Chapter 29

When JJ slowly began to wake up, she had no idea where she was at first. Opening her eyes, she was greeted by dimmed light surrounding her and the sight of a white ceiling above her. She blinked a few times to get the sleep out of her eyes and inhaled a deep breath, trying to define the unfamiliar scent around her. After a few breaths, she realized that it almost felt like... a hospital!

Abruptly getting her memory back, her first thoughts went to the baby and she felt panic beginning to rise inside her as she tried to sit up, her drowsiness getting in the way of doing so, however. Looking around to find something to grab and pull herself up, her gaze fell onto Dave, who was sitting in a chair next to her bed, holding a small, white bundle in his arms. She immediately relaxed back into her cushions as she noticed the smile on his lips and the happiness in his otherwise tired and worn eyes, her heart warming at the sight in front of her eyes.

"Everything's okay," she told herself with relief, but couldn't help the tears beginning to form in her eyes. Reaching her hand out, she wanted to say something to tell him she was awake, but he had already noticed it.

"Hey," he whispered softly, smiling gently at her, before turning to his daughter again. "Look who's awake, princess, you're going to meet Mommy now."

"Princess?" JJ asked hoarsely, her voice barely audible.

"Yeah, princess," Dave answered proudly. "We have a beautiful little girl."

More tears were making it into her eyes as she tried again to sit up.

"Wait, I'll help you," Dave said quietly, cradling the baby with one arm securely to his chest, as he reached the other one out to bring her bed into a seating position.

"Here we go," he murmured, handing their daughter carefully over into Jennifer's wide outstretched arms.

Holding her baby for the first time, JJ couldn't stop the tears anymore and began to cry. The stress and the efforts of the past months running out of her with every tear that streamed down her cheeks, and she felt truly happy and content for the first time since the beginning of her pregnancy.

"You're so beautiful!" She whispered to her daughter, gently stroking her rosy cheeks as the tiny baby was peacefully slumbering in her arms, sucking her thumb.

"Isn't she beautiful?" Jennifer looked up into Dave's face, seeing that he was crying as well.

"She is. Just like her mother," he smiled contently as he laid his arm around JJ's shoulder and pressed a soft kiss into her hair.

"She has your hair Dave. So much black hair already."

"Yeah, and according to the nurses and my ringing ears, she also has my lungs and my voice," he smirked.

"But everything's okay with her, right?" JJ asked a bit anxiously.

"Everything's fine. We have a wonderful and healthy little baby girl here. Tiny, but healthy," Dave assured her soothingly.

"You look like you've been hit by a truck, Dave," JJ said, looking into his face again.

"Well, you gave me quite a scare today, honey. You and our princess."

"I'm sorry," JJ muttered guiltily.

"Hey, hey, you don't have to apologize. You have nothing to be sorry for. You did an amazing job here," he reassured her quickly, taking her hand and slipping back into the chair.

"Thank you, Dave. For staying with me."

"I told you, I'm not leaving. I still can't believe how close I came to missing these wonderful moments," he replied ruefully, lowering his head.

"Don't think about it now, okay?" JJ requested. "You're here and that's what counts now. We can discuss everything else later."

"Sure. We have more important things to do now. Like giving her a name," he nodded.

"God, we've never actually talked about that," JJ sighed.

"But I'm sure, you've thought about it and come up with a few suggestions, haven't you?" Dave winked.

JJ smiled. There were a couple of names she liked for a girl, although she had to admit that she'd always found it easier to come up with a boy's name. Gently looking at her daughter, she went through the short list of girl's names in her head, and held her breath at one particular name.

"What is it, Jennifer?"

"Well, I-I like... Hannah," she said haltingly, studying Dave's face to see if he'd liked the name as well. His smile became wider as he confirmed: "Then Hannah it is."

"You like it? If not I'm sure we can find-" JJ started, still a bit hesitant.

"Jennifer, stop," he interrupted her softly. "I love it. Besides, it's your decision. You're her mother. Any ideas for a middle name?"

