Hello, everyone. Here is another Criminal Minds fan fiction.
Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds. Criminal Minds belongs to the creator, Jeff Davis. I don't own any of the original characters. I'm not going to lie, I'm über nervous about creating this story. And most of my story comes from my other story: The First Year. Also, I wanted to post this story on February 23, but I've experienced some technical difficulty.
I've decided to write this one-shot story of Happy Birthday, Maddie. I'll post the next chapter The Wake of the Kin Killer as soon as possible; I've been at school—it's been keeping me busy, I got a part-time weekend job and a bad case of writer's block. I even got information from a few baby meaning websites.
Please enjoy and please review, too; constructive criticism is always appreciated.
ALSO: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MATTHEW GRAY GUBLER!
"Hey, Reid." Garcia creeps up to Reid's desk in the BAU bullpen, who was already packing up his stuff for the day.
"Hey, yourself." Reid was almost too focus getting ready to leave soon.
"Soon…guess whose birthday coming soon?"
"Maddie's?" He obviously said.
"Maddie's! Of course, Maddie's! I just wanted to see if you were going to forget."
"I have an eidetic memory; why would I even forget her birthday?" Reid reminded Garcia.
"So, did you know what you and Maddie are going to do for her birthday?"
"Just a nice, simple party: you guys give her presents, birthday cake..."
"That is not how you celebrate a one-year-old's birthday, Reid, especially a one-year-old whose family is not real to celebrate with her."
"I know, but still…"
"At least let us help you plan the party."
"Look, I appreciate the help; if you want, you can plan it for me, but I just want to give her a small, nice party. Please respect my wishes, Garcia."
"Okay, Reid. We'll try to respect your wishes."
"Good. Now, if you'll excuse me, I got to pick her up from Alice."
"Okay. Later." Garcia watches Reid walk towards the elevator and before the doors closes, he gives her a slight smile and wave and she gives him one back. Garcia runs towards JJ's office and sees her packing up for the day.
"Hey-hey-hey."
"Let me guess, Maddie's birthday?"
"Yeah. What should we do for her birthday?"
"Well, what did Reid say he want to do for her birthday?"
"A nice, simple party."
"And…?"
"That's not the ideal party for a one-year-old." Garcia pouts.
"Garcia, she's turning one!" JJ tries to make a point.
"You think I don't know that? I mean…"
"She can't even walk yet."
"And I think she could care less." Hotch said, peaking his head in the room before walking in with Morgan and Rossi. "Are you talking about Maddie's birthday?"
"Yes and he put me in charge of planning it."
"Did he?" Rossi doubted.
"Well, he did say I can plan the party for him to me before he left, so yes, I'm the party planner, self-proclaimed or not."
Garcia gets her iPad ready and Rossi pulls out his pen and pad, "Okay, my dear, what do we need?"
"Here are our assignments," She starts giving out order, Garcia-style. "JJ and Rossi, you two get the party supplies; balloons, streamers, the party favors at works and we'll set it up here in the office, sir, the address and number for the pastry shop, Bakeology, is sent to your phone and ask for Sasha and Casey; they do the best baked goods you'll ever have in your lifetime and Chocolate Thunder, get the cake recipe from your mother and sisters and we are going to bake it together."
"Oh, this should be fun." Morgan rubs his hands together, grinning.
"And I'll pay for everything."
"You will?" Garcia beaned.
"Think of it as my present to her, plus I can't make it to her birthday; I'm taking Joy on a father-daughter trip. And for Reid's sake, I will get an educational present for her."
"Perfect. We have less than three days to give this girl the best one-year-old birthday party in the history of one-year-old birthday parties. We all have our assignments and if we pull this off, do I earn a night of passionate love making with you, Mocha Lighting?" Garcia placed her hand on Morgan's chest.
Chuckling before walking out with Garcia, hand-to-hand, kissing her hand, "Why, of course, sweet lady. Can it be with Reid, too?" Garcia flirtatiously growls at Morgan.
"I think I just got a mental picture in my head of that ménage à trois…" Rossi deadpanned before walking out. "And I think I may need to talk to a psychiatrist about it…for a very…very…long time." JJ and Hotch give a light smile to each other before walking out.
The night before Maddie's birthday…
"So that's/What the birthday bird/Does in Katroo. And I wish I could do/All these great things for you." Reid closes the book and sighs, "So, we end tonight with another Dr. Seuss classic. What do you think, Maddie?"
