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A/N: Thanks to everyone who's been reviewing and welcome to all the new people who've started reading this story! Let us know is you like this one! :) And Happy Holidays!
Chapter Six
Emily, true to her word, had arrived at JJ's Queens home in twenty minutes. JJ was worriedly pacing throughout the living room, leaving Jack alone in the other room to finish his homework. Hearing someone enter the front room, Jack came running to see the entrant.
"EMILY!" Jack squealed in delight.
"Hey kiddo. You want to go out and play in the snow? We can build a snowman!" Emily handed Henry off to JJ as she asked him while he practically jumped her.
"YES! Can Henry and Mommy come too?" Jack looked between Henry, who was currently bundled up tightly, and JJ pleadingly. JJ considered for a moment thoughtfully, still worried over what could possibly be happening to Morgan and Hotch, although there wasn't much she could do regardless.
"s'now! s'now!" Henry added, as though he was attempting to sway her decision.
JJ laughed. "Somebody learned a new word, huh?" She tickled the boy in her arms, which was difficult considering he still was wearing thick layers. "Sure. But he probably needs to be changed. Why don't you get started and we'll be out in a minute." She instructed Jack, who was already busy putting on his snow pants and coat.
Emily caught JJ's eyes just before she retreated up the stairs. Mommy? Emily questioned her, mouthing the words so Jack wouldn't think it suspicious. JJ just smiled and shrugged, smiling at the toddler in her arms.
"What's all that for mommy?" Jack asked when JJ and Henry returned outside carry a small bag of items.
"It's for the snowman buddy. We can use the carrot for his nose, my scarf around his neck, these raisins for his eyes and mouth..."
"And I found these sticks for his arms!" Emily called from the side of the house as she made her way back to the front yard. "Now all we need is your help to make his body."
"Okay! What about a hat?" Jack asked as JJ sat Henry down near their feet. "Won't his head get cold?"
"That's why I brought this!" JJ said cheerfully as she pulled a black toboggan from her bag. She'd bought it for herself, but if using in on the snow person made Jack and Henry happy then that's what they'd do. Looking down as she put down the bag, JJ briefly noticed Henry shoveling snow into his mouth. "Henry! Little man you can't put that stuff in your mouth! It's shoo shoo!" she said as she picked him up and used her gloved hand to hastily get most of it out of his tiny mouth before he swallowed it. "Okay, so who's ready to get started?"
"Me!" Jack said happily, bouncing up and down in front of her as Emily snapped a picture.
"Reid, if you put the tinsel there, we will look like we belong in Vegas." Garcia scolded the young genius as she fixed the golden strands around the the tree.
"I do belong in Vegas." Reid retorted angrily, upset that she had insinuated that his hometown was tacky. He had learned his best style tips from Las Vegas and was not going to be told that it wasn't right. Garcia and Reid were in charge of bringing in Christmas spirit into the restaurant, which was opening in a couple of days. Originally, Reid thought decorating with Garcia would be fun, just two friends goofing off, until he learned that Garcia took her Christmas decorating very seriously. She had chastised him for every little thing he had put up, and was exhibiting control freak tendencies that could be compared to Hotch.
"Well, the tree doesn't. Oh no, you did not just put that ornament there."
"Penelope! Leave it alone!" Reid whined as Rossi sat back in amusement.
Hotch and Morgan parked two houses down from JJ's Queens home, not wanting to draw suspicion to themselves. Walking up to the home, Hotch smiled as he saw the freshly made snowman. Suddenly, white balls of snow began to fly towards each other from opposite ends of the yard.
"Hmph!" He heard JJ's grunt of dissatisfaction as what he assumed was a snowball pelted her. "I'll get you for that one Emily!" He heard her yell. Morgan's face broke into a wide smile, something his face reminded him he hadn't been doing a lot of the past little while.
"Yeah! Bring it on Barbie!" Emily called from the end of the yard furthest from Morgan and Hotch.
"Come on Jack, we can take her." The men heard JJ call.
"Yeah. Let's get her mommy!" Hotch could imagine his son's brow furrowed in determination. He felt his breath hitch at hearing Jack call her 'mommy' so easily. Then he saw multiple snowballs fly from where he assumed JJ and Jack were hiding.
"Hey! It's not my fault I got stuck with Henry! All he does is put snow in his mouth, stand up, and sit down. JJ, you gave birth to the worst snowball fighter EVER!" Emily called teasingly as she lobbed a snowball in JJ and Jack's direction.
