A/N: Hey, I am back with a new chapter for this story after a long time. I am so sorry for the long wait, but I wasn't able to update due to an accident. Luckily, I am feeling a lot better now and I am back at my own apartment without people keeping a constant eye on me.

During my time stuck in bed I had a lot of time to think about my stories. And I came up with an idea that you guys might find interesting. As much as I have loved writing this story I feel like there has to be an end to it soon. But because I don't want to leave it behind I thought I would create a universe for which I will write stories similar to this (spin-off), ''The Forever Universe''.

I have come up with an idea for a new story in which I can do the plotlines I had planned out for this story. And eventually I could post more stories for it, and maybe some scenes I had written out but never posted because they eventually didn't tie in the with the plot. For now it's just an idea. So let me know what you guys think of it! There will at least be one more chapter for this story no matter what I decide to do.

Special thanks to 2Addicted2YourLove, jenny crum, HotchRocks, Christiangirl, GottaLoveCM, Jareau37 and waiyeex90!

I don't own criminal minds!

Chapter 71: Moving Forward

One month later…

Life for JJ had finally quieted down. After her release from the hospital she had gone home with Hotch, knowing that she belonged there with him. And as they settled into their lives together without the threat of her job, JJ was slowly beginning to realize that Hotch was everything she had been waiting for her in her life. As much as she had loved her job, it would never mean as much to her as the life she was now leading. For the first time in years she had the power to foresee a future, not just her own safety. Her future was bright and she had a real honest chance to be happy.

And as she looked down at the diamond ring on her finger, her heart filled itself with warmth all over again. The thought of marrying Hotch was exciting and she couldn't wait to become his wife and for him to be her husband. She just knew that they'd be together for as long as time would allow them to be.

She was slowly but surely regaining her strength from the ordeal with Ward, but even though she was healing physically she had realized the emotional scars may never fade away. She had been trained to sustain certain type of situations, but some of them would never be forgotten. Her career with agency hadn't lasted as long as she had expected when she started, but working with Collins and Owen had tainted her desire to ever return to the CIA. It was Adrian who showed her in the end that their work could truly be rewarding. During the months they worked together she had seen what a true partnership was like, and she'd always be grateful for having met him and becoming his friend.

But now, she didn't know what to do with her life. She was happy, she really was but she also wanted to have a job, something that would mean something to her. She wasn't the type to sit at home all day and be a housewife. No matter how much she loved Hotch, she'd never be that person, but she also knew that he realized that more than anyone.

Just as she turned on her side to face the man next to her in bed, she heard the alarm clock on the nightstand going off. She heard Hotch groan out in frustration as the incessant noise was waking him up. So JJ rolled closer to him, being careful with her movements for her injuries. She still felt shooting pains from the stabs wounds so she had to be careful. She climbed on top off him with a wicked grin as she noticed the faint smile on his face when they looked at one another. And instead of leaning down to kiss him, she reached for his phone deviously and turned off the alarm. ''Why didn't you turn if off last night?'' she whined as she straddled him with the covers surrounding her body.

Hotch's hands landed on her hips, feeling the smooth skin underneath his fingertips. He pulled himself up and sat with his back against the headboard as JJ moved with him, staying on top of him. ''Good morning to you too!'' he whispered as he cupped her face. He lingered in front of her lips for a few seconds and then leaned in to gently kiss her lips.

JJ's hands found their way into his hair as she deepened the kiss, moaning into his mouth. She let her hands slip from his neck down to his chest, and then she immediately felt him pull away. At the loss of contact she sighed out in frustration as she looked at him with disappointment. ''Come on, Aaron!'' she pouted. ''I am not that fragile.''

''JJ, I want to. Believe me.'' he groaned out, putting a strand of hair behind her ear. ''But you have to recover first.''

''I hate you for being such a good guy.'' she breathed out while moving next to him in the bed. She settled next to him and rested her head on his shoulder, the sun beginning to shine through the curtains of the bedroom. ''When are you going back to work?''

''I don't know yet.'' he responded as he put his arm around JJ to pull her closer. He kissed the top of her head and enjoyed the feeling of her in his arms. ''I just want to be here for you, JJ.''

JJ pulled away slightly so she could look at him, and she immediately realized he seemed to be worried for her. ''Aaron, I'll be fine.'' she promised. ''I can take care of myself when you're away on cases. I know how much your job means to you and I don't want to keep you from it.''

''JJ, you've been through a lot in a short period of time and I just want to be here for you. I don't want you to feel alone.'' he began to explain sweetly. ''This is where I want to be. Nowhere else.'' he went on.

