Hotch's Niece | Criminal Minds

Dinner

Hey y'all! Thanks so much for all the love lately, much appreciated! Here's a nice-sized chapter to celebrate 20,000 reads! Very basic chapter, much fluff, but I am such a sucker for the whole team together as one big happy family, and the closing of Avery's first case on the team was the perfect time to have a nice get together with established Spencer x Avery and maybe start really forming the whole Hotch x Emily bit that y'all seem to want so bad. 

"Ok, guys, meet at my house at seven tonight for steaks!" JJ tells us as we all depart from the office just past five. 

Uncle Hotch gets into his car and waits for me to pull out and be ready to follow before he leaves the parking garage. I'm hoping to find my own apartment quickly, but because this was such a last minute move, I'll be staying with Uncle Hotch until I get my feet under me and figure out what I can actually afford on a junior agent's first salary. 

Having already dropped my bags in the guest room at my uncle's house before flying off to Kentucky, I jump right into the bathroom and rinse off quickly as soon as we arrive home. Jack's coloring out in the living room, and as I emerge from the bathroom, can just barely hear Hotch asking him if he wants to go with us to JJ's house. It sounds like a yes, which is good, I haven't gotten to spend nearly enough time with the little guy since his mother was murdered. And we've got that in common now, I suppose. 

I shake the image of my mother from my head and focus on unpacking, turning on a little soft music through my headphones to help drown out the surprising exhaustion I'm feeling. Today has been pretty easy, I spent most of my time either on the plane, in the car, or in the office doing a little paperwork, officially signing onto the team and all of that. 

I can't help but smile as I throw my newly acquired credentials on the desk. It's like the little leather wallets that the other team members have, and inside is my name and the title Junior Agent. This is so exciting. I'd always kind of wanted to become an FBI agent like my uncle, but I hadn't thought, hadn't ever dreamed, that this would be how it happened, or when. 

I take a look at the clock on my bedside table when I have finished packing. It's a little after six pm, and since it takes fifteen or so minutes to drive to JJ's house, I immediately start rooting around for something to wear. 

I snag my favorite pair of brown, well-worn combat boots, a pair of dark jeans, a white band tee and a red and black flannel. My hair stays down in loose, slightly messy but still cute-ish curls and I only put on a touch of mascara. 

Taking a look in the mirror, I nod slightly at myself. Uncle Hotch said casual dress for the dinner(believe me, I asked) and I think this'll do. Hopefully. 

The next twenty or so minutes fly by in a flurry of making sure I've at least got some cash, my credentials and my phone, waiting for Jack to be done cleaning up his crayons, and buckling him into his car seat. 

Before I know it, we're walking through the door of JJ's very pretty house(Hotch doesn't even knock, just walks in with a call of "JJ? We're here!"). 

Morgan's very distinct and very loud laugh booms from another room, and we make our way towards it, Jack holding my hand. He's nearly four now, but still kind of clingy, especially since his mother's murder. Uncle Hotch leads the way into the kitchen, where Morgan, Spencer, Rossi, JJ, a baby and a man who I haven't seen before are standing around, chatting noisily. Spencer looks over when we enter, and smiles broadly when he sees me, quickly making his way over for a hug. Jack, who apparently is quite fond of Spencer, jumps up into the tall genius's arms as soon as we separate. 

JJ brings over the baby and the man, and quickly introduces us.

"Hi, Avery. This is my son, Henry, and my husband Will."(Yes I realize that technically JJ and Will haven't been married yet, but I much prefer Willifer as husband and wife, so I'm writing it as they've already married each other.)

"Nice to meet you Will, I'm Avery Hotchner!" I grin and hold a hand out for him to shake. He smiles back, but shakes his head. 

"JJ says you're family, and where I'm from, we hug family." Will's got an accent of some kind, but I can't quite place it. It's not distinctly Southern, like I'm used to, more like Louisiana type Southern.

Will pulls me into a hug. The introductions dissolve into small talk and a few laughs, and at some point I end up holding Henry. He is unbelievably adorable, with soft, fuzzy yellow hair like a little duckling and eyes as blue as his mother's. 

He babbles happily on my hip and I bounce him. Emily walks in with Garcia, who immediately rushes over to hug me and chatter so quickly I can barely make it out. Something along the lines of, "So excited... new teammate... best friends... shopping spree... amazing... adorable..." and then JJ interrupts, announcing that dinner's on the table and that we should all sit down. They've got a large, circular table with eleven chairs(well, ten and Henry's highchair). 

I sit with JJ on my left, then Henry, Will, Emily, Hotch, Jack, Garcia, Rossi, Morgan, and Spencer on my right. 

It's a lovely dinner, with steak, green beans, garlic bread and a large salad. I haven't realized how hungry I am until I start eating, and that's when I realize that I never even left my desk for lunch today, I'd been so buried in all the forms I had to fill out to join the team. 

I can't help but notice, once again, the way Emily and my uncle treat each other. I lean over to JJ.

I'm careful to be quiet enough that Hotch and Emily definitely won't hear me when I whisper in her ear. "How long have Hotch and Emily been like this?" I ask, and she immediately laughs. 

"Probably four or so months? I don't know, I mean there was always something there, but with everything that happened with Haley..." she explains, and I nod.

"And how much longer do you think they'll last before they actually get together?"

"Morgan says no less than two weeks, I'm giving them another two months." JJ shrugs. 

I laugh with JJ a little bit more, and then my phone rings. I frown when I see it's coming from an Unknown Caller. JJ peeks at ti and also gets an odd look on her face. 

Uncertain, I push my chair back and answer it as I walk away from the table, just into the hallway. 

"Hello?" I ask, and even before the person on the other speaks I get a weird feeling. Something isn't right. 

"Ms. Avery Hotchner, how nice of you to answer the phone." It's a man's voice, but it's far too deep and I immediately can tell that he's electronically changed it. I stick my head around the corner and back into the kitchen, and quickly wave JJ over, who was already looking at me, very concerned. She doesn't ask any questions, just waits as I put the phone on speaker. 

"Who are you? What do you want?" I ask, and JJ crosses her arms, chewing on her lip as her eyes flicker back and forth between me and the cellphone in my hand. 

There's a long, crazed laugh from the other end. "Oh, you know who I am already, darling. And it's not what I want, it's what I've done. To be frank, my dear, I'm the man that murdered your beloved parents. And you're next."