CM Fic - In Love With the Girl
Title: In Love With the Girl
Author: Smacky30
Rating: FRT (PG)
Pairing: Rossi/Prentiss, JJ/Will, JJ/Hotch
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Summary: This started as a story about Dave & Emily and how they would react to their daughter marrying JJ and Will's son Henry. Then it became a story about Henry and Ella - from the day she was born until he proposes marriage. I am breaking it into 3 parts (2 of them are already done).
A/N: Thanks so much to mingsmommy and losingntrnslatn for their constant support and their ability to withstand all whining and hysterics. They are the world's greatest betas - all mistakes are because I didn't pay attention to them.
His hair is more salt than pepper these days and it’s thinner than it used to be, much thinner. Leaning toward the mirror, David Rossi runs a hand over his goatee, smoothing it down. The lines around his eyes are deeper than he remembers them being yesterday and the skin under his chin is looser. In the mirror he watches as Emily slicks on lipstick and can’t stop the smile that tugs at his mouth, because sometimes he forgets just how beautiful she is, and then he sees her and something inside him goes soft and warm.
She catches his gaze and pauses, her hand hovering in the air. “What?”
“You’re breathtaking.”
“Oh please,” she snorts and rubs her lips together. “I’m over sixty, Dave. Those days were over a long time ago.”
Moving to her side, he slips an arm around her waist and presses a kiss to her neck, inhaling the familiar scent of her. “You take my breath away.”
“And you are still the biggest sweet talker I know.” Turning, she loops her arms around his neck. “That’s what I love about you.”
With a grin, he slides his hand down and squeezes her ass. “That’s not all you love about me.”
Her chuckle is low and throaty and it warms his heart. “Ella will be here soon.”
“She will,” he agrees. “Won’t it be good for her to know people our age are still interested in sex? Give her hope for the future.”
This time her head falls back and her eyes slip closed and she gives a true laugh, one from her belly. Never one to waste an opportunity, Dave bends forward and kisses the hollow of her throat, and while the skin there isn’t is smooth and taut as it once was, it’s still soft and sweet under his lips. After more than twenty years he knows all the spots that turn her on, and her groan vibrates against his lips as she threads a hand into his hair and holds him close.
“Dave,” she breathes out, pressing closer, her actions belying her words. “Let’s save this for later?”
“Mom? Dad?” Their daughter’s voice and the sound of a slamming door reach them from the other end of the house and Dave reluctantly releases her.
“I guess we will.” He grins and stands still as Emily straightens his tie and smooths her hands over his lapels.
She presses her lips to his for a soft kiss, the one that promises more, the one that she perfected after their daughter was born. “This is a very big night for her, Dave. It’s an honor to be included.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He nips at her thumb as she wipes the trace of lipstick off his mouth. “Let’s go.”
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Dave’s house was no longer his own. Emily’s clothes were in his closet, her shoes lined up neatly next to his. There were bottles and jars and tubes in his bathroom that he called clutter and she called essentials. The guest room had become a nursery; its pale yellow walls decorated with dragonflies and flowers. A crib with all the latest safety features was assembled and in place along with a dresser and changing table. Diapers and other supplies were ready and waiting and the world’s tiniest clothes were hanging in the closet or folded in drawers. There were books and toys and all the things a baby could possibly need arranged on shelves. The kitchen cabinets held bottles, and cans of formula were stacked in the pantry. A bouncy seat and a Pac ‘n’ Play, which Dave was convinced was designed by Satan himself, were setup in the living room. So far the only room in the house that hadn’t been invaded was his office.
“You hiding in here?” Emily leaned against the door frame and ran a hand over her belly.
“No.” Looking up from the computer, he took off his reading glasses and rubbed a hand over his tired eyes. The second draft of his book was due by the end of the month and at the rate he was working his editor was going to be very unhappy with him. “Not hiding.”
She bit her lip and sighed. “Can I come in?”
“It’s your house, too, Emily.” Dave tried to tamp down on his frustration. It seemed like she had been walking on eggshells around him for days. And while he knew it was partially his fault - mostly his fault- he wasn’t sure what to do about it.
