Disclaimer: We don't own Criminal Minds.
A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed!! Merry Christmas everybody! And don't forget to keep your eyes open for the sequel!
Part Two
It was almost nine before they finally returned to Derek's house. "Morgan, you really didn't have to do this." JJ said as they approached his apartment. He had insisted on carrying the many bags from the car.
"JJ, I wanted to." He insisted, feeling odd as he knocked on his own door.
"Hey guys!" Sarah said cheerfully when she opened the door for her brother and JJ. "Henry's been entertaining us with his many funny faces. JJ he's so adorable!"
Smiling widely for the first time that night, JJ answered her new friend as she and Derek entered the apartment "Thank you! I hope he wasn't too much trouble."
"He was a little unhappy at first to find out that both his mommy and his Mo-Mo were gone, but after mom put on Rudolph he was pretty much happy from there. He even let Desiree give him a bath after he got his macaroni all over him." Sarah added as she closed the door behind the two shoppers.
"Oh yea he loves the bath." JJ said smiling fondly when they heard Henry squeal happily followed by Fran and Desiree chasing him playfully into the living room. "Hey buddy! I see you're having fun."
"Mama!" the little boy chirped excitedly and ran towards her with his arms up in the air, "Up Mama! Up!"
Bending down to do as he asked, she suddenly frowned when her wrist wouldn't allow her to pick up her son. Kissing him on the forehead, she leaned in and whispered in his tiny ear, "Mo-Mo needs a hug. Can you give Mo-Mo a special Henry hug?"
Nodding, he let his little legs carry him into the kitchen where Derek was busy helping his mom clean up a little. Quietly creeping over to an unsuspecting Derek, he latched himself tightly to one of his legs. "Mo-Mo hug!"
"Hey buddy!" Derek smiled and leaned down to pick up the little boy, only to realize he was dressed in make shift pajamas that looked suspiciously like one of his old college t-shirts, but it had been cut off at the bottom so Henry wouldn't trip. "Who made you those jammies?"
"Honey!" the little boy exclaimed like everyone obviously knew who "honey" was.
"Who?" Derek asked confused, but had to chuckle when Henry pointed to his mom who was wiping off the table.
"What? He started calling me that earlier, no idea why." Fran said trying her best to look innocent as she threw away the paper towels she'd been cleaning with.
"So it probably has nothing to do with the fact that you may or may not have called him "honey" at some point and he picked up on it?" Derek asked as he tickled Henry's sides a little.
"I plead the fifth." Fran added with a smirk as she headed back into the living room.
"Yeah, I'm sure you do." Derek scoffed. "JJ, if you want to put Henry to bed, you can put him in the back bedroom. I'll stay here on the couch and you can sleep with him."
"Oh, no." JJ insisted. "We'll be ok here on the couch, maybe I should even go to a hotel--"
"No. You will not." Desiree interrupted. "Derek here has always been able to sleep anywhere. You are not going anywhere tonight." She insisted.
"Ok, I'm really sorry for intruding on your family Christmas." JJ blushed as she carefully took her son from Derek, who although he was trying to escape his mother's grasp, began yawning uncontrollably.
"It is no intrusion. We've heard so much about Derek's friends, but we only met everybody that one time in Chicago." Sarah insisted.
"In fact, I'm sure you're tired honey, so why don't you let me play S-A-N-T-A and you go to bed." Fran said in her now familiar 'don't mess with me' tone.
*******
It was six-thirty the next morning when Fran knocked lightly on the bedroom door, waking Henry and JJ up for Christmas morning. Sighing happily, JJ thought of what it would be like to wake up in Derek Morgan's bed every morning. She shook her head trying to stop the images that popped up in her head. Derek Morgan was a friend, and even if she secretly wanted nothing more than to have a some sort of relationship with him that exceeded their already close friendship, she knew he didn't feel the same way.
"There's that beautiful baby boy." Fran cooed as JJ emerged from Derek's bedroom with her son in her arms, both still clad in their make shift pajama's that had come from Derek's overload of t-shirts and sweats. "I sure wish my own kids would get started making me some of these."
"Oh, mama would you give it a rest?" Derek teased as he picked up Henry from JJ's arms carried the little boy over to his Christmas presents. "Ok, Henry, somebody needs to open some presents."
"Ho-Ho!" The little boy cried happily, as if some how knowing Santa had been his mysteriously gift giver.
