A/n The same warnings apply

Disclaimer: I own only my own characters.

Thanks to all who have reivewed, you keep the muse fed.

Spencer Reid was no fool; he knew something was going on with his wife. He was intensely curious to know just what she was keeping from him. He knew that he was more likely to get information by using his eyes, then by pushing her for an explanation. She would tell him when she was ready. Until then, he would have to be patient, and investigate on his own.

He'd noticed several things in the last few days. She seemed distracted… upset… happy, and nervous. She would be sick in the mornings, and then perk up by the end of the day.

For the life of him, he couldn't figure it out! Maybe it was time to ask Morgan, or Garcia? Surely they would know what was going on.

He'd considered involving Gideon as well, but Diana was his world, and right now she had a little cold that was upsetting both his boss and his sister.

He loved little Diana, she was so cute. She was beginning to have a little personality, and she seemed to love her uncle. He was still afraid of her. Even though he'd held her just hours after she was born, he was still in awe of her.

Jen was much better with her. Whenever they babysat for Stephanie and Gideon, he let his wife do all the work. He kept as far away as possible, unless the baby was asleep. Only then would he get close to her, and talk to her, or touch her hand, hesitantly. He shook like a leaf whenever he had to hold her. He was angry at himself for his fear of her. After all, she was only a baby, and logically he shouldn't be afraid of a baby… right?

He wanted to get over his fear of children. What if he and JJ had a baby? How would he handle that eventuality? Would he be afraid of his own child, or would love for the baby come natural to him? Would nurturing his child be simple?

This is something he knew he needed to talk to JJ about, but every time he thought about it, he was busy with a case, or something else was going on in their lives that forced it back on his list of priorities.

The truth was… that he was afraid she would be angry with him if he told her he wasn't ready for fatherhood. He was also afraid she might laugh, and make light of his insecurities. But, no… she wouldn't hurt him that way. She'd always understood him, and all the things that made up what she called his "Reidness." From the strange trivia he spouted, to his lack of fashion sense, and his awkward, shy manner that was so disarming. She loved him, and said his "Reidness" was very sexy. He figured one day he would believe it.

He couldn't let his fears about babies; distract him from what was wrong with JJ. He would do his own research and find out. Then if it was something really big, like she was sick, he'd be prepared. He could be loving and supportive when she told him. Yes, that would work, and maybe he wouldn't need to talk to Morgan or Garcia. After all he didn't want to embarrass Jen, by asking for advice about her from the rest of the team.

Research was easy; he simply pulled all of the relevant medical data from his brain. It was accumulated from all the medical books he memorized. Cross referencing her symptoms was easy too; he rejected many diagnoses, including pregnancy. It didn't occur to him that she would keep anything from him, so the thought that she might be pregnant wasn't within the realm of possibility. Besides, she was on the pill so he wasn't worried No it had to be something else, he was sure he could find out in record time, then he would have to be patient, and let her come to him.

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"Hey, Morgan can I talk you?"

It was another day of paperwork, and the endless boredom that came with the job, when they were in between cases. He'd decided to ask Morgan what he thought might be bothering JJ. Another two days had passed. Jen was still sick in the mornings, but now she was always happy, she seemed to glow. He liked it, it made her very sexy. She seemed to feel that way to, and he'd been reaping the benefits of that mood for a couple of days.

"Sure kid…what's up, you look exhausted?"

"I'm alright," Spencer said, he wasn't about to tell Derek the reason for the circles under his eyes.

"I wanted to ask you something about JJ."

"Sure, but you know your wife better than we do now, what can I tell you about her?"

"It's nothing personal… well I guess it kind of is but-"

"Hey Reid… talk to me… and speak in coherent sentences please."

"Sorry, well it's like this," He explained what he'd seen in JJ lately, and as he spoke Morgan began to grin widely.

By the time Spencer had explained all he knew, Morgan was trying not to laugh. He sometime forgot the for all the kid's brains, he was still very naïve, and ignorant about the fairer sex.

"So, what do you think?" Spencer was so caught up in his own worries, that he didn't see the expression on Morgan's face.

Morgan thought for a moment. How was he going to break the news to his partner? Obviously, the younger man didn't consider a pregnant wife to be one of his concerns. He would have to tread softly.

"Spencer, have you ever thought that JJ want's to tell you what's wrong, when she is ready. She wouldn't appreciate it if she knew we were having this conversation, buddy."

"I know that's why I have to ask you not to say anything to anyone, ok."

