Prentiss

Hotch was across the country on a case, the rest of the team were with him, well…except for Garcia and I. Jessica and Jack had gone to see family a few states over for a few days and I was in Virginia almost alone; Garcia was working or busy with her own life at the moment. We hadn't really been talking all that much lately. At 36 weeks and 4 days, I finally decided to swallow my pride and call the hospital. It was late, around 11:30 pm, and I was having contractions for a long while. I refused to let myself believe that it was labour, not while Hotch was away, but it wasn't like it would go away if I kept ignoring it. The contractions got closer together and almost impossible to bear without crying.

Once the hospital night shift worker picked up the phone, I explained what was happening and asked if I should come in or not. She said to come straight away and to get someone else to drive me. I didn't tell her that there was no one that could drive me; I didn't want an ambulance sent or something.

I got to my car slowly, having to stop a few times to try and breathe through the contractions that I thought I would die from. This wasn't supposed to happen yet; this was earlier than my due date, Hotch wasn't here, and now I was terrified.

I managed to drive to the hospital but there was a lot of pain and I had to pull over once. I got inside and filled out that paperwork they always made you do before a nurse came and brought me into a private room.

"Is there anyone you would like us to call? A partner, a friend?" A midwife asked me. I thought about it; did I want to call Garcia or not? I originally thought that I would just do this on my own; Hotch had a case and even if he left now, he wouldn't get here on time, but now that I thought about it again, I didn't want to do this alone.

"Penelope Garcia." I nodded.

"Okay, I'll call her for you now." She disappeared out the door, followed by a nurse and a doctor.

Some time later, the nurse and midwife returned with Garcia behind them, "Oh my god, pumpkin, you should have called me as soon as the contractions started." She said as she walked to my side. She kissed my cheek and smiled before it dropped when she saw me wince in pain. Another contraction.

"We're getting closer, Agent Prentiss." The doctor assured me.

Garcia got her phone out and walked out of the room quickly; I assumed she would be calling Hotch. She came back after just a few minutes, "He's on his way back now; he's taking the jet."

"You didn't need to call him, Pen. He's got a case."

"You're more important to him right now. The rest of the team is still working. These are his children too; he deserves to be here."

"Garcia?" I asked quietly. The doctor, nurse and midwife weren't listening to us at the moment.

"Yes?" She was holding my hand and she looked at me, waiting for me to continue.

"…I'm scared."

She smiled, "Trust me pumpkin, it's all going to be okay. I promise you; nothing will go wrong with either of your children or you."

A long while passed again before it was time to start.

About five hours into the delivery, Hotch arrived. He had to get changed into one of those hospital gown things and do all the necessary procedures before he came in and stood at my other side. The crew here that were delivering my children told Garcia that it was fine for her to stay too, so Hotch held my hand for me to squeeze and Garcia tied my hair back into a bun and kept wiping a cool damp cloth over my neck and face. The pain was like something I had never experienced before, but it was somehow painless, as well. I went from nothing, to something, back to nothing and now finally to something again. Soon enough, I would have two children to add to the family I had found within Hotch and Jack, and if you have three children and a man you love more than anything in the world going for you, how much more could you possibly want? Well, you'd want to have the children without actually giving birth to them.

"I give up; I can't." I said out of breath when the doctor asked me to push again. I had no energy left and I still had two children inside of me. It had been 8 hours of pain and heat.

"You're so close, Agent Prentiss, just a few more."

I managed to get through the first child. Our son was born first and I was finally able to breath and relax for a while. When they were sure that there'd be a while before our daughter came, I was allowed to hold him. Garcia went to leave, but I asked her to stay.

"Perfect." I said quietly as I stroked my finger up and down his arm lightly. His hair would eventually be the same shade and type as Hotch. I held him for a long while before I let Hotch hold him.

After about an hour and a half, the intense pain started again. The doctor, nurse and midwife all went back into action. A second midwife came in to take our son from Hotch and check over him again to confirm that everything was okay.

After another few hours of this, the pain lessened and I heard the cries similar to what I had heard six hours ago.

"Gorgeous." I commented quietly as I looked into my daughters dark eyes. Her hair would be the colour of Hotch's but it would be the same type as mine. I held her until I was too exhausted to keep my eyes open. I gave her to Hotch and I dropped my head to face my left where Garcia was. "Thanks for staying." I said to her quietly.

She smiled and kissed my cheek, "Always. I'll leave the two of you to meet her or to sleep or whatever you'll do." She walked out and my eyes fell shut. I concentrated on the feeling of Hotch's thumb moving up and down the side of my palm and I was too exhausted to stay awake any longer.

I woke up after about seven hours and Hotch was still at my side, although he wasn't holding my hand anymore. He had a few files and a pen with him. I watched his eyes move over the papers as he wrote for a short while before he noticed I was awake, "Hey."

I smiled, "Hey. How are they?"

"They're great. They're both healthy; the only thing that went wrong was with you. You were really dehydrated and you got really dizzy. You're on an IV drip now and you will be for at least another two days just so you're safe."

