here's another long chapter for you! enjoy! and please read and review!
A few months have passed since Christi's eighteenth birthday and she was now six months. Veronica was home for a while and they were hanging out at Derek's apartment as Clooney was getting lonely without anyone there twenty-four seven. Clooney jumps off the couch and goes over to the door and scratches it and whimpers and whines. Christi knew Derek taught Clooney that to tell him when he needed to go out.
"Okay boy, I'll take you for a walk." Christi said.
"Christi it's down pouring out there." Veronica said.
"Veronica he needs to go. It will be quick." Christi said as they got up and she got Clooney's leash and hooked it to his collar.
"Fine, then I am coming with you."
"Okay, then we can walk down to my dad's house." Christi said.
"Okay." Veronica sighs having a bad feeling about it.
They go and start walking Clooney and by the time they reach Hotch's house they're soaked to the bone and shivering from the cold.
"Why are you two soaked?" Hotch asks.
"We had to take Clooney for a walk," Christi said.
"In the rain? You guys could get sick! That's so dangerous, what were you thinking?" he asked Christi.
"It was my fault," Veronica said quickly, "I insisted we take him on a walk, he was getting annoying. Then Christi had to go with cause I've never taken care of a dog before."
"Well," Hotch looks down, "Let's get you two dry, hurry now,"
They nod and both head upstairs to start getting dry.
"I'm going to take a really fast hot shower to warm up." Christi said.
"Okay and I'm going to borrow some of your clothes." Veronica said since they swapped clothes all the time since they were the same size. Christi had kept all of her clothes from before she got pregnant so that once she lost all the baby weight.
"Fine with me." She called from the bathroom.
Christi takes a quick shower and then gets dressed in the bathroom then comes out towel drying her hair quickly.
She comes out and looks at Veronica.
"Hey umm thanks for covering for me. I really owe you big time." Christi said.
"No problem now let's get downstairs and have some hot food." Veronica said.
They head downstairs and they go and get some hot tea and a grilled cheese sandwich that Hotch was making for them.
"So how's Natalie doing today?" Hotch asks coming into the living area.
"Kicking like crazy and thinks that my rubs are a jungle gym for her climb all over." She says as Natalie kicks her in the ribs hard.
"She's anxious for Auntie Veronica to show her more fantastic music," Veronica teased, putting a headphone of what she was listening to.
"It's not that," Christi laughed and pushed the headphone away. Then she sneezed.
"You okay?" Veronica asks.
"Yea. It was just a sneeze." She said.
"Okay, Hotch; watch her like a hawk for the next few days if she starts getting clammy, having trouble breathing or anything get her to the ER." Veronica said.
Hotch nods.
"I'm fine. It was just a little sneeze!" Christi says. XXXX
A few days later Hotch goes and checks on Christi as she was napping and he notices she was having trouble breathing and he frowns and he goes over to her and gently wakes her up.
"Princess wake up." Hotch says gently shaking her.
Christi wakes up and gasps.
"Christi can you breath?" he asks.
She shakes her head taking short labored breaths. Hotch picks her up quickly and rushes down to the car and gets her inside the car and he brings her over to the ER where Veronica was and she looks and sees Hotch carrying Christi.
"Hotch exam room three." She yells.
He nods and goes and brings her in there.
Veronica runs in and starts checking her over.
"Okay Christi you've gotten pneumonia. I'm going to put you on oxygen then start you on antibiotics." Veronica said.
Christi nods and lies back as Veronica puts an oxygen mask over her face.
"Try to take slow deep breaths." She said.
Nodding and doing as she's told Christi starts couching and she's coughing up blood.
They quickly get her a bucket and when as she throws up, Veronica pages the OB/GYN. The doctor comes and when Christi stopped throwing up, they have to run some tests.
"She needs an emergency c-section or else the baby will get sick as well!" the doctor exclaimed, "Good call, Doctor," the doctor paused, not knowing Veronica's name.
"Ortiz, and she's my friend, I'm glad to be of service." Veronica says as she momentarily stabilizes Christi.
"Well, Ortiz, would you like for me to recommend you for an internship here?" the doctor asked.
"That would fulfill all my hopes and dreams!"
"Well, how far are you in medical school?" the doctor asked.
"Well, I've been taking advanced trauma medical school for the Marines, and then I went to war to be a medic, and I was taking online medical school over there. I only had to do two more years since I finished my first training to actually go to Afghanistan, so now I have a half a year left because of my advanced training."
"Okay, I understand, I was in the same situation. I'll recommend you for next January's internship." the doctor said.
"Thank you so much, now please help my friend." Veronica said.
"Okay, we'll get this baby out safe, then Christi will be on antibiotics, and a lot of them, to help her get well."
"Thank you," Veronica said again and went to the waiting room. XXX
The doctor came out an hour later. She was smiling.
