Aaron looked up from the file open on his desk to see that he was being watched by nearly everyone on Alpha. The only person missing was Reid, but that didn't surprise him all that much, since Ashley had been busy with Andi's team recently, and so he was probably using the small break in work to call and chat with her. Shaking his head a little, he bent his head once more to the file and worked on it some more. He knew that everyone was waiting on tenterhooks to know the outcome of Erin's sixteen week checkup, and he was going to drag out the anticipation for as long as possible.
"I think that you need to put my wife out of her misery, Hotch."
He glanced over at Dave and gave him a small shrug. "I could do that, or we could all finish our work and head over to my house for supper. Each of you could bring something, since Erin isn't supposed to be cooking and doing other stressful tasks."
That was as close as he'd get to revealing what they had been told the previous day, and he knew that the others were disappointed with his answer, given Penelope's crestfallen face. "We have to wait until five to hear anything more?"
Aaron looked up at JJ and gave her a long look before nodding. "Yes. Work will always come before play."
This time it was Morgan who protested, and Aaron tried not to chuckle at the huff of breath that he let out. "You have definitely taken a few pages out of the Strauss playbook, man."
"He's married to her, would you expect anything less?" Blake replied laconically, and Aaron rolled his eyes affectionately as he signed off on the file. It was the last thing that he needed to complete that afternoon, and since there was no case to work, he was free to go home. Shutting the file, he placed it into his outbox before pushing away from the desk and getting to his feet. "Nothing to say, Hotch?"
"No, other than I'm heading home. Hopefully, we'll see you all soon."
He shrugged into his suitcoat before packing up his briefcase and then heading out of the office. "That time already, Aaron?"
"Yes. And like I just told the team, we're having supper together, so if you want to join us, you're more than welcome. I know that Erin is missing you."
She gave him a small nod before turning back to her computer monitor. "I have a few more files to finish processing, but I will definitely stop by after that's finished. What would you like me to bring?"
"Anything that sounds good. I'm going to pick up Chinese for all of us, since Erin's been craving that lately. We'll aim for eating around six," he said loudly enough for the others to hear as well before giving Carri a small wink and then leaving the office.
Once he was in the elevator, Aaron pulled out his phone and quickly called Jessica, knowing that she was over with Erin for the day. "Hey, Aaron. Are you headed home now?"
"Sort of. The team is desperate to know how Erin's doing after yesterday's appointment, so I invited them all over. I'll be stopping for Chinese, so do you want your usual?"
"That sounds great. I'll let Erin know about the slight change in plans and we'll wait for you in the living room. And before you ask, I'll make certain that she stays on the sofa while I put out the extra chairs and get everything ready."
"Sounds like a plan, Jess. I'll be home soon." He ended the call and slipped the phone back into his pocket before humming beneath his breath as the elevator continued downwards. He knew that the tone of the evening would probably be a little downbeat, since Erin had not received the news that she wanted to hear, so he wanted everyone to hear it at once from her lips.
After picking up their food, Aaron drove home as quickly as he could, eager to get there before anyone else arrived. To his surprise, though, Blake's car was just pulling into his drive as he turned the corner towards home, and he shook his head a little as he backed off on the accelerator as he completed his drive home. After parking in the garage, he picked up both bags of food along with his briefcase before heading inside.
Jessica was in the kitchen, filling a pitcher of water, when he entered, and Aaron gave her a wide grin as he held out the bags. "You were trying to beat Alex here, weren't you?"
He shrugged, arching an eyebrow as he dropped his briefcase onto the counter. "Did she say something?"
His sister nodded as she turned the water off. "Yeah, she joked about how slow you were before heading into the living room to seek out Erin and Jack. I think that she brought Greek food, or at least, that's what it smelled like. Make certain you grab silverware for us, and then place the caddy on the table for the others to use when they get here."
Aaron nodded as he dropped the necessary utensils into his bag before following Jessica into the living room. There was already iced tea and cans of soda on the coffee table, and he watched his sister set the water pitcher down next to the tea before she took a seat next to Jack and looked at him expectantly. Chuckling, he handed around their food before taking his place next to Erin, his smile softening when she leaned against him, resting her head on his chest.
The others slowly began to arrive, including Reid and Ashley, and soon their living room was filled with friendly faces, chatting away with each other. "Have you told them anything yet?" Erin whispered in his ear after she had leaned forward and set the remainders of her meal on the coffee table.
"No, I thought that we could do that together. After all, it is news about our family."
