Surprise
I never had a sister growing up. Well, I had Amber, but when Mom spilt with Jason, she didn't really want to know anyway. Ashley Seaver was the closest person I had to a sister. She was my person, who I went to when I was afraid or alone. She helped me when I was 12 and suffered a miscarriage. She was the only person to know the full extent of the abuse I suffered at the hands of my step-father. She didn't back away, instead she stayed by my side, she was a rock. Effectively, she was my sister.
Mom and Dave started seeing each other again when I was 13. I was happy for her. I always knew that she had something for Dave. She was different when she was with him, nothing like how she was when she was with Jason. And when I was fifteen, I found out the truth. David Rossi was my dad, my physical, biological dad and we've been going strong ever since.
Now, my dad had been married before. 3 times before. I'm not judging. Working in the BAU takes a lot out of relationships. It's a pretty demanding job which is why a lot of the agents enter relationships with other agents or with people in law enforcement (like JJ). I knew about Carolyn (Dad's first wife). She passed away at the very beginning of mom and dad's relationship. He had a son with her but he died the day he was born, so I knew I would've had a brother. But what I didn't know, was that I had a sister. Not only that but I had a brother-in-law and a nephew.
Joy. Joy was the name of my sister, and she was the child of Dad and his second wife, Hayden Montgomery. Mom and I found out pretty much as soon as Dad did. He'd been followed for a while by someone who claimed to be a P.I but then she simply told him that he was her father. That Hayden had kept her pregnancy a secret because she knew that Dad would have put the job before his family. He called us to say that he had a daughter and that he was flying out to San Francisco to spend the weekend with her and her son. Mom was shocked but not surprised. I think she had been expecting something like this to happen for a while.
Me on the other hand, I was stunned. I knew that my dad had a past, but I never expected this. For mom, it was a reiteration of the life that she had missed out on, a life that Dad lived without her. For me, it meant that I had a whole part of my family that I didn't know about. What was Joy like? Was she nice? Did she resent Dad for not being a part of her life? And as for Dad, what would happen now? Would he split his time between here and San Fran? Would I even see him anymore? He was either at work or home. If he now had to balance Joy in that mix, would I even see him? I was just getting used to having a dad in my life, I didn't really want to lose him.
I slowly became more withdrawn from Dad. I stopped seeing him after school in his office. I spent most of my time in my room when I was at home and I only played my guitar in the music rooms at school. I knew he was concerned because Aaron had asked Jack if I was ok. I didn't know if I was ok and that was the problem.
Dad finally cornered me coming out of Mom's office at the BAU.
"You've been avoiding me." He said. He didn't sound angry at all. He sounded concerned, worried even.
"I've been busy." I said, looking down at my sneakers. They were my favourite red pair, that Spence had bought me for my 16th birthday.
"Jess, you've been going out of your way to avoid spending time with me ever since we found out about Joy."
I continued to look at the floor. Dad sighed.
"Look, I realise this is a big change. But Joy is lovely. She knows about you and mom and she doesn't want to get in the way of that. She was like you…" I looked up at him, curious now. "She wanted to know who her father was. I think you of all people can understand that."
I smiled a little.
"That's more like my bambina." He smiled softly at me. "Why don't we head up to my office and you can tell me what's had you all worried."
I nodded, and we walked up through the ball pen, up the stairs and into his office. I breathed in the familiar smell of his aftershave mixed with coffee. It was a smell I learnt to grow used to and now I loved it, it was a part of me. Dad shut the door behind him and, taking my hand, led me over to his sofa and we sat down.
"Now, what's going on in that wonderful head of yours?"
I sighed. "I always knew that you had a past. I just didn't realise that it meant you had another family."
Dad smiled. "Me neither."
I took another deep breath, "And I suppose I was worried about losing you."
Dad smiled again, but this time it was a sympathetic, understanding smile. There was even a bit of relief in there. "Oh Jessie."
"It's silly really. I mean, I don't really know you. But I was just starting to get used to having you in my life and then this happened. And I know you work a lot and I also know that that isn't your fault but when you upped and left for San Fran after finding out about Joy, I thought that you would forget about your family in D.C or that because Joy was all shiny and bright that you would lose interest in us or…"
Dad put a finger on my lips that silenced me. I blushed. I hadn't realised how much I had been rambling. I could feel a lump forming in my throat.
Dad spoke softly, almost as if he was holding back tears. "Firstly, nothing could tear my family apart. I have waited a lifetime to be with your mother and now I have two daughters when I thought I'd have none. Secondly, I'm not going anywhere. My home is here in D.C with my lovely Erin and my beautiful, talented, slightly crazy daughter Jessica. Joy wants me to be a part of her life but she also wants our life to continue and to exist. We will see each other as and when we can. She also wants to meet you and Erin. Jessica, you were lucky. You were fifteen when you found out that I was your father, Joy is twenty-nine. She's going to want to make up for lost time, but I will always be your father and I will always be there for you, no matter what and Joy understands that."
Silent tears were flowing down my face now. I had been silly to think that my dad would suddenly up and leave his life here and I had been slowly pushing away the best thing that had happened to me in a while.
"I'm sorry." I whispered, looking down at my hands.
"You have nothing to be sorry for, bambina. This is a big change and I wouldn't have expected you to be totally ok with it at first." He wiped the tears from my eyes. "But thank you for telling me how you were feeling. Promise me, you'll talk to me from now on."
I nodded. Then there was a knock at the door.
"Come in!" Dad called, looking at the door.
The door opened. It was Hotch. He looked at us both on the sofa. I wiped my eyes quickly. "Sorry to interrupt." He began.
"It's ok, Aaron. Jess and I were just working through some things. What's up?"
He grimaced. "We've just had a call from Atlanta PD. It's bad."
Dad nodded. "I'll be right in."
I smiled. "Duty calls?"
"Serial killers don't take holidays it would seem."
"Go get 'em Dad!"
He stood up to leave. "Promise we're good?" he asked.
"I promise!" I replied, getting up and kissing him on the cheek. "Now go save lives!" and I kissed him again, smiling.