Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds
A/N: Shout out to Jasmine, Hippichic81, Chermayne, tannerose5, OhSnapItsMadison for reviewing chapter 3.
I already have Daniel's looks planned out, so here's a heads up that one of his features will surprise you guys since his hair color won't be like Spencer's, Olivia's, Piper's, Albert's and Ava's but Daniel's hair color will be from Spencer's maternal side of the family so feel free to guess who's hair color Daniel will be inheriting when you review for this chapter. I already have the child actor in mind due to a movie I watched a couple of months back, and you guys have to wait until Daniel's birth to find out the name of the child actor and movie I'm talking about.
Olivia's now 17 weeks pregnant.
Spencer and Olivia were walking through the paint store, and Olivia looked at her husband.
"Since we're having a boy, you get to pick the theme of Daniel's nursery." said Olivia.
At that moment Spencer noticed some wall art stickers and grinned when he saw a few knights and dragons.
"I want us to do a knights of the round table theme." said Spencer.
"Diana's going to love it." said Olivia.
20 minutes later they were leaving the store when Spencer's work phone vibrated and he groaned when he saw that he had a case.
"I have to get going, and I have enough time to take you home since Hotch, Morgan, and Garcia have a meeting about another case that they're working on together." said Spencer.
Two hours later Spencer was sitting at the conference room table when Hotch entered the room.
"Let's get started." said Hotch.
"Ok. Savannah, Georgia, known for its charm and southern hospitality, though not so much for Brandy Green of Dover, Delaware, because 3 months ago, she came to town for a bachelorette party, and after a night of bar hopping with her bridesmaids, ended up in a dumpster in a back alley." said Garcia.
"Cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head." said Morgan.
"What's that wrapped around her face?" asked Rossi.
"That would be a sash she was wearing all night that says "bride-to-be" embroidered on it." said Garcia.
"The wrapping could be ritualistic, like a shroud of some sort." said Spencer.
"Or a sign of the killer's remorse." said Tara.
"But this happened 3 months ago. Why are we getting this now?" asked Morgan.
"Because two days ago, the body of Ashley Wilcox of Dayton, Ohio, was also found in an alley dumpster in Savannah." said Hotch as Garcia showed some pictures.
"And she also had blunt force trauma, but she was strangled to death with her bride-to-be sash." said Garcia.
"It's unlikely the work of the same jilted lover, since the two women lived in different states hundreds of miles apart." said Rossi.
"They could be surrogates. Any sign of sexual assault?" asked Tara.
"None on Brandy. We don't know about Ashley yet." said Garcia.
"What's interesting is the unsub doesn't care about hiding the bodies very well." said Spencer.
"Well, he'd have to be physically fit to lift the bodies into the dumpsters." said Morgan.
"He could be sending a message that to him women are trash, disposable." said Rossi.
"No, this is about marriage. He's taking these brides on the eve of what should be the happiest day of their lives. He wants to crush that. Their weddings have become their wakes." said Tara.
At that moment Hotch told everyone to go home since they were leaving in the morning.
Later that night Spencer and Olivia were getting ready for bed when Olivia looked at her husband.
"I'm craving a big mac and french fries from McDonalds." said Olivia as she smiled sweetly at her husband.
Spencer pulled his clothes back on, and a few minutes later he was getting into his car just as his cellphone vibrated.
I'M ALSO CRAVING A CHOCOLATE MILKSHAKE. ~ OR
Spencer shook his head as he started his car so he could drive to McDonalds.
After Olivia finished off her meal, she smirked at her husband.
"What do you think about going upstairs and take a bubble bath together, and I can reward you for being a good husband?" asked Olivia as she winked at him.
At that moment Spencer felt his pants tighten, and 20 minutes later Spencer and Olivia were soaking in their claw foot bathtub.
The next morning Spencer was eating breakfast with his family and looked at his kids when he was almost done eating.
"Daddy's going away for a few days." said Spencer.
"Where are you going?" asked Piper.
"Savannah, Georgia and it's known as the south's most popular wedding destination like my hometown Las Vegas is known as a popular wedding destination in the west." said Spencer.
"You stay safe daddy." said Piper.
