A/N: I think you guys might like this chapter. Thanks again for reviews and alerts. It's great to get feedback.

I don't own Criminal Minds

Dave decided on the procedure. They would wait three days and have to do a whole lot of tests before they do it but after those first seventy two hours, Emily's chances of naturally coming out of this decreased to dismally low. He was willing to take the risk to both of them, but at only that point.

It was an extra hour after he made the decision that he was finally allowed to see her. She had been initially slated for the ICU, but ended up being transferred to another department since she was stable. Her room was private, Dave put up a stink about anything else and they were not about to mess with the man. He was not only an FBI agent, he was a bestselling author, and he was a man that was going to do whatever it took to make sure Emily had the most comfort.

At first only he visited her but everyone was allowed in after a while, three at a time. Dave stayed for all of it, so everyone else visited as couples. The boys were too young to join, it would be too hard to see their aunt laying helpless. It was hard enough on all of them, and Rossi wasn't faring well at all. When Penelope and Hotch made their visit he didn't even look at them when he spoke. He just kept holding her hand and staring at her face as if she was the only thing in his world that mattered, and that is probably the case.

JJ and Garcia had come back in once again before the end of visiting hours. They knew Dave was staying the night with her and he needed a break so they kicked him out, repaying the favor Emily had given to them and gave her a sponge bath.

He walked aimlessly, ignoring the supportive gestures from Morgan and Hotch. He returned to the main waiting room, just sitting and staring at Emily's phone. Had he made her listen more often, had they been having cases when she would have checked habitually, had he not pissed her off and made her ignore so many of his own calls… she wouldn't be here in this situation.

And those arguments, he shouldn't have let them happen. Its not either of their faults that they are in two entirely different places. Its not her fault that she's never had someone to really love her so she is terrified of it. And its not his fault that he has the past he has, though he wished he knew. Had he known he would have met, loved, wanted to marry this particular woman, he would have never had any of those other marriages. He would have waited to his old age to even entertain the notion so it wouldn't make her keep second guessing how genuine he was in his love for her.

"Dave?" JJ's now sweet voice called behind him and came to sit next to him. "Will you be alright here for the night? Spencer and I are taking Henry home but we will be back first thing in the morning. I still don't have work so I will stay."

He reached for her hand, still sitting and staring at the floor. "You're a good friend. To both of us."

She squeezed his and then pulled him into a small hug. "Call. I mean it, if anything happens or you just want to talk to either of us. And we will come back too, if you want us here. Got it?"

He nodded and felt a pat on the back from Reid. "I called someone I went to college with. He's a neurosurgeon in Boston. I had Garcia program his number into your phone. Call, get a second opinion on this if you start having doubts. Alright?"

Dave was touched, he was having lots of doubts on this procedure. It was nice to have that ability to get a second opinion, to have the doctor found for him. "Go, take your son home. And thank you."

Dave clamed up for the next few seconds hearing them leave the hospital. "Hey Dave?" Penelope asked as she sat next to him too. "Reid and JJ are waiting to give us a ride back to the bridal shop so we can pick up Emily's car. But we are coming back, alright? We'll drive it to your house so Aaron can get his car from there. Do you need anything from your house? Clothes and whatnot?"

Here he almost started crying he was so grateful to have friends like these. When his son had been born and died he had only one friend that would wait around like this. Now he had a whole group that was taking care of him. He sniffled to keep his control, aware Aaron was standing off to the side with Jack. "I keep an extra go bag in my car. Would one of you drive that back here? If its not too much to ask?"

"Of course its not too much to ask. We'll leave Jack with Reid and JJ while we do all this. What do you want us to bring you for dinner? You haven't eaten since before golf." Aaron was extremely concerned at that. This was Rossi, the man lived for food, wine and scotch… and Emily.

"Anything. I don't care anymore." He waved it off, trying to sound casual but even he knew that was phrase number one of depression. "Thank you."

They nodded and let Jack give Rossi the sloppiest hug and kiss before they left. "I love you Uncle Dave. She loves you too." That kid, definitely a future profiler like Hotch and meddler like Garcia. It's amazing he isn't hers biologically.