Maddie lets out a small yawn and stretches out her little arms and legs before rubbing her eyes with her little baby fingers.
"Sleepy, huh? Well, it's time for you to go to bed anyway. And besides, it's a very special day tomorrow: your birthday. Yay!"
Reid laid her down on her back in the crib and brushes his fingers through her hair. He watches her gently close her eyes. "It'll be a very special birthday for you; especially since your Aunt Garcia has planned your birthday party and your Uncle David paid for everything. But mostly, your birth mother, siblings and other family won't be here to celebrate your special day. Get some rest, okay?"
Kissing her forehead before gently rocking the crib and turning on the baby radio, which became to play classical music and watches the movements sent her to sleep, "Sweet dreams, Maddie."
The day of Maddie's birthday…
Reid towers over the white crib where he sees Maddie peacefully sleeping. He gently stokes his fingers through her hair as he watches her wake up and let out a small yawn, stretching out her tiny arms and legs. She soon set her eyes on Reid as she was holding on to his index finger with her tiny fingers and kicking her feet, smiling at him.
"Good morning, Maddie." He said, resting his arms on the crib. "Do you know what day is it? Today's your birthday." He brings her to his arms and smooches both sides of her cheeks as Maddie, letting out small babyish giggles. "That means you're a whole year old today. Isn't that excited?"
Knock-knock, knock-knock-knock, knock-knock.
Carrying Maddie in his arms as he planned to answer the door,
"Hmm. Wonder who could that be?" Opening the door,
"Oh, what is this?"
He picks up a pink, white, black and grey bag that was sitting on his front door and starts gently rummaging through it. "What do you think it is, Maddie? And a note from Aunt Garcia?" Reading the note,
"Morning, Reid and happy-happy-birthday, Maddie! I have a special outfit for Maddie to wear on your birthday and come to the BAU command center in honor of Maddie's first birthday presciently at noon. DO-NOT-BE-LATE! I know this is where you live. Love from your friendly neighborhood tech goddess, Lady Garcia."
Taking a quick look inside the bag and snickers to himself. "Oh, Garcia. You want to take a look, Maddie?"
Maddie responds by happily clapping her hands. "Well, you can't take a look until we have breakfast, okay?"
Reid stepped into the elevator with Maddie in the stroller, his satchel over his shoulder and a coffee cup in one of the cup holders. As he walked in, he noticed the team wasn't there. He wondered if Garcia was playing with him. If they were, they would have been looking through Hotch's office; it was often a favorite hobby of their. He then headed towards the conference room and noticed the lights were off. Turning the lights on,
"Surprise!"
It was the entire team in the room, including Hotch's son, Jack, his godson and his little brother Henry and Michael and JJ's husband, Will. The room was decorated with vivid balloons and streamers, giant blue, pink, red and white-iced cupcakes arranged on the table.
"Happy birthday, Maddie!"
Reid smiled as he was taking Maddie from her stroller.
"Oh! Happy birthday, little Maddie!" Garcia squealed as she approached up to Maddie and practically takes Maddie from Reid's arms, in which he's been used to. "Aw! Can you believe you're a whole year old today? I got you some of the most adorable and prettiest outfits. And they're from your fairy godmother. You're going to look like a pretty little American Girl doll." She puts a toy tiara headband on her head. "Not to mention you look like a little pretty princess ballerina." Maddie wore a white and pink long-sleeve shirt with pink ballet shoes, a pink glitter tulle ruffle skirt and pink ballet slippers bow.
"We're here to say 'Happy Birthday' to the birthday girl, my little god sister." Henry said, walking up to Maddie, patting her head. "And I know, Michael does."
"Same here." Jack agreed.
"Me three." A familiar voice said. Reid turns around.
"Emily? You made it?" A surprised Reid asked before giving her a hug.
"Of course I made it. My meeting was cancelled, so I came here. I guess it was some kind of faith, you know?"
"Yeah. Where's Rossi?"
"Father and daughter trip, but he got her a gift; I think he said a puzzle." Hotch pulls out wrapped gift from behind him. "Does anyone have any words to say to the birthday girl?"
"If any, I'd like to go first," Morgan said. "Maddie, my gift to you is that you will always be loved, no matter what. And this sweet cake Garcia and I made with the help of the receipt I got from my mother and sisters." After setting down the small pink, purple and white cake with pink, purple, white and gold little butterfly, rose and rosette buttercream decorations, down on the baby high chair table, Garcia sets Maddie down on the seat. She sticks her fingers in the cake and takes a small taste before shoving a huge piece in her mouth. Morgan and Garcia chuckle to each other as they took pictures. "She's enjoying that cake."