"I promise." said Spencer as he looked at his watch, "Uncle Aaron is coming to get me in 5 minutes so I have enough time to give you three kids lots of hugs and kisses before I have to go outside."
Five minutes later Spencer was getting into Hotch's car, and Spencer smiled when he saw Piper waving at them from the window causing, both him and Hotch to wave back.
"Established in 1733, Savannah is the oldest city in Georgia and one of the south's most popular wedding destinations." said Spencer as he thought about how his elopement happened in Las Vegas.
"Brandy and Ashley are both low-risk lifestyle victims, but their behavior the nights they were murdered was anything but." said Morgan.
"Bar hopping, being intoxicated in public, getting separated from their friends, all of that would have raised their risk levels, making them easy prey. But I am not victim blaming here. It's entirely understandable that both women would have wanted to enjoy themselves during their last nights as single women." said Tara as she thought about her own upcoming wedding.
"And from the unsub's point of view, the bars are target rich environments." said Hotch.
"But why pick only brides-to-be? Why not choose women a little less high-profile?" asked Rossi.
"Wearing a bride-to-be sash must be like waving a red cape at a bull." said Morgan.
"Actually, bulls are colorblind. So it doesn't really matter what color cape a matador waves, it's the cape's movement that elicits an aggressive charge response." said Spencer as he gained looks from his teammates, "But Morgan's metaphor still applies here." said Spencer as he realized that even though Olivia helps him be more confident, there are times that he will still be socially awkward.
"This is probably a man who had his own engagement broken off, so living in Savannah, surrounded by weddings and happy brides, it must be driving him crazy." said Tara.
At that moment Garcia's face appeared on the monitors.
"Sir, we just got a report that a third bride-to-be went missing. Madison Mills, 25, from Tampa, Florida, was celebrating at a bar with her bridesmaids last night, when she disappeared. She's supposed to get married next Sunday." said Garcia.
"The first victim was 3 months ago, the second two days ago, and now Madison." said Spencer.
"He's accelerating." said Hotch.
"He may be a townie, trolling bars to meet women." said Rossi.
"What if he interacted with them and they turned down his advances?" asked Tara.
"He could have felt emasculated, thus triggering his rage." said Spencer.
"I'll see if there's any connection between the brides-to-be." said Garcia.
"And, Garcia, look for men living in the area with violent criminal records." said Morgan.
"Also any men who were recently engaged and any who've had the engagements broken off." said Hotch.
"Check for cold feet. Got it." said Garcia.
"So how do we know Madison didn't hook up with a guy at a bar? I mean, she could still be sleeping it off and just doesn't want to face her friends." said Morgan.
"We should check into that. In the meantime, Morgan, you and Lewis retrace the victim's last steps. Reid, go to the M.E., and Dave and I will go to the P.D. and talk to the families." said Hotch.
Rossi looked at Spencer.
"So have you and Olivia talked about Daniel's nursery yet?" asked Rossi.
"We've decided on a medieval theme." said Spencer before looking at Hotch, "When you sent us home yesterday afternoon to spend time with our families and sleep in our own beds, my dad and I were able to get the first coat painted."
"Your mom's really going to love the theme of the nursery the next time she comes to visit." said Rossi.
"I know." said Spencer.
"Why would your mom love the theme of the nursery?" asked Tara.
"Before my mom was forced to retire, she was a medieval 15th century literature professor so she has gotten me into the knights of the round table and chivalry since I was a child, and some of her episodes for her schizophrenia deal with back when she was a literature professor so she would be Professor Reid and I would end up being her student." said Spencer.
"Ahh." said Tara.
"I'm not always upset when she becomes Professor Reid because then I get to see what my mom was like before her schizophrenia got worse." said Spencer as he thought about his recent phone call with his mother's doctor about the possibility of having to change his mom's medication for a second time.
Morgan decided to steer the conversation back to the nursery.
"Let us know if you need any help with the nursery." said Morgan.
"My dad and I are working on it together, and Piper got to help with the painting a bit yesterday." said Spencer as he showed a picture of a grinning Piper covered a bit with blue paint.
"Now that's adorable." said Tara.
"Piper and Ava are a bit upset that they are getting another brother, and Albert has been demanding that Daniel move into his room as soon as Daniel's old enough to sleep in a big boy's bed." said Spencer.
