Chapter one

"Can we have mac and cheese?" asked Henry.

"Yes we can have mac and cheese," said Spencer. He had agreed to watch Henry for JJ so she could go out with Emily and Garcia. They had invited Catherine, but she asked for a rain check since she had college recommendations to write for several students and mid term tests to plan out.

"Can I play with Abby?"

"We'll see. She still very little and likes to sleep a lot still," explained Spencer. They got off the train and headed for the apartment.

"When is she going to be fun?" whined Henry.

"Give her time and than she'll be lots of fun. You used to be little and sleep a lot," said Spencer, recalling the first time he had seen Henry.

"No I wasn't," laughed Henry.

"You were so small Aunt Garcia wanted to dress you in puppy clothes."

"No she didn't!"

"Oh yes she did." They got to the apartment and let themselves in. Abby was sitting in her walker playing with one of her toys. Catherine was sitting on the sofa and so was Savannah. Savannah looked like she had been crying and was clearly upset about something.

"Oh hey Dr. Reid and who is this cutie pie?" asked Savannah quickly wiping her eyes when she noticed them.

"This is our god son Henry," said Spencer. Catherine caught his eye and he knew that she was worried too and that they would talk about it later on.

"Hi Henry. I guess I should get going now..." Savannah picked up her backpack and went to head for the door and Catherine stopped her.

"If you need anything at all you know where I am ok?" signed Catherine.
"Thanks Mrs. Reid," said/signed Savannah and she left the apartment. Catherine bent down and hugged Henry.

"Hi Aunt Kitty," said Henry and than he signed it to her. Catherine smiled at him.

"You want to play with the baby while Uncle Spencer and I make dinner?" asked Catherine, speaking slowly so Henry could understand her.

"Ok." Henry went over the walker and started playing with Abby. Catherine nodded her head towards the kitchen and Spencer followed. He put a pot of water on to boil for the noddles and than turned to Catherine.

"What's going on? Is Savannah alright?" Catherine took a deep breath and sat on the counter.

"She's pregnant."

"What?"

"When Saul was home for winter break they finally went all the way and now she's pregnant, about six weeks and to say she's freaking out is an understatement." Catherine twisted her wedding ring on her finger and Spencer hugged her. Catherine mentored a lot of students, but her relationship with Savannah was very much like his relationship had been with Gideon.

"Did she ask about going to a clinic?" asked Spencer and Catherine shook her head.

"She said she walked in to one and than couldn't do it. She left there and came over here to talk. She's worried about going to college now. She's worried that her mother is going to throw her out, she worried that Saul will quit school to take care of her or break up with her, she's just plain scared. I know what that's like."

Spencer dumped the noodles into the pot and stirred so he didn't have to look at Catherine. She had been through a pregnancy scare when she was eighteen after they had slept together and then he went back to California for school. She told him about it after they had been dating for about two years and they had another scare.

"How scared where you?" asked Spencer setting the timer. Catherine sighed.

"It was like everything was frozen, but going at 100 miles an hour at the same time. Would I have to quit school? How was my dad going to react? How would my friends react? Would I need to get a job? How was I going to tell you and what were you going to do and how would you react? It was just a lot to process all at once."

"Does she have any idea what she plans on doing yet?"

"Well she's pretty much decided that abortion is not an option. She wants to tell Saul in person. She's supposed to go to New York in two weeks for a visit. She's worried about how her mother is going to react. Her mother is...well she's distant to say the least from what Savannah has told me," signed Catherine. The timer went off and Spencer drained the noddles and Catherine got off the counter and made Henry some green beans.

"What about her dad?" asked Spencer.

"Her parents divorced about three years ago and she hasn't seen him since. I just don't understand how you can not see your child for three years and...I just don't get it," signed Catherine leaning against the counter. Spencer finished making the mac and cheese and hugged Catherine again. They both had parents who had just walked out on the them when they were children. Spencer and his father had reconnected, but it still hurt a bit that when he needed his parent he was no where to be found. Now that they had Abby, neither one could imagine not being with her.

"I know I should have talked with you first, but I sort of told Savannah that if she needed somewhere to stay that she could stay here." Spencer made a face at her.

