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Chapter 24

The next few minutes went by in slow motion as Hotch and Morgan "killed" the Councilman. Everyone held their breath until they heard the familiar sounds of the NYPD raiding Moretti's to arrest Vito and his guards.

"Vito Giordano you're under arrest for murder for hire, human trafficking, embezzlement, and money laundering. You have the right to remain silent..." Cooper started, handcuffing Vito.

"Is it really over?" JJ whispered to Garcia where they had been monitoring everyone's positions.

"I think so, Mama cupcake." Garcia affirmed, "But everybody's coming back here for a briefing, so I guess we'll find out then."

Emily and Reid were the first to return to the apartment where JJ and Garcia were waiting--evidence in hand to convict both Vito and the head of the Family for several federal charges.

Rossi and the NCIS team were next, followed closely by Mario--Michael had been arrested with Vito and the others to keep up appearances.

Morgan came next and was met with a passionate kiss from Emily, while Hotch followed behind a few minutes later--blood staining his shirt and medic's gauze around his forearm.

"Aaron, what happened?" JJ asked fearfully. She had heard the entire operation go down, but she had apparently missed the part where he had been injured.

"I'm fine." He assured her, and though she didn't necessarily believe him, she would hopefully have far more time to extract the details from him. "I just got cut on the fire escape when we were passing off Tom to the Marshals."

"So I hate to break up this little reunion and all, but does this mean we get to go back home to Quantico now?" Garcia asked, "I miss my babies and ridiculously fast internet."

Hotch, Morgan, and Rossi shared a look with Gibbs--all grim. "What does that mean?" Emily prodded.

"It means that we can't be sure we have the entire operation. It means that although our evidence is strong, if Vito or Nicola were to get off, our lives would be in danger. We're going to have to stay undercover until the trial is over." Hotch tried to explain.

"But that could be a year!" Emily pointed out incredulously.

"We're trying to expedite--" Gibbs started.

"How long is this going to take?" JJ interrupted softly.

"At least three months." Was the quiet reply, "At most, two more years."

"Aaron how long is this really going to last?" JJ asked tiredly as they climbed into bed later that night, "I really want Cupcake to be born where my family can be there."

Hotch sat there stunned for a moment before a wide grin came across his face. "I've never met your father."

"So?" JJ asked confused, she didn't understand why Hotch was bringing this up now.

"We've been living together for more than six months. You're having my baby. We're engaged. And I've never met your father."

"You haven't met my sister and my niece either." JJ pointed out, "And I don't even know your parent's first names."

"Thomas Hollis Hotchner and Eleanor Catherine Duvall-Hotchner, but my dad always called her Ellie." Hotch informed, "Tell me about your dad."

Snuggling into his side, JJ sighed contently, "I have no idea why this is so important, but okay, here goes. My dad used to work at Pittsburgh International, he was one of the guys you always see out on the runway directing the planes towards the terminals--his hearing is mostly gone from not wearing ear plugs. Mom was a secretary at one of the local doctor's offices."

"Any siblings?"

"I have one brother who is a firefighter in West Virginia--married with two kids." She explained, "I only see Jake about twice a year."

"What about your sister? The one with the boyfriend in Medical School?" Hotch asked, eager to learn about anything relating to JJ.

"Jess taught English in China for a while, she's always been a little more of a free spirit." JJ admitted, "She lived all over the country. Then she got pregnant and finally settled in Kansas City teaching Chinese at a private all girls high school."

"Out of all the places in the country, and having lived overseas and your sister chooses to live in Kansas City?" Hotch asked smiling.

"We Jareau women are fairly enigmatic." JJ smiled, grateful that they didn't have to worry about bugs in their house anymore.

"And for that I am grateful." Hotch smiled. "I hope Cupcake turns out just like you."

"Let me show you how grateful you should be." JJ said seductively as she pulled him towards her, their lips meeting for an extremely intense kiss. Hotch's attention span for this conversation was quickly interrupted by JJ's advancements. Thank you hormones! He thought happily as their lips met a second time, his hands weaving into her hair.

"I hate this." Emily murmured as she lay cuddled up to Derek Morgan in a hotel room in Brooklyn.

"Well, I happen to think that tonight has been rather marvelous, but if you have a problem with it---" Derek teased.

Emily smiled and swatted him lightly. "Not this, just the situation. Another few months?" She said incredulously.

"I know."

"Hey, can't sleep?" Sean asked, taking a seat next to Calleigh on the back porch of the safe house they would be in until morning.

"No, not really." She admitted, "It's just...when I met Derek that day, I had no idea he would be involved in all of this..."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I just didn't expect this nice, charming guy that offered up everything to help some poor pregnant woman, to be some hardcore FBI agent who's undercover as a hitman for the mob. I mean you can't make this stuff up." Calleigh explained, brushing a few strands of hair out of her eyes.

"If it makes you feel any better I think it's my brother that's actually the hitman, Derek just cleans up afterwards."

"Yeah, I guess that does make me feel better." Calleigh smiled.

"Angelo, wait!" Garcia cried as her favorite mafia man began to bolt from the room. Now that they weren't in danger and Angelo had been cleared from any knowledge of what was really going on, she had been determined to tell him the truth.

"Penelope, you lied to me." Angelo insisted, deeply hurt that his girlfriend for months could betray him like this.

"Well, you didn't tell me that you were in the mafia, so technically you lied to me first." Garcia justified.

"I can't be with someone who lies. You deceived me!" Angelo yelled, "Goodbye Penelope--if that's even your real name."

"No, Angelo please! I love you. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you the truth, but you know what I couldn't." Garcia argued.

"You could have confided in me if you wanted too, I would have protected your secret--I love you." Angelo slammed the door furiously.

"I love you too." Garcia whispered on the verge of tears.

Reid flipped on the lights of the kitchen to find Garcia drowning herself in a gallon of 'Chunky Monkey' ice cream.

"Pen, why are you sitting in the dark?"

"Angelo." Garcia hiccupped and Reid could tell she had been crying profusely.

"What did that loser do now?" Dave asked, walking into the room to grab himself a drink.

"I told him--" She sniffled, "I told him the truth and he told me he couldn't be with a liar." Fresh tears streamed down Garcia's face.

Shaking his head, Dave pried the ice cream container from Garcia's hands, "Why have ice cream when you can have your favorite Italian foods? I'll make anything you want."

"Anything? Even your mom's lasagna recipe and her Italian wedding cake one?"

"If that's what you want Penelope." Dave confirmed, "I'll even let Reid help."

A loud, annoying ring sounded in JJ's ear as she groaned and moved to answer it, "Hello." she said sleepily.

"Jenna, oh thank God!"

"Amanda? It's 3am, why are you calling me?" JJ asked, sitting up in bed as a now awake Hotch flipped on a lamp.

"Jenna, Michael's been arrested!" Amanda said frantically. "Has Aaron--"

"No, Aaron's right here. He didn't go to go to the company meeting tonight because Vito needed him to do something else." JJ tried to explain, feeling awful for her friend's plight.

"Maria just texted me. The FBI picked up Nicola at the airport as she was trying to board a plane to Europe." Amanda added, her voice raising an octave, "Jenna what's happening? What's going on?"

JJ was torn, unsure of how to respond to her friend. Luckily she was saved from responding by Amanda's confused statement "What am I going to do?"

"Amanda, I--"

"Oh, I had better answer this, it might be the lawyer, or Michael... bye." Amanda said frantically as she hung up the phone.

"Bye." JJ winced, hoping her friend could keep her calm until Michael was home safe.