Emily moved around the desk to lean there next to him. She was close enough for him to touch her. Close enough that the scent of her tickled at his nostrils. Close enough for the fear lurking in the back of her eyes to be visible to him.
“Dave,” her voice trembled, “if this is too much, just tell me. It’s not too late to undo all of this.” She waved a hand toward the rest of the house, her expression bleak, but determined.
Suddenly, there was a giant fist around his heart, squeezing and twisting until he couldn’t breathe. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that if you want your life back, just tell me and I’ll go.” She pushed her bangs back and gave him a sad smile. “I know you are…particular about your space and I understand. I’m a little overwhelmed myself.”
He should’ve seen this coming. Every relationship he’d ever had ended badly. What made him think this would be any different? But there was so much more at stake here. Anger and dread were swirling through him in equal measure, choking out common sense. As usual, his first defense was a stinging offense. “The last three at least had the decency to fight to stay.”
Anger flashed in her eyes and her pale cheeks flushed a vibrant red. “Well, I don’t know much about the other three, but I don’t want to be where I’m not wanted.” With tears shimmering in her eyes, she pushed off the edge of the desk and stormed from the room.
“Fuck!” Dave spat out the word. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!” Shoving up out of the chair, he went looking for her.
He found her in the master bedroom throwing clothes in a bag. “What are you doing?”
“You’re a smart man, figure it out.” She jerked open a drawer and scooped a handful of underwear out.
Panic. Absolute and total panic. Heart pounding, palm sweating panic. “I can’t let you leave.”
Her bark of laughter was as close to shrill as he’d ever heard her. “Try to stop me.”
Drawing in a deep breath, he reigned in his temper and sucked back his initial response. “Let’s talk about this, Emily.” Without responding she zipped the bag and jerked it off the bed. “Please stay.”
“Why?” She watched him, wary and hurt.
“Because, even though I am overwhelmed, I want you here.” Swallowing hard, choking back his stupid pride, Dave rounded the end of the bed and brushed his hand over her cheek. “You and our baby and all the stuff and the chaos. Before you, my life was empty.”
“Then stop shutting me out. Talk to me.” The first tear slid down her cheek and she brushed it away. “I’ve been in places where I wasn’t wanted before. I was too young to do anything about it then, but I’m not now.”
He winced at the pain and bravado in her voice. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. “I’m so sorry.” Dave didn’t even try to hide his sigh of relief when she dropped the bag and hugged him back.
For a long while, he simply held her, loving the feel of her against him, the steady beat of her heart and the quiet rhythm of her breathing. Pulling back, he asked, “Are we okay?”
Emily’s smile was watery. “Not quite yet. But we will be.”
Nodding, Dave gave her a crooked grin. “I hope so, because even if I am an asshole, I love you and I don’t want to lose you.”
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
“Oh, Emily, she’s beautiful.” J.J. cradled the infant in her arms.
Dave pressed a kiss to the back of Emily’s hand that didn’t have the I.V. line taped to it and said, “She looks just like her mother.” The tears were clogging his throat, roughening his voice. When Emily looked at him, her brows drawn down in concern, he just shook his head and smiled at her. “The two most beautiful women in the world,” he murmured and pressed another kiss to her hand.
“Wanna see.” Henry bounced impatiently at his mother’s side, his chubby two year old body vibrating with excitement.
With a laugh, Will scooped Henry up. “Just like your daddy, little man, you’ve got an eye for the pretty girls.”
“Baby,” Henry exclaimed loudly. “Baby.”
J.J. grinned at Henry’s enthusiasm. “This is Isabella. Can you say hello to her?”
Perched there on Will’s hip, he stared down at Isabella. “H’lo ‘Ella.” And in that moment, Isabella Grace Rossi became Ella. Henry laughed and said, “Kiss.”
With just a little maneuvering, Will and J.J. managed to raise and lower the children until Henry placed a sloppy kiss on Isabella’s forehead.
Laughing, Dave said, “Hey. That’s my daughter there.”
