"Honey, we really do need to talk about this", Hotch said, sitting down on the edge of the sofa, watching Tia run around her apartment trying to look busy but doing absolutely nothing.

"Talk about what?" Tia said, polishing the table for the fourth time.

"Come here", Hotch said, grabbing her hand and gently pulling her down on the sofa next to him. "You've been avoiding me."

"I have…" Tia looked over at Hotch to see him giving her a side eye and a smirk. "OK, fine, I've been avoiding you."

"Why?" Hotch asked. "We've been together for a while now."

"You call 9 months a while?" Tia said with a chuckle. "That's the gestation phase of a normal pregnancy."

"Speaking of pregnancy…" Hotch started. "Oh no you don't", he said, as she tried to wiggle out of his grasp. "What are you scared of?"

Tia stopped trying to get away and turned and faced Hotch. She hung her head a little. "What if you don't want me? Forever is a long time. What if after 2 years or 3 years or 10 years you don't want me anymore?"

Hotch pulled Tia closer to him and smiled. "Do you know how much you've changed my life?"

Tia shook her head no. Hotch laughed.

"I'm not even the same person I used to be. That's all because of you. My son loves you. My team loves you. I love you."

"You love me?" Tia said, the bottom of her lip trembling a bit. "You've never said that out loud."

"I haven't?" Hotch said incredulously. "How could you not know?"

"I guessed, but…" Tia trailed off as she leaned into his embrace. She inhaled the strong, citrus and sandalwood scent of his cologne. She relished in his strong arms around her and when his lips made contact with her forehead, she melted into the warmth of loving this man.

"OK, Maybe." Tia looked up at him. "I do love you, very much Aaron. Is a maybe OK for now?"

"I'll take a maybe", Hotch said smiling. "It's not a no, so I'll take a maybe."

"I just need to think", Tia said. "I…have a few issues with trust…"

"Don't we all", Hotch said. "But I'd rather be scared and working out issues together, than not."

"Me too", Tia said, snuggling into him.

"Now then", Hotch said, pulling her onto his lap. "We never did finish our earlier discussion…"

"I don't think", Tia said in between kisses, "that it was a discussion, but rather more a statement. You were taking off your clothes…"

"So were you", Hotch said getting up and taking her hand.

"Well then, lead the way", Tia said, following him into the bed room.

"Wanna know a secret?" Heather said, watching Reid get dressed.

"What?" Reid said. "Are you preg…"

"Nah, nothing like that", Heather said, laughing. "Besides, we're way too careful for that."

"What if we weren't?" Reid said, as he stopped dressing. "What if, just what if we weren't?"

"What are you saying?" Heather said, watching Reid crawl up her body as she lay on the bed. Donning white boy shorts over her full hips and one of Reid's dress shirts loosely opened over her soft caramel body, Heather couldn't help but feel incredibly sexy and wanted. They way Reid eyed her like she was air and he was drowning made her feel like no other man did.

"I'm saying", Reid said, kissing her stomach and running his hand along her thighs, "What if we made this a bit more permanent?"

"Permanent?" Heather said, as Reid opened the shirt she wore. Reid placed his face warmly against her chest, and she instantly responded by wrapping her arms around him.

"Yes", Reid said. "We've been together for a while now and I'm not going anywhere. Are you?" Reid said, looking directly in her eyes.

Heather swallowed hard. "Nope. I'm not going anywhere."

"Then", Reid said, as he reached into his nightstand and pulled out a box. "Marry me."

Heather sat up with a look of shock on her face.

"You love me, right?" Reid said, tentatively.

"Of course I love you. I couldn't…with you…if I didn't love you." Heather looked down at the ring in the box. A simple marquis cut solitaire on a white gold band.

"And I love you, Heather." Reid took the ring out of the box and placed it on her finger. "I know this is kinda fast…"

"Kinda?" Heather said with a chuckle. "We've been together non-stop since we met. I've never felt more…"

"Happy? Scared? Complete? Loved?" Reid finished.

"All the above", Heather said.

Reid kissed her softly. "I'm waiting."

"Oh Boy", Heather said. "Um…" She looked down at her hand and looked up at the man who held her heart. "Yes", she said, almost in a whisper.

"I'm sorry, I didn't get that", Reid said, tickling her.

"Stop!" Heather said between fits of laughter. "I said yes!" she screamed. "Yes, I'll marry you, you lunatic!" Heather collapsed on the bed, laughing hysterically.

"Yes?" Reid said.

