Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Thank you for the reviews :) Here's the next one!
"So what made you think law enforcement?" JJ asked Hotch as the two of them sat talking. They'd been sitting together for over an hour, just getting to know each other and enjoying each other's company. So far she was really liking Hotch. He was really sweet and listened. He was a little intense and didn't smile much, but nevertheless, he spoke with her, unlike her previous boyfriend. She sipped her drink and waited for him to answer.
He sipped his own beer and set the bottle back on the bar. "The idea of helping people was really appealing to me," he said. "I want to stop criminals. It's kind of how I feel connected to something bigger than myself." He fixed her with a scrutinizing gaze. "And you? What pulled you to museum curation?"
"I like working with objects from the past," she explained. "Something about looking backwards just makes me...I don't know, it's my way of figuring out how to move on with the future."
"You're a smart lady, JJ," he said. "Sounds like you've got a lot of deep thoughts."
She blushed. "Well, I did go to Georgetown," she admitted.
He tilted his head to the side and observed her face. Moving his hand towards her face, he moved a strand of hair from her face. Her eyes were wide when he did it, and he gulped. Maybe he shouldn't have done that. He didn't want to seem like he was trying to make a move on her. She didn't seem like that type of girl, the kind who would sleep with a guy on the first date. Not that he wanted to sleep with her tonight. Hell, it wasn't even a date. They were just two people having a drink together.
"Sorry about that," he said. "It was just in your face and I thought I would -"
She laughed. "Don't even worry about it," she said. "It just surprised me, that's all."
Aaron watched as she glanced down at her watch and roll her eyes. "Well, it's one in the morning now," she said. "I've got to get going. I've got be to work at seven tomorrow." Rising to his feet, Aaron held out his hand and helped her down off her bar stool seat. She accepted his offer and hopped down.
For a moment they just looked at each other, their gazes holding in an intense way. He never wanted to stop looking into her blue eyes that were bluer than even the Caribbean waters. He tilted his head to the side and coughed momentarily.
"So, JJ," he started. "Can I - can I call you sometime, maybe meet up with you for dinner?"
A smile spread across her face. "That would be nice," she said. She pulled out her phone and handed it to him. "Here, put your number in it."
He nodded. "Okay." He began typing his number in. As he was doing it, the blonde and the brunette woman showed up behind her.
"Hi there!" the blonde chirped.
Aaron looked at her and waved slightly, giving her a small smile. "Hi," he replied.
JJ put her hands on her friends' shoulders. "Aaron, this is Penelope," she said, motioning to the blonde. "And this is Alex. Guys, this is Aaron." Derek, Spencer, and Maeve showed up behind all of them and she pointed to them. "This is Derek, Penelope's husband."
Derek nodded to him and wrapped his arms around his wife from behind. "Nice to meet you, Aaron," he said.
JJ smirked at Derek's display of affection. Derek and Penelope had a tendency to be heavy on the public displays of affection. Pointing at Spencer and Maeve, she said, "And this is Spencer and his girlfriend, Maeve."
Maeve smiled sweetly and Spencer nodded to him.
"It's nice to meet you," the woman named Alex said, giving him a smile.
Penelope nodded and grinned. It was clear to Aaron she was the most cheery of the group. "Yes, very nice to meet you!"
JJ glanced at both of them nervously and said, "Well, ladies it's about time for us to go home. I don't know about you, but I have work first thing." Looking at Aaron one more time, she smiled and added, "Bye, Hotch. I'll give you a call."
And then he watched as she exited the bar with her friends, and out of his sight. For some reason, he missed her - and her beautiful blue eyes - already.
XXXXX
"He's cuter up close!" Penelope cooed as they were in the car, driving JJ back to her apartment. "I'm so happy that you're going to go out with him, Jayje! He seems like a good guy."
Alex nodded in agreement. "A little intense," she said. "But good. I wish Em was here to give her opinion, but she had to close up the bar."
JJ smiled at Penelope and Alex's enthusiasm. It was funny how excited they were getting over just a single meeting with a man.
Then again, Penelope believed everyone had a chance at happiness. It was one of the things JJ loved about her friend; she was uncommonly kind. She didn't know many people quite like her. And her style of dress wasn't the only thing that made her eccentric.
"I'm pretty excited," she admitted, hoping to appease her friends.
"He seems pretty cool," Derek said from the driver's seat. "Any idea what you guys will do for a date?"
She shook her head. "No idea yet," she said. "But he's in law enforcement. And he's smart. And he listens. Even my work seemed to intrigue him." A huge grin had unconsciously spread across her face. Yeah, it was fair to say she was smitten...and she'd only just met the guy.
"Well, it looks like we've arrived, Miss Jareau," Spencer said grandly as they pulled up in front of JJ's apartment building.
Waving, she said, "Bye then, guys! I'll call you tomorrow."
"Call Aaron first!" Alex said happily.
JJ snorted and closed the door to the SUV that the group drove. Yawning, she made her way up the steps leading to the door of her apartment building. She went down the hallway and unlocked the door, going in and throwing her keys onto the table next to the door. She sighed. She had to get some sleep before going to work in the morning. A load of items from the Industrial period of Britain was coming in and she had to appear presentable and lucid for the meeting with the people bringing them in.
But even as she was dressing in her pajamas and getting under the covers, she continued to think of Aaron Hotchner. She couldn't get his handsome features out of her mind. Sure, he hadn't smiled much, but he had been interested in what she had to say. He hadn't brushed her off, and he seemed as interested in her as she had been in him.
Sighing, she closed her eyes and let herself drift off into sleep, hoping she would dream of Aaron.
XXXXX
Elle was pacing in her home, angry at what she had seen in her most recent surveillance on Jennifer, the purest human. Her sisters and their idiot wizards had started pushing the human towards dating and so far she had yet to find one that suited her. But this new man, this Aaron Hotchner, had excited her.
And each new man in her life was a possible true love, a possible candidate to break the spell when her twenty-sixth birthday. A possible candidate to spoil Elle's plans to keep her asleep forever.
She clenched her hands into fists and glared at her reflection in the mirror. She had to eliminate the very idea that love or true kindness existed in humans. Darkness ruled her now and she needed to remain steadfast on her path to corrupt humans.
It was what she lived for.
Another very short one.
