Chapter 8

"Are you ready?" Hotch asked Katrina.

"Yes! I'm ready!" Katrina grinned up at him excidetly.

"Uh. Uh Uh," Hotch lightly scolded, "you gotta put your seatbelt on."

"May I?" he asked. As Katrina nodded, he reached for the seatbelt and put it around her. Click. She was safe and sound.

"You know, plane crashes are really rare," Reid said, "you're more likely to die in a-"

"Uncle Spencer!" Hotch exclaimed, "not hepful!"

"Yeah, Reid, not in front of the kid," Morgan said.

Suddenly, the plane started going into the air. Hotch squeezed her hand tight.

"Are you okay? We're going up!" the Unit Chief exclaimed.

"Whee!" Katrina exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air.

"Whee!" the normally composed agent exclaimed in agreement, "Oh!"

"Hahaha! What is it Daddy?" Katrina asked.

"Woosh! We made it in the sky!" Hotch said.

"Haha, you're funny," the six year old giggled.

"You see the clouds?" Hotch asked.

Katrina nodded.

"You wanna look out the window?"

"Yes, Daddy."

"She's a lot braver than I ever was," Rossi quipped.

"Uncle, Dave, it's not scary at all," Katrina answered.

The team rode in silence as Hotch and Katrina looked at the window.

"Alright, guys, Katrina and I are going home," Hotch said.

"Hotch, man, you don't have to worry about anything," Morgan said, "We got this."

"The papers should be in any moment. I'm gonna have Katrina bond with Denise and the other kids for the weekend."

"That'll be good," Rossi said.

"Horray! I can't wait to meet my mommy!"

Ding dong. The doorbell rang. Denise was in her apron, baking cookies.

"Hi," Hotch said, "I have a suprise for you."

"Oh, Aaron," Denise said, "I'm sorry I locked you out. It's just with everything that's been happening-"

"Denise, Denise, it's fine. I have someone you'd like to meet."

Katrina emerged from behind Hotch.

"Why, you must be Katrina!" Denise exclaimed.

"Hahaha, yep. That's me! Are you my mommy?"

"If you will let me, I will be."

Denise flung her arms around the girl.

"Aaron has told me so much about you!" Denise exclaimed, "I can't believe I get to be your mommy! Oh!"

"I can't believe I get a mommy."

"Oh, Katrina. You're always gonna have a mommy and a daddy who love you very much. You won't be alone again. But, come in, both of you!"

Hesistantly, Katrina walked around the house. She walked over to the piano and started tapping it.

"Katrina," Hotch warned,

"Oh, you, it's fine," Denise said, "I've been busy making cookies for Katrina. Of course, I had to make dinner too, but-"

"Denise," Hotch stopped.

"I'm starting to sound like Spencer, aren't I?"

Katrina must've been listening in because she piped up, "Cookies?" She ran into the kitchen.

"Now, now, Katrina, do you remember what you say when you want something?" Hotch asked.

"Please?"

"Of course, you may have a cookie," Denise said.

Suddenly, Jack walked downstairs.

"Hey! Who's got the cookies?"

"They're for your new sister, Katrina," Hotch answered.

"Oh," Jack said. He walked over to her.

"I'm Jack," he said, "I'm your oldest brother. But I think girls have cooties."

"Jack!" Denise and Hotch exclaimed at the same time.

"What are cooties?" Katrina asked.

Hotch and Denise just looked at each other.

"Tell you what," Denise said, "we're gonna have supper in a few minutes. I'll help you get cleaned up and you can meet your sisters, Clarissa and Anna."

"I'll go help James, and I'll deal with Jack," Hotch offered.

Katrina watched as Denise gave Clarissa and Anna a bath. As Anna dried off she said, "It's your turn if you want."

"Oh, okay," Katrina said, hesistantly getting into the tub.

"'S okay," Anna said, "mama and daddy always tell me to share." She gave Katrina a smile.

Katrina played in the bubbles and Clarissa threw some at her face.

"Clarissa!" Denise exclaimed, "what do you say to your sister?"

"I'm sorry sister."

"Yeah, well how about this?" Katrina flung some bubbles at Clarissa.

"Katrina, Clarissa, we do not allow messes in this house!" She chuckled at how her three girls were bonding.

"Do you have cooties?" James asked.

"James," Hotch said, "this is Katrina, your sister. And no, she does not have cooties." He gave his best "Hotch stare."

Katrina just looked dumfounded.

"I don't even know what they are," he shrugged.

"I'm sorry," James said, "Jack told me to tell you that."

"I'm sorry I thought you had cooties," Jack apologized, kissing his sister on the forehead.

"I know this is a big change for everyone," Hotch said in his Unit Chief voice, " but can we please drop the cooties subject. I don't want you to scare Katrina away!"

"We won't scare her away," Jack said.

"I won't leave," Katrina said, "if you'll let me stay."

"Katrina, we'll always let you stay," Hotch said, "you're not leaving us for a long, long time." He grinned.

"Let's eat!" Denise said, "mashed potatoes and porkchops for everyone. And cookies and cupckaes, espescially for our newest member!"

"Denise, you really shouldn't spoil her so," Hotch laughed.

"Shut up. I spoil all my children. Besides, the girls and I are going to the park tommorow."

"Oooh! I've never been to a park before!" Katrina exclaimed.

"You've never been? Well, consider this a first," Denise said, "in fact, it's gonna be a fun first!"

"Get used to it because you're gonna have a lot of firsts," Jack quipped.

That night when Katrina crawled into her new bed, she felt at home. Anna was in the bunk on top of her.

"Mama and Daddy tell me you got taken by a bad guy," Anna said.

"Yeah. He was a real bad guy," Katrina confessed, "he did bad things. But Daddy got him, so it's okay."

"It's okay," Anna agreed, "a bad guy took me, too."

Katrina gasped.

"Only, this one wore a mask," Anna explained, "and it was scary. But Daddy got him, too."

"Daddy always gets the bad guys," Katrina said.

"No one beats Daddy."

Little did the girls know that Denise and Hotch were listening in on the conversation. Denise rested her head on Hotch's chest and they knew everything was going to be alright.