Monday morning came, and Erin dropped Penelope off at work. She stopped Reid when she saw him come in. "Reid, since you're back, could I see you in my office?" she asked, arching her eyebrow at him. He nodded and followed her up. "So, when were you planning on telling me about being our donor?"
"Ah, she told you about that. Well, it was going to be soon, obviously. Your first meeting with the doctor is today, after all. We both underwent genetic testing and while I don't know how cute the baby will be, I do know they'll be healthy." He looked up at her and smiled. "Hey, no crying. This is a good thing, right?"
She nodded and wiped her eyes. "But how did you manage to keep this a secret? You must have known for weeks."
"Remember, everyone tells me their secrets because no one asks me questions. And Erin wanted to surprise you with this. How could I deny her that? So, which one of you is going to carry my progeny?"
"Me, of course. I'm younger, it'll go easier on me." She booted up her system. "So, since you seem to know everything, when's implantation going to occur?"
He blushed bright red and looked at his feet. "Tonight. But do not tell her I told you that. She wanted to keep that a secret as well. You are prepared for multiples, right? Most IVF treatments result in twins or triplets. Though you could always try for sextuplets."
"And have six of you running around at one time? No, thank you. We have to put our kids through college, Reid." She laughed and hugged him close. "Thanks for doing this for us. It means the world to me, it really does."
"I'm always glad to help my friends. Did you happen to bring any cake with you?"
She rolled her eyes and pulled out a Tupperware container from her bag. "Here you go, Dr. Sweettooth. You should be glad, I snagged the last piece from Paul and Jack this morning."
"Jack stayed the whole weekend this time?"
"Yeah, he and Paul had this marathon game going on, so Hotch let him stay extra long." She looked up once more and saw Emily in the doorway. "New case, Em?"
"Uh huh. This one does not sit well with me already."
Penelope picked up her tablet and followed them out into the bullpen. By the time five o'clock rolled around, she wished she had never heard of Sparta, Wisconsin. There were some sick puppies there, and she worried about her people. Shutting down her system, she packed up her purse and went outside. Erin was waiting for her in the parking lot across the street and as soon as the way was clear, she hurried over to join her.
"Kiss me, o mistress mine, and erase the horror of the day," she said after she'd gotten in.
"Gladly." Erin leaned over and kissed her sweetly. "I take it that one of the teams is on a particularly brutal case?" she asked as she started to drive.
"Uh huh. God, I hate going to the cold states. The long winter warps their minds, I think."
"Hey, this girl comes from a cold state, Minnesota to be exact. We're not all bad, are we?"
"You, my dove, are an exception to the rule. So, what will happen tonight, do you think?"
"Dr. Myrkle said she'll put one of us under general anesthesia and transfer the embryos. A girl and a boy, right?" Penelope nodded. "That's what I told her. She'll freeze the other embryos in case we want to have more children."
"How long have you had this planned?" Penelope asked in wonder.
"For about two months, ever since the trial was over. Dr. Myrkle fertilized the eggs on Friday to be ready for implantation today. I know this is your fondest desire, and I just wanted to help make it come true. Now, this will be our first round of IVF, they say not to expect it to work the first time."
"But there's always the small percentage that does take the very first time, right?"
"Yes, and we'll know by our visit next Monday if we are part of that group." Erin parked close to the door of the clinic and they walked in hand in hand.
"Hello, Erin. Is this your partner?" the receptionist asked as they stepped into the waiting room.
"Yes, this is Penelope. Is Dr. Myrkle ready to see us now?"
"Yes, she'll see the two of you in exam room one. Congratulations on taking this next step in your relationship." She let them in the back and showed them to the room.
As they waited for Dr. Myrkle, Penelope tapped her foot anxiously. Suddenly, with the moment upon her, she was so nervous. "Do, do you really think I'll make a good mother?"
"Yes, my peacock, you will. Why this sudden attack of nerves?"
