A/N: I'm afraid these next few chapters are going to be a fair bit slower than my usual offerings. Though I do want to touch on each family, the next few chapters are dedicated to the families that I saw more as secondary characters throughout the series and this is making it harder for me to work up some drama for them. But I hope you will all stick around with me because I promise that in a few chapters, things will start picking up again.

A huge thank you to zhangxinna for your review of chapter 5; I appreciate knowing that I haven't lost all of my readers to the time between my posts. Your feedback was appreciated and your encouragement keeps me going.

Due to my awesome beta having a life (I am SO living vicariously through her) I have edited this chapter all by myself. So any mistakes you find are totally my fault.

WARNING: As mentioned above, this chapter is slower and quieter than you may be used to and is rated K+.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Criminal Minds at all, although they do own me. And the list of those I do own is getting so incredibly long that I am just going to say that I own anyone who does not come directly from Criminal Minds.

Chapter 6 – The Hotchner's Jr

July 2023

Sean walked into the bedroom and smothered a laugh. When he'd popped his head in fifteen minutes before, Esther had been sitting in the exact same position, doing the exact same thing. She'd started when he got her attention, apologised, and then promised to get right back to the packing she had retired to their room to do. He leaned against the door frame and cleared his throat.

"Packing going well I see," he stated with amusement.

Esther blinked as she looked up at him slowly; it was obvious to him that she was having trouble tearing her eyes away from the image of the little girl they were shortly to meet for the first time.

"Huh?"

He laughed softly and walked forward. "Honey, you need to give me the picture so you can get packed. We need to sit down with Isaac before we put him to bed and then we need to get some sleep of our own before we leave early tomorrow."

She frowned, starting to look back down at the picture as she asked, "What time is it?"

"It's almost five-thirty love. I've fed Isaac and I'm just about to bathe him and then we'll talk with him."

She looked back up at him, her eyes wide. "Holy cow! How long have I just been sitting here?"

"Almost two hours," he said gently as he took the photo from her reluctant grip.

She jumped up and headed for the bathroom after grabbing her toiletries bag. "Why didn't you stop me sooner?" He cleared his throat and she frowned again. "How many times?" He held up three fingers and she rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry. I'll get this done quick-smart."

He saluted casually with a smile as he walked out of the room. "I never doubted you love."

He left her muttering to herself about paying attention and walked into Isaac's room to find him ready for his bath. Half an hour later, Isaac was clean, warm and dry and Sean was damp, but at least not dripping, as Esther caught up to them in their son's bedroom. They settled Isaac on Esther's lap while he quickly changed into dry sweats before he joined them. He nodded at Esther to begin.

"Sweetie, do you remember what is happening tomorrow?"

Isaac nodded his head confidently. "I'm going to stay with uncle Aaron and aunt Emily and you and Daddy are going to get my new sister."

Sean coughed slightly to avoid laughing at the wording the four-year-old had used. Esther cleared her throat, her eyes dancing with amusement as she nodded. "That's right sweetie. We will drop you off to daycare and go to catch a plane to China. At the end of the day, aunt Emily will pick you up and you'll stay with them for the next week. And when we come home, we'll have our new daughter, your new little sister, with us."

"I'm going to help her learn to speak like us, right?"

"That's right. Your mother and I can speak her language, and we've taught you a lot as well so that we can all speak to her. But she'll need to learn to speak English pretty quickly so that she isn't confused or scared and this is where you can be a big help to her and to us as well."

Isaac's little chest puffed up with pride as he nodded vigorously, though the whole effect was ruined when he yawned hugely. Esther gently kissed the top of his head before helping him to crawl under the covers. Sean added his kisses as he smoothed the covers down over his sleepy son and they walked out of the room to finalise their preparations for take-off the next morning.

One Week Later

Sean watched Xiao Si sleep and wondered at the resiliency of the very young. Xiao Si's mother had been a prostitute who had no notion of who the father of her child was. And while she had done her best to keep her child clothed and fed, her nineteen-month-old daughter had seen far too much of her profession, and her death at the hands of one of her 'clients', for anyone's peace of mind. And yet she was a quiet, sweet child who loved drawing, ducks and the new teddy-bear her new parents had given her when they met for the first time. She clearly didn't fully understand what was happening and how her life was about to change forever, but that hadn't stopped her from accepting all the cuddles they had to offer her.

