I don't own criminal minds

"Um, please. Come in." Penelope was having a sort of out of body experience at the moment. She was saying all the right things, making all the right motions but in her head all she could think about was the fact that she was wearing a loud green and purple wrap dress and sparkly hair accessories. She looked fit for Mardi Gras, not a mother trying to keep her child.

Aaron was simply about to implode emotionally. He thought they had more time. He thought they might get a heads up from someone JJ knew in the department of Children and Families. He didn't think that right in the middle of their barbeque that he would have a potentially life changing interview to contend with. "Pen, honey. I am just going to tell Dave to hold off on starting up the grill. I will be right back with some water." He needed Rossi to calm him down for a bit. It wasn't fair to Penelope to leave her all alone with the social worker but he was no use to anyone at this moment.

"And please bring Jack along with you when you return." The social worker called after him before turning her focus to the eccentric woman seated at her left. She was never a person to judge by appearances other than how happy or nervous or afraid someone looks. And frankly this woman had a lot of all three about her. "So, Ms. Garcia—"

Penelope interrupted. "Please, Penelope is fine." She had heard that having them use your first name makes them bond a bit with you, something Tabby taught her. She was a good mother, she wanted the woman to see that.

The determined social worker nodded. "And please, Caroline. Now, I understand that you are going to be seeking to adopt Jack once you're legally married?"

Penelope nodded, "That's the plan. He's so sweet, he asked me to adopt him after I said yes to Aaron." She wasn't sure if that sounded good or bad, like she might not have wanted to. "We of course had discussed it but didn't want to bring it up right away. But Jack, he's pretty straight forward with what he wants. He goes right after it."

"That's a good thing, right mommy?" Jack was nervous as he peaked his head around the corner into the room. He had seen someone at the door but Uncle Spencer had pulled him aside from going and greeting them. Reid had told him, after he begged for answers, that she was a social worker and asked if he knew what that was. Jack did, and he was scared but did as he was told and sat next to his mommy waiting for his daddy to sit on his other side.

"Of course sweetie. Not too many boys in the world that stand up to bullies for their friends or win spelling bees and congratulate their competition on a good job." She was starting to tear up. He was such a good person, a great, great kid. Her life has been significantly brightened in the weeks since he called her mommy and she was quite sure if she lost him she would feel she had nothing left.

The social worker perked at hearing about a bully. "So there are bullies at your school Jack?"

This was the first time she addressed him personally and he shrunk into Penelope's side, peeking out from around her to answer. "Yes. They don't like Amelia."

Caroline was saddened to see him so terrified of her. She understood that he was a smart boy, he was placing in the top of his class in all his courses and the principal at his school told her he is being considered for a grade jump at the end of the year but has yet to talk to the Hotchners about that. "And who is Amelia? Is she your friend?"

Jack nodded. "She's my best friend and my girlfriend. Mommy says kid boyfriends and girlfriends are different and that's ok. I like her kisses but I don't think I am ready for responsibility… I like mommy's cooking a lot."

All three in the room giggled a bit at Jack's antics, as did everyone else listening from the other side of the wall silently. They were all nervous and hoped this problem would just go away.

"Jack has been friends with Amelia's brother for years and her too. Lately she's been nicer than Kevin so they hang out. He's a good friend, even did her hair when she cried last week." Aaron pet his son's hair, hoping he would get to do that all the time.

Jack looked at him and smiled with pride at being praised by his daddy. "She was very sad." He said modestly.

Caroline was very interested in the dynamic of this newly forming family. She was made aware that Penelope had long been on Jack's emergency contact list at school and then more details on how Penelope and Aaron seemed to have gotten together. Erin Strauss had a resource of information on the topic. It was certainly sudden that all this came about but they had been coworkers for years. "So Jack, I see you got a cast. Can I sign it?"

He looked nervous but took a sharpie out of his crayon box that was on the table from his coloring with Henry earlier. "I fell off a ladder in the playground. Mommy made it all better though."

Caroline nodded and sat on the floor next to him as he began to color with her. "When did you start calling her mommy?"

