AN/ I really just love JJ & Hotch. In this story, JJ broke up with Will, and is NOT the father of the baby. Also, there's a really good story A Bundle of Hope that's a little similar, but different.

I don't own Criminal Minds, though I love it.

Finding out—Chapter 1

"More marriages might survive if the partners realized that sometimes the better comes after the worse." --Doug Larson

A stupid double line. That was the thing that was keeping SSA Jennifer Jareau up at 3:00 in the morning. She had a sinking suspicion for days that the event a little over a month before with her boss had left her in a precarious position. She rolled over and began to reflect on what had led up to this.

From the moment she entered the BAU she was drawn to him. All the women on the team knew of her pinning for him. He was unattainable, married, and their boss. Maybe it was the way he was completely in control, all of the time, or the way that he demanded respect whenever he walked into a room. When most people met him, they thought he was cold, demanding, and imposing. But, from the moment she met him, she knew that he was much more than that. She remembered when he interviewed her to work at the BAU. She was shocked at how young he was, but quickly recovered for the interview. His raven black hair and piercing brown eyes made her feel week in the knees. He was exactly what you would picture an FBI agent looking like—tall, dark and handsome, and the more she got to know him, the more she realized what a poster-boy for the FBI he really was.

Then the night came a little over a month ago, the night that seemed to change her life forever. They had been working together for years now, so why when she had gotten over her initial crush would they end up sleeping together? She knew the answer, that she had loved him for a long time. That she was hurting after finding out that Will wasn't being faithful and breaking it off with him. If she were honest with herself, she would know that she had gone to that bar hoping to run into him. It was his favorite place, and since his divorce from Hailey he went there often. They had drunk together…and talked together…and left together…and…well….

Then yesterday, she realized she was late…very late...and she had taken the test. A stupid double line. Funny, how two little lines could alter her life so much. Two little lines were what meant the difference between normalcy and whatever limbo she was now in. Was she going to lose her job? How would she tell her parents? They had always seen her as the good one. Of all of her siblings, SHE was the one that stayed out of trouble…that did exactly what she was supposed to do. Her brothers teased her mercilessly, and she had a sneaking suspicion that her little sister resented her for it. But, that didn't matter now, what mattered was that everything was now different. There was no going back. She knew that she would keep the baby, with her deep religious upbringing it wasn't really a question in her mind….but should she tell him? If so, HOW?

What am I going to do? She thought. Sighing heavily, she rolled over to check the clock 3:07. URGH! She thought, FINE! This night is never going to end. She sighed as she climbed out of bed….What am I going to do?

SSA Aaron Hotchner stared at the mound of paperwork that was beginning to litter his desk. He had always been an extremely organized person, but lately the paperwork and case load just seemed to be too much. His desk would never be like JJ's though, with mounds of files and papers strewn everywhere. Initially, one might think that it was just the random settling of files revealing her character as a slob. Hotch knew, though, that the mounds of papers were actually organized by importance, types of crime, and other methods that he hadn't quite figured out. There were just too many files for there to be any semblance of organization. That was one thing he loved about JJ. Everything was always in its place--she was immaculate in the way she dressed, spoke, and presented herself.

Hotch couldn't help but compare her to his former wife. The divorce had been final for a little over a month and he had been devastated. He was not the type of person to fail. Hailey had given up on him—he had just given her what she wanted. Hailey was kind and warm, but she couldn't accept that this job was who he is, not just what he does. Hailey wanted him to be a superhero, and he just couldn't keep it up anymore. JJ on the other hand was different. When someone first looked at her, they may think that she was insignificant and easily overridden. They would soon find that she was tough as nails, and ready to compete with the best of them. This is why she was so good at her job. She could be disarming and unimposing when she wanted to be, and then by carefully weaving her words and actions would convince people that they had thought up what she wanted them to. When that didn't work, she would adamantly put her foot down and show her dominance. She was kind and caring too, but strong.