He decided to take a walk around the hospital after he got to her room and was told she was being taken for some x-rays to determine if she broke anything during one of her larger seizures that was so violent even he had to help hold her down.

So there he was, standing in the maternity ward looking at the babies in the nursery wondering why this always seems the place people go for comfort in a hospital. It must be something about hope, a promise for a new life that had untold amounts of potential. Or maybe it was just that these small beings were entirely innocent and uncomplicated. That even a man like him that still to this day hurts over losing a child could see the healing effect other children can have on the soul.

"Which one is yours?" A younger man in his late thirties had just arrived next to him, looking down on one particularly adorable set of twins. "Those two girls right there are mine. Numbers five and six."

Dave smiled at the man. "They are beautiful. Have you picked out names?"

"Amelia Karen and Emily Rose. You?" He wasn't sure if he should keep pressing. This man didn't seem exactly happy, he seemed like he lost something.

"Just taking a walk. I should get back now."

This was unbearable. Why did he think that walking here would give him any comfort at all? She sent more mixed messages to him than he had time to try and decipher. One second she wants him, one second she hates him, the next she needs him there for the baby and then the cycle starts over. What she didn't seem to realize is that he was going to be there for her and the baby no matter what happened. As much as she broke his heart in Paris, she still owned all of it.

He stepped back into the main waiting area and sat just as Penelope and Hotch came through the door. She motioned that she was going to check on Emily's room, see if she was back yet. She had made good friends with the nursing staff during the sponge bath she and JJ gave Emily earlier. They all thought it was remarkable to see such sisterhood and when the two women explained how Emily had done that for both of them and the circumstances of the Carver incident they pretty much gave them all clearance to do what they wanted when it came to disobeying visiting hours. Frankly, with what they put themselves through all the time it's the least they deserve.

Hotch watched her leave and took a good look at his friend, never more depressed in his whole life. Usually Dave was the one to help him, be his sounding board and he remembered how he's felt the last week or so, how uneven their friendship seemed. He nearly started crying as he watched Dave hide the tear that fell on his cheek. He was about to lose his control and had to take a good few minutes to pace around the room and focus on the calming down and being there for his friend.

Finally he had enough of his wits to sit across from Dave and pull his chair close. "Penelope and I both agreed that we wouldn't push for details, we wouldn't ask if you are the father. But just know that if you do want to talk, we are both here."

Rossi nodded. He was glad no one was asking the question that must be on all their minds. It's not his place to tell them anything. Emily wanted to wait until the end of her first trimester to tell them about her pregnancy and he knew for sure that revealing the paternity of her child was her right, not his. "Did you and Pen have a little reunion earlier?"

Hotch sighed and nodded. "I hope you don't think we didn't care about what is going on its just that—"

Rossi turned to stop him. "I sent that text for a reason. You have her, you need her and I need you two behind me as a unit. You don't see it the way we all do, since you got together its like this dynamic meeting of the minds. Even being older than you sometimes I feel like you parent all of us. I need that from you both. You're stronger together and I can't contribute any strength to the party right now."

Aaron let out a sad smile and swung an arm around his friend. "Then let me give you some advice. Don't give up hope. Whatever she has done that seems to keep breaking your heart, forgive her and be patient. Emily isn't like Pen or JJ. She runs for the hills when something gets under her skin good or bad." He paused, considering if he should say anything but decided it was alright. "When she started talking to me after her return she told me she wasn't sure if she would ever handle love the way others do. She still feels somewhat disconnected from the girls even. She's—"

"Entirely repressed, even if she doesn't want to be." He knew this, better than anyone.

"Dave?" Penelope called as she came back into the waiting room. It made her so sad to see him this way but she was glad her fiancée was there to provide comfort. "You need to eat, alright?"

He nodded. He was starving and he was pretty sure he had no right to be mad at Emily for not eating when he himself hasn't had anything in over ten hours. "Join me?"

She nodded and pulled up a table between the three of them, laying out a small banquette of Italian selections. She had debated with herself for a while on it but decided that raiding his refrigerator with the key she swiped off him was a safe bet. He recognized it and smiled at her, happy to have one of his own home cooked meals, one that Emily had helped him make.