Aaron and Penelope were both unbelievably on edge. Every question had them wondering what angle this woman was getting at, if she was trying to extract something about potential abuse from the cast or a manipulation in Jack calling her mommy. None of which was directly related to the complaint being that Hotch was supposedly an 'absent father'.

"That night when I had a bad dream. She let me snuggle with her and she felt like my mommy. Was that wrong?" He was afraid to say something wrong and be taken back to his grandparents forever. A week was enough. His grandpa didn't seem to have a lot of patience.

"No sweetie, I think that's nice you love her like a mommy." Caroline tried to reassure him.

Jack stomped his foot, his face turning beet red. "No! She's not like my mommy. She is my mommy! Why are you doing this to us!" Tears started streaming down his cheeks. "Mommy Haley already died. Why can't I just have my mommy now?"

Caroline sat back in surprise as Jack stormed out of the room. She saw another adult follow him with concern so she stopped Aaron and Penelope from doing the same. "Does he normally react that way?"

"No." They both said in unison, Aaron continued. "He is a smart kid, he understands what all this means. We just moved in here, we just started a life together and he doesn't want that to end. Excuse me, but I am going after my son and don't you dare try to stop me."

Penelope's mouth hung open. She nearly threw a shoe at him for talking that way to the woman that could change their whole lives. "Please." She grit between her teeth. "Tell him to not worry."

He saw the anger rising behind her façade and quickly left. He was going to pay for that decision later but he didn't care. His son was a ball on Emily's lap crying more tears than he thought possible for the human body.

"Penelope. I am sorry to have upset him." Caroline was concerned at that reaction. It was never her intent to come down hard on the boy, just the parents. She had thought she was being delicate. "He's a lot like my own son when he was small."

"Yes, except you didn't have to worry about losing him at any minute. About not being able to make medical decisions if something happened to him or trying to live up to the legacy of his diseased mother." She was beyond her ability to control herself at this point. Her boys were in trouble and she was stuck here, with this.

Caroline was taken aback yet again. "That must be hard. But you want to be his mother, don't you?"

"More than anything. I wanted that long before I had any idea Aaron loved me as he did." She wanted it from when he first started asking if she ever thought about having kids. He had already adopted her as a mother in his heart and it was only too easy to do the same, as much as she tried to avoid it.

"So, then. Let's talk about Aaron. He works a lot."

"Yes, he does. I'm not going to lie. He keeps saying he wants to quit the BAU if it comes down it keeping Jack or not so please keep that in mind. But Aaron is the type of man that puts others first, always. Jack has his heart and so do I. Then everything left it to our team, to the job, to catching the people who do horrible things like killing his ex-wife."

This family is complicated, that's for sure. "It's a noble job. But does that mean he doesn't see Jack?"

"Hell no!" Penelope wished she had more of a filter right now. She was really shaken from Aaron's outburst. "I'm sorry. I am very upset right now. Where was I?" She took a second to catch her breath. "Ah, yeah. No, Aaron does see Jack a lot. He makes it to the important things and really it's only when someone's life is literally on the line that he alters that. And even then he always finds a way to be there in some fashion. He might send Jack a post card or make him his favorite dinner ahead of time for a baby sitter to heat up. I had done that more than once. And I have technological magic which has always makes Skype a possibility for the two of them every night."

"And with you moving in, I assume Jessica will be keeping him less often?" She had already heard all of this from Jessica. She wanted to have her facts straight and interview everyone other than Aaron's direct team members before facing the agent head on.

Penelope sighed and sat back. "Less often, but not cut out altogether. She's coming for Easter and we want her parents to come too."

"Even with the case they opened against you?" She was incredulous. No one is this forgiving.

"Honestly." She sighed, "I hate the idea of that looming over us during a family holiday but so be it. I am surrounded by profilers in every facet of my life. It's been explained to me that they are afraid I am trying to replace Haley, that I might replace them as well. That's never what I wanted for Jack. I just want my son to be my son." She broke into a large heap of tears just then, feeling the crush of Derek's arms around her as he pulled her into his body. She realized Aaron must have sent him to watch over her for this very reason.

Looking over the top of Baby Girl's head he glared at Caroline. "Could you please give me a minute with my best friend?"

