AJ'S FIRST BOY
--
Aaron Hotchner sat happily cleaning his Sig Sauer at his coffee table, Jack nearby flipping through one of his folders from his work as a parole officer. Seth was playing video games in front of the television, but Seth was really too young to have any effect on the young man coming to pick up his eldest daughter for her senior prom.
"Aaron, you put that thing away by the time Mike gets here, hear me? And Jack, don't think I don't know exactly what's in those files."
He looked up with innocent eyes at his wife, trying not to laugh as Jack unconsciously mirrored his look. It was times like this he discovered Emily was right and he and Jack were like identical twins.
Emily eyed the two eldest Hotchners. "I'm serious. This is important to Annie and while I know the two of you are getting an absolute kick out of this, Annie's about to have a panic attack. Aaron, that needs to be put away by the time Mike gets here."
Aaron knew Emily had already met his eldest daughter's date. Michael Santorianni had no criminal record, not even a speeding ticket, and he'd had Garcia look the kid up. But what bothered him was that Mike was a year older than AJ, one of Gabi's friends. He knew Emily wasn't against age differences, especially if their own still-strong marriage was any indication. Sometimes he wondered if AJ was supposed to take after his wife. Emily had tried to explain to him that she saw how much Mike adored AJ and that he had to go easy on the boy. He rolled his eyes at his son as he heard Emily's feet ascend the stairs.
"I saw that, Aaron Hotchner."
--
Emily knocked on AJ's door softly before pushing it open.
"Is he still cleaning his gun?" AJ asked from her vanity. Gabi was behind her, curling her black hair into elegant ringlets. Gabi had been blessed with her mother's creativity tempered by Derek's slick style so AJ had absolutely no problem passing her beauty reigns over to her best friend.
"Yes," Emily replied with an apologetic smile.
AJ's face fell. "He can't ruin this Mom."
This time, Emily tried for a more encouraging smile. "I know. He won't."
"You don't know that."
Emily sighed. It was another thing that AJ had managed to inherit from her mother. Insecurity was normal, but AJ was extra careful when it came to matters of the heart, much like Emily had been up until the attack that had landed her in the hospital, and eventually in her husband's arms.
"Come on, Annie. Now's not the time to be pessimistic," Gabi scolded, letting another elegant curl tumble from the iron. "You've been dating the guy a year. If he's going to balk at your father's gun, he's not worth it. You guys must have talked about your family."
"It's Daddy, Gabi," AJ responded, almost whining. "No one but Mama knows what's going on in his head."
"And I've warned him to try and be good," Emily promised. AJ didn't need to know she was going to have a serious chat with Aaron when AJ was safely out the door. Aaron and Jack, the little bugger. They encouraged each other and more often than not, wrapped Alex up in it. And yet, Emily and the girls managed to win almost every argument when it came to their own well being.
"And Jack?" AJ asked. "Is he going to disappear in the next…." She checked her alarm clock in the mirror and her eyes widened. "Twenty minutes! Gabi, we only have twenty minutes!"
"Chill," Gabi responded calmly. "It's an unwritten rule that we have to be fashionably late."
"I can't be late! I can't leave Mike down there with Daddy and Jack! And Seth! They've probably trained Seth!"
"Anna-Joy, breathe," Emily said, stepping over to her daughter. Gabi moved aside to let Emily rest her hands on AJ's shoulders. "As soon as that door rings, I will be downstairs with all of the males of this family."
Gabi's mouth split into a massive grin reminiscent of Derek's plotting face. "And you know the only person in this whole family they're all terrified of is Aunt Em."
Emily felt her daughter's shoulders raise and lower in a deep breath. "I'm scared, Mama."
"About what, honey?" Emily had wondered when it would come to this. A year was a long time to be with the same guy at AJ's age and this was the only guy that hadn't balked when AJ had told him both of her parents were FBI agents. If tonight went well for all of them, she intended to invite Mike to their next family night activity. Assuming Aaron and Jack could behave themselves.
"This."
"AJ, you're seventeen. You have all the time in the world," Gabi interjected from where she'd plunked herself down on AJ's bed.
Emily sighed. Gabi had Penelope's understanding of how to go about life. AJ was much more cautious than Gabi, a young woman who had already broken many-a-heart in her day. "Do you like Mike, honey?"
AJ nodded her head. "A lot."
