A/N This was a pinch hit for Round Four of ilovetvalot's Fanfic Challenge 2010. The prompt was Character A meets Character B's parents for the first time.
Special thanks to my co-writer and beta flashpenguin - I don't know what I would have done without her! She saved me from being attacked by that ol' devil Writer's Block, and turned my raw fruit into juice as if it was easy.
Disclaimer: As much as I would love to, I don't own Criminal Minds. I do own Ellen Hotchner. Title from the song by Etta James.
Morning light streamed through the window, landing on the sleeping pair in the double bed. Groaning at the intruder of his rest, Hotch rolled over and brushed up against the woman lying next to him. His body reacted the way he knew it would, the way it always did when he was with her, and he buried his face in the space between her shoulder and neck just to be that much closer to her.
Pressing his lips against JJ's neck, his hand reaching over to cup her breast as he urged her into wakefulness. He moved his hips against her bare bottom to show her that he was more than ready to continue what they had started the night before.
"Don't you ever get enough?" JJ murmured as Hotch's hand stroked her.
"Depends upon how you define 'enough'. The boys are with Pen this weekend and we have the house to ourselves. I think we can find a way to entertain ourselves."
"I can only imagine what you have on the list of things to do." JJ rolled over and looked at her handsome lover through sleepy eyes. Running her fingers thru his hair, she chuckled at the way the strands stood on end.
"My 'To Do List' only has one thing on it: You," Hotch growled in her ear.
Dipping his head down, he kissed her openly and wantonly, his body searching for the essence of what gave him the energy to keep going.
"I'm thinking we could start with a little breakfast in bed," he said, brushing his lips against her neck, his morning scruff causing her to giggle as it brushed against her skin.
"That sounds good."
"Then maybe a shower, some real food, more sex…" He slid his leg between hers, his body pressing her down into the mattress. JJ sighed softly, tangling her fingers through his hair to pull him closer. Hotch grinned against her neck, his hands gliding over heated skin as she arched up off the bed.
"I love you," he murmured. Pushing his hips forward, he teased her with promises of more to come.
JJ felt her heart warm as it did every time those words left his mouth. "I lo..." Her body arched up to stroke him and take his length fully inside her hot wet heat. They both groaned as he sank further.
"Aaron! Aaron, are you in?" A woman's voice called up the stairs.
"Oh yes, Jen, I'm in," Hotch moaned as his body thrust deep.
"Aaron, that wasn't me," JJ gasped.
"Aaron, darling; are you home?" The woman called out again, the front door slamming broke the silence of the empty house. The pair on the bed froze.
"Is that...?" JJ began, her eyes widening. Hotch winced as the desire suddenly left his body.
"Yes." He rolled away from her, breaking the intimate connection their bodies had formed minutes before.
JJ narrowed her eyes. "How did she get in?"
He grinned sheepishly. "She sort of has a key..."
"Who the hell gives their MOTHER a key?" she yelped, struggling with the bed sheets. Hotch scrambled for the discarded boxer shorts on the floor beside him.
"Calm down, Jayje."
"Calm down? I am naked, and sweaty, and your mother is walking up the stairs!" she whispered furiously.
"Get in the shower," he urged, "I think I can hold her off."
Pulling the top sheet off, JJ quickly wrapped it around her body and sprinted for the master bathroom. The moment she closed the door, a knock sounded on the bedroom door.
Running his hand thru his hair, Hotch quickly checked his breath, and threw on the t-shirt lying at the foot of the bed.
"Come in!" he called out, his voice cracking. Why did he all of a sudden feel like a teen-ager caught by his mother? After all, this was his house!
The door opened. An older woman, conservatively dressed, her hair perfectly coiffed stepped over the threshold.
"Mom!" Hotch greeted with false brightness. "What are you doing here?" He moved towards her in the hopes of ushering her out of his bedroom.
Ellen Hotchner, however, had other ideas, and flew across the room to wrap him in a tight hug.
Dear God, he hoped he didn't smell like sex.
"I just thought I'd stop by and see my boy now that he actually has some time off," she said pointedly.
Hotch went to reply but was interrupted by a scream.
"Holy shit!"
