Disclaimer: see my profile
A/n this story picks up right after "Someone to Watch Over Me," and about three weeks before the finale of season twelve. Obviously, I'm skipping the prison time for Reid, but have other surprises planned. I hope you will enjoy the next installment of Chriscelia and Spencer. Thank you for reading and thank you to my wonderful Beta REIDFANATIC, for all her hard work and suggestions.
"So, what did you think of Henry and Michael," Spencer asked as they drove through a golden spring afternoon that highlighted the green of the grass and the multitudes of flowers beginning to poke their heads from the fertile and nourishing earth.
"I love them, as you knew I would," Chriscelia said. "They're cute, and smart, and sweet and kind, just like their godfather, so what's not to love."
She noticed a bit of pink creep up Spencer's cheeks and grinned. "They're not my children, Chriscelia. Those traits come from JJ and Will."
"I disagree, to a certain extent because JJ and Will are lovely people, but you've had a tremendous influence on them, particularly Henry because he's the oldest. Anyone with eyes can see that he adores you and wants to emulate you. Boys his age want to be like the significant male in their lives, and Henry has two significant males in his life."
"Let's say you're right; he also has Rossi, Hotch, and Morgan."
"Yes, and I'm sure he loves them, but you're his godfather."
Spencer didn't comment for a while. He seemed completely intent on the road toward Chriscelia's apartment building.
"Chriscelia," Spencer finally said, after several minutes of silence.
"Yes," she managed to say without betraying the sudden chill in her heart.
"I want to talk to you. May I come up for a while?"
"You don't have to ask, Spencer. Of course, you can," she replied.
"Thanks."
She stared out at the windows of the homes of strangers they passed. Were the inhabitants eating a meal, or having a serious conversation, or were they laughing, fighting, making love, or simply existing.
"We're here," Spencer said.
"Oh, right."
Five minutes later she'd made coffee, and they were sitting on her sofa with their shoes kicked off. "So," she asked, "What did you want to talk about, Spencer."
"Hey," he rubbed her arm lightly. "I didn't mean to scare you. I was just thinking about Henry and Michael, and I realized that we haven't talked about something extremely important to our future together."
"What?"
"Children. Do you want to have children with me?"
She rocked back in her seat because this was the last thing she expected him to ask, although it was logical that they'd talk about it at some point.
"Honestly, I hadn't thought that much about it, Spencer."
"What do you think?"
His eyes watched her intently and with something in their depths that frightened and excited her at the same time. "Yes, I do want to have your baby, Spencer."
His eyes lit up like chocolate stars, and she grinned at his obvious happiness with her answer. "I'm sorry I sprung this on you, as I could tell I freaked you out a little in the car, but I wanted to talk to you about it before we said, "I do."
"Spencer, you don't have to explain. You'll make a wonderful father."
"I hope so. I don't want to be like my dad."
"You won't be, babe. I can tell from how you treat Michael and Henry. They love you dearly, and that's a result of mad skills." She said with a smirk.
"Mad skills," Spencer said as he eyebrows went up.
"Yes," Chriscelia said. "You know what I mean."
"I do," he said.
They sat for a minute studying each other in contented silence. "What are you thinking," Spencer asked.
"I – um, I wondered when you want to start trying because I'm not sure I can handle the stress of trying to get pregnant, a wedding, and the first draft of my new book at the same time."
Spencer cupped her cheek with one hand. "Right now, we're just talking about it, okay. There's no need to rush into anything. In fact, I think it's better that we wait and get settled into our new dynamic. After all, we haven't decided on a date yet."
"You're right," she said. "We're getting ahead of ourselves."
"Yes, and I'm sorry if I caused you more worry."
She touched the hand that cupped her cheeks. "I know that, Spencer. We'll figure it out."
He smiled, and her world returned to solid ground. "So," she said. "When are we getting married?"
Spencer laughed. "All right, let's talk it out, together. When do you want to get married?"
"I have been thinking about it," Chriscelia said, and he smirked. "Don't start, smart guy," she scolded, and Spencer laughed.
"Please, go on," he directed.
"I think we should get married in October, that is if you can wait that long, " she teased.
"I'm fine with that, but may I ask why?"
"Because it's the middle of April, so it's too soon to plan for June, and I don't want to wait another fifteen months to become Mrs. Dr. Spencer Reid."
