Happy New Year everyone! Before we get started, I'd like to thank you for waiting, if anyone is still reading this, and ask is there anything you'd like to see. I'm planning on wrapping it up at the end of 2012 (in the story time-frame) and continuing the sequel in 2013... Also, please review. I'm feeling a little lonely and unloved :(
As usual, I don't own this. And I've only seen the first four episodes of Season Six. How sad is that?
Chapter 10 (June 2102)
It was hard for Emily to avoid her closest friends for any length of time, but almost four days after telling them about her coming promotion, they were still not talking to each other. Occasionally, JJ and Penelope would send messages through Aaron or the kids, if it was important, but otherwise they maintained communication silence.
By Friday afternoon, Emily had had enough. She was frustrated enough with her own team and training with Strauss she just snapped.
Storming down the corridor between her current bullpen and her old bullpen, she slammed open the door to their conference room and immediately drew their attention.
"Ok, I've had enough!" she started. "I'm being promoted, not transferred to another state, to another unit even, so for god's sake suck it up and get over it. If anything, you'll see me more, and the unit will be better off without the iron fist we're used to!
"We're supposed to be a family, and now we're reduced to communicating through Jack and Henry! I don't care if you don't support my decision, it was my choice to make, and if you want me to, I'll pass the repercussions on to you, and trust me, they won't be pleasant or appreciated!"
She paused to take a breath, and took in the shocked faces before her. "Well, what do you have to say for yourselves?"
She was met with silence for a moment before Reid answered. "Em, we were planning a surprise party for you tonight," he whispered.
It was Emily's turn to stand there like a stunned mullet. "Damn it!" she shrieked, before storming back out, presumably on the way back to her office, but not before bumping her hip into a railing on her way.
The team looked back at each other, all half in shock.
"Well, that went well," JJ deadpanned. "How do you think she'll take Pepper?"
Hotch smiled. "She'll love her, and she'll be so embarrassed you'll end up rolling on the floor laughing."
Dave smiled. "To what extent are we talking about, with the embarrassment?"
"Oh, I'm talking red face, reduced to stuttering, tantrum throwing embarrassment," Penelope laughed. "I've seen it before, only once, but it will be worth it once she sees Pepper and the kids' faces."
"It better be," Reid winced. "Otherwise, she'll never talk to us again."
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When Emily woke up on Saturday morning, she was almost dreading the day ahead, and the not-so-surprise party she was expecting. Going through the motions of her morning routine, her mind was elsewhere, focusing less on washing her hair and more on her seemingly-backstabbing friends.
Stepping out of her bedroom close to an hour later, Emily headed downstairs. It was the morning of her forty-second birthday, but like the previous year, Emily felt no different age-wise. Instead, she chose to focus more on how different her life had become since joining the BAU, and every other important milestone since then.
She entered the kitchen and wasn't surprised to see Amelia in there, feeding something looking suspiciously like muesli to Audrey. Jack and Aaron were nowhere to be seen, although both of them had obviously risen before her.
"Morning Amelia," she greeted, heading directly for the coffee maker. "Morning, baby," she greeted her daughter on the way, stopping to kiss the fifteen month old on the forehead as she passed. Audrey giggled and threw the muesli up in the air before mashing it into her hair.
Amelia shook her head. "She does this every morning," she apologised. "But if I don't give her muesli she refuses to eat anything else."
Savouring the smell of caffeine, Emily smiled. "Well, she definitely gets her stubbornness from me, and the healthy eating from her father. When I was a kid, I would eat ice cream for breakfast if I could scam it out of the cooks, but mostly I would settle for chocolate chip pancakes. We had this chef in Moscow who would make the best ones, and I've never had ones as good since then."
The nanny smiled, and dropped the now-empty bowl into the sink before heading back over to the baby. "You, missy, need a bath," she said, wiping her face and hands and removing the cloth bib from around her neck. She turned around to face Emily. "Would you like to do it? I know you hardly ever get a chance now, and she's growing up so fast."
Emily smiled widely. "Thanks, Amelia. I think it's just what I need after the week I've had. A little mommy and me time, huh baby?"
Audrey smiled widely and clapped her hands again, still refusing to swallow the last mouthful, as if she was savouring the taste.
"Now now, missy, you need to swallow that before anything happens," she said, teaching the toddler basic table manners. Both women watched as Audrey grudgingly downed the muesli and smiled when she immediately began singing.
Emily pulled her out of the high chair and headed back upstairs to wash her very messy daughter, shouting a thank you over her shoulder to the grateful nanny.
