They had a lot of fun, at dinner. Renee was an excellent cook, as Hotch noted. Ken and Spencer were teasing each other and caused Jack to giggle, very often. Ike told anecdotes of Renee, when she was little. Renee laughed, a little embarrassed.
" Oh, Grandpa, not that one," she clapped her hands to her face.
"Come on, I want to know, how you came to that nickname," Spencer said curiously. Renee laughed again, chasing Hotch little shivers running down his spine, Hotch attributed this to his presumed concussion. Ken and Spencer, meanwhile, only observed Hotch and Renee for a while. She sat next to Hotch, using her feminine arsenal of weapons. Light touches, now and again, hairs casually clamped behind an ear, or her leg, touching softly Hotch´s. Ken smiled, Renee wasn´t too obvious, on the contrary. He had to recognize, if he had been on women, he´d pull her from that chair and take her to bed, right away. Hotch, however, showed in no way, whether he even noticed Renee's efforts.
" Ok, when I was five, Grandpa and I were on vacation in Florida. Behind the hotel was a small pond, with a lot of frogs. I fell in, the first day. "
Hotch smiled briefly, he could imagine that. Frankly, he would have been surprised if Renee wouldn´t have plopped into the pond. How could such a pretty thing always cause so much mess?
"But that wasn´t all," Renee went on. "I loved that croaking sound a lot and so I smuggled frogs into the hotel. The staff had become almost crazy, every time they thought they had collected all the frogs, it started to croak again, somewhere else. That went for a week or so, until the doorman got me. Grandpa and I then left this hotel very quickly. Since then, 'Froglet' stuck on me."
Renee looked into the laughing faces and gave Hotch a very intense look.
"I think we have to go, Jack has school tomorrow. " Hotch tried to avoid her eyes.
"Oh, Daddy, just a couple of minutes more," Jack said, yawning loudly. Hotch shook his head. "You hear that, Jack? It´s your bed. It´s calling loud and clear, son."
"I think your dad is right, Jack. " Renee agreed and Jack nodded immediately. He stretched his arms out to Hotch and he took him up. "But I have to hug Renee, before we leave", Jack said and smiled at her. Renee smiled back. "Hugs are pretty important, are they?" Jack nodded again and put his arms around Renee´s neck.
"Have a safe trip home," Ike said at the door. " Good night," Renee added.
Hotch smiled a bit. " Oh, I almost forgot. My sister-in-law is looking for a wedding dress and she used up two of her friends already. Maybe you wanna join Jess?"
"I´d be very happy, Aaron. She can call me anytime. "
oOo
Bringing Jack to bed was easy, the little boy was almost asleep, while brushing his teeth. But he insisted to wear Renee's T-shirt, he liked the Berlin Bear and the I love Berlin.
Hotch poured himself a whiskey and sat down on the couch. He picked up a book, he had started the day before yesterday, but somehow it was hard for him to concentrate. He did not know, how to assess Renee and this only happened very rarely to him, actually. Before Hotch had the chance to deal with Renee's eyes or the patchouli, which still tickled his nose, the doorbell rang. Jess stood outside at the door and she looked damn curious, Hotch noticed.
"I know it's almost 9, but I absolutely had to know how the dinner with Renee was like. "
Jess sat down on Hotch´s sofa, grinning broadly. Except Ike, she was the only one who knew, Callie and Renee had been in contact and what plans Callie had with Hotch and Renee.
"Painful, Jess. " Hotch said with a chuckle and touched his forehead. " Do you like something to drink, Jess? "
Jess nodded, "just some water, please. "
Hotch raised his eyebrows, "water?" Jess smiled happily and Hotch understood immediately. "Really? I'm so happy for you. Dave knows, already? " Hotch hugged Jess lovingly, he was happy for her and Dave, from the bottom of his heart.
"No, you 're the first to know, Aaron. I want to surprise Dave somehow, but I think he already suspects something. He throws me funny looks for a few days. " Jess laughed. "But now tell me a bit of Renee, how is she? "
Hotch thought for a moment, "exactly like Ike described her. Sprightly, cheerful, she is a very lively person, Jess. A bit clumsy, very clumsy, to be exact. But you can you make your own image, she is very happy, to help you with the dress. You just have to call her."
Hotch handed Jess the desired water.
"Oh well. I´m so picky with the dress, I drove JJ and Penny crazy. But I wanna look perfect for David. So, do you like Renee?"
Hotch had to think of Renee's laugh, "kind of, Jess ," he said thoughtfully, "kind of."
oOo
Renee turned the dishwasher on and took another glass of wine. She sat down to her grandfather on the couch and leaned against him. " Are you okay? " Ike asked.
"Aaron. He is so incredibly sad, Grandpa. "
"I know, honey. Callie and he, it was like meant to be, they loved each other so much. On the day, she died, I went there to ... to confirm Callie's death. Hotch could not let her go. He sat with her in the beach basket and held her close. I had to convince him, to let her go, for one hour."
Renee began to sniffle, the need to hug Hotch was almost overpowering. "I can be a good wife to him, Grandpa." Renee said softly.
"I 'm sure, you can, Froglet. Maybe you must have some patience." Renee nodded, " Aaron is worth it, Grandpa," she said firmly.
oOo
Jess quickly slipped to Dave under the covers. He smiled and put his arms around her. "You look like the cat that ate the canary, Cara. Wanna share your wisdom? "
Jess laughed merrily, "the canary is still alive, if that's what you want to know. "
"That´s all, you wanna tell?"
