" Will there be enough room ?" CM kidverse fic
Title: "Will there be enough room?"
Author: Kate Wallace
Fandom: Criminal Minds, melliyna has graciously allowed me to play in her kidverse sandbox and this fic is the result.
Pairing: Hotch/Rossi
Rating: FRT, they hug, that's all
Disclaimer: No money is being made by me or anyone else. Information on the books quoted will be at the end of the story.
“Dave” Aaron stopped beside him in the hallway. “What’s wrong?”
Rossi looked at him and then down at the books in his hands. “I don’t know, Aaron, I don’t think I can do this.”The older man shook his head. “What if I’m not cut out for this, what if I don’t do it right?”
“Dave, Dave” The younger man put a comforting hand on his shoulder. “You’ll be fine! You’ve read to audiences all over the country. It’s just a reading, you’ll be fine!” Aaron patted Dave on the arm. “Go on in, they’re waiting for you.”
Dave took a deep breath, tightened his grip on the books and opened the door. The muted chatter that he'd heard from the hallway ceased the minute he entered the room. He stopped in front of a large oak rocker and looked out at his audience. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Aaron, sitting on the floor, his back against the wall. Dave sat down, opened the first book and began to read.
The first few pages went well and Dave began to relax, his audience quiet and attentive in front of him. They turned on him a moment later.
"A bear and a hare have been to the fair. But not the hippopotamus." He turned the page. "..while the moose and the bear.." The next words were drowned out by the voices yelling "Skip, skip, skip!" Dave stopped and looked, mutely, at Aaron. The younger man was trying not to smile.
"You skipped a page, Dave. It happens, the pages stick together in these books, sometimes."
"Oh." The audience was quiet now, watching him intently. Dave carefully turned back the page and continued reading. "Now the hog and the frog hurry out for a .." Before he could read the next word, a small voice called out " jog! "
Dave stopped again, totally nonplussed. He wasn't used to audience participation at his readings.
"Penelope" The tall, intense young man sitting next to Aaron spoke for the first time. " Let Mr. Rossi finish reading on his own, please." Whatever sting his words might have been thought to contain was completely negated by his wide, affectionate smile, as he looked at his youngest sister.
The little blue fairy got up and walked up to stand in front of Dave. "I'm sorry, " she said earnestly, her gauze-and-wire wings quivering slightly. She was dressed in a blue tutu and carried a silver wand with a star on one end and streamers on the other.
"It's okay, Penelope" Dave said gently. "You were just trying to help me read the story. Would you like to help me finish it?"
Her enthusiastic nod made her wings vibrate so rapidly, for a minute Dave thought she might start hovering in the air in front of him. He picked up up and sat her on his lap, found his place in the book and started to read again.
"..with the cat and the rats in their new running hats." Penelope turned the page and continued reading. She had trouble with a few words, so Dave helped her and together they finished the book.
When they were done, she tapped him on the shoulder with her wand. "Thank you!" she said and hopped off his lap. She made her way back to Aaron and squeezed into the space between Aaron and the young man.
"Well, shall I read another one?" Dave took a deep breath and looked around the room.
"Chicka, chicka" "Chicka, chicka" Several voices called out. Dave looked to Aaron for clarification, but the pig-tailed blonde with the youngest member of the Hotchner family sitting in her lap spoke first.
"We want "Chicka, Chicka Boom Boom, please."
"By Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault, " Penelope crowed from the back, her eyes sparkling. The rest of the room erupted in laughter. For just a second, Dave wondered if they were laughing at him.
Aaron stood up. "It's okay, Dave. I always read the authors' names when we have a story." He walked up and stood next to the rocker. "How about we have some ice cream and cookies and then maybe Dave will read one more story, okay?" Dave let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, grateful for a break from the 'reading.'
Aaron continued ."Derek, why don't you take Penelope, JJ can take Spence, and go on out to the kitchen? Emily, would you please get the bowls and plates down and start serving the ice cream, please?" The kids filed out of the bedroom, chattering happily, and Aaron and Dave were alone.
Aaron shut the door and walked back to stand next to Dave. "Are you okay? You look a little shell-shocked." He pulled the older man into a brief hug. Dave made no move to pull away and leaned forward and rested his forehead against Aaron's.
"You know I don't have much experience with kids, right?" He straightened up and looked straight into those wonderful hazel eyes. "I have no idea of what to do or say to them. " He was reluctant to say anything more, afraid he would end up talking himself out of this new-found relationship. He wondered if there was enough room in this family for him?
