A/N: So here's the next chapter. I hope everyone likes it. And of course I want to wish you all a Happy New Year filled with joy, love and laughter!

This chapter is dedicated to the amazing CriminalCrazy! Have a Happy New Year!

Special thanks to Westie80, jenny crum, K8e1, Christiangirl, emeraldxx and red2013!

I don't own criminal minds!

Chapter 1: The perfect stranger

Four months later…

JJ sighed deeply as she dropped down in the chair. The coffee was sitting on the table in front of her. It was a typical day for JJ. But she was feeling miserable with the lack of adventure and excitement in her life. Something needed to change. Living all alone in a big city was getting old and boring. Sure, she liked most parts of her life.

She really did.

But something was missing in her life. She didn't need one of those serious relationships. She just longed for some romance with an adventurous guy who didn't care about breaking the rules. If she was honest with herself, there was only one word to describe her life.

Boring. It had become boring since the day she moved into her apartment. She never believed it would affect her so much, but it had. She hated the waiting and sitting around.

It wasn't more or less. Each day was the same series of events. Waking up, having breakfast, buying coffee, going to work, coming home and go to bed. That was it. That was all that existed in her life. She knew she had a way of changing her life all on her own. She just needed to get out of her comfort zone, but it seemed so safe that she didn't even try. But she had accepted the assignment and now she had to live with that choice. But she did have security. It was everything she had at the moment. Letting it go so sounded like stupidity. She couldn't drop her assignment, especially not with what she had already discovered about the company. The intel Collins received from the MI6 was correct. Bio chemicals had been disappearing from the lab, for no good reason. But she had no idea who was behind it. That was still the big question. For now, she could only keep her cover alive. And that meant going to work and coming home to an empty apartment each day. She didn't know how to change that simple fact.

Well, she actually did. She could easily walk up to a guy and have a one-nightstand. God, no! JJ, that's not who you are…

She only needed some encouragement in her life. But that was exactly the problem. She had no one to encourage her. Her remaining family still lived in East-Allegheny. And her sister…

Her sister.

That was a road she didn't want go down. Her sister was a sore subject for her entire family. It had done a lot of damage. So afterwards everyone ignored the subject of her suicide. JJ never knew why her sister took her own life.

Stop! JJ, get a grip! She forced the tears away. She wasn't going down that path. She didn't want to lose her emotions in the middle of a Starbucks. She looked around her, realizing no one had noticed her moment of weakness. So she quickly returned her gaze ahead of her, her thoughts once again floating away.

Hotch was impatiently waiting in line to order his morning coffee. He hated the waiting for a stupid drink. But it was what got him through his morning. So the coffee or the waiting wasn't that stupid at all. It was actually a necessary evil. Especially after the night he just had.

God, it was horrible.

His team decided to take him out for drink at a local bar. They thought he needed to get laid after his split with Haley, but he didn't need any women in his life. Haley had definitely been the last straw when it came to love. He was solely focusing on his career with the FBI. He recently moved back to DC, joining the BAU team. It was an honor, greater than anything he had ever known, to work for the BAU. It was a dream come true and he wanted to exceed everyone's expectations. Everyone thought he was just a rookie.

Well, he was just a rookie in factual terms.

So he needed to proof his excellence once and for all. Impressing his boss, David Rossi, was an important start to his new mission. A long road ahead. He knew that very well. People weren't that nice about the older man, and Hotch knew why. He only gave orders, never compliments. In Hotch's terms, he was a slimy suck up. Especially when it came to women. The man was married and still flirted with every pretty face he saw. The lothario didn't seem fit to be an agent, but Hotch couldn't deny that he was one hell of an agent.

In the end that was all that mattered.

He gave a sigh of relief when he was next in line. ''A black coffee to go please.'' he ordered. ''Not too strong, please.'' he added. He was a simple guy, even his coffee was simple. He didn't need a special brand from some exotic country. Black coffee was just fine for him.

He paid and grabbed the coffee from the counter, getting ready to leave the crowded establishment. He was in such a hurry that he didn't notice the blonde girl walking in his path. So he just kept walking.

But then he felt himself hitting something. Or rather someone. The coffee fell from his hand and all over the person across from him. He froze, realizing he just spilled hot coffee over an actual person. He didn't know what happened. Sure, he did know. He was in too much of a hurry to pay attention to the people around him.

''I'm so sorry!'' he said, hoping he was dealing with an understanding person. Some people might slap a law suit on him for spilling coffee all over someone. But he knew the lawyer in him could talk him out of it, indefinitely. ''Are you alright?'' he asked as his eyes were glued to the spots where the coffee was all over the woman's clothing.