Caroline got the distinct impression she better move on to other prey and went looking for Aaron. He was in the kitchen kneeling in front of a dark haired women holding Jack. He was trying to talk to the boy but wasn't getting much more than simple calm from him.

"Mr. Hotchner. I wonder if I may have a word?" She didn't expect to see so many people here. She was told to simply show up on Sunday by her superior.

He sighed and stood but not before kissing his son's forehead. "What can I do for you? I am sorry," he noticed her looking around curiously. "We were having a small family party to celebrate our move."

"You seem to have moved quickly." She was pretty surprised. They could have lived here for weeks looking at the state of completion of things.

"Yes, well. We had a great deal of help. Everyone here did their part and more. They understood the stress we were under and wanted to help us build more happy memories."

She was thoughtful for a moment, watching as a young boy sat by Jack's side on the floor with an offering of chocolate milk. She saw the container of ovaltine, impressed they even did that healthfully. "Could you tour me the house please?"

Aaron nodded without a lot of enthusiasm. He poked his head in the living room seeing Penelope having calmed some. "Pen honey, I am going to show Caroline around. I love you."

"I love you too." She almost bitterly replied. She wasn't happy with him right now. Not at all.

He walked into the family room and showed her the setup of the play room they are working on. Next the laundry area and then back through the kitchen to the dining room. "I proposed to her right here." He stood in the open space. "We knew then we had to buy the house."

"Did you feel any guilt at moving on from your wife?"

Aaron felt anger wash over him and he did his best to tamp it down. "No. Haley is my ex-wife. It's been years, we had divorced before her death and I have moved on. She'll always be important but she's not Penelope, not the love of my life." 'And don't you dare try saying anything negative about Penelope or I may have to withdraw my service weapon.' He was glad his mental filters were firing at that thought.

She sensed she was on dangerous ground and decided to ask to be shown upstairs. Aaron nodded, that was a good idea. He led her up the back stairs to that let out next to their master. "Do you need to see our room?"

She quirked a brow. "That would be nice."

He nodded and opened up. There was nothing embarrassing in here except Penelope's silk nightie laying in a heap next to the bed. He forgot he pulled that off her last night. "We bought a lot of the furniture that came with the house since my stuff was a lot smaller before. Here's the bathroom. Pen loves that tub."

She found it quite sweet that he was so devoted to her, he brought her up in almost every sentence. "Do you trust her with your son?"

"Implicitly." He responded, without pause. "She's the sweetest soul you will ever meet." He started leading her out and down the hall. "She sees images of murder and torture all day long and yet she can still round up a cheer about her, she copes with flashy colors and fun. She keeps us all from spiraling down."

She was glad to hear that. From the description Aaron's former in-laws offered, which she knew they had never met the woman, she was a messed up woman and he a messed up man because of their job. "Do you ever think your job is too much?"

Aaron felt like he was in court. "Yes. Often. You don't do what we do without wanting to take a step back but we work through it because we need to. I just am sure to separate that life from this one, even if the people I work with are the people that I surround myself with socially. We all get those boundaries." He never before considered how that could look, like they might not keep them separate. "We never subject the children to any of it."

"Yet Jack was a target of Foyet's and there during the sniper attack?" She read off of her file as they entered the office.

'Fuck!' Was his only thought for a moment. "Yes, unfortunately sometimes we become targets. But even then, he was inside, mostly playing in his fort."

She nodded, writing some notes down in the file with a deep frown. "Nice office."

"Thanks."

He walked across the hall and showed her the nursery.

"Oh, is Ms. Garcia pregnant?"

"No. We are trying though. This was already a nursery beforehand. We are keeping the furniture because it still meets safety requirements but repainting whenever our next one comes along. Jack's room is through the bathroom in here." He watched as she wrote more notes down through to the next room.

"Wow." She took in the bold pattern of the walls and the neat boy's room. "This was like this before?"

Aaron shook his head. "No, Jack picked the design out. Made it himself actually. His favorite color is navy blue because it reminds him of an old FBI training t-shirt of mine he once threw up on. I don't get why he is so fond of that memory but whatever." He shrugged. He was hoping she could see he is an attentive dad.