"Yes!" she said.

Reid leaned in and kissed her very tenderly. "That all I needed to hear." He covered her body with his and she wrapped her legs around his torso. "I love you, Baby", Reid said.

"And I love you, Spencer", Heather said as he kissed her again.

Heather waited for Tia at the coffee shop. When she spotted her coming, she instinctively turned her ring around on her finger until her cousin sat down.

"Hi!" Heather said, giving Tia a quick hug. "You look…what's wrong?"

"Nothing", Tia said, sitting down. "Why must something be wrong? Why can't I come and have coffee with my favorite cousin after a crazy morning?

"Crazy morning?" Heather said.

"Aaron brought up marriage again." Tia motioned for the waiter. "Large coffee, extra cream, please."

"Right away, Miss", the waiter said.

"Marriage?" Heather asked. "What did you say?"

"Maybe", Tia replied.

"Maybe!" Heather almost screamed. "What's wrong with you?"

"OK, like you'd say yes to Spencer if he asked you now."

"As a matter of fact", Heather said, turning the ring around on her finger.

"No", Tia said.

"Yes ma'am! I am marrying that man. The sooner the better." Heather gazed down at her ring and smiled goofily.

"Are you serious? You guys haven't been together that long!" Tia said.

The waiter came back and put the coffee down in front of her.

"Excuse me", Tia said to the waiter. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, Miss", he said.

"Are you married?"

"Happily for the last 7 years", he replied.

"When did you know she was the one?" Tia asked.

"The moment I changed. She changed me. I wasn't the same anymore." He gazed off out the window.

"When did you ask her?" Heather said.

"About 3 months after we were dating. She was scared, of course, but I couldn't wait any longer." He looked down at Heather's ring. "How long have you known your fiancé?

"About 6 months", Heather said.

"And do you love him?" the waiter asked.

"With all my heart. He makes me feel beautiful and sexy; loved and protected. I'm me, the me I love to be with I'm with him."

"And you, Miss?" he said turning to Heather.

"I've been with my boyfriend for about 9 months. We've been through a lot and he's…" Tia trailed off as her eyes got misty. "He's amazing."

"And you don't want to marry him?" the waiter asked.

"I do, I'm' just…9 months isn't along time to know someone." Tia took a sip of her coffee.

"Are you familiar with Boyz II Men?" the waiter said, smiling.

"Very", Tia replied.

"Listen to Pass You By." He paused for a second. "Love has not time limit. Think of this way. From the moment we hold a child in our hands, a puppy, or a kitten, a bond is formed. A connection. How strong of a connection depends on you. You don't need a time limit. Your heart already knows." He smiled at Tia. "Let me know if I can get you anything else."

"I'm good thanks. And thank you. You've helped more than you'll ever know."

The waiter smiled and walked away.

"So what are you going to do?" Heather said.

"I'm not sure. But I need to do it big. He deserves a pretty big yes after waiting this long."

"How long have you been making him wait?" Heather said, chuckling.

"About 2 months. He's asked about 5 times." Tia giggled slightly.

"Well then", Heather said finishing her scone and coffee. "We need to plan and do something big." She reached for her wallet.

"Let me", Tia said. "I really want to thank that waiter." She pulled out a fifty dollar bill and left it with the check. "He really was helpful."

After Heather and Tia left the coffee shop, Heather called Penelope.

"Pen!" Heather said.

"Heather!" Penelope said. "How are you?"

"I'm good!" Heather said. "Did Spencer tell…"

"You're getting married!" Penelope just about screamed. "He said you'd call us later, but that you needed to talk to Tia first."

"Just finished with her", Heather said, chuckling.

"I can hear you smiling", Penelope said. You love my boy-wonder, don't you?"

"With everything I am", Heather said. Tia smiled. It was good to see Heather so happy.

"Well what can I do you for?" Penelope asked.

"Well…" she looked at Tia. When Tia nodded, she smiled. "Hotch asked Tia to marry him!"

"Omigosh!" Penelope said. "Two weddings!"

"Well, not quite. She's been saying maybe but now she wants to say yes. But we need a really cool way for her to say yes…"

"Say no more", Penelope said. "You've come to the right place. We need something that will knock his socks off." She paused. "Hmm."

"What Pen?" Heather said.

"How big do we want to do this?" Penelope said.

"Big Pen", and when Tia shook her head yes, Heather smiled. "Really big."

"Give me 24 hours", Penelope said. "Oooh this is so exciting!"