"So Danny how do you feel about coming to see the place I work?" Diana asked her brother one morning. This was the summer and some teachers taught summer sessions, just not her, as she had her family to enjoy and she certainly didn't need the money. Dave had plenty of that and Diana knew that their mating was going to last for the rest of her life, so she didn't worry about needing extra funds.
While she didn't work in the summer she knew who did. JJ had said several times that she wanted to build up funds for when she started a family. She didn't have a family or a mate that was individually wealthy and she was still paying off student loans. Diana knew that JJ enjoyed her job, though there were frustrations, but that was to be expected, unless you worked for just yourself. Even if you did there could still be frustrations paperwork and overhead being two of the main ones. It took a lot of work to get a new business off the ground, to make it viable, to support itself.
She really did want to show Danny where she worked but she also had another plan in mind. She wanted to introduce her brother to Miss Jennifer Jareau just to see their reaction once they did actually meet. Nothing might happen, but Danny was a handsome man with his flame red hair and sparkling green eyes and JJ was also a very beautiful woman with blond hair, blue eyes, average height and slender.
"Sounds good, sis," Danny said not looking at all suspicious of his sister's intentions. "Let's get that done because Spencer, Mercia, Meriel and I have plans for tomorrow, since it's Saturday. James and Marshall are welcome to come along if they want to. I'm sure Spencer and his sisters won't mind."
"No, they won't as they've gotten quite close to each other," Dave who had been listening said. "You can make the offer if you like. They might not want to go do whatever you have planned with your nieces and nephew, but you can at least ask."
Dave was glad to see that Danny was at least trying to get to know his sons, even if he would be an infrequent guest.
"I will," Danny promised.
Diana remembered her triplets reaction when Danny had appeared. They had been so excited, as they loved their Uncle Danny. Her triplets had absolutely swarmed him, chattering at him excitedly and Danny hadn't to seemed to mind. He had patiently answered all their many question, then been dragged upstairs to see their rooms in their new home. The rooms were spacious and his two nieces were sharing while Spencer had a room to himself. Spencer's room was smaller than his sisters, but then he could understand that, since he was the only one occupying it. It was hardly tiny after all, as there was plenty of room for his things, and there was also a bathroom attached on one wall. Danny had been pleased at the size of his nieces and nephews rooms, as they were hardly closets. No, they were a good size, which showed that Dave cared about their welfare. It was simply more evidence that Dave was indeed a good man and a good Alpha.
Danny and his sister's former mate had never gotten along and Will had tried to forbid his children from getting to know him, but Diana hadn't listened and told Will firmly that if he couldn't get along with her brother then she was leaving. She would not be cut off from her family, just because he refused to even try to get along with her brother. The least he could do was tolerate Danny whenever he came around, which hadn't been often.
Will had been rather astonished that she had dared argue with him. This was when her children had only been less than two years old. It was clear that Will wasn't used to being argued with, especially by an Omega, who should've just obeyed orders and jumped to do whatever he commanded, no matter how stupid or ridiculous. Will hadn't really known what to say, but Diana had stood her ground and Will had had to give in finally, as their argument was loud and was attracting attention. That was when the trouble had really begun, Diana knew. William Reid hadn't liked to be argued with and while that was the first major one, there had been others.
Will had had no right to demand that she not be allowed to see her brother or that her brother wasn't allowed to get to know his nieces and nephew. Any Alpha that tried to cut someone off from their family, could be in deep trouble if they were reported. You might just end up on their kinds bad bets list. Which is happened anyway in Will's case.
Diana was sure that Will would've cut her off from her family if he could've managed it, her parents and her siblings, not just Danny. She hadn't realized at the time, but Will was very possessive and didn't want her to have any friends outside of her own immediate family. In other words, just him and the triplets. Diana had known that one of the main reasons that men particularly wanted to cut their spouses off from their family, was so that they could treat them anyway they wanted without any of the family protesting. She was actually surprised that he hadn't wanted her to quit her job, considering his general attitude.
If Will had expected that from her then he had chosen the wrong Omega to be mated too. She was intelligent and knew the laws and her history. She never would've allowed Will to cut her off from those that genuinely cared for her and her children. While he had never been physically abusive it might've turned into that eventually, especially if he had managed to cut off from those that loved her. Still, that didn't mean that, what she had gone through and especially what her children had gone through hadn't been pretty bad.
"What are you planning?" Dave asked once Danny was out of sight.
"Who says I'm planning anything," Diana mildly protested with twinkling blue eyes.
"Because I know you," Dave pointed out with an amused smile of his own.
"Alright, fine," and Diana said giving in easily, since Dave could read her so accurately. "My idea is twofold actually. One: I really do want to show him around where I work. Since this is the summer I don't work, though I could I know, but since finances aren't a problem, I don't see the point. It gives me more time to spend with my family."
"And number two?" Dave asked. He was very pleased with Diana's reasoning about not working in the summer as it showed she had her priorities straight and knew that she didn't need to worry about money. That indicated to him that Diana knew their mating was going to last until they both passed away, so she didn't need to worry about having extra funds if she needed to leave because of a bad situation.
