Pen and Derek show up to the BAU - as does the rest of the team. Now that all the players are in place, let the show begin!
Thanks to onetreefan for the old wives' tale.
I don't own Criminal Minds.
My Girl
Stepping off the elevator, Derek guided Pen into the bullpen. The hustle and bustle surrounded them. Derek drew his pregnant wife closer to his side.
"Is Hotch here?" he asked rhetorically.
A noise caught Pen's ear. Looking up, she saw movement in Hotch's office. "Oh! There they are!" Pen let out a squeal of delight, moving as quickly as her stomach would let her toward the stairs.
"Baby Girl!" Derek ordered. "Pen! Wait!" He followed behind her. "What do you think you're doing? You're not supposed to be climbing stairs!"
Climbing to the top, Pen paused to catch her breath. "I'm pregnant; not dying. I can climb stairs." Putting her hand over her heart, she took a few deep breaths.
"Are you okay?" Derek asked, taking in her suddenly ashen face.
She held up her hand. "I'm okay. That just wiped me out a little bit. Whew! Okay, now to see those babies!"
Waddling to Hotch's office, Pen announced. "Where are my babies?"
"What are you doing here?" JJ cried as she grabbed Pen in a tight hug. "I thought you were supposed to be resting and waiting for Amanda to get here?"
"Pen!" Em got up from the couch and flew over to her friend. "What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be at home! Oh, let me look at you!" she continued in a rush.
"I had to come see the babies. I didn't know JJ was going to be here, too. Oh, angel, you look great!" Pen cried. She pressed an index finger to the corner of her eyes. "I'm sorry; I get emotional over the silliest of things."
"It's okay," Em replied, "I get the same way." Pulling back, she took in Pen from head to toe. "So, Amanda is still determined to do things her way?"
"I guess she gets it from both parents." Pen rested her hand on her stomach.
"Funny how that has been a trait all of our children have inherited," Em remarked dryly.
"Can I see those babies?" Pen begged. "Please?"
"Sure…"
Pen hurried over to where Dave and Hotch stood with the dual baby carries.
"Hello, Princess," Derek greeted. "Pen said you might be here today." He swept her up into a large hug.
"Hi, Derek. I didn't think you and Pen were going to be here today," Em returned, pulling back to look at him.
"Actually, she wanted to make sure her lair was still in one piece," Derek interjected. He turned to wrap JJ in a hug. "How have you been?" he asked.
"I'm good. I thought you were keeping PG at home until the big event."
"I didn't have much of a choice. She wanted to see you and the babies. Personally, I think that she should be at home resting, but she wanted to be here. Between her godchildren and her computers…" He let out a heavy breath.
"I'm going to check on Pen," JJ excused herself.
"Dave and I were going to bring Claire and Tony over," Em offered. "As soon as we were finished here."
"I wish you had." Derek watched as Pen lifted Claire up and held her close. The image of Pen holding their daughter flashed through his mind.
Em watched him for a moment. "Derek?" she called out. "Derek, are you still here?"
Derek shook his head. "I'm sorry. I was thinking about the baby."
"I know. So, what brings you here?" Em asked.
"Pen was worried about her 'lair'. I guess after what Kevin did to it, she still gets antsy when anyone gets too close. She isn't normally…obsessive compulsive."
Em patted his arm. "She's 'nesting'; it's normal."
"She ran the dishwasher for two forks and two plates," Derek groused. "She swept the carpet with a broom…after she vacuumed it for nearly an hour."
"I washed every window in the house - twice!" Em admitted. "And I washed all the baby clothes and sheets four times - twice on hot, twice on cold - in one day!"
"Between your water bill and my electric bill, I don't know how we are going to afford babies when all's said and done."
"But it's worth it." Em smiled and watched the scene by Hotch's desk. Dave was holding Tony and her heart nearly burst with love. She felt so blessed.
"Yes it is."
"Hey, Derek!" Hotch greeted. "I'm surprised you are here. I thought I told Pen to take this week off to concentrate on having the baby."
"Has anyone ever successfully told Penelope Garcia what to do?" Derek joked.
"You have a point there. Well, you came at a good time."