"Our turn," Jack and Henry walked up to her as she was eating. "Since we…kinda forgot to get her a present…"
"We wrote her a poem entitled 'Maddie.'"
"Here we go. M is for the many good things that will you happen to you. A is for being amazing. The two Ds are for determination and delightful. I is for being an intelligent baby. And E is for the exciting future ahead for you."
The entire team, including Hotch, all had smiles and all the women were melting.
"That's so sweet, boys."
"Thank you."
"Great job, boys."
"It was our gift to you is that you will have us to look out for you…."
"…Whether you want our help or not. What do you say about that, kid?"
With both her hands, Maddie took two chunky pieces from her cake and smears them on both Henry's and Jack's faces. The team—especially Hotch and JJ—erupted into laughter as they witnessed what Maddie to them as she giggled and claps her hands. With their jaws dropped, Henry and Jack looked at each other before looking at Maddie,
"Did this girl just…?"
Flicking his eyes. "She did."
Henry takes a piece of cake from his face with his finger and gives it a little taste. "Mmm. What flavor is this cake? Chocolate? Red velvet?"
"Red velvet with cream cheese filling and white chocolate vanilla bean buttercream frosting."
Taking another piece from his face. "Well, I like it."
Henry tries to take a piece from Jack's face, but Jack flicks his hand away from his face and tells him to don't even think about it or get any ideas. Grabbing a napkin to wipe Maddie's face from the cake smeared on her. "Aww, Maddie. Did you had to do that to them?"
A small noise came before anyone else could talk. "Dada."
The team, including Reid, looked at Maddie with dropped jaws and raised eyebrows.
"Did she…?"
"Just call Reid…?" Will said, dumbfounded.
"Dada."
Reid gasped with complete shock. He just couldn't believe it. "She…she-she called me 'dada.' She called me 'dada,' you guys! Can you believe it? She said her first word to me! And on her birthday too!"
Hearing Maddie saying 'dada' to Reid had both Garcia and JJ melting, Morgan grinning and Hotch having a serious smirk on his face, which everyone knew he was grinning on the inside.
"I guess that Judge Richardson was right; she did choose you to look after her."
"Yeah. She did, didn't she?" Reid said before Maddie coats his face with cake, which caused the rest of the team exploded in laughter. Flickering his eyes, "Okay. Henry and Jack I get, but me? Funny. Cute, even."
Maddie laughs as Reid wipes his face off with a pink napkin, standing next to Hotch and Morgan. All the ladies walked up to Maddie,
"Okay. Now it's time for your presents from your three fairy godmothers."
While all the ladies with keeping Maddie occupied, Jack, Henry and Michael kept each other occupied, Hotch, Morgan, Will and Reid all began to have a conversation.
"Reid…"
"She called me dada." Reid still flabbergasted.
"Reid…"
"Out of all the people in the world, she…called me…dada. Her first word…to me. Me? Of all people?"
"How does it feel, man?" Will asked him.
"Unreal. Before, I…never thought I have children, but…now…it's the greatest feeling in the world. She called me dada."
"Welcome to the club." Will said.
"What club?"
Before Will could say anything, "Okay, people," Garcia said, getting everyone's attention. "Lord Hotch, sir, what is your present to Princess Maddie?"
"Actually, I have two presents for Maddie," Walking up to Maddie. "But first, let's open this present from your Uncle Knight Rossi."
Hotch unwraps Rossi's present for Maddie, "Will you look at that? It's an abacus!"
"I think it's really nice he did that." Turning his attention towards Maddie. "You want to play with it now, Maddie?"
Maddie excitedly shakes her head. After opening up the box, something falls out,
"Huh? What's this?" Reid bends down to pick up what fell on the floor,
"You are kidding me."
"What?" Morgan asked.
Reid turns out and sees that he was holding a wad of cash with a note attached to it. Morgan takes the wad of cash from Reid as he begins to read the note.
"Spencer, I know since the possibly of Maddie becoming a genius because of you means that you won't have to pay for her education, but hey, a little cash couldn't hurt anyone. Especially for someone like you. Try not to spend it in one place. Love, Rossi."
"A little cash?" Morgan doubted. "This is probably worth at least, what? Five grand?"
