Thanks a lot to my beta QueenDiannaAgron!
Set somewhere around the 12th season.
Just a vision of the Morgan-Prentiss family; Emily is coming home from a case, did something happened while she was away? Read to find it out...and do not forget to leave a review afterwards! Thanks ;)
I do not own Criminal Minds nor its characters. If I did, there would be something different by now - any reference to Derek and Emily being a couple is purely (NOT) coincidental!
"Twins, t-shirts and tricks"
The BAU was on the jet on their way back from Bend, Oregon, where they had just closed a six-day-long case.
Arresting a serial killer whose victims were kids gave them a slight sense of peace that seemed to be lost; recovering from cases involving children wasn't that easy, though.
Every agent was trying to remove their memories about the victims, distracting their minds: Rossi and Tara, for example, were talking about old cars; JJ was looking at the pictures and videos of her children she had on her cell phone and Reid was reading a book, as usual.
On the back of the plane, meanwhile, Prentiss was taking care of the paperwork when her laptop started ringing to indicate the arrival of a video call. She didn't have to think twice to answer as soon as she saw who the caller was.
"Hey, babe."
"Princess," Morgan said on the other side of the video chat "so nice to see you! How are you feeling?"
"Better now, but you know how hard this cases are..."
"Yeah, I remember it way too well."
"It's always been hard, but now that we've the kids..."
"Baby, they are here, safe and sound." he stopped her thought process
"I know. Where are they, by the way? Did you have fun, doing boys stuff?"
"They are playing downstairs. We had our time, but we missed you. A lot! You're on your way home, aren't you?"
"Yep. I should be home before dinner."
"Great! I'd like to prepare a nice meal with the boys, but remembering how the last time went, I think I'll just order in."
"Good idea. I really appreciated that you guys made me breakfast for Mother's Day, I appreciated a little less having to spend the rest of the day cleaning the kitchen." the brunette reminded him
"The good side is that I can save the energies for the after dinner..." the man winked
"Honey, the team can hear you."
"Yes, we definitely can!" JJ let them know "Hi Morgan."
"Hi guys. Sorry!" Derek added in a lower voice
"Can you call the boys for me, please?"
"Sure. I'll be right back." he said, coming out of the webcam frame.
For a while, all Prentiss could see on her computer screen was the couch in their living room; but the sound of laughs made her understand something was about to change.
"Hi mommy!" the 4-year-boys - who were very similar to their father, only with slightly lighter skin, but the eyes were definitely more similar to their mom's - greeted their mother
"Hey, guys." the woman said "How are you doing?"
"We're good." Kurt replied "Did you catch the bad guy?"
"Yep sweetheart, we did."
"Are you coming home, mommy?" Hank asked
"Yes, kiddo. I'm on my way home. Just a few more hours and I'll be there." the woman replied.
The whole family kept communicating for a little longer when the parents allowed their kids to go back downstairs so they can have an adult talk.
"My mother has been there, right?" Emily asked
"Yeah, she's been visiting a bit in the last couple of days since I had errands to be done. Did you get it because the boys are dressed alike?"
"Exactly. Why does she continue to give them the identical clothes? Doesn't she understand each one has his own identity? Well, considering she never understood me, I wonder why I'm so surprised..." she kept thinking out loud
"Em, she's just trying..."
"She should try harder, then. How many times did we ask her not to do it?"
"I know, princess. When she came round yesterday, I kindly asked her to stop spoiling the boys, but when she arrived this morning she brought the shorts and tees they are wearing."
"She doesn't listen... You know what we could do? Try to talk to her when you're cleaning your gun..."
"Babe..." the man scolded her gently "I don't wanna intrude now that it seems like the two of you are having a relationship...even though it's on your mother's terms."
"You know what, I don't wanna be mad because of her. I just want to focus on the fact that I'll be home soon. Why don't you tell me something happened while I was away?"
"Alright. So, what can I tell you... Right! Hank wanted a new video game at all costs, he kept talking about it in the last few days, so yesterday I told him that if he really wanted it, he had to eat his portion of vegetables for dinner and, believe it or not, he did so."
"Hank ate vegetables?" Prentiss asked incredulous.
"Yup. Unbelievable, right?"
"Hank really ate his vegetables? Our son Hank? Hank Matthew Morgan?"