"So your happy about now having two of each?" asked Rossi.
"I am, and my dad and aunt Ethel both love the name that Livy and I picked out." said Spencer.
"So you're related to the Daniel you're naming your son after?" asked Tara.
Spencer grabbed his wallet out of his pocket and showed Tara a picture of a four year old him with his uncle Daniel.
"He was my dad's younger brother who was married to my aunt Ethel, and despite aunt Ethel being widowed she considers my maternal cousin Andrew and I both of her boys since my mom's twin brother became a widower when I was 11 and Andrew was 9." said Spencer.
Spencer stood in front of Ashley Wilcox's body with M.E. Juliette Raynard.
"Ashley Wilcox, cause of death, asphyxiation caused by strangulation. Her head was wrapped postmortem." said ME Raynard.
"Were you able to get anything out of the sash?" asked Spencer while he held the bag containing the sash.
"Some trace DNA. We're running it through CODIS." said M.E. Raynard.
Spencer set down the bag.
"The ligature marks show hesitation on the part of the killer." said Spencer as he crouched down a bit.
"He pulled the sash tight across her neck and then released it several times before she died." said Raynard.
"It could be the unsub's way of torturing his victims, or he's reluctant to kill. This looks like it was caused by some sort of heavy object. I'm thinking a flashlight or a lead pipe, perhaps." said Spencer as he pointed at the bump.
"That's what I was thinking." said Raynard.
"Any sign of sexual assault?" asked Spencer.
"No. The first victim, Brandy Green, died instantly from the blow to her head, but the killer took more time with Ashley." said Raynard.
"The unsub could be impotent, and choking his victims is how he satiates his urges." said Spencer as he ended up taking ahold of one of Ashley's hands to look at the nails while thinking about how Olivia would go get her nails done at the spa and occasionally take Piper and Ava with her.
"The press-on nails on that hand are missing, probably ripped off in the struggle." said Raynard.
"The nails have been bitten off." said Spencer.
"Maybe Ashley bit her nails before she was tortured? Nail-biting's an unsanitary habit, but pretty common." said Raynard.
At that moment Spencer thought about how he and Olivia were trying to break Piper and Ava of the habit of biting their nails as he examined Ashley's nails.
"True, but it's still considered an impulse control disorder. It's often associated with other body focus repetitive behaviors such as skin picking, skin biting, and trichotillomania. But, in this case, I think there's more to it than that, because the nails haven't been bitten underneath the press-on nails." said Spencer before he looked at the ME, "Are you testing the saliva?"
"What are you thinking?" asked Raynard.
Spencer stood up to his full height.
"I'm thinking the unsub bit Ashley's nails." said Spencer.
"I've seen some freaky stuff in my day, but never this." said Raynard.
"He most likely has some sort of mental disorder." said Spencer.
"I'll say." said Raynard.
Spencer was walking to the recent crime scene with Morgan and Tara while Morgan contacted Garcia.
"Baby girl, you there?" asked Morgan.
"Speak now or forever hold your peace." said Garcia.
"Listen, Reid thinks that our unsub may have a mental illness. Run that against your list of local men with records. Domestic disputes, peeping, public intoxication." said Morgan.
"And check to see if any have been released from public or private mental health institutions within the area." said Spencer.
"Bingo, 5 names. Sending them now." said Garcia.
A few minutes later they reached the tree that the unsub laid Madison's body on.
"A man walking his dog found her." said Captain Hallendale.
"Why change dump sites now?" asked Tara.
"The unsub could have figured a dumpster downtown was too risky." said Spencer.
"She's got a gash on the side of her head like the others. And look at this." said Tara as she showed what was written on Madison's head.
"Is that lipstick?" asked Hallendale.
"By wrapping and marking Madison's face, the unsub's taking away her beauty." said Morgan.
"And by choosing the word "slut," the unsub's commenting on Madison's virtue. Virtue and beauty are traditionally celebrated attributes in women." said Spencer as he thought about how much he fell in love with Olivia's inner beauty since outer beauty didn't matter to him.
"That's especially true for a bride or a bride-to-be." said Morgan.
At that moment Tara looked at Spencer before saying her thoughts out loud.
