JJ smiled as she stepped into the bullpen. It was a beautiful summer day outside, and Strauss had just informed her that they were officially on stand down for the next two weeks. Ever since her brush with death, she had become a much gentler person, someone who smiled more and laughed louder. JJ had found herself liking this person she was becoming, and she couldn't help but think that Rossi was a very lucky man.

"What's put that smile on your face this morning, Jayje?" She turned to look at her best friend and shrugged. "Spill! I know you just got good news."

"Actually, we all did. Can you go get Blake and Morgan while I round up Spence and Hotch?"

"Of course!" Garcia quickly went out to Derek's office while she went over to Spence's desk.

"Hey, we're going to be meeting up in the conference room in just a few minutes."

"New case?"

She shook her head. "Something better." He nodded and got up, ambling up the stairs while she smiled after him. Taking a deep breath, she approached the stairs and made her way to Hotch's office. Softly, she knocked on the door, and he looked up, a quick smile flashing across his face. "Hey, impromptu meeting in the conference room."

"Let me guess, this is about our two week vacation?"

"How did you know?"

"Rossi spilled the beans to me on the elevator this morning." He pushed away from the desk and stood up, going over to her side. "But I won't spoil your fun. How are you planning on spending the two weeks?"

"Finishing packing up the last of Will's things. He left a few items behind when he moved in with his partner." It was surprising how little bitterness she felt, at losing her husband to his new partner on the force. After all, the two of them were together more often than she was with him. "They have a nice little house about three miles from mine. And Will's promised to help me out with the payments on ours."

"That's good to hear," he said as he placed his hand on the small of her back, turning her into the conference room. The others had already gathered and she smiled at them. "All right, everybody, Jayje has an announcement to make."

"I do. It took a little time, but Strauss was finally able to finagle us two weeks of leave. Today is our last day in the office for fourteen days."

A soft cough at their backs had her turning to look and see who was interrupting them. Dave and Erin were in the doorway, smiles on both their faces. "And we're all leaving early today. Erin, here, wants to have a barbeque in her backyard. The kids just opened the pool, and there's no time like the present to use it."

JJ sighed a little as she watched Erin snuggle close to Rossi, a contented smile on her lips. "Really, we would love to have you over." She rested her head on his chest, making eye contact with each of them, including Blake. "We'll see you there in about two hours? Penelope can send you directions on your phone, she's been over enough times by now to get you there."

A soft blush stained both their cheeks as she realized what she had revealed. "Hey, someone has to look after you when Rossi is out on the case." Erin nodded and then tugged on her lover's shirt. He took the hint and guided them out of the room, closing the door behind them. "Okay, seriously, how adorable are they?"

"They are that, Garcie," she replied, looking up at Hotch. "So, are you planning on bringing Jack?"

"Why, thinking about taking Henry along?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I am not about to pass up the opportunity to use a pool. Usually, I have to pay for that privilege."

He smiled once more at her, and she felt butterflies dance around in her stomach. "Well, I'll see you in a few hours, then."

JJ nodded once more, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear before scooting out the door. Taking the short flight of stairs two at a time, she hustled over to her office and grabbed her purse before going to the elevators. While she waited, Penelope and Blake joined her, and she smiled at them. "They must have caught an earlier elevator."

"Or took the stairs. It's easier to neck in the stairwell, you can hear people coming." Penelope gasped a little at Blake's words. "What? I may have caught them there last week. They aren't the most careful of couples at the moment."

"Do you blame them? John Curtis almost took her life, took all of our lives. They're just making up for potential lost time." JJ grinned at Penelope, who nodded enthusiastically. "And how are things between you and Derek?" she teased gently.

The blush on her face deepened as she looked at the floor. "We're just friends."

"A likely story." Once more, Blake was teasing them, and she smiled at the fact that the woman was actually trying to become a part of the team. Her time spent held captive by Curtis had softened something in her, and brought about a most welcome change. "So, I think James is free this afternoon. It's time he got to meet all of you."

"That would be really nice, Alex," Garcia replied, reaching out to rub her arm softly. The elevator doors opened and they stepped inside. On the way down, they talked about their plans for two weeks of blissful boredom, and JJ listened in on the conversation, content to relax and veg out for a few minutes.

They parted ways in the parking lot, and she made her way over to her van. The drive home was relaxing, and she turned the radio up, singing along with the songs she knew. Pulling into the driveway, she smiled to see Henry and his nanny playing in the front yard. "Mommy!" her son cried out, running up to her after she had parked.

"Hi, Hen. We got invited to a party this afternoon. Doesn't that sound like fun?"

He nodded solemnly as the nanny came up to them. "Are you going to need me anymore this afternoon, then?"

