We Are a Team.

A couple of hours later, the team and I were walking out of the police station. We’d just finished the case and all of the paperwork so now it was time to head back to the house where I grew up. I’d called my ma not too long ago and told her about the case and that we were done. She said she’d make us all dinner and we could stay the night. Hotch opened the door for me as I climbed into the driver’s seat of the SUV.

I had Hotch and Rossi with me while Emily was driving the other SUV with Morgan and Reid, following me back home. The house wasn’t too far away from the police station so all three of us were able to have a nice conversation. They asked me about growing up in New York and more about my childhood. When I pulled into the driveway, gray clouds had settled up above us. Emily parked right behind me.

Before I was able to get to the door, Damien had already opened it and was sprinting towards me. Once he reached me, he picked me up in his arms and twirled us around. Once I was back on my feet, he swept some hair out of my face and I could see love swirling around in his eyes. “You haven’t changed a bit!” I told him, absolutely gushing over being able to hug my big brother again. “I do believe you’ve gotten even more beautiful” I laughed and pulled him back into a hug.

I breathed in his familiar scent and the New York air and my heart just absolutely fluttered with happiness. When we separated, I looked back at my team and introduced them to each other. He shook hands with Reid, told Emily how glad he was to meet her and that he was happy she’s my best friend. When he met Morgan, he only glared and told him to watch his back. And with Rossi and Hotch, he had a very long conversation.

It was still going on when we walked inside the house. We lived in the suburbs so our house was like any other house. It was stone outside and two stories. We had a nice yard and friendly neighbors. The inside was no different.

We had high ceilings when you walked in and a couple of couches and chairs in the living room. The kitchen was off of that room which was where my ma was. She was standing over the stove stirring a pot of boiling water with something else in it. Damien and my bosses were done with their conversation so my brother was able to get her attention. “Ma” he called, making her turn around.

She put her hands on her face before squealing and running to me like Damien did. After we embraced, she pulled me back and held me out at arm’s length and looked me over. “You look absolutely gorgeous! Virginia has done you well” she smiled. “Thanks, ma” she kissed my cheek before looking at the members of my team. “Let me guess” she said holding up her finger, signaling me not to say anything.

“You must be Dr. Spencer Reid” she was right and they shook hands. “This is easy. You’re Emily Prentiss” she pointed at the only other girl in the room besides us and then they shook hands. “Derek Morgan” she looked him over then looked to me. “He’s cute. What’s there to hate about him?” I rolled my eyes while he laughed. He offered her his hand but instead she pulled him into a very tight hug.

“David Rossi” she smiled at him and I knew exactly what she was going to say next. “I’ve read all of your books. Do you think you could autograph them later?” Damien and I looked at each other and rolled our eyes. “Ma’s been a huge fan before I even joined the team” I informed him. He laughed and nodded. “I’d be happy to” she squealed like the fan girl she is.

“And of course Mr. Aaron Hotchner” she smiled a smile so big, I swear her lips were going to rip. Just like with Derek, she didn’t shake his hand, she hugged him. “It’s very nice to meet you” he said awkwardly after their hug. “Are you kidding? It’s an honor to meet you! You’ve changed my Jersey’s life! I can’t thank you enough!” another huge smile was on her face. He laughed and looked at me for help.

“So ma, what’s for dinner?” she turned back to me with a smile that was less than big than before. “Your favorite, of course! I made ham and potatoes with garlic and brownies for dessert” my stomach started to growl. My ma’s cooking is the best! “You’re spoiled, ya know that kid?” Damien asked as he threw his arm over my shoulder. “Don’t be a jelly belly” I giggled.

“Jersey why don’t you give your friends a tour then I’ll call you when dinner’s ready” I nodded and spun around to give them the whole tour. I took them out back where there were a few big trees, a pool, and a swing set for my nephews when they came to visit. When we went back inside, I took them upstairs where I showed then my old room, the two other bedrooms, Damien’s room and our separate bathrooms. Once back downstairs, I showed them my mom’s room and the three spare bedrooms and bathrooms. “Do you guys want anything to drink?” I asked as I was already on my way to the kitchen.

Everyone asked for something and Derek offered to help me. In the kitchen, I put on a pot of coffee while Derek listened to me and got a couple bottles of water out of the fridge. While he left the kitchen to pass out the waters, I stayed behind to finish fixing the coffee. As I was getting out the milk, my ma came over and stood next to me. “Yes?” I asked, turning to her and raising an eyebrow.

“That Derek Morgan. Wow” she wiggled her eyebrows and purred. I glared at her for making me throw up in my mouth. “That’s gross.” “All I’m saying is that if I was you, I’d go after that” she crossed her arms and leaned against the counter. “I don’t like him. If I did, I would go after him” I put quotes around the same words she used. “I don’t get why you don’t have a love life. You’re so pretty and young. You need to be having some fun” I couldn’t believe we were talking about this right now.

“I don’t have a love life because of my job and the things that I’ve seen. It’s hard to maintain a relationship when I’m gone for days on a case or getting up in the middle of the night to go into the BAU. I mean, what man would stick with me when we’d have to go through all of that?” she smirked. “The person who has the same job as you” “Ya think Rossi would date me?” I joked, sarcasm dripping from my words. “He probably wouldn’t. But he might date me” I rolled my eyes. I picked up the cups of coffee while she went back to cooking. Back in the living room, everyone was having a conversation of their own.