Once the pair were safely ensconced in the upstairs bathroom, Amelia opened the kitchen door leading to the garage. "It's safe to come in now," she said to the group gathered inside. "Emily's just gone to bathe the baby; she should be a good thirty minutes at least, especially if Audrey's feeling playful."
JJ, at the front of the group, smiled her thanks. "Where should we set up?"
"In the backyard; she can't see it from where she's currently hanging out, and if you're lucky, she won't see you on her way down. I'd help, but the little bugger made a hell of a mess this morning."
Dave smiled. "No problem; Henry did the same thing, if not worse. I don't know what we'd do without Natalia, just like I don't know what Aaron and Emily would do without you."
"Probably starve and live in a pigsty with two screaming children," Penelope added enthusiastically. She walked in carrying a large box full of party supplies, and Derek followed her carrying an even bigger box. "There's still more to come," she gestured with her shoulder. "There's a box or two still in the boot if you get the chance."
Amelia smiled. "Emily's going to kill you all when she finds out."
"Emily's going to kill me first after she finds out what I've done to help them," Aaron announced, walking into the kitchen, Jack not far behind.
"Did you get Pepper?"
The older man smiled. "Yep, and everything she'll ever need. Jack's even promised to keep the secret from her, haven't you buddy."
The little boy nodded and smiled widely, not saying anything.
"I'm pretty sure he's not going to say anything, lest he spoil the surprise," Amelia laughed.
"I think you're right," JJ interrupted, walking in to the kitchen. "Jack, Henry's in the living room; could you keep him out of trouble until I come back?"
The younger Hotchner smiled and jumped up and down, running off to play with his best friend, leaving his aunts and uncles to set up the party for Emily.
Slowly, they trickled back into the heart of the house, and immediately Penelope bounced on Aaron.
"So, can we see her?" she begged, jumping up and down like Jack. "Can we see Pepper?"
Aaron shrugged, exchanging silent communication with Amelia, before turning back to the connecting door and opening it slowly.
Before they could prepare themselves, an overexcited bundle of black fur bound in, jumping up and down in between the adults.
"What is it?" JJ laughed, patting the overly furry head.
"Pepper is a standard poodle," he began.
Penelope snorted. "You can't be serious?"
"Well," he continued. "Emily is allergic to cats, and they shed hair. Poodles are one of the few breeds of dog that don't shed hair, and contrary to popular belief, they are actually one of the smarter breeds as well."
"But I thought poodles were supposed to have those weird fluffy hairstyles?" JJ said, still patting the puppy's topknot.
Aaron shook his head. "That style's mainly for show dogs; poodles just need to have their coats sheared every six to eight weeks." He took a step back to watch as the group of adults fawned over the puppy and smiled.
Suddenly, they heard footsteps racing across the landing above them, and the screams of a little girl running away from her mother, and all of them sprang into action.
Aaron and JJ herded the dog back into her box in the garage while Penelope, Derek, Spencer and Dave hurried back outside and Amelia returned to cooking.
Aaron sat down hurriedly, trying to calm his features, while JJ ended up back in the living room with their sons, trying to keep them entertained but not loud.
"Aaron?" Emily called, coming back downstairs. "When did you get back?" She let Audrey drop to the floor, and immediately the toddler headed for the nearest stash of toys – the living room.
"Not long after you took the baby upstairs," Amelia said, pulling various instruments out of the kitchen cupboards. "Now, I'll be baking in here for a while, and I don't need any fingers appearing in the mixing bowl, so shoo!"
Aaron and Emily shared a look and shrugged. Amelia didn't do this often, but when she did, they knew they were banished to the backyard.
"After you, Mrs Hotchner," Aaron said, waving his arm to lead her outside.
"Thank you, Mr Hotchner," she smiled, taking his outstretched hand.
Amelia giggled into the cake mix, but didn't stop what she was doing. The birthday cake she was making for her boss was going to be a big one.
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As they approached the glass sliding doors leading to the back deck, Emily gasped as Aaron wrapped his hands around her eyes.
"What are you going?" she asked, grabbing his hands with hers.
He held his hands tightly over her eyes and whispered in her ears. "Do you trust me?"
"Yes, of course," she replied. "But why?"
"Do you trust me?" he repeated.
This time Emily simply nodded and he began leading her towards the doors, ignoring her protests. She listened to him slide the door open before stepping over the threshold, and once the sun hit her face, Aaron removed his hands.
"SURPRISE!"