JJ, forgetting momentarily the war in which she was now engaged, stood immediately "Emily! Don't let him eat snow! That's---" Her reasoning was never explained as Emily, prepared for such an outburst, had positioned herself to lob a snowball right in JJ's face.
"Ooo. That was low! I will get you for that!" JJ threatened as she ducked to miss another ball of snow. Luckily, niether she nor Emily had spotted them.
Hotch and Morgan watched this exchange with amusement. Deciding to get in on the fun, Hotch motioned to Morgan, who nodded silently. Hotch saw Jack's tiny head peak up from the mound of snow that served as their protection. Silently instructing Jack to remain quiet, he saw his son nod and retreat back into the safety of the mound of snow.
Using the stealth developed by virtue of years in the FBI, Morgan and Hotch silently approached the women on either side of the yard. With each step, both men would scoop down to add a little snow to the small ball they were packing. Signaling to Morgan, Hotch held up his fingers as both were equally close to the hiding women. One. Two. Three.
At the quiet nod, both men immediately screamed "AAAAHHH!" and threw the balls of snow at JJ and Emily. JJ's squeal was much higher and louder than Emily's, Hotch thought with triumph. For some reason he felt extremely relaxed when he was around JJ, something that both surprised and frightened him.
"Aa....Aaron?" JJ asked blinking the snow out of her eyes. Then once she realized it was him she started scanning him for cuts, bruises, scrapes, or anything to signal he was hurt. Finding nothing she looked up at him in shock, "Is it really you?" she whispered,
"And you're okay?"
Saying nothing, he just opened his arms to her in a rare uncharacteristic moment for a hug which she gladly accepted, practically squeezing him for dear life. Then if suddenly remembering that this was not the first time, but the second time she'd latched onto her boss like this she backed up completely. Suddenly extremely self conscious, "I'm sorry...I was just so worried. I mean I knew something was wrong and then Emily told me that they grabbed you early this morning and I didn't know what to do and I just..."
Chuckling a little at her obvious babbling, he pushed a little of the snow caked hair from her face, "Ssh! Relax...I'm okay. We're okay. Everything's okay."
"Promise?" She asked quietly, searching his eyes for what she needed to see there.
"I promise."
"You're keeping something from me." She stated. She could tell it by the way his left hand stayed in his coat pocket, a sure sign he was trying to hide something. After years of working with him she knew beyond a doubt that he was probably fisting the hand in his pocket, the only sign of obvious nervousness that anyone would ever hope to get out of him.
"You're right." He said, there was really no use in hiding it, "Let's go inside. I'll tell you everything after dinner, okay?"
"Okay" JJ answered as Jack came running up to them from behind the smaller mound that had provided his cover.
"Daddy!" he squealed. "I missed you!"
"I missed you too buddy!" Hotch said as he bent down and hugged his son tightly, "How was school?"
"I had so much fun! Mrs. Cain...that's my teacher...she let me and Tony color four Christmas pictures and bring them home!" Jack gushed as he held up four of his fingers in illustration.
"Four? Really?" Hotch asked as if it were the most incredulous thing in the world, "Wow that's amazing, buddy! Can I see them?"
Jack just nodded and grabbed his father's hand to lead him inside when they heard Henry babbling to Morgan or "Mo Mo" as the little toddler had deemed him. They were closely followed by Emily who was still trying to brush some of the snow off her coat from Morgan's snowball.
Seeing Hotch, Henry's chubby little arms shot out towards him in earnest, "Da Da hold!" He yelled excitedly as he squirmed in Morgan's arms.
"Henry! Hey little man! I missed you too." Hotch smiled as he took the squirming toddler from Morgan and followed JJ and Jack inside the small house.
Emily and Morgan just looked at each other and said simultaneously "Da Da?" before Jack poked his head out the door and said, "Mommy says to come inside! It's freezing out there and she's making dinner!"
Repeating their earlier action as Jack disappeared in the house again they both blurted "Mommy?" Something was going on here, and this they had to see. They weren't going to miss this dinner for the world.
"Look, idiot. We've got to make sure all the bugs are in place. The boss wants to make sure everything's on the up and up." Mario De Luca told he brother Fredo. Mario had always been something of a technology genius, and he was the Family's right hand man when it came to setting up bugs inside potential members homes.
