Disclaimer: We don't own Criminal Minds.
A/N: So here's the scene we've all been waiting for—Baby Jareau-Hotchner makes her appearance! :) Let us know what you think!
Chapter 25
"I can't believe this is happening." Amanda moaned as she got into JJ's silver Jeep Liberty.
"I know, I'm so sorry this all happened." JJ said softly, rubbing her ever growing baby bump. "Only three more weeks to go", she reminded herself, ignoring the small uncomfortable pain in her side.
"Why didn't he tell me?" She asked her friend.
"At least you know that when this is all over he's coming home regardless." JJ tried to comfort. "And you know you'll be safe with your family, starting over somewhere."
"I know, I'm just ready for this whole trial to be over--I'm tired of pretending that I'm worried my husband is going to jail when I know he isn't." Amanda sighed as JJ pulled away from the curb, "Let's just get today over with."
JJ fought a grimace as the defense attorney began yet another longwinded argument of why Vito and the others were simply victims of racial profiling by the police.
"Jenna, are you okay?" Amanda asked, noticing her friend's discomfort.
"I'm fine, we're getting through today, remember." JJ said, attempting to remind herself as well.
"Council approach the bench." Judge Marshall Hastings ordered. JJ watched as the two attorney's approached the judge, and then returned to their seats, "Court is in recess and will start again at 1pm with the People's rebuttal. Court dismissed."
Looking over at JJ, Amanda noticed a small wince cloud her friend's face, "Are you sure you're okay?"
"Fine, I just need to find a bathroom." JJ answered, standing up. Barely making it out of the court room before she felt a small trickle down her leg, "Okay, Amanda don't panic, but I think my water just broke." JJ informed calmly, motioning for a janitor to bring over his mop to clean up the puddle at her feet.
"Your water broke? Ha. Yea right." Amanda spoke up, "That's not funny Jenna."
"Do you see me laughing?" JJ answered, wincing as another contraction hit her. "I need you to take me to the hospital, I'll call Aaron on the way."
"Oh my God this is seriously happening!" Amanda said excitedly, realization dawning, "Okay c'mon, we don't want Cupcake to be born here and this little girl is ready to come out."
Hotch was busy trying to read the instructions to the crib JJ had insisted they buy when she had seen it online.
Suddenly, the phone rang, disturbing him from his focus. "JJ?" He answered, finding it strange that she would be calling in the middle of the trial. They had agreed that she could go to 'support' Amanda, though if he had his way she would be on 24 hour bed rest.
"Aaron." He could here her wince, "The baby's coming."
"Yea, I've almost got the crib put together, in three weeks we should be ready." He said obliviously. He was used to JJ's random anxiety about how quickly the baby was coming.
"No. She's coming--" JJ tried to explain but the phone was snatched from her hands by her friend who was currently driving her car.
"Aaron, she's coming now!" Amanda explained, "Cupcake is coming out of the oven. We're going to NYU Hospital!" Amanda instructed as she cut off another vehicle and ended the call.
"How can I help you?" an older nurse asked, looking over her glasses at JJ and Amanda as they approached the admitting nurse at the ER at New York University Hospital.
"You can find her a wheel chair and a doctor! She's in labor!" Amanda informed angrily, they'd been in line to sign in for almost ten minutes. "She is not going to have this baby down here when you have some of the best Obstetricians upstairs."
"Patty take these two up the Maternity floor, the blonde's having a baby." the nurse informed a young candy striper.
"Yes ma'am." Patty answered, pushing a wheel chair towards JJ for her to sit in. Once JJ was settled, they started to make their way towards the elevator. "Is this your first baby?" Patty asked.
"Third" JJ lied easily, she still had to pretend that she was Jack's biological mother until the trial was over--but even though she would never be his biological mother, she still loved him as one of her own. "First two were boys, this one's a girl."
JJ winced as another contraction hit. "Aaron better get here soon." She grumbled under her breath.
Half an hour later, JJ was finally settled into her room and resting comfortably when Hotch arrived--Jack and Henry with him.
"Aaron! Over here." Amanda called out across the waiting room, "I'll watch the boys, you go see Jenna--room 324."
Hotch raced back to the room, entering to find JJ with her legs in the stirrups and a murderous glare directed towards him as he walked through the door. "Where have you been?" She growled, while Hotch had come to think that JJ was always beautiful, he was slightly afraid of her right now.
