A/N: Welcome! if you're just clicking this, hello! This is part three in a series of stories I've been working on,

part 1 is available here - s/9622414/1/The-Last-Victim and

part two is available here - /s/9639175/1/Only-You

If you're a returning reader, hi! I hope you like where my story takes you, join me as I explore how Spencer and Zoe will settle into a family life...perhaps a wedding is involved? As usual, review, subscribe, the whole shabang. Muah!

Zoe let the warm water finally soothe her frazzled nerves. Not only had work been stressful for the past week, but now the little cardboard box sitting on the sink waited for her to finish her shower. She was relieved Spencer was on assignment. She needed to deal with this on her own. Privately.

She ran her fingers through her hair. Think positive. Wait. Maybe negative. Wait. What did she even want?

Their two year anniversary was just around the corner. A year ago, she'd finally achieved her masters in ecology, and continued her work as a full time employee with the Environmental Association of Virginia. She had achieved all the goals she thought she wanted. She'd fallen in love - long term boyfriend and potential husband, had a good job, an apartment of her own. The past was behind her.

Things were changing. She felt it.

After a half hour, the water began to cool, so she hopped out of the shower. The bathroom was now familiar. The once white walls she'd painted blue, and a new mirror hung above the sink, as well as an actual toothbrush holder. Two toothbrushes inside. She wrapped herself in the white towel and sat on the toilet, glaring at the pink box.

It's now or never.

Miles away, in Iowa, Spencer was bent over a table, staring at a map of the county they were working on. He carefully mapped out the area where the unsub seemed comfortable in. Blake sat on the other end of the table, typing up a preliminary profile. It was quiet in the Police Department, the majority of the officers had gone home for the night, or were out canvasing.

His phone buzzed a single time in his pocket. A text message. He dug inside his pocket, expecting Garcia, maybe Morgan, perhaps an email alert. He saw Zoe's name and smiled.

The text was the shortest he'd ever received, but it made the biggest impact.

"+"

He stared at it for a moment, his brain taking a second to process the shock. He sputtered. Alex glanced up, and noticed his face.

"Whoah, what's up?" she asked.

He felt his knees give out, and he leaned against the table for support.

"Zo- Zo-" he stuttered. For once, at a loss for words.

"Is she okay? Are you okay?" She stood, walking towards him and putting a hand on his shoulder. "You're as white as a ghost."

Spencer's head reeled, he felt faint. For the first time in a long time, Gideon popped into his mind. Then his mother. And then Zoe.

Zoe

"Spence." Alex said, finally shaking him out of his daze. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"Zoe's pregnant." he whispered. Even the usually stoic Alex couldn't help her mouth from falling open.

His phone buzzed again.

"You don't have to fly back or anything.
We'll talk about it when you get home, okay?"

"Oh my God." he muttered, pressing his palms into his eyes. "She'll be okay, right? 1 in 20 pregnancies end in miscarriage, usually there's complications, the effect of pregnancy on a woman's body can do long last-"

"Reid. Now is not the time for your scary statistics. And either way, pregnancy isn't usually the majority of the issue to be handled." she explained. "There's a child at the end of it."

And his knees gave out again.

Zoe heard the front door open, and it awoke her. She sat up, looking at the clock next to her bed. Spencer wasn't supposed to be home until that evening, and it was barely 10 in the morning. She considered reaching for his spare glock in the drawer next to his side of the bed, but then realized how unnecessary that would be.

"Spencer?" she called out.

"It's just me, I didn't mean to wake you." he replied. The doors to the bedroom swung open. He looked slightly haggard, and his chin was stubbly, something she hardly saw. He dropped his on the ground. She couldn't read his facial expression. For the first time in their entire relationship, she felt slightly scared of him.

"Spence-" she began, sitting up further. "Are you mad?" she whispered.

He shook his head.

"Do you want me to keep it?" she said.

He nodded.

"Are you going to dump me?"

Again, he shook his head.

"Are you okay?"

A third headshake.

"Come here." she said softly. He crawled into bed and reached for her. "You said you wanted a family, just like I did. It's just a little...unplanned is all." Zoe said. Spencer rested his head on her shoulder and looked up at her through his lashes, and she giggled.

"This is what happened to JJ." he said.

"Well, look at her now. Happy and raising Henry with her husband. Just had him pre-wedlock is all."

"How are you feeling?" he asked after a minute.

"Weird." she said. "I've been sleeping a lot." she stopped, shifting so she could clasp Spencer's hands in hers. "Hi, by the way." she said.

"Hey," he said.

"This is ours, Spencer." she said, placing his hand on her stomach. "Ours. A little person. Girl or boy. What about names?" she said. "Oh my god, we're going to be parents. You and me."

"Are you ready?"

"No." she said. "But is anyone?"

She sighed. "I'm going to get fat." she joked, and he laughed. "We can do this." she said. "We've taken on a serial killer, how hard can it be?"

He kissed her gently.

"I wanted this, you know." he said. "Just sooner than expected. I wanted it with you."