Penelope sorted from the door way. "I remember why. He ate those two slices of pizza with M&M's you told him not to eat and it was the first time he understood you make rules for a reason when he got sick form it."

Aaron chuckled, hoping she was past the storm of emotions. "I do remember that now. If I'm not mistaken you were pretty sick too that night." She had been the person to introduce him to M&M's pizza at the Christmas party.

"Ms. Garcia, I have learned that you have been twice the target of what you call an unsub? Once quite recently in fact?" She kept her gaze schooled to her notes. She had been instructed to be as tough on these people as possible, relentless and she was good at following orders.

Penelope stood stalk still wondering what this woman was trying to get at. "Yes. A few years ago and once again a few weeks ago on a case in Dallas."

Caroline nodded, being sure to not meet agent Hotchner's gaze less he become able to read her body language and her expression. "And you came to the bureau through an arrangement due to being caught as a notorious hacker?" She tisked in disapproval before she even got confirmation.

Aaron subconsciously stepped in front of Penelope, trying to halt this attack. "Ms. Hingly, what does this have to do with the case?" Try as he might he couldn't help the venom escape in his tone.

Caroline looked up from her notes innocently. "Simply gathering all the facts on your personalities, family dynamic and ability to raise a healthy son." Caroline dropped her gaze took some more time to go over her notes before looking back up at them, satisfied that she covered all her bases. "Well, Agent Hotchner, Ms. Garcia. It was nice meeting you. I will be in contact with you by the end of the week on my findings after I report all this to my superiors. For now I would say your home is a safe enough environment until I make my final decision." With that, she simply left.

Penelope collapsed into Aaron's arms in tears once she heard the click of the door behind Caroline.

-Criminal Minds—

"Can you pass the tongs babe?" Rossi had done as Aaron asked and taken over the barbeque and grilling with the help of his raven haired love of his life. Even when facing the equivalent of hell Aaron didn't want to burden the team or take away from their happiness. If he thought some marinated chicken was going to distract everyone from what was going on inside he had the wrong idea about this family.

Emily sighed and handed the tongs over with what can only be described as veiled melancholy. After Hotch took Caroline upstairs they all decided to come out to the back yard and give the family privacy. It took Reid literally smacking Morgan to get the bigger man to budge from his best friend's side but he finally made it out there too, focusing his energy entirely on Jack. "I can't believe Reid actually smacked Morgan."

Dave almost chuckled. At any other time that would have been funny. "He's become a man of action I supposed." He flipped over the peppers grilling and checked the progress of the salmon, nowhere near done yet. "I think that between the inquiry and this case." He gestured to the house to indicate Hotch's dilemma. "That Reid is starting to grow out of his shell and become more aggressive in protecting what he cares about. Just look at how he worked himself to the bone with Tabby."

Emily let her gaze cast to the far corner of the deck where the other brunette sat with JJ actively discussing options on how to deal with the social worker's abrupt visit. She was visibly angry and Emily could just make out their conversation.

"I was told I would be forewarned by at least an hour!" Tabby threw her hands up, not raising her voice at JJ who was just as frustrated but rather at the world.

JJ sighed. "When I talked to them just now they said she showed up earlier than expected. She's supposedly ruthless, sent in to justify a hold off on future cases."

"Fuck." Tabby bit out. Her request at closing the possibility off in the future might come to bite them back in the ass if this goes wrong because of some overzealous woman looking for problems that don't exist. At the very least it meant she didn't get her heads up and that meant she could prepare Hotch and Garcia for the onslaught, the backlash of which she was sure would be explosive. "I'm sorry JJ."

JJ propped her head on her shoulder. "What do you mean? You don't have to apologize to me."

Tabby shook her head, regretting the action with the searing pain radiating throughout her skull. She wouldn't admit it to anyone but she was ten seconds from collapsing at any moment since yesterday. She was overrunning herself and she knew it. But she would be damned if that would stop her. "Things are going to go to hell JJ. I didn't get where I am just because of my mind in psychology. My gut is a strong force and I know something will disrupt us all."

