The next morning Emily was feeling a little less unsure, a little less scared to death, and a little less blind-sided. That's what an afternoon and night of feeding and cuddling will do. The nurses had been thrilled with how well Addy was eating and that she hadn't developed any respiratory problems. Emily managed to put aside much of the terror she was feeling, and be pleased and proud of her baby girl. And, Morgan had been a god-send. Neither of them had slept much, but she wasn't going anywhere, and it was a Saturday, so she sent him home to get a little sleep.

He'd asked if she was sure she'd be alright about six times before she threatened him with bodily harm if he didn't go and get some sleep. He went.

After the morning feeding, she'd had her hand on the phone in her room, ready to dial her mother when someone knocked on the door. It was not one of the team, a doctor or a nurse, but a woman in her early fifties, with curly ash brown hair, silver-framed glasses, and a folder and legal pad in her hands. Prentiss did not need to guess to figure out who she was.

"I'm Sylvia Anderson, a counselor with the hospital." She offered Emily her hand, which the profiler only accepted out of politesse.

"Emily Prentiss."

"I can see you're less than thrilled to see me. I'm just here to talk to you, and make sure you're handling everything alright. As I understand it, you had a rather traumatic delivery experience?"

"Sure. Airplane bathroom, at 35,000 feet with a friend delivering, I guess that qualifies." It sure as hell felt that way while it was happening.

"And, I was told you didn't know you were pregnant before you delivered, right?" There was no judgment or disbelief in her face, but then she'd been trained to hide what she really thought.

"Right."

"How do you feel about that?"

"Stupid."

"Care to elaborate?"

"Not really."

Sylvia frowned. "Emily, I'm only trying to help you."

Prentiss sighed. "It doesn't matter what you tell me or don't. I should have known...somehow, I should have known she was there. And, I didn't."

"Why should you have known?"

She raised her eyebrows. "Because, it's typically a hard thing to miss. Because I should know what's going on with my own body. Because I'm not usually that dense-and don't try to justify why I didn't know, or point out that it's happened to other women, that doesn't change anything."

"Alright..." Sylvia began cautiously, "how do you feel about being a mother?"

"Better then I did yesterday, but still scared and unsure, which the nurses have already assured me is perfectly normal."

"It is. Do you want to be a mother, Emily?"

She nodded. "Yes."

The counselor smiled. "Have you named her yet?"

"Adelyn Rose."

"That's very pretty."

"You'd say that if I'd picked Chastity Hildegarde."

Sylvia chuckled. "No, I'd have said it was unique, and then secretly hoped she grew up to be very pretty or very talented."

Emily smiled at that. "Poor kid."

"How do you feel about Adelyn?"

Prentiss frowned and thought a minute. "Less afraid. I know I'm supposed to say I loved her the minute I saw her, that I already couldn't imagine life without her, but honestly...I didn't want anything to do with her when I saw her. And, I still can't quite accept that she's mine."

"Emily, you aren't supposed to say or feel anything. It's understandable that you haven't connected with the baby yet, most women get to spend nine months bonding with their babies before they arrive. Give yourself time."

The profiler watched the counselor, intellectually understanding what she was saying, but emotionally it didn't mean anything. Sylvia seemed to notice this, and so switched topics. "So, what about your family? Have you told them about Adelyn?"

"Most of them were with me when she was born."

Sylvia frowned and scanned through a file. "I thought you were on an FBI jet with your colleagues?"

"Yes, I was. We're a close knit group, we consider each other family."

"Oh, alright. They're your support system then? Any blood relatives? Adelyn's father?"

"They're my main support system, and they've been very supportive. As for blood...only my mother, and I was about to call her when someone decided I needed to get my head shrunk." She didn't mean for it to sound as sarcastic as it did, but sometimes she just couldn't help herself.

Sylvia smiled. "And, Adelyn's father?"

"I was going to call him after my mother."

"Well, in that case, I think we've talked enough today, I'll come by tomorrow, alright?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"No, you don't." She shut her folder, and rose from the chair, heading out the door. "See you tomorrow, Emily."

