A week later
"Look at all the cars," Emily said looking at the street, as Marcus drove up from the shuttleport to the Hotchner home. Her voice was filled with amazement. There were absolutely no parking spaces on the street.
"Yeah, I told you a lot of the family would come for mom's birthday," Marcus said. "Most of them, like us, would've had to come from other cities, as they don't live in Reno."
"All these people tell me that your parents are very loved. That your siblings were willing to just hop a shuttle just to come for their mother's birthday," Emily said. "If this was my mother and we had this many relatives I don't see very many of them coming for her birthday unless blackmailed into it. My mother was definitely not loved. No she would have been left by herself while no one came to a party planned for her unless there was something in it for them or they had been blackmailed."
"That's really sad," Marcus said, as he found a place to park on the next block. "Sad, that your mother was not well liked, even by her children."
"That was her choice," Emily said firmly. "I'm glad she's dead, so she can't claim that you aren't good enough for me and that I need to break up with you. She would've done everything she could to break us up and when that failed tolerated the situation. She wouldn't have been very happy though and I'm sure she would've hoped that we would eventually get a divorce if she put enough pressure on you when we went to visit. Also, since she's dead she can't demand to see her grandchildren when they come."
"Would she have?" Marcus asked. "I mean from what you've said she doesn't even seem to like children that much, so why would she have cared about seeing her grandchildren? On the other hand, I know grandparents for the most part tend to be more indulgent then parents, but I can't really see that with your mother, not after all you've told me."
"It's possible she wouldn't have," Emily admitted. "But on the other hand, it's very possible she would suddenly find a maternal bone and decide she wanted to get to know her grandchildren probably so she could convert them into what she wanted them to be. Even if we allowed her to spend time with whatever kids we have I wouldn't trust her farther then I would a burglar."
Emily's tone of voice was very cynical, but then, Marcus could blame her for being so considering what he knew about Elizabeth Prentiss.
"Let me just say ouch. Its clear you don't trust your mother to do right by you, which is a foreign concept to me," Marcus said.
"No, I don't or didn't anyway, so it's just as well she's dead," Emily said. "As I told Sandy your parents are so not insane. Your parents are so loving and supportive, generous and kind something I can't say about Elizabeth Prentiss."
"Well, let's head to the party," Marcus suggested as he opened the driver's door.
"Oh, by the way, never suggest Elizabeth, as a name for a daughter," Emily told Marcus once she joined him on the sidewalk.
"It's a nice classical name, but I understand why you don't want to name any of our daughters Elizabeth. Your mother didn't support you when she should have so you don't want her name to live on in our family. Luckily, for you I have a sister named Elizabeth just not from my generation, so we'll just skip that name when we start having children."
"That would be good. I know it's a popular name," Emily admitted, "and it has always been, but I will never name any daughter mine Elizabeth or even names like Eliza or Liza or other variants."
"The name's Eliza as well as Elizabeth has already been used in our family," Marcus said. "Between my parents and the Rossis all the most common names for both genders have been used a long time ago. It's how Ambrose Rossi ended up with his name."
"Now there's an old fashioned name," Emily commented with a grimace.
"It is," Marcus agreed. "But Uncle Dave really wanted to honor the man that turned him immortal and the last name of the family happened to be Ambrosius, which just happens to be another version of Ambrose. Ambrose is Greek by the way and it means immortal."
"Now that's ironic considering what your family is," Emily said laughing at the irony Marcus's cousin's name.
"Yeah, it is," Marcus agreed, as he and Emily walked hand-in-hand down the block towards the Hotchner home.
"So why doesn't Ambrose use his middle name?" Emily asked as they do closer to the house where people were spilling out into the yard.
"The answer is simple," Marcus said with a little laugh. "His middle name is worse than his first name."
"What could be worse then Ambrose?" Emily asked.
"His middle name is Caspar," Marcus told her.
"You are right that is worse," Emily said making a face of distaste. "What were his parents thinking. I would bet he was teased maliciously for his name when he was a kid."