"The surgery was successful, and now her baby girl is in the NICU. She'll stay there for several months or for however long that it takes. She's severely premature."
"How's Christi," Hotch asks.
"She's recovering in her room, you can see her if you'd like. She'll be groggy from the medicine, but she's awake."
"How long will you keep her in the hospital?"
"Until her pneumonia is gone. She's on a lot of antibiotics, so she'll be cured soon."
"Thank you, doctor," Hotch said.
"Thank your daughter's friend too. She made the call on pneumonia." the doctor pointed to Veronica, who blushed and smiled. They all went into Christi's room to say hello to her.
By the time they get back to Christi's room she's sound asleep. Hotch goes over to her and grabs her hand. It had scared the shit out of him when she woke up having trouble breathing and then when she started throwing up the blood.
"She's going to be fine now. She's on a cocktail of antibiotics and that's going to help her get over the pneumonia and more importantly Natalie is safe and healthy." Veronica said putting her hand on Hotch's shoulder.
He nods and sighs as Christi stirs and looks over at her father.
"Daddy?" she mutters.
"Hey kiddo." He said.
"What happened?" she asks.
"You're in the hospital. You got pneumonia, they have you on antibiotics. They had to deliver Natalie early and she's in the NICU. Your doctor said she's going to be there for a while since she's so premature."
"Derek's family." She says.
"Have they been called are you asking?" Hotch asks.
Christi nods.
"No not yet kiddo and neither has Jack."
"Actually, Ronnie texted me and told me and I called Derek's family from Christi's phone and they just called me, they're at Chicago O'Hare International Airport right now about to board the plane." Jack said.
"Good." Christi says.
"Still groggy I'm guessing?" Jack asks chuckling.
"yea she is." Veronica laughs.
After a few minutes Christi is sitting up having something light to eat.
"I wish I hadn't gone into the rain. Now it's my fault Natalie is in the NICU."
"Christi don't blame yourself. This could have happened to anyone. Sweetie you can't blame yourself." Hotch said.
"I guess." She sighs.
"Well Christi just think you need to get better fast do that you can go and see Natalie because they won't let you into the NICU or let her home down here if you're still sick." Jack said.
"Yea I know." She sighs. XXXX
Three months later Christi was home after being in the hospital for almost a month and over her pneumonia and she and Hotch were heading back to the hospital to get Natalie as she was being released. She goes and carries in the carrier and then heads up the nursery where Natalie was moved once she was healthy enough. Christi goes and smiles when they get up there. A nurse was just finishing changing Natalie and feeding her when they came in.
"Hi Christi how are you?"
"I'm great, how's Nat today?" she asks using Natalie's nickname.
"She's being released today, along with you."
"Yeah, I heard, it's fantastic." Christi beamed. About thirty minutes later, Hotch got there to pick them up.
"Hey how are my two favorite girls?"
"We're good and ready to head home."
"Okay well then lets head home." He said.
The entire ride home Christi sensed that Hotch was hiding something from her.
"Alright daddy what's up? You're hiding something." Christi said.
Hotch just sighs and looks over at her.
"NO! No! Absolutely not! No daddy! They promised us that when we moved here you wouldn't be going back. Daddy no!"
"Sweetheart they desperately need me over there. They need me to sort things out over there, the guys over there are panicking and need me. I need to go over there and sort things out over there and get the chaos under control. I'll be there for a few months tops. I'll be back before you know it. Jack is still here until he gets cleared for duty, and Fran, Sarah and Desirée are all here and that also includes JJ. Sweetie things are going to be fine. I promise." He said.
Christi sighs and nods and watches Natalie sleep. She looked so much like Derek it scared her. She gently strokes her cheek and sighs.
The rest of the car ride was awkwardly silent. When they get there Christi takes the carrier out of the base and into the house and right up to the nursery. She takes her out of the carrier and she carries her over to rocking chair and she takes a seat and puts her feet up on the gilder and she rocks back and forth humming to her.
Hotch goes and leans against the door frame and sighs. He watches as Christi bonds with Natalie. He had to go back and do what he had signed up for when he was eighteen.
Natalie stirs and starts whimpering then she wakes up screaming crying.
Christi looks at Hotch and says, "I need to feed her."
"I'll go and get her a bottle."
"I'm not bottle feeding her. I'm going to nurse her."
Hotch nods and leaves shutting the door behind him.
Christi starts feeding Natalie and Jack goes and sits by the door listening.
"Natalie your dad is such an amazing person. He's such a kind hearted person, loving, caring person. He's a Marine and he's overseas fighting to keep us safe right now. You were a little surprise so your daddy doesn't know about you yet but when he gets home he's going to love you so much and spoil you rotten and when you get older he's not gonna let you leave the house or he's gonna scare away all the boys your brings home." Christi said as Natalie lets go and whimpers. Christi grabs a burping cloth and she throws it over her shoulder and holds Natalie over her shoulder and she gently burps Natalie. Christi covers up again then she goes and lies Natalie down in her crib then she walks out of the room and sees Jack leaning against the wall and she goes right over to him and wraps her arms around him and cries into his chest.
