Disclaimed!
Once again I apologise on the lack of updates, I've been busy but finally we're at the last post.
So this fic is going to end on one more time jump with things sort of finalised. There's no more big drama but as with some of my other fics things aren't entirely happy and uplifting. JJ and Emily are still not the best of friends and there's still tension but the way I planned to finish it was so if one day I want to write some more, I could easily begin a sequel, if I felt the need too :P
As always let me know what you think and thank you so much to everyone has stuck with this fic, you're all amazing!
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JJ rubbed her enlarged stomach lovingly as she felt her daughter actively kick her mother's insides as though it was a punch bag. Jack stopped as he walked into the kitchen frowning at his step mom's knuckle white grip on the counter.
The fourteen year old asked in concern. "You okay, mom?"
JJ smiled warmly as the other children sitting around the island, their aprons and mouths covered in chocolate, looked towards the blonde worryingly. "I'm fine guys, the baby is just moving."
"Does it feel weird?" The pigtailed brunette girl wondered curiously, her appearance was the double of her mother but her mannerisms were entirely inherited from her father.
Shrugging, JJ smiled warmly, extending her hand so the little girl could come and feel the baby kick. Scrunching her nose, she quickly skipped back to her seat as JJ giggled. "It doesn't feel weird anymore Anna. After having Henry and Thomas, I've got used to the feeling."
"It feels like an alien." Anna chuckled as she climbed back onto the seat.
Hotch entered the room, patting ten year old Henry on the head as the boy helped his younger brother put mini chocolate eggs on top of the crispies cakes. "JJ, you're supposed to be relaxing not washing dishes."
"The baby was kicking again." Jack stated as the father and son exchanged concerned glances.
Hotch moved around to his partner of eight years side and rubbed her back affectionately. "JJ, will you let me and the kids do the dishes, why don't you lie down for a bit?"
"Because I'm not an invalid, Aaron. I can do the dishes." JJ glared at the dark haired man and sighed as he passed her the towel to dry her hands.
Hotch slowly moved his girlfriend out of the way and began to wash the dishes. Jack smirked as he took the towel off the blonde to dry the dishes. "You should listen to Dad. You haven't been very well lately."
"I had one little dizzy spell." JJ rolled her eyes as she struggled to sit on the stool opposite the under ten's around the island. Smirking towards Anna as Thomas, the youngest Hotchner boy, passed the eight year old the paper cake cases. "Do you see what I have to live with Anna?"
Anna giggled as Hotch rolled his eyes behind the heavily pregnant woman. "It's because you're having a baby, Auntie JJ."
"Well maybe they should save half of their enthusiasm they have for drying the dishes for when the paint the nursery." JJ grinned as Thomas eagerly licked the wooden spoon that was covered in chocolate.
"Mom, can we have some milk with the cakes while we watch the film?" Henry asked as he glanced to the rain streaming down the windows, spoiling the planed outing to the park.
Nodding, JJ began to stand but was immediately dissuaded by her partner's voice behind her. "Let Henry and Jack get the milk while I clean up the kitchen."
Spinning slowly on her seat she tilted her head in annoyance as Hotch tried his best to hide his amused smile. "I can pour milk, Aaron."
"Oh I know, you're very good at it." Hotch chuckled as JJ scoffed humorously. Looking past the blonde, Hotch nodded towards Henry. "Hey son, why don't you take Anna and Thomas into the living room and set up the DVD?"
"Okay Dad." Henry grinned ushering the youngest members of the small group out of the room.
Watching JJ organise the cakes onto the plate, Jack eyed his father closely as he washed the pan in the sink. "Erm Dad."
"Yeah buddy." Hotch smiled softly towards his inquisitive teenager.
Jack folded he tea towel and lifted himself up onto the counter so his feet were dangling off the side. "Grandpa Brookes called the other day asking if I wanted to go down to Carolina with Aunt Jess over spring break in a few weeks time."
"Do you want to go visit?" JJ asked softly.
Shrugging, Jack bit his lower lip nervously. "I guess I'd like to see them, but it's always strange."
