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Title: Breaking the News
Authors:
innerslytherin and
severity_softly
Pairing: Rossi/Prentiss
Rating: NC-17
WC: ~7,300
Summary: Dave decides Emily should meet the Rossi family...and the team finds out.
Thanks: To
resolucidity for the beta job and to
moonflower75, who is my go-to-gal for Italian translations.
Note: This is the fourth installment to our new series, which is an AU from the What Happens in Vegas Universe. Other installments of the Change of Plans AU can be found here.
"Thanks, Jimmy." Dave held up one finger and grinned at Emily as she came into his office. He had his cell phone pressed to his ear. "I really appreciate your help on this. I think she'll be pleased." He was silent for a moment, listening. "Yeah, for Easter...I know, but I'm convinced you use the same damn homily every year." After another pause, he laughed. "I'll let her know. Take care, and I'll be in touch."
When he hung up, he gave her a huge smile. "I have a priest, and if you want it, there's an opening at the church late in July. Jimmy said he'd hold it for me."
She blinked at him. "A priest where? What church?" She looked like she had actual work in her hands, but instead of mentioning it, she sank into the chair across from his.
"My friend Jimmy Davison, at Saint Brigid's. You remember, he helped us with the Silvano case." Dave grinned. "He said to tell you hello, and that you're marrying a sinner bound for hell, which I'm sure you already know."
She stared at him a moment longer, and then laughed. "Yeah, well, I'm okay with that." She smiled at him. "Dave, I love you. We don't have to have a church wedding."
Dave shrugged and decided not to mention that Jimmy had gone to a considerable amount of trouble to get permission from the diocese to marry them at the church. "Well, that's your call. I wanted to make sure it was an option, if that's what you want." He smiled faintly, thinking of the idea of Emily in some gauzy white dress in the middle of the cathedral finery. "It might be nice, you know?"
Her smile went a little crooked. "It would." She put the files in her lap and folded her hands. "But you've already had two church weddings."
He glanced at the half-open door and reached out to touch her briefly. "But neither of them were to you," he murmured.
She smiled slowly at him. "What about Easter?"
He smiled back. "Well, my mother's asked me to come home for Easter. I thought maybe you would join me, and we could tell my family then."
She breathed a laugh. "Yeah," she said. "We might as well start getting announcements over with. I won't be this size much longer."
Dave laughed too, though he wasn't entirely sure he was allowed to (she still frequently told him how much she hated him, usually in the midst of a bout of morning sickness). It was funny, he'd never found pregnant women to be particularly beautiful before, but now, when he thought about Emily, pregnant, all he could think was how completely gorgeous she was going to be.
"I'll make our reservations today, then. I know Hotch won't make any trouble about approving our annual leave time together." He glanced down at the file in her lap. "I don't think you came in here to make wedding plans."
"Oh, no," she said, shaking her head and looking back at the file. "We have a case," she said. "Round table in five." She glanced at the door, then kissed him quickly. "I can't wait to meet your mother."
Dave hummed and pulled her back for a slightly longer kiss. "She's going to love you."
***
Emily's heart was thudding against her ribcage in a valiant attempt to escape. Two weeks ago she'd told Dave she couldn't wait to meet his mother. That was still true, mostly. But standing on the doorstep with a bouquet of lilies as Dave rang the bell and then let them in, she couldn't ignore the fact that she was also terrified.
It didn't really help that there were more people in the house than her entire family put together. And Dave had called this a "small" get together. Several people smiled at her and greeted her by name, and then a short, silver-haired woman walked up to them and Dave grinned when she reached up and hugged him.
"Davey," she said, sounding overjoyed. She squeezed him and rocked him back and forth, kissing his cheek. "Introduce me to your lady friend."
Dave pulled away from her and turned to beam at Emily. He held out a hand, beckoning her closer, and when she stepped up, he slid an arm around her.
"Emily, this is my mother, Rosa. Mama, this is Emily Prentiss, my fiancée."
Rosa beamed brilliantly, and Emily returned the smile. "Hi," she said, sticking out her hand, but Rosa made a happy noise and flung her arms around Emily. "Oof... ah, hi," she said again, bending to return the hug.
"Davey!" someone shouted. "You didn't say you was gettin' married again!" Emily heard Dave cough as his back was pounded, presumably by the owner of that voice. She couldn't tell, since she was being turned in a circle by Mama Rosa, who then kissed her on the cheek and said, "Come and meet Davey's fiancée! This is Emily!"
Emily spent the next ten minutes being enthusiastically greeted, hugged, and kissed, by various members of Dave's extended family, all of whom were thrilled that he'd met someone who seemed so nice. "And so tall and thin," Rosa pointed out several times. "Like a model." One of Dave's brothers (Mike, she thought) told her that when she was tired of that rich boring oaf, she could come fall in love with the handsome brother.
She laughed, and when he handed her a rather large glass of wine, she passed it off to Dave. "Oh, she's a keeper. Better not screw this one up," Mike told Dave. "Quick, change everything about you." He started to pour her another glass and she held up a hand and politely declined with just a head shake.
Dave laughed and punched his brother, then slid an arm around Emily and kissed her cheek. "Can you believe that she knows all my flaws and loves me anyway? I'm a lucky man."
Mike snorted. "I could probably find phone numbers of his ex-wives, if you want to compare notes before you take the plunge," he told Emily. "It's a good thing you don't drink. He does. Like a fish."
"Hey," Dave groused. "You know, I have a colleague who would point out that the phrase 'drinking like a fish' really isn't correct, since fish breathe water rather than drinking it."
Mike punched him and Dave yelped. "Mama! Mikey punched me." He glanced at Emily and winked, while Mike groaned.
"Mikey, be nice to your younger brother, he's getting married!" Rosa shouted.
Emily pressed her hand to her face and groaned. "I thought I was marrying an older man," she muttered. Dave laughed and kissed her again. Somewhere behind her she heard someone saying something about her ass in Italian, and she turned around and arched a brow. "Se devi dire qualcosa, probabilmente è una buona idea non dare per scontato che l'altra persona non capisca." *
The boys, probably in their mid-twenties, gaped at her, then disappeared into the next room.
Dave tightened his arm around her and gave her a look that was equal parts adoring and amused. "Did I mention she speaks Italian?" he said. "Emily lived in Italy for a while when she was younger."
"Younger than what?" asked another brother. "She's a kid compared to you, grandpa."
"Stà zitto," David ordered. **
Emily rolled her eyes. "I was a teenager. I moved around a lot when I was younger," she said.
"And she speaks Italian!" Rosa exclaimed. Dave's mother was just beside herself, and they hadn't even told her she was pregnant yet. Rosa started lavishing praise on Emily in Italian, and Emily just smiled and thanked her, then looked at Dave to rescue her.
"Shh, Mama, she's shy," Dave lied. He didn't so much as blink as he said it, and Rosa clearly didn't believe him, since she told him to quit interfering and let his wife-to-be share a glass of champagne with his mother.
Dave glanced down at Emily questioningly. "Oh, no, really," she said, and shot him a look back she hoped told him he'd better get to telling them.
"Actually, Mama, Emily's not allowed to share a glass of champagne with anyone right now," Dave said. He pulled her close again and kissed her temple, then grinned. "We're gonna have a baby."
If Emily had thought the response to their engagement was loud, it was nothing compared to the explosion of happiness that occurred after Dave's second announcement. Rosa threw her arms around Emily and Dave both, laughing and crying on Emily's shoulder. There were congratulations as well as sly comments about Dave's potency and finally proving himself a man. Dave took them all in stride, though one of his brothers somehow ended up rubbing a shin and wearing an injured look.
"Oh my God, my Davey's going to be a dad! I'm going to be a grandmother! Again!" Rosa exclaimed. Emily realized after a moment that Rosa's hand was on her stomach. "When?!" she asked.
"Ah, September," Emily said, and that was obviously the wrong answer because Rosa glared at Dave.
"September? She's having my grandbaby in September and you're just now telling me?"
Dave got a sheepish look on his face. "Mama, I wanted to make sure she'd marry me first," he said. Then he glanced over at Mike. "After all, if she'd met Mike before she agreed to marry me? He might've scared her away."
Mike howled with mock outrage, but Rosa just smacked Dave's shoulder and took Emily in her arms again. "Oh, we have so much we need to do! Do you have a crib? And clothes? Oh, we'll have to go shopping! And David, he's going to make an honest woman of you before September?"
"Yes, he is," Emily said. "We won't have time for a wedding once the baby is born," she added, smiling. "I think we've tentatively decided on July?" she said, looking at Dave.
Dave beamed at her, which was all the answer she needed. "Okay, Mama, you should all leave her alone so she can talk to Dad."
She hadn't even realized Dave's father was in the room, but Rosa immediately stopped fluttering and just folded her hands together, beaming and nodding at Emily. The room quieted a little as Dave guided Emily over to where a man with pure-white hair and half a smile was sitting in a recliner.
"Emily, this is my father, Edward. Dad, this is Emily." He kissed Emily's hair and, under cover of the movement, murmured, "He'll repeat himself if you don't understand." He'd told her before that Edward Rossi had had a stroke a few years ago, and that the right side of his body had been affected. She knew it must have been frustrating for a man with such an active family.
