(Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or it's characters)
So this chapter is set 4 years after the first, all the team is the same as it was in season 8, but with the addition of Emily Prentiss:
1) because like I said in my other fic, Hotch, Morgan, JJ, Garcia, Blake, Reid, Rossi and Emily make my favourite team ;-)
2) it would be likely that a new member would be added after that time, so it might as well be Emily
I won't say anymore, you will have to find out what happened in that time, and it won't take too long. ;-D
Future me here, I'm just coming back and editing some chapters, boredom can do that to you.
Present
Reid was swaying smugly in his chair, his leg jigging away happily. They were all gathered in the conference room wrapping up a case.
"Right, that's it, pretty boy. What are you so smiley about today?" Reid opened his mouth, then closed it with a smirk.
"C'mon! Don't tease us." Alex tsked, kissing her teeth.
"Okay, okay," Reid said throwing his hands up in surrender and jumping from his seat.
"Wait here." He dashed from the room.
Garcia groaned and collapsed into her chair, exhausted from the case. Why does he have to be so suspicious? She wished he would get to the point, as much as she loved their resident genius, he always seemed to drag out a question.
"I swear, if he's bought us tickets to that 'phantasmagoria' again, I may actually kill him. Speaking of which, you should probably take my gun, Hotch." Morgan joked.
Emily put her hand over her mouth.
"Oh, he wouldn't do such a thing. Would he?" She glanced at the others for support, but JJ's shrug left her totally un-reassured.
Reid ran back in, taking his seat, a big toothy grin plastered his face.
"Reid, please tell me you're not taking us to one of your nerd conventions," Emily begged.
Garcia turned to her in mock anger. "Hey, I go to them too! They're actually extremely exciting." She defended.
"Oh no, it's something better than that, but I agree with Garcia. Comic-con is a pop-culture phenomenon, there are few conventions like it and it attracts around 130,000 people. Last year there were 137,890 people who attended and it eve..."
"Reid!" Laughed Rossi. "As much as I would love to hear about comit... comit com...cog?" He scratched his head in frustration, "comic-con" Garcia hissed quietly, as Rossi fumbled with the words.
"Anyway," Rossi said loudly, interrupting the speech Garcia and Reid were about to launch over his mispronunciation. "Will you tell us already?" He insisted.
"Oh, yea, right sorry." Spencer pulled out an envelope he'd been holding, concealed beneath the table.
Garcia slid from the table and snatched it from him. Reid let her, laughing at the frustration he was causing them. Garcia hopped back in her seat, the team's eyes followed her. She ripped open the envelope and pulled out a plain white card.
"Did you get us a gift voucher?" She moaned, examining the plainness.
"Open it." Reid insisted, biting his bottom lip and sitting on the edge of his seat.
Garcia opened the card, revealing it only to herself. Her face contorted from annoyance to shock and then an explosion of pure joy. She dropped the card on the table, covering her mouth to stifle a scream.
"OH, MY GOD! SPENCER!" She screamed running over and flinging herself at him, sending herself, Reid and the chair sailing across the room, as she suffocated him with a hug and he laughed with equal happiness.
Hotch watched them suspiciously and pulled open the card on the table so that everyone could see. Inside the card was a small photo; a sonogram. Two small names were printed beneath the picture: Maeve Reid and beneath that: Spencer Reid.
"My Man!" Morgan yelled, smacking Reid on the back as soon as Garcia had released him.
"Congratulations," Hotch said a smile creeping over his lips.
"Thanks, Hotch." Before he could shake Hotch's hand, though, Rossi had grabbed his face and was kissing his cheeks in his Italian tradition.
"Bravo Kiddo." He laughed, letting Reid go.
Emily and JJ opted for a hug with their youngest agent, but a more sedate one compared to the bear hug Garcia had unleashed.
"How far along is she?" JJ asked as she pulled away from the hug.
"6 weeks 2 days."
Alex rolled her eyes.
"Trust you to be accurate. Come here you." She said, lovingly embracing the young man.
"I'm so happy for you." She whispered in his ear.
Morgan held up the sonogram and chortled in disbelief.
"And how long have you kept this a secret from us?" Hotch asked slyly, folding his arms.
"Maeve told me when we got back yesterday, she hasn't known long. Her first scan was last night, so I didn't miss it." Reid beamed happily, thankful they had solved the case early.
"It's not like he could've kept it from us, Hotch. He's been a happy-go-lucky all day, I'm surprised he lasted that long." Sniggered Rossi and Reid blushed slightly.
"Right. Where's this wife of yours?" Garcia demanded, holding Spencer by his shoulders, her face full of seriousness.