-Criminal Minds-

"Is Uncle Rossi ok?" Jack was always so concerned about others. It's the first thing he said after buckling his seatbelt for the drive home from Reid's.

Her son was too cute, Pen had to admit. But he was also a rascal, a fountain of knowledge of his own. "He will be ok honey. He is staying with Aunt Emily tonight."

Jack nodded, satisfied that he is ok but he had a question. "So is he the daddy then? Because, if it were uncle Morgan than he would be staying right?"

Upfront, the parents shared strangled smiles trying to figure out how to respond to that until Penelope got an idea. Deflection. "What makes you think it's one of them?"

Jack rolled his eyes. "Because I heard Uncle Morgan talking about his responsibility to Aunt Emily at the picnic and I heard Uncle Rossi asking Uncle Reid what its like to be a new daddy. And he talked to my daddy about it too."

She looked to Hotch. "He did?"

Hotch shrugged. "I didn't think anything of it. It was a couple months ago. He asked me what its like. I told him no one just knows how to handle everything. Even you don't Pen, nor do I. We figure things out as time goes. He seemed to accept it without any difficulty."

"So do you think?" She turned to Jack. "Did Aunt Emily say anything else in your conversation with her?"

He was wondering why they didn't just ask if they wanted to know. Sure, Aunt Emily wanted it a secret but she was going to tell him. She probably would have told them too. "She said she wanted me to keep a secret but I don't know who it is. I asked which one it was and she didn't get to say the name before she… you know."

Pen could hear that fear creep back into his voice again so she turned around and gathered her ipod out of her purse and handed it to him cued with some of his favorite music. "Just relax honey. We are gonna drive by my old apartment so I can get more of my things and then go home alright?" Jack nodded and took the ipod, tapping his foot all the way to Penelope's apartment.

They decided they would take just the things she needed for now since she had another month and a half left on her lease. It wasn't worth getting a subletter and it wasn't worth moving all her things out if a good portion wasn't going to the new house. As it was more than half of Aaron's things were going to be trashed or donated in the move. Same with hers, so moving nonessential items at this time was nonsensical.

But she needed more of her clothes and bath products, her financial documents and some of her secret stash of sexy lingerie to wear for Aaron. She was glad when he left her to gather clothes while he and Jack grabbed some DVD's and brought out the rest of her computer equipment. She also had to grab her treats for Sergio that she bought.

"Aaron!" she just remembered. "We have to go to Em's. You still have her key?"

He came into the bedroom with another trash bag for her clothes. "Yeah. Why do we need to go there?"

"No one is feeding Sergio!" She was horrified that no one remembered this. She wondered why Emily didn't bring Sergio over to Rossi's. Then she realized Em is probably in denial of the fact she practically lives there. She took a peak in Rossi's master closet, sure enough half was all Em's things. Bringing her pet, that would make if official.

"Well, finish up packing and we will grab him and bring him to our place. Who knows how long she will be…" he decided to skip that comment. "We should grab Rossi's dog too."

Pen stopped in her tracks for a second. "Your apartment is really not big enough for our lives."

He chuckled. "That's why we bought a house. Come on. I'm almost ready. We gotta get Jack home at a reasonable hour. School in the morning."

She looked at her watch, agreed it was time to get a move on and rushed out. They drove to Emily's first. Poor Sergio jumped her he seemed so lonely. She grabbed his litter box, food and bowls and a few outfits for Emily for when she comes home (she had to keep up hope) and put him in his carrier so Jack could carry him down to the car. The boy was more excited than she wished. She knew now they were going to have to get him a pet.

That was even more apparent when Hotch gathered up Rossi's dog. He was quite good natured and licked Jack's face up and down as soon as he got in the car. It put such a smile on her son she was sure they would figure out how to add a pet into their busy lives. Soon, Jack was relaxing in the back on the twenty minute ride home with the dog curled in his lap.

"Daddy, I want to call Aunt Jessica." Jack hadn't seen her in a week, since he got back from his vacation to visit his grandparents with her. He was used to seeing her, sometimes more often than his own father so he did miss her. And he wanted to tell her about the dog and cat he gets to pet sit.