Hotch frowned as he dried his hands. "How do you mean strange?"
"I don't know, just the way they mention mom and stuff." Jack looked down to his hands with sorrowful eyes.
JJ slowly stood while exchanging a worried glance with Hotch. Standing in front of the fourteen year old, the blonde brought his eyes to her eye line. "Hey sweetie, they just miss your mom, like you do. You remind them of her, in a good way. You know it's okay to talk about your mom anytime you want, right?"
"I know, I just prefer not to." Jack smiled thinly.
Rolling her eyes, JJ shook her head as she took a few steps back. "God forbid the Hotchner men talk through their emotions."
"I think she's blaming me for you inheriting my stoicism." Hotch smirked as his son sniggered.
Henry barrelled into the kitchen in a jog. "Can we have milk and crispie cakes, now?"
"Sure, me and Jack will bring them through, take your mother's hand and force her to sit down and do nothing." Hotch instructed playfully.
JJ ran her fingers softly through her son's blonde hair as they walked into the living room, where Anna was giggling at Thomas's incoherent mumblings. The pregnant mom of soon to be four, sat on the couch smiling happily as Thomas, whose hair was as dark as Hotch's but his eyes were as blue as hers, snuggled into her side while Anna helped Henry clear the table so Jack and Hotch could place the small cakes and glasses of milk down.
Half way through the new Pixar release, most of the chocolate crispie cakes and milk had gone and Thomas had fallen asleep as his head rested on JJ's huge stomach. Anna sat in between her auntie and uncle on the couch, while Jack lay over the seat, his attention drifting between the TV and his cell phone as Henry sat on the floor, resting against the coffee table as he picked at the remaining chocolate pieces.
A knock on the front door, interrupted the quietness as the monkey on screen walked sadly through the animated jungle.
Hotch reluctantly stood, smiling at the eyes watching him move towards the door.
Seeing the figures through the glass, Hotch sighed as he reluctantly opened the door. "Emily, Will. I thought Dave was picking Anna up?"
"He didn't tell me he had court today." Emily replied tersely.
Hotch glanced behind him, making sure the occupant f the living room couldn't hear. "It wasn't scheduled. The defence team blind sighted us. He shouldn't be too long."
"He should have brought Anna home." Prentiss breathed out slowly. "He's always doing this."
Will pressed a comforting hand to his wife's lower back. "There's no need to be upset, chere."
Hotch stepped aside, letting the soaked couple into the warm house. "We're just watching a film. She's having fun." Hotch stated with a soft smile as the eight year old looked in confusion at her parents. "Hey Anna, look who is here!"
Lifting herself off the couch, where she had been resting into JJ's side, Anna skipped to Will's side. "I thought I was staying at Daddy's tonight?"
"Daddy got called into work poppet." Emily kissed her daughter's head as Will picked her up.
Anna scrunched her nose uncertain. "But he said he's come back and we'd go and see Miss Elena and get ice cream."
Henry looked up to the unexpected guests and wandered into the kitchen. Jack exchanged looks with JJ and quickly followed his younger brother. Will inhaled sharply as JJ watched her two eldest son's leave the room before she adjusted Thomas's head so she could stand. "We didn't mean to interrupt."
"Do I have to go now? We're watching the film?" Anna stated in a moan.
Hotch came to JJ's side slowly seeing the disapproving look on his partner's face. "Dave won't be too long."
"That's not the point JJ. You shouldn't have to babysit." Prentiss stated softly as she looked to baby bump. "Dave should have told us he had court today and we would have rescheduled."
Anna pouted her insistence as the two couples watched each other closely. "I'm not a baby."
"Emily, why don't you guys just leave Anna here, and we'll get Dave to call you when he arrives?" Hotch asked hopefully.
"I don't want to put you out." The former profiler shook her head, causing the little girl to groan disappointedly.
"You're really not." JJ smiled politely, feeling Hotch's hand on her waist.
Will placed Anna gently on the ground and ran his hand through his hair. "JJ you both have other things going on."
