AN/This is another short one, but we thought there was a lot to digest. Hope you like it!
CHAPTER 9
Austin immediately found the group just outside. Somewhere in the pudding fiasco, Emily and her family had arrived and the group had moved to the backyard. As she approached the group, she couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of Spencer holding baby Merideth while Emily and her husband searched frantically for a bottle in the small diaper bag.
"Who knows, Reid, maybe one day soon you'll have one of these." Brian suggested teasingly as he located the prepared bottle and Emily accepted her own daughter from Reid's quivering arms.
"Oh, um...I...kids. We don't get along." Reid defended looking at Austin questioningly.
"Well that does a lot of good since your that little boy's godfather" Emily pointed to Henry who was currently playing with his trucks on the green grass, "and I don't think that you've done anything with him since they've been back."
"You're his godfather?" Austin questioned him, surprised.
Reid nodded, gulping apprehensively, "But I don't--"
"No buts." Austin interrupted, "come on, we're going to go meet your godson and we're not leaving until you feel comfortable with him."
"Hey JJ!" Emily called "I was just about to feed Meri, would you like too instead?"
"You go ahead, I need to ask Hotch something." JJ answered back, making her way over to Hotch who stood watching Morgan and Garcia push Jack on the swingset.
"Somebody's having fun." JJ commented, a small smile on her face as she watched Jack giggle at something Garcia whispered. "I'm glad he got to come over this weekend."
"Me too." Hotch smiled.
"So not to ruin the mood or anything, but did everything go okay when you filed my divorce papers last week?" JJ asked, "I'm just ready to move on without Will."
"I understand" Hotch reassured, "Everything went well, now all we have to do is wait and see how Will reacts."
"And that's never good." JJ sighed, "Well at least it will finally be over soon."
"Hi Henry, can we play trucks too?" Austin asked sitting next to the boy who seemed interested in the baby in Emily's arms.
"I guess so." Henry said noncommittally.
"My name is Austin" Austin introduced as she and Reid sat down on the grass near him, "And this is...."
"That's Unc'a Spence." Henry smiled, "Mommy showed me everyones picture, theys her family."
Reid looked shocked, so Austin kept talking, "I bet she missed her family, they sure missed her."
Austin smiled as she watched Reid begin to quietly play with Henry, imagining what their kids could be like if he would just propose.
"I would have been a good big brother. I was practicing." Henry said, startling the two adults.
"What do you mean, buddy?" Austin asked.
"When mommy had my baby sister in her tummy I pretend like I was the big brother."
"What happened to your baby sister?" Reid asked.
"Daddy came home mean and when I woked up mommy said she losted baby Martha."
"I don't think she really meant that she literally lost Martha, I mean she didn't just misplace the baby." Reid sputtered, trying hard not to tell Henry the real truth, but being slightly uncomfortable.
Seeing Austin's warning glare, Reid stopped. The pause encouraged the little boy to continue, "Mommy was so sad."
Austin's heart broke for the woman she barely knew, yet felt a close kinship with. "I bet she was sad."
"But shh don't tells anybody, it's a secrets. We don't talk abouts Martha anymore." Henry whispered.
"We won't tell anybody." Reid assured the little boy, promising himself that he would not disappoint his godson.
"Well maybe when you get older and Mommy falls in love again, you might have another baby brother or sister." Austin supplied, watching Henry for his reaction.
"Not with Daddy!"
"No buddy, not with Daddy." Austin clarified, "Someone very nice that doesn't hurt mommy."
"Like Unc'a Aaron?"
The couple turned to observe JJ and Hotch as they cooked the meat on the grill. To the untrained observer, it would have appeared as just friends working together, but Reid saw the way that Hotch watched JJ protectively. Austin immediately picked up on JJ's unguarded demeanor as Hotch stood in close proximity--not something that would happen easily.
"Yeah, buddy, maybe so." Austin smiled hopefully.
"Excuse me" A short, balding man said as he poked Reid's shoulder to gain his attention while the group was devouring the meal, "I'm from the Virgina Circuit Court. I'm looking for a Jennifer Jareau--this is the address she listed on her divorce papers."
"She's over there" Reid pointed to where JJ was helping Henry with his macaroni, "The blonde with the small child."
Reid, and the others, watched with curiosity as JJ kindly accepted a large envelope and the man left. They watched as she excused herself to open the item in private, though Reid still had a good vantage point from where he sat. He saw JJ's face pale and her hand cover her mouth in horror. He saw the confusion and fear that clouded her face, then he saw the quiet resolve and control that she quickly replaced it with. She quickly returned to the group, and approached her coworkers as though she knew she would have to break the news to them.
"Everything ok JJ?" Rossi asked, seated beside his new wife.
"Oh, it will be fine." JJ dismissed, though everyone but baby Merideth seemed to see right through her.
"What happened?" Emily asked concerned.
"Will's contesting the divorce." JJ announced. "I have to be in court Monday at 9am, Will wants primary custody."
AN/So...what did you think? Poor JJ, and things are just going to get a little more difficult. As ever, we don't own Criminal Minds.