"Ok, buddy I'll keep my mouth shut, for JJ."

"So what do you think, do you think she might be seriously ill?"

"Reid, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but JJ's pregnant."

"No… Morgan she can't be… she's on the pill." He was adamant that this was not true.

"Spencer, you've got to stop living in denial, besides the pill is only ninety-seven percent effective. Haven't you been using other protection, man?"

Spencer flushed red and said, "Ah - no not since we got married we decided that-"

"Whoa, I don't need to know the details buddy, but the fact is that if you've be going "bare back" so to speak, it is possible that your wife is pregnant."

Reid's face was so purple now that Morgan thought he might pass out. He grabbed the younger man's arm, and led him into the round table room. He shut the door and told Reid to sit down.

"Hey buddy, I'm sorry to upset, you but you have to face the possibility that you are going to be a father."

No I don't have to face it. I can pretend this conversation never happened, can't I.

"Reid… hey earth to Reid!" Morgan snapped his fingers in front of the younger man's eyes. He didn't like the way Reid looked.

He looked like he would pass out at any minute. Morgan pushed the young man's head down to his knee's, and told him to stay right there, he would get him a glass of water.

When Morgan returned, Reid's color was better. His breathing wasn't as loud and harsh as it had been.

"Morgan, what am I going to do?"

"You're not going to panic, Reid. You have to talk to your wife, find out if she is pregnant, and then go from there. Until you know for sure, stop worrying about it." He gave Reid his best reassuring smile, and shooed him out of the room.

When he was sure the young man was at his desk, he went to talk to Garcia about the new development.

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Dr Stephanie Gideon answered the phone at the Virginia Health and Human Services center. It was her direct boss, and they spoke of funding problems that never seemed to go away. In the middle of this conversation, her cell phone beeped. She read the text message.

need to talk to u S

She wrapped up her call, and called her brother back. He sounded in a near panic, and for a moment she thought something had happened to JJ.

"Spencer… please slow down, I can't understand you."

"Stephanie, I have to ask you something, but I don't want to talk about it on the phone, can we meet for lunch?"

His tone told her she needed to drop everything and see him. She agreed to meet him, and terminated the call. It was a good thing it was a slow day in the lab, no posts for her to attend to. She called her secretary Kat, into her office, and told her to reschedule her afternoon. Kat wasn't happy, but she did as she was told with out further complaint, when Stephanie told her Spencer was in trouble. Kat nursed a harmless crush on him, and would do anything for him.

She'd told him to meet her halfway, about thirty minutes from Richmond in a little town called Yancey. There was a café she liked there, and since she beat him there, she watched him enter the café. She was shocked at his appearance. He shook when she hugged him. She wouldn't let him talk till their food arrived, and he'd eaten some of it.

He'd stopped shaking by that time, and was less pale. The story tumbled out of him in a disjointed rush. She was astounded to hear what he thought was going on with her sister-in-law. When he asked her what she thought, she told him that she couldn't say one way, or another with out seeing a pregnancy test result. She gave him the same advice as Morgan had, and told him to talk to JJ. He didn't seem placated by her response. It took her awhile, but she finally got him to tell her what was really going on.

"Stephanie, I'm afraid, what if I can't take care of my own child?"

"Spencer that's ridiculous, and you know it, you're going to make a great father."

"How can you say that when you know how children react to me?"

So this was why he was so upset.

"Spencer, not all children are alike, Diana loves you."

"She's only a year old, what does she know about me?"

"That you're her uncle, and you love her, in spite of the fact you are too terrified to come near her, unless she's sleeping."

Reid stared at her in amazement; he didn't think anyone had noticed how he avoided his niece. Sure he was always bringing her little gifts, and toys, but he stayed away physically unless there was no other choice.

"You didn't think I hadn't noticed did you?"

"I was hoping," He said rather foolishly. He should have known better, after all she was trained as an observer.

"Look… the bottom line is you need more experience with kids, babies to start with."

"I don't like the sound of that, what are you up to."

"Nothing, I am going to let Diana do all the work."

"Stephanie I-"

"Trust me Spencer, you won't be sorry. I'll see you on Saturday if Diana's cold is better; it'll be just you, me, and the baby, ok?"

He couldn't say no because he knew she was right, but that didn't mean he had to like it. Stephanie took his silence as consent, and after a few more minutes of chatting and finishing lunch, she left him to his thoughts.

He stayed in his chair for a long time, staring into the afternoon, not seeing anything.