Double Bubble Milkshake Trouble
So how did Reid get himself into picking up Jack and Henry from school? How did this result in both boys covered in chocolate milkshake? For CCOAC Strangeness of September challenge, pure and simple adorableness
For the challenge, we had to chose a September holiday or event and a set of characters and write a fic with those two characters that centered on that holiday or event. I chose Jack and Henry and National Chocolate Milkshake month.
"Biochemically, love is just like eating large amounts of chocolate." John Milton
Reid had never been to a budget meeting, but he imagined that they were anything but interesting events. He almost felt pity for his unit chief, who on that day was being forced to sit thru hours of figures and new cuts and crackdowns. Unfortunately, Jessica also had to work that day. So being the good friend and honorary uncle that he was, Reid had volunteered to pick Jack up from school after work that Thursday afternoon.
He was on his way to the elementary school when his phone began to ring. Careful to keep his eyes on the road, he answered, immediately being greeted by an almost panicked JJ.
"Oh my gosh, Spence, have you picked Jack up yet?"
"Um, no I'm on my way right now. What's wrong?"
"Will's hurt," she almost sobbed into the phone. "He's going to be okay, but he's in the hospital and I'm on my way there now. If it's not too much to ask, would you mind picking Henry up too?"
"Of course not. Just call me and let me know how Will's doing later."
"I will. Thanks a million, Spence."
"No problem. What are godfathers for, anyway?"
Luckily the two boys attended the same school, and were waiting together at the parent pick-up lain.
"Where's Mommy?" the preschooler asked as he climbed into the back seat and fastened his seatbelt.
Reid wasn't sure how much JJ would want him to tell Henry. "She had to go get your dad from work."
"He didn't get hurt again, did he?"
The worry in the child's voice almost brought tears to Reid's eyes. "I promise he's going to be just fine, and you'll see them both tonight. But right now all three of us are going to have fun together."
The drive was silent and awkward until Reid came up with an idea that would cheer both children up in no time. "So do you guys know what today is?"
"It's Thursday," Henry answered.
"September 12th," Jack said.
"You are both absolutely right. Today is also National Chocolate Milkshake Day."
Jack gasped in surprise. "You mean there's a whole holiday just for chocolate milkshakes?"
Reid grinned widely and nodded. "And to celebrate, we are all going to go the best ice-cream shop in the world and have chocolate milkshakes together."
"Hooray!" both boys shouted for joy in unison, the stress of an injured police officer was now pushed to the back of all three young minds.
WIANWIANWIANWIAN
Jack and Henry were jumping up and down with joy by the time the three made it to the bar-like counter of the 1950's stile ice cream shop to place their order. The short, red-haired cashier gave them an enthusiastic smile.
"Happy National Chocolate Milkshake Day!" she greeted. "Can I interest you in our triple-chocolate chip swirl special?
"Yeah," the two children shouted in unison before Reid could even open his mouth to answer.
Reid smiled at the cashier. "I suppose I'll take three of those then."
"Coming right up."
While they waited for their milkshakes to arrive, Reid looked around habitually memorizing his surroundings. The shop was full of parents with their children all happily enjoying the treats that for the likes of which the holiday was named. At a table in the corner a baby was crying while both the mother and older sister were trying to cheer him up. Meanwhile, Jack was singing a song about chocolate shakes that he made up as he went along, and by the second chorus, Henry had joined in as well.
"Sing with us, Uncle Spencer," Jack asked looking up from his barstool.
"I'm not the best singer, Jack."
"Please!" Henry pleaded with his godfather.
As if on cue, the red-head came back with their triple chocolate chip swirls to save him from having no choice but to sing along with Jacks ode to milkshakes.
As the three enjoyed their shakes that were thick enough to eat with a spoon, Jack and Henry told their uncle Spencer all about their days at school. Henry had gotten a gold star that day for being a good helper to Ms. Marley, and Jack was falling in love for the first time with a Japanese foreign exchange student named Miuki.
Halfway thru his own milkshake, Reid felt a certain call that he could not ignore.
"Boy's can you sit tight for a minute while I run to the little boy's room?"
Both boys nodded in response, their mouths currently full of frozen chocolaty goodness.
"Excuse me," He asked the red-hared cashier, "Would you mind keeping an eye on my nephews while I…" he motioned in the direction of the public restrooms.
The cashier smiled and nodded. "No problem."
So Reid went about his business, certain that the boys could not get into too much trouble in his momentary absence.
Once Reid was out of the boys' sight, Jack smiled and nudged Henry. "Hey Henry, watch this." Jack took a deep breath and blew on the end of his straw, causing bubbles to rise up from the bottom f the glass.
"I can do that too," Henry said, and copied what Jack had just done.
The cashier laughed and warned the boys, "Be careful, boys. You don't want to make a mess for your uncle do you." She then turned back to her register to assist another customer, an old man with three eager little girls, no doubt his granddaughters, behind him.
Jack whispered so that the cashier could not hear them. "I can make mine bigger." He blew again on his straw, causing bigger bubbles than before.
"I can make mine even bigger," Henry replied.
Back and forth the two boys went in what was now a competition to see who could blow the biggest and highest bubbles in their milkshakes.
"Lets do it at the same time!" Henry suggested.
Jack nodded and they both sucked in big deep breaths and blew.
At precisely this time, Reid walked out of the restroom just in time to see milkshake erupt from Jack and Henry's glasses and splatter all over the counter, and all over the boys. There was milkshake all down the front of their shirts, their faces, and even in their hair.
For a moment, Reid could do nothing but stand and stare with wide eyes and open mouth.
The cashier shook her head. "I tried to stop them."
"It's not your fault," he said with a sigh. "Your parents are going to kill me, you boys realize that, right?"
"I'm sorry," Jack pouted.
"Yeah, I'm sorry too." Followed Henry. The youngest boy pointed at his older friend. "But Jack started it!"
"Hey! That's not fair!"
"I don't care who started it," Reid scolded the boys." Now I'm going to ask this nice lady here for two washcloths and you are both going to clean up the mess you made, and when your parents come to pick you up from my apartment, you can explain to them why your brand new cloths are ruined. Do you understand me?"
Jack and Henry did, in fact, clean the counter to a spotless shine under the supervision of their honorary uncle.
"I'm so sorry about this," Reid apologized to the cashier as ha paid for their milkshakes.
"No problem, things like this happen all the time. Actually, most parents don't even make their kids clean up after themselves. It's nice to see someone teaching children some responsibility."
"They need to learn that actions have consequences, right?" He looked down at the chocolate-covered children, who both nodded. "Now what to you two say to Miss," Reid glanced at the woman's nametag, "Jenny."
"We're sorry for making a mess, Miss Jenny," Henry said.
"Yeah, we're really sorry," followed Jack.
"I forgive you boys. Thank you for being responsible and cleaning up."
Reid glared at them when they did not respond.
"You're welcome, Miss. Jenny." They replied in unison.
"Very good. Now let's get you home and get you cleaned up."
As the three made their way out of the ice cream shop and into the parking lot, Reid was not looking forward to the task of explaining to Hotch and JJ why the children whose lives he had been entrusted with were now sticky, chocolaty messes.
"All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt." Charles M. Schulz