"No, Kiffany. And I'm going to be off for the next two weeks, as well, so have a good impromptu vacation. Don't worry, you'll still get paid, so, enjoy!" The girl grinned as she nodded, unlocking her bike from the fence and riding off into the noontime sun. "All right, we have to get our bags together, sweetheart."

"Yay!" He ran on ahead into the house and she followed after him, grabbing two small duffle bags out of the hall closet. Henry was up in his room already, pulling out toys and books to take along and she shook her head.

"You may pick one book and one toy, Henry," she said as she rooted around in his dresser for his swim trunks. After she had found them, she took out a change of clothes and put all the garments in the bag. Henry handed her his picks and she stuffed them inside, too, before taking his hand and leading her to her room. "I just have to find my suit, baby," she said softly, ruffling his hair.

"The purple one?"

"Oh, honey, that one is for when no one we know is going to see Mama."

"But I like that one. Please?"

JJ sighed, knowing it would be a losing battle, so she nodded and stuffed the suit in her bag, along with an old t-shirt of Will's that he had left behind. "All right, let's go get our towels and then we can head out."

He nodded enthusiastically and clasped her hand as they went into the bathroom. Opening the closet, she pulled out two beach towels and placed them in the bags before leading her son downstairs and helping him into the van. Looking down at her phone, she saw that Penelope had texted her directions to Erin's and she smiled as she quickly memorized them before backing out into traffic.

The drive to Erin's didn't take long, and she realized she was the first person there. Erin stepped out onto her porch and smiled at her, waving a little as Henry got himself out of his booster seat and jumped out of the van. "Hi, Mrs. Strauss!" he yelled, running up to her and throwing his arms around her legs and hugging her tightly.

"Hello, Henry. Jennifer." Her smile was gentle and warm, and JJ smiled back at her. "Dave's in the back, getting the grill ready, and my kids will be back in about twenty minutes with food. If you want to change, I can show you to the downstairs bathroom."

"Aren't you going to swim as well?" Henry asked, looking her up and down. "You're not even wearing a suit!"

"Do you want me to, Henry?" Her son nodded and she laughed lightly. "For you, I suppose. After I show you where to get changed." He grinned and hugged her again before taking hold of JJ's hand, tugging her along after Erin.

Once they were in the bathroom, it didn't take long to change, and she grabbed their towels out before taking their bags to the living room. The large picture windows showed off a beautiful backyard, and she sighed a little as she went over to the doors, stepping out onto the patio. JJ tugged at the t-shirt a little, making sure it covered her ass, as she led Henry over to the grill where Rossi was. "Glad to see you could make it, Jen. Want to dip your toes in the pool?"

"Maybe in just a moment." She noticed the second his eyes left hers and turned her head to see that Erin had rejoined them, clad only in a rose colored bikini. "Wow. No wonder you keep her by your side all the time. Are you sure that you want Morgan to see her like that? He could want to move in and make her his honey," she gently teased.

"And then he would be on my short list," he growled in reply. She chuckled and shook her head as Erin joined them, her arm slipping around Dave's waist and pulling him close. "You look lovely, bella." Lowering his face, he kissed her upturned lips before leading them over to one of the patio tables.

JJ smiled as they talked lowly to each other, acting like a married couple. And then, she saw the sun catch a ring on her finger. "I think that we're going to have to start calling Mrs. Strauss a different name, buddy," she said lowly as she led Henry over to the pool, helping him in.

"What should we call her?" he lisped, smiling as he splashed his legs in the water.

"I think we should be calling her Mrs. Rossi." Henry nodded and began to swim a little, sticking close to her.

After a few more minutes had passed, Garcia and Morgan joined them, and it didn't take long for her friend to join her in the pool. "Hey, Jayje, way to be super speedy. Doesn't Erin look adorable in her suit? I helped her pick it out for their hone…"

She paused, as if she realized what she had been about to give away. "How long have you known for without telling us?"

"How long have you known?"

"Since about ten minutes ago. The sun caught the stone in her ring. So, spill. When did they get married?"

"Last week. I was their witness."

JJ looked over at the couple, seeing the love so evident in their faces. "And this is going to be their way of telling us all, right?" Penelope nodded, the grin on her face widening as she gazed at Erin and Dave. They were kissing again, as if they were heedless of the fact that there were others there, watching them.

In the background, she could hear the doorbell ringing, and Penelope looked up at Derek. "Hey, Sugar Bear, go let the others in." He nodded and jogged off while Erin came over and joined them in the water. "So, you're wearing the ring openly now. Let me see it again!"

She blushed as she held out her hand to them. "Dave wanted to give me something more ostentatious, but I just wanted simple and lovely. He sort of compromised."

"That's from Tiffany, isn't it?" JJ asked lowly, recognizing the setting. Erin nodded, her blush becoming more pronounced. "Well, it is lovely."