"Daddy has to go back. I can't stand this. First you, Derek and Ronnie, two of you came back and one is still there and could possibly be dead! I can't lose daddy Jack, I can't. Natalie may never know her father. I'm so scared."
"Well there are other children out there who never know their father. Some children never know either of their parents, but Natalie will know both. Derek will come back. I promise," Jack said.
"What if he doesn't?" she asks.
Jack doesn't answer, but says, "He will come back Christi."
Christi sighs and nods and leans into her older brother. She knew Jack was right she just couldn't believe it. She knew she wouldn't believe it until she had Derek back home safe and sound with her.
"Go lie down sis, remember what your doctors said; you still need a lot of rest."
"I have to take care of Natalie."
"I'll watch her for a while you lie down and rest."
Christi nods and she goes and lies down and promptly falls asleep.
Hotch goes to check on her and he smiles as she fell asleep on top of her comforter and was shivering slightly as she had her fan on high plus the air conditioner was on so her room was cold. Hotch goes and grabs a blanket out of the hall closet and covers her up. After covering her up he goes to check on Natalie and finds Jack holding her and sitting in the rocking chair.
"How's Natalie?"
"Sleeping like a rock. She started whimpering and whining so I picked her up and she calmed down. I think she's going to be one of those babies who has to be held the entire time." Jack laughs.
"Who knows, Christi was definitely one of those babies. Always wanting to be held." Hotch laughs.
Jack laughs along with his father then he goes and lie Natalie down and they head downstairs.
Jack goes and calls Veronica and tells her what's going on and has her come over there to comfort Christi.
She gets there a few minutes later and Christi is still sleeping.
"Hey she's still asleep but Natalie is awake and wants her favorite Auntie Ronnie." Jack said smiling gently handing Natalie to Veronica.
A little while later Christi wakes up and heads downstairs and sees Veronica there.
"Hey Ronnie."
"Hey sweetie, I hear your dad has to go over there."
"Yea." She sighs picking up a sleeping Natalie from her swing and hold her close.
"They're going to come home to you Christi both your dad and Derek. You can't lose your faith." Veronica said.
"I know but it's just so hard not to ya know?" she asks.
"I want you to come to church with me at St. Vincent's. I know you already go to church, but this one is really nice. Then afterwards, come to a meeting with me at The Sunshine Palace."
"You go to meetings at the Sunshine Palace?" Christi asks. The Sunshine Palace was a peaceful 'hippie' place. They focused on peacefulness and music, art and other types of calming stuff.
"Yeah, it gives me hope that Alex, Darius and Max are still alive back in Afghanistan. They got captured along with Derek. We were all real close." Veronica says.
"Okay, I'll go, since it'll do what now?" Christi asks, knowing what Veronica will say.
"It'll make your faith stronger, your central peace wider, your soul cleansed and it'll make you feel so much happier."
"I need that," Christi said, "It'll be nice."
"Good and I've already arranged for a sitter for Natalie."
"Ronnie I don't know. I'm not ready to leave her yet. I need her to be close to me right now. Just having her close keeps me together. That's why I'm not taking all my classes online. I can't leave Natalie."
"She'll be fine Christi; you need some time away from her for a while. She'll be fine without you for a day. Your dad and Jack will watch her." Veronica said.
Sighing convinced Christi nods.
"Good. Now go and get dressed."
Christi nods and heads up stairs and puts her skinny jeans on and then a nice top and does her hair and makeup.
"Christi Natie will be fine." Jack said watching as she did her hair and makeup using his own special nickname for Natalie.
"I know. I'm just worried." She said.
"Christi stop worrying and go out and have a nice day with Ronnie."
She nods and they head out.
They get to the church early then they head inside.
The mass goes and for some reason Christi starts feeling more relaxed and like things were going to turn out fine in the end.
After the mass ends Christi and Ronnie head over to The Sunshine Palace.
There was about twenty-five people or so attending the class. A black man came up to Christi with an Indian woman with a red dot on her forehead.
"Christi," Veronica said, "This is Joaquin and Alana."
"Nice to meet you," Alana said in a thick Indian accent.
"Are you two," Christi asked, motioning between the two.
"No, my husband is over there," Alana said, pointing to an Indian man across the room. Soon they all sat down around the room. They went around introducing their names, and then Joaquin began to speak.
"It is better to be violent, if there is violence in our hearts, than to put on the cloak of nonviolence to cover impotence. Gandhi," Joaquin read aloud, "Any other quotes for the day?"