"I noticed. Where are Jack and Henry?"
"At my mother's, getting spoiled," JJ replied.
"I'm not looking forward to that with my mother," Em said.
"It comes with the territory," Derek answered.
"Tell me that when your mother and sisters get hold of Amanda," she teased.
"Oh he-…" Derek stopped as Hotch raised an eyebrow. "Oh heck no," he corrected.
Em laughed. "You keep thinking that."
Silently they watched Pen interact with both sets of twins.
"I wish I had a camera," Em whispered while her friend and godmother to her daughter lifted JJ's son into her arms and talked to him. Tears of happiness filled her eyes.
Derek looked at his watch. "Baby Girl," he called out. "Your hour is coming to a head. If you still want to check out your computer babies before we leave, we need to get moving."
"Five more minutes," Pen pleaded, tucking Ben into the crook of her neck and holding him close.
"You promised one hour," he reminded. "We need to get home."
"No desire to deliver your daughter at the BAU?" Dave joked.
"That promise I made Christmas morning still stands," Derek reaffirmed. "My days of delivering babies are over."
"You helped JJ push," Dave corrected. "Hotch and I helped deliver."
"And you make excellent mid-wives, but that's not for me. Let Reid do it; he's the one with six degrees."
"Eight," Reid corrected from the doorway.
"Hey brainiac, I didn't think I'd see you here today." The two men shook hands.
"Got a break during class, so I thought I'd stop by and see the babies before I went to lunch." Reid looked over the scene. "She's a natural," he nodded toward Pen.
"I just wish Amanda would hurry and get here," Derek said.
"First babies are notoriously slow…" Reid began.
"Pen already told me."
"There is an 'old wives' tale' about pizza and sex," Em offered.
Derek grimaced. "I don't think I want to hear this."
"If you eat pizza and have sex, an overdue baby will come right away."
"I'll keep that in mind to use tonight." Derek checked his watch again. "Come on Pen."
Pen kissed Ben and handed him to JJ. "I'll be seeing you guys soon. Maybe tomorrow if Amanda decides she still isn't ready to show up." Hugging Dave and JJ, she walked over to the trio.
"Em said she'd bring the babies over instead."
Pen squealed with delight. "That's wonderful!" She paused, and then frowned. "I'm going to have to clean."
Derek groaned inwardly. "We'll worry about that later. I want to get you home."
"I want to see my computers," Pen pouted.
"Okay," Derek relented. "But we are taking the elevator down. No stairs."
"I'm heading that way; I'll go with you," Reid announced. He kissed Em and JJ. "Take care. I'll see you after class."
"Don't corrupt too many minds," JJ teased and ruffled his hair lovingly.
Derek took Pen's hand. "Come on."
"You worry too much," Pen told him.
"For good reason. Once I get you home, I'll calm down. I promise." Derek tried to quell his nervous energy.
Making their good-byes, the three agents walked to the elevator. Stepping inside, Reid pushed the button.
"Get over that fear of elevators yet?" He glanced at Derek.
"I don't have a fear. I hate elevators," Derek corrected frimly. "There is a big difference."
"I can't believe my big, fearless hubby hates elevators," Pen chuckled, then blinked hard. "Oh!" she gasped. Her hand flew to her back.
"Pen, what's wrong?" Derek demanded.
Rubbing her back, she leaned against the cool metal wall. "Noth- Oh!"
Before either man could speak, the elevator came to a sudden halt.
"Oh hell no!" Derek shouted. He frantically pushed buttons. "This isn't happening."
Reid looked at his friends in confusion. "What is happening?"
"Pen's in labour."
"What?"
"No, I'm not," Pen contradicted.
"Hotch! Hotch!" Derek shouted again, his voice bouncing off the walls.
"I don't think he can hear you; elevators are pretty well insulated," Reid informed matter of fact.
"Great! That's all I need right now - a lesson in elevators. Hotch! Can you hear me?" Derek started banging on the door.
A weird hum filled the air. They watched in stunned silence as the lights flickered twice, then went out. Suddenly a gush of water covered the small floor.
"Oh, that's not good," Reid commented.
"No," Derek corrected. "It's worse."