"Thank you." She slipped her hand out of Penelope's and then leaned back against the side of the pool, smiling up at the sun, her eyes closed. "I love the summer. I didn't think I'd ever be warm again," she murmured as Blake came over and joined them.

"Girl's group in the pool?" she asked, some hesitancy in her voice.

"Yes, Alex. Come on in, the water's fine." Erin's reply made Blake smile and she shucked off her shirt, tossing it to her husband before stepping into the pool. "How is James adjusting to Harvard?"

"Better than I thought he would. It's weird, finding our rhythm."

"I know about that," Erin murmured, a silly smile spreading across her face. "But it is ever so wonderful once you find that rhythm."

Blake made a soft sound of agreement in the back of her throat, even as JJ and Penelope gasped a little. JJ felt the blush in her cheeks and she shook her head, ducking beneath the water and swimming over to the deep end. By the time she came up for air, Jack had joined Henry, and they were playing with the pool toys that Rossi had managed to dig up.

Hotch was in the middle of them, and she smiled as she saw that he was also wearing a tank top, covering his torso from their gazes. It was a sad smile, and she ran her hands along her abdomen, blushing a little at the thought that a few stretchmarks would really be something to be ashamed of. Shrugging a little, she peeled the shirt off and set it on the side of the pool, trying not to cross her arms over her stomach.

"Hey, Jayje, do you want a hamburger or hot dog?" Derek called out and she shrugged. "All right, one of each, coming up!"

She giggled and swam over to where Hotch and the kids were. "Hey, Uncle Derek is making our food, so we had better have our appetites," she said with a smile as she tickled her son's side. His childish laugh made joy bubble up even more in her heart. Hotch knocked into her a little, throwing her off balance, and she gasped a little in surprise. "Hey."

"Hey, yourself. You are in the way."

"Whatever." JJ grinned up at him as she dipped her hands below the water, bringing them up moments later to thoroughly soak him.

"Water war!" Jack yelled, splashing his father, too, and her earlier giggle turned into a bright laugh as they began to fling water at each other.

"Watch where you aim!" Penelope said with a huff as their play quickly got out of control. JJ turned to look at her friends, and saw the soft smile on Erin's face, knowing that she was having fun, too, even without saying anything. Feeling a little provocative, she splashed a large wave of water at the women, soaking Erin and Blake.

"David, honey, do you have those water guns?" she asked, arching her eyebrow at JJ, a smirk on her lips. Biting her lip, she realized that she may have bitten off a larger chunk than expected, and she hurriedly hid behind Hotch, shrieking a little in mock terror. "Hiding will do you no good, Jennifer!"

"Save me," she begged Hotch, peeking around his arm to look at Erin. She was holding up her hand patiently, and in the background, she could see Rossi approaching with three large water guns. "Please!"

"You made this bed, Jen."

"Oh, that is so not fair!" She smacked him lightly even as he turned her to face Erin and the others. "Come on!"

"Sorry, Jen." She nodded and playfully pushed him away, diving beneath the water and pulling down his swim trunks before swimming away from them. "Jennifer Anne Jareau," he said in a low voice, and she knew that he was seriously not in his happy place any more.

"Sorry! You left me open!" She swam quickly over to the women, hoping they would protect her from the wrath of their boss, huddling between Blake and Erin. "Protect me!"

"Oh, honey, there is no protecting you now. But, did you know that Hotch was that big?" Garcia asked softly, waggling her eyebrows at them.

"Penny, we shouldn't talk of other people in that way. It could embarrass them. And, yes, he is hung like a horse, isn't he?"

JJ clapped her hand over her mouth at Erin's words, shocked to hear them come from her. As she watched, Hotch ducked down in the water and pulled his trunks up, shooting her a murderous glare. "You all are really not going to help me here, are you?"

"Maybe you should have thought about that before you splashed us with water, Jennifer." Erin's reply was warbly with laughter and she gently pushed both her and Blake away before launching herself up onto the cement that surrounded the pool, keeping her eye on Hotch as she backed away.

He stalked out of the pool, a thunderous look on his face and she squeaked a little, grabbing one of the water guns from Rossi's hands as she backed away from him. "Stay away from me, Hotch!" she yelled as she squirted the gun towards him. When he still kept coming, she turned on her heel and made a break for the house.

"Aaron, I swear by all that is holy if you break anything in my house, you will be indebted to me for years to come!" Erin's words were the last she heard as she shut the patio door behind herself, locking it so that Hotch couldn't follow after her. Pausing to catch her breath, she looked wildly around outside, trying to see where Hotch had disappeared to.

When she didn't see him try to open the patio door, she began to panic once more. Perking up her ears, she tried to figure out his next move, only to hear the front door open. Gasping, she began to look for another escape route, tiptoeing into the foyer, only to catch a peek of him slipping into the kitchen. Hurriedly, she ran up the stairs, taking care to make her steps light, hoping that he wouldn't hear her.