"She's actually on her way now, she had a feeling you'd want to see her, Penelope." Garcia blushed slightly at this. Maeve had seemed to get on with the team exceedingly well, especially Garcia, who dragged Maeve on shopping trips even when Emily, JJ, and Alex were away on a case. She squealed excitedly, bouncing up and down like a child.
"I take it you told them then." Maeve walked in grinning at Penelope's excitement.
"Sorry, they got it out of me," Reid said giving her puppy dog eyes, before planting a soft kiss on her lips.
Reid proceeded to kneel down beside Maeve and gave his daughter a kiss on her rosy cheek. She squealed in delight, extending her small arms out towards him. He scooped her up and cuddled her close to him.
Maeve put her hands on her hips and pouted at the two of them.
"She's been fussy since I picked her up from daycare and suddenly she's daddy's happy little girl"
"She must have missed him," Garcia confirmed. She then grabbed Maeve by the arm and gathered her into a similar hug as she had done with Reid but less constricting due to Maeve's pregnancy.
Eva held onto her father's shirt, struggling into his neck, suddenly feeling shy when she caught the gazes of his team.
"Congratulations Maeve," Hotch said smiling at her. She returned the smile.
"Another one!" Alex grinned coming over to Maeve.
"Yep. Let's hope this one is quieter than Eva over there."
"You love it really." Reid chuckled, waving his wife off and stroking his little girl's hair. Garcia locked eyes with Reid, a sudden desire grasping her. Reid saw it too and coaxed his daughter.
"I think Auntie Pene wants some cuddles." He whispered in Eva's ear. The small girl turned her head to Garcia who was knelt with her arms open. She looked at Spencer in disappointment, wishing she could keep cuddling him. He set her on the floor, but she kept looking at him with her big hazel eyes. She reached her arms up again to be picked up by her daddy. Penelope's soft voice pulled Eva's eyes away from Reid, and she started hobbling over towards Garcia, giggling as she got close.
"And what have you been up to today sugarplum." Garcia shrilled and pulled the child up into a hold.
The small girl began to make big hand gestures with her little arms (like Reid would often do when explaining) and babbling away about the toys she'd played with.
"Right, this calls for a celebration. I expect you all at mine for 7, that gives you an hour and a half to get ready, so get outta here!" Rossi laughed shooing the team away. Garcia held onto Eva until they reached the elevator. She looked at Maeve and Spencer, reluctance in her eyes. She turned her back on them, hoping they'd forget she had Eva in her arms.
"Hand over the baby and no-one gets hurt," Reid said aiming his fingers at her like a gun.
"Oh, alright." She turned back towards them and Eva opened her arms towards her daddy.
"Meanie." Garcia pouted, sticking her tongue out at Reid. Eva mimicked her and Reid laughed.
"Don't teach her bad things." Reid threatened, filling his father role, through smirking at the two of them.
"Then don't be taking my precious away from me." Garcia poked him in the ribs.
"Ah don't worry, you have first dibs on cuddles when we get to Rossi's."
"Deal."
Maeve and Reid got back to their house, Reid offered to watch Eva until Maeve finished in the shower. He popped the 2 year old on the floor and she tottered off into her bedroom, calling for him to follow her.
It was 4 years exactly since Reid and Maeve had their first date. They got married 1 year 3 months 14 days and 6 hours later, and another year later Eva was born. She'd been 2 for 3 months already.
Spencer had been so happy when she'd walked for the first time, into her mom's arms at 11 months old.
"Come on Eves..." Maeve called to the baby sat across the room from her, next to a kneeling Spencer. Reid picked up her little fingers and guided her to her feet.
"Let go of my fingers, Eva." He encouraged. She released his fingers, and they wrapped around her small tummy.
She took one shaky step and her knees buckled beneath her. Spencer caught her and set her back on her toes. She tried again and after taking a step and not falling, Spencer let her go.
She stumbled at first then managed to get her balance and slowly made her way to Maeve who was cheering excitedly with her arms wide open.
"That's it, baby." Cried Maeve as her daughter walked nearer. Eva collapsed into her Moms arms and laughed wildly when Maeve stood up and twirled with her.
Reid applauded her and Eva began to clap wildly between giggles.
Reid turned to his laptop, giving a thumbs up to his team who had been watching on Skype.
"Daaadeee" the little girl sung, poking her head around the door frame. Reid jogged into Eva's room, which was painted a pale yellow and had beautiful paintings of characters from Eva's favorite stories scattered across the walls. Maeve had painted them all when Reid had been on a case.
"What did you do today, Eves?" Spencer asked, sitting on a small chair at her craft table.
"Wai' 'der, dadee." She giggled, running across the room, her little pink skirt floating along with her. She came back with a painting and handed it him, stepping back, wrapping her arms behind her and smiling modestly.
"What's this?" Reid asked looking down at the picture. There were 3 people in the painting and a blue house with several turrets and a unicorn on top in the background.
