Author's Note: I just realized I named Beth's former fling after Morgan… not intentional. My bad, ya'll. Also as I've reread I've noticed a few small inconsistencies with the story and I apologize for that. Try not to take anything too seriously :) ALSO if you're reading & enjoying this story please take them time to favorite/follow/review! It would seriously make my day and make writing this story so much more fun. I'm currently a nurse working the frontlines of the pandemic and this story is my only escape from reality!

August 17th, 2013 - 34 weeks pregnant

Hotch awoke and the bed was empty next to him, he glanced at the alarm clock on the bedside table and saw it was nearly 9:30 in the morning. He couldn't remember the last time he had slept in that late. He did however, remember the terrible things he had said to his fiancée the night before and he instantly dreaded getting out of bed. He lost his cool so rarely in life - but it always seemed to be with those he loved the most. He climbed out of bed and headed down the hallway; glancing into the nursery he saw Beth sitting in the rocking chair, flipping through a baby name book.

Hotch knocked on the door frame. "Hey."

Beth looked up from the book. "Hey."

Hotch began to form an apology but before he got words out Beth spoke again.

"Before you talk I want to say something."

Hotch nodded.

"I was 19 when I lost my virginity. And I was 35 when I met you. For 16 years I was sexaully active with men who weren't you and I'm not going to apologize for that. But Aaron, I've always been monogamous. I know the list of people I've slept with is longer than the people you've slept with, and I'm sorry that it makes you uncomfortable. But all that should matter is the list of people I'm currently sleeping with, and will sleep with in the future. And Aaron, that list is only you."

"It doesn't make me uncomfortable. Truly, it doesn't. What I said to you last night was hurtful and wrong and doesn't reflect at all how I actually feel about you. I had a horrible few days and that's not an excuse, it's not. I was in a bad place and being introduced to Derek, normally it would have been no big deal, because it was no big deal. But in the moment all I felt was rage and jealousy that he had seen what I had seen, that he had laid where I had laid, and irrationally I let that consume me. It doesn't bother me that you've had sex with other men, and I don't need to know how many men there were over the 16 years. What I do know is that I love and respect you more than anyone, and I'm so sorry that last night I didn't act like it.

Beth got up from her spot on the rocking chair and walked to Hotch who still stood in the doorway. She took her hands in his.

"I forgive you. But you need to be better about telling me what you need, Hotchner. This relationship isn't just about me. If I have something planned for us, especially if it's something that I planned without consulting you, and you're having a bad day and just want to stay at home then please tell me. You're amazing at your job and you always seem to know what I need without me having to tell you, but I don't have your skills. I need you to talk to me."

"That's fair. And honestly, Beth. You know what I need better than I know what I need, 98% of the time. But last night I knew I wasn't in a good place and I should have told you that. I'm sorry I ruined our last night together before Jack comes home."

"Eh, it's okay. We'll have another night alone in like 18 years, right?!"

Hotch laughed. "That sounds about right. How are you doing with what happened on the subway?"

"Well I was terrified, and then I started thinking about how that's just a minor encounter compared to what you run into at work and then I was even more terrified about you ever going out into the field again."

"Trust me, with you there with me I was significantly more terrified than I usually am at work. At work I can maintain a clear head but with everything that happened last night I... " Hotch faded off. "I'm just really glad that you're okay."

"I'm just fine, thanks to you."

Beth reached up and cupped his face lightly before kissing him softly.

"You know," Hotch said. "We have a bit of time before we have to pick Jack up from the airport. We could make up for last night."

"Mm no can do. I forgive you, but you still have to pay for your crimes." Beth patted his shoulder before walking out of the room.

Hotch just rolled his eyes and chuckled before following her down the stairs and into the kitchen where she began to make them some scrambled eggs.

"I talked to Jack this morning, before you woke up." Beth told him.

"Oh yeah, how's he doing?"

With his work schedule Hotch hadn't been able to talk with Jack as much as he would have liked while he was at Disney but at least him or Beth had talked to him once if not twice a day.

"He's excited to come home and tell us all about his favorite rides. I think he's starting to get a little homesick so he was happy that we're meeting them at the airport."

