Gated

Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds. If I did, Prentiss would still be there, even if the actress left of her own volition. And have an episode with Gideon coming back. That'd be interesting…

The baby's wails were a heavenly sound compared to the frightening scrapes of a knife against human skin.

He actually helped someone give birth. He learned everything when JJ had been pregnant, just in case, but to actually have to put it into practice…

He had never really thought there was anything he couldn't take from a book. Sure, he understood that manual versus application differentiated from person to person, but the feeling of a baby in his arms still surprised him.

Reid smiled, holding the baby quietly, gently rocking him as he had Henry. After the paramedic checked the baby and the mother over, and swaddled the newborn into a baby blue blanket, the genius slowly lowered the child into his mother's waiting arms.

JJ thought that the emptiness in Reid's arms looked much larger after the baby was gone. A child, regardless of Reid's disproved theory of the 'Reid Effect', looked perfect in the slender limbs. She felt a pang of pain as she watched Reid's arms drop limply beside him. He had loved Maeve, and she was torn from him much too soon.

"Congratulations," Spencer commented softly, his focus still on the baby, "It's a boy."

JJ hugged her best friend tight, allowing him to pull some of her warmth. For a moment, he had looked so perfectly complete. She could only hope he would find that once more.

The mother looked so incredibly relieved to have her child. She would protect this one. He would live, love, and remember the brother he would never know, and still respect the father he would never get to see.

"Thank you. Thank you so much."

Reid nodded, and allowed Morgan to pat his shoulder with pride. JJ let go of him as he murmured a silent lullaby to himself. He began to walk out of the house when the new mother's voice called back to him.

"Agent. Wait."

He turned around. She had thanked him, he nodded, she forgot about them in her love for her child or her significant other, or another person like that. That was the cycle. They didn't usually call them back a second time.

"What's your name?" she asked kindly, still exuding a post-pregnancy glow.

He bit his lip before saying, "S-Spencer. Spencer Reid."

Her cheeks flamed as she held her baby closer. "Well, then," she stated boldly. "Agent Reid, I'd like for you to meet my baby boy, Spencer Johnson."

His jaw almost dropped. "Um," he stumbled over his words, "Oh, you don't-I mean-uh, I mean," Morgan jabbed him in the side with his hefty elbow, "I'm honored," he finished lamely.

"You saved my baby boy. I'd be proud to have him named after his savior. I can only hope he will be as strong and caring as you, Agent Reid."

Reid didn't know how to respond.

"Thank you." The mother nodded and looked back at her baby. Morgan patted his friend and they both left the room.

JJ smiled, and leaned in to look at the new Spence in the world, "Hey, baby Spencer. You're going to do great things. I know it."

The new mother smiled, and watched as the agents left. She cradled her baby, "Spencer, you have a guardian angel looking out for you, baby."

Jazz…Sigh, and Reid said he would never have anything to do with a child.