Progeny

Part 3

"What?"

Tears slipped from Sara's eye. "I was pregnant, Spencer."

He sat for a few minutes in stunned silence.

"Spencer…"

"Why … why didn't … why didn't you tell … tell me?" his thoughts were completely disconnected. His stomach was doing flip flops.

"I tried."

He shook his head. He would have remembered that.

"I did," she took a deep breath. "Do you remember the conversation we had a week before I left?"

He looked at her with a blank expression.

"We were in my room. We were talking about you're fear of ending up like your mom."

Vague recognition came over his face.

FLASHBACK

"Just because your mom's schizophrenic doesn't mean that you … or your children will be."

Spencer shook his head. "I don't want kids." He stood and began to pace. "As a child of a schizophrenic, I have a thirteen percent of being schizophrenic. If I'm not, any children I have would have a five percent chance of having schizophrenia. Why would I ever chance that? Why would I subject a child to what I go through?"

Sara expression fell. "But what if … accidently…"

Spencer shook his head. "I don't want kids!"

She looked as if he'd slapped her.

He sat beside her, "I'm sorry, Sara. It's not going to happen, ever. That's why I'm adamant about protection. I'm never having kids."

END FLASHBACK

"So that's why? That's why you left. Didn't you think I had the right to know?" His voice was harsh.

She swallowed. "I was a fifteen year old girl who'd not only just found out that I was pregnant, but also that the boy I was in love with, the father of my baby, didn't want our baby."

He didn't know what to say. Logically, he could understand what she was saying, but emotionally? "Where'd you go?" His voice was weak.

"My mom's."

"I bet that went over well."

Sara nodded. "She never let me forget what a disappointment I was. I was pretty much held captive for the duration of my pregnancy."

"Why didn't your father ever tell me?"

Her fingers threaded through her hair. "He never…, I never told him."

Spencer shook his head in disbelief.

"I knew if I told him, he'd tell you.

"That's why you never visited him."

She nodded.

"What …," Spencer's heart felt like it was going to burst through his chest, "what happened to the baby?"

"My mom insisted that I give the baby up for adoption, but I couldn't. I couldn't give away the only part of you I had left. So I called my aunt, my mom's sister. When my parents split, my aunt was so pissed at my mom. I never asked why, but they never spoke again. I told her my situation, and she took me and my baby in, no questions asked." She took a sip of her coke. "It's because of my aunt that I was able to finish high school, and eventually college. She's helped me with everything."

Spencer was having a hard time wrapping his head around what she was saying. He had a child. By his calculations, he had a twelve year old … "What did you have?"

A happy, serene look overtook her face. "A beautiful little girl. I named her Hope. Hope Diana Michaels-Reid."

He swallowed. "You … you gave her my name?"

She put her hand on his. "I never wanted her to doubt that she has a father. I always hoped that one day that you and she would connect."

Spencer looked down at her hand on his. The feeling was so familiar, too familiar. He pulled his away. "Why now? Why wait until now?"

"Because I need you. Hope has an IQ of a hundred and ninety. She had a perfect SAT score. She's twelve and colleges are fighting over her. She needs you."

He ran his hand over his face. "This is completely surreal." He stood. "What am I supposed to do? Am I just supposed to show up, 'Hi Hope, I'm you father. Sorry I haven't been around for the last twelve years, how can I help you?' Is that the way it's supposed to go?"

Tears welled up in Sara's eyes. "I know you're pissed off at me, and rightfully so, but…," tears fell. "Hope is my life and there is nothing that I won't do for her. I don't care if you hate me. I don't care if you want nothing to do with me. It's not about me. It's not about you. It's about Hope." She was sobbing.

He'd always hated seeing her cry. Logically, he knew that the actions of a scared fifteen year old girl should be forgiven, but logic just wasn't winning the argument in his head. He'd loved her. Sure, he was only a kid, but he'd loved her. She'd loved him too. She'd loved him enough to keep him from what scared him most of all.

His thoughts were interrupted by his cell phone ringing.

"Reid," he answered.

"It's J.J. There's a girl here looking for you. She says she's your daughter."

CM CM CM CM CM CM CM CM CM CM CM CM CM CM CM CM CM CM

Spencer stepped off the elevator with Sara following him. Walking to his desk, he saw a young girl sitting in his chair. Members of his team who hadn't left for their vacations yet were gathered around her, enraptured by whatever she was telling them.

"Hope Diana Michaels…" Sara's voice boomed.

"Hi Mom," her voice was almost timid.

"What … How…" Sara couldn't form a coherent thought.

"I overheard you talking to Nainie."

"How did you get here?" Sara asked as she pulled her daughter out of the chair and hugged her.

Hope bit her bottom lip in the same way her mother did, Spencer noted.

"I used some of my savings to buy a plane ticket, and then took a cab here from the airport." She looked a Reid and then back to Sara. "I know you're probably going to ground me, but since you came here because of me, I thought that it only right that I be here when you confront him. Statistically, the odds are better if I am here. Dr. Reid is less likely to reject me if I'm standing right in front of him." She moved in front of him and held out her hand. "Hope Michaels-Reid, pleasure to meet you."

Spencer stared at her hand, not sure what to do. "I, uh, I…"

Hope grabbed his hand and shook it.

All he could do was stare at her. Just looking into her eyes, his eyes, was proof enough that she was his, and when she smiled, he saw his mother. "Hi."

"Okay, not to be rude, but I think it's time we gave them a little privacy." J.J. told Derek, Emily, and Penelope.

They disbursed with pleasantries leaving Spencer alone with the only love of his life and her … his … their daughter.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Please, just one little review is all I'm asking for.