"So, how did it go?" Penelope asked as she ushered them into her office.
"Better than I had expected. We're going to be able to stay together, Ron said so." Erin smiled kindly at Penelope as she sank down on the sofa. "Now the hard part begins. I need to find a baby doctor for our child."
"Well, that shouldn't be too hard, actually. You have access to the Oracle of All Knowing!" The excitement in Penelope's voice made Erin smile as she settled back into the plush couch. "Now, I know that you need a high risk specialist, given your age. And I assume that you would prefer a woman to look after you?"
"Yes. But how would you know that?"
"Sometimes we just know these things, Erin." Penelope turned back to her computer and began to tap away at the keyboard. She snuggled close to Derek, drawing patterns on his chest with her finger as his friend worked. "Okay, you two are seriously adorable here."
Someone knocked heavily on the door, and Erin stiffened a little, seeming to welcome the way that Derek tightened his arm around her waist as Penelope shrugged a little. "Come in!" Derek called out, never letting go of her.
David entered their sanctuary moments later, his gaze never quite stopping on Erin or him. "Hotch sent me to come get you all. Yes, even you, Erin. He said that he'd just gotten an email from the Director about your relationship."
Penelope nodded sharply before waving her hand at him. "We'll be there in two shakes of a lamb's tail, Rossi. Okay?"
Though her tone was sweet, Derek could hear the underlying tone of ire in her voice, and watched the older man's cheeks flush a little as he nodded. "All right. He did say to make it snappy, since we do have a case to brief."
"We get it, David. We'll be along shortly." It was Erin, though, who snapped at him, and Derek had to rest his hand on her upper arm, squeezing softly to keep her from speaking any more, as he did not want to start a fight right before meeting with Hotch and the others.
"Whatever," the older man muttered as he turned on his heel and stalked from the room.
"Well, I guess that means we'll have to search for a doctor for you in about half an hour," Penelope murmured as she stood, helping Erin to her feet. Together, they walked from the room, Derek trailing after them, watching his wife with clear eyes. There was something about the tired set of her shoulders that spoke of just how much strain she was under.
The moment they stepped into the ready room, Derek was able to watch Erin put her armor on, her shoulders stiffening as she raised her chin. If he was looking at her face, he was almost certain that her eyes were steely, as if daring anyone to comment on why she was there with them. Penelope let go of Erin's hand to stand up by the screen, and this was his cue to move into position next to his wife, taking hold of her hand, threading their fingers together.
Blake narrowed her eyes as she looked between the two of them, and he knew that of them all, she would be the problem, after Rossi. While he hadn't yet managed to prise that particular story out of her, he knew that there was a past that Erin wanted to keep to herself, and he knew that he had to be patient with her, if he was to get the full truth out of her.
"Good morning, everyone. You're probably wondering why Erin is here with us, and I promise that all will be explained shortly. Erin?" Hotch looked to them, and Erin's back straightened a little more, every muscle tightening in a clear flight or fight reaction.
"Yes, well, some of you may know that Derek and I went to see the Director this morning about something that will affect you in the most infinitesimal of ways. Yesterday, when we were absent from the office, Derek and I were married."
Sure enough, Blake was the first one to break her silence, taking the tiny gap that Erin left to take a breath and running with it. "Excuse me? I rather think that that affects us quite a lot more than just infinitesimally. Are you still our Section Chief? And how are you going to stay objective when your husband is on this team? I know you, you are going to give preferential treatment to Alpha, and that is unfair!"
Erin blanched a little before leaning in, her voice no louder than a whisper. "I would rather think that my fairness should not be called into question here, Alex. My objectiveness has grown since the last time we worked together. I can promise you that. And I am going to need Derek here, in the months to come."
She turned into him, looking up at him, a soft smile on her lips. He could read in her eyes exactly what she was asking of him, and he nodded. "Before you ask why she's going to need me, let me do the honors. We are expecting a baby this September, and could not be any happier about it."
Blake's brow furrowed as her eyes darted between them and Dave, almost as if she was putting the pieces of the puzzle together and coming up with a picture that she did not like. Derek gave her a small shake of his head, and she frowned. "But, wait. I thought that Rossi was going out with Erin before this. Wouldn't it be…?" Penelope elbowed Spencer sharply, and he rubbed his ribs as he glared at her. "What was that for?"
"For prying into business that you shouldn't. What we need to be here is happy for our newest couple and support them as Erin carries this baby to term. There's going to be issues that arise, and we, as a team and family, need to be ready to drop everything and help them out. All right?" Penelope hissed, her face a perfect copy of Erin's at her most upset. In that moment, Derek wondered just how much his best friend had been watching their Section Chief, to be able to emulate her so.
Spencer nodded quickly, giving them an apologetic look, and Erin shrugged a little before scooting ever closer to him. Instinctively, his hand came to rest on the slight rise of her baby bump, and he vaguely thought that he could hear Rossi growl under his breath. "Are you hoping for a boy or a girl?" he finally asked, focusing his gaze on Erin.