A blond woman raised her hand and said, "I believe everybody in the world should have guns. Citizens should have bazookas and rocket launchers too. I believe that all citizens should have their weapons of choice. However, I also believe that only I should have the ammunition. Because frankly, I wouldn't trust the rest of the goobers with anything more dangerous than string. Scott Adams," Everyone chuckled lightly at the quote and carried on.
"Any visitors or newcomers?" Joaquin asked. Veronica put Christi's hand up.
"This is my friend Christi. She needs cleansing."
"Well it's great to have you, Christi," Joaquin smiled, "Veronica, have a song for the day?"
"Goodbye my Lover, by James Blunt." Veronica says.
"Good choice, did you bring the CD?"
"I made my own mix," she says taking a CD case out of her tote. She gives it to the person working the CD player. "Track five," she says. As music starts to play, they talk more.
"Well, since Christi's our visitor of the day, we should focus a little on her." Joaquin said, "Why are you here?"
"Veronica dragged me," Christi said sarcastically, "My boyfriend, and father of my child, is away at war. He's a prisoner over there, and doesn't know about our child. He's been a prisoner for more than a year now. I want to believe he's alive, but I'm losing faith."
"That's one thing we focus on here. Faith and hope, peace, harmony. We focus on the love, the trust, the joy, inspiration. We keep the dream alive. We bring this all back to reality. Reality needs more of this stuff, we all need more of it."
"How do I keep my faith?" Christi asks.
"You believe," Joaquin says simply, "You have to keep telling yourself, you have to believe in him. Pray, and hope that he'll be back. Love him in your prayers, and sometimes you need to spend some time away from reality and away from your child and just pray and believe that he's okay. It may be hard, but just tell yourself he is. You'll need some help from people around you and tell them that. Tell them to be supportive and pray and hope along with you. Tell them to believe too."
"What if we find out he's dead?" Christi asks with ease.
"Then he's in a better place. He died protecting his people, protecting his country, but that's no way to believe that he's still alive. Tell yourself every day when you wake up, 'He's alive' then when you go to bed, 'He's alive' and throughout the day, say, 'He's alive, he's alive, he's alive,'" Joaquin said.
"It hurts to think about him,"
"Well you have to," Joaquin said, "Look at old pictures, think of memories, look at videos. Remind yourself that he's alive, because he is."
"I know," Christi smiles, "He's alive,"
Joaquin smiles and then they change the topic, "Who has another topic?"
Alana's husband raises his hand, "It's about God, the gods, religions."
"Ahh, yes, Christianity, Catholicism, Buddhism, Mormonism, Atheism, and many more." Joaquin says, "I myself, am a Rastafarian."
"Rastafarianism is okay too!" Veronica, who was Catholic along with Christi, laughed.
"But what I think," a man Veronica introduced earlier as Marcus, said, "Is that we all should just worship the Flying Spaghetti Monster."
"Pastafarianism," Veronica laughed.
"Whether you worship a Flying Spaghetti Monster, God the Man, God the Woman, God the whatever, or you know, multiple gods, or anything, it's all worshipping." a woman named Nicole said.
"God the Woman doesn't make sense to me," Veronica stated, "God the Holy Father of Jesus, it can't be his mother cause his mother is Mary, and basic anatomy states that a woman doesn't have sperm to impregnate someone."
"Now we're getting into philosophy, and medical stuff," Joaquin laughed.
"When were we not into philosophy?" Veronica asks.
"Worshipping whatever," Christi said, getting into the conversation, "We still worship and pray to our higher power, and though what we do is different, how we do, how we celebrate, is different, generally, we all do the same thing."
"We all believe the higher power will answer to us." Nicole nods.
"Not Atheists," a man countered.
"Well even they have to admit that there is a higher power. There's something greater than them out there, something with more power than they have. It can be the elements, God, a Spaghetti Monster, anything, but they have to admit it." Christi said.
"In their minds they subconsciously know, but they might not admit it." Alana agrees.
"When did we get into human behavior?" Joaquin teased.
"But the thing I'm saying," Marcus says, "Is why can't we all worship the same thing?"
"Because there's always someone out there who disagrees." Veronica answers, "There's gonna be someone who challenges what the creator thinks, why the higher power does what they do, and why them as a higher power. Why pray to it, when it might not answer, might not give the people what they deserve."
The meeting goes fairly well. It involved praying and silences, whatever cleanses your mind and soul. Christi and Veronica go back to the house and discuss the meeting. Then Jack comes home with Natalie and Hotch and they all sit on the couch.
"Where've you two been?" Christi asks, taking Natalie.
"At the park." Jack said smiling as Natalie yawns and snuggles into her mother's arms.
Christi smiles and goes and puts Natalie down for a nap and she goes into her room and she starts studying for a test in her online American Government Honors class.