Edward lifted one hand and stretched it out to her. Emily took it automatically and discovered that his grip was still strong. He was a handsome man, and she could definitely see a strong resemblance to Dave.
"Good to meet you," Edward said. His speech was slurred, but intelligible.
"You too," she told him, smiling, then took a seat at the couch next to him. "I can see where David and his brothers got their good looks."
Dave and Ed both laughed. "Sorry," Ed replied, lifting his hand again to show off his wedding ring. "I'm taken."
She made a disappointed face, then looked at Dave "Looks like I'm stuck with you." She squeezed his hand, grinning.
Dave kissed her hand and grinned back at her. "Lucky me."
Ed cleared his throat, getting her attention back. "Em." He couldn't seem to manage her full name, so he made a gesture of dismissal. "Em. You love my son?"
She met his gaze and nodded. "Yes, I do." She smiled. "Very much."
He nodded, smiling back at her. "Already know he loves you. Can see it on his face."
"Dad," Dave said, sounding embarrassed and pleased. He tightened his hand on Emily's. "I do love her. More than anything."
She lifted her hand to touch his cheek. "Lucky me," she said, echoing his sentiment just a few moments before.
Ed made an approving noise. "Keep her," he ordered Dave, making Emily smile.
"I plan to," Dave said, smiling. He pulled Emily closer, relaxing against her. "Forever," he murmured in her ear.
Emily sucked in a breath at that, feeling slightly overwhelmed, but so happy. Dave's family was a little... well, huge, and loud, and nothing at all like she was used to, but she felt totally accepted. Everyone seemed to like her and they were all so supportive, even in spite of some of Dave's brother's teasing. It was wonderful.
"Yeah, if you don't hold onto her, I'm gonna steal her," Mike said, to which Dave responded, "I have a gun." Everyone laughed.
Emily grinned. "I'm not so easily stolen, anyway. Or won over."
"She's telling the truth," Dave said. "It took me a long time to convince her to give me a chance."
"So tell us," Rosa demanded. "How did you meet, how did you convince her, tell us everything!"
Dave glanced at her, then said, "We met when I went back to the FBI. She's part of the BAU. And I pretty much started falling for her right away." He grinned and kissed her cheek. "But as for how I convinced her, she'd have to answer that."
Everyone looked at her expectantly.
Emily gave a slightly nervous glance, then shot Dave a look. "I'm not entirely certain," she said, and shrugged. "I was trying to put him off, actually, but it just snuck up on me."
"Sounds kinda creepy," Mike said. "Like those unsubs Davey's always talking about."
Dave glared at him and everybody laughed again. Rosa huffed. "Be nice to your brother, he's giving me a grandbaby," she ordered, and Dave grinned. "I am going to go finish dinner. Cynthia and Paula, you come help your grandmother and stay out of the wine." Two of the teenaged girls got up and followed her out to the kitchen.
A woman Emily had met earlier came over to them. "Georgie's downstairs playing pool with Susan. Want to come down and meet the guy who can tell you the most stories about Davey?"
"Of course I do," Emily said, laughing, and pushed off the couch. She followed the woman through the kitchen to the basement stairs. "I'm sorry. I'm a little overwhelmed here. What was your name again?"
"Felicia." She flashed Emily a smile. "I'm the scandalous lesbian cousin. Davey and Georgie and I grew up together. Susan's my partner." They got halfway down the stairs and Felicia stopped, linking an arm with Emily to stop her, too. "Listen, sorry, this is about the only private place to talk in this house. Besides the bathroom." She grinned, then sobered again. "You're not just marrying Davey because he knocked you up, right? Because you seem to be in love with him, but...he worships you. And I got him over Kay, but I don't know if he can take another heartbreak like that." Her gaze was warm on Emily's.
Emily stared at her, and then shook her head. "No, that's not the reason. Between you and me?" she said, and Felicia's gaze was answer enough that it was. "I tried to convince him not to be with me because I thought that was the reason for it." She shook her head and looked down, feeling a little exposed, but she went on. "I couldn't have taken it if he woke up one day and realized that was the only reason he chose to be with me." She laughed. "I tried to walk away, but he's persistent. And pretty irresistible... you know, if you like cocky bastards, which apparently I do." She laughed. "Who knew?"
Felicia grinned again and hugged her hard. "He wouldn't walk away from you. Ever. Welcome to the family, Emily. I hope you can put up with all us loud Italians." She guided Emily the rest of the way down the stairs. "Susan, quit beating Georgie at pool and come meet Dave's fiancée."
Georgie actually dropped his pool stick and stared at the two of them. Then he burst out laughing and came over to hug Emily and kiss both her cheeks. "My God, you said yes? He was beside himself with nerves! Thank God, I was so afraid we were gonna have to talk him off a window ledge if you said no. I'm Georgie, by the way. I come from the charming and handsome branch of the family."
"You come from the brainless part of the family," Felicia said, snorting.
"Shut up," Georgie returned affably. "This is Susan, who, like you, chose the wrong Rossi to fall in love with. But we don't hold that against her."
Susan stuck out a hand and shook Emily's. It was sort of a relief after all the hugs she'd been getting.
"So where should I start?" Georgie said, putting an arm around Emily and guiding her over to a couch along the wall behind the pool table. "With the time Davey got me to climb up on the roof and then got me in trouble for it, or the time Davey lost the championship football game for our junior high school?"
***
They went to St. Brigid's when they got back from Chicago. Emily had liked Father Davison when she had met him before, granted she barely had a chance to talk to him. Even though Emily hadn't held on to the idea of a church wedding, she fell in love with St. Brigid's as soon as she walked in the door. And she wasn't blind to the fact that, even though the wedding wouldn't be official in the eyes of the church, Jimmy had probably gone through a lot of red tape to let the wedding happen in the church after Dave's divorces.
They set a date, July 25th, before they even left, and Emily's head was still spinning, but it was exciting too. Dave was obviously excited about everything, too, which was gratifying, since weddings were sort of old hat to him by now.
"So. We need to decide how to word the invitations and get a guest list together," Dave said when they got back to his house and relaxed in the living room. "And get our cake ordered. You taking JJ dress shopping any time soon?" He pulled Emily down into his lap, nuzzling his nose against her neck.
"I don't know. I'm not sure what the protocol is for maternity dresses; how soon is too soon." She kissed his forehead. "I've got an appointment with a couple of cake places and was going to sample some, if you want to come, and I haven't even started thinking about a guest list... Davey." She grinned. She'd been calling him that since she'd met his family, and he'd been grouching about it, but he didn't seem bothered. Of course, she knew once the novelty wore off for her, she'd stop, and she had a feeling he knew that too.
Dave growled but wrapped his arms more firmly around her. "I'll come with you if you want me," he said. "I get to tag along and eat wedding cake? Sounds like a good deal." He kissed her. "We need to get a move on with inviting people. You aren't going to be able to hide this much longer." He stroked a hand down her stomach, grinning.
She slid her hand over his. The little bump was growing, though she didn't think anyone saw it... other than Dave, and usually only when she was naked. "I know," she murmured, and kissed him. "Are we just handing them out at work, or should we leave them on people's desks to find?"
"Mmm, what do you think we should do? Be sort of fun to just leave them there and eavesdrop on their reactions." Dave grinned. "We could hide in my office with the lights off and see what they say."
Emily started laughing. "We'd have to come out sometime, and people would talk about what we were doing in your dark office," she said, kissing him again.
Dave laughed. "I guess you have a point. Hmm. Well, maybe we could hide in the coffee area, then." He pressed a line of kisses down her neck. "God, I can't wait to tell people," he murmured, tightening his arms around her.
She tilted her chin to offer more of her throat and smiled. "Take me to bed and let's forget about the wedding for a little while," she whispered.
"That sounds like the best idea you've had all day." He set her up on her feet, then stood up and lifted her into his arms. She let out a noise of surprise, and he carried her, laughing, into the bedroom, where he settled her carefully on the bed, watching her warmly.
She drew him down against her and kissed him slowly, suppressing a shiver as his fingers started at the buttons of her shirt. "Dave," she murmured, then grinned. "Davey." She kissed him to shut him up.
He made a disgruntled noise against her kiss, but didn't stop undoing her buttons, and when he parted her shirt, his fingers trailed down her skin to trace circles over her stomach. He broke the kiss and trailed kisses down to her ear. "You are so beautiful," he whispered.
She slid her fingers under the back of his shirt, then pushed until he had to shift and let her get it off of him. Her fingers traveled his chest, thumb brushing over his nipple. "Missed this. Our bed," she whispered. She'd already unilaterally decided that his bed was going to become their bed once they moved.
He hummed and kissed her softly. "You just like my sheets better," he murmured, smiling at her. She loved the way his eyes crinkled at the corners when he was happy. She loved how often he looked like that when he was looking at her.
"Your mattress is nice too," she teased. She kissed him again, then kissed his chin, liking the coarse hairs against her lips. "Better when you're in it," she added, and pulled him closer.
"Oh, thanks," he said dryly. He skated his hand down along the curve of her belly then tucked his fingers under the waist of her pants. "I love being in bed with you."
"Oh, thanks," she said, mimicking his tone and grinning when he glared at her. She arched up into his touch, though, and closed her eyes as his fingertips brushed the top of her panties. "God, I won't fit in these pants much longer," she groaned, scratching lightly at his back.