Emily felt her own gut turn at hearing that. She knew Dave trusted Tabby's gut implicitly and she trusted him the same. But she couldn't think on it now as Penelope and Aaron walked onto the back porch, their faces sullen and trying to hide their pain.

"Dave, I'll take over cooking. Thank you." Aaron tried to pry the tongs from his friend's grasp. He needed something he could control and frankly he needed a moment away from Penelope. He loved her but, and he's not proud of this, part of him wondered if Haley's parents would have ever tried this again had it not been for her presence in his life. He mentally kicked himself for the thought, this wasn't her fault.

Dave sensed this need for Aaron and scooted over but not leaving his side. Emily took that as her cue to go to Garcia who was now situated next to JJ on the chaise facing Tabby. She decided to join the other three women and took a spot next to Tabby, concerned when she saw the green twinge of her newest friend's complexion. Tabby wasn't quite right but she had other fish to fry at the moment. "PG." She implored for her friend's attention and reached out her hand to hers.

Garcia almost wilted at the caring touch of her best friends surrounding her. "I just- JJ, please tell me everything that you know about this."

Aaron watched from under his eye lids as his future wife began to grill JJ on details of the social worker trying to get every little bit of information on the process and what has been done favor wise thus far. He was concerned, very concerned that no one seemed to notice Tabby excuse herself and run back into the house with a pained expression on her face. He made to follow but Dave's hand on his arm stopped him.

"Whatever you are thinking just relax." He hadn't seen Tabby, all he saw was a man trying to avoid his problems. "What happened in there?"

Aaron sighed, only staying upright from the crushing weight of his own burdened soul with the support of his friend's presence beside him. "I don't know. It was touch and go. I yelled at the damn woman earlier and upstairs I nearly bit her head off when she went after Pen."

Dave could feel the bile rise in his own gut. "What do you mean? What did she do to Pumpkin?" His tone was dangerous, evidence of his considering putting a certain social worker deep into the ground.

Aaron took a deep breath deciding he didn't want to collapse in front of his friends. "She made some comments about Jack's exposure to danger because of Foyet and Napoli. And made a disapproving comment about Penelope's hacker past. As if all her work that saves lives every day means nothing!" He failed at retaining composure as his hand came barreling down onto the prep area of the grill, the noise attracting the attention of everyone there but wisely no one said anything.

"Fuck." David grumbled under his breath. This was worse than he thought. This social worker seemed on a mission. "So, where do things stand?"

Aaron had to step away from the grill and rested on the edge of the window sill near him. "Jack stays here, for now. She was quite vague on anything more. But I don't feel good about it."

Dave found himself needing to take a seat. He couldn't imagine anyone actually thinking that Aaron Hotchner isn't a good father. This man does everything he can for everyone. His son his priority number one followed quickly by Penelope and then the team. It simply wasn't fair. His heartache over Emily not answering his proposal hardly paled in comparison to this. "Well, what's the plan?"

Aaron had been staring quite intently at a potted plant that Reid had bought them, refusing to let tears form in his eyes in front of his friends but he looked up at that question. "What do you mean?"

Dave stood and dusted his hind off unnesarily, a nervous gesture. "I'm not letting that boy leave you. So, what's the plan? If worse comes to worse I know a place you and Pumpkin can hide out."

Aaron's eyes widened at the statement, realizing what he meant. "Dave, I can't kidnap my own son." He paused. "Or at least I can't let myself consider it yet." He knew Dave was probably plotting it out anyhow. Until it becomes necessary to think it might need to happen, he wasn't going to let his mind spiral that far into dissolution.

He almost continued a response but his brightly colored fiancé's arms flailing violently as she animatedly spoke to JJ caught his eye. He walked over, worried at what this was doing to her. "Penelope." He tried to jar her from her conversation about what black mail she should try on what member of the department but she didn't respond.

She shrugged off his hand on her shoulder attempting to comfort her. "Leave me alone." She firmly met his eye before turning back to JJ.

"Pen, why are you doing this?" Aaron was at his wits end. He just needed her to not shut him out. He needed her to keep the lines of communication open so they could get through this, together.

