AN/ I still don't own Criminal Minds, and while it pains me to say this, I doubt I ever will.

I know I've already done a stalker story, but this was too tempting to resist. This takes place after 'Big Wheel'. I feel no guilt in insinuating that Will and JJ are no longer together, because Will hasn't appeared in forever and he isn't on the casting list for the rest of the season.

Prompt: "The best way out is always through."--Ralph Waldo Emmerson

There she was; the lovely nymph who had eluded him for so long. As he thumbed through the channels, he found her. He smiled as her sweet, dazzling face feigned anger at the crimes of another. JJ was passionate. He loved her for her indigence at the death of the inferior. One day she would understand the truth about art and what he and the men she called 'unsubs' were doing, but for now she was ignorant. He would forgive her of course; he couldn't hold his beloved to a standard she didn't understand. She would soon be taught and then they there would be no more obstacles in their way.

He longed for the world where they could be together; He and his Jennifer in perfect matrimony, living flawlessly and effortlessly together as she became his pupil. She understood him in ways that no one else ever could. As she spoke the description of a child killer, her face contorted in anger, describing the heinous psyche of the man she was trying to find. She however, wouldn't find his gifts for her vile, he was sure of it. What that man was doing to those little boys was out of a mere, primal compulsion; what he had done was different. It was done out of love and devotion to the only person who mattered, one day, Jennifer would thank him for it.

"Our unsub is in the age range of 30 to 45. We ask…" He felt his heart flutter at her saccharine voice. He would have his Jennifer. He would have her, no man, deity or natural disaster could keep him from taking what was his. It was time his beloved knew about her silent, guardian angel and found her way to him.

"Not again." JJ groaned as she saw the coffee machine was empty. She loved Spence, but if forgot to refill it one more time, there was going to be a murder.

"What is it this time?" A voice behind her chuckled. She swore Hotch was always laughing at her, she just didn't know whether it was a good thing or not.

"You've got to talk to Reid about the coffee machine." She commanded. "Or the next time Garcia tries to bludgeon him, I won't stop her."

Hotch rolled his eyes at the idea. "JJ, it's just coffee, let it go." To an outward observer, this could be construed as him being serious, since not one aspect of his face or voice indicated otherwise. But JJ knew the truth, Hotch had a sense of humor, he was just the first to hide it. He had carefully perfected his craft of never letting his feelings show and sarcasm was just part of the barrel.

"Let it go?" JJ shook her head at the irony. "You're one to talk." If JJ knew how to hold a grudge, it was her boss who had taught it to her. This definitely was one scenario of the pot calling the kettle black.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Hotch countered, reaching over her to grab a new filter and placing it where it needed to be.

"That guy in Internal Affairs stole your parking spot once, and you still hate the entire unit." She retorted.

"I don't hate them for that; I hate them for trying to undermine me and get Garcia fired." Hotch rationalized as he pushed the start button and dark liquid began to flow.

"You hated them before." JJ said, glad to see she wouldn't be coffee-less. "That just increased things."

He grabbed her cup from her hand and poured her some joy as he tried to suppress a laugh. JJ had no problem fighting with him, like everyone else on the team with an exception to Reid, but with her it was different. When she fought with him, it felt more euphoric than actual bickering. "See, that wasn't so hard." He said, handing her the mug.

"It's more the principle of the thing." JJ blushed, hoping that he would understand. She took the obligatory sip, making sure that it was perfect for what her day held. Sure enough, Hotch, as he had with everything else in his life, had done it right.

"Sure it is." He muttered sarcastically, his mouth never breaking into a smile. "It has nothing to do with your inexplicable caffeine addiction and the withdrawal symptoms you get when you go two hours without it."

"I am no worse than Emily when she doesn't get her chocolate." JJ bit out.

"Emily we can convince to try to think rationally for twenty minutes without it. No one has the audacity to try that with you." He said as he took a sip of his own bitter liquid.

"I won't even justify that with a response." JJ teased.

"Suit yourself."

JJ bit back a smile as she walked to her office. While playful banter wasn't normally Hotch's thing, when he did it with her, it left her feeling full inside. She knew that this was nothing in the grand scheme of things, he cared for her as his employee, someone he had a responsibility towards and nothing more. But with Will gone, any interaction she had with the stoic unit chief was very much appreciated.

As she opened the door, she saw a small package on her desk. She looked it over quickly, failing to notice its lack of post mark. She shook it absent-mindedly, wondering what it contained. She didn't hear much; just a soft padding hit the edges of the box. As she grabbed her scissors and opened it, she was stunned at what she found.

Rose Petals. Hundreds of blood red rose petals. Instantly, she felt odd. She wasn't seeing anyone, there wasn't anybody who she could think of who would send her this. She sifted through the box, not noticing the small piece of paper that fell to the ground containing only two words.

My Darling.

She wondered if it had been Will who had sent it to her. While they ended on what had been far from the best of terms, maybe he was apologizing. But the breakup had been so absolute; she couldn't fathom him trying now. Also, nameless gifts had never been Will's style, he had always wanted credit for every tiny thing he ever did. She knew it wasn't him.

She decided that whatever this box meant, she could worry about it later. There were cases to review and serial killers to catch and this wasn't even a blip on the radar. She pushed the box aside and easily forgot about it.

His Jennifer had seen his gift. He was ever so grateful for the window in her office as he peered in and watched her reaction.

He tried to hide his fury at the man who had given his Jennifer her coffee. Aaron Hotchner wasn't a threat; he knew that, he and his Jennifer had gone through too much together to be torn apart by the imbecile. But he would not tolerate behavior like that in the future. The next time Agent Hotchner tried to seduce his beloved, he would pay.

He and Jennifer belonged together, and no one would stop that. This was just the beginning of the beautiful plot to bring his muse into his arms. Once he had her, she would never be alone again.

An2/ Feel free to drop a review and let me know what you thought. I really would like to know.

I have plenty of other material for the QuoteLyric Prompt Challange--Stay tuned!