URGH! I did it again. Hotch thought with a frown. It seemed that no matter what he was doing or thinking about, his thoughts always seemed to turn to the blonde press liaison down the hall. Ever since that night, he just couldn't quite quell the feelings he had for her anymore. He was the first to admit that interoffice romances never worked, and that he as a superior should not have feelings for a member of his team. More importantly, He watched across the bullpen as she reached her office with such grace and beauty. It seemed that she could light up a room wherever she went.

URGH! I did it again! With a sigh and a slight smile, he resigned himself to a day taking care of the paperwork that was beginning to mount.

"Hey, Garcia, can I ask you something" JJ asked as she stepped into Penelope Garcia's office.

"Of course, Jayje, you're my best friend. What do you need to ask the goddess of all wisdom and power?" Garcia said with a smile. Garcia knew that some people outside the BAU thought that her constant remarks were inappropriate, but she also knew how badly the people she worked with needed to smile to take their minds off of the horror that they faced every day. Something was different about JJ lately, though. She seemed worried about something, and although Garcia had asked her before, JJ had always denied it. She was elated that her friend was finally willing to talk about it. Looking up at JJ, Garcia noticed the dark circles under her eyes that were carefully concealed by makeup, but a girl always knows.

"Just a quick question" JJ seemed to avoid her eyes. She really needed advice, and Penelope was really the only person she trusted. At about 4:30 this morning she had finally come up with the idea to ask Penelope. She wasn't a profiler, and she was her best friend, so that would give her a lot of good advice without exposing herself. "If you were pregnant, would you tell the guy? If so, how would you tell him?"

Garcia's eyes got wide as she stared at JJ's stomach. SHOOT! Apparently ideas that come to you at early hours in the morning are not full proof! She kicked herself mentally; she should have known that Garcia would know immediately what was going on. JJ sighed as she made her way over to the chair next to Garcia, and began to tell her….well….almost everything. She didn't want to admit that it was Hotch just yet, just said it was a friend.

"Jayje, Wow! Well, I think first you have to know for sure. You should go to the doctor and just make sure. Tests can be wrong. I'll go with you if you want me to. JJ nodded.

"I guess I'll go make an appointment for this afternoon. Thanks Garcia." JJ said gratefully as she turned to leave. "Oh, and Garcia, will you please not--"

"I won't tell a soul," Garcia interrupted. JJ smiled as she left, maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

Garcia's mind was racing a million miles an hour. Who's the father? JJ had found out that Will was a southern sleazebag a while ago, and she was pretty sure she hadn't seen him or anyone else in a couple months. JJ was private, but with a friend like Garcia, privacy was more of a wish than a reality. Opening her laptop, Penelope began to make a list of all of the people it could possibly be….Hmmm, who are JJ's friends…..The only people I can think of are the people we work with. Under POSSIBLE FATHERS she listed Will…unlikely, but still possible. Hotch…I know she's used to have a crush on him, but it's HOTCH. Morgan….nope, she'd never go after my dark chocolate thunder. Reid….maybe, but after what JJ said happened at the Skins game it just seemed like they were more friends than anything else. This is going to be interesting!

They walked silently from the doctor's office to JJ's car. Garcia moved to the driver's seat with a look that she was not going to accept any argument. JJ silently handed her keys over to Garcia and walked around to the passenger's side.

About 10 minutes into their drive, Garcia finally interrupted the silence that had permeated the blue SUV. "So, how are you going to tell him?"She asked.

"Maybe I won't."JJ replied unsurely

"Jayje, you are my best friend, and I'll be behind you no matter what, but this baby deserves a mother and a father. If he chooses not to be involved in his baby's life, that's his choice, but he deserves the option." Garcia said passionately.

JJ sighed as she stared out the window. She knew Garcia was right. She had grown up in a large family, with her aunt and cousins living down the street. She always felt like she lived a charmed life. Yeah, sure, she had to figure a way to get to college, but she knew that her parents loved her. She was daddy's little girl. She remembered him teaching her to ride a bike for the first time, or grilling her boyfriends while she was getting ready to go out. Her dad was the type that was always sitting on the sidelines at soccer, or in the front row for graduation. Her child DID deserve a father in his or her life-she only hoped that the father would want to be involved.

Silently the blonde friends entered the BAU and Garcia headed into her office.

