Walking out to the large covered patio, wedding gown on, I smiled at the sight ahead. Fairy lights hung from the wooden beams of the beadboard ceiling. Sixteen white chairs had been set up in place of the usual furniture and were filled with our closest friends and family. And there, in front of the stone fireplace, a white curtain altar had been set up where Andrew was waiting.
He looked sexy, in a crisp grey suit that clung to his muscular figure. Keely stood next to him in a beautiful, burgundy dress holding a sleeping Stella in her arms who was wearing a matching, long sleeve velvet dress. My heart felt like it could burst as I made my way down the aisle and as I said "I do" minutes later, all felt right in the world.
The kiss that followed was one filled with immense love and emotion. We didn't let it heat, not with a patio full of people and our daughters next to us, but it did linger. Our ears barely registered the claps and cheers from those around us as we pulled apart, our only focus on each other.
"I love you." Andrew said quietly.
"I love you, too." I replied, smiling brightly.
We turned then, both of us enveloping Keely and Stella in a hug, and a happy tear slipped down my cheek when Keely said, "I love our family."
After receiving hugs, kisses and congratulations from everyone else, we headed inside to celebrate for the rest of the evening. We were all sitting in the formal dining room for a delicious catered meal, laughing and chatting. Before everyone dug in, I wanted to make a toast, so I stood and raised my glass to get everyone's attention.
"I would like to make a toast to all the beautiful people in this room. To my former teammates from the BAU, I love you all so dearly. We've been on many crazy rides together and our history certainly isn't all joyous, but your love and support mean the world to me, and I'm so blessed not only to call you my friends, but my family. To Rossi, for having us all here and offering to host another wedding. To Megan, I'm so lucky to have such a wonderful sister-in-law and Andrew and I are so thankful that our girls have an amazing aunt to look up to. To Lana, not only for officiating the wedding but for your family. Our friendships with you and Steve have helped both Andrew and I feel more at home here in Denver, so thank you."
I turned then, and my eyes once again started to water as I looked to Keely and Andrew, who was holding a now wide-awake Stella. "And to my family. I love you three so much." The tears started falling steadily again, and though I'd planned to say more, I knew by the look in Andrew and Keely's eyes that what I'd said was enough.
"Cheers!" I managed, sitting down as everyone echoed the sentiment. I looked to Andrew, who smiled and leaned in for a salty kiss. He used his free hand to brush the tears from my cheeks with his thumb and then wrapped his arm around me.
####
As the night wore on, everyone broke into groups. Levi and Henry were battling it out in a heated game of foosball in the corner of the basement with Keely and Ethan watching amusedly from the sidelines. Savannah and Megan were on one of the couches with Hank, watching the New Year's Eve show in time square playing on the large projector screen. Lana, Tara and Reid were in deep conversation about something or other over by the bar. JJ, Will, Penelope, Derek, Rossi and Steve were all on the open area of the floor dancing. And just as I start to wonder where Andrew snuck off to, I feel his arms wrap around me and his chin rest on my shoulder.
"She's been a champ today." He says, referring to Stella who was starting to fall back asleep in my arms after her latest feeding. She'll be out for a while now, having been sleeping straight from 11pm-4am for about a week now, her longest stretch.
"She's a blessedly easygoing little lady, that's for sure."
"I brought the bassinet downstairs. I figured neither of us will want her all the way upstairs and have to rely on the monitor with all this activity."
"You're amazing, you know that." I turn my head to face him, smiling. "Thank you." I say before leaning in for a quick kiss.
"Can I take her? I want to cuddle her for a few minutes before we put her down."
"Of course." I transfer her into Andrew's arms with practiced ease. "I'm going to go join JJ and Penelope on the dance floor. Meet you there?"
"Absolutely." He smiles, placing one more peck on my lips before we part ways.
####
Dancing with Penelope and JJ, our arms wrapped around each other just as they were 7 years ago at JJ's wedding, brings back so many memories. The last time we danced like this, I was getting ready to leave. Now, it would be JJ and Penelope leaving tomorrow, to go back to DC. It's different though, not sad in the same way it was then; we're all in good places in our lives.
We dance until it's ten minutes to midnight, finally taking a breath, grabbing some drinks and sitting down on the large u-shaped couch to watch the last performance on the NYE countdown in time square before the ball drops. As the clock strikes midnight, everyone cheers and Andrew pulls me in for a heady kiss, our tongues mingling for probably longer than is appropriate in this setting.