He laughed and kissed down her neck to suck lightly on her shoulder. "Good, you can hang around the house naked," he teased.
She snorted. "Oh, that'll be sexy," she said, rolling her eyes. She slid her hand into his hair and kissed him again. "I'll just wear your clothes until those don't fit me. Do you think the team would notice?" she teased, then gasped softly when his teeth scraped lightly over her chest, just above her bra.
"Mmm, you walking around naked would be sexy." He smiled against her skin. "But yeah, the jackets are a little big for you."
"I wasn't going to wear the jackets." His fingers started to pull at her pants buttons. "I love you," she whispered.
He made a happy noise and looked up at her. "I love you too," he murmured. His gaze was warm as he tugged her pants down, his fingers stroking against her skin. "So beautiful. So sexy."
"God," she whispered, then lifted and wriggled a little to help him get her pants off. When he moved, she shrugged out of her shirt so she was just in her bra and panties, then laid back and looked at him, smiling. She probably looked silly, quite honestly, with her bulge.
Dave smiled back at her, sliding his fingers back up to cup her belly. "You're so amazing," he said, brushing his palms across her skin. "You're carrying our baby." He leaned in and kissed her lips softly, then trailed kisses down her throat.
"I wasn't amazing before?" she whispered with a smirk, arching her neck and sliding her hands into his hair.
"You're just even more amazing now," he mumbled against her skin. He nipped gently, then licked a heated line down to the top of her bra.
She let out a breathy moan, and slid her arms down his back. She couldn't quite reach his pants like she wanted, so she stroked her hand just above them on the small of his back. "You should get more comfortable."
He chuckled. "I'm pretty comfortable right here," he teased, but he seemed to know what she meant, since he pulled back enough to get out of his clothes. When he was left with just his boxers on, he settled down against her and stroked her sides, running his fingers down along her curving abdomen and teasing at the outside of her panties. "You're going to be a great mom," he whispered. "You're such a wonderful woman."
She grinned, not able to help it. She'd wanted a child so long, and hearing him reaffirm that she was going to be a good mother was nice. "Glad you think so. Works out pretty well for me."
He gasped in mock surprise. "You mean you're starting to believe I mean it?" he teased.
She gave him a mock glare, then slapped his cheek playfully.
His eyes widened. "Am I getting myself into an abusive relationship?" he asked, and leaned in for a long kiss.
She laughed against his mouth, but after a moment it turned into a long, happy noise. God, he was amazing. He lit every part of her on fire. "Dave," she whispered. "Want you."
He grinned at her and nipped gently at her mouth, then kissed her again. "Mutual," he murmured, and slid his fingers along the edge of her panties, then pulled them down. "So sexy," he said, teasing her folds with his fingers.
She sucked in a breath and a thrill shot through her, her body starting to tingle. She slid a knee up and opened herself to him a little more. "So good," she whispered.
He made a hungry noise and kissed her, his tongue stroking against hers, his fingers mimicking the motion lower down.
She moaned quietly and pulled him closer, then his fingers slid inside and she moaned a little louder. "Oh, Dave," she breathed, arching a little. "Please."
He hummed and shifted, letting her feel him against her. "Want you, Em."
She rocked her hips up against him as best she could, groaning when he pressed just the right spot. "Take me," she panted.
He grinned and did as she told him, sliding inside her and giving her just a moment to adjust before he began moving. His thrusts were slow at first, just a gentle rocking of his hips, but it didn't take long before he was moving with more intent. His fingers slipped between them and circled her clit teasingly.
"Yes," she breathed, sliding a leg up and over his hip. Dave had always been a fantastic lover, and it had only gotten better the longer they were together, the more he learned her body. She liked frantic, needy, hard sex like they'd had in Vegas, but the care he was showing her since she'd gotten pregnant was intoxicating.
His fingers worked in time with his thrusts, but he seemed to know just when to back off a little so he didn't send her over the edge before he was ready. He had her panting and moaning in short work, though, her fingers curled against his back.
"Gorgeous," he panted, his lips against her neck. He seemed to love the spot just below her ear, probably because his kisses there always sent shivers through her. She could tell he was getting close to coming, from the way he was tensing in her arms.
Then his finger pressed against her more firmly and she gasped. "God," she moaned, pleasure flooding her body as his thrusts started to come in less controlled motions.
Dave groaned and nibbled at her earlobe, then caught her lips in a hungry kiss. "Em," he gasped when it ended. "Close." He thrust raggedly a few more times, then cried out, his gaze locked on hers, as he came.
His fingers stopped, but she didn't care. She loved the way he felt, tense from need and overcome with pleasure. She pulled him down for another kiss as he came, drawing it out slowly and sliding her fingers into his hair.
He relaxed against her, breathing hard, and she stroked his hair softly. "I love you," he whispered. He didn't pull out of her as his fingers began moving again, rubbing gently.
"Love you," she murmured, making a pleased noise. His lips were trailing lazy kisses over her neck and she smiled as her body started to tighten again under his touch. "Perfect."
He hummed and kissed down her neck to her chest, sliding her bra out of the way and closing his lips on a nipple. His fingers pressed more firmly against her clit.
She made a little whimpering noise, writhing a little under him. "Dave," she whispered, and then his teeth scraped over her nipple gently and she gasped, a thrill racing all the way through her. "Yes," she panted, and he did it again, her body suddenly on fire. All it took after that was the pleased moan Dave made to send her into climax.
"God," he breathed. She watched him smile as he felt her spasm with pleasure, her entire body tensing and then flooding with wonderful release. His fingers didn't stop moving until she whimpered as she started feeling oversensitive. Then he dipped his head and kissed her tenderly.
She relaxed into the mattress, humming breathlessly into the kiss. When he pulled back, she wrapped her arms around him and smiled lazily.
"You are so amazing," he whispered, nuzzling her cheek.
She chuckled quietly and pulled him down next to her. "Mmm, you going to want to still do that when I weight three-hundred pounds?"
"We might have to get a little creative with positions," he said, "but I will always want you. I think your new curves are sexy."
She kissed his forehead as he settled next to her. "I think I look sort of ridiculous naked."
"Gorgeous," he insisted, stroking his palm over her stomach. "Sexy. Fertile." He grinned at her and kissed her.
She snorted. "Since when is fertile a compliment in this day and age?"
He nibbled at her lower lip. "I am incredibly turned on by your pregnancy. Who gives a fuck whether other people think it's a compliment?" He chuckled. "I've read that pregnancy makes it easier for women to have multiple orgasms, actually. Wanna test that?"
Emily lifted her eyebrows. "Are you serious?" she asked, then shook her head. "Doesn't really matter. If you're up to it, I am," she said, grinning.
He grinned back. "Give me a few minutes and I'll see what I can do," he promised, as his hand strayed lower.
***
They'd given Hotch his invitation the night before and explained the plan so that he wouldn't be worried with their late arrival the next day. They hadn't even decided on a complete guest list yet, but they were already sure they wanted the team to be at the wedding, and they knew it was only a matter of time before they had to say something.
Emily wasn't exactly sure leaving invitations on the teams' desks at night and then showing up late the next day to make sure they'd all had a chance to see them first was the best course of action, but Dave was right about one thing: it was a very simple and direct method.
She had vetoed the idea of adding to the invitation that Emily, Dave, and their unborn child were requesting their presence at the wedding, but ultimately agreed to the rest of the plan. They could tell the team about the baby later and not overwhelm them at once. Or maybe they could get away with not saying it at all, and just letting the team see it.
Of course Dave could see how nervous she was; he hadn't said anything, but he'd been extra sweet all morning. He'd fixed a big breakfast, and then held her for a while, but they both knew they had to leave for work soon. Finally he kissed her neck and squeezed her.
"Might as well go," he said. "At least we can drive in together this morning and quit trying to hide it."
"Yeah," she said, nodding. It would be a relief once the shock wore off for the team. Of course, that was assuming all the team felt was shock and not worse. "Morgan doesn't like things that rock the boat," she said offhandedly as she headed back to the bedroom to finish getting dressed.
"He'll get over it," Dave said, following her. "Unless he was planning to make a move on you, in which case he and I will have a problem." He'd been dressed before breakfast, but Emily'd finally given up on finding a pair of pants that wasn't too tight, which was why she'd finally come out in her bathrobe.
She snorted and frowned at all her clothes. "I sincerely doubt that." She eyed her pants again, and muttered, "This sucks," before grabbing the pair that was the least constricting and pulling them on. She found the matching jacket, and then looked herself over in the mirror.
"You look beautiful," he said, kissing her cheek. "Do I need to take you shopping after work?"
"Unless you want to listen to me bitch about not fitting anything and blaming you for a couple hours, I'll take JJ," she said, smiling and turning to kiss him properly.
"Yeah, that sounds like a better idea," he agreed, and stole one more kiss before leading her out the door.
By the time they got to work, she could tell he was getting nervous too, despite the insouciant attitude he was affecting. He also kept tapping his fingers on the steering wheel the whole way in, and as they went through security into the building, he failed to joke with the staff.
In the elevator, he took her hand and smiled at her. "It'll be fine," he said. He almost looked like he believed that.
She sucked in a slow breath and squeezed his hand. "Either way, there's no turning back now." She smiled. "If this is a disaster, it's your fault," she teased, trying to lighten the mood.