"Catherine did you honestly think I would say no and tell the pregnant seventeen year old to sleep on K street?" Spencer had grown fond of the young girl also, she was just a very sweet and kind person. They plated up dinner and headed into the living room. Henry was playing peek a boo with Abby and both of them were laughing.

"She's fun now," said Henry making a face at Abby and she laughed at him. They had dinner and they let Henry play with Abby some more until she got tired and needed to be fed and put to bed. They played a game with Henry and than he needed to be put to bed.

"JJ said she would be back around eleven," signed Spencer. Catherine pulled out her laptop to write some more letters and sat with Spencer has he read. It got close to midnight and Spencer called JJ and all he heard was whooping. Catherine let out a small laugh looking at Spencer's expression.

"So I think she's going to be later than she said," signed Spencer. Catherine saved her last letter and shut the computer down.

"He can sleep with us." Spencer picked Henry up and they put Henry in the middle of the bed so he wouldn't fall out of bed.

"You ok?" asked Spencer. Catherine shrugged.

"Just worried about Savannah. It's just a lot for someone to be carrying around at her age." Spencer hugged her again tightly.

"If you had been pregnant all those years ago, I would have been there for you." Catherine looked at him and kissed his cheek.

"I had a feeling that you would do that for me...it was one the things that scared me the most. That I would screw up your life and that you would hate me for it someday. Thirty has a way of looking at seventeen and we know what the right thing is now. Doing it and living with it are a separate issue," signed Catherine. She went to change into her pajamas and Spencer followed her. He shut the bathroom door behind him and startled her.

"What are you..." Spencer cut her off by taking her hands in his and than kissing her hard.

"You wouldn't have screwed up my life...please don't ever think that," signed Spencer when he pulled away from her.

"I know that now."

…...

"Please stop yelling," whimpered JJ looking at Spencer who was whooping and waving a flag.

"I envy your inability to hear things," signed Garcia looking at Catherine. They were at Hotch's race waiting for him at the finish line. Jack was on Morgan's shoulder waving a sign next to Rossi. Spencer was holding Henry on his hip and Catherine had Abby in a chest carrier.

"Why is it so bright and loud," muttered Emily. All three women looked like death warmed over. JJ had come to get Henry around six am, her appearance was of a party girl that had bitten off more than she could chew. Catherine adjusted Abby in her chest carrier. The baby looked up at her with a smile. Catherine smiled down at her and kissed her on her head.

"A couple hours, a couple hours," mocked Spencer. "You didn't come home till dawn."

"Please stop yelling," begged JJ.

"Catherine, shut your husband up!" signed Emily.

"Yeah, that's not gonna happen," signed Catherine grinning at her friend's hungover state.

"Hey Jackie boy plug your ears." Jack covered his ears and Morgan turned to Garcia.

"What the hell did you drink last night?"

"The green fairy! You are in the FBI, please make the crowd stop yelling," whined Garcia.

"So much for never drinking again huh?" asked Morgan and Garcia glared at him.

"You are lucky we have so many small children around or the bad words would be flying," said Garcia.

"By my estimate Hotch should be finishing any minute now," said Spencer looking at his watch. Catherine felt Abby push against her and the baby was starting to pout.

"I'm going to take Abby over there and give her a bottle ok," signed Catherine pointing to a clump of benches a few feet away.

"Ok," signed Spencer. Catherine picked up the diaper bag and walked away. She sat down with Abby and unfastened the chest carrier so she could hold her. She pulled a bottle out and started to feed Abby.

"That better sweetie?" asked Catherine watching her down the bottle. Catherine was focused on Abby so she didn't even notice the older woman who sat down next to her until she tapped her on the shoulder.

"I'm sorry to bother you, I thought I recognized you from the lecture at CSOD. Catherine Reid right?" Catherine nodded and she put Abby back in her chest carrier so now she was hands free and it was easier for her to sign. The older woman had long brown hair that had going gray pulled back in a braid and dark green eyes. Something about those eyes were familiar to Catherine and she didn't know why. She looked over and saw that Spencer and the others were greeting Hotch.

"This must be Abby. How old is she now?"