As we pull apart, I catch a glimpse of Keely as Ethan's lips are just leaving her cheek. Andrew follows my gaze just in time to see Keely return the gesture, placing a quick peck on Ethan's cheek. Andrew grimaces and I playfully slap his arm, drawing his attention back to me. "He's a good kid and you know it. They're cute together."
"She's my little girl." He frowns.
"She's not so little anymore. She's growing up whether you like it or not." Andrew sighs, his downcast face making me laugh.
####
Over the next half hour, everyone makes their way to upstairs to their rooms, finally settling in for the night. With the knowledge that Stella will be out for a couple more hours, I slip into the en suite bathroom, changing into a white silk negligee with lace trim. I fix my make-up and mess with my hair a bit before sneaking back into our room.
Andrew is leaning up against the headboard atop the covers with a book, clad in nothing but his pajama pants. He sets his book down on the nightstand when he sees me come out, the smile on his face immediate.
"Damn, you look sexy." He says. I smirk, making my way over to his side of the bed, climbing on top of him and straddling his legs.
I run my hands over his defined abdomen and up his chest before wrapping my arms around his neck. His hands settle on my hips, his eyes admiring the view of my full breasts before looking up to meet my eyes.
"God, I'm a lucky man." He whispers. I smile, palming the back of his head then and pulling him in for a deep kiss.
Our mouths open immediately, the kiss a hot, wet exchange of tongue, lips and teeth. Andrew's hands roam up my sides, one hand cupping a breast over the fabric of my slip, the other tangling in my hair. The need for air has us breaking apart a minute later, breathing heavily into the space between us. Andrew's eyes are dark with desire and I can feel the evidence of his arousal growing hard between my legs.
"We can't do anything penetrative tonight, I'm not ready for that quite yet, but it's our wedding night and I have full intentions of enjoying some quality time with you." I punctuate my words with a slow grind of my hips against him, reveling in the low moan it draws.
"God, Em. I've missed you." He breathes.
"Good." I reply before leaning in for another kiss. I continue grinding my hips against him, groaning when I feel him start to thrust upward, matching my movements. Andrew's lips leave mine, trailing down my neck and chest. Feeling him pull at one of the straps of my slip, I release my arm from around his neck to slide it out, quickly doing the same with the other so that the negligee falls down my chest, pooling around my hips.
With my breasts free, Andrew eagerly moves his mouth to one, his tongue drawing circles around my nipple while his fingers twist and flick at the other. I gasp as pleasure courses through my body, sending currents straight down to my core and I can feel myself growing slick. Andrew rolls us slightly, so that we're lying side by side on the bed, and grasps the negligee, pulling it down and off, taking my lacy thong along with it. He grips the back of my thigh then, hiking my leg over his before dipping his fingers between my legs.
"Fuck, you're wet babe." He notes as he runs two fingers through my folds, stroking my clit. He starts slow, with teasing passes of his fingers that have my hips bucking against his fingers, trying to create more friction. Finally, he picks up the pace, rubbing back and forth in the rhythm he knows I love. I pull him in for a hard kiss, moaning into his mouth as he builds me up.
"Oh shit." I gasp as he presses more firmly against my sensitive nub. "So close, don't stop." I'm coming before he even has a chance to reply, my back arching, eyes closing as his fingers slow to a circling motion, prolonging my orgasm.
As my breathing returns back to normal, I open my eyes to find him smiling as me. Stroking his cheek, I lean in for a slow kiss. "Your turn." I say seductively, reaching a hand into his pajama pants to wrap my hand around his solid member. We trade a few more lazy kisses as I stroke him lightly, until I rub my thumb across his tip which has him groaning. I grin, sliding down his body and quickly removing his pants. Settling between his legs, I ease his foreskin back, kissing the head of his cock before taking the tip of him into my mouth.
"Oh God, Em." His voice is hoarse.
Taking him a bit deeper, I set a steady pace, bobbing my head up and down, countering the movements of my hand at his base. I lightly scrape my teeth against the sensitive vein on the underside of his shaft, delighting in the muffled curses it draws from him. His hand comes down, fingers intertwining in my hair.
"Fuck, babe. Not going to last much longer, s'been too long."
I twirl my tongue around him, reaching my other hand up to cup his balls. His hips buck slightly as he comes, and I swallow around him. He draws me up when he finishes and I release him with a soft pop. We exchange slow kisses, humming contentedly into each other's mouths.
Andrew pulls the covers down and over us and I curl into his side. It's not long before we're drifting off to sleep, both sated and happy to be entering the new year as Mr. and Mrs.