Prentiss

I sat in between Sarah and Ainsley. Morgan was at Ainsley's other side and the team, Will, Jack and Henry went around the circular table in the restaurant. Hotch was directly across from me and seemed to enjoy my presence today more than over the five years I worked with them. They were all looking at menus and I was trying to get Ainsley to tell me what she wanted.

"I don't want dinner." She said to me.

"Well you're having it so what do you want to eat?"

"But I'm not hungry."

"You are hungry," I rolled my eyes, "Pick something or I'll pick for you."

She pointed to the kids' meals, "Nuggets."

"Thank you." I closed the menu and put it back where the others sat.

"Sorry…" She said quietly, "Looking down."

"No honey, it's okay." I kissed her hair and looked at Sarah when she tapped me.

"Are you eating?" She asked me quietly.

"No, not tonight. I'm not hungry." I lied. I was hungry, but Mark had taken all of my money and with what I had left, I had to pay Sarah and buy food and essentials for both her and Ainsley. I couldn't afford to eat.

She leant over and whispered in my ear so no one heard, "Do you want me to pay for you?" She knew.

"No," I shook my head, "That's not—no, but thank you for offering."

"So I'm right?"

"Don't do this here, Sarah." I said quietly, warning in my eyes as they met hers. She knew I didn't want the team to know anything about my troubles, not financial and not anything else. The waiter came to take their orders and I just asked for more water. "I just want a beer." I complained as he walked away.

"Well, it's your own fault for getting knocked up," Sarah said, smirking at me, "You were only supposed to come to tell him about Ainsley, not have a second child with him."

"You can shut up now…" I glared at her.

Conversation filled the table for a while before their food came. They started eating and I was making sure that Ainsley was too.

"So why aren't you eating?" JJ asked me after a while.

"I'm not hungry." I smiled to cover the lie. She nodded and silence fell momentarily.

"This is killing me," Garcia cut the silence, "Do you just have a thing for dangerous guys or was Mark nice to start with?"

"Excuse me?" I raised my eyebrows.

"Doyle, Mark…" She tilted her head.

"Clyde…" Sarah added quietly.

JJ gasped, "You dated Clyde!?"

"Clyde's dangerous?" Reid asked.

"He slapped her a few times." She said, looking at me.

"He was drunk and they're not dangerous, I just drive them insane…literally."

"No, you have a thing for bad guys." Rossi nodded.

"...I slept with Morgan twice?"

"Not the same because you didn't date him." Garcia shook her head.

"Fine," I sighed, "You win," I looked at Ainsley, "Eat."

After a long, tiring, passive aggressive argument, I gave into Rossi and Sarah, Ainsley and I stayed at his mansion last night instead of a hotel and everyone else had stayed too. They had a few more drinks after the kids went to bed and I stuck with water. Reid and Sarah had been talking all night. She was flirting with him and I definitely knew it. Her posture was always more upright and her shoulders were always back so her boobs appeared bigger.

I woke up around 8 and had a shower as Ainsley slept and she woke up when I kissed her forehead, "Hey sweetheart, it's morning."

She sat up and rubbed her eyes, "Mummy? Can we stay here forever?"

"This house? No. This state? Maybe…"

"Do you think they like me?" She asked quietly.

"The team? Honey, I think that they absolutely love you. Now get up, come on." She climbed out of bed and went to the bathroom. I turned the water on for her and she had a shower. I let her shower on her own but I kept the door open and I checked on her frequently. She called me when she was finished and I turned the water back off and gave her a towel. She dried herself and picked her own outfit before walking out of the room with me.

"Can I go wake Sarah up?" She asked. Sarah had a habit of sleeping in if I didn't need her to take care of Ainsley in the morning. I nodded and she ran off to the next room. I went downstairs and Rossi gave me a cup of coffee.

"I figured you'd never give up coffee so it's decaf."

"You're ruining my life, Rossi," I joked as I took it, "Thanks."