"Oh, don't mind her, she's just in transition." One of the nurses told him softly, though with the look JJ through the nurse, Hotch was glad she wasn't carrying. If she had been, he suspected it wouldn't take much for JJ to draw her weapon on the nurses attending to her.
"I came as fast as I could, but I had to pick up the boys." Hotch defended. "Then there was traffic."
JJ's face immediately scrunched in pain and Hotch ran over to her side.
"Oh good, the father's here." Dr. Phillips entered smiling, slipping gloves onto his sanitized hands, "We can get started now. Are you ready to meet your daughter?"
"Where is she?" Garcia said frantically as she raced into the waiting room. "Is Cupcake out of the oven?"
"We don't know." Emily admitted, looking up from where she was currently coloring with Henry.
"Here comes Aaron!" Sean added, quieting everyone down when his brother reached them wearing a pair of dark green scrubs.
"So? How is she? How's Cupcake?" Garcia questioned quickly, only stopping when she felt Morgan's hand on her arm.
"They're both fine, Penelope." Hotch laughed, "I was just coming to invite you all back to meet the baby."
Garcia dashed to JJ's room faster than the others could react. "Someone's excited." Emily mused smiling as the rest of them stood to follow in Garcia's wake.
Walking into JJ's room, the others found a weary JJ holding a small pink bundle as Garcia bounded happily at her side.
"Mommy?" Henry asked, slightly upset at seeing his mother hooked up to an IV.
"It's okay buddy, why don't you come meet your sister?" JJ smiled, Hotch helping Henry climb up on the bed, Jack moving to stand beside the bed as well.
"Mommy?" Jack asked, "Can I touch her?"
"Sure, just be gentle okay?"
"Okay" Jack whispered, enthralled by the way his little sister grabbed onto his finger with her tiny hand.
"Well I think it's safe to say she takes after her daddy." Calleigh decided, "Especially with that head full of dark hair."
"So what's our newest little family member's name?" Morgan asked, carefully not to mention anything about the BAU. "You've been keeping everyone in suspense for weeks."
"Not everyone. Aaron told me four months ago." Sean spoke up.
"I found out at the pool party in July." Amanda added.
"Okay well you've been keeping me in suspense for weeks." Morgan deflected, "So does Cupcake have a name? Please tell me it isn't some weird food name like Coco that would go with Cupcake."
"I think Coco Cupcake is cute!" Garcia defended, already sporting her 'I'm an Aunt!' button on her shirt.
"Henry, would you like to tell uncle Derek your sister's name?" Hotch encouraged.
"Catie!" Henry beamed, proud that he would remember.
"Catherine Sofia." Jack corrected slightly, looking to his father for approval.
Hotch smiled brightly at the boys, "good job," he encouraged as Emily, Garcia, and Calleigh squealed with delight.
"Cooper and Gibbs wanted to come see the baby, but they said they'll be by tomorrow when everything's died down a little." Emily informed the proud parents.
"Well congrats again yall" Calleigh smiled, snuggling her own daughter into her chest as Sean carried her son, "But I think it's time we got these little guys home. We missed nap today with all the excitement."
As Calleigh and Sean got up to leave, Amanda followed suit. "I should go. Come on boys." She said, picking up Henry. She'd agreed to watch Jack and Henry while JJ was in the hospital.
As the room began to empty, a loud knock came on the door. "This isn't fair, you don't get to have a team bonding with the baby moment without the entire team!" Reid cried from the other side of the door. Morgan hurried and let Rossi and Reid into the room. The coo's given by the two men rivaled those of Emily and Garcia.
"I thought I heard squealing, then I knew this must be the room." Rossi teased as he inched forward to see the baby girl. "Hey Sweetheart." He cooed uncharacteristically.
"Whatever, you and Morgan have a lifetime ban on the baby." Garcia laughed. "I'm not going to let Hotch and Jayje's baby girl get played by the biggest ladies man in the FBI, and his little protégé."
"Protégé? Mama, I have far surpassed David Rossi." Morgan shot back indignantly. "And what do you mean I've got a baby ban?"
"Penelope, I doubt you have the power to ban Morgan from other people's children." Reid rationalized, a little upset that Garcia didn't think of him as big enough of a player to receive the ban.
