Disclaimer – I own nothing related to Criminal Minds

So I like to post stories or drabbles that I've had saved on my laptop a little while and usually haven't finished (there are a lot because I write when I'm stuck with my assignments or revision). Honestly, these fics aren't my greatest ever work, they're usually just storylines that I've had in my head and wanted to write but never really got back around to it. Most of the fics were written during or before season 7 so the plot lines differ.

This story I've wanted to write loads of times and never found the right plot to write. I've had this one saved a while but never been happy with it.

Let me know what you think!

...

The bartender glanced over to the table that had been occupied by the BAU agents for the better half of two hours.

Since they had entered the welcoming establishment, the seven colleagues had jovially celebrated the end of a tough case, their exuberance gaining volume as the liquor flowed however the entire bar seemed to stiffen as the group silenced suddenly.

Prentiss exchanged glances with the rest of the table before shifting her gaze between the silent blonde profiler and Unit Chief.

"What was that look?" The brunette agent demanded.

JJ met Hotch's eyes before answering. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Really, sunshine?" Garcia cast a doubtful look between the pair. "I'm no profiler but even I noticed that."

Morgan scrunched his eyes in disbelief. "This is unbelievable."

"Derek." Hotch said warningly.

"No, Hotch, how long have the three of us worked together?" He spat almost angrily.

Rossi sniggered quietly. "You know, I knew there was something up between the two of you when I first started back at the BAU."

"Nothing ever happened between us at any point during my time at the BAU." JJ explained in conviction.

Garcia straightened in her seat and smiled broadly. "Aha! But something has happened between you two."

"How did we get onto this topic?" JJ muttered quietly under her breath.

Reid sat forwards in his seat to answer. "That detective made an inappropriate remark towards you at the police station and Hotch nearly killed him."

The team leader began to defend himself weakly. "I didn't nearly..."

Hotch was cut off by Rossi. "We all noticed your anger Aaron when you pushed the man into the filing cabinet, so fess up. How long has something been going on between the two of you?"

"JJ's telling the truth, nothing has happened between us while we've worked in the BAU together." Hotch stated firmly.

"So when did something happen?" Reid asked innocently.

Faced with an unresponsive silence, Garcia puffed out a large breath of air. "Did something happen when you were with the DOD? Is that why you and Will broke up?"

"No." JJ retorted honestly.

Prentiss watched as her younger friend nursed her glass of wine in her hands with intense concentration. "How about before you both worked in the BAU?"

There was a collective smugness cross each of their faces as JJ and Hotch looked at each other guiltily with a similar red blush spreading across both of their faces.

Rossi sniggered. "So what happened?"

"Nothing." JJ raised her hands defensively. "Can we just drop this?"

Garcia rolled her eyes. "No way peaches. A bombshell like that cannot be just dropped and the topic changed."

Hotch met JJ's annoyed gaze, not speaking until she gave him her silent permission. "JJ was just out of the academy and her team came out to Seattle to help my division out with a particularly nasty case."

"Wait, all of this happened in Seattle?" Morgan questioned in annoyance.

Hotch nodded slowly. "JJ and I had a relationship for nearly two years and it ended when I returned to the BAU."

"What about Hailey?" Morgan responded.

"Hailey and I were separated. We were going through the divorce process." Hotch answered truthfully.

"Why did it end between you two?" Prentiss asked a quiet JJ.

The blonde shrugged. "These things happen."

"What really happened?" Garcia asked, knowing there was more.

The Unit Chief focused his gaze on the bottom of his scotch tumbler. "Hailey came back into my life."

Noting the sudden tension between the pair, Prentiss tilted her head. "So how come, you both ended up working together in the BAU?"

"And how come none of us ever knew about this?" Morgan asked loudly.

...

Thanks for reading!