Hotch winced, watching his mother's eyes widen at the stream of curses that followed. The door flew open, and he watched in disbelieving dismay as a very wet JJ stumbled into the middle of the room, clad only in a towel - a towel too many sizes too small to stand any chance of preserving her dignity.
"Aaron! The...the water!" she spluttered, waving a hand towards the bathroom. "It's scalding hot! You definitely need to..."
"JJ."
"...if that had been Henry or Jack, they could have been seriously burnt! I'll call a plumber..."
"Jayje," he muttered from the corner of his mouth, "stop talking."
Like a deer caught in headlights, JJ froze, slowly turning. Ellen arched an eyebrow, brown eyes sparkling in amusement.
"Did I interrupt?" she asked sweetly, as a knowing smile tugged at her lips.
"Mom..." Hotch searched frantically for a good excuse.
"I'll leave you two alone to...well, to dress. Then I think we should perhaps try this again, don't you?"
The two agents nodded vigorously, both pink cheeked and mortified. Not even trying to conceal a smile, Ellen backed out of the room, pulling the door shut behind her.
After a few moments of staring at the door in shock, JJ let out a horrified wail, the sound choked as she let go of the towel to cover her eyes.
"Oh GOD!"
"Sweetie, it's okay," Hotch tried to comfort, but he seemed to have failed. JJ glared at him, storming across to her drawer in the dresser to find some underwear.
"Okay? It is definitely not okay, Aaron Hotchner! And you know what else? This is all your fault!"
He frowned. "How is it my fault?"
JJ scoffed, thrusting her legs into her panties and struggling with her bra. "Morning sex," she spat. "I never have morning sex. Well, not until I met you, anyway."
"Usually my mother calls before visiting. I don't know why she's here…"
"Maybe you should ask her," JJ growled as she pulled items out of the dresser. Throwing them on, she reached for her shoes. A quick brush of her tangled wet locks proved impossible to manage, so she tied it up with an elastic.
Taking his time dressing, Hotch glanced over his shoulder, and a small smirk darted across his lips. JJ bit her lip, now dressed in jeans and a blue sweater, her wet hair pulled into a ponytail.
"She hates me already," she whispered, and looked so upset, Hotch wanted to make her feel better.
"Trust me, she doesn't hate you." He leaned over and gently kissed her cheek. "She's going to love you as much as I do. I promise."
"Are you sure? I mean that's a hell of an introduction and first impression I made with her."
"Come on. Let's get this over with."
Taking her hand in his, Hotch pulled a humiliated JJ down the stairs into the living room. Ellen Hotchner wasn't smiling but her eyes were dancing with mischief as she watched the blonde carefully study the floor.
"Mom," Aaron began slowly, "This is Jennifer Jareau. The media liaison for the team...and my girlfriend."
Ellen stood up and extended her hand. "I have heard a lot about you Jennifer. It's a pleasure to meet you. Although I didn't realize you were going to be here this weekend."
"That makes the two of us," JJ whispered under her breath. She gingerly shook the older woman's hand.
"Mother, why are you here?" Hotch asked evenly.
"I wanted to see my son and grandson. Is that a crime?" Ellen gestured toward the couch. "I hope you don't mind, I made coffee. Have a seat." She sat down across from the couple. "So, Jennifer, you are the FBI media liaison? What exactly does that detail?"
"She's a people person," Hotch replied with a grin. His mother arched an eyebrow.
"Evidently."
As Hotch choked on a laugh and JJ choked on her coffee, she felt her cheeks turn a whole new shade of red. She made a move to stand.
"I just remembered..." she said shakily, "I have, you know…"
Ellen rolled her eyes. "Sit down, JJ. I'm only teasing."
Doing as she was told, and immediately catapulted back to a time when she was five years old, JJ nodded. "Yes, ma'am."
"None of that 'ma'am' nonsense. I've seen you wearing nothing but a towel – I think we could progress to Ellen."
JJ cleared her throat. "Okay…Ellen."
"And you can rest assured that your secret will forever be safe with me." She winked. JJ blushed fiercely. "My son on the other hand…"
"Mother!"
Ellen sipped her scalding liquid carefully. "Hmmm, if I remember correctly, there was this one little precocious boy who decided one year to tell everyone what they got for Christmas."
Hotch felt his cheeks burn with embarrassment.