"The unsub is female." said Tara.
"How do you figure that?" asked Hallendale.
"3 female victims, no sign of sexual assault, and the victims were all strangled, but not manually." said Spencer.
"And the word "slut" written here in lipstick, is linguistically a word choice typically made by females." said Tara.
"Now it's time to deliver the profile." said Morgan.
Spencer stood in the police station with Hotch and Tara giving the profile while Morgan and Rossi gave it to the press outside.
"We believe the unknown subject we're looking for is a white woman in her late 20s to early 30s." started Hotch.
"Because she was able to subdue, control, transport, and dispose of the 3 victims, she's most likely large and strong." said Tara.
"But she comes across as non-threatening, allowing her to get close to her victims before attacking them." said Spencer.
"We should be interviewing wedding vendors. They may have come in contact with this woman." said Hotch.
"This list obviously includes caterers, florists, photographers, wedding planners, hotel managers, and bridal shop workers." said Spencer as he thought back to when he and Olivia discussed their wedding before they decided to elope.
"Is she making a statement about the institution of marriage?" asked Hallendale.
"Because of her poor self-image, as evidenced by the demeaning language and the nail-biting, we believe she is angry with these brides-to-be because of some romantic frustration or disappointment in her own life. She's most likely lashing out over something or someone she feels she'll never have." said Tara.
"She attacks with a level of violence that demonstrates this is personal. She may be jealous of her victims for having something that she desperately wants for herself. Thank you." finished Hotch.
"What can you tell us, Garcia?" asked Rossi.
"That the stress and pressure of planning the perfect wedding is enough to drive anyone bonkers." said Garcia as she realized that eloping was the right thing for Spencer and Olivia since they kept everything low key for Diana.
"Garcia, you find any connection between the wedding vendors and the 3 victims?" asked Morgan.
"Oh, yeah. Brandy, Ashley, and Madison all went to the same 30 vendors, one of which does a horse-drawn pumpkin carriage. I mean, come on. I need that in my life. Anyway, I talked to all the vendors and none of them remember a large, strong non-threatening woman who was recently dumped by her fiance so she had to cancel all of her plans. They said they'd definitely remember a customer like that." said Garcia.
"But what if the unsub didn't visit one of the vendors? What if she is one of the vendors?" asked Hotch.
"That's a more statistically probable way that the unsub could come in contact with all the victims." said Spencer as Tara's phone rang.
"If she had a relationship that ended badly, dealing with happy brides every day could fuel her anger." said Rossi.
"Garcia, see if any of the vendors fit the profile and if any have been recently divorced." said Hotch.
"Asketh and you shall receiveth." said Garcia before hanging up.
"If she's attacking brides-to-be because she was in a bad relationship or one didn't go as she hoped, then she's most likely depressed." said Morgan.
"Yeah, but in my experience, depressed women don't display this level of violence towards others." said Tara.
"Even if the depression's so severe, it leads to psychosis?" asked Hotch.
The next morning Spencer smiled when he saw the smiling faces of Olivia and his kids on his tablet.
"Good morning daddy." said Piper.
"Good morning guys, did you three munchkins have a good sleepover with mommy last night?" asked Spencer as he thought about the text he got from Olivia.
"I got to feel DJ kick." said Piper.
"You did?" asked a grinning Spencer.
"Kicking is not nice." said Piper as she thought about the time she was forced to have a time out after kicking Albert.
"Kicking isn't nice, but feeling your baby brother kick is his way to say hi and that he already loves us all." said Spencer.
"OK daddy." said Piper.
"En is my broter be here?" asked Albert.
"About 23 more weeks buddy." said Spencer.
"Tat a long time." said Albert.
"I know, but right now Daniel's the size of an onion." said Spencer.
"That's little." said Piper.
"Onions are yucky." said Albert.
"Plus they make daddy and me cry when we cut them." said Olivia.
At that moment Spencer noticed Hotch, Rossi, Morgan, and Tara coming.
"Well daddy has to get going since I'm about to eat breakfast, and if I'm not coming home tonight I will call you guys at bedtime." said Spencer before he exchanged "I love yous" with the kids and signed off Skype.