JJ was about respond when she heard the sound of her cellphone coming from the living room. So she jumped from the bed and turned to him with a questionable look because she had no idea who could be calling her. She had no friends besides Emily. Her social life was non-existent. She had begun to walk through the hallway and into the living room when the ringing stopped. She stopped and took her phone from the coffee table, seeing that there was a voicemail message from an unknown caller. She took the phone with her as she walked back to the bedroom, holding it to her ear as she began to play the message.

''Hello Jennifer, I am Stephen Hall with the Defense Intelligence Agency and I am very interested to speak to you about your next step in your intelligence career. The position of senior advisor to the Director is open, and the DIA is very interested in you.'' she heard the man's voice say in the message, her heart speeding up. ''Give me a call back when you get the chance.''

By the time the message had ended, she was standing frozen in the doorway of the bedroom with her cellphone clinging in her hand. She was baffled to say the least. In a way she was honored, but also scared for Hotch's response.

''Who was it?'' he asked curiously when he noticed that JJ suddenly seemed a little bit out of it. He stepped from the bed when he didn't get an immediate response from JJ. He walked towards her and stepped right in front of her.

''Uhhmm…'' she stumbled, her voice tightening with fear. ''That was the Deputy Director of the DIA.'' she murmured.

''DIA?'' Hotch asked, not immediately knowing which agency she was talking about.

''It's the Defense Intelligence Agency, they operate under jurisdiction of the Department of Defense.'' she informed quickly. ''He wants to talk to me about a job offer, Aaron.'' she admitted to him.

He walked past her and out of the bedroom. In truth he didn't know what to think. It had only been one month since JJ was back in his life, and people were already after her for her skills and abilities. He knew she had a short but illustrious career with the CIA. Apparently she had been one of the best while she worked for Collins, so it didn't surprise him that another agency wanted her. He just didn't know what to think about it. He just got her back and he was afraid to lose her all over again. He stopped in the kitchen and turned around when he heard JJ's footsteps right behind him. ''Is this what you really want, JJ?'' he questioned.

''I know it's hard for you to trust me after what I did.'' she began, but he immediately interrupted her.

''I trust you, JJ. That's not the point.'' he started off. ''I am just afraid of losing you all over again. I just got you back.''

She stepped forward and gazed at him intently as she slowly moved into his embrace. ''You'll never lose me again. I promise you.'' she whispered into his ear. ''I'll be with you no matter what. I don't want to lose you again either.''

Hotch breathed out in relief, his arms still wrapped around her small frame. He knew JJ would never walk away from their relationship again, but that still didn't take away the fear of losing her. ''If you want this job, you should take it.''

''Thank you.'' she whispered as she pulled away from him. ''It's a desk job. I promise you that I won't go back into the field, okay!''

''Yeah, I know.'' he agreed. A part of him still wanted to protect her from the world, but he knew JJ had seen things far worse than he ever did. She had been faced with it herself due to her job, and sometimes he wondered if she'd ever recover from what she had seen and been through. So he knew a desk job was the only thing she'd want. Going back into the field would probably prove to be too traumatic for her. And as he looked at her closely he could see a flicker of pain flash through her eyes. ''You know you can talk to me right, about anything!'' he encouraged. ''We haven't really talked about Ward since the hospital, and I didn't want to push you, but it has been a month, JJ.''

JJ pulled back a little to put some distance between them. ''I…I…uhh…it's not something I really feel like talking about.'' she said defensively. ''Ward was just taunting me. He only wanted to see me suffer and it worked.''

''But he mentioned your father.'' Hotch reminded her. ''Isn't that something we should talk about?''

She leaned against the kitchen counter, memories of her childhood rushing back to the surface. In some ways she had always longed to have a father in her life, but she had long ago given up on the idea of him. She hadn't really thought about it in years until Ward had taunted her with it. ''All I need to know about that man is that he walked out of my life after my sister's suicide. He isn't worth another moment of my life.'' she said, her voice revealing how upset she really was about the subject. ''He had every chance to be a father, but he hasn't shown up in years, Aaron. I was put into foster care because no one could find my father, so I went from family to family until I was eighteen. There's no reason for me to dredge this up.''

''I'm sorry for what you've been through, JJ.'' Hotch apologized gently. ''I can't even imagine what that must have been like for you.''

''I just want to leave the past behind and move forward.'' she said happily. ''I want to start our life together, to grow old together and look back on the time we spent together. You're my family, Aaron. You're all I have, but you are enough. You are all I am ever going to need.''

He once again closed the distance and claimed her lips in a passionate kiss, his hands roaming around her body as she responded with the same passion. As always he got lost in her, and she found herself lost in him and the world around them disappeared. Their kiss quickly intensified and JJ felt herself being lifted onto the counter with ease as Hotch stepped between her legs, kissing her to no abandon.

''You're the perfect stranger after all!'' she whispered in between kisses.

Hotch laughed, realizing she was referring to the first time they met. ''I told you I would be!''