“Already getting kissed.” Emily chimed in. “She gets that from her father.”
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
“She’s growing so fast.” Dave murmured almost absently as they watched Henry and Ella playing in the backyard. It was some game that only the two of them seemed to understand; one that involved Henry running ahead and then stopping to wait for her to catch up. This act was followed by Ella’s squeals of delight. “I swear we just brought her home yesterday.”
“Fourteen months.” Emily chuckled and tucked her hair behind her ears. “She changes every day. Sometimes I…” She broke off, shaking her head.
“Emily, you can always quit. We can more than afford it.” He knew what her answer would be. They’d had this conversation more times than either could count and it always came out the same way. “Or you could transfer out of the BAU.”
Practically at their feet, Ella tripped and fell, going down on her hands and knees. For a second she looked unsure about whether or not she was hurt, then with a quiver of her bottom lip, she started wailing. Bending, Emily swept Ella up in her arms, brushed off the toddler’s hands and knees and kissed her tear stained cheeks. At that moment her attention was entirely focused on her daughter and Dave had never found her sexier, never loved her more.
Laughing at the giggles she managed to elicit from the little girl, Emily said, “I love her…love you both… so much. But I just…” She shrugged.
Dave gently tugged Ella from her arms and set her on her feet, holding her until she was steady. Then he released her and watched as she ran toward Henry. He wrapped his arms around Emily and pressed a kiss to her mouth. “You are not your mother. Wanting to work doesn’t make you a bad person.”
“Then why do I feel so guilty?” She slid her arms around his waist and snuggled against his chest, burying her face in the side of his neck.
“Because you are who you are.” He hugged her tight, so tight he was sure it would be possible for her to melt into him. “And I wouldn’t have you any other way.”
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Dave wanted to carry her, but she vehemently refused. “I’m a big girl, Daddy,” she told him and his heart broke just a little. Still she clung tightly to his hand as the three of them headed toward her classroom. He could feel her fingers trembling against his. By the time they reached room 103 she was dragging her feet, her shoes scuffing along the tiled floor.
He waited patiently while Emily squatted beside Ella and the two carried on a whispered conversation. One he was sure was ‘girls only’. Then it was his turn so he pasted on a grin and knelt there in the hallway with people swirling around them.
“Okay, Isabella Grace, you be a good girl.” He tugged the straps of her pink Cinderella backpack up on her shoulders. “Do what Ms. Holmes tells you and don’t talk in class.”
“But Daddy, if I don’t talk how will I ask questions?” Her brown eyes, so like her mother’s, sparkled with mischief.
“Hey, you.” He goosed her just to hear her giggle. “I’ll see you this afternoon. Okay?”
“Yep.” She nodded emphatically. Smiling, he stood, but she motioned for him to bend down again. Going up on her tiptoes, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressed a kiss to his cheek and whispered in his ear. “I love you, Daddy.”
Outside, parents were dropping off their children and the entire scene resembled mass chaos. More than a bit distracted, Dave didn’t see the little boy until it was almost too late. Releasing Emily’s hand, he grabbed the tiny shoulders and said, “Sorry, buddy. I didn’t see you.”
“Ish okay Unca Dave.” Henry grinned up at him, his missing front teeth giving him a lisp and an impishness he didn’t normally have. “I saw you.”
“Hey, Henry.” Dave smiled down at the tow headed boy. “Where’re your mom and dad?”
“Dad is at work and Mom is right there.” He turned and pointed toward the line of cars filled with parents. “Hey, Aunt Emily.”
“Hey there.” Emily grinned. “Your mom didn’t want to walk you in?”
Shaking his head, Henry said, “She did. But I told her I could do it by myself. I’m not a little kid anymore.”
Nodding sagely, Dave agreed. “You’d better get inside. It’s almost time for school to start.”
“Yes, sir.” Henry grinned and headed inside. Turning back, he called out, “Unca Dave? Don’t worry ‘bout Ella. I’ll look out for her.”
Fighting back a grin at the boy’s serious expression, Dave called back, “Thanks, Henry. I’m counting on you.”