"Four months." Something about this woman was triggering something in Catherine that she just couldn't place. Those eyes...something about them...

"Have we met before...I don't remember seeing you at the lecture or the reception." The older woman looked at her sadly and than looked away.

"This was a mistake and I'm sorry...so sorry." She walked away quickly and Catherine felt every hair on the back of her neck stand up and despite the warm sunny day she felt cold and for no reason she felt afraid. Why...who are you? She saw Spencer coming over to her and almost instantly she felt relaxed and safe.

"You ok?" asked Spencer. He had noticed an older woman talking to Catherine and he remembered her from the reception at the school and how she gave Catherine the oddest of looks.

"Fine...everything is fine." Catherine stood up, Spencer grabbed the diaper bag and they headed back to the car.

"So everyone is going out to brunch, you wanna come?" asked Spencer.

"An omelet sounds really good." Spencer took her hand in his and were unaware that Megan was watching them trying not to cry. My own daughter doesn't recognize me. Than again she was seven the last time I saw her and before that she was still a baby. Why should she recognize me after almost twenty nine years of not being in her life? She is so good with her baby...I was never that good with her. I just...no there is no excuse for how I was with her. I was her mother and she needed me to be there for her. Megan wiped her eyes quickly and got in her car. She just wanted to explain why she had left to Catherine even though her reasons were piss poor at best in her eyes. I just want to talk to you one time...just once...

Megan drove back to her apartment and let herself in. She went into her living room to watch a movie when she noticed the mirror on her wall. Someone had written on it in what looked like red paint. Unworthy.

What the..." Before Megan could finish her sentence she felt something sharp go into her side and before she could scream someone slammed her head into the wall and everything went black

…...

"What...what it is...you want Mr. Bear? You want Mr. Bear?" said/signed Catherine to Abby holding the small black bear Emily had gotten her when they were in Chicago. Abby slammed her hands on the tray of her walker and Catherine gave her the toy. Abby gave her a huge toothless smile and put the bear in her mouth and started to drool on it.

"She really likes that bear?" asked Spencer sitting down on the floor with her.

"She does that with all her toys. This one is just her favorite right now." Spencer took Abby out of her walker and sat her on his lap.

"You like the bear more than daddy?" Abby had a death grip on her bear, but she was looking at him with a slightly amused expression and than she looked away shyly. "Playing shy huh." He laid down on the floor with her and placed her on his chest. He tickled her sides and she let out a very small shriek and a laugh. Catherine looked over at Spencer and Abby and smiled. She knew how much he loved his job at the BAU, but she could always see a hint of sadness in his eyes when he got called out on cases. When he was home, his attention was focused on Abby and he was so unbelievable good with her.

"You ok?" asked Spencer.

"Why do you ask?"

"You just have this really spaced out look."

"Just thinking how ungodly cute you are with her. I really should get the camera." Spencer made a face at her and Catherine laughed. She started grading some test and Spencer looked back and forth for a moment between his wife and daughter. They have the same laugh. It was amazing to him how much she took after Catherine already. At four months she already had Catherine's laugh, her smile and many of her mannerisms. You are your mother's child. He sat Abby back in her walker and handed her the bear. Abby gave him another smile and went back to her bear. Spencer turned his attention to Catherine.

"You sure that you're ok? You seemed a little nervous at the park with that lady earlier today." Catherine shrugged and circled something on a quiz.

"Something about her...just gave me the willies. I don't know why." Abby dropped her bear and let out a scream. Spencer turned to the baby and handed her the toy, which she threw down again and looked at her parents to get her toy again.

"She does this game a lot too," signed Catherine picking the toy up again. Abby smiled at her mother and before she could drop it again the doorbell light went off.

"I'll get it," signed Spencer. He got up and went to the door, standing there were two men, one was an Asian man in uniform and the other was a plain clothes detective that looked to be about Rossi's age.

"Dr. Reid, I'm Detective Thomas Kolkie with the Metro PD and this is Officer Robin Hu. Is your wife Catherine home?" asked Kolkie showing his ID to him.

"She is and what is this about?" asked Spencer.

"It might be best if we speak to the both of you," said Kolkie. After being in the FBI for seven years, Spencer was all too familiar with family notifications and he felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up.