JJ dropped her purse to the floor in shock and anger. It really was a bad day today. It was like the demons were out to get her. ''Shit!'' she exclaimed. ''Damn it!''

She suddenly realized her words weren't appropriate at all. It was rather embarrassing to be honest. ''Oh, look at me!'' she spoke out as she looked down at her white blouse. ''I'm already making a fool of myself and the day has barely begun.''

Hotch bent down to pick up the purse that belonged to the seemingly angry woman. He was afraid it would turn into a war, so he had to be nice about it. Maybe his skills could help him out. ''Don't worry, ma'am.'' he said kindly. He got up and finally looked at her. All he could do was freeze.

He was literally frozen. Like a statue.

His eyes fell upon her face, taking in each inch of her magnificent beauty. Her hair was a beautiful shade of natural blonde. It flowed in long waves along her back and chest, shaping the lines of her face perfectly. Her blue piercing eyes, framed by long full lashes, seemed to hold each secret in the world. With full soft pink lips to top off her radiant smile. That smile was the thing that knocked the wind out of him.

God, that smile…

No evil was traceable on her face. Everything was pure. And good. She wasn't like anyone he had ever seen before. She was by far the most beautiful woman, even he had to admit that. So he looked back into her eyes, seeing something different this time. Her eyes were filled with eagerness. He didn't know why, but he loved the way she just gazed back at him.

But he suddenly realized he hadn't said a word in over a minute. So he coughed, putting his hand to his mouth. ''If I were to tell you my most embarrassing stories you would definitely…''

he stopped there, realizing he was about to tell a complete stranger personal stories. He shouldn't go that far during their first meeting.

First meeting, huh? Yes, there definitely had to be a second one. He thought as he took a step back to look at the coffee on her clothes. ''What I was trying to say…'' he stumbled. ''What I meant say is that I'm so sorry for ruining your clothes.''

JJ laughed as the stranger in front of her was searching for words. Never before did she have a run in like that with an actual nice guy. Well, he seemed nice and he definitely looked nice. His dark blue suit and white dress shirt showed off his toned body. He was definitely handsome. It also didn't help that JJ easily fell for the dark brooding types. And the stranger had raven black hair with brown smoldering eyes. It was as if his eyes penetrated her soul. There was just something about him.

She couldn't put her finger on it. ''It's no big deal, sir. I promise!'' she said friendly as she took her purse from his hands.

Hotch let go of the purse and started to think of ways to ask for her number. He was never the type to pick up women. Five minutes earlier he even swore to himself that women were out of his life. But this girl seemed like one in a million and he couldn't let her walk away. ''You don't have to call me sir.'' he started off nervously. ''It makes me feel old, which I am not.'' he assured quickly, seeing a smile appear on the blonde's face. Her smile was warm and sweet. Something about her seemed so innocent and utterly perfect. But even Hotch knew from experience that no person could be perfect. But why did she seem perfect?

''I won't.'' she replied. She didn't move but kept standing in front of him. She was waiting for a sign to leave, she didn't know what kind of sign. Maybe she was just waiting for him.

Hotch extended his hand. ''I'm Aaron.'' he introduced. ''Aaron Hotchner.''

JJ shook his hand with grace as she laughed softly. It was more like a giggle a little girl would make. ''It's nice to meet you, Aaron Aaron Hotchner.''

''You're funny! I like that.'' he complimented. ''So, what's your name?''

She felt the blush coming on her face. ''My mother told me to never give my name to strangers.'' she replied. ''Sorry!''

''But what if I might be the perfect stranger?''

''No one is perfect.'' she said immediately, making Hotch smile in the process.

It was like she read his mind. He was just thinking about that. ''At least let me pay for dry cleaning.'' he offered, pointing at her blouse and jeans. She seemed to totally have forgotten about her dirty clothes.

''You don't have to.'' she said in a hurry as her eyes flew to her watch, noticing the time had passed by too quickly. ''I'm late for work. I have to go!''

''What?'' he said in surprise. ''Oh, of course. Go!'' he pushed. He didn't want to push her into giving her name or number. He wasn't that type of guy. He could try to forget about her, somehow. That just seemed impossible.

''Thanks for the spill, Aaron!'' she joked before she turned around.

Before he could say another word, she disappeared into the crowd, and he was left standing in the middle of the Starbucks with people staring at him.

He walked away when someone started cleaning up the mess he made, a mess that might have changed his life forever. She might have changed his life. He was drawn to her, the moment he looked at her. He had never felt that before, and for the first time he realized that love at first sight might be real after all.