Author's Note: Thank you so much for all the reviews on my first JJ/Rossi fic! They're all appreciated.
"Mother?" JJ asked, confirming Dave's guess that this was indeed her mother. JJ's cheeks flushed as she tightened the bathrobe string around herself, awkwardly making sure she was completely covered before returning her mother's hawk like gaze
"No boyfriend, huh?" the sharp tone questioned her, her flashing blue eyes sizing Dave up, head to blue fluffy slippered feet.
"I-," JJ broke off, biting her lip. She shifted her weight awkwardly as Dave gave her a questioning look.
"I see you're what she's been hiding away," her mother said narrowing her eyes as even Dave was left speechless. "Well, aren't you going to invite me in. dear?" She now turned to the sheepish JJ.
"Right, come in," JJ muttered, pushing Dave out of the way so her nightmare could begin.
"Oh, and too old," her mother informed her, glaring at Rossi.
Dave smiled at the older blonde as she took off her black coat. "I'm David Rossi," he said offering his hand.
Instead of taking his hand, she merely raised her heavily penciled eyebrows. "I'm Andrea Jareau." Her gaze then swept over him again, reminding him that he was just standing there in his boxers.
He gave her a small smile before carefully bolting back to the bathroom.
"Jennifer," Andrea tutted at her daughter before strolling over to the couch. Along the way, she ran her finger along the top of JJ's TV, before showing her daughter the dust that now covered her hands.
"Mother, how are you?" JJ said with a tone of forced lightness. She loved her mother. To death, of course she did but her mother was very over critical and it did cause some problems between the two.
"I would be better if my daughter had prepared the house for me and not lied to me about her love life." Andrea now sat down on the couch before flying up as if she'd been burned. She gave JJ a criticizing look before taking the cushions and pillows and began fluffing them. "Honestly, you know I like things neat and organzied and I do take an interest in your life. You are my only child."
There it was. The guilt trip. Her mom hadn't taken it well when her sister had killed herself and no mother should. If it'd been Henry... But it wasn't fair of her mom to make her feel guilty because her house wasn't as clean as she liked. After all, she was a grown women and it wasn't her mom that had to live with her.
Instead of voicing this, she just apologized. "I'm sorry. It's been hectic and I just got your message a couple minutes before you got here."
"Sleeping in? I'm always up at six."
"I know. I don't normally sleep in. I just had a late night." JJ let out a sigh as she tried to keep her voice steady. For goodness sake! It was only nine thirty.
"I can see that," her mother replied, turning to look at Dave who had just walked in the room now fully dressed. "I wouldn't mind a tea." Andrea now turned to look back at her daughter whom had a pained expression on her face.
"Of course."
Dave noticed the forced smile on JJ's face and he was beginning to understand why JJ never spoke about her mom. He didn't miss the expression that was now on Andrea's face as she wrinkled her nose when walking into the kitchen.
JJ wasted no time in turning the kettle on and she began to tidy, dumping the now burnt pancakes in the garbage.
Trying to ignore the growling his stomach insisted on voicing, Rossi turned to face the woman whom now held her head up in the air, covering her nose with her hand as if the smell of pancakes was enough to make her throw up.
"It's nice to meet you," Dave said with a polite smile.
Andrea nodded stiffly at him. "Where's my grandson?"
"He'll be back in the afternoon," JJ told her now scrubbing the frying pan.
"Dear, you know it's not polite to speak to someone with your back to them. Now what did you say?"
Dave saw JJ's shoulders move and he knew she was taking a deep breath and she then turned to face her mother and somehow, with a smile on her face, told her the same thing she'd said just seconds ago.
"Oh, I see. Where is he?"
"With a friend of mine."
"Oh, I see. Having your fun is more important than being around your son?"
Dave saw the expression on JJ's face and knew from experience that if it'd been him that put it there, he'd be in for the trouble of a life time.
There was really no pleasing this woman it seemed.
It took a few moments but finally JJ sat at the table, and three cups of tea now sat in front of them.
"Jennifer, at your age, you shouldn't put so much sugar in your tea."
JJ shot Dave a look. A look that plainly said 'help me' as she just smiled and left just the one teaspoon in her tea. Shock ran across Dave's face briefly. He knew JJ liked to have a lot more sugar than that. And from the look on JJ's face as she took a sip, he knew she was cursing her mother in her head.
"So, mom, how long are you staying?" JJ asked in an attempt to make conversation and to see how long her hell would last.
"I was thinking a week or two. Ever since your father passed, I have been lonely and I miss my grandson."
JJ grimaced slightly. When her mother put it like that, she couldn't make up excuses. Instead, she tried to act positive about that. "Oh, that'll be great. If another case comes up, you and Henry can have some quality time."
"You shouldn't work so much with him at the age he's at," Andrea objected not even attempting to hide the displeasure on her face.
Oh boy, this is going to be a long week.
