A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing the last chapter (and for not giving up on this story during the latest delay!). I got a little bit stuck with where to go next on this one so there's a bit of a time jump. Also this chapter contains a guest appearance from a character in one of my other stories who I decided should exist in this universe. And I should warn you that it's pure fluff. Enjoy.
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"Come and play!" Henry squealed, rushing to where his mother sat watching her boys play soccer. Or at least, some variation of the game which involved an overexcited dog periodically stealing the ball and bringing it to JJ. On the brightside, Toby had finally mastered the concept of fetch.
JJ laughed as the dog joined Henry in racing to the bench, leaving Will bringing up the rear with the now abandoned soccer ball. Upon reaching her, Henry threw his arms around her and squashed his face into the soft material of her winter jacket.
"Please, come and play," he begged, turning his big eyes up towards her face. "Your wrist is all better now."
JJ subconsciously flexed her recently freed arm as she contemplated her response. For the six weeks she'd been in plaster, she'd had the perfect excuse to avoid any rough play with Henry. And in that time, her bump had expanded to the extent that it was no longer simply ill-advised for her to race around after a soccer ball, but also practically impossible to do so.
"I can't play soccer today," she told him. "But we could feed the ducks," she suggested, in the hope he might take her up on the offer of a more gentle activity. Yeah right.
"You never play anymore," he sulked, kicking the bench, and causing Toby to jump up from where he had settled on the ground at JJ's feet.
"Henry," JJ sighed, as he sat down on the ground beside the dog and folded his arms.
"What's goin' on?" Will asked, joining his family.
"He's upset that I can't play," she answered. It was impossible to be annoyed by Henry's tantrum when she knew it was justified.
Will came to stand behind the bench, wrapping his arms around JJ's shoulders and pressing his lips to the top of her head.
"I think it's time we told him," he murmured into her hair.
As she found herself unable to look away from Henry's disappointed face, JJ's hand snaked up from her lap to take hold of her husband's and she nodded in agreement. It was about time he received an explanation for his mother's odd behaviour.
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A little over an hour later, Henry's mood had dramatically improved. He happily swung his legs and sipped his milkshake as he and his parents sat around a table in a diner style restaurant.
JJ couldn't help but share an anxious look with Will as she prepared to reveal the reason behind this unexpected treat to their son. Henry was a good boy. His report cards and parent-teacher conferences told of someone who was kind and generous and willing to share toys and play well with others. He'd shown that he could be very considerate when JJ had been suffering from morning sickness and when she was recovering from her fall. But that didn't mean she was confident that he'd react well to the news that he was going to be a big brother. She'd read every book and internet article she could find on the subject, and had many an in-depth conversation with her friends. But as a profiler, she was only too aware that theory and practice could be very different.
"Henry, your Momma and I have somethin' to tell you," Will began.
Henry looked up from his drink and eyed his parents suspiciously.
"It's nothing bad," JJ quickly assured him. "We've got some very exciting news," she continued with a smile.
"Am I getting a frog?" he asked excitedly.
JJ rolled her eyes - Spencer and the educational books he bought for Henry had a lot to answer for. Her son's latest obsession was amphibians and rarely did a day go past when he didn't have a request for some odd pet.
"No, you're not getting a frog," she replied. "One pet is enough." She couldn't help but throw Will a pointed look - the circumstances Toby's unexpected arrival had still not been forgotten.
"Then what is it?" Henry questioned, looking increasingly curious.
"You're gonna be a big brother," Will announced, grinning from ear to ear and finding himself unable to contain the news any longer.
"How?" the small boy puzzled.
"I'm going to have a baby," JJ explained, feeling a relapse of nerves now that the secret was out.
"Like Sam's mommy?" he asked, referring to his friend from school.
"Yes, just like Sam's mom," she agreed relieved to have a suitable comparison to make.
"Is that why you're fat?" he asked innocently, after pausing for a moment to digest the news.
Will instantly regretted that he'd just taken a large mouthful of coffee as he tried to stifle a laugh. JJ was also hiding a grin behind her hands.
"It is," she replied, once she had composed herself. "But you should never call someone fat," she added seriously.
"Why?"
"Because it's rude," Will supplied. "And it might make them sad."
"Even if it's a baby that's making someone fat?"
"Even if it's a baby," his father confirmed, still struggling to hide a smile.
"What do you think about being a big brother?" JJ asked, and she and Will silently awaited the reaction that really mattered.
Henry pondered his response, chewing on the straw in his drink as he did so, before he finally smiled and answered his parents.
"Can we get a frog if the baby wants one too?"
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It was late in the evening before Henry ran out of questions about his future role as a big brother and finally fell asleep. JJ was stretched out across the sofa, with her feet resting on Will's lap, as she browsed the internet and tried to amuse herself, and he watched TV. The fact that her cellphone rarely seemed to ring outside of normal office hours made her suspicious - she was certain there was some kind of conspiracy at play between Hotch and Will to ensure she was always well rested. But, while it occasionally irritated her that they were so overprotective, she had to admit that she appreciated the extra downtime. Especially when it guaranteed that she could spend more time with her family.
"Do you know the baby's the size of a mango just now?" she asked, glancing up from her laptop screen.
"I didn't," Will replied with a grin, placing his hand on her bump. "But I know there's another little soccer player in there."
"If the baby's only as big as a mango then why am I so huge?" she continued as she watched him rub circles over her stomach.
"I thought we were done with the pregnancy Q and A?" he laughed. Henry really had managed to come up with an impressive list of questions. "But you're not huge, darlin'," he added. "Bein' pregnant suits you."
She smiled, feeling her face flush slightly, as though she'd just been paid a compliment by her high school crush. It amazed her that a simple remark in his soft, southern accent could make her feel like a lovestruck teenager.
"Do you think Henry's really OK with this?" she thought aloud, returning her mind to a more sensible, grown-up place.
"I think he might be just a little bit excited," Will responded with a laugh. Henry had already decided that this baby was going to be an ally in every disagreement he had with his parents. And that he was going to be the best big brother ever.
"You don't think he'll feel left out? I was reading..."
Will cut her off by closing her laptop over and setting it down on the floor.
"Stop reading," he told her, adjusting their positions so that he could press his lips against hers. "Just. Enjoy. It." He punctuated each word with a kiss.
"Enjoy what?" she breathed with a slightly teasing laugh, as his lips brushed her neck.
He paused and looked her directly in the eye, turning serious for a moment, and her expression mirrored his.
"Everythin'" he replied. "We've got a lot to be grateful for."
Slowly, a smile of agreement and understanding spread across her lips as she forced all thoughts of work, and fears about the baby and Henry out of her head. Moments of pure bliss were transient, but right now, that was exactly what they'd found.
