Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds in any way, shape or form and I'm not making any profit off this story.
Summary: Penelope has news for Aaron, though she doesn't know how to tell him, how will he react when she finally does?
Jeeze this couple, I can't seem to get them off my mind. I have like ten different ideas for stories about them, and finally decided to write this one out.
Please R&R
Enjoy!
…
Penelope's heels clicked on the concrete floor as she paced back and forth in front of the elevator waiting for the team to get back.
As she paced she nervously wrung her hands together, lost in thought she occasionally glanced at the elevator doors.
A few of the other agents stopped to watch the normally cheerful technical analyst but she shot them a glare that sent them on their way.
As she heard the elevator ding she stopped pacing and wiped her sweaty palms on her vibrant purple skirt.
The elevator doors slid open and her team walked out. Penelope plastered a fake smile on her face as Derek looped an arm around her.
"Hey Sweetness," he said "how's my Hot Mama doing?"
Without a thought Penelope answered him with a flirtatious retort like always but her eyes were locked on their Unit Chief the whole time, watching as he turned and headed to his office.
"Reid, Prentiss, JJ and I were planning to get a drink tonight after we finish up here, want to come with?" Derek asked.
"Sorry Hot Stuff," Penelope responded "I've got plans tonight, rain check?"
Derek pouted but pressed a soft kiss to her forehead and nodded.
Penelope pulled out of his embrace and headed in the direction Aaron had gone. She hurried up the steps to his office and knocked.
"Come in." She heard him call and walked in, softly closing the door behind her.
When Aaron saw who it was he stood up from his desk and made his way to her.
"Penelope," he said with a smile on his lips, he embraced her. The blinds were drawn so nobody could see in.
"Aaron," Penelope murmured back, resting her head on his shoulder.
Aaron caught something in her voice and pulled back "Are you okay?"
Penelope avoided his gaze, choosing to stare at the floor instead. "We have to talk" she whispered.
Aaron tensed and his arms reflexively tightened around her "What is it?" he asked, worry evident in his voice.
Penelope looked up at him, she seemed beyond nervous. Quickly she grabbed his hand and led him over to the leather couch in his office, making him sit. She sat down next to him and reached out to take his hand.
He squeezed her hand in his own reassuringly.
Penelope took a deep shaky breath before letting it out and looking into his eyes.
"Aaron," she mumbled "I…I'm pregnant."
Aaron stared at her speechlessly for a moment.
Penelope bit her lip.
"I…" he began, not sure what to say "you are?"
Penelope nodded "I had an inkling about it before you left last week because I was late and I'm never late, but I didn't want to say anything in case I was wrong. So I took a test…actually more than one, and confirmed it."
Aaron took everything in.
After he and Haley had divorced he thought that he had missed his chance for having more kids.
That was a closed chapter in his life. He had Jack and he was content with that.
He never thought he would do the new daddy thing ever again.
But Penelope's news changed all that and Aaron found that he was happy.
Just because he was resigned to not having more kids didn't mean that he wouldn't jump at the chance if it presented itself. He had always wanted to have more than one child when he thought about his family, he wanted to be able to give Jack a younger brother or sister, and Penelope was the perfect woman to do that with.
She loved Jack like her own and Jack loved her right back. She understood him and his job, knew and loved that he was out fighting the bad guys and wouldn't have it any other way. She was always there for him; she could calm him from a nightmare because she knew what he was going through. She brought out the best in him and could always make him smile.
Even though they had only been dating for a few months he already knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.
Really it had been building for years. Ever since Haley had died Penelope had been there for him. He had an attraction to her before that but the emotional connection happened in those first few months after Haley's death.
Penelope had been there, making him cookies to share with Jack and bringing dinner by when he had gotten back from a hard case and she knew that he wouldn't have had time.
He found in her someone that he could open up to and confide in. She had burrowed into his heart and their relationship had grown every day.
Four months ago he had made the first move when he leaned down to kiss her while she was making dinner for him and Jack. They had been joking and laughing as they stood side by side. He had been chopping the red peppers, while she was stirring the pasta. Aaron had turned to her and smiled, she had a grin on her face as she flirted with him, though it was mostly innocent, just friendly banter.
Aaron had taken in her beautiful smile, the sparkle in her eyes and just couldn't hold back any longer. With thoughts of how much she had done for him and Jack and just how much he cared for her running through his head, he had closed the distance between them and caught her lips in a gentle kiss.
She had been surprised at first and for a moment Aaron thought he had misjudged her behavior but before he could pull away she had wholeheartedly responded; only breaking away from him when they heard Jack come into the kitchen. They had been together ever since.