Emily sighed, and reached for the phone again, dialing the embassy in Bahrain, and conversing briefly in Arabic before getting transferred to the Ambassador's secretary. She almost rolled her eyes when the young woman on the end of the line went with the standard line about the ambassador's busy schedule and may she ask who's calling so she could deliver a message.

"Her daughter, it's an emergency."

"Oh, I'm sorry Ms. Prentiss, one moment please." And, then she was faced with the classical version of muzak. It took a good ten minutes, which had she not been used to it, she'd have hung up already.

"Emily?"

"Hello mother."

"Jeanie said it was an emergency, what's wrong?"

Emily started. "Your secretary's name is Genie?"

"It's a nickname from her childhood. What's going on, I'm back and forth in meetings today."

This time she didn't restrain herself, and let her eyes roll as far as they pleased. "I just wanted to tell you..." Oh shit, how was she supposed to say this? "Tell you..."

"Tell me what, Emily? I really only have a few minutes-"

"I had a baby," she blurted out. Crickets. Utter silence.

"What?"

"I had a baby yesterday, you're finally a grandmother." More silence.

"You...you never mentioned you were pregnant."

"I didn't know, not until I went into labor." She winced, bracing herself for the oncoming tirade.

"What? What do you mean you didn't know? How can you not know something like that? You didn't notice you got fat? Or missed your period? Or anything else?" The condescending disbelief in her voice nearly made Prentiss hang up.

"I didn't gain more than 7 or 8 pounds, Mother. And, I had spotting that I thought was my period, otherwise, there were no symptoms."

"So you just, what? Went into spontaneous labor?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

"That sounds...awful."

"It sucked." Her mother would love that description.

"So, what did you have then? Do I have a grandson or a granddaughter?"

"A girl, I named her Adelyn," Emily took a breath in, "she was born with brown eyes...like you said I was."

"I told you our genes are strong. God, you were such a beautiful baby, I loved showing you off."

Emily managed a small smile at that, and when she inhaled, the breath felt tight in her chest. She sought reassurance in the one person who should be able to provide it. "Hey mom-"

She was cut-off by a garbled male voice, likely an aid by her mother's ear. "Hang on, Em."

She listened to a fuzzy exchange of male and female voices until her mother got back on. "Sorry Emily, you were saying-" The ambassador sighed loudly then. "Hold on."

It wasn't worth the effort.

"I'm sorry, you know how it is."

"Yeah, don't worry about it. I'll send you pictures when I get a chance."

"I'll come visit when I can. Give my new grandbaby a kiss for me," she said excitedly, likely about to head off to some function.

"Sure. Bye."

"Goodbye, Emily." And, then she was gone.

Prentiss took deep breaths, suffocating the emotion seizing her chest, pushing back the tears stuck in her throat. Just as she taught herself as a child. Then she shook her head, shaking away the fleeting disappointment. She knew what to expect with her mother, it shouldn't bother her now. Slamming on the same mask she wore at ghastly crime scenes, she picked up the phone again.

"Yes?" A voice abruptly demanded. She used to find that voice sexy, now it just sound arrogant.

"It's Emily."

"Em? I uh, I'm still with my wife, we worked things out, I can't really-"

"That's not why I'm calling. I...I had a baby yesterday. Our baby." Dead silence.

Then, "Uh, you didn't uh, tell me you were uh..."

She really didn't remember him stuttering so much. "It's a long story. It's a girl, she was pre-term, too small, but she's doing okay."

More silence, and then he sighed. "Look kid, I can't get involved with this, Lynie finds out I was with someone during the split and she'll take my balls, my kids, and half my money plus alimony in a divorce-"

"I know, I'm not asking you to be involved." God, why had she found that 'Kid' thing sweet? He was 49, ripe for midlife crisis age (she was apparently his alternative to a sports car), and thought he was fucking Bogart. He'd actually said 'Here's lookin' at you, Kid' once. She laughed. Now, the thought made her gag.

