So... I may have done a bad thing. This idea came to me while writing something Emily/Hotch (imagine that, considering usually they're all I have on the brain) and I thought I'd give it a shot. It's a Christmas-themed thing that I am hoping to have done by the 25th (much like For the Better), but with a different pairing. We'll see how well I can write JJ and Rossi together... Especially with her pursuing him instead of the other way around.

AU FIC!! Will isn't in the picture, so no baby Henry. We can mourn his loss later. For now: story!

Prologue

The Right Push

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"Marry me."

Jennifer Jareau's jaw dropped to the floor. Had her boss really just asked her colleague that life-altering question? From the look on the face of Emily Prentiss, he most certainly had. And not just anywhere. Unit Chief and Supervisory Special Agent Aaron Hotchner had just asked Emily to marry him in front of all of the BAU and a spattering of other units.

The relationship didn't exactly come as a surprise for the blond media liaison. She'd managed to pry it out of Emily on one of the brunette's worst days. It seemed that some things never changed and Hotch was one of them. JJ remembered that day, the day she'd taken Emily out to lunch after the older woman had sulked for the better part of three days. That was when she had found out that Emily and Hotch had been dating for well over a year. The most surprising part was that it was under the noses of the BAU, the top minds probably in the country.

Emily had long ago and constantly complained that Hotch was too reserved. As a woman brought up in a highly political background, Emily valued honesty above all else and JJ had sympathized about feeling like a dirty little secret. And yet, Emily, JJ knew, completely understood why it had to be that way. She was endlessly impressed with their ability to keep it so close to their chests.

Now, however, the night of the BAU Christmas party, Hotch had made the one gesture that probably had Emily absolutely tumbling over herself in shock and happiness. Not only had he broadcast their relationship to those they worked with, he'd done it by virtually asking her to spend the rest of her life with him.

JJ was infinitely jealous.

In their line of work it wasn't easy keeping a significant other. Cases could pull you away from the most romantic dates. UNSUBs haunted your dreams nightly to the point where a significant other simply didn't know what to do. It was why Emily's relationship with Hotch had probably worked, now that JJ looked back on it. Emily understood the unit chief much better than the rest of the team did and always seemed to be one step ahead of him. Derek had once said that it took a profiler to understand another profiler, an unfortunate observation considering the fraternization policies of the FBI.

That didn't mean there weren't clandestine flings and closet one night stands. And it definitely didn't mean that fantasies were out of the question. That was what JJ had lived on in between warm bodies. She'd been struck months ago by a man who was a difficult man to decipher. She'd been telling herself it wasn't possible for months and months and months. She still told herself it was a pipe dream but as Hotch slid the diamond onto Emily's finger, hope lit in her chest.

It took Emily almost an hour to extract herself from the groups upon groups of surprised well-wishers to make her way over to the woman who had become her best friend. "Hey."

"Hey," JJ answered, smiling slightly. There was no point in hiding her sadness from Emily. "Congratulations. And I mean that."

"I know you do," Emily promised. "Everything okay?"

"Just thinking."

The brunette raised an eyebrow. "Of going for it?"

JJ shook her head. "No way. Doesn't change anything."

"Jayje, you know there's no internal policy governing relationships between agents right?" Emily asked quietly, taking a seat.

"If they're on different teams," JJ replied. "Same team, different story."

Emily smiled and shook her head. "Aaron and I? Yeah, we're breaking fraternization rules. I'm pretty sure Aaron's taking on Strauss on Monday morning, preferably sober."

That got a chuckle out of the blond.

"But that's because we're a boss-subordinate relationship. You wouldn't be. And I know for a fact that relationships between even-ranking members on the same team, seniority aside, is perfectly in line with the Bureau policy."

JJ smiled slightly. "Thanks, Em, but I know better."

"Three wives just means he hasn't found the right one," Emily replied. "Rumours are usually incredibly overrated. Look at Aaron. I know he's been there for you a few times when things got rough."

Hotch had talked her through a few of the tougher cases, when she was worn down and looking at another body that, theoretically, could have been hers. She fit so many of the profiles that sometimes it was difficult not to see herself or her friends in the victims' faces. Emily's point was that the rumours of Hotch being the ultimate in frozen male, especially after his divorce were grossly overrated.

"Hey, Jayje?"

"Mmhmm?"

"I dare you to ask him out."

JJ's eyes widened. "What?"

"I dare you," Emily repeated. "To ask him out."

"I'm too old for dares, Em."

Emily raised an eyebrow. "I never took you as a coward, JJ."

"I'm not," JJ replied. "I just don't like setting myself up for failure."

"Who said anything about this being a failure?" Emily inquired.

"David Rossi, Em?" JJ whispered. "It's a pipe dream."

"Only if you don't go for it," Emily replied. "Now if you'll excuse me, Aaron's about to step under some mistletoe and I for one would definitely like to be beside him when he does."

JJ sighed as she gathered her coat and scarf from her office. Her bag was already packed by the door and she had every intention of simply leaving. She'd said goodbye to Emily and Penelope, congratulated Hotch one more time and rolled her eyes when Derek said he wouldn't need a ride home any more.

"You're heading out?"

It took willpower for JJ to calmly raise her head to acknowledge the man in the doorway. At 53, David Rossi was a rugged man and it had been that off-the-beaten-path look that had JJ's mind firing the minute she'd met him. Still, she was a consummate professional and had allowed only a little bit of the admiration she held for his abilities shine through. And things had only grown from there. They were friends, that much could be easily said. He'd made her dinner after terrible dates and she'd brought him breakfast on the nights she knew he stayed in the office. They went out for drinks almost every Monday like clockwork and had even caught a cheap Thursday movie together from time to time.

"Yeah," she replied, trying for a smile. "I'm exhausted."

"I'll walk you out," he said.

JJ would have argued if it wasn't for her exhaustion and the knowledge that it was pointless. She would have probably had security walk her out anyhow. As a member of the BAU, JJ knew what kind of people were out there and rarely made the walk to her car alone. It was just safer that way. "Thanks."

They tossed barbs back and forth for their walk to the elevator, her teasing him about his cabin and how he'd still never taken her despite his promise one night over drinks to do so, and he over how much she worked. They waved to Reid as he passed by them waiting for the elevators and both wrinkled their brows unconsciously when he stopped.

"Reid?"

"Um… well… see…. Emily's got me on this whole tradition thing and, well, you know how Garcia goes overboard for the holidays-"

"Spit it out, Spence," JJ said with an affectionate chuckle. He was the little brother she found annoying but endearing.

"Well… mistletoe."

Both JJ and Dave looked up, eyes seeking out that little bit of greed tied with red. Penelope really had gone all out for this holiday season.

"It's tradition."

JJ made a mental note to hunt Emily down on Monday but smiled. "Merry Christmas," she said, pushing herself up and aiming to press a kiss to his cheek. Much to her surprise, he turned at the last minute, probably with the same idea, and their lips met instead. It was a brief blush, but it had JJ reeling.

"Goodnight!" Reid said as he made his way back down the hall.

JJ and Dave walked to her car in silence. "Thank you," she said softly.

"No problem. See you Monday."

JJ blew out a breath when she was safely in her car. "Yeah. Monday."

So? Is it a good enough start to continue?