Aaron flipped his phone out of his pocket and handed it to Penelope to dial since he was driving. She did and handed it to Jack in the back seat. He was too cute when he talked on the phone, all animated as if the conversation was taking place in person.

They both listened to his side of the conversation, occasionally able to gleam what Jessica was saying. "Hi auntie! Yes, I'm good. I won the spelling bee". He rolled his eyes, Aunt Jessica talked about school too much.

"No. Daddy has been on vacation since I got back." Both Aaron and Garcia shared a small look of panic. It's not that he has to be ashamed of being suspended but it still doesn't look good.

They could hear Jessica's next question. "Is Aunt Penelope spending time with you two lately?". She liked her when they met and there seemed to be sparks between the two of them. She wanted Aaron to have a life again.

Jack smiled into the phone. "Yeah. She's going to be my new mommy. She lives with us and she is going to adopt me and we are buying a house and—"

Little balls were popping in Jessica's head right now. "Jack. Put your father on the phone." She tried to be gentle in the statement because this isn't Jack's fault but her anger was rapidly rising.

Aaron didn't like the sternness of that request. "Jack, hand it over."

Jack was watching this with tears building. They were fighting and he never saw that before. What did he do wrong?

Hotch's hands were starting to shake he was so nervous about this. He decided to pull over until the end of the call. "Hello?"

She tried to calm her voice. "Tell me Jack is just getting ahead of himself."

Hotch sighed and leaned his head back. "No. We're engaged, we have an offer down on a house."

She didn't care about that. She was actually happy for him. "That's fine and all. But did he say she will be adopting him?"

"Look, Jess. It's not like this is going to change the fact that you are his family it's just that—"

"Don't you think you should have fucking talked to us about this! Daddy was right, we should be trying to get that boy away from you. All you do is work. And now you are trying to take him away from us? From me. I'm not having it. I'm going to do whatever I have to do to prevent this. You can't just take away his mother." She wasn't even sure she had a legal leg to stand on. These things are different in every state and now she would have to hire a lawyer and see if she could prevent the step parent adoption.

Penelope of course could hear all of this as could Jack who was crying in the back seat begging Aunt Jessica to stop yelling. Even Aaron was feeling tears roll down his cheeks so he relinquished the phone when Pen grabbed it.

"Please, Jessica. Just try to listen to me." Her tone was gentle and pleading. She didn't want a fight to come of this. She wished the other woman could see how much she loved Jack, how she wanted him to have a full life with all his relatives, blood or otherwise.

How dare this woman try to make her out as being unreasonable. "I don't want to hear a word from you. You're taking my sister's place with her husband? Fine. But you won't—"

That was it. You aren't going to threaten this momma bear. "Jessica. Do. Not. Think. About messing with my family." Penelope's voice held more territorial warning than she realized she was capable of. "I would like to consider you a part of it and I would never rob Jack of Haley's memory or you for that matter. But if you go down this road I have two warnings for you. One, you will fail. And two, when you do I will be sure you never see him again without one of us present. I can't trust a woman who tries to tear a mother from her son and that is what he is now. My son. So back the hell off."

If he couldn't love her anymore that little speech would have done Hotch in. She wasn't budging on this, she was his mother. Period. And her strength in dealing with this even though she too had tears in her eyes. God, she is beautiful.

Jessica knew this situation was getting out of hand because she knew for a fact that if she did fail in preventing this that this woman probably would keep Jack from her for even trying. She wasn't sure how to respond. She wasn't sure if she should just accept this and try to be part of their family or fight. Her father wanted Jack away from Aaron, saying that his constantly having to leave is confusing the boy. And to an extent she thinks that is true but he was a great father nonetheless.

"Look, I can't say what I am going to do right now because I don't know. I'm not happy about this I can tell you that."

Pen understood this. "I get it, I do. But I am not trying to take him away from you guys at all. He is my son though, and I want that official. Can't you understand that?"