A noise from the seat at the window had him dragging his eyes from his newest child to look at his wife, who looked to have woken very abruptly and was almost frantically trying to undo her lap belt.

"Out, I need out…I'm going to be sick," she mumbled as she finally got it undone and stood up, clearly forgetting the overhead compartments and knocking her head quite soundly.

He moved out of his seat and watched as she rushed down the aisle and into the tiny toilet. A glance at his sleeping daughter kept him where he was, but he could hear her retching through the door she clearly hadn't had time to close properly behind her. A tense half hour later and she was stumbling back to him.

"I hate curry," she mumbled as she came to rest against him.

"You love curry, you just hate the one you had three nights ago."

"Right…what you said."

"You want to sit back down?"

She sighed and eased back past him. "I guess so, but I make no promises about not going for a repeat." He settled her back in her seat and watched as she gently brushed some hair out of Xiao Si's face. "I've been thinking-"

"Careful, that's dangerous," he murmured, and moved back quickly to avoid her jab at him as he grinned.

"-do we keep her name as it is and honour her heritage or do we westernise it?"

Sean smiled. "She is our daughter now. Our 'western' daughter now. I think that we'll just be confusing everyone, including her, if we don't change her name to match our naming system."

Esther nodded slowly. "I agree with you. Xiao Si translated is Chelsea; do we want to go with that or change it entirely?"

Sean shook his head. "Xiao Si was the name she was given at birth. If that translates into Chelsea in English, then let's keep it that way. Does she have a middle name? I don't recall seeing or hearing anything about that."

"None that I was made aware of, but I was thinking about that too. How about Joy for a middle name?"

"Because she brings us joy as she joins our family?"

"Exactly."

"Agreed. Chelsea Joy Hotchner it is."

September 2023

Sean parked the car in the drive and took a deep breath as he attempted to control the excitement threatening to explode out of him. A quick look at the passenger seat assured him that he hadn't dreamed the last hour of his life and that it was really happening; he was now the proud owner of what would be his dream restaurant.

Grabbing the paperwork, he jumped from the car and rushed inside, eager to share the news with Esther. Hearing noises upstairs, he took the stairs two at a time and practically ran into the bedroom before coming to an abrupt halt as familiar noises reached his ears.

"Please, not again," he whispered fervently as he put the papers on the bed and strode to the bathroom door to find his wife on her knees, body bowed over the toilet and a positive pregnancy test sitting innocuously on the vanity.

"No. No, no no!" He paced away a few steps and then turned back around. "I can't go through this again Esther, I thought I made that clear."

She started slightly, but didn't have time to respond before she was sick again. He shoved a hand through his hair as a heavy groan escaped, but he still moved forward to tie her hair back and wet a wash cloth to help cool her down. Long minutes later, he steadied her as she stood and flushed the toilet.

"You know I didn't do this deliberately Sean."

"And yet here we are again," he growled as he started pacing.

"Well what do you expect me to do about this?"

"I thought you were on the pill while I used condoms. That was the plan."

"What? Are you saying this is my fault now?"

"What? I am not having this conversation with you now."

"Are you sure about that? Because you seem to be insinuating something that I don't even want to fathom you thinking I am even capable of. Which means we need to have this conversation," she finished with a shout as she turned her back on the vanity to see him beginning to walk away.

He turned back with a pained look. "Obviously there isn't anything we can do about this except wait and see how many pieces I need to pick up after this whole situation explodes."

Her heart tearing in two, she took a shaky step forward and held a hand out to him. "Sean, please…"

"Maybe I should have just told you what the doctor said after the last time. Then maybe you would understand what this is doing to me."

"Well since I don't understand, it would be nice if you could explain why you're so angry with me," she said as her voice rose in exasperation.

"I'm not angry with you," he shouted back. "I'm terrified that I'm going to lose you because the doctor said that another miscarriage like the last one was more likely to cause catastrophic internal bleeding that could kill you. He said that the internal damage already done has left you with a fragile internal system that likely wouldn't hold up to another such trauma.