"Anna is Dave's daughter too, and he trusted us to watch after her while he had to deal with putting the bad person away." JJ kept her tone light, seeing Anna shift her gaze between the two sets of adults as awkwardness filled the air.
"Hey Anna, do you want some more milk?" Jack walked into the room, startling the adults. Anna nodded and skipped over to the teenager leaving the former acquaintances alone.
Will cleared his throat before musing out loud. "He's a good kid, definitely mature for his age."
"All of my son's are good kids." JJ stated proudly, glancing to the couch where Thomas was still fast asleep.
Nodding, Will caught Emily's hand as comfortingly. "Henry seemed a little distant earlier."
"He just feels a little awkward around you. It was only three months ago that you came back into his life." JJ answered truthfully, flickers of past conversations she had with her tween-age son passed through her mind about why his biological father chose not to be in his life when he left for his new life with his new family before suddenly returning after the death of Emily's father.
Will looked towards the couple sincerely. "I'm trying to make things up to him just as much as we're trying to include Dave more in Anna's life..."
"It just gets difficult when he tells us, he's spending the day with our daughter and then I find out he's gone to court." Emily stated with a small shrug, not wanting to sound as pissed as she actually was.
JJ frowned as she heard the brunette's undertone of annoyance. "Anna's safe with us."
The former profiler tilted her head hesitantly. "We know that but you have to admit, Anna calling you guys Auntie and Uncle is a little weird."
"We're not the ones that made this awkward." Hotch rubbed his girlfriend's back comfortingly. "Beside's she Dave's daughter as well as yours, and Dave is a member of our children's family."
As the couple stared at each other in uncomfortable silence, the sound of the door opening and closing, followed by a familiar deep voice, brought the small group out of their quietness. "Hello."
Hotch cleared his throat before calling out to his long known friend. "We're in the living room Dave."
Rossi raised an eye and froze at the sight of the mother of his child and her partner standing in his best friend's living room. "What did I miss?"
"Dave you were supposed to be spending the day with Anna, not in court." Prentiss glared at her daughter's biological father in annoyance.
"She's spending some time with her cousin's what's the big problem?" Rossi shrugged, while ignoring the on looking glances coming from Prentiss's husband. "I'm here now to take her to get some ice cream before Elena's sister gets in from Boston."
Emily frowned slightly. "Anna's meeting Elena's family?"
"Please tell me you're not jealous of Anna getting to know my fiancée's family." Rossi smirked smugly.
Scoffing, the brunette grabbed her husband's hand and shook her head. "I just don't want my daughter feeling disappointed when her daddy's marriage to the nice re headed nurse doesn't work out."
"Jealous much, Emily?" Rossi chuckled quietly to himself when Prentiss and Will scoffed as he crossed the room to peck JJ's cheek. "Sorry about this JJ."
"It's fine Dave. Why don't I go and get Anna ready?" JJ backed out of the room, leaving Hotch and Rossi alone with the couple.
"I'll go and wait in the car for you." Will kissed Prentiss's head softly before turning his gaze to Rossi. "Make sure Anna doesn't stay up too late, we're meeting the Ambassador tomorrow."
Rossi saluted sarcastically, waiting for the door to close before he spoke again. "He realises that I'm Anna's father, right?"
"Will's just being protective. Dave you really should have told me you had court today."
"Why so you could postpone and I wouldn't see my daughter for another week?" Rossi's moan was cut short as Anna skipped into the room and into his arms.
The brunette eight year old smiled as she poked her dad's cheeks with a snigger. "We made crispies."
"I see that, you got chocolate all around your mouth, you little mucky pup." Rossi wiped away the chocolate on the little girl's face. "I hope you didn't make your Auntie JJ stressed."
"No Uncle Aaron and Jack made sure she was feeling okay, because of the baby." She stated seriously.
Rossi and Hotch smirked at each other at the eight year olds repetition of facts. "Why don't you give your mommy a hug goodbye before we go and meet Elena?"