She nodded as she leaned in to kiss his cheek tenderly. Blake tried to swallow the amused aw that slipped from her lips, but Aaron still caught it, giving her a little look before arching an eyebrow. Blake blushed a little as she hurriedly finished her food and the conversations around them slowly came to a standstill as everyone finished the food they had brought. Erin squirmed a little under the scrutiny of so many eyes, but it was actually Ashley who spoke up first. "So, ma'am, did you get the news that you wanted yesterday? Spencer was saying that you might be going a little stir crazy here, like I was when I had to be in hospital for so long."
Erin shook her head a little, curling her hand in his shirt as she took a deep breath. Instantly, Aaron began to run his hand up and down her arm in an effort to comfort her. "I wish that I had gotten the best case scenario news. However, my doctor is still not pleased with how high my blood pressure was at this appointment. So, I have to monitor it until our twenty week checkup, and if there's a change for the better, I can start to have a little more freedom. Though she did say that daily walks were beneficial to my health, so if anyone wants to come babysit me for twenty minutes or so, they're more than welcome to break up the tedium of my day."
"I'll start up a rota, Erin." Penelope grinned widely at them, but Aaron gave her a small look. "Hey, Boss Man, I was pregnant not too long ago, I know appropriate limits. Don't worry, we'll take care of your Buttercup, and make certain that the little one stays baking for as long as possible."
"I know, but I still worry."
"Because of Haley?" Jessica interjected, and he nodded. "I have that same worry for you and Erin, but I know that you both look after each other, and we'll look after her when you can't. I have the feeling that Erin is much stronger than she looks, after all."
"Ain't that the truth!" JJ piped in, and he gave her a little look. "We've all heard stories from Penelope and Blake, so we know about the softer strength of your wife."
He nodded, tightening his hand around the ball of Erin's shoulder when he felt tears start to wet his shirt. "I truly don't know what I did to deserve all this kindness," she whispered before turning her face away from their guests and into his chest.
"By changing. It may have taken a lot of trust on your part, since you had to share some very vulnerable pieces of you with a number of us, but I hope that your trust in me has not been misplaced." This time, it was Blake speaking, and Erin nodded a little against him. "Seriously, I did not expect to so quickly move on from what happened between us, and that was only as a result of seeing the change in you, and hearing how much everyone here respects you."
Those kind words caused Erin to move from crying to sobbing, and he felt the sofa shift a little as Jack squirmed in between Penelope and him so that he could rest his head on Erin's baby bump, hugging them both tightly. "Mama Erin, don't cry. We love you."
Erin lifted her head from Aaron's chest, looking down at their son, and Aaron smiled at Jack as they embraced. "I love you, too, Jackers," she murmured before getting up and looking around the room. "I'm sorry to leave so inelegantly, but I don't feel well, which is often a side effect of the emotions and hormones coursing through my body. You all are more than welcome to stay as long as you'd like, as I know that the rest of my family will entertain you. Truly, I do not deserve such lovely friends as you all." She gave Aaron a small smile before leaving the living room at as fast a clip as she could muster lately, and Aaron went to follow after her, feeling concerned about her.
"I'll check on her, Hotch," Blake said as she more smoothly rose to her feet. "And I promise not to work her up any more than she already is, since I know how important it is that she stays as calm as possible." He gave her a small nod as she left the living room, and then looked around the room at everyone gathered.
"Erin's definitely been through the wringer lately. And I don't think that it's going to get any easier, even with Georgia moving in with us in two weeks."
"How's that going to work?" Morgan asked, and he shrugged. "No plan? Seriously?"
Aaron shook his head a little as he pursed his lips. "It's not that we don't have a plan, per se, but rather it all depends on how Molly takes to having her half sister here on a more permanent basis. She did not react well to that news, which I think is why Erin's blood pressure readings have been so high. And I'd rather her be on bedrest for a while longer, at least until Georgia does get settled, because it will give her a chance to rest."
"Are you going to need any help moving her things in?" Emily asked, and he gave her a small smile before shaking his head again.
"That is something that we actually have planned for. She graciously allowed us to hire professional movers for her, and most of her belongings will be here next week and placed in a storage facility nearby, so that she can get things she needs when she needs them. And once the baby is here, well, we'll help her find her own place, since she isn't going to want to live with us forever. Kids, even adult kids, need to have their own space to grow and thrive." He let out a small sigh as he glanced over at Penelope, seeing that she was cradling Irene close to her chest. Soon, that would be Erin, and he hoped that everything between now and the birth went well, so that Vanessa was strong and healthy when she arrived.