"And on top of my terror over potentially losing you, I'm furious with myself for not being strong enough to get the vasectomy he suggested I get if I didn't want to even risk you being back in that position. I'm…"

The door opening with a bang interrupted his next words as Isaac and Chelsea burst into the room. Isaac looked scared and Chelsea took one look at them and burst into tears. Isaac's fear morphed into anger as he moved closer to his new sister and put his arms around her as he yelled, "Stop scaring my sister!"

Sean and Esther exchanged a guilty look and moved quickly to gather the kids up. It took about an hour to calm them down and get them settled with a dvd in the living room, but finally they made it back to the bedroom.

"I got my restaurant site today. A done deal with the paperwork all signed and filed," Sean said in a flat, tired voice as he sat heavily at the end of the bed.

Esther sat down carefully beside him. "Baby, that's great news." He nodded acknowledgement but said nothing as he tried to tamp down on his emotions. Despite his efforts though, a single tear slid down his cheek. She moved close and hugged him tight. "It'll be alright Sean, you'll see."

Unable to agree with her and unwilling to start another argument, he said nothing as she continued to hold him and he prayed that he wouldn't be burying wife number two before the year was out.

October 2023

Isaac watched as his parents had one of the daily language lessons with his new sister that had become the norm in their house and wondered at all the attention she was getting when it used to all be his. He shot her a smile when she looked nervously in his direction before attempting the new word they were trying to teach her. That she seemed more confident about trying the word with his encouragement made him feel really good, but he still wasn't sure about sharing all the attention.

Things had been changing ever since they brought Chelsea home. Oh, he didn't think she was the reason for all of the changes going on, but something sure was happening. His mum had been really sick lately, and his dad was unhappy a lot of the time. They hadn't been talking and smiling and laughing as much as they usually did and he couldn't figure out why.

And yet, despite all of that, he knew he was loved, just as much as ever.

He hadn't felt like going outside to play the other day and had been sitting quietly trying to read a new book his uncle Spencer had brought for him when his mum had walked in from where they were all out in the backyard and asked if he wanted to come out and play with them. He'd shaken his head and said that he just wanted to read and the next thing he knew, his mum was cuddling him while she helped him read the book. Then his dad had come in with Chelsea and they joined in on the cuddle on the couch and it had felt so nice to know that how he felt still mattered to his parents.

So he didn't know what was going on, but at least he was still loved. Comforted by that thought, he headed outside with Chelsea to play before dinner.

The Next Day

"Alright, whatever it is, you have ten seconds to spill it."

Esther jumped slightly and looked at her sister-in-law watching her expectantly and slumped in defeat.

"I'm pregnant, and I'm pretty certain Sean doesn't want me to be," she said as tears started to well up in her eyes.

Emily immediately shifted her seat closer and wrapped her up in a tight hug. Esther closed her eyes and breathed deeply as she attempted to hold her emotions in check in such a public place. For long moments, they were still, though she was aware of Emily thanking the waiter as he placed their meals on the table.

She straightened up reluctantly and said softly, "Maybe I should start at the beginning."

Emily smiled warmly at her. "The beginning is always a good place to start. But eat something first while it is still hot. And keep in mind that even though you may not be feeling hungry, the baby needs the sustenance."

Esther nodded and reached for her utensils. Hungrier than she realised, and feeling a deep sense of relief at the knowledge that she could finally lay the whole story out and maybe gain some clarity through Emily's point of view, she tucked into her meal and polished it off in record time. Emily finished a short time later and they ordered tea. Once the waiter left with their order, and anxious to get it all off her chest, Esther launched abruptly into her story and somehow managed to get it all out in some semblance of order.

Emily stayed quietly thoughtful while their teas were placed in front of them, stirring in milk and sugar and taking a sip before she looked up.

"Honey, I don't want to belittle what you're feeling. I know your dream has always been to have a large family. I can't say that I'm not just a little bit angry with you for keeping all of this from Aaron and me. We could have helped and supported you both over the last few years in particular, but I can also understand wanting to keep what has been happening to yourselves.

