Surprise!

AN: Here is the next story in my 'Shannon Grace' universe. This story takes place a few years before the original story.

Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Criminal Minds. I only own Shannon and Julia, my OC's.

March 2007

Shannon Rossi danced around the kitchen as she finished preparing dinner. The sound of Taylor Swift came from the iHome on the kitchen table.

"Shannon?" David Rossi called as he walked through his front door. Dave's latest book tour had just ended, coinciding with Shannon's Spring Break. Wanting to get out of the city for a while, Shannon had chosen to spend the week at her dad's Little Creek cabin.

"I'm in the kitchen, dad," she yelled over the music. Walking to her iHome, she turned the music down. "How was your book tour?"

"Pretty good, still amazes me that so many people want to read books about serial killers. It's a fascination that I just don't understand," Dave replied. Dinner smells amazing. What are you making?"

"Nonna's Chicken Penne. Can you set the table while I finish dinner?"

"Certainly. What's this on the table?" Dave asked, seeing a small gift wrapped package sitting on the table.

"It's a surprise for you. You can open it after we eat." Shannon responded.

"Throughout dinner, Dave told Shannon more about his latest book tour. Shannon regaled her father with stories about her life; her friends, job, and classes at NYU. After they finished eating, Dave cleared the table while Shannon refilled their glasses with water.

"So I'm curious Shan," Dave said as they sat back down. "What is this surprise? Christmas and my birthday were several months ago and Father's Day is still a few months away."

"Just open it and find out," she replied, handing him the package wrapped in dark blue paper and tied with a silver bow. Dave removed the wrapping paper to discover a collection of framed photographs. The first was a recent picture of Shannon; it was one Dave had taken last fall in Central Park. The second photo was of Dave and Shannon; it had also been taken in Central Park last fall. Dave didn't recognize the third photo. The black and white image was grainy, so Dave picked up the frame to get a better look at the picture.

Realization dawned on him just as he saw the words 'Hi Grandpa' in the middle of the grainy image. "Shan, is this picture what I think it is?" Dave asked his daughter.

"It's an ultrasound picture," Shannon replied nervously, unsure of how her father would react to the news of impending grandfather hood.

"You're pregnant?" he paused, giving Shannon a moment to respond.

"Twelve weeks according to my obstetrician," she held her breathe, waiting for her father's reaction.

"Congratulations Shan!" Dave exclaimed, reaching across the table to squeeze his daughter's hand. "How long have you known?

"Almost six weeks. I wanted to wait to tell you until I could tell you in person. You are taking this announcement much better than mom did," Shannon replied.

Dave could only imagine his ex-wife's reaction to Shannon announcing that she was pregnant at only twenty years old. "What was your mom's reaction?" he asked.

"Which reaction, the one at the restaurant or the reaction once we were home?"

Dave looked at his daughter. "Shannon, please tell me you didn't do that."

"Okay I won't tell you that I told mom about the baby while we were having dinner at The Boathouse," Shannon said with a smile. "She was calm at the restaurant, but she freaked out once we were back at my apartment." Shannon had an apartment in New York City while Elizabeth, Shannon's mom, lived in upstate New York.

"How bad did she freak?" Dave inquired.

"She yelled and accused me of being irresponsible. She thinks I'm too young to raise a baby on my own." Shannon told him.

"On your own? What about Andrew?" Dave questioned. Shannon had been dating Andrew for the last year and a half. Dave had met the young man several months ago on one of his trips to NYC.

"Andrew decided that he doesn't want to be involved in our child's life," Shannon stated. "We broke up shortly after I found out I was pregnant."

"Not involved? What do you mean by not involved?" he asked. Dave accepted that he had plenty of short comings as a parent. He spent most of Shannon's early years working at the BAU. He missed many of her events and milestones because of his job, but he couldn't imagine just completely walking out of his daughter's life.

"I told him I was pregnant; he said that he wasn't ready to have a child and that I had two options. I could either get an abortion or raise the baby on my own," Shannon gave her dad a modified version of her conversation with Andrew. She decided that he didn't need to know exactly what Andrew had said to her that night. "Don't bother trying to knock some sense into him either."

"Why not?" Dave demanded to know. He hated that he was unable to do anything about the fact that his daughter had been hurt.

"Daddy, I've accepted that he doesn't want to be involved in our baby's life," she stated. "So I'm raising this baby on my own."

"How do you feel about becoming a parent?" he asked.

"I'm scared because it's a huge responsibility, raising a child. I'm scared that I'll screw up. I'm excited about being a mom, but I just wasn't planning to become a mom quite this early in life," Shannon told her father. "I'm also worried about school. It's going to take me a little longer to finish, especially since I am thinking about taking next semester off. My due date is October 24, which is half way through next semester."

"Finishing school may take a little longer but there is nothing wrong with that," Dave reassured his daughter. "I will still pay your tuition and your other college and living expenses. I will also help with baby expenses, if you would like." Dave covered most of his daughter's expenses allowing Shannon to focus on school. Even though most of her expenses were paid by her father, Shannon still worked part time at NYU's Early Childhood Center.

"Thanks dad, I do appreciate your help," Shannon told him. "Mom and I haven't talked about the baby, not since I told her I was pregnant."

"Your mom is stubborn," Dave said with a laugh. "Give her time and she'll come around. What do you think about watching a movie with your old man?"

"Sounds like a plan. What movie?" Shannon wanted to know.

"You can pick," Dave told her. Shannon walked into the great room of her father's cabin and began looking through the extensive movie selection. Before long, she had chosen The Bourne Identity. Shannon knew that it was a movie that both she and her father would enjoy.

"Okay Dad, I have the movie," Shannon said, holding up the DVD.

"Good choice," he replied, seeing the movie she held out.

Shannon put the movie in the DVD player while her dad made popcorn. Dave brought the popcorn and drinks into the great room a few minutes later. Dave settled on the couch, and Shannon started the movie. The next thing Shannon knew, her dad was waking her up. The movie was over and the credits were rolling across the screen.

"Shan wake up," Dave whispered. He hated having to wake her up, but knew that she would be more comfortable in her own bed.

"I'm awake. So much for watching the movie," Shannon laughed. "Being pregnant is exhausting. I'm going to go upstairs and go to sleep. Goodnight dad, I love you."

"Night princess," he called, using her childhood nickname.

Once in her room, Shannon quickly changed into the sweat pants and t shirt that she wore as pajamas. Lying in her bed, Shannon thought about her father's reaction to her announcement. She hadn't been sure how her father would respond. She had expected him to be shocked, angry and/or disappoint, but she wasn't expecting him to be excited. "Well little one," Shannon whispered, her hand resting on her barely there baby bump, "your grandpa and grandma know about you now." Shannon still hadn't decided what, if anything, she was going to tell Andrew's parents. She wanted to tell them about their grandchild, but Andrew's decision to not be involved in their child's life made her wonder if telling them was a good idea.