Taking back the wad of cash from Morgan, running his fingers through it, "Actually, it's ten grand. Ten grand in hundreds."
"So, let me get this straight," Jack stood up, eating a cupcake with blue buttercream frosting. "Uncle David gave me a thousand bucks and she gets ten grand? That is just so unfair."
"He what?" This caught Hotch's attention.
"N-nothing, daddy." Jack immediately sit down and backtracks everything he just said out in the open. "It's nothing; nothing at all. In fact, there's nothing to talk about."
"We'll talk about the 'nothing' later, if not tonight." Hotch assured Jack in an authoritarian tone in his voice. "But first," Hotch pulls out a CD from his bag. Everyone else looked a bit confused.
"What's on the CD?"
"Garcia?"
"It will be my honor."
Taking the CD from his hand, Garcia walks over to the DVD player and pops it in. Everyone else gathers around the couch as it was loading. Finally, the DVD starts playing and soon appears…
"Hi!" Three children stimulatingly said, waving at the camera.
"Oh my…"
"Hi! I'm Michael…" A boy with fair-light skin, short blond hair and piercing blue eyes, dressed in a red shirt, denim pants and Converses said into the camera.
"Mommy! That boy has the same name as Michael." Henry said, hugging his mother.
"What a coin-wink-a-dink, son."
"I'm Peyton..." A young girl had medium tan skin tone, bronde curly hair and hazel-blue eyes, clothed in a pink polo dress and canvas sneakers, appears on screen, smiling.
"And I'm Parker." The camera turns to the other boy who had medium skin tone, dark brown curly hair and dark eyes dressed in a blue shirt, cargo pants and Converse sneakers. "And we're your big siblings!"
"Aww! They filmed the day they visited Maddie in the hospital!" Garcia gushed.
They group outside the hospital door, "Now, get ready because we are ready to meet you…"
"And you're going to meet us!"
"Everyone ready?" Michael asked his younger siblings.
"I got the food!" Parker said, holding a paper bag in his hand.
"I got the present!" Peyton said, holding a pink bag in her hand.
"Okay! Here we go!"
Michael opens the door and see a woman with her long voluptuous natural black-brown hair unruly, her flawlessly radiant light-medium tawny-copper colored skin looked a tad pale; but her piercing upturned-almond-shaped hazel eyes and smile still shined through the pain.
"Mommy!"
"Mama!"
They all ran up to her. "Oh, my darling children."
"Mama!"
"Mommy!"
"Don't worry; mama's fine. Mommy's fine." She assured her children as they all tried to hug her. "Oh! Careful please! You don't want to squash your baby sister, now do you?"
"Oh! Look!"
"Oh, hi!"
"Hi, baby sister!"
"Say hi, baby!"
"Hey, look!" Peyton pulls out a pink knitted beanie with a big bow and puts it on her head. "Oh! You look so fluffy, don't you?"
The camera soon points its direction at a newborn Maddie, who was wrapped in a pink blanket, sleeping.
"Oh! Maddie!" Reid said, pointing to the screen. "That's you with your mommy and siblings."
"Isn't she precious?" The mother said.
"She looks squishy looking." Michael though.
"She looks tinier than I imagine." Peyton said.
"She looks like a little baby Yoda girl. Or a little human Dalek. Now that I think of it, she looks almost like a tiny…squishy half-Yoda girl and half-human Dalek alien baby from outer space. Now, she looks like a pink human marshmallow I want to eat."
Michael and Peyton looked at him with confused looks on their faces. Their mother seemed amused.
"What?" Parker asked. "She kinda does, in my opinion."
"So…what should I name her? what do you want me to name you?"
"I think we should name her Alex." Peyton suggested.
Reid smiled sadly as he immediately started to think about Alex and the memories with her during her time at the BAU.
"I think Dana. Halle! Phoenix! Or Ivory. Candy, maybe! Oh! I have a name in mind: Morgan!"
"Aww! Just think about it; we could have had two Morgans in the BAU family." Garcia smiled, wrapping her arms around Morgan.
"In this family, I think one Morgan is enough." Reid joked. Morgan responded by messing up his hair before slapping him upside his head.
"I think we should name her after me."
"The day we name her after you, Parker-Farter, will be either the day hens give milk or until the pigs come home." Peyton declared.
"It's actually 'cows,' Peyton. It's 'until the cows come home,' not pigs."
"Aren't they both farm animals?" she assured Michael.
"If you three don't mind, I have a name in mind."
"What is it?"