"The Hotchner and Rossi children are always sent to a private school so it's doubtful he was teased very much and if he was the teachers would have to put a stop to it. We'll be doing the same whenever we have our own children. None of our children will be going to public school, I promise you."
"That's a good idea," Emily decided. "Me and my siblings went to public school, even though mother had the money to send us to a private one. She just didn't care enough about us to spend the money for us to get a better education that a private school provides. I was so glad to go to college and I never went back after I was out of the house not even for things like summer."
"That is so sad and I'm sorry that your mother didn't treat you like she should have," Marcus said with sympathy in his expression.
"It doesn't matter she's dead and she can rot in hell for all I care," Emily said empathically.
Marcus winced, but he also understood where Emily was coming from so he said nothing.
"Unfortunately, your story is not original," Marcus said. "There's another member of the family that went through something similar except with his father."
"So?" Emily asked with curiosity on her face.
"I don't know all the details," Marcus warned. "All I know is that my cousin Shawnda met her mate a veterinarian named Spencer Reid. Spencer comes from a similar background to your own. The difference is his mother was murdered at the university where she taught along with a bunch of other people and the father wasn't the loving, supportive type."
"I can just imagine what this Spencer Reid went through," Emily said wincing in sympathy.
"Who from what I understand also went to public school when he should've gone to a special school for children with above average intelligence. He's a genius you see, with a very high IQ."
"His father apparently didn't care enough about him to send him to such a school," Emily guessed and Marcus nodded.
"From what I understand, no, he didn't. In fact, he seemed resent his son for his intelligence, his genius level intellect. William Reid has been dead for very long time now and I'm sure Spencer doesn't miss him at all and what does that say about Spencer's father?"
"You're right both our pasts sound similar," Emily said, even as they walked up the driveway to the Hotchner home.
"Both of your pasts don't matter anymore. Besides, Spencer is technically a Rossi now, even if he kept his last name and that means he is loved and accepted and his genius seen as a wonderful thing, not hated or resented. The same goes for you," Marcus told her, even as he squeezed her hand affectionately.
"It sounds wonderful," Emily smiled, even as Marcus rang the doorbell.
"Welcome," Dave greeted Marcus and Emily. "You are just in time before the party really gets going."
"It's nice to see you Uncle Dave," Marcus told the man shaking his hand while Dave patted Marcus on the back.
"It's very nice to see you too Miss Emily," Dave added kissing her cheek.
"Thank you," Emily blushed as David Rossi was a very handsome man. They sure did know how to birth handsome men in the past as Dave was gorgeous from his broad shoulders to his black hair and dark brown eyes that crinkled at the corners when he smiled.
"Come on in," Dave said, stepping out of the way to allow Marcus and Emily to enter the house. "Congratulations on your engagement by the way," Dave added finally noticing the gorgeous engagement ring on Emily's finger.
"Ah! You noticed! Thank you, but don't say anything to anyone as we were going to tell mom and dad and Aunt Jazz sometime today," Marcus requested. "If you hadn't noticed the ring we would have told you at the same time we told everyone else."
"I won't breathe a word," Dave promised grinning from ear to ear happy for his pseudo nephew. "I'll even pretend to be surprised when you tell everyone."
"I don't think you need to go that far," Emily said dryly having recovered from her blushing.
"Let's party," Marcus said, as he escorted Emily past the foyer and down the short hallway.
"At least the food is bound to be spectacular," Emily commented.
"True," Dave agreed, as he joined them in walking towards where the party was being held.
~~~Marcus and Emily~~~
"Happy birthday mom," Marcus told Shonda.
"Thank you," Shonda grinned at her son.
"Yes, happy birthday," Emily told Shonda handing over the present that she had chosen for her future mother-in-law.
"Thank you," Shonda said accepting the present that Emily handed her and then Marcus handed his over, which was too small to be anything but jewelry of some kind. "You really didn't have to get me anything, just having you here is enough of a present for me."