"It's just, I'm such a broken person, what if I pass that brokenness on to them? I don't want to mess them up."
"We're both broken, Penny. Between the two of us, we should be able to make whole children. I have faith in you and me." She smiled at Penelope as the doctor bustled in. She looked about Erin's age and she had her long red hair pulled back in a braid. Penelope instantly felt at ease, managing to smile at both of them.
"So, today's the day. Are you ready to become potential parents?"
"As we'll ever be." Penelope looked sidelong at Erin. "How long will the procedure take?"
"It goes by quickly, Penelope. I assume you're carrying the children, correct?" She nodded. "Once I put you under, everything flies by. You'll most likely feel a little tenderness in your vaginal area for the next few days and I would refrain from having sexual intercourse for the next two weeks. Do you have any other questions or concerns?"
They shook their heads and Dr. Myrkle led them to another room, more sterile than the first they'd been in. The doctor handed Penelope a gown and left the room. Erin took the clothes from her hands, folding them as she put on the gown. After five minutes had passed, Dr. Myrkle and a nurse returned to the room. Penelope got up on the table and lay prone. She held out her hand and felt Erin clasp it as the nurse placed the gas mask over her face. Soon, the whole world went black as she slipped into a drugged sleep.
When she woke up, only Erin and Dr. Myrkle were there. "Take it easy for the next week. Don't do anything too strenuous, I mean it. Let your family take care of you. If you have any questions or concerns do not hesitate to call me. I've put my cell number on top of the information packet. I hope we have wonderful news come Monday." She patted Penelope's hand. "Wait here for another half hour, then you're free to go."
"Thank you, Dr. Myrkle," Erin responded as she helped Penelope to sit up. After the doctor had left the room, they looked at each other and smiled widely. "Do you feel any different?"
"Other than a dull ache down there, no. But they're in there, right?"
"I'm assuming so, my peacock. Dr. Myrkle tried to explain to me what was going on, but she lost me on the first long technical word. I-I wish I could explain what happened to you."
"That's okay, I probably wouldn't understand myself. Now, we need to think about names, and clothes, and furniture, and maternity leave…"
"Penelope, we have forty two weeks to plan all of that. We can take things slowly, I promise. Though I do like the name Elinor for a girl."
"With Lynn for a middle name?"
"Certainly. And there's half that job done. I'm going to drive you to work this week, if you don't mind. I'd just feel better if I did."
"Of course. I'm assuming no more caffeine for me, right?"
"Actually, I think the school of thought is a little is all right. Not too much, of course, more like Lady Grey than Earl Grey." Erin handed her her clothes and Penelope slowly put them on. Gingerly, she stood up to slip her skirt on, then took the coat Erin held out. "Do you feel up to eating right now?"
"I guess so. Nothing heavy, though, perhaps the French restaurant near our office?"
"Perfect." Together, they went out into the evening and got back in their car. Penelope found she was less hungry than she'd thought she'd be and picked at her entrée. The drive home did nothing to settle her stomach and she went straight upstairs, waving slightly to Paul as she passed him.
She peeled her clothes off once more that day and pulled on a soft flannel nightgown. She pulled back the covers and crawled in, curling up into a ball and rubbing her stomach gently. Erin opened the door to their bedroom, holding soda crackers and a glass of ginger ale. Penelope smiled gratefully at her as she set the items down on the bedside table. "Come to bed with me, my love. I just want to feel you holding me tonight, holding them."
"Gladly." As Penelope watched, Erin undressed, pulling on a nightgown of her own. When Erin got close to the bed, Penelope pulled back the covers, inviting her in. "So, my first lesson is Thursday. This will be interesting, to say the least. Suddenly, with it upon me, I wonder if I'll be good enough to do the instrument justice."
"Of course you'll do wonderfully, my dove. I can't believe you, of all people are developing a case of nerves. Just imagine it's my body you're holding as you learn to play. Oh, I can't wait to hear you play for me."
