On My Own Too Long

Reid and Prentiss

Chapter Eleven

September 2011

Penelope Garcia rushed into Emily's hospital room in a flurry of color and excitement, with Derek Morgan following behind her holding two teddy bears.

Garcia exclaimed, as she came to Emily's bedside, "Oh, my sweets, I just took a peek in at your two little ones and, let me assure you, it was instant love. They are so beautiful, tiny and perfect! I want one of my own right away."

Morgan told Prentiss "Look what you started."

Penelope told Emily "I was so relieved when I heard you got away from that baddie! And if I would have known you were preggers while he had you," her hand covered her heart "I don't think I would have been able to stand it. Look at your beautiful face," she was referencing how Emily had a bruise "if he wasn't dead I'd have Mr. Strong and Sexy here," she nodded at Derek "kick his ass for hurting you."

"Its all over now," Emily said "Thank God."

Morgan asked "So where's Reid? Did he finally head to the hotel for some much needed rest? I couldn't drag him out of here last night. Sleeping in those waiting room chairs really messed with my back too."

"Reid says he's not leaving the hospital till me and the babies can leave too. I'll probably be out of here in a couple of days but I don't know about the babies. The doctors say to take it one day at a time. If Reid isn't here with me he's usually down in the nursery with the kids asking the nurses so many questions they probably wish they had earplugs. Right now he's down in the cafeteria, though, probably pigging out. He was claiming to be starving."

"He's always starving," Derek said. "I'm gonna go see if I can find him. You two girls want anything from down there?"

The women both said they were fine so Derek left Penelope there to chat with Emily for a while.

"Twins, EP? Overachiever much?"

"God has a funny sense of humor, I guess. My pregnancy was high risk because of my age and then because it was multiples and then because of Doyle. At one point I wondered what else could possibly up the ante and make it even more high risk. Then I got kidnaped."

"We were all so frantic to find you. I must have said a thousand prayers. And I didn't even know to pray for your babies."

"They came so early." Emily teared up.

"But they're doing good so far, right?"

"They can't take a bottle yet because their sucking reflex hasn't devolped and they need to gain weight before they can go home but their lungs are developed and the doctors haven't found any health problems in either of them yet. I worry so much though cause I don't want anything to be be wrong with my babies and Alex is even tinier than Callie."

"Alex and Callie, they have names! That's wonderful, sweetie."

"Reid and I went round after round over the boy name but we finally settled on Alexander Jason- AJ for short."

"Little AJ and little Callie. I love them so much already. Any child of two of my dearest friends is family to me in my book. I can't wait till they can call me Auntie Penny."

"Thank you for flying all the way out here. You didn't have to go to the trouble."

"Of course I had to. You need family around you right now. Speaking of, where's your Mom? On her way?"

Emily rolled her eyes. "Why does everyone insist I have to call my mom? I'm forty years old! Not a teenager."

"Most people do want their parents around right after they have a child."

"Most people get along with their parents better than I get along with my mother. I'll call her when I'm feeling up to it and that is not today. Reid already tried to talk me into it cause he thinks she'll be hurt if I wait too long. Ha. He just doesn't know she's going to be upset to the nth degree no matter what so waiting won't change anything when it comes to that."

"How is our boy genius handling being a Daddy?"

"He's so wonderful. He puts them before everything and he doesn't say me, me, me. Its always them, them, them."

Penelope smiled. "Aw, you're still crazy about him, aren't you? Don't you deny it either, Miss EP, cause I can see love in your eyes."

"Its complicated. Having kids together doesn't mean we're meant to be together. Half the country gets divorced and plenty of those couples have kids. Kids make things more complicated actually so I don't know if Reid and I will ever get together but...yeah...I'm pretty crazy about him."

Penelope smiled ear from ear. "I'll be praying for your happy ending, sweetie, because you so deserve one."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

A few days later it was time for Emily to be released from the hospital but the babies still couldn't go home yet. Emily and Reid were visiting their kids in the nicu.

Tears stung Emily's eyes. "It doesn't feel right to leave this building without them."

"I know."

They shared a long look. "I'm probably going to be a wreck tonight, sleeping so far from these two, so if you want to stay at the hotel instead of my rental house then I get it. Its cool. We could probably both use space anyway."

"Don't speak for me. I don't want nor need space. I need to be close by to make sure you're okay."

"The doctors wouldn't let me go home unless I am. I may still feel like hell but its no worse than any other new mother probably feels. I can deal with it."

"I won't get in your way at the house. I'll give you all the space you want, okay?"

"I didn't say that I want space. I just don't want you feeling obligated and don't say you don't because of course you do. You're a good guy and that's why you feel like you have to take care of me and the babies. Well the babies, yes, you do but me...I'm good."

"Remember when you told me that you need to hear things said aloud to believe them?"

Emily nodded.

Reid went on "I need you to say loud and clear that you want me to stay at a hotel tonight or else I'm staying with you at the house. So what is it going to be, Emily?"

She stared at him for a very long moment and then licked her lips. If not for the baby in her arm's- her daughter, Callie- then Emily probably would have fidgeted and picked her fingernails nervously. "I want you to stay...with me...at the house."

Reid smiled at her and didn't say anything for a while, instead just rocking his son in his arms and letting them all enjoy the moment.