"I know, it's all my fault," he said, grinning back at her. "It won't be a disaster. We already know JJ and Aaron are fine with it." The elevator doors slid open then and he took a deep breath, then stepped out, still holding her hand.
Her eyebrows lifted, but she didn't let go. When they walked through the glass doors, JJ glanced up from a file she was copying and walked over to give Emily a hug, feigning surprise. As she hugged Emily, though, she took the opportunity to whisper in her ear. "Morgan is convinced this is a joke. I can't figure out what the heck Reid is thinking at all."
When she pulled back, she flung her arms around Dave too, no doubt telling him the same. Emily caught Dave looking at her, his eyebrows raised, but then JJ pulled back and he smiled, obviously accepting her congratulations.
"It's a little late for April Fool's," Dave murmured, glancing at Emily again.
"I told you he wouldn't like it," she muttered back. She looked at Morgan, who was watching the scene skeptically, and tugged Dave forward. "Does that look mean you're not coming?" she asked, her heart suddenly hammering in her chest like it might burst through.
"I'm trying to figure out what the hell you're playing at," he said, folding his arms across his chest. "There's no way this is real."
"Real enough," Dave said. "We're getting married, and we'd like you all to be there. In fact," he added, glancing at Emily and then back to Morgan, "I'd like the three of you to stand up for me, if you're willing."
She managed to keep her eyes from widening. They hadn't discussed that part. Of course, she was distracted a minute later by Reid in her peripheral vision. His jaw dropped and he swiveled around in his chair to stare at Dave, only managing to snap his mouth shut after a moment. "The... what three?"
"You, Derek, and Aaron," Dave replied, grinning at him. "If you're willing. You guys are like family, after all."
It was sort of a dirty trick, and Emily couldn't help but admire the way Derek's expression changed as soon as Dave had said that. Of course, it didn't hurt that she knew Dave did feel like this team was his family.
Reid stood up after that. "I, ah... yeah," he said, nodding. "I've never... yeah." He looked like he was torn between being utterly pleased and flattered, and still totally confused about the whole thing.
"This is crazy." Derek reached behind him and snatched the invitation off his desk. "'David Anthony Rossi and Emily Elizabeth Prentiss request the honor of your presence as they celebrate their mutual joy and embark upon a lifetime journey together.' What the hell is this?"
"Ah," Emily said, darting a sideways glance at Dave, then looking back at Morgan. "At the risk of sounding flippant, it's a wedding invitation."
"Since when are you two together?" Morgan demanded.
Dave glanced back at Emily, then shrugged. "Since last year, officially." He grabbed Emily's left hand and held it out. "It's real, if you're wondering," he added.
Emily was suddenly incredibly happy she'd nixed the idea of including the baby on the invitations. Reid leaned over and inspected the ring on her finger, and Morgan looked at it from where he stood.
She shrugged after a moment. "It doesn't really change anything," she said.
"Congratulations," Reid said after a moment, smiling faintly at her. After that, Morgan sighed. "Yeah, congratulations," he repeated, sticking out a hand towards Dave. Dave gripped it, then Morgan hugged Emily.
"Thank you," she murmured, squeezing him tightly and hoping he knew it was for more than just his congratulations, but for his acceptance too, whether it was immediate or sometime coming.
Morgan pulled away and met her gaze, then nodded. "And you," he said, giving Dave a hard look. "If you hurt her, we'll be lining up to kill you."
Dave didn't flinch. "I wouldn't expect any less," he said quietly.
Morgan glanced over at Hotch's office. "He hasn't seemed surprised."
Emily shrugged. "Dave aside, he's been profiling longer than the rest of us," she said. It was true, even if it wasn't the entire truth. She glanced at Dave, letting him decide whether to admit Hotch had already known.
He nodded slightly. "And he's my best friend as well as our boss," he elaborated. "I did talk to him before the rest of you. I didn't do it out of disrespect for any of the rest of you."
Morgan's expression relaxed. "You guys oughtta go see my Baby Girl. She was haunting the bullpen for the first half hour, but finally decided she had to get to work."
Emily nodded. "Should we be worried or should we prepared to have lipstick smudged all over our faces by the time we leave?" she teased.
Morgan snorted. "What do you think?" he said. "It got a lot quieter in here after she left, that's for sure." He looked amused, at least, which was a relief.
Dave chuckled and tugged Emily towards Garcia's office.
When they got there, they knocked out of politeness, but stepped in right after. As soon as Garcia saw them, she squealed and leaped out of her chair. "Oh my God. You two are just... scrumptious!" she exclaimed, and threw hers arms around them both, pulling them into a three-way hug and rocking them a little. "I love weddings!"
Dave laughed. "Oh, good, so that's one RSVP," he joked. When Garcia let him go, she grabbed Emily again in another hug. "This is so exciting! Have you been dress shopping? Do you know what your colors are? Oh! Let me see your ring!"
Emily laughed and held out her hand.
"God, I could make love to those diamonds," she said, and gave Dave a wicked grin.
"Hey," Emily said, and Garcia giggled and squeezed Emily again.
"You two just have to make a half dozen baby Daves and Emilys, you know. So cute!" She pulled back. "I was thinking red dress, corseted, straps all the way down the back."
God, corseted? Emily laughed, but it sounded weird to her own ears.
"Half a dozen?" Dave said, sounding amused. "God, Garcia, you do know I'm over fifty, right? Anyway, as fantastic as Emily looks in red, I'm not sure how I feel about the corseted strappy thing." He slid his arm around Emily and squeezed gently.
Garcia smacked his arm. "Yeah, right. I bet you'd eat it up in private," she said, but then seemed to realized Emily's expression was still a little strange. She frowned suddenly and glanced between them. "What?"
Emily sighed. "You should be a profiler," she said.
"What?" Garcia demanded now, giving Emily a look.
Emily shook her head, then looked at Garcia. "Keep a secret? For now?"
"Oh, honey, I have the best mouth zipper of all mouth zippers," she said, eying Emily. "Especially if it's juicy."
Emily rolled her eyes and felt Dave squeeze her again, but she didn't think he was trying to stop her. She tilted her head at Garcia and admitted, "I'll be lucky if I'm not in a muumuu by then," her hand slipping to her stomach for further emphasis.
Garcia's eyes got huge, her mouth dropping open, and then she squealed and threw herself on Emily again. "Oh my God, oh my God!" she squealed, and then caught herself and whispered, "Oh my God."
Dave chuckled again, and Garcia pulled away. "Is this--you--oh my God." She was beaming at them. "Another baby in the BAU! Your baby and Henry will be best friends!" She snickered. "I'd better check my birth control prescription."
Emily laughed. "Yeah, someone may be spiking the coffee with fertility drugs."
"Hell friggin' yeah," Garcia said, pressing her hand to her own stomach dramatically. "Oh my God!"
Emily bit her lips together so she didn't laugh again, but she couldn't suppress the grin. "JJ knows, if you have to talk to someone."
"Oh, sweetie, this is so exciting," Garcia said, and turned to Dave. "There, see? You just have five to go." She grabbed his shoulders and pulled him down to kiss his cheek. "Congratulations, pop."
Dave's eyes widened, but he didn't say anything.
"If I have to beat you off him, I will," Emily threatened playfully.
Garcia just beamed. "He does have a great ass."
Dave cleared his throat and Emily just burst out laughing. That prompted a snort from Dave, but he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek, "Thanks, Garcia, but I'm taken," he said finally.
"Awww, that is so sweet. You two are so cute together." Garcia was still beaming at them, but finally she sighed and flapped her hands. "Okay, shoo. I know you must have work to do. Or maybe more people to tell. Can't wait to hear how Strauss takes it."
"Don't worry." Dave grinned. "I'll handle Strauss."
* If you're going to say something, it's probably a good idea to not assume the other person doesn't understand.
** Shut up
Authors:
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Pairing: Rossi/Prentiss
Rating: NC-17
WC: ~7,300
Summary: Dave decides Emily should meet the Rossi family...and the team finds out.
Thanks: To
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Note: This is the fourth installment to our new series, which is an AU from the What Happens in Vegas Universe. Other installments of the Change of Plans AU can be found here.
"Thanks, Jimmy." Dave held up one finger and grinned at Emily as she came into his office. He had his cell phone pressed to his ear. "I really appreciate your help on this. I think she'll be pleased." He was silent for a moment, listening. "Yeah, for Easter...I know, but I'm convinced you use the same damn homily every year." After another pause, he laughed. "I'll let her know. Take care, and I'll be in touch."
When he hung up, he gave her a huge smile. "I have a priest, and if you want it, there's an opening at the church late in July. Jimmy said he'd hold it for me."
She blinked at him. "A priest where? What church?" She looked like she had actual work in her hands, but instead of mentioning it, she sank into the chair across from his.
"My friend Jimmy Davison, at Saint Brigid's. You remember, he helped us with the Silvano case." Dave grinned. "He said to tell you hello, and that you're marrying a sinner bound for hell, which I'm sure you already know."
She stared at him a moment longer, and then laughed. "Yeah, well, I'm okay with that." She smiled at him. "Dave, I love you. We don't have to have a church wedding."
