DINA THE DINOSAUR LOVED CHEESE

"Reid."

Reid could feel himself being shaken and jumped slightly. Though it only took him a moment to remember where he was, it took his heart a little longer to catch up. It was not until he looked down at the little girl that was curled up in his side that it slowed. They had been up way too late talking about her book that she had read him. He was not even sure when they fell asleep, or who fell asleep first.

"I am sorry," Reid went to sit up but the weight of Spencer kept him down. "She came down when I got back and was determined to read me her book."

"Sad, wasn't it?" Joanna gave him a soft smile. "She has read it to me many times and still the ending always gets me."

"It was definitely not the twist I was expecting," Reid agreed, giving her a smile in return but quickly it faded away. His emotions were so confused and jumbled right now, he felt like he was going to explode at any moment.

"Would you like some coffee or tea?" Joanna asked as she worked to move Spencer into a more comfortable spot and off Reid.

"Tea would be good," Spencer nodded.

Joanna pulled a blanket off the back of the couch and placed it over her daughter. Their daughter. Reid had to keep reminding himself that this little girl was his daughter. Joanna then began to walk passed Reid when he reached out and took her by the wrist. It was not something that he had meant to do and he instantly regret it as memories of them came flooding back. The knot that had been in his stomach tightened and he felt he might get sick.

"Let me help you," Reid finally spoke. He then realized he was still holding onto her arm and promptly let it go.

"Thank you," she stood there for a moment looking down at him before disappearing through a doorway off to the side of the living room.

Reid took a moment to calm down before bringing himself to his feet and following her. The door led him to a little room that appeared to be used as a pantry. There was another doorway to the far corner of it and being the only direction to go, that is the path he took. This door led into a decent sized kitchen, bigger than the one that his apartment held. It was covered in everything one would expect of a kitchen, the fridge being the best part. It was its own personal Spencer art museum. Reid smiled. Of course, his kid would be wonderful.

Reid noticed the tea pot on the stove and reached for it. He then went to fill it with water. Joanna produced a tea infuser and three different kinds of teas and set them on the counter. They continued to work together silently. Normally, Reid was not a fan of silence, but he welcomed it this time. He still did not trust himself when it came to talking to Joanna.

"Reid," Joanna finally broke the silence and he wanted to scream but he kept his calm. If it were not for the desperate, almost begging tone in her voice, he probably would have screamed.

"Joanna, I don't," Reid began to speak but she held up her hand to stop him.

"Please let me say something," she begged again. "Once I say this, the floor is all yours."

"Go ahead," Reid leaned himself against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest. He was patiently waiting his turn. He deserved a turn to talk, no matter what she had gone through.

"I need for us to get along," Joanna stated, sitting down in a chair at the small table that sat in the corner.

"I ca..." Reid went to interrupt but again, she threw up a hand.

"You said you would let me speak," Joanna glared at him, challenging him to go against his word.

"Fine," Reid sighed, reaching for his tea to keep his hands and his mouth occupied long enough to let her get off her chest whatever it was she had to say.

"I need for us to get along," She began again and it took all of Reid's self-control to stop from interrupting her again. "I don't need us to like each other or be friends. But I need for us to get along. We have a past. I messed up. I know I messed up. But this is not about me and it is not about you. It is about Spencer. And what she needs right now is us, getting along with one another. So not only do I need for us to get along, it is my requirement. If you can't be civil with me, I can't have you around. She doesn't need the stress it would cause."

Reid was silent for a few moments. He wanted to make sure that she was done before he began to speak and he also needed to think of how to answer. He was not the best at pretending to be something in front of other people. Who he is always seems to slip out. But this was important. Spencer needed him. Well, maybe she needed him. She had gone her whole life without him. But he was here now and the last thing she needed was for him to mess it all up by constantly being angry with her mom.

"On one condition," Reid finally stepped away from the counter, switching now to pacing back and forth. "I need us to make it clear to her and I need you to be clear that I need to be able to walk away. I will not leave. But I at times have trouble controlling myself. I can promise to get along with you but I also need to be able to walk away when I can't."

"That seems fair enough," Joanna agreed. "Spencer has a walk away policy too. She is not good at walking away because she is smart and hot headed, kind of like some other people I know. But she understands needing to take a breath and so do I."

"Then I can get along with you," Reid finally agreed, going to take a sip of his tea but stopping as the glass touched his lips. "For Spencer."

Reid set down his tea, about to say something else, when his phone began to ring. He reached in and looked at the caller I.D. He had completely intended on ignoring it. That is, until he noticed that it was Penelope. She would never give up and would probably begin to worry about him if he did not answer the phone.

"I need to take this," Reid held his phone up for Joanna, though she more than likely heard it ringing.

"I will give you some privacy," she grabbed her coffee and stood up. "I should go check on Spencer anyway."

"I will be out there soon," he reassured her with a smile.

"Hello," Reid answered the phone just as Joanna made her way out of the kitchen.

"Hey," Penelope spoke in her concerned voice. That told Reid that she knew more than she probably should about all of this. "How are you?"

"I will get back to you on that," Reid didn't have an answer for how he was and he certainly was not going to lie and say he did. Penelope would see through a fake answer, they all would. That was the downside of spending all your time with people who read people for a living.

"I bet," Penelope confirmed his suspicions about how much she knew. "I just wanted to call and let you know that if you need anything, I am here."

"Thank you," Reid smiled faintly, but again that feeling in his stomach was taking over. It was too soon to take a moment to walk away.

"I will let you get back to it," Penelope smiled into the phone. That was something he had always loved about her. You could tell how she was feeling simply by hearing her voice. The comfort that came with her familiarity was just that, comforting.

"I will keep you guys informed," Reid promised. "Oh, and Penelope?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"Anytime sugar cakes."

Reid smiled again, this time a truly genuine one. Everyone in life needed to get themselves a Penelope Garcia. She had a way of making thing better in moments when they were far from it. More of her and the world would be perfect, or as close to perfect as it could be.

Once he hung up, Reid took a few deep breaths before making his way back into the living room. Spencer was now awake and talking with her mom, animated and a smile reaching up to her ears.

"I feel like I missed something very big," Reid put on a smile and made his way over to stand next to the couch.

"Spencer was just telling me about reading you her book," Joanna brought Reid up to speed. "She even told me she did the voices. You did not tell me she did the voices."

"I assumed the voices were just a part of the story," Reid laughed, remembering how Spencer had a different voice for every character in her story. It really was quite impressive.

"Nope," Spencer smiled up at him. "Only during special times."

"Well I am happy to have been a special time," Reid felt his heart flutter and then drop. This was his, she was his. That should be the greatest feeling in the world but instead it was covered with gloom. She was only going to be his a little while longer. The odds were in no ones favor.

"I want pancakes," Spencer changed the subject quickly and looked over at her mom. "Can we make pancakes?"

"Um," Joanna looked between Spencer and Reid, trying to see if he was okay with Pancakes.

"I love pancakes," Reid nodded.

"Pancakes it is," Joanna agreed. "But you both have to help me."

"Deal," Spencer and Reid spoke at the same time.

Yeah, she was his.

At least for now.