Thank you for your continuous support and reviews.
Alright, finals are over and I can resume regular updates!! There might even be another one later on this evening!!
Saturday morning came quickly for the new parents. Emily stood behind JJ in the nursery, her arms around JJ's waist holding their bodies close. They just stood there looking at their sleeping children.
"I'm glad your parents offered to let us get ready at the house. It will make it a little easier since your dad has offered to watch them," said JJ.
"Me too," agreed Emily. "Would you be okay with sleeping there tonight? I spoke about with my mother last night. Lila and John will be asleep by the time the party ends and I don't want to risk waking them up to leave."
"That's fine," said JJ. "Your mother already offered one of her guest rooms for us to use to get ready and if I needed to rest before the party."
"Are you sure you are really up to going through today's events?" asked Emily.
JJ turned in Emily's arms and with a slight scowl on her face she answered, "Emily, honey, for the, I don't know, thousandth time since we came home from the hospital. I. Am. Fine."
Emily lent her head down and kissed JJ, "Okay, okay, I get it. I'm just worried. You just gave birth to twins."
"Your parents will be there…"
"Jennifer, my parents will be chatting with their political friends, my mother playing the perfect hostess."
"My family will be there. The team and Kara – my doctor will also all be there. Pen and Katie are going to help us with Lila and John when we have to, as you put it, 'Tour the room.' Everything will be fine and I promise to stay sit down often, and I promise to use one of your mother's guest rooms to lay down if I need it."
"You promise?" asked Emily, a little unsure that JJ would actually do what she had just said.
JJ nodded, "I promise, Em. Now, come on. We have less than two hours before the car that your mother is sending for us comes. We need to get everything together that needs to be taken for the twins, and I'd like to do that before they wake up from this nap." JJ pulled on Emily's hand as she towards the door.
"We are ready to go," said Emily with a smile as she followed JJ out of the room.
"We are?" JJ asked as she stopped in the hallway to turn towards Emily. "We need their travel bed. We have to pack formula, bottles, diapers, wipes, clothes for them, our gowns need to be put in the garment bag…"
Emily placed her finger on JJ's lips effectively halting JJ's list from continuing. "Travel bed is by the door. Garment bag with our gowns and their outfits for tonight is laying on the couch along with both of our ready bags. Mine has our clothes for tomorrow and yours has clothes for Lila and John, diapers and wipes. I also got their car seats out of the car and all that is left is to pack the bottles that are currently in the dishwasher and formula."
"When did you do all that?" asked JJ.
"When you took a nap after breakfast," Emily answered with a grin on her face. "Let's go downstairs and you can check to make sure that I didn't forget anything and then we can cuddle up on the couch until they wake up."
"Have I told you how much I love you, Emily Prentiss?" asked JJ as she through her arms around Emily's neck and kissed her wife.
"Ah, it's nowhere near how much I love you, Jennifer Prentiss," Emily replied as she kissed her back.
JJ was the first to break from the kiss, "Em?"
"Hmm?" answered Emily as she started to kiss JJ's neck.
"We need to finish getting ready. I am still in the clothes I went to sleep in," said JJ.
"I can help you get out of those clothes," said Emily as she reached for the hem of JJ's t-shirt.
"Down girl," JJ said with a laugh. "As you said before I just gave birth to twins a few days ago. You pulling my clothes off could only lead to an excitement that my body is not able to experience right now. So, you will just have to wait a little while longer."
Emily stuck out her lower lip as she pouted, "You're no fun!" Emily's couldn't hold the pout any longer and her lips curled up into a smile. "You know I would never do anything until you were ready for it."
"I know, babe. Now, I am going to go and take a shower and get changed. Why don't you go and see if the bottles are ready? And then we will go through the bags that you packed and make sure that we have everything, and still have plenty of time to cuddle on the couch before they wake up."
"Okay," agreed Emily, "but, hurry up. I want as much time with you to myself as I can get." Emily kissed JJ again before they split up to take care of their individual tasks.
An hour later, they were both sitting on the couch in each others' arms. The garment bag was hanging up on the coat rack and the ready bags were placed near the front door. They were expecting the twins to wake up within the next ten minutes so they just sat in silence enjoying the peaceful moment together.
"Em, when you spoke with her last night, did you tell your mother that we would be happy for their help when we go back to work?" asked JJ.