"We should leave here by 11 to get to the airport on time."

"Sounds good, I'm ready to see him. Is there anything I should know before I meet Haley's parents?"

"No, it will probably be a very brief interaction. They aren't too fond of small talk."

Beth served up the eggs on two plates and passed one to Hotch.

"Well all that matters is that Jack had a good time."

Hotch agreed and they sat to eat their breakfast.

"Goodness," Beth said with surprise. "I'm not sure how they have room but I swear to god this baby is doing somersaults in there. Feel this."

Hotch put his hand over her belly and sure enough there was a whirlwind of activity underneath his hand.

"I can't believe in 6 weeks we're going to have a newborn," Hotch said.

"Can we hope for like, 5 weeks? Thirty-nine weeks seems good enough. Not sure how much more I can take of this baby using my bladder as a trampoline."

Hotch smiled at her. "You've been a trooper, you're already so patient with this baby. Just don't deliver before 37 weeks because I'd appreciate it if I wasn't away on a case when you go into labor."

"Zero chance I let this baby exit my body without you there to hold my hand."

"Good deal," Hotch stood and gave her belly a final rub. "I'm gonna hop in the shower."

"Can I join you?"

"I thought I had to pay for my crimes?"

"Not for sex! I need help shaving my legs." Beth laughed.

Hotch just laughed and shook his head. "C'mon then."

Later that day Hotch and Beth stood hand in hand outside baggage claim as they waited for Jack. They were both eagerly awaiting to see Jack again.

"There he is." Hotch said to her as he saw Jack coming with his suitcase trailing behind him.

"Dad!" Jack yelled with excitement when he saw Hotch and Beth waving at him. He ran towards them and they met him in the middle. Hotch crouched down to give him a big hug.

"It's so good to see you, buddy! We missed you!" Hotch said to him.

"I missed you guys too!" Jack let go of his dad to hug Beth as well. Beth kissed his head.

"Welcome back, bud. It's so good to see you."

At this point Haley's parents had caught up with Jack, Hotch stood back up to greet them.

"Thank you for taking good care of Jack, I know he had a great time."

"He's a wonderful boy, we love having him around." Grace said. She turned to Beth and extended a hand. "My name is Grace Brooks, this is my husband Roger. It's nice to meet you."

Beth took her hand and shook it. "Beth Clemmons, it's nice to meet you both."

"We'd like to see more of Jack, if that'd be possible?" Roger asked.

"Yeah, of course. Uh, you're always welcome at his soccer games. Or if you want to have him overnight sometimes just let me know."

"Thanks." Roger said. "We'll keep in touch."

"Good luck with the new baby," Grace said to Beth.

"Thank you."

"Jack, say goodbye to your grandparents," Hotch told Jack.

He gave them both hugs goodbye and Hotch grabbed his bag before they walked back to the car. Jack chatted their ears off the whole drive home recounting his favorite rides, his favorite characters, all the delicious food they ate.

"We're so glad you had a good time, Jack!" Beth said to him from the front seat.

"I think your grandparents want to spend more time with you, is that okay with you?"

"I missed you guys a lot, I don't know if I want to be gone for that long again."

"It wouldn't be for a whole week every time. Just maybe some soccer games or dinners." Hotch explained to him. "Now that you don't spend as much time with Aunt Jessie I think they just want to make sure they still get to see you."

"Yeah that'd be cool. Next time I want you guys to come to Disney too, we could bring the new baby."

"Well we should probably wait until the baby is old enough to go on some of the rides but I think it'd be fun if the four of us all went to Disney together. I've never been before!" Beth said.

"You'd really like it, Beth. It's like Legoland but even cooler!"

"Sounds fun! What should we make for your first dinner back at home?"

"Pizza!" Jack yelled.

Beth laughed. "Sounds like a good plan, once we get home I'll go to the store and get the stuff to make homemade pizza."

At home Jack and Hotch practiced soccer in the backyard while Beth went shopping. Later in the evening they all made their own personal pizzas to eat for dinner. Jack kept remembering little details of his trip to tell them about and shortly after dinner he fell asleep on the couch while Hotch read him the last Harry Potter book.

