Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

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'Baby girl, we're here.' Derek said as he noticed they were pulling into the train station. He watched her sit up and yawn. 'Come on let's get you to a proper bed.'

'Hmm with you?'

'With me.' He replied with a smile as he stood up and grabbed their case from the holding department above their seats. He put his hand and she took it and followed him off the train. Happy to be back, even if plans did change and events meant they spent the rest of their holiday in multiple parts of France. They found Fran and Desiree in the crowd and approached them.

'Aw so you did come back!' Fran said with motherly sarcasm as she took her son in a hug. 'Did you have a good time both of you?' She asked as she pulled away and went to hug Penelope.

'It was amazingly good eh baby girl?'

'Definitely was.'

'You look healthier for it.' She commented on the holiday glow radiating from the both of them and the slight tan Penelope now had to her pale skin. 'Pictures I hope?'

'Yes there are pictures.'

'Okay good now let's get you home, it's pretty late.'

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'They don't joke about Vegas light do they?'

'It has it normal parts trust me... you just don't find them the moment you leave the airport.'

'I trust you.' JJ teased Spencer as they went to find an unoccupied taxi. 'So you sure you only want to stick around until tomorrow evening?'

'Positive... I love my mom but you can never tell so it's all too new at the moment.'

'Okay well let's get to the hotel and we can take it slow.'

'Okay... flight tomorrow is at 4 in the afternoon so it gives us more than enough time.'

'Exactly... but for now let's go and relax a bit.'

'Let's go then.'

'I miss them already.' JJ admitted, 2 weeks with the same people that were as close as a family could be had made her miss their presence.

'Me too.' He took her hand in his and led her towards the back door of a taxi. 'You'll see them soon.' He smiled at her.

'I know but for now I have you.'

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'Aaron what's up?'

'Nothing.'

'Tell me.'

'I was just thinking... I finish this year... what are we going to do?'

'We will find a way but for now let's enjoy the remaining days we have alone before the chaos of 4 others grace our lives again.'

'You love it really.'

'Of course I do but it doesn't mean I can't savour the next week with just us two.' Emily said with a sweet smile. 'I just pray you don't change your mind once you meet my family tomorrow.'

'I'm sure we'll find out.' He winked at her. 'But you need to remember I love you, not your family and if they don't like me I don't mind as long as they don't stop what we have.'

'Oh trust me... THEY won't!'

'That was very assertive Miss Prentiss.'

'Mother's gene.'

'Ah so they do pay off.' He teased as they approached an extremely happy Sarah Hotchner. 'Seems our presence is having a good effect from afar.'

'She loves us.' Emily said back with equal sarcasm as Aaron usually used on her.

'Aaron! Emily! Are the sight of you two is fantastic.'

'Aw did you miss us that much?'

'I did indeed; the house had been too quiet with just me and Sean.' Sarah said affectionately. 'So we shall lavish this day... but I expect you back as soon as.'

'You will... be for now can we get home; I think it's safe to say we are both completely knackered.'

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The next day Derek found himself awake watching Penelope sleep against his chest, he continued to twist curls in his hand and thought back to their time in England and France and the way she followed through with giving him thick French sayings that she knew would drive him crazy and that it did. He smiled at the memories he had gotten from, the memories he would cherish for a lifetime. He felt her stretch and breathe in deeply against him, and she put her head up and smiled tiredly at him.

'Not jet lagged?' She asked sleepily.

'Nope.' He brushed a curl back. 'I take it you are.'

'Time difference hasn't registered I guess.'

'Hmm... want to go back to sleep baby girl?'

'Nope... let's go see your mom and sisters.' She smiled as she sat up and stretched again

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'What if she doesn't like me?'

'She will... promise.' Spencer smiled hard at her. 'Trust me.'

'I do but...'

'No but's please.' He took her hand and lead her through the large door and did the usual journey to where his mom was. When a nurse greeted them, Spencer smiled consciously and carried on to his mom's room. He knocked and entered.

'Spencer!'

'Hey mom.'

His mom took him in a hug and smiled. 'I've missed you.'

'I've missed you too.'

'Spencer Reid have you been in the sun?'

'I've been away so yes.' He smiled at her and then looked at JJ who was feeling more than nervous. 'Mom I'd like you to meet... my girlfriend JJ.'

'Girlfriend! My little creation has a girlfriend.'

JJ smiled as Spencer blushed deeply. 'It's lovely to meet you Mrs Reid.'

'Call me Diana... JJ? Nickname?'

'Yes... my names Jennifer.'

'Such a pretty name.' Diana replied and pulled JJ towards two chairs instantly warming to her son's girlfriend. Spencer stood on the sidelines of their conversation and smiled as the two women started to get along with the same common ground... Spencer.

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'Aw I really wish you didn't have to go.' Sarah said as she wrapped her arms around Emily and pulled her close.

'Well if all else fails we shall be back.' Emily replied, after finding a strong confidante in the mother of her boyfriend.