"But for all of that, have you tried putting yourself in Sean's shoes? He was married to a woman he loved more than life, before she died and left him a widower. Then he gathered his courage and made a move on you that led to him needing to find yet more courage to try marriage again, despite knowing how cruel life can be. But he fell in love with you. You. Not the thought of getting married so that he could have children, but the thought that he was so in love with you that he couldn't see himself living life without you in it.

"The miscarriages have been hard on the both of you, knowing that there was the small blossoming of life continuously being cut short for one reason or another. But then comes the day where suddenly, for him, the whole situation feels like Hannah all over again. And now you are potentially asking him to go through that again; not only for him to become a widower for the second time in his life, but to become a single dad as well. So as hard as it is for me to say and for you to hear, I can absolutely understand him wanting you to not be pregnant again."

Esther swallowed hard. "I can't have an abortion."

Emily frowned. "I wasn't suggesting it and I doubt the thought has even crossed his mind. In fact, I guarantee that the only thing on his mind right now is whether or not he'll have to bury another woman that he loves more than anything before the year has ended."

Across Town

"Esther's pregnant." As Aaron stopped moving abruptly beside him, Sean closed his eyes and groaned internally. "Sorry Aaron. I didn't mean to just blurt that out."

"Obviously you needed to say it though." Aaron moved them out of the way of a workman carrying a toolbox and gestured to a nearby low brick wall. "Let's sit over there for a few minutes and you can explain why that simple statement about your wife's condition was filled with so much anguish."

Unable to wait even a moment longer to get it off his chest, Sean blurted the whole story out as he started pacing. He knew he probably looked the very picture of a wild man, but with his heart torn in two, he just couldn't keep it in any longer. Aaron asked a few questions to clarify things and then sank back into a long moment of quiet before he looked up.

"That's tough bro; probably as tough as it gets. And I've been there, where you are, wondering if you won't be going through the same scenario all over again. I don't have any answers for you. You don't want Esther to die and of course she doesn't want that either. Have you considered that you have another option open…"

"No!" Sean glared at him. "Absolutely not! If you even say what you're thinking then you can just leave right now."

Aaron held up his hands. "Easy Sean. I didn't mean any offence." As Sean nodded jerkily and resumed pacing, Aaron's face grew thoughtful. "Maybe it would help if you had a chat with my therapist. He can help you work through a lot of the uncertainty you're dealing with and give you coping mechanisms. I know that wasn't how we were brought up; talking about things was definitely a no-go area in our family. But not talking to your wife about this is going to land you in a place you don't want to be in of having to try to save your marriage because you said or didn't say the right things." When Sean started shaking his head, Aaron caught his eyes with his and held them. "Since you don't think what you are saying is getting through, the benefits of talking to someone who can teach you how to say something surely outweigh any discomfit you may feel at the thought of even trying it. Just think about it, alright?"

Sean nodded reluctantly and looked around, clearly feeling uncomfortable. "Come on, let's continue the tour of the site and I'll finish telling you about my plans for the restaurant."

November 2023

"Hey Aaron, thanks for coming."

Sean accepted the hug his big brother offered him as the other man grinned. "Considering how many times you've had the thankless task of looking after my crazy brood, looking after your two angels while you take Esther out to dinner is my absolute pleasure. Especially since my wife finally relaxed as I explained that you two were talking again. Her being relaxed means that I get hot sex tonight and…"

Sean roared with laughter and waved him into the kitchen. They went over a couple of things while they waited for Esther to join them.

"Chelsea's English sounds better all the time," Aaron commented as they finished going through the list.

"Yeah, she's doing great with picking up the language now. The kids at the daycare love helping her with it, Isaac is constantly helping her, and of course there are the daily lesson plans that we are following."

"So everything is going well then?"

"Mostly," he hedged as he wiped down the counter and avoided his big brother's eyes.

"Sean?"