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
“Did your dad say why he left?” Ella plucked a dandelion from the ground in front of her and blew on it, scattering the seeds. She’d heard her parents whispering a couple of days ago about Uncle Will moving out, and then this morning Aunt J.J. dropped Henry off to spend the day.
“No.” Henry shrugged. “He just said that they decided it would be better for everybody.” He refused to look at her, instead keeping his eyes glued to the patch of grass he was slowly decimating. “Why do they get to decide? And who is everybody? Because I don’t want him to leave.”
Not sure what she was supposed to say or do, Ella simply nodded. “Parents are so stupid sometimes.”
“I hate them.” Henry pushed to his feet and shoved his hands deep in his pockets. “Hate them.”
“Don’t say that.” She looked up at him, squinting against the sun, a sick feeling settling in the pit of her stomach. “You know it isn’t true.”
“It is true,” he ground out, his voice cracking.
Ella rose to her feet and mimicked his pose. “It’s gonna be okay, Henry.”
“How do you know?” he spat, tears shimmering in his gray-blue eyes, anger coloring his cheeks. “Your mom and dad are still living in the same house. They don’t yell and scream at each other all the time.”
She tried to protest, but he just kept talking, his voice rising until he was yelling. “You’re just a kid. A spoiled brat and you don’t know shit!”
“And you’re a jerk!” Ella felt tears stinging her eyes, but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry. Instead she took off, her legs pumping hard as she ran across the yard and down the driveway.
The street was hard under her feet and her shoes made sharp slapping sounds against the pavement. Taking a right out of their driveway, Ella headed for the community park set in the cul-de-sac. Sometimes, when she needed to think, she would go there, sit by the pond and watch the ducks. Her mom and dad only started letting her go by herself since she turned twelve. She was always supposed to get permission but at that moment she didn’t care.
Crying, her breath coming in harsh gasps, her ponytail swishing against her back with every step, Ella ran across the grass and dropped down on her favorite bench. She was mad. Madder than she could ever remember being. She was only trying to help and he yelled at her like it was all her fault, like she could help it if his stupid dad moved into some stupid apartment.
Ella’s tears had dried up, but she could feel the sticky remnants of them on her cheeks when Henry dropped onto the bench beside her. She turned her head away from him, not wanting him to see that she’d been crying.
“Are you gonna be mad at me forever?” he asked.
Swinging her legs, kicking at the dirt with the toes of her shoes, she shrugged. “Maybe.”
He slid a little closer, his shoulder nudging hers. “What if I said I was sorry?”
“Are you?” She hated the way the knot in her chest loosened and let her feel like breathing again. Never, not once in her whole life, had she fought with Henry and she definitely didn’t like the way it felt.
Tugging on her ponytail, he said, “Yeah.”
Lips tipping up in a smile, she nodded. “Okay.”
“Cool.” Henry stood up, grabbed her hand and tugged her to her feet. He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a hug, just like he had a million times before, saying, “Can we go see what your mom has to eat? I’m starving.”
Ella laughed and hugged him back. She turned her head, intending to kiss his cheek just as Henry turned his toward her. If she hadn’t been so shocked, she might have laughed. But his lips were against hers and his hands were on her waist and this time she couldn’t breathe for an entirely different reason.
So this is what all the fuss is about? His lips were soft against hers and a funny tingle started somewhere near the center of her chest and worked its way outward. If somebody asked her to explain it, Ella was pretty sure she wouldn’t know how. Being the offspring of Emily Prentiss and David Rossi, she was verbose on the best of days. But kissing a boy, kissing this boy, was something she couldn’t even begin to describe.
She couldn’t help but wonder if this was how Elizabeth felt when Mr. Darcy kissed her for the first time. All warm and gooey with her heart swooping around in her chest and her stomach doing flips. Then Henry pulled away and looked at her like he’d never seen her before.
“Um…I didn’t mean…” He blushed.
“It’s okay, Henry. It was an accident.” Ella forced a smile and stepped out of his arms. “Come on. I think there’s leftover lasagna at home.”
Grinning, Henry said, “Race ya,” and took off at a run.
