Skate Canada provided Paige with the opportunity to compete against an international contingent of Senior Level skaters and, despite her initial jitters going in, she immediately regained her confidence once she heard the familiar cry of 'Go Paige'. Skating her now familiar 'New' program, she was smiling confidently as she hit her final pose facing the judges from the middle of the rink.
"I beat the U.S. National Champion!" she exclaimed in amazement when the final scores were posted, showing that she had finished Second.
"And the Canadian and Italian ones as well," Ian pointed out. "You did all that worrying for nothing."
"And, the Russian skater who won did so by only a few points," JJ added as she joined them where they were standing in the lobby. "I'll have to make sure to include that in the press release when we get home."
"You, young lady, definitely deserve a lobster after that!" Rossi declared as the rest of the team walked over to gather around Paige. "My Treat!"
"Really, Uncle Dave?" Jack asked excitedly. "I've never had a whole lobster all to myself."
"You do know that lobsters are essentially bottom feeders – " Reid began his dissertation.
"I Don't Care!" Rossi stated decisively. "I think we need to go out and celebrate." He put his arm around Joan and pulled her close.
"What exactly are we celebrating?" Blake asked archly.
"Let's just wait and find out," Rossi suggested with a smile.
"If you don't mind, I think I'll go back to the hotel room," Tovah told the group. "I'm not feeling too good."
"That's okay, Tovah," Laurel replied. "Why don't you let Spencer take Max and I'll take Diana? We can get them something to eat and entertain them while you lie down for a bit."
"Thanks!" Tovah readily handed over the two children and their bag of supplies before turning to leave.
"Let me take this little one," Rossi immediately claimed Diana, who looked up at him with adoring eyes as she mouthed 'Uncle Dave' to him.
"Is Tovah alright?" Garcia worried. "Reid, aren't you worried about her?"
"Well, um – m – m - ," Reid began, embarrassed.
"She's pregnant again, isn't she?" Morgan demanded. "You dog you!"
"Well, kind of," Reid admitted as he reached down to take Max's hand.
"When is the baby due?" JJ asked.
"Technically the end of March," Reid said. "However, with the way Diana showed up six weeks early, we're not counting on that."
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
"It seems we have several things to celebrate this evening." Rossi was standing at the head of the dinner table with his glass raised.
"Our champion has completed yet another successful competition - We have a new baby on the way – And," he paused dramatically as he looked over at Joan.
"This spring we will be celebrating a wedding," he announced with a smile. "This lovely lady has agreed to be my wife and her daughter has agreed to let her!"
Hotch led the cheers which immediately broke out, and then he and the other men hurried over to shake Rossi's hand and pound him on the back. A smiling Laurel, in the meantime, led the women as they charged over to congratulate Joan.
"When did he ask you?" Blake wanted to know.
"About two weeks ago," Joan admitted. "He just flew out, drove over to the house, and surprised me. I really wasn't expecting it."
"When will you be moving?" was JJ's question.
"Jade will be starting college in the winter term," Joan told her. "So, once she is settled into her dorm room and I am comfortable with the situation, I will start making arrangements."
"If you need any help – " Garcia offered.
"Jade – You are getting Uncle Dave as a step-father," Paige realized. "And, that means that when you are not away at college you will be living down the street from us."
"That's Right!" Jade cheered. "And that means we can hang out during vacations and term breaks and everything!"
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
"You looked kind of sad earlier this evening when Rossi took Diana away from you," Hotch commented to Laurel later as they walked hand-in-hand back to the hotel.
"Well, it has been a while since I have seen her," Laurel replied. "And I was hoping I could spend a little time with her."
"Are you sure you don't just want another baby?" Hotch questioned innocently.
"Another baby – Aaron, what are you thinking?" Laurel asked. "Jack is getting ready to leave home and Paige probably won't be far behind. That will leave us with just Sophia to deal with. And, I have a feeling she is going to be quite a handful."
"Although," she added coyly. "We could always do a little 'practicing'."
"But, I will be there to help you this time," Hotch pointed out. "Whatever I decide to do, I won't be traveling all the time any more. I missed so much with Jack and Paige, I don't want to miss it with Sophia, too."
"Now, are you really sure about another baby?" he put his arm around Laurel's waist and pulled her closer. "Sophia could use a sibling closer to her in age and we could get started on that right away when we get back to the hotel."
"Aaron – May I remind you that we are in a hotel suite with very thin walls and two offspring who are old enough to realize what was going on," Laurel pointed out. "So, while I definitely don't have any objections to 'practicing', unfortunately that will have to wait until we get home."
"Maybe we could send them somewhere else for the night," Hotch leaned down to kiss his wife.
"Definitely not Rossi's," Laurel laughed when the kiss was over. "I have a feeling he and Joan are planning on sending Jade over to spend the night with Paige."
"Maybe we can get another room," Hotch suggested with a wink.