"That probably won't be for some time to come. But I promise you a private recital once I develop my repertoire."
Penelope yawned and smiled at her lover. "Our children are going to be very blessed to be born into our household." She groaned lightly, rubbing her stomach lightly. Erin pulled her close and kissed her forehead tenderly.
"Go to sleep, my peacock. I'm certain you'll feel better come morning." Penelope nodded and relaxed into her warm embrace, letting sleep claim its hold over her.
"I picked up the test," Erin said as she dropped lunch off for her the following Monday.
"Wait right here while I take it." Penelope hurried out to the bathroom, smiling at Reid as she passed his desk, test in hand. She stepped into the first open stall and quickly read the directions. Stuffing the box in the bin, she then took the pregnancy test, her hands shaking a bit. She tapped her foot anxiously and found she couldn't stand waiting alone.
She made her way make into her office, a smile on her lips. Erin looked up at her expectantly. "Did you look at the results yet?" she asked as she stood.
"No, I couldn't wait alone; I wanted us to see the results together." Penelope held the test out in her hand and Erin down at it. Soon a wide smile spread over her face as well. Penelope looked down, quick tears stinging her eyes. "Oh, my god, I'm going to be a mother," she gasped out as Erin pulled her close. She kissed Erin sweetly, wrapping her arms around her lover.
"Of course we'll have to confirm this with Doctor Myrkle tonight," Erin began.
"I'm cautiously optimistic, my dove." Penelope took a seat and rubbed her stomach absently. "You'll be here at five, right?"
"Yes, and the appointment is at 5:30." Erin bent down and kissed her forehead tenderly, and then she left the room.
Penelope sighed happily as she got back to her work, eating as she continued to run her search. Someone knocked softly at her door and she got up to let them in. "Hey Reid. Is there a new case to be briefed?"
"No, just thought I'd come up and see how you were feeling. Did I just see Erin leave?"
"Yeah, I forgot my lunch and she dropped it off. Oh, and the test."
"And?"
"And?" she replied, still smiling.
"The results."
"Oh, yes, the results. Well, you might say it came out positively wonderful for us. Of course, Dr. Myrkle has to confirm everything at our appointment this evening. Spencer, we're going to have a baby!" She could feel her smile widen broadly as she grabbed hold of his hand.
"How many eggs were implanted?"
"Two. I didn't want to take a chance and end up like Kate Goselin. Twins will be more than enough for me. Besides, I want to use my own formula, if you catch me, and if there were more, feeding time would get kind of hectic." She sat down on the sofa and patted the seat next to her. He sat and leaned back, breathing in deeply.
"Have you thought about names at all?"
"Our girl was easy, Elinor Lynn. We haven't begun to think of boy names yet. Erin did have a point in that we have forty weeks to decide on a small thing like a name."
"Name for what?" Emily asked as she came into the office.
"More like a who, Emily," Reid replied, smiling brightly.
"Wait a minute, what are you going on about? You don't have a girlfriend, Reid, and it doesn't work for girls the same way. Unless. Oh my god, Penelope did you and Erin go through IVF? Why didn't you tell any of us? How far along are you? Or is Erin carrying the baby?" she asked excitedly, sitting down on the sofa as well.
"Seeing as how the implantation was last week, I'm roughly one week, three days along. Though we are using her eggs. Don't go spreading it around yet, this is still kind of risky. The only reason Spencer knows is because he's the father."
"Of course, I'll keep it mum. Isn't the beginning of the second trimester when it's safe to tell the news?"
"Usually. So just eleven more weeks, can you believe that? Hotch will have to know first, when the time comes, since it will affect my work performance considerably." She smiled at them, then sighed. "We're going to have a family of our own, guys. I never imagined life would turn out like this for me, you know?"
Emily nodded. "I never imagined you'd end up with her. But you two are so happy together, that I can't see you with anyone else. Your kid is going to be so cute, Penny." She stood and hugged her friend. "I have to be getting back to work now; I think we're getting briefed later on this afternoon. The new girl said she was trying to decide which case to take next."