Aaron pulled him back into the hug. "You'll be fine. They like you...they listened to you. " He paused, measuring his next words " You're a profiler..use those skills to get to know them. It will take time, but they'll give you a chance. They're just a little skittish, that's all." His unspoken "And so am I" hung in the air between them and Dave knew he had to take a pro-active approach to this new phase of his life or they would all end up getting hurt. And that was something he would not allow to happen, ever.
"Profile them, huh?" Dave kept his tone light, teasing. "I can do that. But first I think I need a little positive reinforcement in the form of cookies and ice cream, okay?" Aaron's answering grin told him he'd gotten it right the first time and they headed off to the kitchen.
Ice cream and cookies proved to be an inspired idea. Even the smallest Hotchner, Spencer, got to have some ice cream. Penelope tried to give him a cookie, but Derek stopped her, saying gently "He's too little, Pen. He doesn't have enough teeth to chew it yet, okay?" He took a bowl of rocky road from Emily and settled down at the table.
" 'kay." She smiled and went back to spooning up her cookies-and-cream treat. Aaron was feeding Spencer and Emily and JJ were busy trading spoonfuls of rocky road and chocolate chip. Dave was aware, however, that in between the spoonfuls, they were watching him carefully. He contented himself with a bowl of chocolate almond and several of Emily's excellent chocolate-chip cookies. They had politely listened to him read to them and then shared their ice cream and cookies...they didn't trust him completely, yet, but things were definetly looking up in that department.
******
"So, you want me to read "Chicka Chicka", right?" Dave grinned as he looked out over his 'audience' and got a resounding "Yes! " in reply.
"Okay, then. "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" by..." He smiled at the little blue fairy and waited for her to speak. She responded to her cue like a veteran actress.
"By Bill Martin, Jr and John Archambault."
Dave smiled."Thank you! Penelope." He started reading and then almost came to a halt when he read the following: "Chicka chicka boom boom! Will there be enough room?" He looked out at his new-found family and hoped with all his heart that there would,indeed, be enough room !
* * * * *
The following books were quoted in this story. No copyright infringement is intended.
The first story Dave reads is "But not the Hippopotamus" by Sandra Boynton. Little Simon Books, copyright 1982, 1995 by Sandra Boynton.
The next one is "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault. Published by Aladdin Paperbacks , August 2000. Text copyright 1989 by the authors.
Author: Kate Wallace
Fandom: Criminal Minds, melliyna has graciously allowed me to play in her kidverse sandbox and this fic is the result.
Pairing: Hotch/Rossi
Rating: FRT, they hug, that's all
Disclaimer: No money is being made by me or anyone else. Information on the books quoted will be at the end of the story.
“Dave” Aaron stopped beside him in the hallway. “What’s wrong?”
Rossi looked at him and then down at the books in his hands. “I don’t know, Aaron, I don’t think I can do this.”The older man shook his head. “What if I’m not cut out for this, what if I don’t do it right?”
“Dave, Dave” The younger man put a comforting hand on his shoulder. “You’ll be fine! You’ve read to audiences all over the country. It’s just a reading, you’ll be fine!” Aaron patted Dave on the arm. “Go on in, they’re waiting for you.”
Dave took a deep breath, tightened his grip on the books and opened the door. The muted chatter that he'd heard from the hallway ceased the minute he entered the room. He stopped in front of a large oak rocker and looked out at his audience. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Aaron, sitting on the floor, his back against the wall. Dave sat down, opened the first book and began to read.
The first few pages went well and Dave began to relax, his audience quiet and attentive in front of him. They turned on him a moment later.
"A bear and a hare have been to the fair. But not the hippopotamus." He turned the page. "..while the moose and the bear.." The next words were drowned out by the voices yelling "Skip, skip, skip!" Dave stopped and looked, mutely, at Aaron. The younger man was trying not to smile.
"You skipped a page, Dave. It happens, the pages stick together in these books, sometimes."
"Oh." The audience was quiet now, watching him intently. Dave carefully turned back the page and continued reading. "Now the hog and the frog hurry out for a .." Before he could read the next word, a small voice called out " jog! "
Dave stopped again, totally nonplussed. He wasn't used to audience participation at his readings.
"Penelope" The tall, intense young man sitting next to Aaron spoke for the first time. " Let Mr. Rossi finish reading on his own, please." Whatever sting his words might have been thought to contain was completely negated by his wide, affectionate smile, as he looked at his youngest sister.
The little blue fairy got up and walked up to stand in front of Dave. "I'm sorry, " she said earnestly, her gauze-and-wire wings quivering slightly. She was dressed in a blue tutu and carried a silver wand with a star on one end and streamers on the other.