"I would love a little boy this time, so that I have a balanced family. Though I think that Derek may want a little girl to spoil. We'll have to see what God blesses us with." The smile that curved her lips up was so beautiful that he couldn't help but return the gesture. Glancing over at Blake, he saw the soft look that she wore, and wondered if this would finally be the catalyst that might mend the relationship between herself and Erin.
"As long as the baby is healthy, I'll be happy with whatever gender they end up being." They sighed in unison and Erin rested her head on his chest, letting their breaths sync up. "Now, let's get this case briefed, so that I can find a good doctor to take care of my wife and baby." Derek nodded at Penelope before taking a seat, tugging Erin down onto his lap as they listened to Penelope give a brief run through of what they would be expecting once they landed in Tulsa.
"All right, everyone, in light of the recent development in our team, wheel's up will be in sixty." Hotch stood and made his way from the room, Blake following closely at his heels. Dave was the next one to leave, and Derek noted that he kept a wide berth of them, never looking in their direction.
"You know, I never said congratulations, you guys," Spencer said as he came up to their sides. "And, I read a lot of books on how to deliver babies, so if something happens here, and you go into labor, I can safely say that I would be able to bring your child into this world and have it be okay."
The earnestness in his gaze spoke of how sincere he was, and Erin nodded a little before reaching out for his hand. Spencer took her hand, and squeezed tightly, never losing the smile on his lips. "I hope that it wouldn't come to that, Spencer, but I know that I can trust you, should the need arise."
"Excellent. Well, I suppose that I should let you two find a good doctor. See you in a little while, Derek." He waved to them and left the room, JJ and Penelope the only ones left.
"When are you going to tell everyone about your baby, Jennifer?" Erin asked kindly, a smile in her voice.
"I want to get into the second trimester. I lost a baby, when we were overseas together, and while I don't want to be pregnant, I want this baby. If that even makes sense." JJ touched her stomach delicately, sadness marring her face.
"I do. I felt the same way when I was pregnant with my youngest child, Tabitha. Alan and I were in a bad place in our marriage, and the idea of bringing another life into that miasma was overwhelming. But when I thought about the future, and holding her in my arms, then I knew that I wanted her." JJ nodded, and Erin let out a deep breath. "I am glad, though, that there will be someone else pregnant at the same time as me. Hopefully it will take some of the focus off any troubles that I might have."
Penelope frowned a little as she came up to their side, taking hold of Erin's hand and tugging her off Derek's lap. "Nothing is going to go wrong with this pregnancy, I am going to make certain of that." And then, she was leading Erin from the room, leaving him alone with JJ.
"So, are you a little more at ease with this, Jayje?" he asked as she settled against the table, looking at him intently.
"A little. I mean, it's weird, I'm not going to lie. But she seems so at ease with you, and that makes it easier to accept. Plus, I think that she's going to look adorable pregnant. And she's right, it is going to be a lot easier to do this with a colleague than try and be pregnant alone."
He smiled as he opened his arms to his friend, not surprised when she hugged him tightly. "I think, after our baby is here, I'm going to teach her how to spar, like I did with you. I just feel like there's something coming for us, and I want her to be able to kick ass, especially if she doesn't have access to her firearm."
JJ cocked her head to one side as she looked at him. "Is she good with a gun? I mean, she's never really been out in the field, but for those two times she went with us."
He nodded, thinking about that time he had seen her on the range. "Um, she's better than you are, and you're the best shot of us all. I was lucky enough to see her shoot once, and I was a bit in awe, not gonna lie."
"I see. So, you were smitten with our Section Chief long before you married her. You should let her know that."
Derek felt his cheeks warm up, and he looked away from JJ to stare at a spot somewhere above her shoulder. "We've already told each other that we have deep feelings for each other. There were things that we've been through that lead us to be tender with each other."
"You've told her that you love her, and you do. Derek, are you sure that you're not just in love with the idea of being a knight in shining armor?"
He shook his head sharply, unable to stop the glare that formed on his face. "No, I love her for her. I love her for accepting me and not pushing me to reveal all my secrets at once. And she loves me for those very same reasons. It may seem stupid, or fake, or whatever, but it is very real for us. And I'd thank you to remember that."
Derek didn't even wait to see what her response would be as he stalked from the ready room and made his way over to Penelope's office. The moment he opened that door, Erin was turning to him and smiling, tenderness and love shining from her features as she opened her arms to him. Without hesitation, he stepped forward and enclosed her in a warm embrace, loving the way she filled his senses. "So, have my pretty ladies found a doctor that is good enough for our baby?"
"Yes, actually, we were just about to set up the first appointment, so you are right on time." Erin sighed a little as she got up, letting him sit so that she could make herself comfortable on his lap. This moment was so full of rightness, of surety, that he knew he had done something right by offering to give her baby a father.