Dave shrugged and decided not to mention that Jimmy had gone to a considerable amount of trouble to get permission from the diocese to marry them at the church. "Well, that's your call. I wanted to make sure it was an option, if that's what you want." He smiled faintly, thinking of the idea of Emily in some gauzy white dress in the middle of the cathedral finery. "It might be nice, you know?"
Her smile went a little crooked. "It would." She put the files in her lap and folded her hands. "But you've already had two church weddings."
He glanced at the half-open door and reached out to touch her briefly. "But neither of them were to you," he murmured.
She smiled slowly at him. "What about Easter?"
He smiled back. "Well, my mother's asked me to come home for Easter. I thought maybe you would join me, and we could tell my family then."
She breathed a laugh. "Yeah," she said. "We might as well start getting announcements over with. I won't be this size much longer."
Dave laughed too, though he wasn't entirely sure he was allowed to (she still frequently told him how much she hated him, usually in the midst of a bout of morning sickness). It was funny, he'd never found pregnant women to be particularly beautiful before, but now, when he thought about Emily, pregnant, all he could think was how completely gorgeous she was going to be.
"I'll make our reservations today, then. I know Hotch won't make any trouble about approving our annual leave time together." He glanced down at the file in her lap. "I don't think you came in here to make wedding plans."
"Oh, no," she said, shaking her head and looking back at the file. "We have a case," she said. "Round table in five." She glanced at the door, then kissed him quickly. "I can't wait to meet your mother."
Dave hummed and pulled her back for a slightly longer kiss. "She's going to love you."
***
Emily's heart was thudding against her ribcage in a valiant attempt to escape. Two weeks ago she'd told Dave she couldn't wait to meet his mother. That was still true, mostly. But standing on the doorstep with a bouquet of lilies as Dave rang the bell and then let them in, she couldn't ignore the fact that she was also terrified.
It didn't really help that there were more people in the house than her entire family put together. And Dave had called this a "small" get together. Several people smiled at her and greeted her by name, and then a short, silver-haired woman walked up to them and Dave grinned when she reached up and hugged him.
"Davey," she said, sounding overjoyed. She squeezed him and rocked him back and forth, kissing his cheek. "Introduce me to your lady friend."
Dave pulled away from her and turned to beam at Emily. He held out a hand, beckoning her closer, and when she stepped up, he slid an arm around her.
"Emily, this is my mother, Rosa. Mama, this is Emily Prentiss, my fiancée."
Rosa beamed brilliantly, and Emily returned the smile. "Hi," she said, sticking out her hand, but Rosa made a happy noise and flung her arms around Emily. "Oof... ah, hi," she said again, bending to return the hug.
"Davey!" someone shouted. "You didn't say you was gettin' married again!" Emily heard Dave cough as his back was pounded, presumably by the owner of that voice. She couldn't tell, since she was being turned in a circle by Mama Rosa, who then kissed her on the cheek and said, "Come and meet Davey's fiancée! This is Emily!"
Emily spent the next ten minutes being enthusiastically greeted, hugged, and kissed, by various members of Dave's extended family, all of whom were thrilled that he'd met someone who seemed so nice. "And so tall and thin," Rosa pointed out several times. "Like a model." One of Dave's brothers (Mike, she thought) told her that when she was tired of that rich boring oaf, she could come fall in love with the handsome brother.
She laughed, and when he handed her a rather large glass of wine, she passed it off to Dave. "Oh, she's a keeper. Better not screw this one up," Mike told Dave. "Quick, change everything about you." He started to pour her another glass and she held up a hand and politely declined with just a head shake.
Dave laughed and punched his brother, then slid an arm around Emily and kissed her cheek. "Can you believe that she knows all my flaws and loves me anyway? I'm a lucky man."
Mike snorted. "I could probably find phone numbers of his ex-wives, if you want to compare notes before you take the plunge," he told Emily. "It's a good thing you don't drink. He does. Like a fish."
"Hey," Dave groused. "You know, I have a colleague who would point out that the phrase 'drinking like a fish' really isn't correct, since fish breathe water rather than drinking it."
Mike punched him and Dave yelped. "Mama! Mikey punched me." He glanced at Emily and winked, while Mike groaned.
"Mikey, be nice to your younger brother, he's getting married!" Rosa shouted.
Emily pressed her hand to her face and groaned. "I thought I was marrying an older man," she muttered. Dave laughed and kissed her again. Somewhere behind her she heard someone saying something about her ass in Italian, and she turned around and arched a brow. "Se devi dire qualcosa, probabilmente è una buona idea non dare per scontato che l'altra persona non capisca." *
The boys, probably in their mid-twenties, gaped at her, then disappeared into the next room.
Dave tightened his arm around her and gave her a look that was equal parts adoring and amused. "Did I mention she speaks Italian?" he said. "Emily lived in Italy for a while when she was younger."
"Younger than what?" asked another brother. "She's a kid compared to you, grandpa."
"Stà zitto," David ordered. **
Emily rolled her eyes. "I was a teenager. I moved around a lot when I was younger," she said.
"And she speaks Italian!" Rosa exclaimed. Dave's mother was just beside herself, and they hadn't even told her she was pregnant yet. Rosa started lavishing praise on Emily in Italian, and Emily just smiled and thanked her, then looked at Dave to rescue her.
"Shh, Mama, she's shy," Dave lied. He didn't so much as blink as he said it, and Rosa clearly didn't believe him, since she told him to quit interfering and let his wife-to-be share a glass of champagne with his mother.
Dave glanced down at Emily questioningly. "Oh, no, really," she said, and shot him a look back she hoped told him he'd better get to telling them.
"Actually, Mama, Emily's not allowed to share a glass of champagne with anyone right now," Dave said. He pulled her close again and kissed her temple, then grinned. "We're gonna have a baby."
If Emily had thought the response to their engagement was loud, it was nothing compared to the explosion of happiness that occurred after Dave's second announcement. Rosa threw her arms around Emily and Dave both, laughing and crying on Emily's shoulder. There were congratulations as well as sly comments about Dave's potency and finally proving himself a man. Dave took them all in stride, though one of his brothers somehow ended up rubbing a shin and wearing an injured look.
"Oh my God, my Davey's going to be a dad! I'm going to be a grandmother! Again!" Rosa exclaimed. Emily realized after a moment that Rosa's hand was on her stomach. "When?!" she asked.
"Ah, September," Emily said, and that was obviously the wrong answer because Rosa glared at Dave.
"September? She's having my grandbaby in September and you're just now telling me?"
Dave got a sheepish look on his face. "Mama, I wanted to make sure she'd marry me first," he said. Then he glanced over at Mike. "After all, if she'd met Mike before she agreed to marry me? He might've scared her away."
Mike howled with mock outrage, but Rosa just smacked Dave's shoulder and took Emily in her arms again. "Oh, we have so much we need to do! Do you have a crib? And clothes? Oh, we'll have to go shopping! And David, he's going to make an honest woman of you before September?"
"Yes, he is," Emily said. "We won't have time for a wedding once the baby is born," she added, smiling. "I think we've tentatively decided on July?" she said, looking at Dave.
Dave beamed at her, which was all the answer she needed. "Okay, Mama, you should all leave her alone so she can talk to Dad."
She hadn't even realized Dave's father was in the room, but Rosa immediately stopped fluttering and just folded her hands together, beaming and nodding at Emily. The room quieted a little as Dave guided Emily over to where a man with pure-white hair and half a smile was sitting in a recliner.
"Emily, this is my father, Edward. Dad, this is Emily." He kissed Emily's hair and, under cover of the movement, murmured, "He'll repeat himself if you don't understand." He'd told her before that Edward Rossi had had a stroke a few years ago, and that the right side of his body had been affected. She knew it must have been frustrating for a man with such an active family.
Edward lifted one hand and stretched it out to her. Emily took it automatically and discovered that his grip was still strong. He was a handsome man, and she could definitely see a strong resemblance to Dave.
"Good to meet you," Edward said. His speech was slurred, but intelligible.
"You too," she told him, smiling, then took a seat at the couch next to him. "I can see where David and his brothers got their good looks."
Dave and Ed both laughed. "Sorry," Ed replied, lifting his hand again to show off his wedding ring. "I'm taken."
She made a disappointed face, then looked at Dave "Looks like I'm stuck with you." She squeezed his hand, grinning.
Dave kissed her hand and grinned back at her. "Lucky me."
Ed cleared his throat, getting her attention back. "Em." He couldn't seem to manage her full name, so he made a gesture of dismissal. "Em. You love my son?"
She met his gaze and nodded. "Yes, I do." She smiled. "Very much."
He nodded, smiling back at her. "Already know he loves you. Can see it on his face."
"Dad," Dave said, sounding embarrassed and pleased. He tightened his hand on Emily's. "I do love her. More than anything."
She lifted her hand to touch his cheek. "Lucky me," she said, echoing his sentiment just a few moments before.
Ed made an approving noise. "Keep her," he ordered Dave, making Emily smile.
"I plan to," Dave said, smiling. He pulled Emily closer, relaxing against her. "Forever," he murmured in her ear.
Emily sucked in a breath at that, feeling slightly overwhelmed, but so happy. Dave's family was a little... well, huge, and loud, and nothing at all like she was used to, but she felt totally accepted. Everyone seemed to like her and they were all so supportive, even in spite of some of Dave's brother's teasing. It was wonderful.