Anna and Emily hugged as JJ brought in the eight year olds coat. Hotch and Rossi shook hands before watching the two women help Anna with getting ready. "What time is the team meeting tomorrow?"
"Ten o' clock at Morgan's." Hotch replied with a small smirk. "Penelope said he's going to introduce us to his new girlfriend when she came to pick up the kids this morning."
"It must be serious." Rossi commented with a smug smile, before Anna sprang back into his arms.
Prentiss waved slightly at her young daughter and backed towards the door. "We'll pick Anna up in the morning, Dave. Next time, just call if you have to go to work."
Rossi rolled his eyes making Anna giggle. "Sure thing, Emily."
"Thanks JJ, Hotch, for watching her today." Prentiss smiled uncomfortably as the couple nodded in response. "I should get back to Will."
The congregation in the living room, waited until the brunette had left earshot before speaking again. JJ rubbed her stomach as took a seat on the arm of the couch. "Well that was..."
"Emily Prentiss in a mood!" Rossi sniggered as he placed the dark haired girl on the floor. "Sorry if she was curt, I have a habit of getting under their skin and causing erratic behaviour."
"So not much has changed in eight years, then?" Hotch stated sarcastically.
"I prefer to think of it as consistency." Rossi remarked sarcastically as he held Anna's hand. "Well, I think it's time to go and allow the Jareau - Hotchner's their afternoon, bambina."
As he passed JJ, the profiler kissed the blonde's cheek warmly as she muttered her response. "That will be soon just Hotchner's."
The experienced agent raised an eye in curiously as JJ and Hotch exchanged knowing smiles. "We're telling the team tomorrow anyway."
"We're getting married once the baby comes." Hotch answered his friend's bewildered expression with a soft grin.
Hugging them both, Rossi patted the unit chief on his back. "It's about time you got your own way."
"Come on Anna, let's leave these two lovebirds to it." Rossi winked as he guided the small girl to the door.
JJ chuckled as she followed them to the exit with Hotch loosely holding her from behind. "Oh with our three hyperactive sons running around the house, and this little one," the Pennsylvanian pressed a hand against her large stomach motherly as she raised her eyes, "we're going to have a wild afternoon of snuggling on the couch."
"Look out Aaron, your fiancée has a glint in her eye." Rossi laughed as he opened the front door, estimating the time it would take to get Anna in the car without getting too wet from the pouring rain.
Hotch kissed the top of JJ's head as he hands rested on her baby bump. "What can I say? I'm one hell of a lucky guy."
"I'll see you both tomorrow. Congratulations, I'm so happy for you both." Rossi nodded before lifting Anna LaMontagne Rossi, to his arms and running to the car parked in the drive.
Blocking out the cool air, Hotch guided JJ back to the living room and on to the couch as they listened to Jack, Henry and Thomas giggling in the kitchen.
Tomorrow, the five of them would meet up with Garcia and her ever growing family, along with Rossi and his partner Elena, Reid and partner and step child of just over a few months and they'd meet Morgan's new girlfriend at their weekly team meet up and tell everyone of their engagement.
Their relationship had grown out of heartbreak but as they lay on the couch, with JJ cradled into Hotch's chest, the couple of eight years knew that neither of them would change a thing.
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This story has had such huge response, I honestly didn't think people would like it but for everyone who has read and reviewed, you are all awesome, especially; p95000, egoofy34, CriminalMindsFan, Kimd33, angry penguin, countersteak21, sweet-disposition-101, Flames101, Afuy12, l0vetakesnoprisoners, JJandHotch4ever96, ReadingRed, lulubell76, crazyobsession101, deeda, jekkah, ThePenIsMighty and Hotch Fan!
For those reading 'Sometime around midnight,' I promise it will get finished soon, I'm just trying to get my exams out of the way. Also, I'm going to be uploading a few new fics soon, one is a request fic for Pebbles7092 (I haven't forgotten :P), and the other is a sequel to my fics, 'Talking is overrated' and 'Life goes on,' so hopefully some of you will be interested in them!
Thanks for reading everyone.