A/N: Here's another chapter! I hope you all like it.

Special thanks to snuggleUP, jennu crum, 2Addicted2YourLove and Christiangirl!

I don't own criminal minds!

Chapter 50: Phase Two

After a long and loving embrace, Hotch and JJ had pulled away from one another. JJ had stared back at him, wondering how he could still love her after her betrayal. It was a question that would always remain within her heart. But what they felt for one another was about more than her lies, and her real job. It was about them, and the life they had a chance of living. JJ figured he just wanted to move past it all and start looking to the future. Her honesty had probably also gone a long way. She had never in her life told someone about her family and past. Not even Owen knew what had happened when she was a little girl. He only knew that JJ came of somewhat of a broken family, instead of a loving and happy home. Once upon a time she did, but that family had been ripped away from her in a matter of months, and before she knew it she had lived in a hell. A hell without her parents and her sister.

Sometimes JJ would wake up in the middle of the night and wonder where her father was. Why had he left? Why didn't he come back after her mother's murder? How could he leave her behind? All those questions had caused a hole in her heart. A part of her would always be broken because so much about her past was still unresolved. Her abandonment issues regarding her father, and of course her mother's murder. Her killer had never been caught and JJ had a hard time living with that fact. But those hardships, involving her parents, had been captured by walls so they could never resurface and push her into darkness. She had thrown herself into college and her career with the CIA. Her dedication to school and ultimately her job was what hid those scars she carried with her. And for so long she had been able to keep running away from her problems, but now she could no longer run. Now she was being faced with them, and it wasn't because of her job or because of herself. It was because of Hotch. Now she finally needed to acknowledge her feelings because he deserved the truth from her. He deserved all of her and not just the little part she had been sharing with him. Now, finally, everything was out. He knew about her family, he knew about her job. Of course there would always be cases he couldn't have any knowledge of, but that was something she couldn't get around, and she knew Hotch of all people would understand that. Cases were classified and she wouldn't break her loyalty to the CIA. She had already crossed certain boundaries. She had moved in with him, she had investigated on her own. She crossed lines, but some lines she could never cross.

Hotch had his eyes on the empty road before him when he heard JJ sigh out heavily. He gazed to his side and watched as the blonde stared off into the distance, her hand supporting her head as she looked out the window of the SUV. He had barely exchanged any words with her after their conversation at her childhood home. He had decided to give JJ some space to process everything that was happening, but now he felt he could've done something differently. But even he needed time to process. He loved her, he really did. But there was still so much he needed to process as well. He had no idea what JJ's job would mean for their relationship or if they even stood a chance anymore. It was all unclear to him and he felt extremely hesitant about asking her for more than she had already given, but the silence was slowly killing him. He couldn't stand all the questions and being quiet at once. It wasn't right.

So he breathed in as his hands clenched the stirring wheel between his palms. ''Why the CIA?'' he asked curiously, wanting to know what had been JJ's drive to work for the CIA of all agencies. She probably had the most dangerous jobs out of all of them, and there had to be reason for her to put her life on the line every single day.

JJ was pulled from her haze when she heard him ask the question. She sat straight up and looked at him before she even began to open her mouth. He raised a fair question, but the answer wasn't easy. Probably even harder to understand for most people. But he was FBI. He probably felt the same loyalty and dedication as she did. So she formed her hands in a fist, and let her mind wander for a moment, until everything suddenly seemed to be clear. ''You know, I risk my life for my job, for the agency, for this country, and it's normal to me. It just feels like something I have to do.'' she began slowly. ''At first it was all about freedom for me, but when the first serious case hit my desk, I came to look at it differently. I realized that we save lives. We protect the innocent the best we can. That's why I do it.'' she continued on. ''And I…I'm good at it. I love my job.'' she ended.

Hotch understood her reasoning. He felt the same. Maybe his job was on a different scale, but he still saved lives. He tried to stop evil from claiming another life, day after day. He couldn't imagine doing anything else. But he also couldn't imagine the pressure and heartache that came along with JJ's job. He had been on the sidelines of possible terrorist attacks, and it had been utter hell. He couldn't imagine that being his everyday life. ''How long have you been with the agency?''

''It has been about two and a half years.'' she replied easily.