"Ok, let's add it up. We may have a wedding vendor who is in love with someone who doesn't love her back or who might be engaged. And she's probably severely depressed because of her physical and emotional state." said Tara as Spencer nodded along.
"Assuming she's under a doctor's care, she might be off her meds. Nail-biting can be a symptom of that." said Spencer as he answered a phone call from Garcia, "What's up, Garcia?"
"I found several female vendors who went through a divorce, but none in the past 6 months." said Garcia.
"Do any of them have a history of depression?" asked Spencer.
"Nuh. Zilch. Sorry." said Garcia.
"What about women whose family members or loved ones recently got engaged?" asked Tara as Garcia's computer beeped.
"Hey, here's something. There's a local woman, Nicole Seavers, who, according to social media, just got engaged last night. Here's her Instagram post." said Garcia, causing Spencer to look at Tara's tablet, "She owns a flower shop, Blossoms, and her new fiance happens to be a wedding photographer named Ryan Becker, working out of said shop."
"She doesn't have the physicality to be the unsub." said Tara.
"But the unsub could be someone close to Nicole. Garcia, we need to look at people in Nicole's immediate circle of family and friends." said Spencer.
A short while later Garcia was video conferencing with them.
"You guys, you guys, Nicole Seavers inherited the flower shop from her mother, who died a year ago. Her older sister, Dana Seavers also works there." said Garcia.
"So the mom left the shop to only the one daughter?" asked Rossi.
"That must have hurt Dana." said Tara.
"Is the father in the picture?" asked Hotch.
"No. He left when they were little. This is the part of the story that is disturbing and sad at the same time. So, you know how Nicole and Ryan got engaged last night? Well, 3 months ago, Dana set up a wedding registry." said Garcia.
"She must have known in advance about her sister getting engaged. Maybe the boyfriend enlisted her help." said Spencer.
"No, the wedding registry isn't for Nicole and Ryan, it's for Dana and Ryan, and according to Dana's credit cards, she's been buying stuff off the wedding registry and sending them to herself." said Garcia.
"Ok, so she must be suffering from psychosis, confusing what is real with her own little fantasy world." said Morgan.
"This isn't just psychosis. This is a psychotic delusion based on Ryan Becker." said Spencer.
"And then when another woman threatens that delusion, she suffers a psychotic break." said Tara.
"Dana's her sister Nicole got engaged to Ryan, which means Nicole is Dana's next victim." said Rossi.
"Garcia, we need addresses for the floral shop and for both sisters." said Hotch.
"Dana and Nicole both live above the flower shop. Sending now." said Garcia.
"Thanks." said Hotch as he, Spencer, Morgan, Rossi, and Tara headed out the door.
Hotch tried opening up the door before looking at Morgan.
"Morgan." said Hotch.
Morgan used a tool so he wouldn't do damage to the glass door, and less than a minute later Spencer was helping his teammates clear the shop.
"Clear!" shouted Hotch.
Spencer looked through a curtain.
"Clear!" shouted Spencer.
Hotch and Rossi checked the basement.
"Clear!" shouted Hotch.
A few minutes later Spencer was donning latex free gloves in Dana's bedroom.
"Look at this place." said Tara.
"Clutter or the constant presence of a messy room is often a sign of depression." said Spencer as Tara grabbed a journal and looked at it.
"Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Becker. Mrs. Dana Becker, Dana and Ryan Becker." she created a checklist for her life together with Ryan. Farmhouse, a chocolate lab, and two kids named Megan and Jake." said Tara as Spencer noticed a pill bottle and held it up.
"Look at this, bupropion. It's an antidepressant. This was dispensed 6 months ago, but the bottle's sill full." said Spencer as he noticed other medication, "Trinessa. Metformin. Spironolactone?"
"That's an interesting combination of meds. Those are typically used to treat a hormone imbalance." said Tara.
Spencer thought of a disorder he learned about when he looked through pamphlets at the OB-GYN appointments he attended with Olivia when he was able to attend.
"It sounds to me like Dana has polycystic ovaries syndrome. It can cause obesity, excess hair growth, acne, and depression." said Spencer.
"PCOS is fairly common in teen girls and young women." said Tara.
"It sadly affects one in 10 women of reproductive age. The good news is, it's treatable." said Spencer.