"Fine. But didn't we already put some in his house?" Fredo tossed out hoping to appear nonchalant, but instead coming off almost angry. Maybe he'd been working with Angelo too long.
"That was when we thought he lived alone. Now we've got to take out the one in the bedroom, and place some more through the house." Mario, the obviously older one of the two said as he grabbed some of the listening devices out of the sedan while Fredo picked the Bonasera's lock. "Hurry up, alright? I don't have time to get caught tonight. Maria and I are supposed to be going over to her Ma's house with the kids for family dinner."
"Oh shut up! Look we're in," Fredo said as the lock gave way and he casually pushed the door open, "Why are we taking out the one in the bedroom anyways? What's it even matter?"
"The boss doesn't want to disrespect Bonasera's lady. If he says it comes out, it comes out. You know the rules. Now, let's get this over with."
Morgan and Emily's awe continued as they watched the small family eat dinner. JJ had made grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup, giving each person their sandwich as it was hot. They watched as JJ ruffled Jack's hair affectionately as she handed him a bowl of soup. They watched as Aaron Hotchner took a cooled sandwich and cut it up into little pieces for Henry and poured some apple juice in a sippy cup for the toddler. Most importantly, they saw how completely in sync the pair seemed to be as they cared for both children simultaneously.
"Do you think they realize how bad they have it for each other?" Morgan whispered to the woman sitting next to him at the small kitchen table that suddenly seemed worlds away from the family in front of them. Almost like they were watching though a TV as JJ, Hotch, and their two young sons turned into the Cleaver's.
"Nope. I don't think they've got a clue." Emily whispered back. Truthfully, both felt as though they were intruding on a Hallmark moment.
"Um, Aaron?" Morgan interrupted the four for a moment, and it almost felt odd to call his boss by his first name. But as endearing as watching the small family was, they did have a purpose for stopping by. "Are you going to tell her?"
"Oh. Yes. Jennifer, why don't I talk to you in the living room? Jack, buddy you stay here for a minute." He motioned for Emily and Morgan to stay as well and look after both children.
Walking into the room, JJ was oddly somewhat excited to finally find out what had happened. She had nervously avoided the subject for about as long as she could stand it, and if he didn't start talking soon she was afraid that she might have to beat it out of him. Or at least try and out stare him.
"Jennifer." Hotch began, and paused as he saw her small grimace. "What is it?"
"Call me Jenna please." She answered. "I hate Jennifer, Jenny, and Jen. If it's not JJ, it's Jenna." Hotch smiled at her revelation, causing her to defend herself a little, "my grandmother always called me Jenna."
"Oh okay. Jenna, as you know, Morgan and I got picked up early this morning. We both thought they knew, the boss even went on about secrets and how he knew mine. He pulled out this." Hotch held the picture for JJ to see, she let out a small gasp when she realized the picture's origin.
"What does this mean?" She asked calmly, but inside the questions were tumbling. Were she and the boys in danger? What was going to happen? Were they going home?
"It means, that they think we are married. They told me no more secrets under any circumstance, and I'm fairly certain they're expecting you to come and live with me." JJ blinked rapidly, trying to comprehend what he had just said.
"You, and me? Married?" She scrambled. Hotch smiled. He knew this was difficult, but he tried to stop the thought in his mind that immediately cropped up. Her eyes were so beautiful when she was confused, and the small...He shook his head to cease the image now burned into his mind. Instead, he pulled out two beautiful rings, and for the first time she noticed the small gold band that adorned his ring finger.
"Marry me?" he asked, for some reason feeling as though he was really asking her even though his logical side knew he wasn't. This was just pretend, or so that's what he kept telling himself.
"I'm sorry?" JJ sputtered, still trying to comprehend why Aaron Hotchner was in her living room and holding out two rings in his hands--one a gold band to match his and one that looked to have an antique design on the band which encased a single diamond.
"Marry me?" he asked again as he slipped the gold band on her finger, wordlessly followed by the other ring.
"Okay." She answered simply, and smiled at the obvious look of relief that raced through his body. "I'll marry you." Why did this suddenly feel like a real proposal instead of something for the cover?
He briefly wondered if it would be appropriate for him to pick her up in a hug, but then thought better of it when Morgan cleared his throat behind them. "Sorry to interrupt, but Jordan keeps texting me trying to figure out why I'm not home yet. I told her we had to stop over here earlier but..."
