Home Sweet Home
Disclaimer: CBS owns Criminal Minds, but I own Maddie Hotchner...
Summary: Fourth in the Home Sweet Home series. Maddie's making her debute in the world and the family tells each other something important.
Timeline: Takes place in the future after chapter three
A/N: This time it really is the final story of this series. Enjoy.
So thanks everyone for reading and rememeber review.
"Birth is the sudden opening of a window, through which you look out upon a stupendeous prospect. For what has happened? A miracle. You have exchanged nothing for the possibility of everything." William MacNeile Dixon
Emily sat on the couch of her new home she shared with Hotch and Jack, rubbing her hand protectively over her expansive baby bump.
"Emmy?" Jack asked "How much longer until the baby comes?"
Smiling down at the little boy she loved more than anything, "Any time now."
Jack's eyes widened, pleased he laid his hand on Emily's stomach and whispered into it, "Can't wait to meet you, Maddie."
Emily ran her hand over Jack's head, "You're really excited about being a big brother, huh?"
Jack looked up with a big grin on his face, "Yes. I had a dream about her too."
Emily's heart rose at that, fondly remembering her own dream "You did?"
Jack nodded seeing his dad come over to sit next to them, "What's going on?"
"I was telling Emmy about the dream I had about Maddie" Jack said "She's going to be so lucky to have you as a Mommy."
Hotch rubbed Jack's back, "Buddy now that Emily and I are married if you want you can call her Mommy too."
"Really?" Jack asked looking at Hotch "You mean it?"
Emily pulled Jack close to her, "I love you Jack. You're my special little guy."
"I love you, too." Jack said "In my dream Maddie told me that you always wanted a boy and two girls."
Emily bit her lip and saw the smile on Jack's face, causing her to look over at Hotch.
"I've had a dream about Maddie too" Hotch said looking over at the two "And she looked like you two."
Emily's mind flashed back to her dream and the little girl with the Hotchner dimples.
"But she had your dimples" Emily said seeing the look of surprise on Hotch's face.
"You had a dream about her, too?" Hotch asked running his hand over her stomach.
Emily nodded, "I saw her the day we took the test." Emily said placing her hand on his own "And I knew she was ours."
Hotch leaned in kissed her, and when he pulled back he saw her eyes widened "What? What's wrong?"
"It's time" Emily said feeling her water break.
Hotch walked into the living room, holding the little pink birthday present, turning to see the smiling face of his now four year old daughter as she was messy from her birthday cake.
Jack laughed as he tried to help wipe her face, but his own was just equally messy.
"Look Maddie" Emily said tapping her smiling daughter's nose "Daddy has another present for you."
Maddie turned around, "Present?"
Hotch kneeled down and held out the wrapped present kissing her forehead "Happy Birthday, baby."
"Thank you, Daddy" Maddie said as she unwrapped it giggling.
Emily, Hotch and Jack all exchanged matching grins as they saw Maddie rip the paper from the toy and heard her squeal with delight.
"A teddy bear!" Maddie said holding the pink teddy bear to her chest "You got her for me."
Hotch flashed back to his dream when he had tucked Maddie in and saw the pink teddy bear on her bed.
Emily smiled when she saw the way Maddie clung the bear to her chest, remembering from her dream how she tenderly placed the bear next to the sleeping girl.
Jack smiled when he saw how happy Maddie was at the bear that she wanted for along time. He could still remember pieces of the dream, in which he had figured out about her being his little sister, and how she held that bear close to her heart.
"Thank you, Daddy" Maddie said holding the bear tight to her chest as she gave Hotch a big hug "I love her."
"What's her name, baby?" Emily said nodding to the bear.
"Lulu Belle" Maddie said giving a big smile.
Hotch's eyebrow rose at that but just shook it off, kissing Maddie's forehead, "You know we all knew how much you wanted that teddy bear and a long long time ago we all had a dream about it."
"Really?" Maddie said getting up to sit in Hotch's lap "Tell me."
Emily chuckled and nodded as she ran her hand over Jack's hair, seeing him smile at his sister's excitement.
Hotch cleared his throat while Maddie turned her attention to Hotch, looking at him with intent as she clutched the bear to her chest smiling.
"Before you were born, I had this dream about a beautiful little brunette girl with a pink teddy bear" Hotch said seeing Maddie's eyes brighten "And she told me how I was her Daddy, and that she loved me so much."
"Really?" Maddie said grinning "Who was she?"
Leaning into kiss her forehead, "You. I knew that someday soon I would be lucky enough to have a beautiful, smart and amazing little girl named Maddie."
"I had a dream just like that, too" Emily said "And so did Jack, right sweetie."
"Yep" Jack said "And in that dream you told me I was the best big brother ever."
Smiling at her family, "You are Jackie" Maddie said grinning when he winced at the nickname he loathed but tolerated for her.
"Making the decision to have children is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body." Elizabeth Stone
The End
Well the review button wants you to know that he enjoyed the ride with this series, but how about you?