"Ok, but it's PCOS. It didn't turn Dana into a killer." said Tara.
At that moment Spencer thought about how he had to deal with unsubs who have schizophrenia.
"I'm not saying that. I'm just saying it might have contributed to her becoming depressed." said Spencer.
A few minutes later Spencer, Tara, and Morgan were meeting downstairs with Hotch and Rossi.
"Anything upstairs to tell us where she might have taken Nicole?" asked Hotch.
"Nothing. But if Nicole is engaged to Dana's true love, Dana could go over the edge. We don't have a lot of time." said Morgan.
Spencer noticed the flowers and started naming them.
"African violets, Chinese hibiscus, roses, lilies, and orchids." said Spencer.
"What are you thinking, kid?" asked Rossi.
"They're all fresh flowers, but in order for all these varieties to thrive in this climate, they'd need a controlled environment." said Spencer.
"They've got a greenhouse. Dave, you and Reid stay here in case they come back." said Hotch.
Hotch, Morgan, and Tara left the flower shop.
A few hours later Spencer was sitting on the couch reading a book when Morgan gave Tara a cup of coffee.
"Here you go." said Morgan.
"Thank you." said Tara.
At that moment Rossi noticed Tara's engagement ring, causing him to think of Olivia's bridal set.
"Wow, so that's where the sun went. Nice rock." said Rossi as he examined Tara's engagement ring.
"Thank you." said Tara as she started to twist her engagement ring.
"Uh-oh. Trouble in paradise?" asked Rossi.
"Uh, no. I love him. I really do. It's just, um... This job makes things..." said Tara.
"Complicated?" asked an understanding Morgan.
At that moment Spencer looked up from his book.
"What's complicated?" asked Spencer.
At that moment Rossi looked at the only team member on the jet who was sporting a wedding band at the moment.
"Relationships." said Rossi before looking at Tara and whispered, "You're not the only one, Tara. So, Morgan, when are you and Savannah walking down the aisle?" asked Rossi as he said the last question louder for everyone to hear.
Spencer smirked at Morgan as he looked at his own wedding band.
"Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa. Baby steps. Baby steps. What are we doing?" asked Morgan as he held up his hands.
"When Derek Morgan says "I do," it'll be a national day of mourning for single women everywhere." teased Spencer with a smile on his face.
At that moment Rossi pointed at Morgan while Tara laughed at Spencer's comment.
"Just don't elope." said Rossi as he gave Spencer a slight glare since he was wanting to host either Spencer's wedding or the reception.
"Wow. Sounds like there's a story there." said Tara.
Spencer chuckled since Rossi already told him the story.
"Oh, there is." said Hotch as he looked up with a slight smirk on his face.
"I married the third ex Mrs. Rossi at a drive-in wedding chapel in Las Vegas. I had an Elvis impersonator perform the ceremony." said Rossi.
"You're kidding." said Tara.
"Wait for it." said Hotch.
"I'm playing twenty-one. I've got a streak going, I can't lose even if I try. Krystall's the dealer. One thing leads to another... I should have known it wouldn't last. Krystall spelled her name with a "K" and two Ls." said Rossi as Spencer and Tara smiled and chuckled, "We sobered up the next morning, the divorce was just as quick. I will never make that mistake again."
"What, get married, or have the King of Rock 'n' Roll as your justice of the peace?" asked Morgan.
"Both." said Rossi before he decided to impersonate Elvis Presley, "Thank you very much."
Everyone started laughing, and when they stopped, Morgan looked at Spencer.
"A lot of female agents ended up mourning when they found out about Olivia." said Morgan.
"You were the one to tell me to never date a woman who carried a gun." shot back Spencer, causing even more laughter.
"How long have you been married?" asked Tara.
"Olivia and I celebrated our four year wedding anniversary on September 24th, and after having three kids who will drive Olivia and me crazy we're still going strong since our fourth child is already on its way." smiled Spencer.
"You and Olivia are practically rabbits." said Morgan.
Spencer glared at Morgan.
"It's not my fault that twins runs through my mother's side of the family, and there are agents like Simmons and Garrett from the International Response Team who are brave enough to have four or more kids while having to travel all over the world." said Spencer.
At that moment Rossi looked at Spencer.
