A/N: Okay, I know I said I was going to be away for a while, but if I'm honest (and I do always try to be), this is my passion so here I am. I tried writing something in my other sets and if you are following along with LW you'll know it wasn't up to my normal standard for that set. So here I am and here I will stay until I get a feel for LW and the other sets again.
So now that the heaviness of Arabian Nights is over, I am going to deliver on my promises of some lighter, happier pieces. And having enjoyed writing Life's An Alphabet, I am coming back with another alphabet and the promise that once again I will deliver without the clichés most would expect to find. And it will be all about what I have promised in the title; we'll be following the pregnancies of our BAU mamma's as the family expands and grows.
Reviews are so precious to me and I will NEVER take for granted all of you awesome people who are following along with this set. So for those who followed Arabian Nights to its conclusion and dropped me a line; Wtiger5, Hazmatt, HGRHfan35, greengirl82, NicknHotchfan and HPforever-after; thank you, thank you, thank you! You all mean the world to me and I really hope you like where we're going next. I also want to take a moment and thank those of you who read these stories when alerted to their presence without reviewing; as a review hussy, I urge you to drop me a line or two in review, but even if you don't that's entirely fine and you are still greatly appreciated.
To clear up a couple of things, the Scott's will definitely be featuring in this set from now on, though they may not be as prominent as they have been until a bit later in the set. Kelly is NOT pregnant, but Teresa and Emily are.
Rated M for sex scenes and adult themes.
PLEASE NOTE: This is NPH 19. If you aren't already following this series, I recommend that you make your way to my author profile page and start with NPH 1, as some or all of this will not make sense otherwise.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Criminal Minds at all, although they do own me and I do own Carrie and Toby, Chloe and India, Kelly and Brad and Ben.
All About the Progress
"Excuse me, Mrs. Hotchner?"
Emily looked up from the book she was reading and smiled at the nurse who stood there. She remembered Rosie from the last time she was in the clinic some months ago now and was glad to see she was still there despite the shake-up that had happened surrounding her doctor's misconduct and the discovery that he wasn't the only one working in the clinic the medical board needed to have a close look at.
"Dr. Lewis has just phoned in. She is incredibly apologetic that she has been called on an emergency home delivery and doesn't know how long she'll be. She requests that you stay to wait in case she gets free in the next few hours however she'll also understand if you are busy and would rather reschedule."
Emily tipped her head slightly to the side and thought about it. Aaron was babysitting all the children while Carrie took a day off to spend apartment hunting with Mirkal and a lot would depend on how that was going.
"Could I have a minute to call my husband and check? I have nothing else planned today, but the nanny is unavailable and I don't want to put him out if he's struggling. He's still recovering from a head injury."
Rosie smiled brightly. "Yes, of course. I have to inform a couple of other patients, so I'll come back when I'm done."
Emily pulled her phone out and dialled as Rosie moved across the waiting room. She waited as it rang, knowing that first 'hello' would be very telling.
"Hello?"
Emily frowned slightly. Not Aaron and not Jack. Toby giggled in her ear and she smiled, relieved that there was nothing wrong with the child at the other end of the line.
"Hello Toby. It's Emily. You sound like you're having fun."
Toby giggled again. "Yes, we are having lots of fun. Did you want to speak to uncle Aaron?"
Emily smiled. "Yes please sweetheart."
And in the way of children everywhere, he shouted with the phone still against his ear, "Uncle Aaron! Aunt Emily's on the phone for you." Emily lifted her free hand to rub her ears before Toby came back on the line and said in a sweet voice, "Uncle Aaron's coming. Bye."
She was still rubbing her ear after he dropped the phone against something hard when Aaron picked it up and answered in a breathless voice, "Hey beautiful. How's your hearing?"
She laughed even as she smiled at that endearment. "It's fine handsome. Are you having fun?"
"Loads of it. Will turned up with Henry since JJ has a similar appointment to yours and so we've been throwing a football around. The kids are having a blast and the girls are sound asleep and have been angels. How'd your appointment go?"
"That's why I'm calling. The doctor is running really late and may be several hours. She would prefer it if I stay, but understands if I need to go."
"Ah, so you want to know how long I will be content here before I need a break?"
"Something like that," she said with a grin as she waved to JJ, who was just now walking toward her after stopping at the reception desk.
"It's totally fine. After the last time, I would rather know up front if there's anything we need to be aware of. So take your time and we'll cope beautifully. And if I have any questions, I'll call Carrie to come bail me out. And if you want to take some time for yourself after your appointment, feel free to do so. Just message me when you think you will be home."
Emily laughed, agreed and hung up the call. She turned to JJ and embraced the other woman.
"I didn't know this was your clinic Jayje."
"Mmm, Dr. Willis got me through my first pregnancy with Henry and once they cleared him in the investigation, I eagerly signed back on to have him get me through this second one. He's a total gem and a grandfather to boot, so I get awesome stories of his grandkids and a great bedside manner. But I admit to being surprised to see you back here after what happened last time."