"Hm... That depends on your interrogation technique, Agent Rossi ," Jess whispered seductively and her hands moved southward. Dave chuckled and kissed Jess lovingly. For a very long time, he didn´t believe in a Happy Ending for him and Jess. And look at us now, Rossi thought happily, in about 11 weeks Jessica Brooks was going to be Mrs. Jessica Rossi. And, the icing on the cake, in eight months they´re gonna have a little bambino. He didn´t care about boy or girl, Dave didn´t expect at all to become a father again. After his little son James died, he had put this thoughts in a drawer, never wanting to open it again. But an hour ago, he accidentally knocked over the small trash can in the bathroom and the pregnancy test came to light. Dave had to sit down once, that was unexpected. Although Jess had somehow felt different, in recent days, but Dave didn´t expect that kind of news. He was curious to see, how his Jessy would spread these news.
Dave stopped shortly, his hands had discovered something under Jessy´s shirt. "What is it?" he wanted to know.
Jess giggled, "maybe you just take a look? " Dave pushed up his fiancée´s shirt, revealing a red ribbon with a loop, Jess had tied around her belly.
" However, it will still take quite a while before we can unpack, what´s inside, David. I know it´s a bit surprising, but ... " Dave interrupted Jess with a fierce hug.
"Best present I ever got, Cara", Dave cried a little.
oOo
Two days later, Jess and Renee met for the wedding dress shopping. They met in a small coffee shop in the mall.
"Hi, I 'm Renee, are you Jess? " Jess nodded, after she had taken a look at the pretty brown-haired.
"I am so pleased, Renee. Shall we have some coffee first or do you wanna start looking?"
Renee thought for a moment, " I think we´d go hunting first and after that, we´re gonna be hungry like wolves."
Jess laughed, "all right, let´s go hunting."
" Phew," Renee said three hours later, " You really are a tough nut to crack. You didn´t like the one with the lace sleeves? "
Jess shook her head, " too tight," she said, laughing.
" Too tight? Jess, it fitted like a glove. "
"Yes, at the moment, but I have to think a little further. " Jess laughed again and Renee suddenly got the point.
"That's wonderful, Jess! " Renee hugged her spontaneously. "But you can´t be very far, I can see nothing, yet? "
"If I can trust Persona, then 4 - 5th week. The appointment with my gynecologist is on Friday. But I´m pretty sure and Dave is smiling all over. So I wanna buy something not so tight."
Renee nodded, when Jess was right, she was right. "Oh, look, over there. Have been there already in there? "
"This is Callie 's bridal shop, Renee. I don´t know, if I want to go in there. " Jess became sad.
"I 'm sure she wouldn´t mind, Jess . Come on, we´re just peeking in." And hey presto, Renee had dragged Jess into the little shop.
oOo
"Hi, I 'm Mona. You are looking for a dress, ladies? "
Renee laughed merrily. "Yes, my friend here is looking. But she´s a difficult case... Ouch."
Jess stepped on Renee´s toes, completely indecent. Mona had to smile, she liked this girls. She suddenly had to think about the sad couple, that came to her place, months ago. A few weeks after Mona had sold them the 'daisies dream' , she read that obituary in the newspaper. Mona was sure, it was related to the bride, her name was Callie, like the woman in the paper. Mona felt sad for them, they had so little time.
"Have you already an idea of what you are looking for, roughly? Simple or something more pompous? Short or long? Ball gown style or a feminine way? "
The question mark in Jess 's face widened.
"Maybe you just sit down and Mona and I will look for something suitable? " Renee asked and Jess looked facilitated. " Pretty good idea, Renee. "
About 10 minutes later, Mona and Renee had two dresses on their arms and hung them on the clothes rod.
"And? " Renee wanted to know. Jess began to beam and gestured to one of the dresses, "this one," she said confidently and disappeared with it in the changing area.
"Jess, your phone!" Renee yelled and had to giggle. The ringtone was 'men in black' and 'Aaron office' appeared on the display. Renee thought for a moment, probably this was important?
She answered it. "Hi Aaron, it's me, Renee. Jess is in the changing area, we´re in a bridal shop. She couldn´t answer herself. I suppose, it´s urgent? Yes. I could do it, if you like. Jack is a cutie, he´s such a nice little boy... .. Oh , wow! " Renee said. "I think we've found the right thing. "
Mona nodded, "we have to cut it back a bit, otherwise it's perfect. "
Jess turned peppy around her own axis. "I love it!" She said loudly.
"Is that Hotch? "
Renee passed the phone over. "You can give Dave thumbs up, I've found my dress. Okay, where? Oh Heavens. Course, yes. No, I 'm sure Jack would be delighted, if Renee took care of him. Don´t worry, get your UnSub arrested. Bye. "
" I hope you 're not angry, but I thought it's important." Renee said apologetically.
"That's no problem, Renee. And it's a great idea if you are taking care of Jack, he is talking about you, constantly."
Jess laughed again, " What do you think about the dress?"
Renee nodded, " if I were a guy, I´d marry you on the spot. "
A/N next chapter there will be some Renee/Jack moments and Derek is going to find out ´bout Renee. And someone will need a shower...a pretty cold one.