A/N: Hi friends! Sorry this wasn't out sooner. I know I usually update Mondays, but life kind of got in the way this week. Sometimes being a student sucks. Anyway, here it is. Only one chapter left! Which I hope to have out later this week (no promises, but I'm gonna try). Enjoy! :)

Chapter Twenty-One

"Six letters, to renounce solemnly, third letter is a j." Mia tapped the pen against her chin thoughtfully for a moment. "Abjure?"

"Did you know that blue eyes are a mutation?"

Pausing in the midst of filling in the answer on the morning crossword, Mia frowned. "What?"

"It's true," Spencer nodded, gazing at her with a faint smile. "Before the mutation occurred, all human beings had brown eyes."

"Uh, Spence," Mia smiled, "What's that got to do with anything?"

"Your eyes are blue."

"Yes," she agreed slowly, "They are. But…I don't see how it relates to abjure."

"Abjure?"

Mia laughed. "How long ago did you stop paying attention?"

Spencer blinked curiously. "I'm not sure. I got distracted."

"By my eyes?"

"Happens more often than you'd think," he said with a nod. "They're quite distracting."

Smiling, Mia leaned over to kiss him. "You're adorable, you know that?"

Spencer's cheeks flushed. "I love you."

Mia smiled. "I love you, too."

Spencer took the newspaper and pen from Mia's hand, setting it on the coffee table before turning back to her and grinning. Mia laughed softly as he pushed her back on the sofa, his fingers making quick work of the buttons on the shirt she'd slipped on that morning. When his lips found her neck, trailing soft, sweet little kisses down to her collarbone, she sighed happily, tangling her hands in his hair. The moment her fingers brushed against the bandage she'd insisted he wear over his fresh stiches, though, her eyes snapped open and she pushed him away gently.

"You're still hurt," she said in answer to his questioning frown. "We shouldn't."

"Mia, I'm fine," he replied, kissing her softly. "I promise."

Mia wanted to argue, to make him rest his bruised, achy body and ice his still swollen eye. The moment his lips claimed hers again, though, her resolve melted away and she let herself get lost in the kiss. Less than twenty-four hours ago she'd been beyond terrified, thinking she'd lost him, and the pain was almost unbearable. Now she had him back, and she never wanted to let go. She loved this man more than she'd ever thought possible. Nothing made her happier than being here, with him, in love.

Of course, their luck being what it was, the moment their clothes started flying, Mia's phone buzzed loudly from the coffee table.

"Ignore it," Spencer breathed against her lips, "Please. Just ignore it."

Mia laughed and pressed another kiss to his lips before reaching for the phone. "It's Sean. I can't ignore it."

Spencer sighed and sat up. "Be quick."

Smiling softly, Mia nodded and hit the answer button. "Big brother," she said happily, "What's up?"

"I figured I should probably call and give you fair warning," He replied, "We're on our way to surprise you."

"Well it's not much of a surprise if you give me 'fair warning,' now is it?"

Sean chuckled. "What with Reid's near death experience, and your overwhelming relief at having him back safely, I figured you two might have slightly…different plans for the day. I didn't want to show up in the middle of you two…you know," he said pointedly, "And I know you don't want that."

"Good point," Mia agreed with a smirk in Spencer's direction. "When will you be here?"

"Ten minutes," Sean said, "So you and that man of yours get your butts ready."

Mia hung up and broke the news to Spencer. "We'll have to finish this later," she said, getting to her feet. "The brothers are on their way."

"Uh oh," Spencer said, standing up slowly. Mia didn't miss the pained grimace he tried quickly to mask. "Do you think Hotch is still angry?"

"I don't know," Mia shrugged, leading the way to the bedroom. "I think it's probably a good sign that he's on his way here, though."

Ten minutes later, Mia and Spencer were back on the sofa, both dressed and waiting nervously for the Hotchner brothers to arrive. When there was finally a knock at the door, Mia gave Spencer a quick, reassuring kiss before standing and smoothing the front of her soft pink dress. After taking a deep, calming breath, she hurried to let them in.

"Aunty Mia!"

Jack jumped at her the moment the door was open. Mia laughed, lifting him into her arms and hugging him tightly. "Hey, buddy! I didn't know you were coming, too!"

"Surprise!" He said loudly as she set him back down. He gave her a toothy grin before hurrying towards Spencer, who stood a few feet away, watching them all warily. "Spencer! Hi!"

Mia couldn't help the warm, fuzzy feeling she got when Spencer knelt to hug Jack, wincing ever so slightly. Aaron and Sean must have warned Jack of Spencer's injuries, because the boy hugged him very gently before taking a step back and giving him an appraising look. Spencer remained motionless while Jack reached a curious hand out to his bruised face.

