Chapter 42

The team was called in on a case for the rest of the week, so both JJ and Dave didn't really have much time to think about what had happened. Dave's hope that they wouldn't be back in town by Friday night and JJ would have to cancel her date wasn't fulfilled, but since his plans on winning her back were slowly beginning to become more specific, he didn't mind so much anymore. It still annoyed him that she would even consider going out with Anderson, and it stung deeply when she decided to spend her lunch break on Friday with him as well after they had arrived back that morning, but he tried not to show her.

Aside from work, he had also pretty much ignored Prentiss and Garcia. He knew that they meant well with JJ, and he was glad they were such great friends to her, but he was still pissed with them for talking her into this asinine date. Later he would have to remind himself to thank them properly.

After work was done for the day, he followed her home. He was happy to be able to spend a whole evening alone with his children again, although the last time he had been able to do that the previous Saturday, he had liked the circumstances a lot better. Giving JJ time for herself at a girl's night was something he would always agree on – as long as the girls wouldn't come up with another of these idiotic plans, but knowing her on a date with anybody but him didn't make his alone time with Hannah and Henry as enjoyable.

While JJ showered and got dressed, he fed Hannah her bottle and Henry his supper, before changing them into their pajamas. Sitting on the living room floor with his daughter in his arms and Henry crawling around them, he held his breath as JJ came out of the bathroom once she was finished.

"Wow!", was all he managed to get out at the sight of her being clad in a perfectly fitting, knee-long burgundy red dress, her hair falling down her shoulders.

"Thanks." JJ smiled, blushing slightly as a warm and fuzzy feeling ran through her body. "Would you help me with the necklace, please?"

"Sure." Dave carefully laid Hannah down on the couch and got up.

Feeling his gentle hands brushing her neck as he put on her necklace, JJ couldn't help but shiver at his touch, which of course didn't go unnoticed by Dave. He wanted to trace his hands down her arms just to touch her and see if this reaction wasn't just a fluke, but he held back. A confused JJ running scared wasn't something he wanted to see tonight. It was hard enough to know that it wasn't him she had dressed up for like that, and his deepest wish was for Anderson to screw up royally tonight.

"Do you want me to take the kids to my place? I mean, just in case you want to bring your date with you afterwards," Dave offered, earning himself a surprised look from JJ.

"No, it's fine if you want to stay here," she answered with a bit of hesitation in her voice. She knew she would definitely not extend the evening with Anderson into spending the night with him, not on the first date. That was not her style. Cringing when she thought that with Dave she didn't even go on a date but went straight to bed with him, she wondered if he had made that offer on purpose, just to get back on her, and was beginning to feel some anger rise inside her.

Before she could dwell on it, however, she heard Dave say: "All right. But call me in case you go home with him, okay? Just so I know that I won't have to stay up all night and wait for you." He turned her around and looked at her from head to toes, and added in a soft voice: "You look really beautiful tonight, Jennifer."

JJ felt the blush back in her face again at his complimenting words and the intense stare into her eyes he gave her, and her heart suddenly started to beat so much faster, as always when she was this close to him. Damn that man was confusing, she thought to herself, and was glad for the distraction when the doorbell rang.

Dave couldn't help but wince at the interruption. He tried hard to focus and stay calm, while inside he felt like crying. He knew JJ wasn't the type to hop into bed with someone on the first night out, but the fact that she'd done it with him made him imagine that it was not impossible she'd do it again, and he felt his stomach turn at that thought.

So he simply drew her into a short hug and told her to have fun, before he went back to focus on his children.

When she opened the door, Anderson was standing there with a bouquet of flowers, red roses that looked really beautiful, and complimented her much like Dave had done earlier. And while she really liked the flowers and Anderson's polite demeanor, she couldn't help but wonder why she didn't feel the same sensations that were flooding her before.

xxx

Once he was alone with the kids, Dave tried to give them his full attention, but his thoughts drifted off to their mother more than once, and he realized he was glancing at his watch every five minutes, hoping that the time would go by faster.

"You know, your Mama really is a special person. But you already know that, don't you, munchkin," he said to Henry, tickling his belly. Hearing his laughing squeal filled him with joy, but at the same time, his heart began to ache at the thought that Henry still wasn't officially his son. What if he never will be? He quickly brushed this painful thought away, willing himself to think positive.

"As soon as your Mama comes home, I'll show her what she'd be missing without me. There's no way I'll let anyone else become your Daddy, Henry, I promise you that." He scooped the boy into his lap and took Hannah into his arms as well, beginning to tell them the story of how he and JJ had first met. Hannah fell asleep pretty quickly, and when Henry's appreciative squeaks became less as well, he got up to lay down on the couch, bringing both kids to his chest and holding them close. If someone had told him a couple of years ago that it would fill him with happiness just to lay down and hold his children, he would have laughed in their face. But here he was, doing exactly that and he couldn't imagine anything making him happier. He knew that despite everything, he was a damn lucky man.

xxx

It was just after nine when JJ came back home. Entering the house, she was surprised to find it dark and quiet. Of course Dave would have put the children to bed, but she would have expected him to still be up and watch TV or something like that at this early hour.

When she went into the living room and switched on the lights, she felt her heart melt at the sight in front of her. Dave was still lying on the couch, snoring lightly, his arms securely wrapped around the children on his chest, keeping them in place. Tears filled her eyes, and she couldn't resist, but pull her cell phone out of her purse and snap a few pictures. There, in this moment, she finally had a feeling of being at home, realizing that everything she wanted and needed was right there in front of her. All that was left for her to do was go and grab it.

Shrugging out of her coat, she made a quick trip to her bedroom and changed into something comfortable before kneeling down next to the couch and waking Dave gently.

"Hey," she whispered softly as he opened his eyes.

"Hey. What time's it?"

"Just after nine," she answered quietly, not wanting to wake the children.

"You're home early," Dave said surprised, letting her take Henry out of his arm.

"Yeah, well...," JJ answered evasively, walking over to the nursery with her sleeping son. She wanted to bring the kids to bed before she discussed this with him. Dave followed her with Hannah, and they quickly tucked the children in, before going back to sit down on the couch.

"What happened that you're home so early?" Dave asked again, hoping that whatever she was going to tell him was something he'd be glad to hear.

Looking into his eyes, JJ whispered barely audible.

"He wasn't you."