TBC...
Author: Smacky30
Rating: FRT (PG)
Pairing: Rossi/Prentiss, JJ/Will, JJ/Hotch
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Summary: This started as a story about Dave & Emily and how they would react to their daughter marrying JJ and Will's son Henry. Then it became a story about Henry and Ella - from the day she was born until he proposes marriage. I am breaking it into 3 parts (2 of them are already done).
A/N: Thanks so much to mingsmommy and losingntrnslatn for their constant support and their ability to withstand all whining and hysterics. They are the world's greatest betas - all mistakes are because I didn't pay attention to them.
His hair is more salt than pepper these days and it’s thinner than it used to be, much thinner. Leaning toward the mirror, David Rossi runs a hand over his goatee, smoothing it down. The lines around his eyes are deeper than he remembers them being yesterday and the skin under his chin is looser. In the mirror he watches as Emily slicks on lipstick and can’t stop the smile that tugs at his mouth, because sometimes he forgets just how beautiful she is, and then he sees her and something inside him goes soft and warm.
She catches his gaze and pauses, her hand hovering in the air. “What?”
“You’re breathtaking.”
“Oh please,” she snorts and rubs her lips together. “I’m over sixty, Dave. Those days were over a long time ago.”
Moving to her side, he slips an arm around her waist and presses a kiss to her neck, inhaling the familiar scent of her. “You take my breath away.”
“And you are still the biggest sweet talker I know.” Turning, she loops her arms around his neck. “That’s what I love about you.”
With a grin, he slides his hand down and squeezes her ass. “That’s not all you love about me.”
Her chuckle is low and throaty and it warms his heart. “Ella will be here soon.”
“She will,” he agrees. “Won’t it be good for her to know people our age are still interested in sex? Give her hope for the future.”
This time her head falls back and her eyes slip closed and she gives a true laugh, one from her belly. Never one to waste an opportunity, Dave bends forward and kisses the hollow of her throat, and while the skin there isn’t is smooth and taut as it once was, it’s still soft and sweet under his lips. After more than twenty years he knows all the spots that turn her on, and her groan vibrates against his lips as she threads a hand into his hair and holds him close.
“Dave,” she breathes out, pressing closer, her actions belying her words. “Let’s save this for later?”
“Mom? Dad?” Their daughter’s voice and the sound of a slamming door reach them from the other end of the house and Dave reluctantly releases her.
“I guess we will.” He grins and stands still as Emily straightens his tie and smooths her hands over his lapels.
She presses her lips to his for a soft kiss, the one that promises more, the one that she perfected after their daughter was born. “This is a very big night for her, Dave. It’s an honor to be included.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He nips at her thumb as she wipes the trace of lipstick off his mouth. “Let’s go.”
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Dave’s house was no longer his own. Emily’s clothes were in his closet, her shoes lined up neatly next to his. There were bottles and jars and tubes in his bathroom that he called clutter and she called essentials. The guest room had become a nursery; its pale yellow walls decorated with dragonflies and flowers. A crib with all the latest safety features was assembled and in place along with a dresser and changing table. Diapers and other supplies were ready and waiting and the world’s tiniest clothes were hanging in the closet or folded in drawers. There were books and toys and all the things a baby could possibly need arranged on shelves. The kitchen cabinets held bottles, and cans of formula were stacked in the pantry. A bouncy seat and a Pac ‘n’ Play, which Dave was convinced was designed by Satan himself, were setup in the living room. So far the only room in the house that hadn’t been invaded was his office.
“You hiding in here?” Emily leaned against the door frame and ran a hand over her belly.
“No.” Looking up from the computer, he took off his reading glasses and rubbed a hand over his tired eyes. The second draft of his book was due by the end of the month and at the rate he was working his editor was going to be very unhappy with him. “Not hiding.”
She bit her lip and sighed. “Can I come in?”
“It’s your house, too, Emily.” Dave tried to tamp down on his frustration. It seemed like she had been walking on eggshells around him for days. And while he knew it was partially his fault - mostly his fault- he wasn’t sure what to do about it.