"Thanks, honey," he said, sarcastically.
She rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't pick June anyway because it's a complete cliché. I don't like summer because of the heat, and I love fall. Also, I know you love Halloween, just like me, so let's plan for fall and perhaps a spooky Halloween theme."
"Are you sure that's what you want," he asked.
"Yes, I'm sure that's what I want, but it's not just me in this marriage. Are you sure it's what you want?"
"I'm completely sure," Spencer said and kissed her. "Your plan sounds like fun."
"Watch it," she warned. "You may be sorry you agreed to it."
Spencer laughed. "I doubt it. I know you won't go overboard."
"I only asked that you wear something that resembles a tuxedo."
"Why wouldn't I," Spencer asked, confused.
"Don't play innocent with me, mister. I know you want to dress up as Dr. Who, or a Jedi Knight."
"Not for my wedding," he protested. "Give me some credit."
She grinned at him. "Me thinks thou doth protest too much," she teased.
"I promise I will wear the traditional wedding garb."
Chriscelia chuckled at his serious tone. "Then all we have to do is find a venue, hire a caterer, choose a florist, pick the music, write out a guest list, find rings –"
Spencer put a hand over her mouth. "I get it, we're in for a mountain of work, but we have one thing others don't have."
"Pray tell, what is that," Chriscelia wondered.
"We have each other."
She sighed and leaned in to kiss him. "Sometimes I wonder if you're too good to be true if you're some alien life form sent here to observe the puny humans and extract our weaknesses, and one day you'll pack up and transport out or something."
Reid laughed so hard he nearly fell off the sofa. "No, I'm not an alien life form. I'm human, just like you."
"Good, because I don't want to have to fight an alien girlfriend or wife." She waggled her eyebrows, and he sighed in mock exasperation.
"Chriscelia, your writer's imagination is showing."
She winked at him and shook her head. "I'm just teasing."
"I know, and I love you for it because you keep me laughing."
"Thank you, kind sir."
"But if I were an alien, you'd still love me, right," he said and jumped away when she lunged at him.
"I'm going to get you for that, Spencer Reid," she growled.
"All right, but be gentle."
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Reid found Chriscelia in the living room, lying on the couch in an old pair of sweatpants and a tee shirt. Her eyes were closed, and she smiled in a way that made his heart trip, and his head swim, but in a wonderful way.
"Hey," he said softly and leaned over the back of the couch.
Her eyes popped open, and she reached up a hand to touch his fingers. "Hello."
"Why're you out here, it's late?"
"Couldn't sleep." She pushed to a sitting position and patted the sofa. "Come sit with me; I want to talk to you."
"Now, you're scaring me," he said, but smiled.
"It's nothing serious, well that's not true. I couldn't sleep because after we had made love, I started thinking about our talk and having a baby."
His forehead crinkled, "I thought we decided –"
"Don't panic, my love. I'm very sure we didn't just make a baby, after all, I am on the pill as you know and you've insisted on a backup condom since our first time. We've always been careful."
"Then I don't understand."
"I couldn't stop imagining what our child will be like, what she'll look like, smell like, how intelligent will she be, all the things you wonder about your baby, or so I'm told."
"She," Reid said teasingly. "You know something I don't," he wanted to know.
"Of course not, and if we have a boy, I will be over the moon because I want him to look like you and have your amazing mind."
"I think we should have a girl that looks like her mother and has your amazing mind and sense of humor."
"Twins," Chriscelia said. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves.
"No," Reid laughed. "I'm not suggesting multiples."
"I'm glad you said that because I'm hoping for one at a time, although if it happens, then we will deal with it."
"Yes, we will."
They sat together for a long time until Spencer said. "What else are you thinking?"
She smirked at him. "Can't fool you."
He simply stared at her.
"I was thinking about Henry, Michael, and Hank. I want to make them part of the wedding."
"In what capacity. Hank's too young to be a ring bearer."
"I thought Henry could be the ring bearer and we make Hank and Michael honorary ushers. Mostly, they'd be there in cute little suits to be adorable and make people smile."
"Have I told you how much I love you," Spencer said and kissed her.
"Yes, but a girl can never hear it too much, especially from a man like you, Spencer Reid.
"Good," he said. "Now, what's the date for our wedding."
"Why are you asking me?"