"We wanted to," Marcus told his mother kissing her cheek.
"Yes, we did," Emily agreed with Marcus. "You've been so kind to me, that this is a thank you as well as a birthday present."
"It's what any decent person would've done," Shonda told Emily. "I don't need a present just because I was nice to you."
"Maybe not, but you are so different from my own mother that there's no comparison. You are so not insane," Emily said.
"I take it you didn't have a good relationship with your mother then," Shonda said and Emily nodded confirmation.
"I never went back to visit her after I left for college and my sister would tell you the same if you ever do meet her. Casey would have said the same thing if he wasn't dead," Emily said. "I was just telling Marcus that if there was a party planned for my mother no one would've showed up unless there was something in it for them or they were blackmailed to attend. All the people here, that took time out of their day,just to come and wish you a happy birthday tells me that your family loves you very much. Unfortunately I can't say the same for the woman that gave birth to me."
"That is so sad," Shonda murmured, as she hugged Emily in a gesture of comfort.
"It is, what it is," Emily said, accepting the hug awkwardly. Emily simply wasn't a hugger normally. However, since she had been denied love and affection growing up much like Spencer after his mother had died it was understandable. She'd never had a parental figure that she could depend on just her siblings.
"I'm glad you're joining our family Emily," Shonda told her kissing her on the forehead. Shonda of course, had noticed the engagement ring on Emily's right hand.
"Ah! You noticed the ring!" Marcus grinned having been silent.
"Of course I did son," Shonda told him, even as she kissed his cheek. "Your father and I were expecting this to happen eventually and so were your aunt and uncle. That it happened on my birthday is just an added bonus."
"Yes, he proposed a couple of weeks ago, but we were always going to tell, you when we came for your birthday party," Emily said. "Marcus wanted to tell all four of you together, but since Dave opened the door and he to saw the ring it looks like that's not gonna be possible," Emily said
"It's certainly the best birthday present I could've gotten," Shonda grinned. "I don't really need all these presents, as I already have everything I could possibly want. Just so much of the family coming to celebrate with me would've been more than enough."
Emily thought that Shonda definitely had her priorities straight. She apparently wasn't a greedy type and just spending time with those she loved was more than enough for her.
"It's not like we do this every year mom," Marcus said smiling at his mother. "We could, but we don't."
"True. It would probably get a tad repetitive and boring if we did it every year," Shonda agreed with her son. "Aaron and I as well as Dave and Jazz usually just have dinner out somewhere instead of any of us cooking. Occasionally, Aaron and I take a trip somewhere exotic and stay for a few weeks."
"I don't think Emily or I need the details on what you and dad do when you take one of those trips," Marcus told his mother hastily in case she wanted to expand on her statement.
"I wasn't going to give you details Marcus," Shonda shot back enjoying her son's embarrassment, as he imagined what his parents did when they took one of their trips.
"Good, don't," Marcus almost ordered his mother much to Emily's hidden amusement.
"Why don't you go get yourself a plate of food," Shonda said. "Aaron decided to have the event catered, as he didn't want to put any pressure on Jazz and Dave to provide the whole menu."
"I'm sure it'll be good mom," Marcus said. "Probably not as good as your cooking or Aunt Jazz's and Uncle Dave's though.
"Suck up," Emily told Marcus playfully.
"Just being truthful," Marcus shot back. "Especially Aunt Jazz's desserts, which are always out of this world. I've never had better and I've had plenty of different desserts in my time from different places and countries."
"I agree with my son on that one Emily," Shonda said. "I've been eating Jazz's desserts all my life that goes all the way back to when both of us were mortal. I've never had better in all that time."
"Well that tiramisu I had back when Marcus first introduced me to you was the best I'd ever had, but I suppose I'll just have to see if I agree with you on everything she creates," Emily conceded.
"Give it 50 years and you'll agree that Jazz as well as a lot of her children that inherited her talent are the best bakers around," Shonda advised her.
"I'll do that," Emily agreed smiling.
~~~Marcus and Emily~~~