As soon as I sat down next to Emily, my ma said it was time to eat. We all picked up our drinks and headed to the dining room. We had a long mahogany table with ten chairs around it. Ma sat at one head of the table and Rossi sat at the other. I took the seat on the left of my ma and Damien took the right.

Spencer sat next to me while Emily sat next to Damien and Derek sat on the other side of Spencer. The food was spread out all over the table. It smelt delicious. “Okay. Dig in, everyone” ma announced then sat back down in her chair. “So Jersey tells me you’re all like one big family” ma said as she picked up her wine glass.

“We treat it that way, yes. In the field, we have to have each other’s backs. It’s easier to just act like a family” she smiled once Hotch was done talking. “Well I’m very happy you took in my daughter as part of your family” I smiled as I looked at the rest of my team. “We didn’t take her in. She barged her way in” I rolled my eyes as Derek spoke. I could see Damien glaring at Derek as I started to eat some potatoes. “So Derek” ma started to speak as I reached for my glass of tea.

“Do you have a girlfriend?” I started to choke on the tea that I had just swallowed. Spencer started to pat my back till I had stopped. I smiled my thanks at him. “No, Ms. Washington, I don’t” her face lit up like a child’s on Christmas morning. “Oh, how perfect! And you can call me Sasha” he nodded then took a bit of ham.

“Why don’t you and Jersey go on a date?” everyone dropped their forks and turned to look at me. I turned and glared at her. “Um, well-” “Derek, don’t answer her” I held up my hand in his direction to stop him. “Mother” Damien covered his mouth to hide his laughter. Ma hated it when we called her mother.

“Derek and I are not going to be a couple. We will not go on a date. We don’t like each other. Let. It. Go” Damien started to laugh even harder. “Jersey, why don’t you let it go?” “Let what go?” “Your hatred for this beautiful chocolate man” Damien and I both gagged while Rossi started to laugh. “Does he remind you-?” I started to make all kinds of weird noises to get her to shut up. “No, mother! I told you to fucking let it go. Drop it. Now” I turned to look back at Morgan. “And you are not a beautiful chocolate man” he smirked at me then took a sip of his water.

Dinner soon ended with awkward conversation. Ma and Damien mostly asked about our cases. After helping her put up dinner, we all sat in the living room eating the brownies that were made. Time soon passed and it was now midnight. We had started getting ready to leave, when thunder cracked and rain started to pour down.

“It wasn’t supposed to rain today” ma said looking out the window. “That’s okay. I’m sure we can make it back okay” Hotch assured her. As soon as he said that, more lightning and thunder cracked and then there came hail. “Ha. Good call, Aaron” I said walking by him. He turned and shooed me away.

“Well, you can always stay the night” Damien suggested. We both looked at each other. “Slumber party!” I ran to him and wrapped my arms around his waist and squeezed. “They’ve been having slumber parties ever since I can remember. Jersey would always sleep in his room when they were younger. He had bunk beds and they’d stay up all night. Gosh, I don’t think they stopped till Jersey was a Senior in high school” she explained to Emily. “Damien was in college by then and he’d always come back on the weekends just so they could have their slumber parties. Oh, it was so sad. She would go and sleep in Damien’s bed when he was gone. She’d lay there for hours and cry. Ah, the love of an older brother and a younger sister” Emily looked a little awkward standing there listening to ma’s story.

“Okay!” she clapped her hands together. “Let’s talk sleeping arrangements. Who wants the couches? They both fold out into beds” Hotch and Rossi said they’d both take one. “Spencer and Emily, you both can have one of the extra bedrooms” she paused to look between Derek and I. “Derek, you and Jersey can sleep in her old bedroom” she was really determined to get us together. “I don’t think so.” “Actually” Aaron spoke up.

“Remember what I told both of you?” “You’re kidding. You never said anything about sleeping together.” “It’ll just be this once” I sighed but nodded. “Unless you wanna sleep with me more than once” I turned to look at Derek as he winked at me. I raised my fist and punched him in the stomach. He doubled over as I walked away and up the stairs. Once in my old room, I started going through my old drawers, seeing if I had left any clothes behind from when I moved.

There was nothing. Not even a sweatshirt! I exited my room and headed to Damien’s. I knocked before entering. “Hey” he looked up from the book he was reading.

“Can I borrow a shirt and some sweats?” he got up from his bed and went to his closet. He tossed me a yellow shirt and some black sweats. “Thanks” he nodded and sat back on the bed. “Have fun with Morgan” I flipped him off before walking out. Back in my room, Derek was already there.

He was lying in bed under the covers with his shirt off. We didn’t speak as I started to changed. Turning back around, I knew he had been looking. I rolled my eyes and chose to ignore it. “Night” he said turning over and facing away from me.

“Night” I said sliding into the bed after flipping the lights off. I laid perfectly still but couldn’t help but notice how warm his body was. Or how the light from the moon shining on his skin making it look absolutely gorgeous. I soon fell asleep staring out the window, watching the rain fall.