"We understand, Derek" JJ interrupted. When had she suddenly become the bearer of both of their opinions? "It's just about time for the boys to take their bathes anyways."
"Yea, okay. Well Em volunteered to drive me home, but we just wanted to let you know we were leaving." Morgan informed the two people in front of him.
"Alright, I'll see you in the morning at the house. We need to keep up our routines even though things have changed a little. I don't want them to think somethings wrong, and I'd say the house is still bugged even after today's events." Hotch added as the three walked back into the kitchen were Emily stood putting on her winter weather apparel. They needed to err on the side of extreme caution from now on during this operation.
"So...you wanna go to a movie or something? We could go in Manhattan so we wouldn't be seen, I know this great..." Derek started only to be interrupted by Emily.
"Sean's taking me out to dinner tonight, sorry." she apologized, "Besides, I thought you just had to get home? What's up? Why the sudden change of heart?" Emily glanced over at him question quizzingly.
"Jordan is driving me crazy!" Morgan admitted. "I can't do anything right, no matter what, and..." He blew out a rush of air suddenly, "I don't know how much longer I can take this."
"Oh, come on! It can't be that bad." Emily rolled her eyes at his whining. Sure, it was an adjustment to live with someone, no matter who they were, but it couldn't be nearly as bad as what he mentioned.
"Oh! You have no idea!" He moaned, but still remained quiet. He felt bad talking about the ornery woman behind her back, and for some reason, he didn't want Emily to think he was that type of guy.
"Well, here we are." Emily pulled up in front of his house. Jordan immediately opened the door expectantly, waiting impatiently for him to enter. Emily rolled down Morgan's window and waved, only to get a half-hearted hand raising in return.
Morgan sighed deeply and exited the car, muttering to himself, "for the good of the country..."
"Where have you been?" Jordan asked angrily.
"Out." Morgan said shortly in reply as he entered the house, "I'm going to bed early..."
"Hey, Jack." Hotch began delicately, remembering the last time he had approached his son about the undercover operation. JJ held up a hand, indicating he stop.
"Jack, we're going to go live with your dad." JJ said evenly, trying to keep the unfamiliar excitement out of her voice.
Jack's crestfallen face surprised both FBI agents. "You mean we don't get to play pretend anymore?" He asked softly.
"No, buddy." Hotch assured him. "We're just all going to be playing together. Our last name is going to be Bonasera, can you remember that?" Jack nodded enthusiastically.
"But, we need your help. We are going to have to put all of our stuff in daddy's house, can you help us get ready?"
"Yeah, I can help." Jack said, running to his room.
The three hours after dinner flew by. Hotch and JJ silently separated, quickly repacking all of the essential items. Larger items could be packed later, but it was better to get this done as quickly as possible. Jack helped where he could, often getting momentarily distracted by whatever was currently in his hands.
Promising Jack that he would personally return for their Christmas items, it was only a little after nine by the time Hotch and JJ's cars were packed with the three's items. Packing up the boys and placing a sleeping Henry in her car, JJ smiled at Hotch, "Well, we're halfway done."
He grimaced. The idea of unpacking all of this stuff seemed daunting. Arriving quickly at his Brooklyn home, he carried a sleeping Jack into the home, laying him on the bed in a spare room, while JJ lugged the car seat holding a slightly snoring Henry into the other room.
Unpacking went far quicker than either adult had anticipated. Finally, around midnight, their daunting task was completed. Both quickly changed, preparing for bed. JJ had been envisioning the awkwardness of their first night.....together...but was surprised at how quickly Hotch fell asleep once he had laid down. "So much for awkward" she thought to herself as she climbed in the covers.
"Mommy?" A small sleepy voice came from the bedroom door.
"Yeah Jack." She tried to keep the exhaustion out of her voice.
"I'm in a play tomorrow. You need to make me a costume." Her eyes, that had been drooping shot open.
"What?"
"I'm a Christmas Tree. Ms. Cain said we need a costume." The boy appeared in the hallway, rubbing his eyes tiredly.
"Okay, Jack. Go back to sleep." Laughing to herself at the ridiculousness of a second grade teacher, she grabbed the keys to her car, not bothering to change out of her sweats, and headed out the door after slipping a short note under her pillow just incase Hotch woke up. I guess I need some fabric and a sewing machine.
