." But that wasn't unusual for her mother. She preferred to dictate rather than ask.
"Looks like you'll be going home first class." JJ grinned. "And just think of all the quality time you'll get to spend with your mom."
Emily's eyes popped open. "Bite your tongue. I'll explain to her that I've already got my ticket to go home with you. She'll understand."
"Don't be ridiculous." JJ reasoned. "Go to Paris. Your mom is really looking forward to being a grandma, she's trying hard, give her the benefit of the doubt. She just extended you an olive branch. Besides, think of all the money you'll save if your mom is footing the bill."
Emily's mom had been extremely happy with the baby news and she'd even gone so far as to say some very complimentary things about Derek the last time they spoke. She'd obviously had him investigated, which, while honestly odd, was also kind of touching. She cared to find out who her grandchild's father was. But she still felt bad bailing on JJ. "Are you sure you're okay with it? I feel kind of bad deserting you."
"We'd probably just have each other freaked out by the time we landed anyway." They had both been getting increasingly nervous. Dealing with their significant others via email, text, phone and Skype had been fun, but everything was about to get a lot more real. A fact which was causing some serious nerves for both of them.
"You still think the stomach is going to turn him on?" She'd made the horrible mistake of eating Mexican food the previous night. Baby Morgan had not been appreciative of the cuisine; mommy had been up most of the night, now she was suffering with gas.
"The belly isn't the problem." JJ frowned as she took in her friend's frumpy appearance. She sniffed at the air. "No offence but I think you need a shower."
"Bite me."
"Oh I am sorry, who could fail to be charmed by that?"
"I'm sure you're right." Emily joked. "So, how long are you going to make Hotch wait before you put out?"
"What do you mean? We've been dating for weeks." JJ looked at her oddly. "We've known each other for years."
"You've been talking on the phone, that's not the same as dating. Jeez, you've only barely kissed. You can't just fall into bed with him. Have some dignity."
JJ stared at her. "You're kidding, right?" Because her plan was to do just that.
"What do you mean?"
"Exactly how long were you and Derek dating before Baby Morgan became a reality?" JJ challenged.
"That's different." She thought about it for a minute and looked at JJ.
"Sure." JJ made a big deal of rolling her eyes. "At least Hotch and I will have taken our time before jumping into bed."
"Are you calling me a whore?" She teased, knowing full well that JJ would never consider calling her one.
"If the shoe fits, Cinderella."
Emily winced and looked at her feet. "They don't today. My feet are swollen. Please tell me this is going to go away."
"I told you to take it easy on the salt." JJ scolded.
"Do you really think I'm trashy?"
JJ laughed. "No, I don't think you're trashy."
"Are you only saying that because you had a baby out of wedlock too?"
"I'm sorry, did we time travel and I missed it? Baby out of wedlock," She mumbled. "JJ and Emily's Excellent Adventure. Righteous dude."
Emily snorted and sunk down in the couch. "I'm sorry that I'm being crabby and judgmental. I'm a little nervous about seeing Derek again." She blew out a breath. "Well, I'm not worried about seeing him; I'm more worried about him seeing me." She ran a hand over her stomach.
"Everything is going to be fine, don't worry." JJ sat on the other side of the couch. "And you know what? Judge all you want, I don't care. I'm going to do what I want to do anyway."
"Which is sleep with Hotch."
"Maybe."
"You just want to get laid."
"I can't deny that." It had been a pretty long time.
"What happens if he's bad at it?" Emily queried.
JJ shot a scowl her way. "He is not going to be bad at it." Honestly the man excelled at everything.
"He might be. It's not like he's had a lot of experience." Emily didn't really think that Hotch would be bad in bed she just liked pulling JJ's chain. Plus winding JJ up took her mind off of her own worries.
"Quantity does not equate quality. Are you worried that Derek's only good at it because he's had soooo much practice?" Two could play this game.
Emily swallowed whatever reply she'd been about to make. "Oh my god, I'm in love with a man whore."
"It's probably fair to say reformed man whore." JJ kindly replied.
Emily smiled at JJ, once again reminded of how glad she was that she was such a good friend. "I'm really going to miss this."
JJ rolled her eyes. "You're moving in with me when we get back." Until she found her own place or moved in with Derek. JJ would lay her odds on the latter happening. "We can make plans to meet on the couch next Tuesday."
Emily grinned. "Ooh, by then you should know if Hotch is any good considering that you plan on jumping him at the earliest opportunity possible."
JJ smiled back at her. "I'm confident that he is but by Tuesday I'll be able to give you a testimonial."
"So I'll know if he gets the JJ seal of approval." Emily winked at her.
"Pffft, he's already got that."
Emily sat back and studied her for a minute. "You know, I've never seen you mushy over a guy. It's weird."
"I've never seen you pregnant." JJ shot back lamely.
"I had a rough night, but typically I'm radiant." She replied cheekily. "So, tell me Jay, do you think you'll ever give Henry a brother or sister?"
JJ shrugged, before she was pretty confident that the answer was no. Now she wondered at the possibilities. She was about to embark on a relationship with a man who had a child of his own and rather than scare her it excited her. "You know, I've been thinking a lot about giving him a stepbrother. What do you think of that?" She leaned over and closed Emily's mouth that had dropped open at her admission. "I really like him Em. Like, like. Like times a million."
"Oh for the love of God, you're in love with him. Just admit it."
JJ sat still for a minute then looked at Emily in awe. "I'm in love with Aaron." Her smile blossomed across her face at the acknowledgement.
"Fine. But I don't what that to cloud your judgment I'm expecting an honest evaluation."
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