The first door on the left caught her eye, and she slipped behind it, only to find herself trapped in Erin's bedroom. Noticing the walk in closet, she began to make her way towards it when a pair of strong arms closed around her waist. "Not laughing now, are we?" he breathed in her ear, and she shook her head.

"I'm sorry!"

"And now Blake, Erin, and Penelope, know something very private about me. What are you going to do to make this up?"

She shrugged a little as he tugged her closer to his body. The amount of heat radiating off him sent shivers down her spine, and she bit her lip, looking up into his eyes. It was hard to miss the desire there and she leaned in, kissing him with abandon. As the kiss went on, she felt him maneuver her over to the bed and they sat heavily. He felt wonderful in her arms, and all she could focus on was the feel of his lips caressing hers. "I'm sorry?"

"There's nothing to be sorry for." She smiled up into his face and then pushed him back against the bed, straddling him before leaning in and capturing his lips in another searing kiss. She smiled against his lips when she felt his hands slip down her back to cup her ass, squeezing roughly as the kiss lingered on. And then, those wonderful, large, warm, hands were sneaking beneath the damp fabric of her bikini bottom.

Moaning a little, she tugged one of his hands up to her breast, encouraging him to touch and caress her there. "Aaron," she said softly as he began to kiss his way down her neck, pausing to suck and nibble on her pulse point. Everything was becoming hazy with desire, and she barely registered the click of the doorknob turning.

"Jennifer? Aaron? The food is…" Erin's voice trailed off as she stepped into her bedroom. "Um, Jennifer, Aaron?"

JJ gasped as she pulled away from Hotch, blushing guiltily. "Sorry, we kind of got sidetracked here," she panted out, watching Erin's shoulders shake from repressed laughter. "We'll be down in a few moments."

"Here, borrow one of my robes. It will cover up the more obvious effects of your playtime." Erin bustled over to her dresser and opened one of the drawers, tugging out a plush purple robe. "I think I'll wait here with Jennifer, Aaron. The master bath is through the door next to my closet," she said pointedly, still smirking.

He got up from under JJ and made a beeline for the bathroom, keeping his hands in front of him as he scooted past their boss. Erin sat down on the bed, wrapping the robe around her shoulders before rubbing her arm gently. "Are we going to be in much trouble?"

"No, dear. After all, look at David and myself. We just have to be a little more…discretionary at work, now. And if you and Aaron are going to stick your toes into the muddy waters of a relationship, you'll need to exercise that same amount of discretion. But, we could take care of Henry and Jack tonight, let you have a date night."

Her face relaxed into a smile as she nodded. "That might be really nice, Erin. The perfect start to our two week vacation."

"Yes, well, David and I have gotten over the worst of our twitterpation, we can look after them for an evening. But be sure that you pick them up in the morning. We're all heading up to my Davie's cabin for the next two weeks, to try and learn how to be a family." There was such tenderness in her voice as she looked down at her ring, a gentle smile on her face. Together, they got up, and then JJ surprised herself, reaching out and hugging the woman tightly.

"I'll make sure we're here by eight, then." Erin nodded against her shoulder, sighing deeply. "No sighs, not on a day like today. Not when we're all so happy."

"All right, I'll keep that in mind. Come on." She ran her hand down to Erin's, clasping it lightly as she led them out the door and down the stairs. "Let's go have the summer of our lives."

"That sounds amazing, Erin." They looked at each other, and Erin smiled widely at her, true joy on her face. It was wonderful to see that expression there, and she adjusted their hands, threading their fingers together. "But any time you want to have our children over, I won't turn it down."

"I might just keep that in mind, Jennifer. It will be nice to hear the laughter of little ones in our lives once more." Erin's free hand touched her stomach unconsciously, and JJ wondered how long it would be before she told the others about this new development. "You know, don't you?"

"Maybe. I won't breathe a word, I promise. Does PG even know?" Erin shook her head. "Then I really will keep my mouth shut. She would kill me if she knew I knew about this before she did. But congratulations."

"Thanks," she said with a blush, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "I'll be making the announcement in six weeks. When we enter the second trimester." JJ nodded and squeezed her hand tightly, feeling a soft wave of love sweep over her from this woman and her friend who were finding love and happiness so late in their lives. Like she was. "Don't cry."

"Sorry, I'm a little sentimental right now." Erin nodded and they stepped out onto the patio, going their separate ways. She couldn't help but keep her eye on Erin as she rejoined Dave, wrapping her arm around his waist and kissing his cheek softly before resting her head on his chest and talking to her children. Somehow, JJ knew that this was going to be one of the best summers of their lives.