"Do you have plans for today?" He asked me curiously as Hotch, JJ and Will walked in. Jack and Henry were in the next room.

"No," I shook my head, "I figured I'd just take Ainsley to the park or something but it depends on whether Morgan wants to spend some time with her or not."

"There's a big petting zoo today down at the central town park. We're all going if you want to come." JJ said, taking a filled cup from Rossi.

"I bet that's real coffee…" I said under my breath, "You're going to a petting zoo?" I raised my eyebrows.

"Henry." She rolled her eyes.

"Ah…the things parents do for their children." I smiled as I sipped the coffee. I could definitely tell that it was decaf.

"So yes or no?"

"Sure." I shrugged my shoulders. Reid walked in then and I smirked at him.

"What?" He asked.

"Did you get lucky last night?" I asked casually.

"What?" He gave me a confused look.

I put my coffee mug down and gave him an obvious look, "Reid, please do not tell me that you didn't know that Sarah was flirting with you all night."

"No she wasn't."

"Yes, she really was," JJ nodded, "She was practically putting her boobs in your face."

"I didn't notice." He shrugged his shoulders.

"…She likes star wars and star trek and all that nerdy stuff…" I said quietly.

"But she's pretty…" He said.

"Wow, thanks for saying that nerds can't be pretty." Garcia said as she walked passed him. Rossi handed her a mug like he had everyone else and she thanked him. "You, my love, are a godsend." She said to him.

"If I had a dollar for every time someone told me that…"

"You'd be one rich bastard…oh wait…" I smirked at him.

"Oh, four years and a child later and you're still as sarcastic."

We all laughed and Morgan walked in. He grabbed my arm and pulled me away, "Wait, ah." I reached for my coffee before letting him pull me away, drinking it as we went.

He pulled me outside and closed the front door. "What do I have to do? I will do anything, just say what it is."

"What are you talking about?" I asked him, "You almost made me spill my coffee."

"To be in Ainsley's life and be a part of that one," He motioned to my stomach, "What do I have to do?"

"You need to not hate me." I nodded.

"That's it? You don't want me to pay for anything or take her—"

"Morgan, the only thing you need to pay for is things you buy for her voluntarily. Toys, stuffed animals, clothes, whatever you want. All you need to do is be there for her, make sure she knows you and knows that you love her. You need to make her feel important and you need to be her father. It's not as hard as it all sounds."

"Are you sure? You don't want me to clean your house and your car or buy you jewellery or a dog and walk it for you daily?"

"No, but if you ever buy her a dog, I will return it to you."

"No dogs, got it."

"No animals in general. I can't afford to keep one and I don't even have a house. If you buy her a pet, it stays at your house."

"She can visit me?" He asked.

"Of course she can. She can stay with you on weekends if that's what you want. You can be as big of a part of her life as you want to be. The only thing you can't do is break her heart once you become a part of it. All I ask is you make her happy."

He smiled and kissed my cheek, "Thank you," He opened the door and went back inside. I followed and we went back to the kitchen.

I kissed Ainsley's hair as I walked passed her, "Did you say your oath this morning?"

"Yes." She smiled at me.

"Can you say it again? I want to hear it." Garcia asked her.

"I am strong, I am smart, I am beautiful, I am loved and I can do it!"

Garcia made small squeak of a noise, "You're so adorable."

"Does she know about the second?" JJ asked me.

"Not yet; I don't know how to tell her. Where's Sarah?"

"With Reid outside." JJ smirked.

I walked to the window and looked out at them. They were sitting together on the grass and laughing. "He looks so happy." I smiled.

"What about Sarah?" Garcia asked.

"She's always happy. Something's different though."

Garcia walked to my side and looked at them, "Love at first sight, you think?"

I looked at her with a wide smile, "Give them some time to get to know each other before you plan their wedding."

She hugged me, "I missed you."

"You have no idea how much I missed all of you." I whispered.