Emily moved around the desk to lean there next to him. She was close enough for him to touch her. Close enough that the scent of her tickled at his nostrils. Close enough for the fear lurking in the back of her eyes to be visible to him.
“Dave,” her voice trembled, “if this is too much, just tell me. It’s not too late to undo all of this.” She waved a hand toward the rest of the house, her expression bleak, but determined.
Suddenly, there was a giant fist around his heart, squeezing and twisting until he couldn’t breathe. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that if you want your life back, just tell me and I’ll go.” She pushed her bangs back and gave him a sad smile. “I know you are…particular about your space and I understand. I’m a little overwhelmed myself.”
He should’ve seen this coming. Every relationship he’d ever had ended badly. What made him think this would be any different? But there was so much more at stake here. Anger and dread were swirling through him in equal measure, choking out common sense. As usual, his first defense was a stinging offense. “The last three at least had the decency to fight to stay.”
Anger flashed in her eyes and her pale cheeks flushed a vibrant red. “Well, I don’t know much about the other three, but I don’t want to be where I’m not wanted.” With tears shimmering in her eyes, she pushed off the edge of the desk and stormed from the room.
“Fuck!” Dave spat out the word. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!” Shoving up out of the chair, he went looking for her.
He found her in the master bedroom throwing clothes in a bag. “What are you doing?”
“You’re a smart man, figure it out.” She jerked open a drawer and scooped a handful of underwear out.
Panic. Absolute and total panic. Heart pounding, palm sweating panic. “I can’t let you leave.”
Her bark of laughter was as close to shrill as he’d ever heard her. “Try to stop me.”
Drawing in a deep breath, he reigned in his temper and sucked back his initial response. “Let’s talk about this, Emily.” Without responding she zipped the bag and jerked it off the bed. “Please stay.”
“Why?” She watched him, wary and hurt.
“Because, even though I am overwhelmed, I want you here.” Swallowing hard, choking back his stupid pride, Dave rounded the end of the bed and brushed his hand over her cheek. “You and our baby and all the stuff and the chaos. Before you, my life was empty.”
“Then stop shutting me out. Talk to me.” The first tear slid down her cheek and she brushed it away. “I’ve been in places where I wasn’t wanted before. I was too young to do anything about it then, but I’m not now.”
He winced at the pain and bravado in her voice. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. “I’m so sorry.” Dave didn’t even try to hide his sigh of relief when she dropped the bag and hugged him back.
For a long while, he simply held her, loving the feel of her against him, the steady beat of her heart and the quiet rhythm of her breathing. Pulling back, he asked, “Are we okay?”
Emily’s smile was watery. “Not quite yet. But we will be.”
Nodding, Dave gave her a crooked grin. “I hope so, because even if I am an asshole, I love you and I don’t want to lose you.”
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
“Oh, Emily, she’s beautiful.” J.J. cradled the infant in her arms.
Dave pressed a kiss to the back of Emily’s hand that didn’t have the I.V. line taped to it and said, “She looks just like her mother.” The tears were clogging his throat, roughening his voice. When Emily looked at him, her brows drawn down in concern, he just shook his head and smiled at her. “The two most beautiful women in the world,” he murmured and pressed another kiss to her hand.
“Wanna see.” Henry bounced impatiently at his mother’s side, his chubby two year old body vibrating with excitement.
With a laugh, Will scooped Henry up. “Just like your daddy, little man, you’ve got an eye for the pretty girls.”
“Baby,” Henry exclaimed loudly. “Baby.”
J.J. grinned at Henry’s enthusiasm. “This is Isabella. Can you say hello to her?”
Perched there on Will’s hip, he stared down at Isabella. “H’lo ‘Ella.” And in that moment, Isabella Grace Rossi became Ella. Henry laughed and said, “Kiss.”
With just a little maneuvering, Will and J.J. managed to raise and lower the children until Henry placed a sloppy kiss on Isabella’s forehead.
Laughing, Dave said, “Hey. That’s my daughter there.”
“Already getting kissed.” Emily chimed in. “She gets that from her father.”