"I was six," he defended weakly. "I was hoping to trade up with one of my cousins for their gift."
"That's when I knew he was going to be a lawyer." Satisfied, Ellen nodded. "Now, I suppose I should thank you. For putting a smile back on my son's face."
The blonde felt her own lips curve up in a smile. "You're more than welcome. In all honesty, it was him who put a smile on my face. I should be thanking you for producing such a good man."
"Well, I could only do so much. Aaron was always a good boy with a good head on his shoulders. All he ever needed was a good woman to make it all come out."
A heavy silence filled the room as the occupants stared away. On the coffee table, JJ's cell phone began to ring. Glancing quickly at the caller ID, JJ stood.
"That's probably Garcia. Please excuse me..." she began, but Hotch was already nodding.
"Go," Ellen waved her off.
She disappeared into the kitchen. Ellen raised her eyebrows. "Garcia?"
He wasn't listening, his attention focused on the conversation taking place behind the closed door.
"...Henry, honey, it's Aunt Penny's. You have to stay...no, sweetie..." He heard JJ sigh heavily, "Oh, Henry...I promise I won't ever be gone like Daddy."
Closing his eyes at the sadness soaking into her voice, Hotch felt his mother's touch on the back of his hand.
"Did she lose her partner like you lost Hailey?" Concern laced her voice as her eyes filled up with sudden tears of sympathy.
"No, but maybe that would have hurt her less." Hotch didn't like to think of the coward who had abandoned JJ and Henry.
"He walked out on them?"
"More like ran," Hotch corrected, his lips twitched with suppressed anger.
Ellen Hotchner studied her son carefully, not missing the flickers of scorn and hatred in his dark eyes. Clearing her throat, she folded one knee over the other, resting her hands on top of his.
"I like her," she stated. "I mean, I may have seen more of her than I ever wanted to, but..." She let her voice trail of, content to hear his answering laugh. Aaron stared at her smaller hand held in his larger one, and he grew serious.
"I love her, Mom. I'll always love Hailey, because she gave me Jack, but..."
"But this is it," Ellen finished softly, squeezing his hand.
"This is more than it. This is everything. She is everything."
"Oh Aaron," Ellen brushed the tears away with her fingertips. "I am so happy for you and her." She tried to catch her breath and gain some control. "Oh. Look at me. I'm going to look like a raccoon."
"You're beautiful, mom," he replied, and when she looked at him, Ellen saw the earnest ten year old he used to be.
"Thank you, sweetheart. Now have you told her?"
His brow creased in confusion. "Have I told her what?"
"Have you told her that she's everything?"
Before he could answer, Hotch looked up and saw JJ in the doorway. Concern was in her eyes as she watched Ellen lean toward her son.
JJ blinked, finding two pairs of laughing eyes looking at her. She self-consciously straightened her top, wondering if in her haste to dress, she'd put it on inside out.
"What?" she asked slowly.
"My mother wanted to know if I -" Hotch started.
"If he was going to let me visit with my grandchildren." Her emphasis was on the plural.
JJ looked at Ellen then at Hotch. A knowing smile brightened her face. "Well, Henry is with Jack at Garcia's. She's watching them this weekend."
Ellen stood up and placed the strap of her purse on her shoulder. "What do you say we go pick your children up so their grandmother can spoil them rotten while their parents finish their weekend together?"
Hotch held out his hand for JJ. "What do you say Jen? Should we let my mother spoil her grandchildren rotten?"
His voice was soft and gentle, and JJ felt the tears prick her eyes as her heart fell hard and fast. It was official: she had found a man who could take their mismatched families and make it whole. She and Henry were home.
A swell of gratitude threatened to make the tears fall. Taking Hotch's hand, she stepped into his embrace. "Sure, why not? Do you think I can spoil you this weekend?" she murmured as his lips brushed against hers.
"You can do whatever your heart desires," he promised, feeling the stirrings of lust at the pit of his stomach, and kissed her deeply.
Ellen watched the pair for a moment and then backed toward the front door. "I'll be waiting in the car when you two are ready."
"Mmmm hmmm," Hotch replied absently as his arms tightened around JJ and held her close.
Hotch had found his everything. JJ had found her home.
And it was perfect.