Emily shrugged and waved to Austin as she stepped through the door. JJ turned and waved as well, before looking back at her intently.
"I liked the overall atmosphere here. I also liked the time the clinics head honcho took to explain in detail what had gone wrong. So I thought I'd give them another go."
Rosie returned to her as Austin dropped into the seat on JJ's other side. Emily informed her that she would stay and wait for the time being and Rosie shot her a beaming smile and promised to keep them updated before walking away.
Emily looked at Austin. "Are you booked in with Dr. Lewis as well?"
Austin nodded with a smile. "I liked what you had to say about the clinic and with the recommendation from New York that she is one of the best there is, I thought I'd give her a go."
"I received the same recommendation. It'll be interesting to see what the bedside manner is like versus how good she is as a doctor."
The three of them started debating what was necessary in a good ob/gyn and were so caught up in the conversation that they completely missed seeing Penelope and Teresa walk in until the two women took seats directly opposite them.
"Watcha talking about so intensely little mammas?" Penelope interrupted with a grin.
There were greetings and hugs all around, their recent ordeal with the 'King's Palace Kidnappers' - as the media had dubbed the men who had made their lives miserable for the few weeks they'd been in their sights - bringing them into a deeper, more tight-knit relationship than they'd been in before they were taken. The fact that five of the eight of them were pregnant, and that two of the other three already had children, had also helped the relationship grow.
"We're discussing bedside manner versus experience."
"Ah...a very important topic. Luckily I scored both in the same doctor."
"Who are you seeing?" JJ asked curiously.
"Dr. Rebecca Lewis."
Emily perked up. "So she's really good and really nice?"
"Very," Penelope said firmly.
Emily and Austin sighed in relief, and were gently teased about it as the conversation turned to other topics. An hour later a cheerful voice cut through their chatter.
"Emily Hotchner?"
"That's Doc Lewis Em. You'll like her, trust me on that."
Emily smiled at her friend as she stood and grabbed her bag. Walking towards the doctor, she decided she liked the warm, friendly smile being directed her way. She followed her down the hall and into an office near the back of the clinic.
"Emily, I'm Dr. Lewis and as I tell all my mums-to-be, please feel free to call me Rebecca. Particularly in this case as I believe we will be seeing a lot of each other over the next months."
"How do you figure that one?"
"Well, you're high risk because of your age for a start. Add to that the information I've read in your file that tells me you had twins with your last pregnancy and that you almost died due to complications during labour. Because of those factors, and if you're willing, I'll be doing an ultrasound today. This is just to be on the safe side and even if you aren't willing, I seriously urge you to consider it as we get to know each other while I get your baseline stats recorded."
Pen was right; I really do like her.
Emily relaxed at the honesty being directed her way, feeling relieved to know that this woman was straight up about the facts yet nice in her manner. The next half an hour solidified her initial observations and by the time she was actually asked if she wanted the ultrasound, she was content enough with the relationship to agree to it.
She watched the screen as the images came alive under the chunky wand being moved across her abdomen. The technician who had arrived with the equipment, and a pretty outrageous sense of humour, shifted the wand until the image that appeared was one she was now well versed in reading.
"There we have it," Rebecca said as she studied the screen. "There's your baby."
New Section
An hour and a half later, the five of them sat at a table in a cafe down the block and enjoyed the warmth that came with good company and amazing hot chocolate.
"Is PG even paying any attention to the conversation?" Austin asked curiously as Penelope ignored a rather outrageous comment she would have normally jumped right on top of.
Emily shot a look at her friend and grinned. "It's doubtful she's heard anything we've said since she pulled that ultrasound photo out. From memory, even with the symptoms at times being horrible, the novelty of having a life growing inside you never gets old."
JJ nodded agreement. "It's true; the whole time I was pregnant with Henry, I just couldn't believe how blessed I was. Everything to do with the pregnancy was a distraction from my surroundings and how I managed not to get into trouble with my baby brain I have no idea."
Teresa nudged Penelope's shoulder and the woman looked up with a start.
"Sorry," she said as she quickly put the picture away. "I'm here, I promise."
"Sure you are," Emily teased gently.
"Well, maybe I wasn't before but I am now. How did you like Doc Lewis?"
Emily grinned. "She's wonderful. You were right about her. I think I liked her honesty best."
Austin nodded. "Me too; she didn't try to sugar-coat the reality of the miscarriage and I really appreciate that."
"What did she say about your remaining baby?" JJ asked as Penelope and Emily wrapped supportive arms around her.
"Thirteen weeks and uncooperative. Both Reid and I want to know what we're having but at the moment that is impossible, though she said that I am about four or five weeks too early to know. However, everything is in proportion to everything else and all looks to be on track for a healthy rest of the pregnancy. She tried explaining it to me in technical terms and I told her she was talking to the wrong half of this marriage. She looked at me blankly until I explained how smart Reid is and then she laughed and just said the bottom line was everything was perfect and she was very happy with me."
