Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

New Year's Kiss

December 31st, Saturday

"Gabe, stop that!" Scarlett scolded, smacking her brother's hand away from the chip bowl. He yelped, glaring at his sister while rubbing his hand.

"That is for the party buddy, stop snacking." The boy rolled his eyes before sticking his tongue out at her.

Despite the two bickering, all of the children had been in a good mood since Christmas. Most likely because of the fact they were aware their mother had set their adoption in motion, meaning they were closer to becoming a legal family that couldn't be torn away from each other.

It would still take months for the adoption to be finalized, though Lucy pointed out that it would probably be shorter than most because of the fact they wanted Emily to be their mother, but it was still going to happen.

Cassandra wrinkled her nose, causing her mother to laugh and kiss her softly on the cheek. "What's put that expression on your face sweetheart?" The woman wondered.

"Mommy, why do I not have a daddy?" The question caused Scarlett and Gabriel to stop their bickering, looking at their younger sister in shock. Winter and Nathan had also paused in setting the table.

Emily blinked, having not expected that. "Why do you ask?" She questioned, curious as to what prompted her daughter to ask such a question.

"Molly asked me why don't I have a daddy, and I said I did but he was bad so he stopped being my daddy, and she asked why don't I get a new daddy since I have a new mommy,"

The girl rambled, looking up at her mother with her big brown eyes. The woman swallowed, pausing in her movements as she considered the question.

She admitted she had figured the question would come up with Cassandra eventually, but she didn't expect it so soon.

The girl had once upon a time had a mommy and a daddy, even if said daddy was an abusive alcoholic who deserved to rot in prison, and while she had adjusted to having a new mommy it was only understandable she would wonder about why she didn't have another daddy.

"…then I told her I did have a new daddy, I just called him Hotch." It took her a second to realize her daughter had continued chatting while she had been lost in the thoughts, and that she had said what she thought she said.

"Honey, did you just say Hotch was your new daddy?" Emily asked carefully, to which Cassandra nodded. Emily took a deep breath, processing that.

She had always suspected her children saw Hotch as their father, their interactions being a big clue, but to hear one of them say it was…well, it was shocking to say the least.

She idly wondered how Hotch would react if Cassandra began calling him daddy. A smile crossed her lips as she thought of his expression, first shocked then slowly turning into elated happiness.

He would probably slowly grin, showing those perfect teeth as dimples appeared on his handsome cheekbones—

Stop right there.

She ordered herself, her face flushing. She was thankful her young daughter's attention had turned to helping Nathan and Winter. She couldn't help but laugh when she saw the girl ordering her siblings around like a princess, with the two playing along by bowing and saying 'yes your Highness'.

She resumed setting out the snack trays, trying to stop her mind from wandering to how Hotch had looked on Christmas Eve, with that sweater showing his slightly muscled arms—

You have got to be kidding me.

She groaned, letting her arms rest on the counter as her head dropped onto them. It would appear her mind had decided to resume the line of thought she had tried to push her away.

She was very thankful Evelyn was not there.

Rossi couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as he watched Emily blush when Hotch put his hand on her hip and pull her closer.

He wondered exactly what had caused the brunette agent to become a blushing bride. He mused for a moment before a smirk crossed his face, remembering how the woman had not-so-subtly been eyeing the stoic agent from the back before quickly reverting her gaze.

He figured she had been fantasizing about the man for some reason, and was embarrassed because of it.

She shouldn't, not when Hotch's eyes had nearly come out of his sockets when he saw the woman in her figure-hugging black dress.

"What's with that smirk?" Rossi glanced up to see his own fantasy making her way towards him. Her blonde curls were pinned to the side, her soft green dress showing off the curves that identified her as a woman who had a child.

He knew she was trying to get her body back into shape, but in his opinion there was no woman more tempting than she was in her current state.

"Dave, stop giving me that look." JJ instructed, feeling her face heat when she saw him eyeing. Had it been any other man she would have decked him, but the fact it was David Rossi just made her insides tighten.

Their relationship had slowly been heating up, on both their parts. Rossi would purposely flirt with her subtly, saying innuendos that made her flush in embarrassment yet made her desire him strongly.

For her part, she held no shame in admitting she would purposely wear clothes that showed off her curves, which made the man narrow his eyes at her in way that made her insides heat.

It was a subtle dance yet neither made a move because they were both aware of the consequences if the relationship crashed and burned, namely a sweet little blonde-haired boy who was the center of both their worlds.

What they didn't know, however, was a certain red-haired niece of theirs had been plotting to speed things up a bit. She knew their reasons for not acting, understood them too, but felt they needed to at least try.

She also had recruited the help of her sweet little sister, because at the very least her aunt and uncle couldn't get angry at her.

"Uncle Dave, you must kiss Aunt JJ now," Cassandra spoke up, giggling a little as she pointed. "Because of the kissing plant!"

The two stared at her for a moment, blinking in surprise, before looking above them where, indeed, a mistletoe was hanging above them.

"Oh, I must have missed that one…" Scarlett mused, trying to hide her smirk in her drink.

Beckett caught her eye, his eyebrow raised for he knew Scarlett was very much like her mother and wouldn't have missed any detail unless she wanted to.

JJ blushed a soft pink, which turned to a deep red when she caught Rossi smirking at her. "It is only fitting, after all it is also almost midnight."

In the background she could hear the countdown, but all she saw was him leaning towards her.

"Three…" Two inches…

"Two…" One.

"One…" A brush of their lips.

"Happy New Year's!"

It was, as cliché as it sounded, absolute perfection.

Ha ha I probably made you think it was Hotch and Emily who would kiss didn't I? Sorry but that's still a ways off. I felt I should give JJ and Rossi some notice. By the way the Hotch being daddy thing? That will come up soon.

On a separate note I'm getting closer to graduating (actually the ceremony's in six days *gasp*) and my finals (which officially start June 14th) so my priorities will have to switch to school. On the bright side I'm taking a year off to work so while I'll still be busy, hopefully I'll find more time to write though I'll still have to deal with college applications and such.

Hope you enjoyed!