"Reid, I can't thank you enough for being willing to babysit, everybody else was busy." JJ said gratefully ushering the genius into their home.
"JJ, do we have any diapers?" Hotch called from upstairs, as he picked up his screaming 6 month old daughter. He chuckled slightly to himself. Rachel was much quieter than her sister. She only cried when she needed to be changed or when she was hungry and even then her cry was more of a moan or a whimper. Allie, on the other hand, seemed like she was always screaming---it just seemed that she screamed louder when she needed to be changed or was hungry. However when his girls were happy they were absolutely adorable.
"Yeah, there's some under the cabinet, and hurry up because Reid's here." JJ called up to him.
EWW! Hotch thought to himself as he changed the young girl's diaper. He had been out on cases for most of Jack's infancy, so he didn't have an immense amount of diaper changing experience. Quickly discarding the diaper he brought the now content baby downstairs.
"Look who's up from her nap!" Hotch tickled the small girl in his arms who began to giggle.
"Here, I'll go get Rachel and we'll get these hungry girls some dinner." The girls were now eating solid foods, and it was often hillarious to watch.
"The food's here, just let them play. You can give them a bath, and they'll probably be up for about an hour. Change them and put them to bed. Here's the number of the place we'll be eating at. Thanks so much for babysitting. This is the first time I've been able to get JJ out of the house other than a case." Hotch explained, and on seeing Reid's nervous expression encouraged, "You'll do fine."
Hotch and JJ sat down at the expensive restaurant and quickly ordered. Hotch watched her out of the corner of his eye. She was incredibly beautiful, and the more time he spent with her, the more time he wanted to spend with her. They had both returned to work, reluctantly leaving their daughters at the Bureau daycare. It had taken a little while for her to recover from the stress of what had happened, but it was unusual for her not to break out in a smile when she thought no one was looking. His favorite thing to do was to observe her when she thought others were preoccupied. When she knew eyes were on her, she was completely different--able to put up a wall to block out others.
"What?" She smiled at him, feeling his gaze on her. "Do I have sauce on my face or something?"
"No," He leaned over and kissed her quickly. "I was just thinking how beautiful you are."
"Isn't it funny that it's almost been a year and a half since that night at the bar?" JJ smiled, thinking of how lucky she was to be married to Aaron Hotchner.
"Yeah, speaking of that--I know that originally we said we'd only stay married for a year and a half--" he saw JJ's smile fall slightly, but she quickly regained her composure, "but somewhere along the way, I realized that I've loved you for as long as I've known you." Her bright smile returned.
"So, Jennifer Jareau, I'd like to make this real." He knelt down on one knee with an open ring box and a dazzling anniversary band as he looked up at her "JJ, will you stay married to me?"
"Um, I'll have to think about that." JJ laughed with tears in her eyes. "YES!" she wrapped her fingers in his hair and kissed him gratefully.
"Prentiss" Emily answered her phone after stepping away from her date.
"Emily, please come quick. I need your help!" Reid's exasperated voice sounded in her ear, crying children in the background.
"Reid, I'm on a date."
"Yet, you answered your phone, which means that this 'date' isn't going so well." Reid countered, "Please, I am surrounded by the Spawn of Satan."
Emily chuckled. "Reid, they are six month old girls. They are not the Spawn of Satan." Emily smiled, thinking of the idea of Spencer Reid babysitting.
"Emily, I've heard you call Hotch 'Satan', and I am now completely agreeing with you." Reid had to shout over the loud crying of the girls.
"I have not!"
"Have too! March 7, 2008. Hotch called us all in on our day off and insited we go on a case." Reid smiled, he knew Emily was on the verge of coming to his rescue.
"Ok, fine. Give me twenty minutes."
Eighteen minutes later, Emily knocked sharply on Hotch's door. Reid immediately answered and looked like he was about to cry.
"What's wrong?" She asked quickly entering the home and seeing Allie screaming in her high chair, the only thing identifying the young girls were the color of their hair. She noticed how the entire house seemed to be turned upside-down.
"I lost one!" Reid admitted frantically. "I can't find her anywhere. I went to go get something and they were both sitting in their chairs...I came back and Rachel was gone!"
"Well, she couldn't have gotten very far, you keep looking, I'll take care of Allie."
"Why do I have to keep looking?" Reid asked innocently.
"Because Reid, you lost one of Hotch's kids." Emily asked, picking up the screaming girl who quieted suddenly. "Hey, aren't you a good girl. Looks like someone needs to be changed." Emily cooed as the girl threatened to cry again.
"Here Rachel. Here girl." Reid called, looking in cabinets and drawers.
"Reid, she's not a dog." Emily laughed, returning with the little girl who seemed content to sit in Emily's arms. "And you wonder why babies...or dogs for that matter...don't like you."
"So funny." Reid said sarcastically.
"I doubt she's in the silverware drawer." Emily observed as Reid opened and closed random drawers in the kitchen.
"FINE! You think you can find her, you look!" Reid snapped exasperated. Emily nodded, handing the little girl over to Reid who held her awkwardly as Allie began to squirm.
Looking under the dining room table, picked up the sleeping blonde twin and said "Look who I found!"
"She must have squirmed out of her high chair, and crawled under the table." Reid observed.
"Honestly, you looked in the silverware drawer, but not under the table?" Emily teased. "Apparently 3 PhD's mean nothing in common sense."
"Hey, it's not my fault the girl is Houdini. Manufacturers have safety regulations to prevent children from escaping the restraints, these particular high chairs have one of the highest saftey ratings in the country." Reid countered.
"Let me put her to bed, then we'll watch a movie." Emily laughed, taking the squirming girl out of Reid's arms and carrying both girls upstairs.
"I am never babysitting again!"