"Hey JJ, how was lunch?" Morgan offered as JJ walked across the Bullpen.

"Umm, it was ok…Where's Hotch?" She looked around nervously.

"In his office, I think…Why? Do we have a case?" Morgan asked teasingly. He knew as well as everybody else on the team how JJ had always had a crush on Hotch.

"Umm, no, I've just got to tell him something." JJ bit her lower lip, hoping that Morgan didn't see right through her façade.

Hotch looked up as JJ walked into his office and shut the door. She was obviously nervous, and he began to frown. If some case made JJ this nervous, it was going to be a bad one. "JJ what is it, do you have a case?" He asked stoically

"No, we just uh….need to talk… It's personal." She could barely control herself, she didn't know quite what to say, so she just decided to say it. "Umm, I'm just going to say this…I'm pregnant."

Hotch sank back into his chair, dumbfounded. "You're….pregnant?" She nodded.

"About 6 weeks." She added, the implications hitting him.

He was going to be a father, again. His divorce was barely final, and he was going to be a father again. "JJ, would you mind if we talked about this outside the office. I think there's a lot we need to talk about. How about we go to dinner tonight after work?" JJ nodded gratefully. Hotch knew that her emotions were running high, and if required to speak, they would probably betray her, and because of that she would avoid any attempts to talk to him now. She left, and he began his research. After spending years as an influential prosecutor, he knew how to get around loopholes….and he would have to in order to save his job, and hers.

JJ walked mechanically back to her office. She too began researching the FBI fraternization rules, and current precedents. Her job was to know the system, and if she wanted to keep her job, she was going to have to figure out what to do next.

They drove together in his black sedan to a Chinese restaurant. Chinese was JJ's favorite, and Hotch wanted to make her feel as comfortable as possible, but they still needed to be somewhere private. JJ was used to the silence that filled Hotch's car. She didn't feel like talking, and if he didn't….well, that just made the whole situation better. They took their seats at the booth in the far back corner with Hotch facing the door so he could check for anyone coming in. They placed their orders, and continued the awkward, uncomfortable silence. Finally, Hotch decided he couldn't wait any longer.

"JJ, we have to talk about this. What are your plans?" He said, hoping that she wouldn't choose to end the innocent life that they had co-created. However, he did feel that it was mostly her choice.

"Well," she started "I'm planning on keeping it. Whether you want to be there or not it up to you, but I thought it was only fair to let you know. I'd like for this baby to have a father, but if you aren't up to it, nobody ever has to know." She said resolutely. She didn't NEED him; she just wanted to give him a chance to do the right thing. If he chose that this was going to be too hard, well, she was perfectly capable of doing it without him.

"Why wouldn't I want to be there? I want this baby to have a father too, and I want to be it." He said.

The look of relief was evident in her eyes as she asked, "well, what are we going to do? Personally and professionally"-she emphasized. She wanted him to know that even if he hadn't thought about their jobs, she had.

"Well, I think that they kind of go together, but let's deal with the professional issue first. Technically, I am your boss, so if it comes out that you are pregnant; I'm likely to be disciplined for sexual harassment. Heaven knows there are people out there that want to ruin my career. You probably would be transferred to a different department, and although allegations of impropriety wouldn't show on your record, we both know it won't be easy for you to continue at the FBI." She nodded; she knew just how truthful his words were. If this came out the wrong way BOTH their careers would be over.

"The way I see it," Hotch continued, "we have a few options." He said, listing them off on his fingers. "Option 1: one or both of us quit the FBI or transfer. Now I don't like that idea, because I happen to like my job….what do you think?" He asked although he already knew the answer. JJ had been offered lucrative positions throughout the FBI and some at prestigious PR firms around the country and turned them all down. It was obvious that although her job at the BAU was inarguably the hardest, she loved it.

"I don't want to leave." She said quietly. "What's option 2?"

"Now here's where it gets creative. Fraternization rules state that a relationship must be disclosed to the bureau within 60 days of the beginning of the relationship. Normally, reassignment follows shortly after when an inter-team relationship develops."Her eyes darkened and her brow furrowed as she listened—how was this any better?

