Smitten

Chapter 32

"It's the 27th."

"The—the twe—ohhhhh God..." Eliza then laughs nervously as she bolts up from her chair and out of Penelope's office toward the bathroom, purse still on her shoulder. Penelope follows. As she does, she passes Derek, Spencer, JJ, and Emily getting off of the elevator.

"Was that Eliza?" Spencer asks.

"I think so...wanna find out?" JJ asks Emily, who nods, and they head toward the bathroom to an interesting sight.

"Ohhhhhhhh my GODDDDDD," Eliza says, bending over to try and catch her breath. "Oh my GODDDDDDD."

"What's going on?" JJ asks.

"I'm late," Eliza says. "Like really, REALLY late."

"How late?" Emily asks.

Eliza holds up both hands to indicate ten days. She then puts her hand over her mouth. "Oh God, I think I might actually puke right now. WHAT am I gonna do?"

"Ok first, just take a breath." JJ says. Eliza obliges. "Good deal. Do you have any tests?"

"No...and honestly, I'd rather just see my doctor. I've had a few friends get false results either way more times than I'd like to see."

"Ok, then call your doctor and make an appointment." Eliza reaches in her coat pocket for her phone.

"Oh my God you guys, what if I'm pregnant???" She asks nervously. "JJ, did you feel foggy and nauseated?"

"I did, but—"

"Ohhhhhh dear God, I'm not ready to be a mother! What am I gonna tell Aaron? Do I tell him I'm late? What am I—"

"Eliza," Emily steps forward and puts her hands on her sister's shoulders. "You might be pregnant; you might not be. You just have to dial the phone and try to find out."

"Ok, ok, you're right. You're right." Eliza dials the phone, hands shaking. After a few moments, someone answers. "Hi yes, this is Eliza Carlisle...does Dr. Carson happen to have any free appointments today? Reason for visit? Um...I—I need a pregnancy test. You have an opening in 30 minutes? Ok, I'm about 40 minutes away, but I'll make it in 30. No, I won't get in a wreck. Thank you, thank you so much." She takes a deep breath hanging up the phone and looks at the girls.

"What are you waiting for, sis? Go find out!!" Penelope says, and Eliza bolts out of the door and gets on the elevator, the girls following behind toward the bullpen. As they do, Derek passes by.

"She ok?" Derek asks.

"She's fine," Emily says, patting his shoulder as the girls head toward the coffee pot, glancing at each other along the way. As they do, they see Aaron already there making a cup.

"We—welcome back, sir," Penelope says nervously.

"Thanks, Garcia...are you alright? You look a little flushed," Aaron says.

"Y—yes, I'm fine," she stutters. Emily gives her a glance that screams "Get it together, P!", but it doesn't matter because Aaron's already halfway to his office.

"God, I am so glad I kept that together," Penelope says.

"Kept what together?" Spencer asks, suddenly now by the coffee pot, too.

"Nothing," Emily says definitively and dispersing, the other girls following in due time. Spencer brushes it off and fills his coffee with sugar before heading to do his paperwork.

-

Eliza heads back into her car after her test. She opens her results to view them again. "Negative." The test reads in bold print. She reaches for her phone to text the girls. "Negative. Doc thinks it's probably just jet lag and all of the travel making me late. But definitely no baby. For how nervous I was, I'm actually really kinda sad now."

"Sorry, E. It'll happen when the time is right." JJ says.

"What mama bear said," Penelope says.

"Love you," Emily chimes in.

"Love you girls. See you soon." Eliza then drives back to the BAU, tears stinging her eyes.

She parks and head back upstairs. She stops and talks with Emily a little, who gives her hand a squeeze as she heads into Aaron's office and knocks.

"This a good time, Agent?" Eliza smiles, which he eagerly returns.

"It's always a good time for you," he says, closing the door behind her to give her a kiss. "I've missed you, E."

"I've missed you too...can—can we talk for a minute?"

"Sure," he says as they sit, Eliza on the couch with Aaron in the chair. She starts to fiddle with her hands and taps her foot. "You're nervous about something."

Eliza then looks down at her hands and back up at him. "You got me."

"Are you alright?"

"Ummmm," Eliza starts to talk and then tears up. She fans her face trying to keep it together.

"Hey," he says softly. "What is it?"

"I, uh, was actually here a little earlier...I was gonna surprise you, right? I got to talking with Penelope because I'm not feeling very well today, and I uh, I realized that I'm uh...ten days late."

Aaron's eyes go wide. "Te—ten days?"

"Yep, ten days. But before you jump to conclusions, I already went to the doctor, and, and I'm not. Like they went up there and everything; I'm not." She stops and laughs softly at herself. "That was too much information, wasn't it?"

"It's ok," Aaron says gently. "How does it make you feel?"

"I mean, I don't know...I was freaking out once I even realized it...I just got so busy with all the events and the shoots, you know? I'm just surprised I missed it. But..."

"But what?" He asks softly.

"I don't know, once they confirmed for sure that I'm not...I just got, I got kinda sad. Disappointed. I just thought I'd for sure be having these new experiences now. You know, being a parent, buying little baby designer clothes...being with you...forever..."

Aaron smiles. "Forever, huh?"

She returns the smile. "Yeah, forever. One day. I hope."

"I hope so, too." Aaron says. She glances over at his desk, noticing one of the pictures of her is on his desk, the one in the Balmain blazer dress.

"I see you've got one of your pictures up."

"Of course I do. I see a lot of dark stuff, E...having you there? You're the light."

She beams back at him. "I love you so much." She stands to kiss him, taking his face in her hands, and then brushes her hand through his hair. "So...lunch?"

"I love you, E, but I have a mountain of paperwork, and you need to rest...for more reasons than one."

"Oh really?" She asks. "And just what is that second reason?"

"Because one of these days, I'm gonna give you a baby." He quips.

"Ahhh," she says, smiling. "You're a quick one, Agent Hotchner."

"I could say the same for you, Dr. Carlisle," he stands and grabs her waist. "Talk later?"

"Oui," she says, kissing him as she exits and waves to the others before heading to the car. She gets in and gets out her phone before driving away. She texts the girls:

"Listen ladies...I WILL be marrying that man. On GOD. Place your bets now."