"Doing what? Talking? Trying to save our son from being taken away from us? Hmmm…. Oh right. Trying to save your son and my future step son!" she bit it out. She wasn't handling this well and she knew it. But she didn't care much either. Jack, her Jack… she felt her heart collapsing at the thought of losing him.

"Stop saying things like that! He is your son. He will be officially soon." He was so frustrated with her right now. He wasn't even able to open up to her over the last few days about what he has been going through, what he has been considering in regards to the future of the BAU. She won't hear a word he says and he was simply hurt that she was shutting him out. She was always shutting him out and now it was worse than ever. "I'm going through this too you know!"

Penelope stood to her full height and looked him directly in the eyes, her hands fisting at her sides. "Oh trust me I know that. I am not the one who practically told off the social worker, the one person in control of our lives!"

He stepped back sensing dangerous ground. "I wasn't going to let Jack just run and cry without me Pen." He regretted his next sentence as soon as it escaped his lips. "Honestly I am disappointed in you for not doing the same."

She almost stabbed him with one manicured green finger nail digging into the flesh of his chest. That was absolutely the worst thing he could have said at the moment. "And now." She more forcefully jabbed, making him back up a few feet closer to the house. "You accuse me of being a bad mother. I should chuck your ring right in your face." Her heart was breaking inside at say that. She didn't mean it but lord did she not want to calm down right now.

"Stop fighting!" Jack yelled it at the top of his lungs, desperately wanting answers on what happened inside. Uncle Spencer and Uncle Morgan had been holding him back trying to distract him from his parents saying they needed some time. But right now he didn't care what they needed. He needed them.

"Aaron." Dave's wise tone pervaded his once mentee's attention. "Take this inside. He shouldn't see it."

Reid moved behind Garcia and held her shoulders back gently, letting Aaron retreat into the house. He held onto her until she finally seemed in control of herself to walk in as well. "Keep the boys outside." He commanded to JJ, she was the only person he could trust to keep her head on straight. Emily and Morgan were behind him, following along.

Penelope wasn't sure how to go about this anymore. Her emotions felt like a popcorn machine. Sadness in the air, falling back down to be replaced by anger, loneliness and guilt. She couldn't keep up with it. "Upstairs." She demanded of Aaron, her finger indicating the front stairway.

He nodded with a gulp. In a way he didn't want to be alone with her, afraid he would say more things he would regret after hearing her basically say their engagement was on rocky ground. But he took a deep breath and determinedly followed her up to their bedroom.

The second she got inside their suite she was pretty sure she wasn't going to be able to stay angry much longer. She knew this wasn't real anger. This was the manifestation of her desperation turned on the one person she should have compassion for at this moment. She hated being surrounded by these damn profilers sometimes, it all rubs off.

"Penelope." He was enraged still, desperate more than ever now. "You, you're going to return the ring?" The fragility of his own voice shocked him. He sounded more broken than when Haley divorced him, when she died combined. His heart was ripping from its cubby in his chest. He can't lose his son and his wife. He can't.

"Fuck!" she yelled at herself, turning from him. She was so angry at herself right now. Why does she keep doing this? "Fucking fuckedy fuck." She never swore so much in her life than today.

He cautiously approached closer to her, stopping a few feet away. It took all his control to keep his voice calm. "Jack deserves more than our fighting right now."

Penelope nodded, still not ready to look at him. "He deserves a lot more than what we give him."

Neither was quite sure if the other was thinking maybe they weren't good together after all. In her heart Penelope knew that wasn't true, this was an expected reaction in a marriage to potentially losing a child. She had to overcome it, she turned back to face him. "I'm not going anywhere, so long as you still want this." She bit her lip, terrified he would say he didn't want her anymore. It was irrational, but rationality left her house when she opened the door on Caroline Hingly.

Aaron's shoulders lowered in relief and his body lowered to his knees in front of her. He let his head rest against her belly, thankful to feel her hands stroking through his hair. "Please, don't ever scare me like that again." He wrapped his arms around her thighs. "You and Jack are my everything."

She sighed and rubbed the emotional exhaustion from her eyes. "I'm sorry for bursting out like that."

Aaron shook his head against her. "No. I should have known you would feel that way. Penelope, you are his mom and you will officially be soon. I promise, I promise."