"Poor kid's exhausted, good call on doing PJ's and brushing teeth before reading." Beth said as she sat down on the couch next to Jack's feet. His head lay sleeping on his dad's leg.

Hotch ran his hand through his son's soft hair. "Something tells me our next family trip should be to Universal Studios, not Disney. He's already dreading being done reading Harry Potter."

"That kid might die of excitement if we take him to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I'd love it if we could do that for him."

Hotch eased Jack's head off his leg and rested it on the couch so he could stand up before picking Jack up into his arms. Jack groaned in disagreement at being moved but didn't open his eyes. Beth stood to give him a kiss goodnight on his forehead before Hotch carried him upstairs to his bedroom.

Beth stretched out on the couch and waited for Hotch to get back. When he came back downstairs he put a Fleetwood Mac record on and held out his hand to Beth.

"Dance with me?"

Beth took his hand and pulled herself off the couch. A task that was getting harder and harder as she neared the end of her pregnancy. Hotch pulled her as close as he could while Landslide played throughout the living room.

"We don't fit together as well as we used to," Beth remarked looking down at her belly in between them.

Hotch spun her 180 degrees so that her back was against his chest and he placed his hands on her belly while they continued to sway to the music.

"Feels perfect to me," he told her. Hotch swept her hair to one side and started kissing the exposed skin of her neck.

"Aaron," Beth moaned.

"Do you want me to stop?" He asked her with his lips still grazing her neck.

"No," she breathed.

He slid his hand to the hem of her dress before pulling it back up with his hands. He rubbed her through her undies before slipping his fingers inside and meeting her velvety skin. He circled his finger around her clit while sucking on her neck and Beth started to feel a bit weak in the knees as they remained standing in the middle of the living room. She leaned into him and was impressed he was managing to keep them both upright while his fingers remained busy under her dress.

"Does that feel good, baby?" He breathed in her ear.

Beth just slowly nodded her head feeling too dazed to coherently answer him. Slowly he sunk a finger into her and Beth moaned. He moved in and out a few times before adding a second finger. He moved those two fingers in and out a few times before removing them all together and focusing on her clit again. She wouldn't last much longer if he kept it up.

"Aaron, harder." She moaned.

Suddenly his phone rang, loudly, from where he left it on the couch and Hotch's fingers froze.

"Don't you dare!" Beth complained as he began to remove his hand from her panties.

"Beth, it's probably work. I have to."

"What the fuck." Beth muttered to herself more than anybody.

"Hotchner." Aaron answered the phone as if he had simply been working on a puzzle when he received the phone call but Beth could see the straining of his pants. She really really really hoped JJ was simply setting up a playdate for Henry and Jack and not calling him into work on a Saturday night.

"Okay. I'll be in soon." He said as he ended the call.

"Fuck." Beth said to him.

"I'm sorry. I really have to go."

Hotch cupped her face and kissed her cheek before running upstairs to change and freshen up before heading out the door 10 minutes later.

Beth dragged herself upstairs and let her vibrator finish the job that Hotch had started but even that left her feeling unsatisfied. She decided to just hop in the shower and go to bed. She checked her phone one last time before settling in for the night and a notification popped up.

*AMBER ALERT*

A seven year old girl had gone missing from her bedroom - suspected abduction. She looked at the sweet girl's face and sighed. It terrified her that the safest place for her baby was right where she was at - inside of her. And soon she would have no choice but to bring that baby into this world of unknowns and try and shelter them from all the dangers. She shut off the phone; worrying for Hotch who would be up for god knows how long looking for this poor child. Beth went downstairs and double checked that all the doors in the house were locked before checking on Jack one last time. He was still sound asleep in his bed. Beth laid down and eventually fell asleep in the empty bed.

Beth awoke to the sound of the faucet in the bathroom. She glanced at the alarm clock - it wasn't quite 5AM. The door to the bathroom was closed but she saw Hotch's work bag on the floor of the bedroom. The door opened and he walked out in his pajamas and got into bed next to her.

"Did you find her alive?" Beth asked softly.

Hotch just shook his head. Beth laid her head on his chest and they both found what little rest they could.