Author's Note: This story was written for ilovetvalot. I am actually certain I have never written a JJ/Rossi fic before, so A) Give it a Chance, and B) Tell me if it is something I should use my febreeze on to stop the nice 'stench of crapola'.

She felt…lost.

Even stepping into the ridiculously familiar lobby, following footsteps she had etched in stone through her almost seven years at the bureau.

And now, after everything, she was coming back.

It was odd, this feeling: returning but not belonging.

Part of her soared higher than an eagles wings at the thought of reuniting with her old team, spending time with friends who were more like family than the seemingly random souls that shared her DNA. All she could think about was listening to Reid explain the nuances of the latest Doctor, teasing Morgan about late nights, and having a girls' night with Penelope and Prentiss.

That was, until she remembered that Prentiss was still carefully tucked away in Prague.

The others were falling apart at the seams.

And the man she had only ever experienced in her midnight fantasies had called her asking her to come back and offer her professional services to the team.

Never before had she felt so much like a hooker and a whore.

And yet, she couldn't stop herself from saying yes.

She didn't blame him for requesting her to come back. After all, logically it made sense.

The BAU needed stability, she could offer that to them.

It wasn't his fault if every scenario in her mind ended with him grabbing her in his strong arms and promising to never let go.

But not every story ended with a fairy tale.

She wasn't a child anymore. She shouldn't be prone to fantasies.

This was an old trick she had started in high school to fight the nerves: walking the home field of her opponents the night before the game to learn the nuances of each field—the slightly uneven spots, the areas where the grass was thinning slightly—all of it helped her to squelch the butterflies and hit the ground running.

But now, she was coming back. Returning to her home field just to feel like nothing was the same at all.

Sighing, and forcing away the pang of loneliness that engrossed her, she smiled to the security guard and pushed the button to the elevator, anxiety growing with every second that passed.

Would it be different?

Or worse, would it be the same?

Would they remember her how she was, how she used to be, and expect her to be the glorified spokesman?

Or would they remember that she was coming back with new responsibilities and new experiences?

Stepping into the elevator, she hesitated for only a second before pushing the button for the sixth floor.

She supposed she worried about the others because inside, she felt like a completely different person.

No longer was she the devoted parent, the partner of a kind man who only wanted to do what was best for their son. No longer was she the honest friend who the entire team could depend on.

No, now she was the single mother with an ex-boyfriend who could only look at her with a smile full of regret and guilt. Now she was the woman who lied to her friends, destroying the only family her best friend had ever known and "killing" her in the process.

So consumed in her self-reflection, she almost didn't notice the man waiting for the elevator, a scotch in hand.

"JJ—" David Rossi stood just a little straighter, smiling a cocky smile that on anyone else would seem overconfident, but on him looked perfectly suited. "What are you doing here this late? I thought you didn't start back until next week?"

"Will has Henry for the weekend." She shrugged, forcing herself to sound as if she didn't care as she stepped off the elevator. "I thought this would be the best time just to check the place out a bit, see if it was everything I remembered."

In reality, every time she dropped her little boy off it felt like part of her heart was ripped from her chest.

"The two of you broke up?" He asked surprised, allowing the elevator doors to close and move onto another floor. He forced himself not to grin at the thought that the woman in front of him could be unattached.

"It was mutual." She confessed quickly—too quickly—and the look on his face must have shown his disbelief because she looked down and added, "Once he told me it was over, I moved out. So it was mutual."

He frowned, hating the uncertainty in her eyes. "Damn JJ, I'm sorry."

She waved away his concern, not wanting to dwell on the disaster that was her personal life. Glancing at the scotch in his hands, JJ smiled and changed the subject. "I thought you were going to stop drinking."

"I am cutting down." He smiled sheepishly, raising the glass as proof. "There's ice."

She chuckled, allowing the sweet sound to fill the air, the first real laugh that had escaped her lips in nearly a month. "I see."

"What, it's been a stressful few weeks?" He shrugged, following her down the hall, intoxicated by her presence. "And since you technically don't work here, you don't get to have an opinion about it for another…" He glanced down at his watch, "four days."

"After which, believe me, that bottle of scotch in your top left drawer is going to disappear." She teased.