"Yeah, if you don't hold onto her, I'm gonna steal her," Mike said, to which Dave responded, "I have a gun." Everyone laughed.
Emily grinned. "I'm not so easily stolen, anyway. Or won over."
"She's telling the truth," Dave said. "It took me a long time to convince her to give me a chance."
"So tell us," Rosa demanded. "How did you meet, how did you convince her, tell us everything!"
Dave glanced at her, then said, "We met when I went back to the FBI. She's part of the BAU. And I pretty much started falling for her right away." He grinned and kissed her cheek. "But as for how I convinced her, she'd have to answer that."
Everyone looked at her expectantly.
Emily gave a slightly nervous glance, then shot Dave a look. "I'm not entirely certain," she said, and shrugged. "I was trying to put him off, actually, but it just snuck up on me."
"Sounds kinda creepy," Mike said. "Like those unsubs Davey's always talking about."
Dave glared at him and everybody laughed again. Rosa huffed. "Be nice to your brother, he's giving me a grandbaby," she ordered, and Dave grinned. "I am going to go finish dinner. Cynthia and Paula, you come help your grandmother and stay out of the wine." Two of the teenaged girls got up and followed her out to the kitchen.
A woman Emily had met earlier came over to them. "Georgie's downstairs playing pool with Susan. Want to come down and meet the guy who can tell you the most stories about Davey?"
"Of course I do," Emily said, laughing, and pushed off the couch. She followed the woman through the kitchen to the basement stairs. "I'm sorry. I'm a little overwhelmed here. What was your name again?"
"Felicia." She flashed Emily a smile. "I'm the scandalous lesbian cousin. Davey and Georgie and I grew up together. Susan's my partner." They got halfway down the stairs and Felicia stopped, linking an arm with Emily to stop her, too. "Listen, sorry, this is about the only private place to talk in this house. Besides the bathroom." She grinned, then sobered again. "You're not just marrying Davey because he knocked you up, right? Because you seem to be in love with him, but...he worships you. And I got him over Kay, but I don't know if he can take another heartbreak like that." Her gaze was warm on Emily's.
Emily stared at her, and then shook her head. "No, that's not the reason. Between you and me?" she said, and Felicia's gaze was answer enough that it was. "I tried to convince him not to be with me because I thought that was the reason for it." She shook her head and looked down, feeling a little exposed, but she went on. "I couldn't have taken it if he woke up one day and realized that was the only reason he chose to be with me." She laughed. "I tried to walk away, but he's persistent. And pretty irresistible... you know, if you like cocky bastards, which apparently I do." She laughed. "Who knew?"
Felicia grinned again and hugged her hard. "He wouldn't walk away from you. Ever. Welcome to the family, Emily. I hope you can put up with all us loud Italians." She guided Emily the rest of the way down the stairs. "Susan, quit beating Georgie at pool and come meet Dave's fiancée."
Georgie actually dropped his pool stick and stared at the two of them. Then he burst out laughing and came over to hug Emily and kiss both her cheeks. "My God, you said yes? He was beside himself with nerves! Thank God, I was so afraid we were gonna have to talk him off a window ledge if you said no. I'm Georgie, by the way. I come from the charming and handsome branch of the family."
"You come from the brainless part of the family," Felicia said, snorting.
"Shut up," Georgie returned affably. "This is Susan, who, like you, chose the wrong Rossi to fall in love with. But we don't hold that against her."
Susan stuck out a hand and shook Emily's. It was sort of a relief after all the hugs she'd been getting.
"So where should I start?" Georgie said, putting an arm around Emily and guiding her over to a couch along the wall behind the pool table. "With the time Davey got me to climb up on the roof and then got me in trouble for it, or the time Davey lost the championship football game for our junior high school?"
***
They went to St. Brigid's when they got back from Chicago. Emily had liked Father Davison when she had met him before, granted she barely had a chance to talk to him. Even though Emily hadn't held on to the idea of a church wedding, she fell in love with St. Brigid's as soon as she walked in the door. And she wasn't blind to the fact that, even though the wedding wouldn't be official in the eyes of the church, Jimmy had probably gone through a lot of red tape to let the wedding happen in the church after Dave's divorces.
They set a date, July 25th, before they even left, and Emily's head was still spinning, but it was exciting too. Dave was obviously excited about everything, too, which was gratifying, since weddings were sort of old hat to him by now.
"So. We need to decide how to word the invitations and get a guest list together," Dave said when they got back to his house and relaxed in the living room. "And get our cake ordered. You taking JJ dress shopping any time soon?" He pulled Emily down into his lap, nuzzling his nose against her neck.
"I don't know. I'm not sure what the protocol is for maternity dresses; how soon is too soon." She kissed his forehead. "I've got an appointment with a couple of cake places and was going to sample some, if you want to come, and I haven't even started thinking about a guest list... Davey." She grinned. She'd been calling him that since she'd met his family, and he'd been grouching about it, but he didn't seem bothered. Of course, she knew once the novelty wore off for her, she'd stop, and she had a feeling he knew that too.
Dave growled but wrapped his arms more firmly around her. "I'll come with you if you want me," he said. "I get to tag along and eat wedding cake? Sounds like a good deal." He kissed her. "We need to get a move on with inviting people. You aren't going to be able to hide this much longer." He stroked a hand down her stomach, grinning.
She slid her hand over his. The little bump was growing, though she didn't think anyone saw it... other than Dave, and usually only when she was naked. "I know," she murmured, and kissed him. "Are we just handing them out at work, or should we leave them on people's desks to find?"
"Mmm, what do you think we should do? Be sort of fun to just leave them there and eavesdrop on their reactions." Dave grinned. "We could hide in my office with the lights off and see what they say."
Emily started laughing. "We'd have to come out sometime, and people would talk about what we were doing in your dark office," she said, kissing him again.
Dave laughed. "I guess you have a point. Hmm. Well, maybe we could hide in the coffee area, then." He pressed a line of kisses down her neck. "God, I can't wait to tell people," he murmured, tightening his arms around her.
She tilted her chin to offer more of her throat and smiled. "Take me to bed and let's forget about the wedding for a little while," she whispered.
"That sounds like the best idea you've had all day." He set her up on her feet, then stood up and lifted her into his arms. She let out a noise of surprise, and he carried her, laughing, into the bedroom, where he settled her carefully on the bed, watching her warmly.
She drew him down against her and kissed him slowly, suppressing a shiver as his fingers started at the buttons of her shirt. "Dave," she murmured, then grinned. "Davey." She kissed him to shut him up.
He made a disgruntled noise against her kiss, but didn't stop undoing her buttons, and when he parted her shirt, his fingers trailed down her skin to trace circles over her stomach. He broke the kiss and trailed kisses down to her ear. "You are so beautiful," he whispered.
She slid her fingers under the back of his shirt, then pushed until he had to shift and let her get it off of him. Her fingers traveled his chest, thumb brushing over his nipple. "Missed this. Our bed," she whispered. She'd already unilaterally decided that his bed was going to become their bed once they moved.
He hummed and kissed her softly. "You just like my sheets better," he murmured, smiling at her. She loved the way his eyes crinkled at the corners when he was happy. She loved how often he looked like that when he was looking at her.
"Your mattress is nice too," she teased. She kissed him again, then kissed his chin, liking the coarse hairs against her lips. "Better when you're in it," she added, and pulled him closer.
"Oh, thanks," he said dryly. He skated his hand down along the curve of her belly then tucked his fingers under the waist of her pants. "I love being in bed with you."
"Oh, thanks," she said, mimicking his tone and grinning when he glared at her. She arched up into his touch, though, and closed her eyes as his fingertips brushed the top of her panties. "God, I won't fit in these pants much longer," she groaned, scratching lightly at his back.
He laughed and kissed down her neck to suck lightly on her shoulder. "Good, you can hang around the house naked," he teased.
She snorted. "Oh, that'll be sexy," she said, rolling her eyes. She slid her hand into his hair and kissed him again. "I'll just wear your clothes until those don't fit me. Do you think the team would notice?" she teased, then gasped softly when his teeth scraped lightly over her chest, just above her bra.
"Mmm, you walking around naked would be sexy." He smiled against her skin. "But yeah, the jackets are a little big for you."
"I wasn't going to wear the jackets." His fingers started to pull at her pants buttons. "I love you," she whispered.
He made a happy noise and looked up at her. "I love you too," he murmured. His gaze was warm as he tugged her pants down, his fingers stroking against her skin. "So beautiful. So sexy."
"God," she whispered, then lifted and wriggled a little to help him get her pants off. When he moved, she shrugged out of her shirt so she was just in her bra and panties, then laid back and looked at him, smiling. She probably looked silly, quite honestly, with her bulge.
Dave smiled back at her, sliding his fingers back up to cup her belly. "You're so amazing," he said, brushing his palms across her skin. "You're carrying our baby." He leaned in and kissed her lips softly, then trailed kisses down her throat.
"I wasn't amazing before?" she whispered with a smirk, arching her neck and sliding her hands into his hair.
"You're just even more amazing now," he mumbled against her skin. He nipped gently, then licked a heated line down to the top of her bra.
She let out a breathy moan, and slid her arms down his back. She couldn't quite reach his pants like she wanted, so she stroked her hand just above them on the small of his back. "You should get more comfortable."