"I want to introduce him to JJ who does work the summer sessions, because she's trying to save up some capital for when she does have a family. She also has student loans to pay and those can be hefty. Also, JJ is not mated, as you know and so doesn't have anyone to spend the time with other then friends and her family."
"So you're trying to matchmake again," Dave said amused.
"All I'm going to do is introduce them then let their own reactions speak for themselves," Diana mildly protested laughing. "It might not lead to anything, but since I, as well as the rest of his family have been wanting Danny to settle down for years, I don't see any harm in introducing him to an Omega that is unattached and is also very beautiful. Mom was just complaining about him right after our first date, about how he didn't seem interested in settling down."
"So not lack of interest, just lack of being able to find anyone," Dave said understanding the problem immediately.
"Yes, Danny told me, that it's not like he hasn't been trying to find someone to settle down with just that he hasn't succeeded. He just hasn't been lucky in love that's all. He told me of a couple of the times he thought he had finally found someone and then what happened to make him break it off."
"Finding a mate isn't always easy," Dave admitted, as he and Diana cuddled together.
"No, it's not. Both you and I know that very well. I was very lucky when we met and I know it," Diana agreed.
"So was I," Dave agreed softly kissing Diana's temple in affection.
~~~Dave and Diana~~~
"Danny, I'd like introduce you to Jennifer Jareau," Diana told her brother calmly. Diana had wanted to show Danny around the university that she was teaching. Of course, as she told Dave when he had asked, she had also had a second goal in mind. She had wanted to introduce her brother to JJ, see how things went, since her setting up her friend with Aaron hadn't worked out like she was expecting. She knew her brother was a handsome bloke and she was sure that JJ would notice, as she was hardly blind to a handsome man. One of hers, JJ's and Alex's secret pleasures was rating men from 1 to 10, as they walked by their table when they ate lunch together. It was just a game that the three of them played during their weekly lunches and just harmless fun, so why not? She knew that Dave would find it amusing if he knew about it and not be at all offended and Aaron's reaction would probably be the same if he knew about Alex's little pastime. Of course, Danny was handsome, but that didn't necessarily mean that they shared any interest past attraction and lust, but introducing them wouldn't do any harm. Danny had been here in Virginia for about a week and Diana was enjoying having her brother around. Her kids were certainly enjoying having their Uncle Danny around for a few weeks and took up his attention most evenings. Danny had an endless source of stories to tell them and they all listened fascinated, even James and Marshall. Danny could be very entertaining, something Diana had already known. Whether his stories were true or not didn't really matter.
"It's nice to meet you," JJ said blushing at the handsome man, that was her friend's brother. Danny Whitestone had flaming red hair and amazing green eyes. JJ was definitely attracted to her brother, Diana thought in satisfaction and then looked over at her brother who was showing the same type of reaction. Like he had been stunned stupid. Both looked as if they had been hit over the head with sledgehammers.
"So Ms. Jennifer if you don't have a mate to go to home or aren't courting anyone how about a date?" Danny asked, boldly.
Danny was definitely more than interested, as he wouldn't've asked JJ for a date so soon otherwise, at least not after just five minutes of being introduced.
"I'll be happy to," JJ answered immediately after glancing at Diana who nodded.
That nod told JJ that her brother was not mated or involved with anyone, which reassured her that she wasn't getting into a bad situation. A lot of their kind cheated on their mates and those cheaters often came to a bad end. She was always careful about who she dated and with very good reason.
"What about tonight Ms. Jennifer?" Danny asked with sparkling green eyes.
"Sounds good," JJ agreed. "You can call me JJ by the way, as that's the name I use."
The two exchanged phone numbers and email addresses and Danny promised to call, just as soon as he had a reservation.
Diana and Danny left the university as her brother had seen basically everything.
"You set me up," Danny accused his sister playfully, once they were out of earshot of anyone.
"What makes you think that, Danny?" Diana asked innocently, not admitting that she had indeed set up her brother.
"I saw your expression, once you introduced me to Jennifer," Danny said.
"Alright, maybe I was hoping that the two of you would be attracted, but I hardly set you up," Diana said. "Your attraction is your own, as all I did was introduce you."
"Alright, you're correct," Danny admitted laughing. "You were hoping this would happen though."
"Maybe I was," Diana shrugged. "I already tried to set JJ up once with a friend of Dave's, but he went for my other friend instead, by the name of Alex Blake, now Hotchner. Your whole family has been wanting you to settle down for years, so I just figured it wouldn't do any harm to introduce you and see where that led."
"It might not lead anywhere," Danny cautioned. "I live in Las Vegas after all."
"I know," Diana agreed. "Still, you're both strongly attracted, as I saw your reactions, so you might as well see where it leads."
"Oh, I intend to," Danny said grinning. "I intend to get to know the beautiful JJ better, much better," Danny emphasized.
"You be careful with her," Diana cautioned her brother seriously.
"I will," Danny promised soberly and Diana nodded.
"Good, see that you are, as she's become a very good friend of mine," Diana said.
The two go into Danny's rented car and headed for lunch.
"I really like your colleagues," Danny said.
"I like most of them too, though there are a few that I could very well do without," Diana said with a grimace.
"It's that way with any job though," Danny offered. "There's always going to be at least one person you don't like that much."
This was true Diana knew so didn't comment.
~~~Dave and Diana~~~