"You would have thought with the trial, she'd have been able to come up with some cases for us. She's just too nervous," Reid said, standing as well. "See you this afternoon, Penelope."
She nodded and got up as well, going back to her own work. At three, she heard Morgan's familiar knocking on her door and she got up to let him in. "Hey Baby Girl, there's a new case, finally. We're getting ready in the round room."
"Okay, I'll be there in just a minute." She picked up her tablet and followed him into the room. Everyone else was already there and she slipped into a seat and looked expectantly at the screen. As she took notes, she couldn't help but watch the time pass. Cass was taking longer than usual for a somewhat routine case, and her appointment time was coming up quickly. Finally, at five of, Cass wrapped it up and Hotch gave them a time for wheel's up.
Penelope waited for the others to leave and went up to Hotch. "Can I help you, Penelope?"
"Don't ask me for any searches until about seven, our time. Erin's taking me to an appointment, and I can't miss it. If this had come up earlier in the day, well, I could have made other arrangements. I'll be home after, though, so try to wait until then. I'm sorry."
"Believe me, I understand. This could have been done sooner, I know. I hope everything is okay." He looked concerned and reached out to touch her shoulder gently.
"I think everything is going to be fine. I'll be able to tell you more in a few weeks, though." She watched his smile grow and pre-empted his words. "It's only been a week, the most I know is that the home test was positive. Our doctor has to confirm everything, so I'll let you know as things progress."
"Certainly. I do want to know about this evening's appointment, though. Please call with the news either way."
She nodded and left the room, stopping by her office to pick up her purse and coat. Seeing the line for the elevator, she quickly decided to take the stairs. Once she was on the ground floor, Penelope fairly ran out the door to where Erin waited. She knew she was behind and hoped this wouldn't make them late.
"Is everything okay?" Erin asked as Penelope slid into the car.
"Yeah, it's just Cass. We had a case to brief and she waited until the last possible moment to do so. Then I had to tell Hotch not to call with any searches until later this evening. I hate feeling this behind."
Erin made it to the clinic with time to spare, thankfully, and they walked in arm in arm. The receptionist showed them right back to an exam room. Penelope took a seat on the table and Erin pulled one of the chairs up next to her. Penelope reached down for Erin's hand and smiled when Erin entwined her fingers in hers.
Dr. Myrkle came in looking a bit frazzled. "Good evening, ladies. I trust your week has gone well."
"Yes, it has. So, how are you going to check on the pregnancy?" Penelope asked.
"It will be a simple blood test. Once I've confirmed the pregnancy, I'll turn the rest over to your ob/gyn. If it didn't take, we'll begin again as soon as you're ready." She paused and looked into Penelope's eyes. "Now, remember, if the test doesn't come back positive, it's all right. We can always try again. Prepare for the worst, expect the best, I always say."
The doctor turned and pulled out a syringe and vial for the blood. Penelope held out her arm and looked away. Erin rubbed her thumb lightly over the back of Penelope's hand and Penelope focused on her touch. "You do realize when you deliver, there will be needles, Penny."
"And you'll be at my side so I can focus on you when they're putting them in," she replied.
"All right, I have enough blood here. I'll call with the results tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?"
"Yes, despite what television programs show, tests like these are not instantaneous. I'll put a rush on the test, but since my practice shares a lab with a few others, there will be a small wait. The overnight people should have it ready by the time I get here in the morning. As soon as the results are in my hand, I'll let you know."
"Of course, Doctor Myrkle. I look forward to your call." Erin smiled and the doctor left the room. "What's a few more hours, my peacock?"
"You're right, they're nothing. It's just, I want to know now for sure and for certain," Penelope replied as she stood up, holding out her hand. Erin clasped it and they left the office.
"There's a roast in the oven. Paul requested it, oh, and he picked Jack up from school today. Jessica had something come up, so we're watching him while Aaron's out on the field."
