Spencer did end up having a case the next day that kept him from the aquarium. Will offered to take the two of them, but it wasn't the same. Half the reason she had agreed to go was because she knew it came with the lecture. She missed hearing the random information he had to offer. If she was being honest, her job at the Pentagon was dull. There was no family element and she spent most of her day, talking to men in army dress uniforms, all very polite but distant. She missed Derek and Penelope's flirting, Spencer's physics magic, and Emily recounting her bad dates. She missed having people to go out with after a bad day at work and someone who understood what it was like to do the job. She missed everything about the BAU, but she couldn't tell Will that. She couldn't talk to Will about the BAU at all. He had never been part of it, he didn't understand. He took it personally, when it wasn't. She enjoyed doing things with Will too. She enjoyed their family dinners and the little trips they took with Henry to the park. She would enjoy going to the aquarium with him too, but the trip was… she needed to go with Reid. She was used to spending so much time with her team and now, she rarely saw them. They had agreed to stay close, but she knew what it was like for them. She understood the time restraints and the business. She knew that the job was never over and when she got a chance to spend time with them, she was going to take it. Will didn't see it like that at all. Will saw it as just wanting to be close to Spencer Reid. Spencer Reid who thought she was beautiful, he made sure to mention. She had rolled her eyes and told him to get over it, that she and Spencer were nothing more than friends - and it wasn't a lie. It had never not been that way. Even with the football games years ago. They had gone as friends. She had explained the game to him and they had fun. That was it. They had joked about keeping it a secret to annoy Derek, who had bothered Reid for weeks about it. She tried to explain that to Will, but he had rolled his eyes. She didn't let it bother her most of the time. She knew that Will was a jealous man, it came with the passionate side that she loved, but it was getting ridiculous. Spencer was like her brother. She had basically watched him grow up. It was weird to think of him as anything else. She didn't know why Will didn't see that. But he didn't and they had fought. Again. And now, she's spending Sunday morning with Henry, watching cartoons and eating bananas. She looks to the little boy, whose eyes are glued to the tv and has smashed bananas in between his fingers. She ruffles his hair and he looks up and smiles, largely, pieces of banana in his cheek.
"Nana, Mommy!" He says, cheekily, before turning back to the screen.
She loves her son. More than anything in this world. Her little boy, with long blonde wavy hair and chubby little toes, is perfect. It's what get her through these fights with his father. They created the most amazing little boy, they can get through a rough patch and even if they can't, she has no regrets. She wouldn't have Henry if things were different and she would never give him up.
There's a knock and Henry turns to her, quickly, his hair twirling in his face and sticking to his cheeks from the banana-junk. She smiles and scoops him up.
"One second." She calls out before making a detour to the kitchen to get something to wipe the boy's face.
"How in the world do you make such a mess with a banana, huh, little man?" She wipes his hands and face with a washcloth before he shrugs.
"Nana, Mommy. Daddy home?"
She smiles. "Let's see."
She opens the door and smiles when she sees Spencer. "Hey, thought you were on a case?"
He opens his mouth to explain, but Henry beats him to it.
"'Penner! I got Nanas!" He says and reaches out for the man.
She watches as Spencer's eyes widen, faking excitement, and he grabs the boy, positioning him on his hip. "You got a banana. Where's my banana?"
She smiles as Henry looks at her, shocked at the fact they forgot to get a banana for Spencer. "Mommy! 'Penner Nana!"
"Spencer can get his own banana. You can show him where they are, right?"
Henry looks back at Spencer before wiggling to get down. Spencer gets the idea and sets the little boy on the ground as JJ closes the door. They watch as he makes his way to the kitchen.
"Come on, 'Penner!"
"I'll be right there, buddy. You find me a good one, okay?"
"O' tay."
Spencer turns back to JJ, who is watching the little boy, still. "The case ended, so… I thought I could take you two to the aquarium today."
She looks at him to acknowledge she's listening before turning her eyes back to the boy, whose reaching for the bananas. She knows better than to take her eyes off him for long, definitely now that he's able to walk.
"Have you even been home yet, Spencer?"
She sees him rub the back of his neck out of the corner of her eye. "No, but... I promised Henry we'd go see the fish."
Henry pauses at the word, turning back to the two. "We see NEMO?"
Spencer looks at JJ before looking back at the little boy, kneeling to his level. "Yeah, Henry. We're going to go to the aquarium and see the fish and the whales and-"
"Nemo!"
Spencer looks back at JJ, confused. "What's Ne-mo?"
The question upsets Henry. "You no know Nemo? Nemo wittle fish! He lost, 'Penner! and his daddy find him wif Dory!"
"Oh." Spencer says, still lost and JJ has to laugh.
"He's a clownfish." She explains. "From a children's movie."
"Ohh." He nods, "Yeah, buddy. Nemo will be there. You know, The clownfish is actually very interesting. They actually have a symbiotic relationship with certain anemones-"
"Their home!"
Spencer's eyes flash and he nods, excited. "Right, Henry! That's where they live! They're the only fish that are able to live there and not get stung by the tentacles. The clown fish has a mucus surrounding it that protects it. The anemones acts as a home for the fish while the fish keeps it free of algae and keeps the-"
JJ sees the little boys start to glaze over and pats Spencer's shoulder. "That's enough for right now. Maybe you can tell us about Dory too later. If a little boy is going to see the fishies, he needs to get dressed."
Spencer nods, standing back up with a slight wince, which JJ notices, but doesn't mention. She knows that he doesn't like to make a big deal about it. He had done his best to keep from talking about it, making sure all the attention stayed on Hotch, which according to Spencer, was much more necessary. He was like that. It was one of the qualities she loved about Reid: his compassion for others over himself. After his ordeal in Georgia, he had asked if she was okay, as he sat in the hospital. And then his drug addiction, he never asked anyone's help after deciding to kick the habit. He had just set out to do it and then did it. She still regretted that, letting it get that far. She still blames herself for not seeing the signs quicker, not saying something, but she doesn't say anything about it. He wouldn't talk to her about it anyways. She shakes away the thoughts and helps the little boy in front of her change out of his pajamas and into something appropriate for the aquarium: his Finding Nemo shirt and blue shorts with orange fishes on it - one of many of Penelope's gifts. She brushes his hair - or at least tries to as he fights to get back down to go and talk to Spencer. Eventually, she gives in and sets him on the ground.
"'Penner, I ready! We see Nemo now!"
Spencer takes in the boy's appearance and smiles. "That's a nice shirt. Is that Nemo?"
"Nemo and Dory, Silly! Just keep swimming! Just keep swimming!"
Spencer laughs as the little boy sings the words before looking up at JJ. "Is Will working today?"
"He's off playing golf."
She sees his eyebrows furrow and he gives her a pursed smile before looking back at Henry who has started to ramble about Nemo again. She resists the urge to roll her eyes, knowing that he knows about the fight without her having to say anything. Sometimes she really hates profilers.
"Let me leave him a note and then we'll get going, alright?"
She knows Spencer's eyes are back on her as she makes her way to the kitchen, curious on why she'd leave a note rather than call. She doesn't want to deal with Will accusing her again though. A note is easier, explains where they are without having to deal with attitude. She finishes it and puts it on the fridge before returning back to the living room to see her son with his hands on Spencer's cheeks, trying to help the older man make 'the fishie face!' She smiles as Henry's laugh floats through the room.
"Mommy, 'Penner a fish! 'Pennerfish!"
