November 2017

Kids' Ages

Jack Hotchner -12

Henry LaMontagne - 9

Elaine Hotchner - 5

Olivia Garcia - 5

Michael LaMontagne - 22 months

Grace Hotchner - 20 months

Hank Morgan - 15 months

*Emily is 6 months pregnant

Hotchners

Aaron tapped his foot impatiently and glanced at his watch. Emily had left over half an hour ago to get the children from school. Shouldn't she be back by now? Usually, she just clocks out before she leaves and just goes home with them. But today they decided that it would be nice to bring them there. Due to the nature of their work, he worried every time he couldn't pinpoint exactly where she was.

Just as he was pulling out his phone to call her, he heard a commotion from the bullpen. Rolling his chair to the windows, he peeked out of the blinds. There was his wife, Grace perched on her hip. However, not only were Jack and Ellie surrounding her but also Henry, Micheal, Olivia, and Savannah who was holding Hank. Aaron smiled, standing up to join the rest of the team.

As he made it to where everyone was standing, the children dispersed, flinging themselves on their respective parents. Ellie came rocketing at him, hitting his legs and nearly knocking him backward.

After multiple greetings, small toys and coloring books were brought out for the younger children while the older kids got a headstart on their homework. Aaron perched himself on the corner of Emily's desk, watching the activity all around him. He couldn't help but smile at the view in front of him. Jack and Spencer were huddled together at the doctor's desk combing through a textbook. Henry and Michael were at their mother's desk coloring together. Ellie was busy chatting away at Rossi. Gracie was safe in Tara's arms. Savannah, Penelope, and Hank were surrounding Derek's desk, as Olivia sat on his lap, telling him all about her day.

They truely looked like a gigantic family, which really made what Aaron was about to say a lot harder.

He cleared his throat, catching the attention of the team. "I have an announcement," he told them, standing up and going back into boss mode. He looked at Emily for support. She squeezed his hand with a small sad smile. "There is no easy way to say this but I need to. I will be retiring as B.A.U. Unit Cheif."

Aaron's announcement seemed to stun the group. They all just stared at him open-mouthed and wide-eyed. Derek was the first to speak.

"Why?"

Aaron reached back for Emily's hand. "In short I've decided to focus on being a dad. But I assure you I will be leaving you all in good hands."

This was the end of the conversation as everyone fell back into a silence.

Aaron's heart tinged with sadness. He hated to leave the team that he had been crafting and caring for more than a decade. However, looking out at his children and seeing Emily's growing bump, he knew it was worth it.

Reid

All was quiet in the bullpen. Aaron had just broken the news that he would be retiring and no one quite knew how to take it. Spencer went back to helping Jack with his homework. A phone ringing broke the silence in the room. Everyone looked at one another. It took a moment for Spencer to realize it was his. He stepped away to answer the call without looking at who it was.

"Hello?"

"Hello, is this Dr. Spencer Reid?" The voice on the other end was joyful and feminine.

Spencer's eyebrows furrowed. "This is he."

"Wonderful. Dr. Reid, I'm calling from Stafford Hospital to inform you that a beautiful little girl in the nursery is very excited to meet her Daddy."

It felt as though all the air was knocked out of Spencer's lungs. "Okay. Uhm. I-I can be there in thirty minutes. Th-thank you for informing me."

"Of course, Dr. Reid. Congratulations on becoming a father."

Spencer clicked off the phone and stumbled back into the bullpen with a stunned look on his face.

"Spence? Is something wrong?" JJ asked as he just stood there, phone in hand.

"The baby is here. I'm a dad." He said nothing more, still frozen in place.

"What are you still doing here? Go get your baby!" Rossi yelled at him.

Spencer snapped out of it, rushing to grab his belongings before running out the door to go meet his daughter.

Less than half an hour later, Spencer stood in front of the nursery window. Rows of babies slept in identical bassinets. Only one stood out to him. He noticed her right away. Two rows in three from the left. His daughter. She looked remarkable like him, as much as she could for a just-born infant. She was also quite small; no more than a foot and a half in length and five and a half pounds in weight. Another similarity. A nurse saw him in the window and waved him in.

He pushed through the door and went over to his daughter. He placed a hand on one of her tiny ones. Her whole hand wrapped around just one of his fingers.

"You can hold her if you like." Spencer nearly jumped at the nurse's words. She seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

Spencer nodded. He lifted the baby gently, cradling her in his arms.

"Is she, okay? Healthy, I mean?" He asked, gazing at the pink bundle.

"Perfectly. Ten fingers, ten toes. She is a little small but it isn't a concern. Now, there is the matter of the birth certificate. I've taken the liberty of filling out most of it myself. I went ahead and left the mother's spot empty as he requested when we last spoke. So, the last piece of information needed is a name for Baby Girl. Did you have one in mind?"