Sean sighed as anger flooded through him, quickly followed by defeat and confusion. Dropping the cloth back in the sink he turned around. "We were at the park this afternoon running out some energy before tonight. I had been sitting on the bench with this blond woman, talking with her for a good ten minutes when Chelsea and Isaac came over to say that they were hungry. I was pulling out apple slices for them when she called me daddy and I swear this woman actually blanched as she looked at Isaac first and then Chelsea. Anyway, she lurched up, called her daughter over to her and practically ran off as though we had the plague. I was so stunned that it took me a minute to realise that the kids had grabbed their apple pieces and returned to playing."

"That's terrible! I'm glad the kids missed the connotations involved."

"Yeah, me too. I called Carrie when I got home and asked her about it. We're going to have lunch sometime in the next week to talk about it at length."

"That's a really good idea. She's been through this on and off for years now, so she'll know what to say to help you both deal with the racist idiots out there."

"I ag…wow!" Sean found himself with his brain in his pants and his jaw on the floor as Esther stepped into the room. The tension of the last months had dissipated a lot with the knowledge that Esther was now safely past the point of miscarriage…and safely past the point of bleeding to death while having the miscarriage. Oh, he knew that there were still plenty of obstacles still to get past for a safe delivery and retaining a healthy wife, but the big one that gave him all his worst nightmares was now in the past. So he had invited his wife out to dinner with him; the beginning of an apology of epic proportions for his behaviour over the last few months and a chance for them to talk seriously without the risk of little ears hearing something they shouldn't and being interrupted at an inopportune moment. Having booked the nicest restaurant in town, he'd asked her to dress up, and boy had she delivered.

Aaron broke the silence as he smiled. "Hi darling. You look amazing tonight."

Esther shot him a small smile as she blushed and murmured a thank you. Sean started out of his stunned silence and stepped forward.

"He's right, you look amazing; just gorgeous." She looked uncertainly at him at that, and he resolved to make sure that she knew he was telling the truth by the end of the night. "We need to go before they give our reservation to someone else," he said gently and she nodded. Aaron called the kids in to say goodnight and then he gently ushered his wife out the door as he rehearsed in his head all that he needed to say and prayed that he hadn't done too little too late to save them before they hit the rocks he could see looming on the horizon.

January 2024

Sean looked on with pride as Esther helped Chelsea and Isaac use the giant scissors to cut the big red ribbon strung across the front of his new restaurant. Family and friends stood side by side with strangers, several local news crews, reporters and magazine restaurant reviewers, waiting for the doors to open. The staff he had hired, both for the restaurant floor and the kitchen, stood in their crisp new uniforms, smiling in excitement that the day had finally come to put into practice all that they had been training for over the last few months. The last four months had been an insane whirlwind of planning meetings, red tape and contractors that had come together in time for the opening date he had set and never taken his eyes off of.

A cheer pulled him back to the here and now, and he moved to stand beside Esther, lifting Chelsea up as Isaac leaned in against Esther's side, one hand stealing onto her belly and no doubt finding whatever movements there were to feel in those moments. They stood still for a few moments for the cameras, and then he welcomed everyone in to share his dream come true. They said goodnight to the kids, who were being looked after by Emily's parents and then watched as the two rushed to join their cousins as Esther wrapped her arms around him.

"I'm so proud of you Sean. I'm so glad that this day has come and I get to stand here with you."

He turned into her, settling his hands at the small of her back. "Know this, I may turn into a gigantic idiot every now and again, but I will never give up on us as long as you don't."

Her giggle turned into a soft smile. "I love you far too much to ever give up on us. We lost our way for a bit there, but now that I understand exactly what is going on in your head, we'll be fine. I'm sure of it."

"As am I," he murmured before stealing a long, lingering kiss. Sharing a loving smile, they walked inside Sean's dream workplace and separated to ensure everyone had a first class experience in what had been dubbed as Washington's hottest new venue to wine and dine that special someone in your life.

March 2024

Esther sat amidst piles of presents, pieces of cake and other goodies as the girls talked and laughed around her. This was her second baby shower, the first thrown for her by one of her oldest friends and including a rather wide and eclectic group of women. This second shower had been put together by Emily and consisted only of the women in their tightknit family group.

She rubbed her belly and smiled with renewed amusement as she thought about what the guys were up to.

"Teresa, how did you talk Dave into joining the guys on their pretend tough-mudder competition?"