"I can understand it, I just can't accept it." Her voice was small, she could hear that. But how was she supposed to part with him? This woman would hold all the cards, she would be able to even try to claim custody of him if Aaron and her divorce because she will be his mother. "I need time. I can't say trying to stop this is off the table and I know my parents are going to go that way."

Penelope asked Aaron to start driving again. They were only a couple minutes from the house and she knew she would collapse once she got in there. "Get to know me, ok? Come over for dinner or something? Tomorrow night? I'll see if we can get the key to the house, show you where we will be living our lives. I mean it when I say I don't want to keep you from him."

Aaron was so thankful she could be so good at mediating even her own disputes. He was one second away from grabbing the phone and telling Jessica that even if Pen doesn't adopt Jack that he himself would forbid a relationship with her if she keeps this up. But he knew that would mean Haley's father trying once again to prove he is an unfit parent. The only person on the team to know about that was Penelope and she knew when it happened, well over a year ago. He really has been confiding in her a lot longer than he realized.

"I'll think about it. Can I speak to my nephew again?"

Reluctantly, Penelope urged Jack to take the phone even though he didn't want anything to do with Aunt Jessica at the moment. "Hello?" he asked, fear obvious in his voice. The car just reached the parking lot and they started getting the pets out followed by Jack.

Penelope went into the back and grabbed her last computer, the only thing that needed to be taken in tonight and when she rounded to the front where the guys were waiting for her, her heart broke for her son still talking on the phone. "I already lost one mommy. Why do you want me to lose another?"

She had to walk ahead of them to keep from balling her eyes out in front of him. She took a good twenty minutes to put away her clothes and cry in private before she came out. Aaron had Jack all curled up on his lap sobbing.

She sat next to them on the sofa, pulling Jack a little on her lap as well and he reacted by choking her in a hug. "Please, don't let them take me away from you." He begged.

She had to bit her lips to keep control. "Oh sweetie. I am never letting anything like that happen, ok? Come on, get dressed and you and daddy and I will all get some much needed sleep. It's back to school and work tomorrow."

Jack didn't want to let go of her but at least he could sleep between his parents tonight. He went off to his room, changed and went to their bedroom, crawling between them.

Once again Hotch watched on as Penelope let his son, her son, snuggle into her shoulders to settle into sleep. For what seemed like the first time in ages he silently prayed directly to God to let him keep this.

-Criminal Minds-

His phone's ringer was obnoxious, more so than all the monitors in the room beeping all night. "What?"

"Dave, I'm sorry but Hotch needs you to come in today for just a couple hours. There is a big meeting about all the fraternization with Strauss in twenty minutes, she specifically asked for you. I was on my way over, so you want me to pick you up?" JJ was terrified right now. She didn't think she was ready to face her punishment for falling for Reid and it seemed like he was likely to get the worst punishment, other than Hotch.

He groaned. There are only two reasons he had to be at this meeting. Either Erin Strauss knows about his feelings for Emily or she is about to transfer or fire Aaron and is prepping him to take over. "I have my car, I'll drive myself. Don't worry too much, Hotch will find a way to fix this."

She knew he was trying to console her and that he didn't have confidence in his words at all, but she accepted the answer and spent the rest of the drive to the BAU in a near panic .The price that Hotch and Garcia, more than anyone else, are going to have to pay to be together is simply an overwhelming prospect. Life on the team without either of them is going to be intolerable.

She pulled up alongside Spencer's caravan, still giggling that he bought the darn thing. They only have one kid but Spencer insisted that the safety ratings and entertainment system were worth it. Plus, it was a hybrid and he always wanted one of those. She knew he was preparing for when they had more and it made her all warm inside despite everything else going on to know that he was looking forward to a future with her.

Garcia was walking into the building the same time as her. "You're just getting in now?"

Garcia chuckled a bit, she knew what JJ was really asking is why she didn't come in earlier with Hotch who, needing to be here only for the morning meetings or not, was always very early. "I had to drop Jack off at school and give the nurse his medications."

"Wow, they let you? I mean, since you aren't his parent yet it seems..." she stopped because she knew the adopting Jack thing was likely a sore subject that would get worse once Haley's family hears about it.