"Does it hurt?"

Spencer gave him a small smile. "Just a bit."

Mia turned back to her brothers. Sean pulled her into a brief embrace before moving to join the two in the living room, where Jack had already roped Spencer into a conversation about dinosaurs. Mia watched them for a few moments, so full of love she could burst, before taking a deep breath and looking to her oldest brother.

"Can we talk?" He asked softly. "Alone?"

"Of course," Mia replied instantly. "Kitchen?"

Aaron nodded and started down the hallway towards the kitchen. Mia snuck a quick glance in Spencer's direction. He gave her a reassuring smile. Beside him, Sean grinned. Returning their smiles uncertainly, Mia took a deep breath and followed Aaron down the hall. The moment they were alone, away from her noisy nephew, Aaron pulled her into a big bear hug. Mia felt herself relax immediately. Her brother's wordless embrace assured her that everything was going to be okay.

"I'm sorry," she said softly as he released her, "For not telling you. I wish I had."

Aaron gave a slight shrug. "It's your relationship. You have every right to talk about it with whomever you want," he replied. He gazed at her for a few moments—sadly, Mia thought—and then he sighed. "I just wish you could talk to me like you do Sean."

Mia felt her heart break a little bit. "I can," she argued, "I just…if it was anyone but Spencer I would have come to you, Aaron. I was just…scared."

"That I wouldn't approve? That I would try to break you up? You don't really think I'd be that…controlling, do you?"

Mia smirked slightly. "You've done it before, you know."

Aaron frowned. "When?"

"A few times, actually," she told him. "Eric Smithfield, for example."

"Amelia," Aaron growled, "You were seventeen. He was twenty-one. I was protecting you."

Mia flashed him a smile. "I know," she assured him. "I worried that you'd want to protect me now, too."

Aaron sighed again, leaning back against the kitchen counter. "You're an adult, Mia. I'm not going to try to make your decisions for you anymore," he said quietly. "Besides. I know Reid. I like Reid. Why wouldn't I approve?"

"I didn't think you'd like me being with an agent," Mia replied. She was quiet a moment, gazing at her nails thoughtfully. "I think, though, that I was more worried of it…just not working, and what would happen when it didn't."

"What do you mean?"

"This is all new to me, Aaron," she explained, fiddling with her hair nervously. "This whole caring about someone thing, I mean. Someone who isn't you or Sean or Jack. I just…I worried that it wouldn't work. That it would end somehow. And it wouldn't just be me who got hurt. It would be Spencer, and you, and the team…and…that's a lot of people's happiness to have on my shoulders!"

"You need to stop worrying about everyone else," Aaron told her sharply. "Your happiness is all that should matter. The rest of us are grownups…we can deal with whatever happens."

"I know," Mia smiled, "But I didn't want to make things difficult for you."

Aaron gave her an exasperated little smirk. "Please," he scoffed, "You live to make things difficult for me. Always have, always will. And I wouldn't have it any other way."

Mia laughed. "I suppose," she conceded, "But I didn't want to make things difficult for you at work. Or for the rest of the team. I mean, things would get awkward and—"

"Let's cross that bridge if we ever get there," Aaron said, cutting her off. "You're happy with Reid, right?"

"Very."

"Then we have nothing to worry about."

Mia smiled. "So…you approve?"

"Of course I do," Aaron laughed, pulling her into another hug. "I've told you before, and I'll say it again: if you're happy, that's all that matters."

"You're not angry?"

"No," he replied, placing his hands on her shoulders and giving her a very serious look, "But you need to stop keeping things from me."

"I will," Mia promised. "No more secrets."

"Alright," Aaron nodded. He pressed a quick kiss to her forehead before wrapping an arm around her shoulders and steering her towards the living room, where Spencer and Sean could be heard laughing uproariously at something Jack had said or done. "Let's go eat."

An hour later, Mia sat in a vinyl red booth at a nearby diner, waiting for breakfast to be served. To her right, Jack concentrated on the maze on his menu, his blue crayon threatening to snap under the pressure he was using. To her left, Spencer sipped a coffee, nodding along with whatever her brother was saying. Across from them, Sean and Aaron both sat nursing their own coffees, deep in conversation with Spencer. Mia couldn't stop smiling—not that she would have wanted to, of course. She couldn't imagine a more perfect way to spend her morning. Here, with her brothers and her nephew and the love of her life, she was truly happy. Gazing around at her favourite men she felt more love than she'd ever imagined possible. This was perfect. Life was perfect.

Everything was perfect.