Penelope smiled and nodded, settling back in the seat of the car. "I think I'm going to catnap while you drive home." She closed her eyes, leaning against the window.
The next thing she knew, a small hand was shaking her shoulder. "Aunt Penny, wake up. Daddy wants to talk to you." She opened her eyes and smiled at Jack, holding out her hand for the phone.
"Hello, Aaron."
"Penelope, I'm glad you're home. We need you to do a search for us."
"Can you give me a moment? I have to get to my office here."
"No problem. So, when do you get the results of your test?"
She got out and went into the house. "Tomorrow morning. I just assumed it would be a quick thing, like the home pregnancy test. But I'm going to say, with ninety-seven percent certainty, that we are having at least one baby. Though I do hope both eggs took."
"So, you didn't want to try for more at one time?"
She laughed as she sat in front of her computer, booting it up. "Two will be more than enough. Now, what do you need me to look up?"
"We need to find a connection, if any exists, between these two women. The first is Claudia Schneider, the other is Amber Lundin."
"I'll run a cross search between them and get back to you when I find something."
"Thanks, Penelope." She hung up and set the phone by her computer. Getting up from the desk, she went out into the kitchen and found Erin plating up their food.
"Do you need me to do anything, my dove?"
"Bring these out to the boys. I'll follow with ours momentarily."
"Karen's not eating with us tonight?"
"No, she went out with her girlfriends. They're having a study party tonight, I guess." Penelope nodded and went into the dining room, putting the plates down in front of Paul and Jack. She took a seat next to Paul and smiled at him. "And here we are." Erin set down a plate at Penelope's spot before taking a seat next to Jack with her own food.
"Aunt Penny, how long do you think Daddy will be on the field?"
"I'm not sure. He just got to Texas, but I'm running a search for him and the team right now. Depending on what that turns up, I'd figure three days or so. Think you can handle us for that long?" she asked teasingly.
"I like being here with you and Paul knows the best tricks to show me on the Wii. I just wish Karen still liked Daddy so I could come over more often." He bent his head over his plate and shoveled food in his mouth.
"You're always welcome here, Jack," Erin said soothingly, covering his hand with hers. He looked up at her and smiled, happiness radiating off him at her words.
"Where were you guys tonight? This is the second Monday you've been later," Paul said, looking up at his mother.
Penelope shared a look with Erin, who nodded slightly. "We've been going to a fertility specialist. Um, you're not going to be the baby of the family anymore. I hope that's all right. I-I didn't think about what you and the girls might think."
Paul didn't take his eyes off Erin, who smiled slightly. "Surprise?"
"You're going to have a baby, Aunt Erin?"
"No, not me, honey. Aunt Penelope is carrying them. Or, at least we hope it's a them. The doctor put two of my eggs in Aunt Penny and tomorrow, she'll let us know if they decided to grow, or if we need to try again."
Jack's forehead wrinkled a little as he thought about what Erin had said. "So things work differently for two mommies?"
"Just a little, Jackers."
"Oh, okay."
"So, twins? I guess it's a good thing, Mom, that you got offered early retirement, now you'll get to stay home with them and watch them grow up." Paul looked down at his plate, trying to blink back tears.
"Oh, baby," Erin said quietly, getting up and going to his side. "If I could go back in time, I would change so many things and that includes spending more time with you. But we can't change the past, we can only move forward. And you'll be off to Michigan State next year, starting your life. Please don't begrudge me this."
He turned and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Can I at least name one?" he asked after a long moment had passed.
"We'll have to see about that. I don't want our son to end up with a name like Constantine."
"Or Wallace," Penelope said, smiling as she relaxed back into her chair.
"Or Melvin," Jack added, giggling.
Paul smiled at their silliness. "You could always go with Alan Patrick."
"That's actually really nice, Paul. Alan and Elinor. What do you think, Penny?"
"I think we have the names for our twins, Erin."