He chuckled. "I'm pretty comfortable right here," he teased, but he seemed to know what she meant, since he pulled back enough to get out of his clothes. When he was left with just his boxers on, he settled down against her and stroked her sides, running his fingers down along her curving abdomen and teasing at the outside of her panties. "You're going to be a great mom," he whispered. "You're such a wonderful woman."
She grinned, not able to help it. She'd wanted a child so long, and hearing him reaffirm that she was going to be a good mother was nice. "Glad you think so. Works out pretty well for me."
He gasped in mock surprise. "You mean you're starting to believe I mean it?" he teased.
She gave him a mock glare, then slapped his cheek playfully.
His eyes widened. "Am I getting myself into an abusive relationship?" he asked, and leaned in for a long kiss.
She laughed against his mouth, but after a moment it turned into a long, happy noise. God, he was amazing. He lit every part of her on fire. "Dave," she whispered. "Want you."
He grinned at her and nipped gently at her mouth, then kissed her again. "Mutual," he murmured, and slid his fingers along the edge of her panties, then pulled them down. "So sexy," he said, teasing her folds with his fingers.
She sucked in a breath and a thrill shot through her, her body starting to tingle. She slid a knee up and opened herself to him a little more. "So good," she whispered.
He made a hungry noise and kissed her, his tongue stroking against hers, his fingers mimicking the motion lower down.
She moaned quietly and pulled him closer, then his fingers slid inside and she moaned a little louder. "Oh, Dave," she breathed, arching a little. "Please."
He hummed and shifted, letting her feel him against her. "Want you, Em."
She rocked her hips up against him as best she could, groaning when he pressed just the right spot. "Take me," she panted.
He grinned and did as she told him, sliding inside her and giving her just a moment to adjust before he began moving. His thrusts were slow at first, just a gentle rocking of his hips, but it didn't take long before he was moving with more intent. His fingers slipped between them and circled her clit teasingly.
"Yes," she breathed, sliding a leg up and over his hip. Dave had always been a fantastic lover, and it had only gotten better the longer they were together, the more he learned her body. She liked frantic, needy, hard sex like they'd had in Vegas, but the care he was showing her since she'd gotten pregnant was intoxicating.
His fingers worked in time with his thrusts, but he seemed to know just when to back off a little so he didn't send her over the edge before he was ready. He had her panting and moaning in short work, though, her fingers curled against his back.
"Gorgeous," he panted, his lips against her neck. He seemed to love the spot just below her ear, probably because his kisses there always sent shivers through her. She could tell he was getting close to coming, from the way he was tensing in her arms.
Then his finger pressed against her more firmly and she gasped. "God," she moaned, pleasure flooding her body as his thrusts started to come in less controlled motions.
Dave groaned and nibbled at her earlobe, then caught her lips in a hungry kiss. "Em," he gasped when it ended. "Close." He thrust raggedly a few more times, then cried out, his gaze locked on hers, as he came.
His fingers stopped, but she didn't care. She loved the way he felt, tense from need and overcome with pleasure. She pulled him down for another kiss as he came, drawing it out slowly and sliding her fingers into his hair.
He relaxed against her, breathing hard, and she stroked his hair softly. "I love you," he whispered. He didn't pull out of her as his fingers began moving again, rubbing gently.
"Love you," she murmured, making a pleased noise. His lips were trailing lazy kisses over her neck and she smiled as her body started to tighten again under his touch. "Perfect."
He hummed and kissed down her neck to her chest, sliding her bra out of the way and closing his lips on a nipple. His fingers pressed more firmly against her clit.
She made a little whimpering noise, writhing a little under him. "Dave," she whispered, and then his teeth scraped over her nipple gently and she gasped, a thrill racing all the way through her. "Yes," she panted, and he did it again, her body suddenly on fire. All it took after that was the pleased moan Dave made to send her into climax.
"God," he breathed. She watched him smile as he felt her spasm with pleasure, her entire body tensing and then flooding with wonderful release. His fingers didn't stop moving until she whimpered as she started feeling oversensitive. Then he dipped his head and kissed her tenderly.
She relaxed into the mattress, humming breathlessly into the kiss. When he pulled back, she wrapped her arms around him and smiled lazily.
"You are so amazing," he whispered, nuzzling her cheek.
She chuckled quietly and pulled him down next to her. "Mmm, you going to want to still do that when I weight three-hundred pounds?"
"We might have to get a little creative with positions," he said, "but I will always want you. I think your new curves are sexy."
She kissed his forehead as he settled next to her. "I think I look sort of ridiculous naked."
"Gorgeous," he insisted, stroking his palm over her stomach. "Sexy. Fertile." He grinned at her and kissed her.
She snorted. "Since when is fertile a compliment in this day and age?"
He nibbled at her lower lip. "I am incredibly turned on by your pregnancy. Who gives a fuck whether other people think it's a compliment?" He chuckled. "I've read that pregnancy makes it easier for women to have multiple orgasms, actually. Wanna test that?"
Emily lifted her eyebrows. "Are you serious?" she asked, then shook her head. "Doesn't really matter. If you're up to it, I am," she said, grinning.
He grinned back. "Give me a few minutes and I'll see what I can do," he promised, as his hand strayed lower.
***
They'd given Hotch his invitation the night before and explained the plan so that he wouldn't be worried with their late arrival the next day. They hadn't even decided on a complete guest list yet, but they were already sure they wanted the team to be at the wedding, and they knew it was only a matter of time before they had to say something.
Emily wasn't exactly sure leaving invitations on the teams' desks at night and then showing up late the next day to make sure they'd all had a chance to see them first was the best course of action, but Dave was right about one thing: it was a very simple and direct method.
She had vetoed the idea of adding to the invitation that Emily, Dave, and their unborn child were requesting their presence at the wedding, but ultimately agreed to the rest of the plan. They could tell the team about the baby later and not overwhelm them at once. Or maybe they could get away with not saying it at all, and just letting the team see it.
Of course Dave could see how nervous she was; he hadn't said anything, but he'd been extra sweet all morning. He'd fixed a big breakfast, and then held her for a while, but they both knew they had to leave for work soon. Finally he kissed her neck and squeezed her.
"Might as well go," he said. "At least we can drive in together this morning and quit trying to hide it."
"Yeah," she said, nodding. It would be a relief once the shock wore off for the team. Of course, that was assuming all the team felt was shock and not worse. "Morgan doesn't like things that rock the boat," she said offhandedly as she headed back to the bedroom to finish getting dressed.
"He'll get over it," Dave said, following her. "Unless he was planning to make a move on you, in which case he and I will have a problem." He'd been dressed before breakfast, but Emily'd finally given up on finding a pair of pants that wasn't too tight, which was why she'd finally come out in her bathrobe.
She snorted and frowned at all her clothes. "I sincerely doubt that." She eyed her pants again, and muttered, "This sucks," before grabbing the pair that was the least constricting and pulling them on. She found the matching jacket, and then looked herself over in the mirror.
"You look beautiful," he said, kissing her cheek. "Do I need to take you shopping after work?"
"Unless you want to listen to me bitch about not fitting anything and blaming you for a couple hours, I'll take JJ," she said, smiling and turning to kiss him properly.
"Yeah, that sounds like a better idea," he agreed, and stole one more kiss before leading her out the door.
By the time they got to work, she could tell he was getting nervous too, despite the insouciant attitude he was affecting. He also kept tapping his fingers on the steering wheel the whole way in, and as they went through security into the building, he failed to joke with the staff.
In the elevator, he took her hand and smiled at her. "It'll be fine," he said. He almost looked like he believed that.
She sucked in a slow breath and squeezed his hand. "Either way, there's no turning back now." She smiled. "If this is a disaster, it's your fault," she teased, trying to lighten the mood.
"I know, it's all my fault," he said, grinning back at her. "It won't be a disaster. We already know JJ and Aaron are fine with it." The elevator doors slid open then and he took a deep breath, then stepped out, still holding her hand.
Her eyebrows lifted, but she didn't let go. When they walked through the glass doors, JJ glanced up from a file she was copying and walked over to give Emily a hug, feigning surprise. As she hugged Emily, though, she took the opportunity to whisper in her ear. "Morgan is convinced this is a joke. I can't figure out what the heck Reid is thinking at all."
When she pulled back, she flung her arms around Dave too, no doubt telling him the same. Emily caught Dave looking at her, his eyebrows raised, but then JJ pulled back and he smiled, obviously accepting her congratulations.
"It's a little late for April Fool's," Dave murmured, glancing at Emily again.
"I told you he wouldn't like it," she muttered back. She looked at Morgan, who was watching the scene skeptically, and tugged Dave forward. "Does that look mean you're not coming?" she asked, her heart suddenly hammering in her chest like it might burst through.
"I'm trying to figure out what the hell you're playing at," he said, folding his arms across his chest. "There's no way this is real."
"Real enough," Dave said. "We're getting married, and we'd like you all to be there. In fact," he added, glancing at Emily and then back to Morgan, "I'd like the three of you to stand up for me, if you're willing."
She managed to keep her eyes from widening. They hadn't discussed that part. Of course, she was distracted a minute later by Reid in her peripheral vision. His jaw dropped and he swiveled around in his chair to stare at Dave, only managing to snap his mouth shut after a moment. "The... what three?"