'Well I won't mind that one bit.' Sarah replied happy at the thought of having the two around for a bit more.

'Right well we had better get going before traffic gets any thicker and we are in gridlock for the rest of the day.'

'Okay kids, have a fun road trip.'

'We will.' Aaron assured. 'See ya mom.... look after her squirt.' Aaron warned brotherly again. He laughed when Sean rolled his eyes; it was the same request every time Aaron left to go elsewhere.

'I will!' Sean pressed again, Aaron knew full well that his brother was doing a good job of making up for the fact he was no longer around. Although he appreciated that his little brother respected him enough to take a back seat as the male in the family whenever Aaron got home for college breaks.

'Right we'll call when we get there!'

'You had better!'

'I'll make him.' Emily said as she got into the passenger sit and closed the door. She waved as Aaron pulled away from the curb and headed to Emily's parents.

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Baby girl what's up?'

'Nothing hot stuff.'

'Pen...'

'I just think about everything too much.' She admitted, still a little hesitant to tell him exactly it was that had her staring at the wall in the temporarily empty house. Her mind was clocking over big time at that moment.

'P there's more and I know it' She looked at him with doleful thoughtful eyes and he immediately knew something was occupying her from reality. 'Come on baby girl talk to me.'

'It's just I love you and I mean the age gap.' He went to talk. 'Let me finished... please.' He respected that and nodded. 'Well with it means that you finish college this year, you finish and come back here and have a job and don't think for one second that I begrudge you that because I don't... I truly don't but I worry what's going to happen.'

'With us you mean?'

'Yeah...'

'We will make it work baby girl... we will both make it work.' She nodded the persistent worry defusing and leaving her body with each exhale of breath.

'But we have two days until mass carnage happens and we have to go back to hard work... so let's have some fun.' She giggled, their fun forever varied depending on their moods.

More often than not their emotions and moods were dead on par with one another. If one was in a childish mood the other was sure to be not far behind, if one was in nonchalant mood the other had a way of knowing and changing that mood right around. It was something Fran often commented and loved to watch about the pair.

Of course with fun comes the speeding up of time and before both of them knew it, it was time to go back to the college life.

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'See wasn't so bad was it?' JJ asked as the plane began its descent to land. Her hand gripped in Spencer's as they got lost in yet another world of words.

'Well for once.'

'Spencer... your mom is a lovely woman, never doubt that.' JJ squeezed his hand. 'A woman who obviously idolises her son.'

Spencer smiled. 'I'm glad you two got along I really am... it meant a lot.'

'I know it did... but now the initial family meetings are over so the fear and uncomfortable feeling that comes with it are all over.' Spencer nodded with agreement.

'So 4 days left before we have to go back... do we have plans set out?'

'Well my mom and brother are going to my aunts again because its that time of year so we'll have the house to ourselves for 2 days, I'll probably have to spend a day with my dad so that's basically a repeat of before we went away.'

'Which is extremely doable.'

'It is.'

Hours later found them curled up on at the Jareau's household watching films, never happier to be free of all ties. Even though they knew that as the time ticked away, the life of school work would creep back in but with that came the reunion of the 6 which was a comfort in itself. Spencer and JJ had often spoken about how Penelope and Emily would be with the graduation of both Aaron and Derek as they headed home to build up some money and start jobs. They secretly found it daunting that they were the pair that didn't have that problem and felt saddened to how life would pan out with separations of great distances.

In the same fashion as the pair in Chicago flew swiftly and fast and as the pair began to settle down they found it time to load up and head off back to college.

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'Well this is certainly going better than I expected.' Emily said sarcastically as she paced her bedroom, it was only 2 days in since they had arrived and although her parents had fallen in love with Aaron and his drive and ambition for life they were still distant. 'Can we just head back to yours and enjoy the remaining days we have please?'

'If that's what you want Em.'

'It is... I can't believe they just left for Italy like that... yes I want to go.'

'Well okay but you should let them know.'

'I will.' She said exiting the room. When she got back she smiled. 'They gave me money and understand about going back to yours... I lied told them it was closer for us to drive in one go.' Hotch shook his head and chuckled slightly. 'Let's go Aar!'

'I'm on it!' With that said they prepared to head back to the Hotchners, with intent to surprise. The pair had forgotten their chat about Aaron leaving in a year and intending on keeping it that way until it really mattered and the talk was entirely necessary. Hours later when they pulled up on the drive it was dusk and the sun was setting with an orange glow to it.

Aaron unlocked the door and heard the TV on, he smiled. 'Hey! Any welcome around here!'

'Aaron! What the hell?' Sarah said as she entered the room. 'Emily?'

'I did say we would be back.'

'But why?'

'My parents had to fly out for some conference and I didn't want to be stuck behind there so we thought the days would be more fun here.' Sarah smiled and Emily felt the anger she had pent up go.

For 3 days they tried to pack in as much as possible before school life demanded their presence. And when the day came around to go they were not in the slightest disheartened. Both slightly wanting the company of four others.