Henry made quick work of the gifts under the tree, that had mysteriously been wrapped to perfection. Although he loved the gifts, he seemed to like the wrapping paper and ribbons even more. The joy of watching the little boy's Christmas was infectious and the entire group sat watching Henry happily as Derek helped him. Their joy was short lived, however by a sharp knocking on the front door.
"JJ!" A voice yelled through the door, causing the blonde woman to get as white as a sheet. "I know you're in there! I checked all your other friends places, so I know you're in there!" The knocking continued. Derek had immediately recognized the southern drawl and stood quickly as Henry began to clutch to his leg fearfully. "No Mo-Mo! No!"
"No Derek, Henry's right. I've got this. Come on Sarah." Desiree commanded, using a tone worthy of her mother. When Derek refused to do as she said Fran stepped in.
"Derek, why don't you and I take JJ and Henry to watch a movie in your room?" Fran prompted as she nearly shoved Derek and the others out of the living room.
When the coast was clear, Sarah flung the door to her brother's fourth floor apartment open to find a very red faced and angry man with a bad Southern accent on the other side. "Who the hell do you think you are coming over here like this at seven in the morning?" Sarah started angrily while Desiree, who was ironically the muscle of the two, stood clenching her fists next to her older sister.
"I'm Henry's father, and I want to see my son!" Will yelled angrily, and then he made the worst mistake he probably could've made at that moment. Reaching out to push Desiree out of the way so he could enter the door way to find his son and girlfriend who he deemed "disobedient", his fist barely made it from his side before it was met by another hand that forced it sharply in an unnatural direction.
"I believe we asked you a question." Desiree said coldly, "But the one I really want the answer to is why you thought it would be okay so beat the shit out of the mother of your child like that."
"Or why you thought it was okay to run your ex-girlfriend and child out of their home on Christmas Eve, but not even bother to go looking for them until over twelve hours later." Sarah added in a voice that could curl John Wayne Gacy's toes in fear.
"She wanted it!" Will screamed hoping JJ would hear, and he got his wish when she stormed into the entry way angrier than anyone had possibly ever seen her.
"I wanted it?!" JJ yelled incredulously, "You son of a...I wanted it! Did you hear that girls? I wanted to have my rib cracked, my wrist almost broken, and to nearly be strangled to death--oh not to mention the part where my asshole of an ex-boyfriend spent the last year and a half sleeping with the entire DC police force behind my back! But don't worry, that last part was only because I'm, how'd you put it Will? Fat and bad in bed?" Her cold sarcastic laugh rang through the apartment like a deep winter chill.
"Why you little bitch!" Will roared as he launched forward towards JJ, and she took all of the strength she had left and used her good hand to deal him a right hook that would make Muhammad Ali jealous. "If you aren't out of here in the next ten seconds Will, I going to call in the police and the FBI--including Garcia, not to mention any other government contacts I have, and within the next twelve hours you'll be finding yourself a ghost detainee at Gitmo. Do I make myself clear?"
Blood pouring from his nose, and feeling extremely light headed all he could do was run for the elevator. Calling after him she yelled, "And I'll be expecting that letter to terminate your parental rights by next week!" and slamming the door.
"Holy...JJ what the heck was that?" Desiree asked as JJ turned to face them from the now closed doorway.
"I...I..don't know." JJ admitted, "But...I'm feeling kinda light headed..."
Derek quickly put his arm around the now trembling blonde and guided her skillfully back to the couch. "Here, you lay down for a moment." He said as his mother returned from the kitchen with a cool wet cloth. Handing it to Derek, she motioned for her daughters to follow her into the bedroom. Taking Henry by the hand, the two women skillfully manuevered to the back bedroom, leaving the couple alone.
"JJ, that was amazing." Morgan said softly. JJ was now lying on the couch, her head resting on his lap. He unconsciously began to run his fingers through her hair as he contined to apply the cool cloth to the back of her neck.
"Thanks. It felt really good to face him, but what if he comes back? I can't protect Henry forever." JJ whispered.
"I won't ever let that happen." Morgan promised.
JJ looked up at the man that had been caring for her and her son. Looking up at him, seeing the care and love in his eyes, made her want to melt. She reached her good hand up behind his head and lifted her body up, pulling their faces towards eachother. He quickly closed the gap, his strong lips crashing into hers.
Finally pulling away, Derek looked at her softly. "I will never let anyone hurt you again." He vowed as he pulled her into a kissing position once more.