A/N OK, big old author's note coming up, making the following points:

a) So...those of you who have followed me across from Part One and Part Two will be familiar with the set-up. Taken from the LJ community 64damn_prompts, I decided that since there were 64 of them, I should split them up into three parts. Hence, therefore, there are two twenty-something collections that precede this one!

b) Most of the oneshots will be totally unrelated - if I'm linking any of them together, I'll make it obvious! :)

c) And finally, I'll write at the start of each chapter which characters it's going to involve, although I'm fairly confident that all of them will be JJ/Hotch in some way - don't worry, I normally make it clear what happened to Will! ;)

Anyway, I really hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds or the LiveJournal community from which I took this prompt list.

Character/Pairing: JJ/Hotch

Rating: T

Prompt: #44 - Turpentine Kisses And Mistaken Blows

He opens the door.

Hotch rubs his tired eyes. "JJ? What are you...?"

"I don't know," she admits, "I just...I needed to talk to somebody, and..."

"This case was hard for you," he says, hearing her voice trail off. JJ nods uncertainly, shivering slightly.

"I wanted to ask you...earlier, when you said that I should know how you felt about me. When you said that you had fee..."

The words catch in the back of her throat as a third person joins them.

"Aaron? Is everything okay?"

The voice and figure moving closer is decidedly feminine and JJ just stares in open mouthed disbelief, her heart stopping.

"You...you have...company," she stutters, and hates that she can feel tears stinging her eyes, "I didn't know. I should..."

JJ catches a glimpse of long brown hair and long tanned legs and then she's blinking away the water that is still threatening to fall.

Hotch wonders why she looks so upset.

"Hi," says the woman, with a smile that JJ knows is supposed to be friendly, "I'm Anna."

"JJ," she replies shakily, "I...I didn't mean to disturb your evening."

And then she's turning on her heel and walking back down the hall to the elevator.

"Why are you leaving?" Hotch asks, catching her arm. JJ scoffs in wounded disbelief.

"You know, I should have known," she says, prising his hand away, "I should have known that when you said you..."

Anna is still lingering in the doorway and JJ can't – won't – do this in front of her.

"It doesn't matter. Thanks for clearing that up for me, Hotch."

The elevator is taking too long and JJ knows that if she waits any longer, she might just die.

Part of her wants to stay and let him explain, but the part of her that's in control, the heartbroken part, makes her take the stairs.

She's just made it out of the apartment building when a hand closes around her wrist.

"Anna is Sean's girlfriend," Aaron says breathlessly, blurting the words out in a hurry to make her stay, "Sean's."

She's made a mistake.

"Sean's?" she echoes faintly.

Hotch nods. "Not mine. Absolutely not mine."

"Not yours," JJ repeats, her eyes locked on the ground.

"They're staying with me and Jack for a week."

JJ blinks away tears, almost crippled by the relief that floods through her.

"I thought you lied about having feelings for me," she whispers, daring to glance up at him.

"I'd never lie to you. And I do have feelings for you," he says, still trying to catch his breath, "More than you'll ever know."

The words they've both been wanting to say hang between them in an uncertain silence.

"I screwed up," she admits in a soft voice. Hotch chuckles, lifting a hand to the side of her face.

"It's okay," he reassures.

"It's not! I should never have..." JJ protests, but then his lips are closing the distance and pressing softly against hers and she loses all power of thought.

Eventually, Hotch breaks away. He wrinkles up his nose, his forehead still resting tight against hers.

"I could never be interested in Anna," he murmurs.

JJ stares at his lips and wants to taste him again, but manages to ask, "Why?"

She feels his warm smile soak through her as he replies.

"Because she's not you."