Penelope managed to only let her jaw tick a little bit. "I've been on his contact list forever now, so it's fine. He pulled me to meet his teacher again, introduced me as mom." She had been so happy at that moment. For years she will be going to his parent teacher conferences and competitions. She would be the one to raise him and care for him. It was still so new and so right, nothing and no one better try to get in her way. She already had a long list of things she was tempted to do to Jessica and her parents with her magic powers but she knew it was wrong to try until absolutely necessary. Aaron was just going to have to forgive her for being so territorial.

The two ladies walked through the lobby and security together, waiting for the elevator and that was when she noticed that JJ was really on edge and if she were honest with herself, so was she. This whole mess could destroy Aaron's career. His suspension was simply an immediate administrative action to buy time for Strauss to figure out what to do.

She and JJ rode the elevator up together and noticed that somehow Rossi and everyone else beat them to the punch and were all in the conference room.

"Honey, take a seat." Aaron held a chair out for Pen and Reid did the same for JJ. Both men were worried about what would happen because of who they fell for. "She should be here any minute. But I want you to know that I don't regret anything. I will find another way to contribute if I have to. Ok?"

She nodded even though they both knew she was not ok, especially not when she saw Strauss walk in with a look on her face she could only term as enraged. The woman sat across the table from where they all sat or stood.

After a short examination of this team she sighed, annoyed and began. "I'm going to make this quick. Dr. Reid is being investigated for improper use of force in the Carver Hanson case. I want you all to fully cooperate in this investigation. You got lucky last time." She went to look at Emily but noticed she wasn't there. "Where is Agent Prentiss? I requested her here as well."

Rossi slammed down Emily's phone. "She's pregnant and in a coma. What do you mean Reid is under investigation? The unsub was about to stab Penelope. It was obviously a just use of force." He was the only person not totally terrified of this woman. It probably helped that he once turned down a proposition for sex from her. He still shivers thinking about it, that would have been a real low.

God she hated that cocky ass with his good looks and success from those books. Plus she damn well knew he was holding one certain drunken incident at a party against her. "Yes, but he is dating one of the victims and friends with another. And the other agent in the vicinity was none other than agent Hotchner who tells me you all support their 'building romantic attachment.' Correct?"

Crap. Penelope knew things had moved fast, no one kept Strauss up to date on the developments. "Um, director? Ma'am? Aaron is my fiancée now."

She could feel her jaw fall. "I had hoped after our chat you would have ended this, both of you. But going on, making it more serious… I have no choice. Ms. Garcia you are being reassigned to another team effective tomorrow. Agent Hotchner, your suspension is extended another week until I figure out what to do with you. Agent Jareau, we will discuss this after you are cleared for duty." She took a breath. She really did feel bad for JJ, she was a great agent and she went through hell on that case. "Agent Reid, you are on desk duty until closure of the investigation. I will need you Rossi to take ov—"

"Can't do it." He was the last person to put in charge of a team that is facing so much disciplinary action just because of fraternization. He has a long history of just that. As JJ would tell you, most of those rules are in place because of him.

Strauss of course knew all about that but it still didn't make sense why he would be turning this down unless he was also engaging in something in appropriate at the work place. It wouldn't be too surprising considering his reputation and that he still gets young women to throw themselves at him. She remembers one particular incident when she ran into him at one of his book signings and a twenty-something fan girl practically parted her legs right in front of him in the damned store. There were so many options she could consider.

She narrowed her eyes at him and stood to meet his height as she tried to figure it out. "Are you sleeping with a student? Agent Seaver?"

Dave's mouth twisted in disgust. "Of course not. I am simply not fit for this post at this time. Accept that and have Morgan do it." He wished she would just leave it alone.

Morgan could run things, of course. He did it before. But while she is at it, getting to the bottom of these secrets she needed to find this out as well. "Dave. There is an investigation. We have to know all the facts. What is it?"

He shook his head, tight lipped and unwilling to answer her.

This was infuriating. He was too damn stubborn. "Dave damn it! Between all of these people, you and that whore Emily getting knocked up—"

His snarl stopped her right in her tracks. "That's the woman I intend to marry and that baby is mine. Watch your fucking mouth."