Looking at his baby girl, Spencer couldn't help but remember everything that led up to her birth. All of the days he sat in jail. Every moment spent with Cat Adams. It all led to this moment. It was worth it. Two minutes with his baby and he knew he would do it all over again for her.

"Jules. Jules Diana Reid."

Morgan

Derek woke up to his two-year-old son jumping on the bed no more than a foot from his head. Tiredly, Derek wrapped his arms around the toddler's waist, tugging him down and tickling him. Hank's giggles made Derek smile.

"Mo'nin' Daddy. 'Appy Birt'ay."

"Thank you, Hankster."

"Feel old yet?" Savannah asked, coming to stand in the doorway.

Derek sat up feeling a strain in his back. "Starin' to."

Savannah smiled. "Well, your son and I have a present for you. So come out to the living room, old man."

Derek followed his wife out of the room, carrying Hank and putting him down on the couch when he spotted the gift bag in front of him.

"Should I be scared?" He asked, grabbing the bag.

"Maybe a little."

Most of the bag was filled with dark blue tissue paper. Finally, his hand connected with what felt like soft fabric.

"You have to unfold it," Savannah instructed.

Derek unfolded the gift to find that it was a newborn-size onesie with the writing Baby Morgan #2 coming June 2018

Tears formed in his eyes as he looked at his wife.

"This is real?"

Savannah nodded. "I'm six weeks. It seems that our little belated honeymoon had consequences."

Of course, Derek thought. I should have expected this to come from that weekend.

Because Savannah went into labor at their wedding and had Hank the next day, they weren't able to go on a proper honeymoon. A year later, Derek was finally able to whisk his beautiful bride away. It hadn't been much, just a hotel in Brooklyn, New York for the that the location mattered that much anyway; they had barely left the room. And now they were going to have two children under two. Two in diapers. Two in cribs.

"Are you mad?" Savannah asked.

"Of course not! Sav, I'm thrilled." Derek got up to kiss her. "This is the best birthday gift you could give me. He began to walk away.

"Where are you going?"

"I've got to make a phone call."

He went back into the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

"Hey Hotch, it's Morgan."

"Derek, I was just getting ready to call you. Cruz and I have been talking, and we've decided to name you as my replacement."

"Hotch, man, listen. Savannah's pregnant."

"Derek, that's great! Congratulations!"

"Yeah, thanks, but, that's what I was calling about. I can't take the promotion. I want to put in my resignation."

LaMontagne

"Mom, when's Dad coming home?" Henry asked while she was tucking him in for the night.

JJ stopped in her tracks. It had been almost three months since she and Will separated and this was the first time since the initial announcement that either boy asked questions. "I don't know, Bubs. We have a lot to discuss, But I'm hoping he'll be home soon."

"I miss him."

"I know you do. But he'll be at your game tomorrow, and he's going to pick you guys up on Friday and you'll get all weekend with him. It'll just be just you, Mikey, Dad, and Uncle Lawerence, like a guy's weekend."

"Mom? Are you and Dad going to divorce?"

JJ frowned. Her heart broke for her children. She should never have asked Will to leave. It was just a stupid fight. He thought she was working too much and was too focused on Emily's pregnancy the way she was with Penelope's. She was jealous of the new officer that was flirting with him. It was all superficial. And now she was ruining her children's life.

"I don't think so, Bub. Moms and Dads just need some space form each other sometimes. But I think your Dad and I will be alright." She stooped to kiss his head. "Stop worrying about it and get some sleep."

JJ went back downstairs. She grabbed her phone and settled on the couch. She stared at his contact for a while before hitting the call button. He answered on the second ring, sounding tired.

"Jen? What's goin' on? Are the boys alrigh'?"

"They're fine, but they miss you. And honestly Will, so do I."

"Jen, I'll come home, all ya 'ave to do is say the word."

JJ bit her lip. "Can you just come over so we can talk? Wait like an hour, so I know the boys are asleep."

"I'll be there."

JJ ended the call and waited anxiously for Will to show up. She jumped up to open the door when she heard his key scrapping on the doorknob in the darkness. She ushered him in silently. At the sight of him, her heartbeat picked up. She always thought he was attractive but now that he was standing in front of him, it felt as though the crush she had on him when they first met was coming back. Maybe it was true what they say; absence makes the heart grow fonder Without thought, she surged forward, pressing her lips to his. Initially, he reciprocated but then backed off.

"Ma Chérie, we shouldn' do this. It's jus' gonna confuse things."

JJ tried desperately to re-attach their lips, clinging hopelessly to him. Will kissed back some while also trying to get her to see reason.

"Please, Will. Just this once. I need you."

Will softened. "Okay. Just this once," he agreed, kissing her again as they backed into the bedroom, pushing the door shut behind them.