"You, Derek, and Aaron," Dave replied, grinning at him. "If you're willing. You guys are like family, after all."
It was sort of a dirty trick, and Emily couldn't help but admire the way Derek's expression changed as soon as Dave had said that. Of course, it didn't hurt that she knew Dave did feel like this team was his family.
Reid stood up after that. "I, ah... yeah," he said, nodding. "I've never... yeah." He looked like he was torn between being utterly pleased and flattered, and still totally confused about the whole thing.
"This is crazy." Derek reached behind him and snatched the invitation off his desk. "'David Anthony Rossi and Emily Elizabeth Prentiss request the honor of your presence as they celebrate their mutual joy and embark upon a lifetime journey together.' What the hell is this?"
"Ah," Emily said, darting a sideways glance at Dave, then looking back at Morgan. "At the risk of sounding flippant, it's a wedding invitation."
"Since when are you two together?" Morgan demanded.
Dave glanced back at Emily, then shrugged. "Since last year, officially." He grabbed Emily's left hand and held it out. "It's real, if you're wondering," he added.
Emily was suddenly incredibly happy she'd nixed the idea of including the baby on the invitations. Reid leaned over and inspected the ring on her finger, and Morgan looked at it from where he stood.
She shrugged after a moment. "It doesn't really change anything," she said.
"Congratulations," Reid said after a moment, smiling faintly at her. After that, Morgan sighed. "Yeah, congratulations," he repeated, sticking out a hand towards Dave. Dave gripped it, then Morgan hugged Emily.
"Thank you," she murmured, squeezing him tightly and hoping he knew it was for more than just his congratulations, but for his acceptance too, whether it was immediate or sometime coming.
Morgan pulled away and met her gaze, then nodded. "And you," he said, giving Dave a hard look. "If you hurt her, we'll be lining up to kill you."
Dave didn't flinch. "I wouldn't expect any less," he said quietly.
Morgan glanced over at Hotch's office. "He hasn't seemed surprised."
Emily shrugged. "Dave aside, he's been profiling longer than the rest of us," she said. It was true, even if it wasn't the entire truth. She glanced at Dave, letting him decide whether to admit Hotch had already known.
He nodded slightly. "And he's my best friend as well as our boss," he elaborated. "I did talk to him before the rest of you. I didn't do it out of disrespect for any of the rest of you."
Morgan's expression relaxed. "You guys oughtta go see my Baby Girl. She was haunting the bullpen for the first half hour, but finally decided she had to get to work."
Emily nodded. "Should we be worried or should we prepared to have lipstick smudged all over our faces by the time we leave?" she teased.
Morgan snorted. "What do you think?" he said. "It got a lot quieter in here after she left, that's for sure." He looked amused, at least, which was a relief.
Dave chuckled and tugged Emily towards Garcia's office.
When they got there, they knocked out of politeness, but stepped in right after. As soon as Garcia saw them, she squealed and leaped out of her chair. "Oh my God. You two are just... scrumptious!" she exclaimed, and threw hers arms around them both, pulling them into a three-way hug and rocking them a little. "I love weddings!"
Dave laughed. "Oh, good, so that's one RSVP," he joked. When Garcia let him go, she grabbed Emily again in another hug. "This is so exciting! Have you been dress shopping? Do you know what your colors are? Oh! Let me see your ring!"
Emily laughed and held out her hand.
"God, I could make love to those diamonds," she said, and gave Dave a wicked grin.
"Hey," Emily said, and Garcia giggled and squeezed Emily again.
"You two just have to make a half dozen baby Daves and Emilys, you know. So cute!" She pulled back. "I was thinking red dress, corseted, straps all the way down the back."
God, corseted? Emily laughed, but it sounded weird to her own ears.
"Half a dozen?" Dave said, sounding amused. "God, Garcia, you do know I'm over fifty, right? Anyway, as fantastic as Emily looks in red, I'm not sure how I feel about the corseted strappy thing." He slid his arm around Emily and squeezed gently.
Garcia smacked his arm. "Yeah, right. I bet you'd eat it up in private," she said, but then seemed to realized Emily's expression was still a little strange. She frowned suddenly and glanced between them. "What?"
Emily sighed. "You should be a profiler," she said.
"What?" Garcia demanded now, giving Emily a look.
Emily shook her head, then looked at Garcia. "Keep a secret? For now?"
"Oh, honey, I have the best mouth zipper of all mouth zippers," she said, eying Emily. "Especially if it's juicy."
Emily rolled her eyes and felt Dave squeeze her again, but she didn't think he was trying to stop her. She tilted her head at Garcia and admitted, "I'll be lucky if I'm not in a muumuu by then," her hand slipping to her stomach for further emphasis.
Garcia's eyes got huge, her mouth dropping open, and then she squealed and threw herself on Emily again. "Oh my God, oh my God!" she squealed, and then caught herself and whispered, "Oh my God."
Dave chuckled again, and Garcia pulled away. "Is this--you--oh my God." She was beaming at them. "Another baby in the BAU! Your baby and Henry will be best friends!" She snickered. "I'd better check my birth control prescription."
Emily laughed. "Yeah, someone may be spiking the coffee with fertility drugs."
"Hell friggin' yeah," Garcia said, pressing her hand to her own stomach dramatically. "Oh my God!"
Emily bit her lips together so she didn't laugh again, but she couldn't suppress the grin. "JJ knows, if you have to talk to someone."
"Oh, sweetie, this is so exciting," Garcia said, and turned to Dave. "There, see? You just have five to go." She grabbed his shoulders and pulled him down to kiss his cheek. "Congratulations, pop."
Dave's eyes widened, but he didn't say anything.
"If I have to beat you off him, I will," Emily threatened playfully.
Garcia just beamed. "He does have a great ass."
Dave cleared his throat and Emily just burst out laughing. That prompted a snort from Dave, but he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek, "Thanks, Garcia, but I'm taken," he said finally.
"Awww, that is so sweet. You two are so cute together." Garcia was still beaming at them, but finally she sighed and flapped her hands. "Okay, shoo. I know you must have work to do. Or maybe more people to tell. Can't wait to hear how Strauss takes it."
"Don't worry." Dave grinned. "I'll handle Strauss."
* If you're going to say something, it's probably a good idea to not assume the other person doesn't understand.
** Shut up
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Date: 2009-08-06 02:30 am (UTC)Loved Garcia's take.
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Date: 2009-08-07 01:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-06 02:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-07 01:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-06 05:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-07 01:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-06 07:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-07 01:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-06 10:42 am (UTC)I dream about this series. I fidget and wonder about new chapters and and and and I LOVE THIS STORY!!!!
Dave's family is JUST perfect...I can imagine it being just that boisterous. And the wedding invitations and Morgan being hesitant and Garcia was so in character. Amazing stuff.
Thank you for such a fabulous, fluffy lovely. I am GIDDY with how much I love this.
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Date: 2009-08-07 01:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-06 02:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-07 01:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-07 02:29 am (UTC)And my favoritest part of all? GARCIA! SO perfectly Garcia.
I believe this is my favorite one so far and I LOVE them all!
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Date: 2009-08-08 01:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-08 03:14 am (UTC)I adore Garcia and you have her down to perfection!
Dave's family is wonderful and I absolutely adore the Italian bits (and how they assume Emily has NO clue what they're saying).
Fantastic as always.
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Date: 2009-08-10 12:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-10 03:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-11 01:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-13 11:19 pm (UTC)the whole sex scene was so full of tenderness it left a big goofy grin on my face; and I love this passage:
I am always glad to help, ladies, but it's me who has to thank the two of you for sharing another great chapter
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Date: 2009-08-13 11:25 pm (UTC)Dave thought 'fertile' was a compliment. ;) I'm glad you liked this, and as always thank you so MUCH for being my expert Italian. *hug*
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Date: 2009-08-15 03:02 am (UTC)You just so canonized the Rossi family.
(if the writers of the show don't use it in the future I will be extremely disappointed and I will tell them that there is a big inconsistency - they do need to check their facts, right ?).
I can really see David having a big family in canon.
Rossi and Emily are extremely cute together, they make a good match. Personality wise, I find them compatible .
(It's a tad more difficult for me to enjoy the Hotch/JJ relationship, being a big Hotch/Reid shipper, but you did write it extremely well in the previous part).
And I adore the way you write Rossi : sweet, adorable and kind of grumpy at the same time. Just like we love him.
Reid's reaction was adorable. It must have shocked him when Dave asked him to stand up for him.
He's certainly not used to those kind of things, you could tell he felt extremely honored.
It was extremely sweet.
And Garcia and Morgan reacted exactly like I think they would in the show.
Thank you for this great story !
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Date: 2009-08-16 03:23 am (UTC)I can't help but love switching up the ships in this fandom. I love Hotch/Reid myself, but Hotch and JJ have such a different feel to their interactions...and I tell myself that if Hotch isn't with Reid, maybe Morgan is. ;)
I'm glad you liked Reid's reaction. I definitely agree that he would be shocked to be asked; he's not the sort of guy who understands how important he is to people.
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Date: 2009-08-18 11:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-19 01:47 am (UTC)I hope you also know about
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Date: 2010-08-24 04:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-26 12:04 am (UTC)But hopefully you'll forgive us the slight improbability/inaccuracy. :D