Teresa waved her hand airily. "That was easy. I pointed out that they didn't have a moderator and that he could pull the age card to win that spot over Spencer who was obviously gunning for it."

They all laughed uproariously at that, though Austin looked the most amused, no doubt thinking about all the bruises she would probably have to soothe later.

"How's Elizabeth doing?" Jordan asked as they settled down.

Teresa's smile turned a little pensive. "She's getting there slowly, but it is doubtful that she'll make it into school for this year; she's just not at the right level mentally for that yet. Dave and I are doing a lot of research to see what more we can do to help her get to where she needs to be. The school has said that if she reaches the right markers for a child in kindergarten, they'll be happy to accept her immediate enrolment, especially considering she is already six and that isn't ideal for a child starting school for the first time."

"What about getting her a dedicated assistant; would that help at all?" JJ asked.

"Unfortunately it doesn't change where she is mentally. But the school has already indicated that they'd be happy to have an assistant in the class to help her when we do finally make it."

Seeing that the atmosphere was getting too sombre for her liking, Esther was about to change the subject when Jordan piped up.

"My kids are growing up too fast."

For a few seconds everyone just blinked in surprise at the sudden statement and then it was if everyone jumped onto the new conversation.

"How so?" Penelope asked curiously.

Emily rolled her eyes and shared a knowing smile with Jordan as she elaborated on her statement.

"Ben is going on his first date tomorrow night. Derek made the mistake of asking how he wanted to celebrate his 12th birthday and Ben enthusiastically responded that he wanted to have lunch with his family and dinner with his girlfriend."

"Are they officially boyfriend/girlfriend now?" Kelly asked.

"Apparently," Emily said in amusement.

"Though this was news to the four of us. But he agreed that the date could be supervised since it was their first and Derek agreed. He had a quick chat with Aaron and then Emily and I were volunteered to supervise while the guys said they would babysit."

"So guess what we're doing tomorrow night?"

Everyone laughed as Esther hoped fervently that she had a lot of years to go before either of her kids decided they liked someone that much.

April 2024

Esther watched with a grateful heart as her brother-in-law steered her overly stressed husband out of the room. Turning her head, she watched the as the foetal heart monitor declared her unborn child's heartbeat to be a healthy 148 beats per minute, despite the fact that she had gone into premature labour almost thirty hours before.

"If you want to rest, I can come back." She smiled at Emily and gestured her into the room. "And before you ask, Isaac and Chelsea are having a ball at our place after Carrie declared a free-for-all kids pool party and invited the rest of the extended family over."

"Good," she said softly. "One of us stressed to the max is enough for all of us."

"Mmm, I passed the guys in the hall. Sean looks frustrated, stressed and afraid all in one."

"That about sums it up. It'll be good for him to get this breather with Aaron and hopefully remember to breathe while he is at it."

Emily chuckled. "Aaron said he'd do his best, but wasn't making any promises regarding working a miracle."

Esther laughed, then groaned softly through the contraction that followed. Once she was able to relax back again, she asked for a topic of discussion that would distract her.

Emily grinned. "I'm the mother of a grown man."

"My, my. You're positively ancient then." Emily poked her tongue out at her and Esther grinned. "And Ariana just turned eighteen too, didn't she?"

"She did. Aaron and Cameron have a betting pool going to see who can predict when he'll propose to her."

"What's the going rate?"

"One hundred dollars says sometime in the next year; the big bucks belong to Aaron and Cameron, who are getting very competitive about the whole situation. Then there are smaller amounts for specific dates both this year and beyond that from everyone else."

Esther laughed until she cried and then a stronger than normal contraction stole her breath and made her choke until Emily forced her upright and slapped her back to force air back into her lungs.

"Can you go find my doctor and my husband, in that order, so Sean doesn't arrive and stress over the fact that the doc isn't here?"

Emily hugged her tight and gently kissed the top of her head. "I'll go do that now. Good luck honey."

"Luck has nothing to do with any of this," Esther muttered as the older woman left the room and she looked down at her belly. "Let's keep things nice and easy for daddy, okay little one?"