''When you mentioned that you were going to quit your job, did you mean your job at the CIA?'' he asked carefully, his voice soft and tender.

JJ nodded slightly. ''Yes, I meant my job at the CIA. After this case is over I'm going to quit.''

''Why, JJ? Why would you do that when you love your job?''

''Because it'll make things easier for us. Because we would have the chance at a normal life.'' she explained strongly. ''It would make my life so much easier, Aaron. Isn't that what you want?'' she asked.

Hotch looked at JJ intently, not knowing how to answer or even how to say what he wanted to say. It was a difficult situation for both of them, and finding a balance would prove to be hard, but he was willing to fight to have JJ in his life. But it seemed like JJ was willing to give up absolutely everything just to have a chance with him, which meant the world to him and spoke volumes of her love for him. But it also meant that was giving up a part of her that he understood. A part that could never be hidden or erased. ''Of course I would love for life to be easier and for us to spent more time together, JJ. I would love that so much.'' he agreed with her. ''But I would never want you to give up your job just so things would be easier. You would resent me for the rest of our lives if you did.'' he went on. ''Besides, we will never have a normal life. I will still be FBI, and deep down your desire to work for the CIA will never fade away. I think your resignation would ruin us, rather than make us stronger.''

''Okay,'' she said with fear. ''But what does that mean for us?''

''It means that we have to fight for our relationship, but I'm more than willing to do that. Are you?''

JJ looked at him with a sad smile on her face, realizing he probably didn't fully understand her job and what came with it. ''Of course I am more than willing to do that.'' she replied. ''But Aaron, do you realize that I have no idea where my job will take me after my current assignment is over?''

''No,'' he said flatly.

''I don't sit behind a desk at Langley all day.'' she began. ''I move across the world on a regular basis. I don't know where my assignments take me. Sometimes they're a week, and sometimes it is deep cover for months at a time. Do you really imagine that we could survive that?''

He didn't answer, because he didn't have one. She was obviously right. Her job was more demanding and would put her in extremely risky situations and he couldn't live with that. Knowing she was across the world and in possible danger would put a strain on their relationship because he needed her to be safe. He needed to know that she wasn't hurt.

''I don't know.'' he admitted honestly. ''But we will never if we don't at least try.''

''I might be able to talk to my boss about certain assignments. I could take the ones that keep me in the US and foreign missions could be assigned to my partner if that's necessary.'' she brainstormed. ''Or I could move to a desk job. There are possibilities for me within the agency.''

Hotch had his eyes on the road when it suddenly hit him. Why was she in DC? What kind of assignment was she actually working? And why Chemicaltech Industries? It led him to wonder that the FBI was on the right track after all when it came to Tyler Warren's death. Maybe JJ was working on the same case he was, which would mean that CIA had knowledge of the FBI's involvement and they consciously didn't share any information. ''JJ, why are you in DC?''

''I can't disclose any information to you.'' she said quickly and without a thought.

''JJ, is it a coincidence that we met?'' he went on. ''Are you working on the missing chemicals from Chemicaltech Industries?'' he demanded.

JJ stayed silent, knowing she couldn't admit to a thing. She couldn't reveal her assignment to him. To the CIA he was a threat, and she didn't want to break protocol. Her assignment had become dangerous and even the slightest information could set the FBI off and ruin the case the CIA had been working on so carefully.

''JJ!'' he insisted. ''Do you guys know something about what's going on at Chemicaltech Industries?''

JJ could hear his annoyance and insistence in his voice. He wasn't going to stop asking until she gave him a clear answer, which she just couldn't do. ''Aaron, all you need to know is that I'm working on an important case that is highly classified.''

Hotch pulled up his car to the side of the road and turned to JJ, giving her his full attention now and showing her how serious he was actually being. ''JJ, please!''

''Aaron, I can't!''

''Okay, fine!'' he said agigated. ''Then I'll tell you what the FBI has found. We've tracked down Howard Schmidt.'' he lied, hoping to get a response from JJ.

''What? How?'' JJ exclaimed. ''The CIA has been looking for him. We need to bring him in, Aaron.''

He sat back with the answers he needed. The CIA was really involved in his case and it meant it was more serious than he ever dared to imagine. And from the look on JJ's face, he realized something terrible was going. ''JJ, what's the case about?''