"Do you need money, cause I can do that, I-"

"No, Max. I don't need money. I'll be fine, the baby will be fine, I just thought you should know she existed."

"Well uh, thanks for that."

"Sure, bye." She hung up before he could respond, and once again began to breathe deeply around the emotion in her chest. Once she'd banished it, she hung her head, and groaned into her hands, declaring, "Damn it, Garica was right."

"About what, Sweatpea?"

Emily's head flew up, mouth open in shock. "Jesus, when did you turn into a genie?"

The tech smiled, bags in her hands, JJ by her side, looking rather amused. "Haven't yet. I'm not that much of an amateur, I don't require some lamp, I just come when you say my name."

"JJ always come with you?" Emily smirked.

"Depends on who calls. So, what was I right about? I always like to keep a list of these things." They brought the chairs around to the same side of the bed, so the three were gathered like gossiping school girls.

"Just that I have terrible taste in men."

The blond and the redhead exchanged a look, until JJ commented. "You just felt the need to voice this to an empty room?"

"Huh? Oh no, I was just on the phone with-" She stopped, remembering she hadn't really told them much about him.

"Babydaddy?" Garcia guessed anyway.

"Yeah."

"Are we going to get to meet him?" JJ asked.

"No, you aren't."

Both women looked surprised, though it was Garcia who spoke, stuttering with surprise. "But, he's not going to...but, his own daughter?"

Emily shook her head. "So yes, terrible taste."

"So, you're going to do the single mom thing, then?"

"Guess so."

"Are you okay with that?" JJ asked, uncertainty written in her youthful features.

"Does it matter?"

"Well...yeah, you have a right to at least child support."

"I don't want his money, I can handle that. He already offered anyway, I turned him down." Emily shifted around in the bed, uncomfortable with the conversation.

"What are you going to tell her when she's older, and asks about her daddy?" Garcia pried gently.

"That I made a mistake, that had nothing to do with her, and that I don't regret it."

"Do you regret it?" JJ asked, voice so soft Emily almost didn't hear her.

She turned to the window, thinking about how to answer, before looking back at her friends again. "I don't know, but I hope by the time she's old enough to ask, I won't."

The blond nodded, not completely understanding, but enough not to judge. She didn't regret Henry, never even considered not having him, or not keeping him. JJ adored her son, but she'd had nine months to get used to the idea of him before he was actually there. Emily hadn't even had a full 24 hours yet.

"Well, this is an awfully dour mood for a celebratory occasion," Garcia commented, voice high and bright.

"Sorry, it's been kind of a dour morning," Emily apologized.

"Oh?"

"Hospital sent someone to shrink my head, which is always a good time, and then I spoke to my mother, which might actually have been worse. And, then..." She waved a hand in gesture.

"Well then, it's a good thing we're here," Garcia declared, went to reach for a bag, and suddenly looked around the room. "Where is that yummy hunk of man meat we left here yesterday?"

"I made him go home this morning, we didn't sleep much last night."

"Oh, well before we get to all this, how's the newest addition to our team doing?"

Emily smiled then. "She's good, eating a lot, the nurses say that's a really good sign. And, pooping and peeing regularly, which also made them very happy."

"Did you pick out a name yet?" JJ asked.

"Yes actually, Morgan helped me. Adelyn Rose."

"Pretty, and old-fashioned sounding," Garcia commented thoughtfully.

Emily nodded. "I've been calling her Addy."

"That's cute." JJ smiled.

"So, now we can get into presents-and don't object to how much or what, or anything, understand?" Garcia eyed her.

The profiler raised empty hands in surrender.

"Alright, these are just some things you can use here, by no means the end of my shopping fun. Jayje handled the mommy things, and I got to pick out the cutest little outfits," Garcia practically squealed, picking up a bag and passing it to Emily. "Okay, this one has baby things."