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
“She’s growing so fast.” Dave murmured almost absently as they watched Henry and Ella playing in the backyard. It was some game that only the two of them seemed to understand; one that involved Henry running ahead and then stopping to wait for her to catch up. This act was followed by Ella’s squeals of delight. “I swear we just brought her home yesterday.”
“Fourteen months.” Emily chuckled and tucked her hair behind her ears. “She changes every day. Sometimes I…” She broke off, shaking her head.
“Emily, you can always quit. We can more than afford it.” He knew what her answer would be. They’d had this conversation more times than either could count and it always came out the same way. “Or you could transfer out of the BAU.”
Practically at their feet, Ella tripped and fell, going down on her hands and knees. For a second she looked unsure about whether or not she was hurt, then with a quiver of her bottom lip, she started wailing. Bending, Emily swept Ella up in her arms, brushed off the toddler’s hands and knees and kissed her tear stained cheeks. At that moment her attention was entirely focused on her daughter and Dave had never found her sexier, never loved her more.
Laughing at the giggles she managed to elicit from the little girl, Emily said, “I love her…love you both… so much. But I just…” She shrugged.
Dave gently tugged Ella from her arms and set her on her feet, holding her until she was steady. Then he released her and watched as she ran toward Henry. He wrapped his arms around Emily and pressed a kiss to her mouth. “You are not your mother. Wanting to work doesn’t make you a bad person.”
“Then why do I feel so guilty?” She slid her arms around his waist and snuggled against his chest, burying her face in the side of his neck.
“Because you are who you are.” He hugged her tight, so tight he was sure it would be possible for her to melt into him. “And I wouldn’t have you any other way.”
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Dave wanted to carry her, but she vehemently refused. “I’m a big girl, Daddy,” she told him and his heart broke just a little. Still she clung tightly to his hand as the three of them headed toward her classroom. He could feel her fingers trembling against his. By the time they reached room 103 she was dragging her feet, her shoes scuffing along the tiled floor.
He waited patiently while Emily squatted beside Ella and the two carried on a whispered conversation. One he was sure was ‘girls only’. Then it was his turn so he pasted on a grin and knelt there in the hallway with people swirling around them.
“Okay, Isabella Grace, you be a good girl.” He tugged the straps of her pink Cinderella backpack up on her shoulders. “Do what Ms. Holmes tells you and don’t talk in class.”
“But Daddy, if I don’t talk how will I ask questions?” Her brown eyes, so like her mother’s, sparkled with mischief.
“Hey, you.” He goosed her just to hear her giggle. “I’ll see you this afternoon. Okay?”
“Yep.” She nodded emphatically. Smiling, he stood, but she motioned for him to bend down again. Going up on her tiptoes, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressed a kiss to his cheek and whispered in his ear. “I love you, Daddy.”
Outside, parents were dropping off their children and the entire scene resembled mass chaos. More than a bit distracted, Dave didn’t see the little boy until it was almost too late. Releasing Emily’s hand, he grabbed the tiny shoulders and said, “Sorry, buddy. I didn’t see you.”
“Ish okay Unca Dave.” Henry grinned up at him, his missing front teeth giving him a lisp and an impishness he didn’t normally have. “I saw you.”
“Hey, Henry.” Dave smiled down at the tow headed boy. “Where’re your mom and dad?”
“Dad is at work and Mom is right there.” He turned and pointed toward the line of cars filled with parents. “Hey, Aunt Emily.”
“Hey there.” Emily grinned. “Your mom didn’t want to walk you in?”
Shaking his head, Henry said, “She did. But I told her I could do it by myself. I’m not a little kid anymore.”
Nodding sagely, Dave agreed. “You’d better get inside. It’s almost time for school to start.”
“Yes, sir.” Henry grinned and headed inside. Turning back, he called out, “Unca Dave? Don’t worry ‘bout Ella. I’ll look out for her.”
Fighting back a grin at the boy’s serious expression, Dave called back, “Thanks, Henry. I’m counting on you.”