"Who is it?" asked Spencer.

"Sir...please let's go in so we can all talk," said Hu calmly. Spencer sighed and let them into the apartment. He knew what they were going to tell him and it was not going to be good. They had asked for Catherine first and he was worried about what they were going to tell her. God don't let it be one of her students. Catherine had her back to the doorway so Spencer had tap her on the shoulder to get her attention. She turned and saw the two officers behind him.

"Catherine, this is Detective Thomas Kolkie with the Metro PD and this is Officer Robin Hu. They need to talk to us," said/signed Spencer. Catherine looked at him worried, but she got off the floor and sat down on the sofa.

"What's going on?" asked Catherine and Spencer translated it to the officers. He watched the officers exchange looks, they clearly weren't prepared to have this conversation with a person who couldn't hear them. Kolkie sat down across them and sighed.

"Mrs. Reid, I'm sorry to tell you that your mother was attacked in her home this afternoon and is in critical condition at St. John Hospital." Spencer looked at Catherine and she was clearly confused.

"Erin is with my dad on an Alaskan cruise and they sent me an e-mail last night. So I'm sorry I think you have the wrong person," signed Catherine and Spencer translated to the officers. Now the officers looked confused.

"Erin?" asked Hu.

"She's Catherine's step mother and she lives in Las Vegas, not DC. I have to agree with my wife that you have the wrong person," said Spencer.

"Our victim's name is Megan Brody...Brody is her maiden name. Her married name was Dueringer which was your maiden name wasn't it?" asked Kolkie in a tone that came across as a bit demeaning to Spencer.

"My wife is Deaf, I'm not," said Spencer glaring at him.

"Just let us explain please," said Hu. He pulled out a driver license photo of the women claiming to be Catherine's mother. Catherine looked at the photo and than back to Spencer slightly fearful. The photograph was of the woman who had spoken to them at the park.

"She listed you as her daughter and next of kin," said Hu and Spencer signed it to her. Catherine looked at Spencer confused.

"I don't know this woman and I've only spoken to her once," signed Catherine. Spencer looked at the photograph and than back to Catherine and couldn't see the resemblance between them.

"When was the last time you saw your mother?" asked Hu.

"She was seven," said Spencer noticing how upset Catherine was starting to get. Abby was starting to get upset that she was being ignored by both her parents and started to fuss.

"It can't be her...she..." Catherine just shook her head and was fighting tears. She picked Abby up and left the room. Spencer heard the bedroom door slam and both his wife and daughter crying.

"I'm sorry if we touched a nerve," said Hu.

"We were hoping to ask your wife some questions, but until she calms down we really can't go forward," said Kolkie.

"My wife has never had a relationship with her birth mother so I'm not sure how she can help you," said Spencer. The agent in him knew that they had to speak with Catherine for the investagation, she might know something without realizing she knew it. The husband and best friend in him wanted them to leave her alone so she could try to cope with what was going on.

"The doctor attending your...mother in law is Dr. Lindway and when we spoke last she was just coming out of surgery," said Hu.

"What were her injuries?" asked Spencer.

"She was stabbed several times and she lost a lot of blood, it hit her spleen and some other organs and she suffered a rather nasty beating. The doctor is hopeful about her recovering though," said Hu. Kolkie handed him a card.

"Please have her contact us as soon as possible," said Kolkie. Spencer walked them to the door and showed them out. Spencer headed back towards the bedrooms. He found Catherine sitting in Abby's room. Abby had stopped crying and so had Catherine, but she was still very upset. Spencer touched her shoulder, but she wouldn't look at him. Spencer sighed and he made Catherine turn around so she would look at him.

"I don't want to see her...I don't want to talk to her...I...don't want her near me...I just...I don't..." Catherine just shook her head and she started to cry again. Spencer hugged her and tried to calm her down. He knew that Catherine had a bad time with her birth mother during her visits when she was a child, but she never really told him what happened.

"It's ok...shush it's ok," said Spencer to himself.

…...

Stupid, stupid, stupid ...it was so sloppy and mistakes were made. Oh well...she might not make it and she hoped she didn't. The next time though, no mistakes.