She took it, and pulled out a few tiny folded up footies of various pastel colors (with matching hats), a soft blanket that was dark brown on one side and light blue with polka dots on the other, a fuzzy footie with a monkey on the front, and a pacifier.

"She'll be nice and warm when you take her home, and hopefully quiet."

"Thank you, I really do appreciate it," she said, squeezing Garcia's hand.

"My pleasure, sweetie. You know I love to baby shop...Oh! And, we've got a car seat and diapers and such that we'll leave in your apartment, except the car seat, that you'll need."

"What time did you guys get up to shop this morning?" She asked incredulously.

"We actually went yesterday after we left," JJ explained. "Someone couldn't contain her enthusiasm long enough to wait."

"Hey, hey, you were buzzing with adrenaline too," the tech defended.

"Well, thank you both very much, you just gave me a few less things to worry about." She silently thanked god or well, whoever for putting her on the BAU team, without them she didn't have much of a support system.

"Oh, we're not done yet. These," Garcia said, passing the second bag, "are things for you."

Emily took the bag, wondering what they'd decided she'd need, relieved to have someone with experience to do things like this for her. The first thing she found was pajamas, three pairs, all with button down tops. She looked at JJ, "Have I ever told you I loved you?"

The liaison laughed. "I spent most of my maternity leave in the same few pairs of pajamas, the convenience and comfort can't be beat."

The profiler's face took a big, goofy grin. "I don't have to wear this stupid gown anymore."

"There's this as well," JJ held up a bag with a box inside without passing it to her. "Breast pump, since you'll be leaving before Addy, you'll need it."

Emily nodded. "Does it feel weird?"

"A little, you get used to it, along with the idea of being milked like a cow at a dairy farm."

"Oh well, thanks, and thanks for that image."

"Yeah Jayje, thanks for that," Garcia agreed, looking slightly horrified.

Emily and JJ shared a look, their smiles turning conspiratory before their attention went to the tech analyst. "So," JJ began, "when's your turn?"

Garcia looked between them, puzzled. "What?"

"Well, I've got Henry, and Emily's got Addy now, when can we expect you and Kevin to pop out a super-hacker?"

The redhead took on an alarmed look. "Oh, I don't think so."

"You don't want your own?" Emily asked seriously.

"Not really. I prefer to borrow, dress stylishly, and return them to their mommys and daddys."

"But, you'd be a good mom," JJ said.

"No, I wouldn't. I'd be neurotic and paranoid, and I'd hug them too much, and end up raising serial killers. I'd rather save you guys the future work."

Emily laughed. "Garcia, you wouldn't raise serial killers. Not a chance."

"You're so sure?" She challenged.

"Yes. You'd raise kids who were secure in being whoever and whatever they were, no matter how far outside convention, and that knew, while she might be over-protective, they could always go to their mom with a problem."

JJ nodded. "Besides, Kevin will help smooth out your crazy, that's what dads are really there for-to point out when you're being irrational."

"That's what Will does?"

"Several times already."

Garcia turned to Emily. "I guess we're all going to be smoothing out your crazy then."

"I'll make sure Addy thanks you when she's a healthy, well-adjusted, young woman."

"Speaking of that cute, little angel...can we go and gawk through the window?" She looked like a little kid on Christmas asking to open presents.

"Of course. She doesn't do much though."

"When you're that adorable, you don't need to do anything for an audience. Henry didn't do too much early on either, but I still couldn't get enough of him. I'm so glad my friends make beautiful babies." She grinned.

"What would you do if we made ugly babies?" JJ asked, smirking.

"Buy lots of clothes and hoped that helped." The two mothers in the room, even knowing how awful the conversation would sound to anyone else couldn't help but start laughing.


Okay, little disclaimer here that I meant to put earlier. I know next to nothing about pre-term babies, NICU facilities, and motherhood. I don't even have aspirations for the last. I did some basic research (really, really basic), and decided that was enough. So, forgive me if I'm in accurate, and feel free to drop a line and correct me. On that note, the last chapter should be up sometime this week. Thanks for reading, and please review!