Emily watched Gabi make a strategic exit, all dressed and ready to go and smiled. This was something Gabi knew was mother-daughter. Emily was sure the older girl had taken many opportunities to try and convince AJ everything was going to be okay. "So which part are you afraid of? The prom, or afterwards?"
AJ actually blushed. "I have a curfew."
"You do," Emily agreed. "But I was a teenager once too."
"How can you look so calm about this?" AJ asked in exasperation. She'd expected her mother to be taken-aback by the idea that AJ was thinking about what happened after the prom. But she also knew arguably the only person who had a better poker face than her mother was Uncle Spencer or her father. Nevertheless, it still took her by surprise.
Emily chuckled, well aware of what was going on in her daughter's mind. Emily and Aaron had always encouraged their children not to hide things from the people that loved them and though Seth had developed the ability to compartmentalize like his mother and Kate had managed to create a wall as thick as Aaron's could be, her children would always be an open book to Emily. AJ happened to be the easiest child to read because she, quite simply, didn't try to hide her emotions with her parents. "It happens to everyone," she tried to reassure the seventeen-year-old. "Would you like an extended curfew?"
AJ closed her eyes, her head tilting forward, soft curls falling around her face. "I don't know."
Emily tugged her daughter over to the bed and sat down beside her. "What don't you know about? We've had the sex talk before."
AJ winced. "Mama!"
Emily chuckled before turning serious and cupping her daughter's cheeks in her hands. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to do," she told the girl seriously. "And if Mike really likes you back, he won't push anything."
"And if I'm ready?" AJ asked.
The abject fear and nervousness in her daughter told Emily AJ probably wasn't ready, but things could always change in the heat of a moment. Emily could remember her first time with Aaron and the Thanksgiving gala that had preceded it. She knew better than anyone the heat a controlled person could have and how easy it was to give into it. "Then you be careful," Emily replied. "You're a smart young woman, AJ."
"I want it to be special."
"Of course you do," Emily agreed. "Every girl wants her first time to be special."
"Prom is clichéd."
"Then tell him that. Mike seems like a great guy, honey. I think he'll understand."
"Will he?" AJ asked, nervousness in every line of her body. More often than not, she didn't ask her parents to profile anyone, well aware that they did it anyway. It was a long-established rule that any profiling secrets were shared between the parents alone unless there was a danger to the kids or they explicitly asked. AJ had never asked her parents to share. Ever.
"Are you sure you want to know what I think?" Emily asked carefully. It was cheating, asking Emily or Aaron to profile anyone, and it was one of the reasons the kids had shied away from it.
AJ nodded.
"I think he is fascinated by you," Emily answered softly, tucking a curl behind her daughter's ear. "I think he'll respect whatever you want because he adores you. You can see it when you see the two of you together. You remind me of me and your father."
"Mama," AJ said, wrinkling her nose. "You and Daddy in the context of this conversation is just gross."
Emily chuckled. "You think your father and I have only had sex three times? You and your brother and sister?"
"Right now, that's the dream world I like to live in," AJ responded seriously. Nevertheless, some of the tension leaked out of her shoulders. AJ was well aware of the love that went back and forth between her parents and it was definitely the reason they were so strong.
"Then who am I to burst your bubble," Emily asked laughter still in her voice. The sound of the doorbell ringing downstairs had AJ wincing and broke their mother daughter moment. "I'll go down and make sure they're not hurting anyone."
"AJ managed a smile, nerves obvious.
Emily kissed her head as she stood. "I'll send Gabi back up to finish.
AJ grabbed her mother's hand before she could leave. "Thanks, Mama," she said sincerely. "You're the best."
--
Meanwhile, Jack hand answered the door, admitting the young man who stood awkwardly in the doorway. Aaron grinned. He started the rather quick process of putting his gun back together. He heard Mike's voice.
"I'm here to pick up AJ."
He smiled to himself as Jack let him in, leading the way to the living room.
"Dad, AJ's boyfriend's here."
Aaron looked up, just securing the clip and double checking the safety, as Jack went back to his files and stood. "Michael."
"Mr Hotchner. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."
By the way the kid swallowed, Aaron would bet it really wasn't, but he could see he was already terrifying the kid, so he didn't want to push it. So he put his gun down on the nearby table. "How are you?"
"Fine, sir."
Aaron nodded slowly. "I'm glad to hear it."
