"So you're, Maureen, my wife's midwife," Hotch exclaimed. He had arrived home just as the woman was starting her examination of Lynn.
"That's right, Maureen Lufkin," the woman introduced herself. "And you must be Agent Hotchner. Tara has told me so much about you and your adventure."
"I hope you'll excuse me if I don't shake hands," she added. "I don't want to risk spreading germs from one patient to another."
"Adventure - That's one way of putting it," Hotch chuckled as he noticed the capable way the tall, lanky woman was scrutinizing Lynn's blood pressure. "And I completely understand about the germs. Let me assure you that I very much appreciate it."
"How long have you been a midwife?" he asked.
"Almost seven years now," Maureen replied as she removed the blood pressure cuff. "And, I have successfully delivered over 100 babies." She brushed her short brown hair off her face.
"I understand you are planning on a home birth," she continued. "Do you have any particular room or area of the house in mind? And, how many people are going to be present? Also, are you planning on a live feed?"
"I was thinking our bedroom," Lynn looked over at Hotch. "As for the rest – "
"Our bed – You are planning on using our bed?" Hotch hadn't really thought about it. "And people get invited to watch something like this?"
"Sometimes the new parents want to share the experience with their family and/or friends," Maureen explained. "And, if you do, we need to start planning to make sure we have enough room to accommodate everyone without hindering me."
"What did you do on the island?" Hotch asked Lynn. "I know several babies were born on the farm while I was there, but I never paid any attention."
"There is a special room set aside in the women's dorm," Lynn told him. "That's where I had Jacob. Generally it's just the midwife and her assistant and, sometimes, Mistress helps out."
"That's what we need," Hotch decided. "A special room set up just for us - We don't need anybody else there. We can use the baby's room for the actual birth and then clear everything out afterwards. The baby will be spending the first week or so in our room so we'll have plenty of time to bring in the baby furniture and set it up."
"If that's what you want," Lynn said slowly. "I'm sure Maureen can tell us what supplies we'll need."
"That will be no problem," Maureen assured the couple. "I already have a list made up and I'll give you a copy."
"Now," she held up a stethoscope. "If everyone will be quiet, I need to listen to the baby's heartbeat."
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
Hotch's reinstatement at the FBI was made official on the Monday before Thanksgiving. "I've been declared fit for duty," he announced proudly to Rossi. "I do have some training to complete, mostly updates on policies and procedures but, after that, I am going back out into the field with the BAU. I'll just be a regular agent again at the beginning, but I will be fast-tracked to move up when an opening occurs."
"Something else to be thankful for," Rossi declared. He and Lynn had just returned from their weekly grocery-shopping trip and Lynn was in the kitchen putting everything away.
"By the way," he added. "You are still coming to my house for Thanksgiving dinner, aren't you?"
"Of course!" Hotch assured him. "I wouldn't miss it for the world. However, Jack will be spending Thanksgiving Day with Jessica and the Brooks side of his family."
"I was wondering how you were going to handle that," Rossi commented. "Will he be gone all weekend?"
"No," Hotch replied. "He will be back in time to attend the yearly Hotchner Family Business Meeting and Thanksgiving Extravaganza at the country club on Saturday. It's an all-day event and he will be able to see all his aunts and uncles and cousins and whatevers."
"And I'm going to be able to introduce Lynn to everyone," he added.
"Just don't let her overdo it," Rossi warned. "That young lady has been working awfully hard to adjust to her new life. I wouldn't want to see her getting sick."
"She's doing just fine," Hotch assured him. "Although I do have to admit I'm not exactly happy about her taking the city bus three mornings a week to get Jacob to his class at the university. However, we did agree that she would wait until after the baby was born to start learning how to drive."
"Jacob is going to the university?" Rossi raised his eyebrows. "I don't think even Reid managed to do that at his age."
"He's participating in a morning-long enrichment program at their child care center three mornings a week," Hotch explained. "And, while he is there, Lynn is auditing a class in the Engineering Department. Then, when the class is over, she either goes to the library to work on the latest paper she and The Professor are submitting for publication or she uses Reid's office to Skype with The Professor. Afterwards, she and Jacob join Reid for lunch before coming back to the house. I'm really proud of her and the way she has been adjusting."
"Have you told her that?" Rossi asked quietly.