"Madison."
"Why Madison, mama?" Parker asked.
"Originally, Madison actually came from a surname; derived from Matthew 'Gift of God.' It was also said that the meaning is 'son of Maud.' Maud was said to be a medieval form of Matilda, which means 'strength in battle.'"
"I kinda like it."
"Me too."
"Personally, I prefer you name her after me, but me three!"
"Well, it's official: Madison Jean."
"Yeah! Another girl in the family! Girl power! Girl power!" Peyton raised her hands in the air and waved them around.
"But to make it more official: we got a scrapbook." Michael pulls out a brown antique-vintage looking scrapbook. "From Grandma and Grandpa! They gave it to us."
"Ah, perfect. Now, we can treasure such fond and wonderful memories together."
"Well, while we treasure such fond and wonderful memories, can we celebrate her birthday? We brought some cake Aunties Cindy and Ava made: carrot and red velvet. Too bad she can't eat it." Parker pulls out a large container, which were two delicious-looking cakes.
"Babies have birthdays?" Michael asked.
"Well, today is the day she was born, so it makes sense. Can we, mama?"
"I think we can do that."
"Yeah!" Parker cheered in excitement. "Happy birthday to you…"
"Happy birthday to you," They all continued to sing along with the video, even just as Morgan and Garcia bring out another cake, which was a pink and white ombre rose cake with a pink #1 candle lighted up and set it on top of the baby table in front of Maddie.
"Happy birthday, dear Madison Jean. Happy birthday to you."
The team—even Hotch—all clapped their hands in excitement, Jack, Henry and Michael all blew into their noisemakers and Reid kisses Maddie on her temple.
"Make a wish, Maddie."
Maddie closes her eyes for a moment blowing out the candle in one blow.
"Yay!"
"So, Maddie…what did you wish for?" Maddie responds by coating his face with more cake, which caused the rest of the team exploded in laughter louder than before. Maddie eats whatever was left in her hands, licking her fingers before looking at Reid, giggling. "You just love doing that to people, don't you?"
Later than night…
"Hello?" Reid answered his room as he was rocking Maddie back and forth in the chair.
"Reid!" It was Garcia. "How's the birthday princess?"
"Good. Great, actually. I'm just trying to get her to fall asleep; I was reading the words of Dr. Seuss and Proust to her for the night before you called."
"You are so your mother's son."
"I know and proud of it. And Garcia?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you."
"Anytime, Dr. G-Daddy. Consider yourself lucky that we all pulled it together at the last minute and that Rossi and I are not charging you. Knowing Rossi, he could have charged you big money."
"Oh, I know. Good night."
"Nighty-night, sleep tight, don't let too much of the reading bed bugs bite."
He chuckles to himself before hanging up. "So, Maddie…did you have a good birthday?"
Maddie babbles as she continued to play with the abacus. "I take it as a yes. You love that abacus, don't you, Maddie? Well, I'll be happy to tell Uncle Rossi you love the present, but I will have a talk with him about that wad of cash. But now, it's time for you to go to sleep, okay?"
Reid skillfully coats the abacus out of Maddie's hands and places it on the white shelf. With Maddie in his arms, he walked over to the crib, but before he could lay her down for bed,
"I'm glad you had a great birthday; you deserved it." Taking a moment of silence as Maddie sluggishly moved around in his arms.
"You know, Maddie, you really are a lucky baby girl," Chuckling to himself. "Look at me, I sound like your Uncle Morgan. But honestly, I mean it. I, uh…I never thought I would be here with you right now and honestly, I can't wait for you to officially become my daughter. Now that I think of it, you've been a daughter to me as I've been a father to you for these past six months and proud of it. They have been some of the best moments of my life in a long, long time. I just wish your family was here to see you right now, but I know they are watching you right now."
He walks over to the window and points to the sky. "See those stars?" The white stars in the onyx sky twinkled. "They're wishing you a happy birthday as an amazing one-year-old from heaven and many more of those moments will continue to come. One day when you're older, I will tell you more about them."
Reid kisses her forehead and gave her one last good night hug before laying Maddie down, "Sweet dreams, Maddie." Maddie grabbed a hold of his index finger with his hand, brushes her hair with his hand, and whispers to her before letting go, "I love you."
He was just about to leave the room after he turned on the baby radio and set up the baby monitor when,
"Dada."
Reid stood there, breathless; his eyes were almost misty when he heard that same word again. This was a happy birthday for Maddie.