They all laughed at this and turned to Penelope who grinned. "Well, we confirmed again today that I'm having a girl and at twenty-five weeks, we are also doing well. She said she was glad to note that my ordeal hadn't effected the health of the baby and I agreed."
"So she's not in any distress?" JJ asked curiously.
"None whatsoever. I know that was something the doctor at the hospital in New York was concerned about, but she's settled down beautifully and my precious bub is on the way to being a perfect mini-me."
This provoked more laughter.
"I somehow doubt I'll get the mini-me," Teresa said. "The way Dave tells it, I'm giving him a son; end of story, no discussion."
"Exactly how pregnant are you?" Emily asked dryly.
Teresa rolled her eyes. "About seven weeks."
"Far too early to tell. And he does realise he gets no say in the matter?"
"I know right? I just can't get it through Dave's thick skull. And the only reason he isn't here hovering is because I'd already arranged this hot drink date with Penelope and I dropped enough female-only words to get him to drop me off and drive away. He wasn't happy about it though."
"Dave is a throwback to another era long dead," Emily stated as she tried to hold on to her amusement. "I'll get Aaron to have a chat with him and seriously, if he ever gets to be too much, just walk out and come to my place. We'll sit and do something fun while you catch your breath."
"You don't find Hotch too overbearing and protective?" JJ asked.
"Not at all. I'm confident enough in our marriage and in myself, and assertive enough to tell him to back off when he's crowding me. It also helped that we had the biggest argument of our entire relationship while I was pregnant; it helped us get a lot of things out in the open and set some rules for if we were ever in the same position again.
"I'll suggest that he take that argument and lay it out for Dave, as an example of what not to do. And of course, if you don't want to just walk out because you don't want him any more worried than he might already be, give us a call; we can always come round to your place instead."
Teresa smiled in thanks. "Do you know, I think I might actually survive this pregnancy with all of you in my corner."
They all smiled at this and exchanged high-fives and hugs.
"Will and I don't actually want to know what we are having, though the technician today said she was pretty certain she could already tell."
"How far along are you?" Penelope asked.
"Fifteen weeks. They don't normally do ultrasounds so early, but Dr. Willis said he wanted it done in light of what I'd been through just so that he could nip things in the bud early if there was anything wrong."
"But you're well right?" Penelope asked, as they all paused in what they were doing to focus on her.
JJ smiled gently as she stroked her stomach. "We're both mostly fine. The baby's heartbeat is just a touch too low for Doc's liking, so I'm booked to come back in at the end of the week for another check, but otherwise everything is in the right place and the right proportion. He thinks it might have to do with the residual fears that still plague me at night or when I'm out on my own with no one around, but that once they settle, so will the baby."
Emily took her hand and squeezed it gently. "I think we'll all be dealing with that for a while, but I also know that we will get through it and all will be right again."
Everyone nodded agreement of this and JJ smiled and rested her head on Emily's shoulder for a minute before nudging her gently.
"So, were you scolded for getting pregnant again so soon after the last time?"
Emily smiled slightly. "Only a little bit. She seemed completely at peace with the adage that once is all it takes. She did an ultrasound more to see what the baby's surrounds looked like in light of what happened with the last birth and she is content that everything is fine. My next ultrasound will be in six weeks at the twelve week marker because of the fact that I had twins last time; she says if we're going down that road again, she wants to know early and I agree that this is a good idea."
"Will you have to have a c-section?" Penelope asked.
Emily shrugged. "She said she'd monitor how the pregnancy was going. We know what the doctor said after the car crash, but considering I was able to deliver naturally and that the complications came only after the placenta ruptured the lining of my uterus when it broke off, she said it was tentatively possible. But I would definitely need to be in the hospital when I deliver in case of issues repeating themselves."
"And this is of course dependant on how Aaron feels about all of it right?" Austin asked.
Emily nodded vigorously. "Definitely. I do not want to have to deal with him having another breakdown should something go wrong. So we'll both listen to the doctor and to each other and we'll take it as it comes. I'd rather have a nice, clean delivery without the surgery, but if the idea isn't feasible, or is simply too distressing for Aaron to go through, I'll adjust accordingly and accept that the surgery is necessary for his peace of mind. In the end it just isn't that important as long as he or she is healthy when they're born."
There was a soft chorus of 'Amen's' as the girls turned to the desserts now being placed in front of them and the conversation turned to other topics as the afternoon wore on.
End-
A/N: Okay, that was really easy to write, so you my NPH fans will definitely be getting more soonish. With the Easter weekend coming in just a couple of days, I make no promises on having time enough to write and post, but if you don't get the next update tomorrow, there'll be something up mid next week (I love four day weekends!).
Have a wonderful Easter everyone!
Please review with the conveniently placed link right under these words. I love to know what you think and it makes me type faster and update quicker.