"Nice one, Spencer." said Rossi.
At that moment Tara looked at Spencer.
"How did you meet your wife?" asked Tara.
"Back in May of 2011, the BAU was facing budget cuts and I had to decide if I wanted to stay in the BAU or accept one of they many job offer I get." said Spencer.
"And you mentioning that Olivia worked at Cal-tech before teaching at Georgetown. You met her in Pasadena?" asked Tara.
Spencer nodded.
"I ended up taking a four month long sabbatical in Pasadena, and three of those months were teaching Chemistry at Cal-tech while the other month involved guest lecturing at Georgetown." said Spencer before taking a deep breath, "Prior to my sabbatical I was dealing with stress related migraines for over six months, and everyone including the doctor that I was seeing for my headaches was convincing me to take some time off since I had about a year's worth of vacation time saved up."
"And that sabbatical did you some good, kid." said Morgan.
"I know because I met Olivia during my first day in Pasadena. I was sitting in a coffee shop reading my chemistry text book and jotting down notes when I heard a female voice saying "excuse me, do you really read that fast?"" said Spencer.
"And you two hit it off right away." said Tara.
"We ended up talking for a few hours, causing us to find out that we had a lot in common when it came to practicing the same religion, growing up in the southwest, having PhDs in mathematics, hobbies, and interests. We were practically inseparable, and she decided to accept a job offer at Georgetown University since she always wanted to live in DC, causing me to ask her out." said Spencer.
"How long did you date her before asking her to become Dr. Olivia Reid?" asked Tara.
"Four months, and the day before I was due to return to the BAU I asked her to marry me." said Spencer.
"You dated Olivia for four months before popping the question?" asked Tara.
"Yes." said Spencer.
"So what was your wedding like?" asked Tara.
"We ended up doing a simple registration of marriage in Las Vegas with my parents, aunt, and my mom's doctor as witnesses." said Spencer.
Morgan looked at Tara.
"Reid and Olivia were very sneaky the weekend they headed to Vegas since Reid mentioned that his mom's doctor wanted to change her medication." said Morgan.
"My dad paid for the registration with cash while telling me that it was an early birthday present from him since I was 15 days away from turning 30." said Spencer.
"Who found out about your marriage first?" asked Tara.
"I did because the Clark County Court House faxed me a copy of Reid's marriage certificate to put into his personal file, and I decided to keep Reid's elopement a secret until he was ready to come clean." said Hotch.
"Garcia was second since I didn't want her to be yelling in front of everyone." said Spencer.
"And I was third." said Morgan before looking at Spencer, "We never got to do that bachelor party I was going to throw for you."
Spencer shook his head.
"Do you regret eloping?" asked Tara.
"Not at all since things were a bit rough when I returned from my sabbatical, and Livy didn't want the stress of planning a big wedding to give me a migraine." said Spencer before looking at Rossi, "Olivia and I were talking about having that formal wedding on our five year wedding anniversary next year, and if you want to host the wedding in your backyard, you can."
At that moment Rossi held up his hand.
"Consider it done, but for now you should just focus on Daniel's upcoming birth since Olivia's almost halfway through the pregnancy." said Rossi.
"I know." said Spencer.
Two hours later Spencer entered the house to see his dad and Olivia cuddling on the couch with all three pajama clad kids watching a movie, and as soon as the kids saw him they all shot off the couch and ran over to him.
"DADDY!" shouted Piper, Albert, and Ava all at once while Spencer knelt down to the kids eye level and hugged them.
"What movie are you guys watching?" asked Spencer.
"Rio 2." said Piper as she yawned.
"I guess it's time for bed." said Spencer as he noticed that all three kids were tired.
"They asked to stay up to see you home." said Olivia as she watched her husband scoop up Piper and Ava while William took charge of his grandson.
"Want me to read you girls a bedtime story?" asked Spencer.
"Yes, daddy." said Piper as she rested her head on her daddy's shoulder like Ava was currently doing.
"I will take care of your go bag." said Olivia.
A few minutes later Spencer was tucking Piper and Ava into their beds, and after reading to them for five minutes, both girls were sleeping.
Two hours later Spencer and Olivia were taking a bubble bath together before heading to bed themselves.