"Tha's ou, tha's mummy, tha's evesie (meaning herself)." She pointed proudly.
"Wow, that's amazing Eves. Who's that on top of our house?" Reid inquired, motioning to the poorly drawn unicorn with only 2 legs and one eye.
"Tha's cupqwake." Beamed Eva.
"Oh really! I didn't know we owned a unicorn called Cupcake." Reid popped the painting down and pulled the girl in for a hug. He then began tickling her small podgy belly. She squealed and ran from the room and down the hall.
"Come back here you! I need to get you changed!" Spencer called after her.
Rossi handed a glass of wine to Reid who held his hand up.
"Thanks, but.."
"Oh, Spencer, just have a glass, I really don't need you to bother with that."
"With what?" Asked JJ.
"Spence felt bad that I went through no alcohol and caffeine on my own when I was with Eva, so this time he's going to do it with me." Maeve filled her eyes ignoring Reid's attempts to defend himself.
"Such a gentleman." Garcia simpered fluffing up Reid's hair.
"Well if Maeve's alright with it you might as well have one," Rossi said waving the glass under Reid's nose.
"Alright, fine." Reid snatched up the glass and took a meaningful sip.
He swallowed and pointed at Rossi warningly and kissing his teeth to allow the bitter-sweet flavor to dance along his tongue. "But just the one."
Rossi sent Morgan and Hotch a mischievous smile.
"Of course." The Italian replied.
Henry, Eva, and Jack were sat in their pajamas watching a show on TV.
Jack was in short sleeve pjs with Spider-Man's face stuck on the top, and the small Spider-Man logo printed out across the shorts. Henry had long sleeved pajama bottoms in a soft blue fabric and a navy blue shirt sleeve that didn't seem to go with the bottoms originally. Eva was sat between the two boys; she was wearing long sleeve button down pajamas both of which in yellow and white checks. The boys were slowly dropping off to sleep either side of her, but she remained awake and alert, having had a quick nap on the way. She peered around to see her Mummy and Daddy chatting away with his team and their families and laughing every few minutes. She whimpered and turned around to watch them. She tried to make herself heard again as her little head only made it a little bit past the couch so they couldn't see her.
"Daddeee." She whimpered quietly, desperate to be with him and listen to what they were talking about.
Spencer had been away on a case for 4 days, he'd come back the day before and Eva saw him only briefly in the morning before he went off to work again to finish up some paperwork. She wanted to cuddle up to him again like they had earlier.
When they didn't notice her small voice and her brown mop of curls and hazel eyes peering over the couch, she felt her bottom lip quiver.
"Ma meee!" She wailed, but still only very quietly, because out of shyness she didn't want the team to see her.
She looked down to see the two boys curled up asleep. She felt all alone. She bounced on the couch to try and see her family and they still didn't notice.
The tears began to fall then, her breath hitched and she wailed loudly.
"Dad Deeee!" She yelled in her tiny voice. The head around the table finally turned to her, but she was so overcome with emotion that she continued to cry miserably.
"You're needed, Daddy." Maeve teased biting into another prawn cracker. Reid turned to the couch and saw the soft brown curls he'd passed on to his daughter, sticking up from behind the back cushions and her big brown eyes glistening with tears staring at him.
"Daddeee!" Came her frustrated little voice and she jumped up to try and see him.
Reid darted off in her direction almost knocking over his chair and the team laughed at his clumsiness. He reached the couch and looked down. Eva was stood between the sleeping boys, standing on her tiny tiptoes and extending her arms up to him and beginning an aggravated little jig.
"Up. Up pe's Daddee." She pleaded. Spencer grasped her under her armpits and hitched her up on his side. He went and sat down on the couch with her.
"Did you want me to watch this with you, huh?"
She shook her head vigorously and pointed back to the dining room.
"You want to be with us?" Spencer asked quietly stroking her hair out of her face.
"Yep pe's" she smiled, sniffling slightly from her bout of tears.
Reid placed Eva on the floor, and she stood watching him and twiddling her thumbs. Reid turned the TV off and pulled a purple, shaggy blanket over the two sleeping boys. He turned back to Eva, who already toddled over to him with her arms stretched.
"Evesie up pe's," she said.
"Come on then." Reid hiked her up and returned to the others.
"The boys are asleep," Reid said, taking his seat next to Maeve and Morgan. He placed Eva on his lap and she shimmied to get herself comfortable.
"And you should be too, miss." Maeve tsked at Eva, who was already smiling as she played with Reid's long fingers.
"Evesie all awone," Eva whispered. Maeve gave her a little kiss to make her feel better.
The whole team was gathered around the table, including Will, Alex's husband James and Maeve.