She shimmied her way down to the floor with him, resting her head against his as they kneeled together. "We were both stupid. I'm sorry and I am never giving this ring back. Too pretty."

He chuckled, she is the only woman capable of changing his emotions so quickly in just two words. "You're beautiful." He stroked her face and pulled her in for a kiss.

Before they knew it, the two were on the floor wriggling out of their clothing, Penelope kissing down his neck as he palmed her breasts. It was tender yet almost animalistic in its need. He needed her. She needed him.

"Please honey, I need be with you." He moaned into her ear feeling her moist folds below. "I love you." And he needed to connect with her.

She pulled him down on top of her and reached between them to line him up just right. "I love you too." It was a proclamation and an instruction for him to join with her again. There wasn't really lust in this meeting, it was comfort, a need to renew.

He thrust into her slowly and with purpose, not thinking about anything other than relief at being with her. She can make everything ok. She can make the world disappear. He kept his pace, needing her, kissing her, licking every bit of skin he could taste in their current position until he could feel her whimpers and he too echoed them. They weren't of the carnal variety.

Once his eyes met hers she saw the tears in his eyes fall just as they did from her own. She reached up and kissed them away, moving her hips to encourage him along. They both needed this release and somehow they managed it together, rocking and maneuvering the second natured rhythm which finally allowed them to collapse together on the floor of their bedroom, clinging to one another without separation.

She ran her hands through his hair for several minutes relishing in the contact of her Aaron, there with her and for her. "Let's go see him." She suggested. They reclaimed one another, they needed to see their son. She knew he felt as guilty as her that they hadn't reassured him yet.

He silently agreed and stood, reaching a hand down to her and kissing each of her hands reverently before redressing her. He had to care for her, let her take care of him and the simple act of returning clothes to their original state helped reaffirm their commitment to doing so in life. Together they would face the world, together they would figure out why they heard a large bang downstairs and Tabby and Derek yelling at one another on the front lawn.

-Criminal Minds—

Tabby leaned against the sink in the downstairs half bath waiting for the water she splashed on her face to dry. She didn't have the energy to wipe her face with a towel. She was surprised she could even manage rinsing the taste of her vomit out of her mouth. She really hoped that this was simply morning sickness but she doubted it. Her doctor had warned her and Derek that nausea, fatigue and headaches were cause for concern and would be for another two weeks. She was starting to regret having not told him how awful she was feeling. She hadn't wanted to worry him but she was starting to think making an appointment to see her doctor wasn't a bad idea.

'What the hell was that?' Tabby was shaken from her spot in the bathroom hearing the thump of at least two people on the stairs above the small bathroom overhead and the sudden raising of a deep male voice. Her man's voice. "Derek?" she poked her head out of the bathroom, her hand on the doorknob mostly responsible for her staying erect.

Emily cradled to her side. She knew something was off with the brunette since yesterday but didn't think it was her place to say anything. She was pretty private on some things, modesty of her wellbeing one of them. "Derek is being bull headed." She cast her gaze to where Reid was blocking the progress of Morgan's stampede up the stairs.

"Move pretty boy." Derek warned. He wasn't much for caring about Reid's feelings right now. The kid had slapped him earlier and was now standing between him and his baby girl.

"No." Reid sounded a lot more resolute than he felt. He knew he was in the right stopping this but he did wonder if he would be slugged at any moment. He was glad JJ was still outside, she would be going crazy right now. "You have to let them figure out their own problems." He was pretty thankful that Rossi was holding Derek back with all his power but the older man's grip around Derek's waist was starting to slip.

"Derek." A slightly recovering Tabby implored. She could at least stand on her own now. "Honey, he's right. You can't swoop in to solve all her problems."

"You weren't out there." He firmly responded, an accusation in his tone. "She needs me."

Tabby looked to Emily who quickly whispered an explanation in her ear on the fight Penelope and Aaron were having. She looked back at Derek once she understood. "Honey, this is about their relationship. We can help whenever we can but they have to talk. Trust me?"

Derek's heart momentarily softened, knowing she was right but he was damn mad at her for seeming like she didn't care. He backed away down the stairs and stood in front of her. "Fine. But if she needed me and I wasn't there it is you to blame!"