"JJ and Hotch will let me. Right?" Garcia asked hopefully. Hotch was a reasonable person, there was no way he was going to let his little girl be influenced by Morgan. This was her payback for Morgan being a baby hog when JJ got back to the BAU after Henry.
"Garcia, we need to be fair." JJ smiled, her eyes twinkling with joy. Handing the baby over to Rossi.
"No, Lifetime ban is in action." Hotch said seriously, intercepting the baby. As JJ stared at him, he began to get defensive. "You've even said that Rossi and Morgan objectify women, do we really want our newborn daughter to be influenced by chauvinists'?"
As soon as the words were out, Emily was howling with laughter. "Aww. The boss man is a feminist." Hotch's outcry was ironic, as much as he meant well, Hotch was still stuck in the nineteen fifties, always worrying about how female agents could handle themselves. But then, to Emily, everyone was sexist.
"Maybe Emily needs a ban too?" Morgan asked hopefully. If he was going to forbidden to hold the baby, he was going to get as much company doing it as he could.
"Nope. Emily's a woman." Garcia defended.
"Okay, no lifetime bans are going to be issued." JJ announced, smiling as she overheard Hotch and Garcia add in unison "yet" under their breath. She stifled a yawn, leading all of the profilers to come to the same conclusion.
"Come on Penelope, we'd better get back." Rossi instructed as the others also began to stand.
"Fine" Garcia pouted as they headed out of the room.
After the last person was gone from the room, a nurse entered the room, "Well it looks like you guys had quite a party in here."
"Our family is a little odd, I'll admit that." JJ answered, taking the baby back from Hotch.
"Nothing is wrong with odd, it keeps us on our toes." The nurse smiled, "So are we bottle feeding or breastfeeding?"
"Breastfeeding" JJ said immediately, "I did it with the other two."
"Well then I guess you don't need me to show you then do you?" The nurse laughed, "Just press the red call button on the wall if you need me."
"Thanks" JJ smiled tiredly as the nurse left the room.
"What's wrong?" Hotch asked, noticing JJ's weariness.
"Other than the fact that I just gave birth?" JJ's eyes twinkled though he could see the tiredness behind it.
"Yeah, other than that." Hotch smiled.
JJ sighed slightly, "I'm just tired. I miss my family, my mom would be so happy to see this. I'm tired of living in New York...but I'm okay." She smiled at him, attempting to assure him.
"Honey, I'm going to go check something, I'll be right back." Hotch said carefully as JJ prepared to feed her new daughter. He had a surprise for the woman he had fallen in love with, and he wasn't about to let it be spoiled anytime soon.
Two hours later Hotch returned to JJ's room with three people who were dying to meet the newest Hotchner. Hotch had organized it with Quantico for JJ's sister and both her parents to visit for two days under he cover that they were friends of the Bonasera family.
"Jenna?" He poked his head into her room, hoping that she had been getting at least some sleep in the time he had been gone.
"Mmm." JJ moaned sleepily as she stirred awake quickly, "Aaron, where did you go?"
"I found some people that wanted to come see you and the baby. Is that okay?" He asked, his eyes dancing with the realization of how happy she would be when her parents and sister entered the room.
"I don't know, I--" JJ began to reply.
"Not even for your own sister?" Hotch smiled as he opened the door and the Jareau family walked into the room.
"Oh my God! Mom, Dad! Jess! What are you doing here?" JJ said excitedly.
"Well, we heard you were having a baby and Aaron invited us down." Jacob Jareau informed, smiling at his daughter.
"Okay, enough chit chat. Where's my new little grandbaby?" JJ mother said, searching for the infant.
JJ handed over the baby girl to her. "This is Catherine Sofia Hotchner." Her mother and sister instantly sighed, fawning over the little girl.
"She's gorgeous! You two made such a good baby." JJ's mother squealed happily. "She has to be the prettiest newborn I've ever seen."
"Jayje, she's incredible." Her sister, Jess, looked admiringly.
"How are you here?" JJ asked them, shocked.
"That was Aaron." Joanna Jareau responded happily.
JJ looked at Hotch with tears in her eyes. "I just decided that Jenna Bonasera would have family and friends too. The FBI agreed with me."
"Thank you." JJ said, unable to say anything else.
A/N 2: So? How was it?