"But," he continued, "I found a clause that states that married couples working in the bureau cannot be transferred, reassigned, or dismissed without just cause. Just cause is then explicitly defined, and working with your spouse or FORMER spouse is not one of the cases." She looked at him confused,

"What are you saying?" She asked, perplexed.

"I'm saying," Hotch continued, "that our "relationship" officially began 40 days ago." Her eyes widened and a look of understanding dawned across her face.

"So, if we were to get married, there would be no way that they could do anything, even if we got divorced….but, we'd need to do it as quickly as possible to prevent them from disputing it." He nodded.

"The other thing is that if something were to happen to me, I would want this baby to have as much claim to everything as Jack does. This isn't something I normally tell the team, but I have a substantial portfolio and my parents left me a large sum of money when they died. Jack has a large trust fund, and I would want our baby to have the same." She looked at him surprised, he had just referred to the child as "our baby", she hadn't really thought of that.

"If we WERE to get married, we'd need to stay married for at least a year and a half to establish the validity of our marriage. After that, we could get a divorce, and keep our jobs." He looked at her triumphantly.

"So…"JJ paused, "is there an option 3?" She asked.

"Yeah, we don't do anything, we're both fired, and pretty much end up like option 1. Or, you could claim sexual harassment and I get fired and you keep your job." JJ nodded. She hadn't been expecting this, but she knew where the outcomes led. There really wasn't an option, but Hotch had given her hope.

Her mind was spinning as she tried to come up with what to do next. "Well," she started "I don't know about you, but if we're going to do this we have to make it real". He nodded and interrupted "Actually, I've been thinking about a time frame. I wanted to make sure this would be something you wanted to do" she nodded and he continued "so, if we're both in this together, I think we need to get married this weekend. Since today is Friday, that means we could get married tomorrow or Sunday and then face the director on Monday."

"That way we have plausible deniability!" She exclaimed excited at how well Hotch had figured this all out. She knew he was a good lawyer, she just didn't know he was this good. "If we just suddenly got married, than it won't appear that we were trying to outwit the bureau. So, logistically, how are we going to do this?" She asked. This just might work.

"Well, we need to be living in the same place. Either I could move in with you, or you could move in with me. I do have more space, that way we'd have plenty of room."

JJ nodded and replied "I can move in with you then, my apartment now is kind of small, it'd probably be easier for me to move anyway."

"There's only one more thing then." He said with a small smile on the tip of his lips.

"What?" She asked she thought that they had covered everything and this entire thing was starting to feel more like a case briefing than an intimate discussion between...well, she didn't even know how she would classify her and Hotch's relationship right now.

Coyly he responded "I've always been an old fashioned guy, you don't really think I'd marry a girl without first meeting her parents, do you?" He looked deeply into her confused eyes," what if we got on a plane right now, and we can get married in Pennsylvania with your parents as witnesses tomorrow?" She smiled shyly.

"Ooops, I almost forgot", he said, reaching into his pocket, "Jennifer Jareau, will you marry me?" He winked as he pulled out an engagement ring. It wasn't large or ornate, but simple and probably worth several hundred to a thousand dollars.

"Sure" she said with a small giggle as he put the ring on her left ring-finger, "but just a question…how did you know I'd say yes?"

"I'm good at my job" was the coy reply.

Aaron looked across the aisle of the commercial plane at the beautiful woman that he had secretly had an attraction for since he interviewed her to be their department liaison. The plane was about to take off, and while JJ had never been one to enjoy the flights with the team; she never had a problem before. If he didn't know her better, he would have thought this was the first time she had ever flown on a plane. Seeing her white knuckles and eyes focused on the chair in front of her like it was a life or death situation, his curiosity was piqued.

"JJ," he asked "what's wrong?"

"Umm, nothing, I'm fine." She replied, not moving her head to look at him

He smiled. She was always one to be strong, never admitting her weaknesses.

"Is it your parents?" He asked gently

She sighed loudly, and still not looking at him, responded "Its ridiculous is what it is. I'm 30 years old and I'm scared to tell my parents."

AN/ let me know what you think!