"Yep. The little human being who lives in this house with you and me, who has your eyes and looks just like his twin brother... I know it's hard to believe, but I've seen it with my own eyes."
"And you did buy the video game?"
"Of course I did, this morning, as I promised him. That's what they're playing with now."
"Baby, can you go get Hank, please? Don't call him, just get him."
"Uhm, sure..."
Shortly after, the man came back on the screen followed by one of his sons.
"Of course." the brunette whispered before saying to her son "Sweetie, can you call your brother? Thanks."
"Okay, mommy."
"Derek, honey, that was Kurt."
"What? No way. How did I not recognize them? That's the consequence of not having seen them growing up in these four years..."
"Baby, don't be so hard on yourself. You were working, just like I'm doing now while you're home with them."
"Yeah, but you distinguish the two of them..."
"Derek, they are homozygous twins, it's normal confuse them even for parents! To be honest, I would have done the same if I had a twin sister. And I've got a trick to distinguish them."
"You've to teach it to me. Oh, they're coming. Guys, come here, mommy and I have something to talk to you about."
"Hank, do you have something to tell us?" Emily enquired
"Well..."
"The real Hank!" their mother added in a higher voice
"It's not my fault, I really don't like vegetables!"
"Buddy, you could have tried and, if you really couldn't, we would have found another solution." Derek told his son
"Boys, it's not right to lie nor tricking your father, especially for a video game."
"I did it just for Hank, because he really wanted it." Kurt justified himself
"That was nice of you, but it wasn't for the right reason. That's why mommy and I have agreed on something..." Morgan spoke sharing agreement look with Prentiss; their ability to understand one another with a glance had improved since they had become parents "The two of you can't use the new video game for a week."
"That's not fair." Kurt began to protest.
"Kurt Darrin Morgan, should we change it into a month?"
"No no, a week is fine."
"Good. Now go downstairs to clean up the basement before mommy comes home; I'll be there in a bunch of minutes."
The children saluted their mother and, going downstairs, they started bickering about who was to blame.
"Alright, baby, I'll go downstairs to check on them. Can't wait to see you. I love you."
"I love you too. See you soon." the unit chief said blowing a kiss to Derek before closing the communication and joining the rest of the team.
oOo M&P oOo OoO oOo P&M oOo
Later on, when Prentiss arrived home, Derek and the children ran to her to give her the welcome back home.
The family had dinner together and then they watched a movie.
Afterwards, when Kurt and Hank were asleep, Derek called their neighbour to babysit the kids while they were going to spend some time alone.
"Baby, where are we going?" Emily asked again in the car
"Princess, I told you: it's a surprise. I won't tell you more than this. You don't have to wait much longer, we're almost there." Derek told her "How do you feel like telling me your ploy not to confuse the kids on our way there?"
"I believe you should find your own...and I can use this to my advantage in the meantime."
About ten minutes later, Morgan parked the SUV in the driveway of a lovely house in a residential neighborhood "And here we are!"
"Wow, this is beautiful...where are we, though?"
"In our new house."
"Really? My God, wow! This is what you've been working on the last months?"
"Precisely. Wanna see the inside?"
"You bet!"
Derek took Emily's hand and they begin the little tour in the house.
When they arrived on the second floor, he showed her their new bedroom and the kids' ones.
"Hank's room is as big as Kurt's one." the man explained "This is the only thing the have in common. Each of them has his own decor based on their interests and they won't have the same clothes in the wardrobe. Plus, if you agree, if your mother is gonna give them identical outfits, we're gonna burn them in the fireplace in the living room."
"You're the best." she laughed at his joke "I love you so much!"
"I love you too, Em. Come on, I wanna show you one more thing before going back home."
The couple moved to the back yard.
"The space outside is bigger here. There's plenty of space for the kids to play. We can also have a little garden, if we want...or maybe another dog."
"Nice try, baby."
"Yeah, I had to give it a shot. Moreover, the garden it's perfect for an early summer wedding."
"What?" she asked moving to look back at the man, who was down on a knee
"Emily Prentiss, I love our family more than anything else in the world and I know I don't need a ring on my finger to let the other know how madly in love with you I am, but I'd love to call you my wife. So, after all this years and two kids, will you marry me?"
"Of course I will!" the woman agreed, kissing her fiance
"Welcome home, princess!"
Hope you liked it!