She didn't like his tone, her head already pounding and he yells at her. "What is your problem?"

Derek's eye brows rose in irritation. "What's my problem? I'll tell you girl." He poked a finger in the air just shy of touching her. "You don't give a damn about what's happening, hiding away in this house while we had to watch all that!"

She tried for patience, she tried for understanding but she was coming up empty. "I don't care?" she asked in a very dangerous tone, poison on her tongue.

Subconsciously, Emily and Dave backed away together up one step of the stairs, both noticing that Tabby had to lay a hand on the door knob to the front to keep her balance despite how confident she looked in her argument.

Derek took a step closer, irate that she was taking such an attitude with him when he should be helping his closest friend through a horrible time in her life. "Yeah. You don't care do you? You just focus on that 'master plan' of yours, stay cryptic and ignore the pain that Baby Girl is going through."

"I don't care." She confirmed his accusation with seething. "I don't fucking care!" She affirmed, her voice firmly raising. "You're damn right. I'm done! I'm done putting myself on the line for a man who can't use his profiler skills and see that I am putting myself through the ringer for him and his friends!" She threw open the door which was her life line needing to get away from him, storming to the front yard.

He followed instinctively, turning her around forcefully which almost knocked her off her feet. "Don't be stupid Tabby." He wasn't catching up yet, something was off about her but his anger was too much to bear. She should know he doesn't handle seeing those closest to him hurt and that included her. He was getting all the angrier at himself that she seemed in pain, which made him angry at her for making him react this way.

She cocked her head. "Now you are calling me stupid? You gigantic, pompous asshole." She pointed at him directly. "You need to get it through your thick skull that she had someone else to care for her too. Take a back seat and get on a different ride or you'll lose us both."

Rossi bit his lips trying to find a way out of this because one thing that Derek Morgan doesn't do well is take to threats. "Guys, let's calm down." He tried but Derek swatted him back.

"Let me tell you something right now Tabby." He stalked closer to her. "I love you but I will be damned if I am going to be kept in the shadows of my own life. You say I should leave Baby Girl and Hotch to their thin? Fine. But I should be included in your damn plans. You don't get to rule your position over me any time you feel like it."

Tabby's eyes narrowed with pure contempt. That was the single worst thing he could accuse her of in her opinion. "I never lorded anything over you. I can't share what I have been up to with good reason but I have worked my ass off all for you!" she stumbled a bit as she backed away from him, feeling arms catch her. She looked up, it was Emily, someone who understood protecting your loved ones through secrets. "I need to go home." She nearly begged her friend, she was her only potential ally.

Emily nodded and straightened her up but was stopped by Morgan. "Finish your damn thought Tabby. You can't go running all the time."

"Running." She laughed in derision, letting Emily lead her towards her car. The other brunette knew how close she was to collapsing. She wondered why over-protective Derek wasn't seeing it. "Running would be walking away before I risked my damn career for you, for all of you. Running would be saving my reputation and my dignity and my damned self right now with how sick I am. I got shot last week, remember? Pregnant? Twins? Steel plate in my head?" She actually spit in his face, she hated him right now. Almost nothing he could have ever said would be more insulting than accusing her of not caring shen she put everything on the line this week. "I put everything on the line for you and your friends all week. Don't. You. Dare. Accuse me of not caring Derek Morgan! Just because I am practical and don't cry at the drop of a hate like your little Baby Girl doesn't mean I'm not at my wits end. But you know what?" She fumbled with her hands. "I am going to run now, save myself from the misery that is dealing with you!"

Derek could feel his heart stop watching what happened next. It was something he never expected and it broke his heart. Whatever the argument he always thought they would work through it, always thought he wouldn't ever see her next actions, hear her next words.

She tossed her ring back at him and used the last of all her strength to climb into the passenger seat of Emily's car, yelling out the window as they backed away. "We are through. And I suggest that if you ever want to fucking see the twins that you get yourself a damn lawyer!"

Everyone's on looking hearts plummeted to the floor.

A/N: Now, you didn't think I would let you all off that easily did you? Not to worry, a few more chapters left to sort out this mess!