"Well, you said Halloween and –"
"No, I said a spooky theme for the ceremony was a possibility. Halloween is on a Tuesday. I don't want to get married on a Tuesday."
"Why not," Spencer wondered.
"Because more people can attend on the weekend and can let loose if they don't have to work the next day."
"You're scaring me again," he teased.
She smacked his arm. "I just mean that we can have a great party on the weekend."
"Okay, so what about the 28th?"
"That's fine with me."
"Two decisions down, a hundred more to go," he laughed.
"I'm going to start researching venues in the morning. We have to move fast."
"If you say so."
"What about the team? JJ knows, but I think we should tell them soon."
"Don't worry, I spoke to JJ, and she won't say anything until we're ready to make the announcement."
"Good, because I think we should come up with some way to make the announcement in a fun way."
"I have an idea about that."
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Spencer closed the last file from his inbox and perched it on the top of his dangerously teetering stack in the outbox. He picked up his coffee mug and discovered it was depressingly empty.
His phone chirped, and a text from Chriscelia said. You coming home for dinner?
Yes.
Kay, see you at 7.
Love you.
She sent back a smiley face and a red heart that made him laugh.
"Ladies, I think we have a bit of a mystery on our hands," said Tara.
Spencer glanced up to see Garcia, Tara, and Emily at his left.
"I thought all of you left."
"I was on my way out when Tara stopped me to ask if I wanted to get a drink. We were looking for JJ when we ran into Emily and then heard you laugh," Garcia said.
"Yeah, I can't remember the last time I heard you laugh at work," Tara added.
"We're worried about you," Emily said.
"Yeah, sweet cheeks, we wondered if everything was okay."
"Thus the mystery," Tara said.
"There's no mystery. I found certain stimuli amusing, so I laughed."
"A text from a certain writer, perhaps," Emily inquired with a grin.
"Maybe, but I believe it's none of your business."
"Oh," Garcia cooed and winked at him. "Is she sexting you, gorgeous gray matter?"
"No!" Spencer nearly shouted.
"All right ladies let's not tease him," Emily cut in. "He's entitled to privacy."
"Thank you, Emily."
"Would you like to join us for a drink?"
"And give you a chance to grill me, I don't think so."
"We wouldn't do that," Tara said innocently. "We respect your privacy."
Reid simply put aside his empty coffee mug and grabbed his bag. "I need to speak to Rossi before I leave. If you will excuse me, ladies."
"Tell Chriscelia we said hello," Garcia said.
Reid found Rossi in his office. "Hey, do you mind if we talk for a minute."
"Sure, kid, what's up?"
"I want to tell you something, and I have a request. I have to ask you to keep this to yourself for a while."
Rossi's eyebrows went up. "Okay, what's going on."
Reid shut the door to his friend's office. "I asked Chriscelia to marry me."
"That's wonderful, my boy."
Rossi rose and embraced Reid with two loud kisses to his cheeks. "You are going to make a wonderful husband."
"Thanks. I'm a bit nervous."
"Of course you are. Just don't blow it."
"I won't."
"What else is on your mind?"
"I want to tell the rest of the team, but I'm not sure how. I was hoping that you'd be willing to host an engagement party for us, maybe tell the team it's for something else."
Rossi winked at him. "I'd be honored. I'm sure I can find the perfect excuse."
"Thank you," Reid said, relieved. "Um, do you mind if I hang out here for a few minutes until I'm sure the ladies are gone."
"Giving you the third degree, are they."
"Yeah, and I'm afraid they'll trick me into spilling my guts. JJ already knows," he added.
"Well, then we better not put off the party. Let's make it for next weekend."
"Thank you, Dave. We truly appreciate it."
"It's my pleasure, Spencer. I couldn't be prouder of you."
"Sometimes I can't believe I've arrived at this place in my life. I'm so grateful I bumped into her that day in the airport. I don't want to think what my life would be like without her."
"Then your marriage will succeed."
"How do you know?"
"Because you already learned the first lesson, gratitude for the woman you love. You keep showing it, and you'll be fine."
Reid stood. "I suppose I better go. Chriscelia's cooking for me."
"Go, my young friend."
"Thanks again, Dave."
Rossi watched his friend leave and sat back in his chair. If only he had the chance to do it all over again. No, he shook his head. It was too late for him, but for Spencer, the best time of his life was just beginning.