He shrugged, smiling with an ease he hadn't felt in a long time. "Eh. I've got other bottles stashed in the office, you won't get them all."

She chuckled, allowing the pair to drift into a soft comfortable silence as they walked the halls of the FBI at such a late hour.

She allowed her thoughts to drift to the man next to her, grateful to have met a real man so long ago.

Three years was a long time to have a man like David Rossi gracing her fantasies.

But that was just another fairytale that would be popped by the harsh pin of reality.

She shook her head, steeling herself. There could be no 'happily ever afters'. Not for her. That was something she was all too aware of.

"So how does it measure up?" He asked, breaking the silence as he stole a gaze at her perfectly formed features.

"What?" She asked, surprised and slightly embarrassed that she had allowed her mind to wander while he was standing right beside her.

He grinned as she blushed, obviously lost in her thoughts. He gestured around them, smirking slightly but holding back the urge to tease her. "This. You came to see if it was everything you remembered." He reminded.

"Everything and more." She murmured as she caught his eye in a glance. Then, realizing she had voiced aloud a thought that would leave her more vulnerable than ever before, her face fell in horror and she took a deep breath to steel herself. "Sorry. I should go—"

"JJ—" He murmured, his hot breath sending shivers down her spine as he grabbed her hand to pull her back. "I want you to know…" He searched for the right word, just on the line between excited colleague and long waiting admirer. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too." She blinked, her voice hitching in her throat as waves of heat pulsated from his contact with her. Looking down, she gasped as she realized he was still holding her hand.

He kissed her lightly on the cheek, a chaste gesture that nearly made her melt. Her knees felt weak, her head was light, but all she could focus on was the man next to her.

He too felt the immediate draw to the blonde next to him, his simple gesture igniting his core in a passionate fire he knew he needed to stop right now. It was one thing for him to pursue the gorgeous woman next to him, it was an entirely different thing to seduce her right here when he knew she was vulnerable.

And unfortunately, for 'little Dave' as he liked to call him, seduction was going to have to wait.

And lust would have to take a backseat while he let the love he honestly felt for this perfect woman grew at levels unmatched by anything he had ever felt before.

This was new territory for David Rossi, but he wasn't going to let it go easily.

"Dave." She cleared her throat uncomfortably, not wanting to interrupt this sudden electrifying feeling, but also a little concerned for him as he seemed to simply stare at her with awestruck wonderment.

She wasn't sure that a man had ever looked at her like that.

And while it left her feeling wonderful, she couldn't help but wonder if there was something else going through his mind.

"Go out with me." He blurted, determined to make La Montagne's mistake into his victory. Realizing how impulsive that sounded, despite years of dreaming to make the same invitation, he smiled and tried again. "Come to dinner with me."

She watched him, closely trying to gauge his intent. She wasn't sure she could bear a pity date from David Rossi.

But even a pity date would be more than she ever dreamed.

"Okay." She nodded, somewhat surprised at her own acceptance. She had intended to stall, maybe hesitate, in order not to seem so eager.

She didn't want to scare him off.

But the wide grin on his face told her he was definitely not scared off, nor was he seemingly regretting extending the invitation.

Emboldened, Dave acted quickly, hoping to leave her with an idea of just how much she meant to him. He stepped forward, cupping the back of her head as he pulled her toward him, leaning down just slightly to capture her lips against his. Initially, he only intended for it to be a quick soft kiss, evidence of his intentions but leaving her wanting more.

JJ, however, acted instinctively, her lips enticing him to continue further. He felt her hand tangle in his hair and couldn't stop the pulsating warmth in his core.

She was intoxicating.

She was breathtaking.

And he would do whatever it took to make her his.

He pulled away, his heart managing somehow to override 'little Dave' as he reminded himself that she had just broken up with her fiancé.

Sometimes it really sucked to be the good guy.

"Dinner?" He asked, not allowing himself to lose hold of her as he gestured to the elevators behind them. While he could stop himself now, he wasn't sure he would be able to stop himself later.

She nodded, her eyes twinkling seductively with a sexiness she hadn't felt in a long time. "If we make it that far."

His eyes widened and he felt his mouth dry up at the thought. Guiding her down the steps, he grinned as he thought of the night ahead of them.

He never thought it would be possible.

But he was pretty sure he had just found his true love.