Emily shook her head but then realized that JJ was sitting with her back to Emily she couldn't see the movement, "No, I didn't think that was something to tell them over the phone. Plus, I thought that maybe you'd want to be there as well."
"I would."
"There was something else that I didn't mention to you yet about that conversation I have with my mother," Emily admitted.
JJ could tell that Emily was a little hesitant to tell her and was worried that it was bad news. "I'm listening."
"My parents want to pay for our honeymoon. Wherever we want to go, and they offered to clear their calendar for that time and take care of Lila and John."
"You're serious?" asked JJ.
"I am," said Emily. "We talked about going away somewhere to on a honeymoon once they were born, now we won't have to worry about whether we need to take the twins with us, or not."
"Wow, your mother just keeps the surprises coming," said JJ.
"Are you okay with them?" asked Emily.
"Of course," said JJ. "I am so happy that your relationship has improved with your mother. I think she is just trying to make up for her mistakes."
"So, what do you think? Shall we let them pay for the honeymoon? We can afford a trip to anywhere in the world without their financial help," said Emily.
"I think it would upset her if we didn't take her up on the offer for the honeymoon," warned JJ.
"Yeah, I think you are right," said Emily.
They sat in silence a few minutes more before JJ asked, "Do you think Strauss will actually show up today?"
Emily took a deep breath before she answered the question. This would be the first time that they would be face-to-face with their Section Chief since Hotch and Rossi's meeting with her after Will's first attack on JJ. "I do, Jennifer. This is unfortunately an event that she wouldn't pass up. The wedding reception of an ambassador's daughter is a high society event. She'll use it to buddy up with the local politicians to gain contacts to further stabilize her position in the bureau."
"You think she is still afraid that Hotch wants her job?" asked JJ.
"Oh, I know she is. Even though he told her that he had no intentions of leaving the B.A.U., she probably has never believed him. Now, with Rossi back, either of them will make good candidates to take over her position. That's why I think they confronted her together about us. They know she's scared the two of them will look to overthrow her."
"I'm starting to see why you hate politics so much," said JJ. "I'm really glad that we had the private wedding ceremony."
"Me too," said Emily as she tightened her arms around JJ's waist.
"Sounds like their waking up," said JJ as she heard a soft cry coming from the baby monitor.
They stood up from the couch, just as Emily's phone rang. Emily told for JJ to go upstairs while she answered her phone. "Agent Prentiss."
"Mrs. Prentiss, it's Paul." Paul one of her mother's drivers and was assigned the task of picking them up today. "I am just calling to let you know that I am outside and whenever you are ready to leave, just give me a call and I will come help you with your luggage."
"Thanks, Paul, and how many times do I have to tell you to please call me Emily. Lila and John just woke up so we just have to get them ready to leave. Why don't you come in now and I'll help you load up the car while Jennifer gets them ready."
"I'm sorry, Mrs… I mean Emily, but your mother has given me strict instructions that the only thing that either of you should be carrying out to the car is your children and you know that she can spot when I lie to her."
"Alright, you win," said Emily with a slight smile. "I'll leave the front door unlocked for you to come in. We should be down in no longer than ten minutes." Emily hung up her phone and unlocked the front door before she joined JJ in the nursery.
"Everything alright?" asked JJ as she Emily enter the room.
Emily picked up a squirming Lila from her crib and carried her over to the vacant changing table and looked towards JJ who was taking care of John. "Everything's fine. That was Paul. He is here already and is packing up the car. Apparently he is under strict orders not to let either of us help him or he suffers the wrath of the Ambassador."
JJ laughed at Emily as she picked up John, "Your grandmother definitely knows how to get her way, little man."
Emily smiled at JJ. "She always has." Emily picked up a freshly changed Lila, "Ready to go?"
"Yeah, let me just get the baby monitor and we are all set. Ready to go to a party, John?" The baby responded to JJ's question with a small yawn, receiving a laugh from his parents.
They walked down the stairs just as Paul was picking up the last items from the front door. He placed them down as he saw them walking towards them. "Paul, this is my wife, Jennifer, and our two children Lila and John," Emily said as she introduced them.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Ma'am and congratulations to you both on your wedding and the birth of your children. They are beautiful."
