JJ sucked in her breath at his words. How could she have misread his actions? She was so sure that he would say yes. Now she had made a fool of herself in front of her friend. Dropping her hands from his, she wiped the rest of the tears from her cheeks. "I'm so sorry Dave. I didn't mean..."

"Shh, now it's my turn to talk."

"7...6...5"

"JJ, the reason I can't be the man who is there for Henry, is that my heart belongs to someone else. I can't give my whole heart to your son, when I'm also in love with his mother." Dave told her as he reached for her. She stopped his hands before they reached her cheeks.

"Hold it. What did you just say?"

Smiling, Dave pushed aside her hands and brought JJ's face close to his.

"4...3..."

"I'm saying that Henry can't have my whole heart because some of it belongs to you." He leaned into her, his lips just above hers.

"2...1...HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

"This can be a happy new year, if you let it. Bella let me love you and your son."

JJ felt like her heart was going to explode with happiness. "Yes. Yes. Yes!" JJ cried just before he crashed his lips on hers. Her arms circled his neck, pulling him closer. Dave was lost in her arms. He was on cloud nine. He had been waiting 4 years for this moment and now he felt like there were fireworks going off around them.

"Oh, JJ...JJ...do you see them? Do you hear them? The fireworks going off in my head." He whispered, his breath so hot against that little space between her neck and her shoulder. Slowly he could feel her start to quiver and he wondered if perhaps he was putting too much pressure on her. The shaking continued and in fact began getting stronger. Finally Dave raised his head up to look at JJ. Her eyes were tightly closed and her lips were pulled back, almost as though she was ready to burst out into tears. Pulling away from him, JJ wrapped her arms around her middle and bent over almost to her knees. Dave watched as her shoulders gently rose up and down from what sounded like sobs.

Worried, Dave tried to pull her back up. "Bella, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

JJ held out a hand and shook it at him, signalling for him to stop what he was doing. Finally JJ wiped the tears that had formed in her eyes and straightened up. Looking at her face he finally realized that the sobs of misery he thought were coming from the blond were in fact sobs of laughter. Shocked, he stepped away from her and sat down on the porch swing.

JJ, placing her hand over the stitch in her side, walked over to the swing and sat down beside him. "I'm sorry Dave that I laughed at you. I just couldn't help it. I thought it was hilarious that you thought your kisses created fireworks. You big baloo, those really were fireworks. Look!" she pointed to Dave left.

There he could see how the fireworks lit up the dark sky. He was surprised that he didn't hear the boom before as the succession of fireworks came after one another making the sky blue, then red and then green.

Looking down at the woman beside him, he realized that when he was with her nothing else mattered or was important. Apparently not even the deafen noise of the fireworks could distract him from being in the moment with his lady love. JJ.

She was gorgeous and sweet and loving but what he loved most about her was that she could always put him in her place. He was thrilled that now that they were ready to move to the next step, that would never change. Chuckling Dave put his arm around her shoulders and sat back on the swing as it gently swayed back and forth. "I love you Bella. Don't ever change."

Penelope peeked through the window and noticed that the two lovebirds were sitting very closely on the swing. She could barely make out where one body began and the other finished. Clapping her hands together, she gleefully turned to the others. Giving Morgan the thumbs, she told them that all had gone according to plan. She was so happy that she moved her annual New Year's party from her place to Dave's cabin. It provided the perfect back drop to a very successful match making event. And, it certainly looked like this New year was not only going to bring her wedding to the BAU family but also a true and bonafide love story for the two most love starved people in the world.

Derek pulled his princess into his embrace as they stared out the window at the moon. "How did you know it was going to finally happen tonight?"

"Call it a New Year's wish".

"Well Baby Girl, since you agreed to marry me and I got my New Year's wish, I guess we've got enough wishes to go around. Now how about we go upstairs and you help me start in on my resolutions since they all begin with: My Baby Girl, a can of whip cream and..." he whispered the rest for Penelope's ears only.

Biting her lower lip, she followed her Chocolate God through the living room towards the stairs forgetting about the two lovebirds who were at that very moment about to christen the porch with their new found love. 'Oh Pen, you did good. You did really good', she said to herself.

Saying a quick goodnight to everyone, Penelope's mind was racing as she ascended the stairs. "You know, my Prince Noir, did you notice how attentive Hotch was to Emily all night?"

Groaning out loud, Derek grabbed his girl in his arms. "Leave it alone, princess. Please, for one day at least, leave it alone."

"Okay," she promised raining kisses along his chest, "But tomorrow is another day."

'Oh God' he thought, 'I've created a match making monster! This is going to be a long year!'

Happy New Year everyone!