A minute later her doctor walked into the room with a cheerful smile and a few minutes after that, Sean flew into the room just in time to get in close to support her as she started the serious part of giving life to their youngest child.

Five Days Later

Jack rounded up Isaac and Chelsea and herded them outside to play while Emily and Aaron made themselves comfy on the couch, with Emily very quickly claiming the rights to cuddle newborn Kyle John Hotchner as Esther settled back into a pile of cushions and Sean went to get drinks for everyone.

"I swear, whenever someone has a baby, I get clucky all over again, even though the baby-making factory here has long since shut down."

Esther laughed. "I hear you. My baby-making days are now over as well. Sean has an appointment for a vasectomy next week; we neither of us want to risk my health in that way ever again."

"That's sensible," Aaron said as Sean returned.

"Closer to the time of your post-natal appointment, we'll go shopping for a little something-something for you to wear. Because honey, there is nothing more freeing than knowing you can have all the sex you want with your man and there isn't a snowballs chance of you making a baby."

Esther blushed as Sean squirmed just slightly beside her. "Do you mind sis? I don't really need to know anything about your sex life."

"Why not?" Aaron asked deadpan, teasing his brother as the younger man blanched and swore.

Emily chuckled. "I'm so glad there were no issues with his lungs what with him being born five weeks early."

"We're both very grateful about this fact as well," Esther agreed as Sean nodded.

"Any thoughts on adopting another child to round your family up to six?"

Esther shrugged. "Maybe and yet not really. We are just going to focus on the three we have for now. We'll see how we feel in a year or two about expanding again but for now we are content.

Sean nodded his agreement. "I'm going to change the subject now. What is the general consensus on when Jack is going to propose to Ari?"

Emily shook her head and muttered something unintelligible as Aaron answered his brother. "There isn't really a general consensus. The guesses range from the start of this month when Ari turned eighteen to when the two finish college. Why? Do you want to put in a guess of your own?" Aaron finished eagerly.

Sean caught the look Emily was shooting him and cleared his throat as he shook his head. "Ah, no. I was just curious."

"That's guy speak for they'll discuss it later when you aren't around," Esther said with an indulgent smile. "I take it your approval changed since we talked a week ago?"

Emily shrugged. "It seemed like a bit of harmless fun initially, but Jack found out about it yesterday and got really distressed over it."

Aaron frowned as he turned to his wife. "You didn't tell me that."

"You never asked."

Aaron's frown deepened before he abruptly stood and left the room, no doubt heading for the backyard to confirm what his wife had just said.

"What do you think about Dave and Teresa getting the twins' birthday invitations out so early?" Esther asked as she took a grizzly Kyle back from his reluctant aunt.

"And what do you think about the twins celebrating their birthday so early?" Sean added quickly.

"I think they've done the right thing since they are trying to get everything ready for their trip up to New York for Tammy's audition to join Julliard's summer youth program. Considering their birthday is on the eleventh of June and Tammy will already be in the thick of the program if she is successful, arranging the celebration to happen before Teresa and Tammy make the move up for the summer is a great idea. Tammy will be there to celebrate with the twins' birthday with the whole family and her successful entry to the program at the same time."

"You don't think Nathaniel and Isabella will be jealous of the extra attention their sister would be getting?"

"Not at all. They're very proud of their sister's accomplishments, and I think it was Nathaniel who suggested they do it this way if she does get in."

Aaron returned to the room and flopped down on the couch. "I called Cameron and cancelled the betting pool. He's going to arrange to return everyone's money. He was reluctant to do so until I told him that Jack had mentioned it to Ari and she was appalled by the whole thing." He shook his head. "I wish I'd known sooner."

Emily rubbed his arm gently. "Don't stress it too much; you guys are doing the right thing now and that is all that counts."

Everyone nodded agreement and the conversation shifted to other topics before the older Hotchner's rounded up their brood and headed home. Hours later, their children all in bed and the house quiet, Sean and Esther danced to quiet music while they softly discussed how very blessed they were by their family, both immediate and extended, and by the strength of their marriage borne by the many lessons they'd learned over the last year and the many fires they'd walked through together to get to where they were now.

End

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