JJ blushed at the formal way that he greeted her. Emily placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled. "Paul, Jennifer is even more relaxed about formalities than I am."
"I apologize. I didn't mean to embarrass you, Jennifer," Paul said quickly.
"It's alright, Paul. Thank you," said JJ. "I guess I am going to have to get used to the formalities if I am going to be putting up with them tonight."
As they sat in the car watching the passing scenery, Emily took JJ's hand in hers, "Are you sure that you're ready for tonight?"
"Emily!" JJ said with a warning tone.
"Sorry," said Emily, "I didn't feel like stopping at one thousand."
"You are so lucky that I love you too much to kill you right now," joked JJ.
"You wouldn't do that in front of our children," said Emily with a smile.
"Eh, they're young. They won't remember a thing," said JJ with a straight face.
"Jennifer!" Emily responded as she playfully swatted JJ's shoulder.
"Calm down, Em. I could never do that." Emily saw the smirk on JJ's face and knew that there was a punch line about to be delivered. "I'll have Rossi do it. I have a feeling he knows where to hide bodies."
Emily laughed at JJ's statement, "Ah, but he favors me."
JJ made motions as if she was deep in thought, "True, I guess I'm just stuck with you, Agent Prentiss."
"Forever and always," said Emily before she pulled JJ in for a kiss.
Four hours later, the couple found themselves walking in the garden outside of the house, "Maybe we should go back in," said Emily. "The babies…"
"Are fine, Em. Your father is capable of handling them," said JJ. "Stop worrying."
"I don't want you to get too tired."
"Emily, I have already agreed to take a nap before the party, so let's just enjoy this moment of alone time that we have now."
"You're right. God, Jennifer, if it's so hard to leave them now, how are we going to do that in three months?"
"They were just born a few days ago, Em. Of course, we don't want to leave them, but it will be easier when it gets closer to having to get back to work."
"I hope you are right," said Emily.
"I am," said JJ as she squeezed Emily's hand and smiled.
Emily looked at JJ and smiled back at her. She then turned to look towards the house where she saw her mother standing out on the patio waving them over. "Looks like the alone time is over with," she said to JJ as she pointed out her mother.
"I'm sorry I wasn't been able to greet you when you arrived," her mother apologized once they reached the patio.
Emily and JJ both exchanged hugs with the Ambassador, something else that was new since Emily was shot. They usually exchanged a small kiss on the cheeks – never hugs. Emily definitely liked the new actions of her mother and she knew that she had JJ to thank for that. "It's alright, Mother," said Emily. "We knew that you would be busy with the last minute details. Is everything all set?"
"It is. We are all set for tonight and I have some time to spend with my grandchildren and their mothers if you will let me."
"Of course," said JJ.
"We wanted to have the chance to speak with you anyway," said Emily.
"Is everything alright with the room?" her mother asked as they entered the house and walked up the stairs to where Emily's father was with the twins.
"It's perfect mother. I've spoken with Jennifer about your offer," said Emily.
"Oh…And you've made a decision?"
"We have," said JJ. "We'd be more than happy for you and Michael to look after Lila and John when we go back to work."
"And, we would be honored to accept the offer to pay for our honeymoon," continued Emily.
"Thank you both," said the Ambassador as they entered the guest room. They were greeted by the sight of Michael Prentiss holding his sleeping granddaughter in his arm.
"Hey, Daddy," whispered Emily as she walked over to her father.
"Hey, Em. They just went to sleep. How was your walk?"
"It was very nice. The flowers are gorgeous," said JJ.
"Ah, that's Elizabeth's secret passion," cooed Michael as he handed Lila to Emily. "We'll leave you two to rest before the party."
"Thanks," said Emily as she smiled at her to parents. Looking over towards JJ, Emily continued her father's explanation. "No matter where we were living, my mother always insisted there be a garden filled with colorful flowers. It was the one constant that always traveled with us, and I always could be found sitting there on the grass, or a bench, reading a book and looking up at the clouds."
"Sounds beautiful," said JJ.
Emily nodded, and looked towards the bed, "Come on, let's rest before they wake up."
JJ smiled and followed Emily to the bed.
So next chapter will be the reception.
And it's the return of the decisions for you!!!
As mentioned in this chapter, Strauss will be attending.
Does she:
1) give Emily and JJ a hard time?
or
2) roll over and play nice?