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“Did your dad say why he left?” Ella plucked a dandelion from the ground in front of her and blew on it, scattering the seeds. She’d heard her parents whispering a couple of days ago about Uncle Will moving out, and then this morning Aunt J.J. dropped Henry off to spend the day.
“No.” Henry shrugged. “He just said that they decided it would be better for everybody.” He refused to look at her, instead keeping his eyes glued to the patch of grass he was slowly decimating. “Why do they get to decide? And who is everybody? Because I don’t want him to leave.”
Not sure what she was supposed to say or do, Ella simply nodded. “Parents are so stupid sometimes.”
“I hate them.” Henry pushed to his feet and shoved his hands deep in his pockets. “Hate them.”
“Don’t say that.” She looked up at him, squinting against the sun, a sick feeling settling in the pit of her stomach. “You know it isn’t true.”
“It is true,” he ground out, his voice cracking.
Ella rose to her feet and mimicked his pose. “It’s gonna be okay, Henry.”
“How do you know?” he spat, tears shimmering in his gray-blue eyes, anger coloring his cheeks. “Your mom and dad are still living in the same house. They don’t yell and scream at each other all the time.”
She tried to protest, but he just kept talking, his voice rising until he was yelling. “You’re just a kid. A spoiled brat and you don’t know shit!”
“And you’re a jerk!” Ella felt tears stinging her eyes, but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry. Instead she took off, her legs pumping hard as she ran across the yard and down the driveway.
The street was hard under her feet and her shoes made sharp slapping sounds against the pavement. Taking a right out of their driveway, Ella headed for the community park set in the cul-de-sac. Sometimes, when she needed to think, she would go there, sit by the pond and watch the ducks. Her mom and dad only started letting her go by herself since she turned twelve. She was always supposed to get permission but at that moment she didn’t care.
Crying, her breath coming in harsh gasps, her ponytail swishing against her back with every step, Ella ran across the grass and dropped down on her favorite bench. She was mad. Madder than she could ever remember being. She was only trying to help and he yelled at her like it was all her fault, like she could help it if his stupid dad moved into some stupid apartment.
Ella’s tears had dried up, but she could feel the sticky remnants of them on her cheeks when Henry dropped onto the bench beside her. She turned her head away from him, not wanting him to see that she’d been crying.
“Are you gonna be mad at me forever?” he asked.
Swinging her legs, kicking at the dirt with the toes of her shoes, she shrugged. “Maybe.”
He slid a little closer, his shoulder nudging hers. “What if I said I was sorry?”
“Are you?” She hated the way the knot in her chest loosened and let her feel like breathing again. Never, not once in her whole life, had she fought with Henry and she definitely didn’t like the way it felt.
Tugging on her ponytail, he said, “Yeah.”
Lips tipping up in a smile, she nodded. “Okay.”
“Cool.” Henry stood up, grabbed her hand and tugged her to her feet. He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a hug, just like he had a million times before, saying, “Can we go see what your mom has to eat? I’m starving.”
Ella laughed and hugged him back. She turned her head, intending to kiss his cheek just as Henry turned his toward her. If she hadn’t been so shocked, she might have laughed. But his lips were against hers and his hands were on her waist and this time she couldn’t breathe for an entirely different reason.
So this is what all the fuss is about? His lips were soft against hers and a funny tingle started somewhere near the center of her chest and worked its way outward. If somebody asked her to explain it, Ella was pretty sure she wouldn’t know how. Being the offspring of Emily Prentiss and David Rossi, she was verbose on the best of days. But kissing a boy, kissing this boy, was something she couldn’t even begin to describe.
She couldn’t help but wonder if this was how Elizabeth felt when Mr. Darcy kissed her for the first time. All warm and gooey with her heart swooping around in her chest and her stomach doing flips. Then Henry pulled away and looked at her like he’d never seen her before.
“Um…I didn’t mean…” He blushed.
“It’s okay, Henry. It was an accident.” Ella forced a smile and stepped out of his arms. “Come on. I think there’s leftover lasagna at home.”
Grinning, Henry said, “Race ya,” and took off at a run.
TBC...