Hotch's paternity leave began the moment baby Sophia was born, with Chief Cruz promising that there would be no interruptions from work.

"I remember what it was like when my children were born," he reminisced. "Everyone needs time to readjust and you need time to be with your family."

Life at the Hotchner household quickly settled into a pattern. Every morning Hotch got up early and took Paige to the ice rink. He then made sure that both she and Jack were safely delivered to their respective schools. While he was gone, Jessica helped Laurel get up and take care of the baby. After Hotch returned home, he and Jessica joined Laurel for breakfast and then they tackled whatever housework needed doing that day. Around noon, Rossi would arrive to join them for lunch and afterwards he and Jessica would run errands, eventually retrieving Jack and Paige from their various after-school activities to return them home for the evening. Meanwhile, Hotch spent the afternoon helping Laurel study for her state bar exam. As they reviewed the various materials, Hotch realized that while he was still versant in the long-established laws, he had missed some that had recently been enacted. Maybe it was time for him to update his legal training. After all, he wasn't going to be an FBI field agent forever.

During the evenings, one or another of the BAU team would drop by. Hotch strongly suspected that Garcia had set up a master schedule to avoid their being overwhelmed by guests, and he made a note to thank her for that.

Several surprises arrived on their doorstep during those fall evenings - The first being Agent Anderson, bearing a rather large, flat, gift-wrapped box.

"I won the office pool on when the baby would arrive," he explained rather sheepishly as he handed the gift to Laurel. "So, I asked JJ what she thought you might need. She talked with Penelope and they told me that you didn't have a crib mobile for when the baby begins recognizing colors and shapes. This is the one Dr. Reid suggested."

"Thank you, Grant," Laurel was carefully removing the paper from the box. "They are right. I hadn't chosen a mobile beyond the black and white one that Sophia has now and this looks like just the thing!"

"Master Warrior," Paige's voice floated across the family room. She walked over to stand in front of Anderson and assumed the classic yoga pose with feet together and hands with palms together and fingers pointed upwards, and bowed her head to the agent.

"Lotus Blossom," Anderson returned the greeting in kind.

"Paige? Anderson?" Hotch questioned.

"Agent Anderson is in my yoga class sometimes," Paige explained.

"She told me all about it a while back when I was on her protection detail," Anderson continued the explanation. "And, it sounded like something I could incorporate into my fitness routine, so I tried it. It really seems to have helped - Last week I almost took down Agent Morgan."

"So, he's not invincible," Hotch chuckled. "Maybe I should join that class myself."

Another surprise visitor was Nurse James, who was escorted into the house by a smiling David Rossi.

""It's not often that I get to see the results of my work," she explained. "And, when Dave offered to bring me over, I couldn't refuse. I hope you don't mind?"

"Not in the least!" Laurel assured her. "It's thanks to you that my husband and my daughter's favorite uncle are both still in one piece. You are welcome here anytime."

Another evening, just as they were finishing dinner, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," Jessica immediately said as she quickly stood up and then hurried towards the front door. She was back a few minutes later, accompanied by a middle-aged man, wearing an open necked white shirt under a navy blue blazer.

"Uncle Norris," Jack burst out. "What are you doing here?"

"Hello, Jack," the man replied. "I asked your Aunt Jessica to join me at the movies this evening and I am here to pick her up."

He turned to Hotch. "Norris Williams," he said, holding out his hand to shake. "My nephew Garry plays soccer with your son."

"Aaron Hotchner," Hotch replied shaking hands. "I don't believe I have seen you at any of the games I have attended."

"I don't get to as many games as I would like," was the rely. "Work, you know."

"Don't you think we had better be going?" Jessica interrupted the two men sizing each other up. "We don't want to have to walk into the movie late."

"Yes, Garcia has checked him out," were Laurel's first words after the couple had left. "And, he is divorced with a two years old son that his ex-wife has custody of. As far as run-ins with the law are concerned, all she found was a DUI while he was in college, two parking tickets recently, and he served on a jury about three months ago."

"Doesn't matter," Hotch growled. "That's my sister he is dating!"

The evening Morgan walked into the family room, Laurel could immediately tell something was wrong.

"Derek?" she asked. "What's wrong? Do you want to sit down and talk about it?"

"Savannah and I broke up," he blurted out as he sank down into a chair. "When I got home tonight she had moved everything out of our house, even her pug was gone."

"Had she said anything previous to moving?" Laurel asked. "Did you have any idea?"

"Well, kind of," Morgan admitted. "It's just that I want to have kids and she doesn't. I thought that over time she would change her mind. However, after we came over to visit you and Sophia a couple of days ago, I mentioned that it would be nice to have a child of our own. That's when she made it very clear that, as far as she is concerned, kids are not in her future – Not now and not ever. I told her we should talk, but her beeper went off and we never got a chance."

"So, as far as you are concerned, kids are a deal-breaker?" Laurel asked softly.

"Yes, they are!" Morgan was adamant. "I want kids and I want them while I am still young enough to enjoy them! I'm tired of playing the dating game and I honestly don't know what to do"

"Penelope," Laurel said quietly. "She's already your best friend and she really wants kids. Maybe the two of you should have that talk that you were going to have with Savannah."

"You are a very wise woman, do you know that?" Morgan asked as he stood up and walked over to kiss her on the cheek. "And, now, if you will excuse me, I have someone I need to go visit."

And, with that, he was gone.

However, the real surprise was yet to come.