They hadn't told the team yet but Aaron guessed that they would have to change that now, after all it would become obvious in a few months.
Aaron looked back at Penelope, took in the uneasy look on her face, and his gut sank.
He wondered why she was acting like it was the worst news she had ever received.
He thought that she was going to tell him that she was leaving him, or even that she was sick because of the way she had been acting.
A sickening feeling took over as the thought occurred that maybe she didn't want the baby. They had never talked about kids beyond Jack and even though Penelope was a great mother figure to him, Aaron had no idea if she wanted kids of her own.
Aaron couldn't accept that. He didn't want to be one of those men who forced a woman to have their child, like Ian Doyle had done with Declan's mother. But it would absolutely crush him if Penelope decided she didn't want to go through with the pregnancy.
He leaned forward, closer to her and squeezed her hand again. "How do you feel about it Penelope?" he asked. He wanted to know how she felt without letting his own desire to have the baby show through. He wanted her true feelings rather than her telling him what he wanted to hear out of obligation.
Penelope took in his emotionless expression and began to tear up.
"Penelope?" he urged, knowing that her answer could very well decide the fate of their relationship. He didn't think he could live with her, see her every day, and lie next to her in bed at night, knowing that she had aborted their baby.
Penelope wiped a tear away and straightened.
"I'm happy," she said as confidently as she could with tears still running down her cheeks, "I want this, and I want it with you."
Aaron let out a relieved sigh as he wrapped his arms around Penelope and held her close.
"Why were you acting so weirdly then?" he asked quietly.
Penelope sniffed and pulled away "What do you mean?"
Aaron raised a brow at her "The way you were acting I thought you had bad news. I thought you were going to tell me you had cancer or something."
Penelope sat back and looked at her hands "I was nervous, I didn't know what you would think and…and I thought you would be mad."
"Mad?" Aaron asked confused.
"Well I mean it is rather soon, we've only been dating for four months and I was supposed to be on the pill. I forgot to take it a few times and apparently that's all it takes to become pregnant."
"Oh Penelope," Aaron said pulling her close again so that her head was resting on his shoulder "I'm not mad. Things like that happen with our hectic jobs, I don't blame you for forgetting. Plus I'm happy about this too, excited even. I never thought this would happen for me again. I've always wanted to have more kids and I'm sure Jack will be ecstatic to learn that he's going to have a younger brother or sister."
"You think?" Penelope asked looking up at him "Even though I'm not his mom he'll be okay with us having a baby?"
Aaron shook his head "Penelope, Jack thinks of you as a mother figure. He will always love and remember Haley as his mother but he loves you too. He's always excited when I tell him you'll be coming over. He talks about you non-stop when you leave, always telling me how much fun he had with you, and just recently he's been asking me why you can't just stay with us because he misses you when you're gone."
"Really?" Penelope asked her eyes tearing up again but this time it was out of joy "That's so sweet."
"Really" Aaron confirmed, running his hand over Penelope's back.
Penelope sat up and looked him in the eye "We're going to have a baby."
He smiled widely "Yes," he said and his eyes moved downward to look at her stomach even though nothing was showing yet.
He placed a gentle hand over her tummy and Penelope smiled at him "We're going to have a baby and everything is going to be just fine," he whispered.
Penelope nodded, placing her hand over his.
Aaron looked up and smiled at her before leaning in to kiss her.
Penelope kissed back, moaning as Aaron's tongue pushed into her mouth.
When they broke apart Aaron looked over at the clock above his desk "It's getting late," he said seeing that it was already ten o'clock "I should get you home."
Penelope nodded and let Aaron help her up. Forgetting about the paperwork he had been planning to finish, he grabbed his briefcase and headed to the door with her.
They looked out into the bullpen and saw that they were the last ones there, everyone else had left.
Penelope sighed, smiled at him and took his hand in hers as they walked down the steps and headed towards her office so she could grab her things before they left.
"You know," Aaron said his eyes sweeping over Prentiss and Reid's desk "we're going to have to tell them about us now."
Penelope gave him a mischievous grin "Or we could let them figure it out for themselves. I'm already dying to hear their explanations about who got me up the duff."
Aaron chuckled "You're evil, evil but brilliant and I love it."
Penelope laughed too "Don't I know it."
After a moment she asked "Who do you think will figure it out first?"
They both took a few seconds and then said at the same time "Rossi" causing them both to break out into laughter.
Finally when they had themselves under control Aaron pulled Penelope into his side and placed a kiss on her forehead "I love you" he whispered.