I nodded, "Good."

"Our son was 6 pounds and 4 ounces and our daughter was 5.6 pounds and 2 ounces. Do you want to see them?"

I smiled and nodded. He smiled and kissed my forehead as he stood. He walked out of the hospital room and I looked around. I moved my head to both sides and my neck cracked both ways. My back and shoulders were really sore too.

I waited for a short while before Hotch walked back in with a nurse behind him. He was holding our daughter in a fluffy pink blanket and the nurse carried out son in a matching blue one. The nurse handed him to me and I took him willingly. She checked my vitals to make sure I was okay. I looked over our son and my finger moved up and down his arm gently. He was asleep right now and he was so beautiful.

I looked up and smiled at Hotch, "Names?"

"I was waiting for you to wake up before I even thought about it."

"Well, they're taking your surname, obviously, and we need names that don't sound too unusual with Jack." I spoke quietly as to not wake them.

We thought and talked for a while before Hotch took our son and laid our daughter in my arms. She was waking up from the movement and I smiled as her eyes opened. They were the darkest, most beautiful brown I had ever seen. She cried liked all newborns did when they woke and I hushed her, rocking her lightly. I kissed her forehead as her cries started to ease.

"Maxwell Gideon." I said quietly after a while. I looked at Hotch and he smiled. "What are you thinking for his name?"

"I couldn't find anything I liked, but I like Maxwell Gideon. It's decided." He nodded.

I smiled and looked at my son in my boyfriend's arms. He just looked like a Maxwell to me. Another long while past before Hotch spoke, "We really should have thought about this harder beforehand."

I laughed lightly, "I just can't think of a name good enough.

After a few minutes, he suggested a name, "Imogen Elizabeth?" This was the first name I heard that I loved.

I smiled at him and nodded, "And that's decided too."

A nurse came in then and told me that it was time to feed them.

The team was called to a case two days after the birth of my twins. By the time they got back, Max, Imogen and I were all allowed to leave the hospital. I carried our daughter, Hotch carried our son, and Jack was with us again; he had gotten back yesterday. We had clipped them into the baby seats in the back of my car and Hotch drove us to the precinct. JJ had texted me about fifteen minutes ago, letting me know that they were back and at the office like I had asked her to do.

We went through the precinct with our three children and made out way to the sixth floor. Jack was excited to see the team; it had been a while since he saw them last. Hotch and I were exhausted but we wanted the team to meet our newborns.

Hotch held the glass door open for Jack and I followed him through.

"JJ!" Jack yelled excitedly as he ran through the bullpen to her. JJ opened her arms with a smile and he ran into them. She talked to him and I looked around the bullpen. I couldn't see Garcia or Morgan so I assumed they were in Garcia's office. Reid was standing in Rossi's office, the door open. He saw us and a smile spread on his face. He said something to Rossi and within a few seconds, they were both walking out and down the catwalk.

JJ, still talking to Jack, pointed towards the hall that led to Garcia's office. Jack nodded and ran down the hall. JJ looked to us and made a small excited squeak when we reached her, her hands on both cheeks. "Oh my god, they're gorgeous. They're Hotchner's, right? Because they look like Hotchner's."

I nodded with a smile, "They're Hotchner's."

"Oh my god!" I heard Garcia squeal. She and Morgan walked out from the hall with Jack and Rossi and Reid stood behind JJ.

"Congratulations, guys." Morgan smiled.

"Thanks." I smiled. Hotch smiled and nodded as a thanks and we talked to them for a while. We let them hold them and Hotch stood close to me and talked to Jack.

A short while past before JJ asked about names. Hotch and I looked at each other and argued lightly about who would tell them.

"I have been in hospital for—"

"Don't play the hospital card again! You've played it three times already since we left!"

I smirked at him and laughed, "Fine," I let him win this time. I looked at the team and smiled, "Imogen Elizabeth and Maxwell Gideon."

"Oh, they're beautiful." Garcia smiled at us.

Hotch stood with an arm around me for a while as we continued to talk to them and watch them adore our children. I was so tired that I started to feel a little brief moment of dizziness every now and then. Hotch saw how exhausted I was by the third yawn so he said that we should get going. The team was walking out with us so I left Imogen in JJ's arms and Max in Garcia's; Rossi was sure to give him to her as soon as he was laid in his arms.

Once we were home, Hotch and I took the twins inside and put them in their new bassinets. Jack went to sleep in his room and I was finally able to lie down. I dropped to the bed, my face in the pillow. I felt Hotch sit down beside me and he rubbed my back.

I rolled over to my back and smiled at him, "I love you."

"I love you too." He kissed me twice and then laid down. I turned the lamp out and lay down myself. After a few seconds of silence, I felt his arm wrap around my waist and pull me closer to him. I smiled and lay my hand over his. I closed my eyes and waited for sleep to overcome me.

Not a strong ending, I know, but I didn't know where else to go with it. Thank you to my regular readers and supporters, especially Scousedancer and zhangxinna.

I have another coming soon; stay tuned.

-A xx