"And you're her father. Why don't you pick the middle name?"

"JJ, it's okay, you don't have to-"

Now it was JJ's turn to interrupt him.

"I want you to. And I'm sure you have something in your mind as well."

"I have, actually. But we don't have to take it, if you don't like it."

"You have to tell me the name, so that I can decide that," she chuckled lightly.

Stroking tenderly over their daughter's head, he muttered: "Well...Emilia."

Looking at JJ uneasily, he was relieved when he saw her smile widely.

"That's beautiful. Hannah Emilia." Giving her daughter a small kiss onto the nose, she asked curiously: "Any particular reason why you like this name?"

"Well, I was thinking... after Emily, you know," Dave explained. Seeing JJ's questioning expression, he went on: "I've hurt her quite a bit as well with my stupid behavior, and, you know, I think she deserves it that we name our girl after her." Realizing that JJ did not entirely know what he was referring to, he continued further. "She confided in me with something a while ago. She probably still hasn't told anyone else, and it's not my place to tell you now, but when she learned what I had done to you, it hit her harder than I realized at first."

JJ nodded: "I saw that she was more angry with you than the others. I've already wondered why, but she didn't say anything, and I didn't want to push." She felt a sting of jealousy at the thought that Emily and Dave had a secret together, but she didn't dwell on it. There was certainly a good reason, why they didn't tell anyone, and thinking about it, JJ knew that Dave had always been a good friend to everyone on the team. They all knew they could come to him with their problems, and she respected that he would keep things a secret if he was asked. In fact, it made her quite happy, knowing that he wouldn't just go and betray anyone's confidence, including hers.

"But you're good again now, right?"

"Yeah, we've talked and she made me see what a bastard I was, but we're all fine again," he confirmed. "So, is it okay for you if we name her after Emily?"

"Of course. I really like the name, and it has a nice ring with Hannah, I think."

"I do, too." He bent over and kissed his daughter's forehead, whispering her name.

He wanted to hold her again, but knowing that he already got some time alone with Hannah and JJ didn't, he settled with watching her in JJ's arms, occasionally stroking her cheeks or her little fingers.

For a few long minutes neither of them said a word as they were contently watching over their daughter's sleep, both lost in thoughts. It was JJ, who interrupted the silence after a while.

"I was thinking. How do you feel about asking Hotch if he wanted to be her godfather?"

Dave smiled at her. "I already had the same idea. He's the one person I trust the most, you know. Besides you of course."

"We can ask him then when he's here. Speaking of which, have you called him already?"

Dave's eyes widened. He'd totally forgotten about calling everyone. Looking at her sheepishly, he murmured: "Sorry..."

Chuckling at his guilty expression, JJ unsuccessfully tried to stifle a yawn.

"Tired?"

She nodded.

"You should get some sleep then, you've had an exhausting day."

"I know, but I still want to hold her for a while," JJ tried to argue.

"She'll be there in the morning, sweetheart. Let me lie her down," Dave pushed her gently.

Reluctantly agreeing as she felt her eyes grow heavier and heavier, she gave Hannah a goodnight-kiss and let Dave take her out of her arms and over to the small hospital crib that the nurses had put right next to JJ's bed. Carefully placing her into it, Dave kissed her as well.

"Goodnight, princess. I love you. Mommy and Daddy both love you," he whispered before he turned back to JJ.

"Get some rest, Jennifer. Hannah will be right here next to you when you wake up tomorrow," he said, putting the bed back into its original position.

"You still have to call Hotch and the team. And our parents!" JJ reminded him, yawning again.

"And I'm going to do that as soon as you're asleep, honey. I promise," he assured her as he tucked her in and brushed a tender kiss against her temple.

Within a few minutes, JJ was fast asleep, and Dave stood and watched her for another few moments, relishing her beautiful face smiling lightly in her sleep, before he stepped out to make a few phone calls.