"It's okay, Penelope" Dave said gently. "You were just trying to help me read the story. Would you like to help me finish it?"
Her enthusiastic nod made her wings vibrate so rapidly, for a minute Dave thought she might start hovering in the air in front of him. He picked up up and sat her on his lap, found his place in the book and started to read again.
"..with the cat and the rats in their new running hats." Penelope turned the page and continued reading. She had trouble with a few words, so Dave helped her and together they finished the book.
When they were done, she tapped him on the shoulder with her wand. "Thank you!" she said and hopped off his lap. She made her way back to Aaron and squeezed into the space between Aaron and the young man.
"Well, shall I read another one?" Dave took a deep breath and looked around the room.
"Chicka, chicka" "Chicka, chicka" Several voices called out. Dave looked to Aaron for clarification, but the pig-tailed blonde with the youngest member of the Hotchner family sitting in her lap spoke first.
"We want "Chicka, Chicka Boom Boom, please."
"By Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault, " Penelope crowed from the back, her eyes sparkling. The rest of the room erupted in laughter. For just a second, Dave wondered if they were laughing at him.
Aaron stood up. "It's okay, Dave. I always read the authors' names when we have a story." He walked up and stood next to the rocker. "How about we have some ice cream and cookies and then maybe Dave will read one more story, okay?" Dave let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, grateful for a break from the 'reading.'
Aaron continued ."Derek, why don't you take Penelope, JJ can take Spence, and go on out to the kitchen? Emily, would you please get the bowls and plates down and start serving the ice cream, please?" The kids filed out of the bedroom, chattering happily, and Aaron and Dave were alone.
Aaron shut the door and walked back to stand next to Dave. "Are you okay? You look a little shell-shocked." He pulled the older man into a brief hug. Dave made no move to pull away and leaned forward and rested his forehead against Aaron's.
"You know I don't have much experience with kids, right?" He straightened up and looked straight into those wonderful hazel eyes. "I have no idea of what to do or say to them. " He was reluctant to say anything more, afraid he would end up talking himself out of this new-found relationship. He wondered if there was enough room in this family for him?
Aaron pulled him back into the hug. "You'll be fine. They like you...they listened to you. " He paused, measuring his next words " You're a profiler..use those skills to get to know them. It will take time, but they'll give you a chance. They're just a little skittish, that's all." His unspoken "And so am I" hung in the air between them and Dave knew he had to take a pro-active approach to this new phase of his life or they would all end up getting hurt. And that was something he would not allow to happen, ever.
"Profile them, huh?" Dave kept his tone light, teasing. "I can do that. But first I think I need a little positive reinforcement in the form of cookies and ice cream, okay?" Aaron's answering grin told him he'd gotten it right the first time and they headed off to the kitchen.
Ice cream and cookies proved to be an inspired idea. Even the smallest Hotchner, Spencer, got to have some ice cream. Penelope tried to give him a cookie, but Derek stopped her, saying gently "He's too little, Pen. He doesn't have enough teeth to chew it yet, okay?" He took a bowl of rocky road from Emily and settled down at the table.
" 'kay." She smiled and went back to spooning up her cookies-and-cream treat. Aaron was feeding Spencer and Emily and JJ were busy trading spoonfuls of rocky road and chocolate chip. Dave was aware, however, that in between the spoonfuls, they were watching him carefully. He contented himself with a bowl of chocolate almond and several of Emily's excellent chocolate-chip cookies. They had politely listened to him read to them and then shared their ice cream and cookies...they didn't trust him completely, yet, but things were definetly looking up in that department.
******
"So, you want me to read "Chicka Chicka", right?" Dave grinned as he looked out over his 'audience' and got a resounding "Yes! " in reply.
"Okay, then. "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" by..." He smiled at the little blue fairy and waited for her to speak. She responded to her cue like a veteran actress.
"By Bill Martin, Jr and John Archambault."
Dave smiled."Thank you! Penelope." He started reading and then almost came to a halt when he read the following: "Chicka chicka boom boom! Will there be enough room?" He looked out at his new-found family and hoped with all his heart that there would,indeed, be enough room !
* * * * *
The following books were quoted in this story. No copyright infringement is intended.
The first story Dave reads is "But not the Hippopotamus" by Sandra Boynton. Little Simon Books, copyright 1982, 1995 by Sandra Boynton.
The next one is "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault. Published by Aladdin Paperbacks , August 2000. Text copyright 1989 by the authors.