Garcia was sat opposite the Reid's and she was making funny faces at Eva, making her snicker. Eva leaned forward, putting her hands on the table and blew a small, spitty raspberry and then giggled madly.
"Hey, you!" Reid warned, tickling Eva causing her to scream with laughter again.
The team began talking again, but Eva's eyes were fixed on a bag of prawn crackers on the table. They'd ordered Chinese and Eva had gotten her own little princess plate filled with a small meal, but Maeve had kept the crackers away from her, knowing how messy she was with potato chips.
"...he tried to sell me that very watch and I then had to explain..." Rossi wiped tears from his eyes as he explained his last shopping trip with his family.
Emily took a cracker from the bag and Eva's hungry little eyes followed it. Emily watched the little girl and chortled.
"Does someone want a cracker?" Prentiss said aloud. Eva's head began bobbing in response and she licked her lips excitedly.
"Maybe you should ask mummy first, Eves," JJ said, smiling over at Maeve.
Eva snapped her focus on her mother. She pointed madly at the bag of crackers.
"Can Evesie 'av won pe's Mummy." Begged the toddler in Reid's lap. Maeve faked a thoughtful expression.
"I don't know. Has Eva been a good girl today?" Maeve asked, raising her eyebrows at her daughter. Eva got to her feet standing on Reid's legs, he had to grab hold of her tiny waist so she didn't topple over.
"Evesie's been weal good. Me made picter (picture) and...and payed in the sandbwox." Insisted Eva, stomping her feet on Spencer.
"Alright, alright. But just one, okay." Maeve sighed, reaching for the bag, but Eva had already scrambled onto the table and retrieved her own cracker. She then sat in the center of the table to eat it.
"Eves, we don't sit on the table," Reid said, hiding his smile from her.
"Come eat it on me," Rossi said, offering a hand to Eva who took it eagerly. Rossi helped her walk along his big table and sat her on his lap at the head of the table, where she could see everyone.
"Are you sure, Dave? She's pretty messy with those." Maeve said anxiously.
"Don't worry about that, Rossi winked, waving her off. Rossi looked down and saw Eva's big, sweet eyes gazing up at him. She slowly took a loud crunch of the cracker and white dust and crumbs peppered his lap. The team laughed, no one could ever get mad at a child so adorable.
Eva's energy slowly waned after an hour, she was now in Emily's lap after making her way around most of the people at the table, to have a little chat and a cuddle. Rossi had let her back on his table and she'd started babbling and waving her arms wildly, which had sent the team into fits of laughter because she reminded them so much of Reid? when he'd go off on a statistics rant. Reid had had to pull her off the table, but she's managed to escape his hold and trot over to Garcia.
Eva was significantly quieter now, and her eyelids drooped slightly whilst she was in Emily's lap.
"I think we best get her home." Reid stood up and stretched.
"Speaking of." JJ turned to Will.
"We should get Henry to bed."
"Thanks so much for having us Rossi, it was wonderful." Spencer walked over to Rossi, who got out of his seat and hugged the young agent.
"Anytime. Seriously. And we had cause to celebrate! Another baby Reid is on its way." Rossi grinned widely, causing both Spencer and Maeve to blush.
Maeve went over to Emily to take the almost sleeping Eva home.
"You better bring her to see us again." Garcia groaned, kissing Eva's forehead.
"When I go on maternity leave you'll be seeing a lot more of us." Promised Maeve. Eva had wrapped her arms loosely around Maeve's neck and her body was stretched out across her Mothers chest as she carried her.
"You guys better be coming to the barbecue tomorrow." Hotch declared. Everyone's faces became confused.
"Cruz had given us 2 days off. So I expect you all at mine for lunch tomorrow. We will have a barbecue and play some sports."
"Count us in." Chirped Maeve.
"See you there." Reid chorused as he ushered Maeve out of the door.
Maeve buckled in an exhausted Eva, handing her the well-loved stuffed fox to snuggle with. She hopped in next to Reid who was waving from the driver's side at the window and then at JJ, Will, and Henry who were also piling into their car.
"Spence look." Reid turned to see his little girl fast asleep with her fox close to her face and her mouth hanging open.
"She's gonna sleep well tonight." Reid smiled.
I'm loving writing about Reid having a family, it's so cute! Next chapter should be up tomorrow night, so don't go anywhere!
Oh and just a note to tannerose5, I had him wearing a bow tie, but appearing very uncomfortable in it to show how nervous he was and how he changed his appearance slightly to impress her. Also, a bow tie is super cute ;) He wore one in 'Zugzwang' in the fake marriage scene, and he might have worn one for JJ's wedding, and I thought his first proper date would also be a significant time to crack out the bow tie.
Oh, and in case you're wondering Eva's nickname is Eves which is pronounced like leaves but with the 'L'.