Chapter 8

A couple of weeks after her parents' visit, JJ went out for her Christmas shopping. Taking advantage of Garcia's offer to babysit Henry, she knew she was quite early with it this year, as it was only the first weekend in November, but she figured that now was the last chance to do it without any major efforts, as her belly was getting bigger and bigger with every day. She really didn't want to do her Christmas shopping pressed in between thousands of other people almost nine months pregnant.

She got presents for her parents and for Henry, of course, and decided to give Hotch a gift, too this year, a small thank-you present for all the help she'd received from him in the past months.

Fully packed with shopping-bags after a few hours, she made her way back to the elevators that led to the parking garage.

Struggling to push the elevator button with all the bags in her hands, she suddenly heard an all too familiar voice from behind.

"Wait, I'll help you."

She turned around and looked right into David Rossi's face.

"JJ!" He breathed out in surprise.

"Rossi." She nodded shortly.

Then another voice, female this time, was heard. "Davey, why didn't you wait for me?"

JJ took a look behind Rossi and saw a small, elderly woman with silver-dark hair approaching.

"Why don't you introduce me to your friend?" The woman insisted as soon as she reached them. Dave sighed and made the introductions. "Jennifer Jareau, this is my mother, Gracia Rossi. Mama, this is JJ, my colleague from the BAU."

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Rossi," Jennifer said politely, and felt herself immediately drawn to the older woman.

"What a lovely young woman my Davey is working with!" Gracia Rossi exclaimed and pulled JJ into a friendly and warm hug. How Rossi turned out to become such a jackass with a wonderful mother like that, was beyond JJ's understanding.

"And she's having a baby!" Mrs. Rossi continued excitedly. With a disapproving glance on her son, she said to JJ: "I'm sure your parents are really happy to becoming grandparents. My Davey, unfortunately, hasn't graced me with grandchildren so far." Rossi cringed at his mother's innocently spoken words, and JJ almost burst into tears.

Everything in her wanted to scream at Rossi's mother that it was her grandchild she was carrying, but the words didn't make it out of her mouth. Rossi felt a painful clench in his heart when he saw both his mother's excitement and JJ's hurt expression. Oh, how much he wished he could make everything right, but he didn't say a word either.

Gracia Rossi didn't seem to notice the tension between the two, as she continued to talk away. "So, do you already know what you will have?" She asked, pointing at JJ's belly. JJ shook her head.

"No, I thought I'd want to have it a surprise."

"And your husband is excited too, yes?"

"Well, actually, I'm not married," she said uneasily. Gracia Rossi understood immediately.

"I'm sorry to hear that. The bastard deserves a thorough treatment with a rolling pin, I reckon?" Shooting Dave a fierce glance, she went on. "My Davey here knows that I'm not too old for putting someone across my knee."

JJ almost burst out into laughter at the irony of the situation, had it not been so tragic, and she saw Rossi growing more and more uncomfortable. She was sure the determined woman in front of them would give him hell, if she knew what was really going on, but when she saw the loving look Gracia Rossi exchanged with her son, she couldn't bring herself to tell her that her son was the prize bastard they were talking about.

"No," she thought. "This is between me and Rossi. No need to give the poor woman any grief or a probably even a heart attack."

"Are you on your way home?" Mrs. Rossi asked then.

"Actually, yes, I'm done with my Christmas shopping for this year."

"We're also finished for today. Davey, help the girl with the bags, will you?" She commanded her son, simply brushing JJ's objection away.

They got into the elevator, and rode down to the garage.

"I'll be waiting at our car. It was wonderful meeting such a lovely young lady, " Mrs. Rossi said, pulling JJ into another hug.

"The pleasure was all mine," JJ replied honestly. She'd liked David's mother instantly.

Taking JJ's bags, Rossi walked her over to her car.

"Thanks." JJ said shortly when they reached her Volvo.

"You're welcome." There was an awkward silence between them for a few seconds before Rossi began to speak again.

"JJ- Jennifer. Thank you for not telling my mother."

"Bite me, Rossi! I did not do this for you. Your wonderful mother obviously is not aware what a stupid son of a bitch you are, otherwise she would not adore you the way she does. Anyway, I was just trying to spare her from the disappointment. God knows that you deserve her rolling pin." He knew she was right.

"Listen, can we..." he began, but was immediately interrupted by her.

"I gotta go now." Slamming the trunk shut, she walked around the car and got in without another look or word.

Rossi hung his head in defeat. "How am I ever going to get out of this mess?" He wondered as he slowly walked back to his own car.

***

Back at home, JJ occupied herself with wrapping the gifts. Garcia was going to bring Henry back by eight o'clock, so she still had a few hours to herself. Her thoughts drifted to Rossi's mother.

She was such a warm-hearted and gentle, yet very determined woman. There was no one – besides her own mother of course – she could imagine to be a better grandmother for her child. Damn Rossi, because of his stupidity her baby would never even get to know her.

Suddenly, she felt as if everything around her was breaking down. Letting her head fall into her hands, she started to cry, and couldn't seem to stop even after a long while. It was all too much, the stress of the past months finally overwhelming her.

JJ didn't know how long exactly she sat there on the living room floor between all the gift wrap and the presents, and she was only pulled out of her thoughts when the doorbell rang. A glance at her watch told her that it had to be Garcia with Henry, as it was shortly after eight.

Getting up and wiping the tears form her face, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her stomach.

"Oh my God, the baby!" Her thoughts and her heart began to race. The doorbell rang again, accompanied by heavy knocks, and JJ walked over to the door, holding her belly as the pain waved periodically through her body.

Wincing, she opened the door, and was barely able to greet Garcia, let alone take Henry into her arms. Penelope noticed immediately that something was off.

"What's wrong, JJ?" Seeing her friend's hands on her stomach, she asked worriedly: "Is it the baby? Is something wrong with the baby?"

"I don't know," JJ pressed out.

"Okay, we gotta get you to the hospital. Now!"

Setting down Henry for a moment, she quickly helped JJ into her coat, grabbed her purse and Henry again and rushed them to the car.