"Mike!"
Aaron and Jack exchanged a grin as Mike seemed to relax much more as Emily came down the stairs. "Hi, Mrs Hotchner."
Emily shot a look to Jack who returned it innocently, then to Aaron, who vaguely motioned to his gun on the nearby side table. Seth was still absorbed in the video game he'd been playing for the last hour. "How are you?"
"I'm good," Mike replied, much more comfortable around his girlfriend's mother than her father.
"Nobody's threatened anybody yet," Gabi's voice sounded from the hallway to the kitchen. She came into the living room with two glasses of water. She took a seat beside Jack and ignored Emily's raised eyebrow.
Emily tried to shrug off the telling gesture. Gabi and Jack had always been close, ever since Gabi was old enough to talk, it just surprised the profiler that Gabi had chosen to sit beside Jack. Her father, Emily's best male friend Derek Morgan, would have probably been thrilled.
"Seth, watch behind you," Gabi said nonchalantly, watching the video game.
Emily narrowed her eyes at the young woman she considered her niece. "No date?"
Gabi wrinkled her nose. "Are you kidding me?"
Emily rolled her eyes. Gabi was one of the oddest girls she knew and took after her father in so many ways. Her mother too, now that Emily thought about it. "AJ's upstairs."
"Got it."
Emily just about jolted when Gabi absently used Jack's thigh to push herself up and Jack jumped almost violently. He did it again when Gabi moved around the couch and patted his shoulder.
"Someday, Jack, you'll beat Seth. Then maybe you won't be such a pansy."
"Cute, Morgan."
"Hmm, I am, aren't I?"
Emily raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. Her interrogation of Jack would have to wait. She rested an encouraging hand on the young man's shoulder. "Come on, sit down."
"So Mike," Aaron began as Emily took a seat beside him, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "How long have you been dating Annie?"
Mike anxiously seated himself in another chair. "Almost two years, sir," Mike said, voice strong even if his body language was not.
"Daddy, you're scaring him."
Aaron turned to deny his daughter's words, but his own caught in his throat. It was something to see his baby girl walking down the stairs all dressed up for the prom. She was the spitting image of Emily, from the dark eyes and dark hair to the way she carried herself. He squeezed Emily's shoulder.
AJ stood awkwardly at the bottom of the stairs, her own nerves starting to show. "So?" She almost rolled her eyes as Mike took his time to get to her, but the look in his eyes made her blush. He took her hand, tugging on it to spin her around. She didn't see her parents stand.
"Anna-Joy Hotchner, you are something."
A smile blossomed over AJ's face. "Something good, I hope," she replied, most of her nerves gone.
"I'm the luckiest guy in the world."
AJ smiled, ducking her head shyly and playing with the hem of her skirt. The dress was pink, strapless and fell to just above her knees. It had taken her ages to find it, trying on dress after dress with her mother and Gabi until she'd found one that hugged her in all the right places while staying true to her generally shy-bordering-on-prudish nature.
"Damn right you are," Gabi spoke up. "Now pictures. I promised Mama and Dad we'd get some. They're adopting you since their own daughter decided to forgo a man tonight. I think Mama was more upset than Dad."
Half an hour later, pictures taken and hugs exchanged, Emily stood in the front door, Aaron's arm around her waist as she waved AJ off to her first prom. "See?" she asked her husband. "That wasn't so bad."
"That's my baby girl he's taking to a prom," Aaron said, almost petulantly. "Do you know what happens after proms?"
Emily rolled her eyes as she tugged him back into the house. "I don't think AJ's really ready for that, so there's nothing you need to worry about. They'll both be home by curfew."
He kissed her temple. "Gabi's staying?"
"Pen and I were joking about trading kids for the night, but then Jack came home and Seth didn't want to go over anymore. I offered to let Chris stay here, but Pen didn't want to have both of her children under our care."
"And Kate?"
"Calleigh's," Emily responded, leading the way into the kitchen.
Aaron wrapped his arms around her waist. "That means all of our kids are occupied for the night with Jack taking Seth out to the movies." He started pressing kisses to her neck, brushing her hair out of the way.
Emily chuckled. Over seventeen years of marriage and his libido hadn't diminished. She wasn't complaining. She loved her husband and always had. It was harder to resist him than it was to give into him. She looked at him with a saucy smile. "What did you have in mind?"