Alice Van Hoek adored her mother and loved her dearly because she had, for her entire life, been her whole world. Until recently.

Spencer was the 'recently' part, but Alice didn't mind because she found him fascinating to no end and thought he was the smartest man she'd ever met. She also loved that he loved her and that he made her mother's heart happy.

At any rate, one of her most favorite things in life these days was when she and Spencer would go and hang out at the library.

That's where they were today.


After playing on the giant chessboard, they were taking a moment to pause and sit on the big, oversized armchair in the room that housed the children's books. This was the duo's favorite spot because it gave them a view of the surrounding street, and even the small park across the way. They were also on the second floor of the building, allowing them to watch the rain as it cascaded down the large picture window.

Spencer was honestly mesmerized by the rain, but when he checked on Alice, he noticed that she wasn't taking the scene in quite the same way he was.

"What are you thinking, Ladybug?" Spencer asked her.

The three-year-old looked up at him. "You love mommy?"

"Very much."

Alice pointed to herself. "What about me?"

"Of course." he pulled her in close for a hug. "I love you very much, Alice Rose. Why do you ask?"

"I want a bro or sis."

At that, Spencer felt himself raising his eyebrows; true, though he and Aurora had been together for a short amount of time, they both loved each other deeply and knew that there was no chance of them breaking up. They both loved Alice, and Spencer was enjoying the crash course in parenting that he was receiving, but they hadn't reached the point of talking about Alice not being an only child.

"Really?"

Alice nodded. "Yep, and..."

Her words trailed off and she burst into giggles.

"What?" Spencer asked warily.

Getting control of herself, Alice replied, "Rebbie's mommy has a baby in her tummy!"

'Rebbie,' short for Rebel, was Alice's best friend in the world, and according to Aurora, the two had known each other for literally their entire lives to date. No wonder Alice wanted a sibling: she wanted to be just like her best friend.

"Well, Rebel's mother decided that it was time to add to their family." Spencer told her in a matter-of-fact way. "All babies come when their parents wish on wishing stars for them."

Alice opened her mouth to respond, but Spencer's words had struck her in such a profound way that she settled on silence and elected to not say anything just yet, so Spencer continued.

"You know what, though, Ladybug? Before I met you and your mommy, I spent a lot of time wishing for someone who made my heart happy."

That was true, but he just hadn't told anyone at the BAU about it because he was afraid of getting teased. In fact, until telling Emily and JJ about Aurora and Alice, the only person in his innermost circle who knew about them was his mother, Diana, and she lived all the way out on the other side of the country in Las Vegas.

"I wished for someone who made my heart happy, and then I met your mommy at the coffee place."

Again, Alice didn't say anything, but a giggle escaped her lips. She so loved hearing the story of how her mother had met Spencer.

"When I met your mama, she told me about you and then we met. Do you remember?"

Alice nodded emphatically. "At Goli's Place!"

The establishment she was talking about was actually called Fagoli's Place, but Spencer didn't have the heart to correct her.

"Mhm, and you know what?"

"No, daddy." Alice returned honestly.

Spencer scooped her into his lap. "You are the best surprise I've ever gotten."

Alice trilled happily. "Because of wishing stars?"

As Alice looked up at him, waiting for an answer, Spencer looked at her, just appreciating how adorable she was. Today, she was dressed in a green long-sleeved dress and white stockings, with ladybug-themed rain boots. Her long brown hair was even done in two separate fishtail braids down the back, and the lenses of her polka-dotted framed glasses were surprisingly smudge-free.

Since Aurora had had to be out the door early, Spencer had gotten Alice ready for the day all by himself, and he felt very pleased with himself.

Remembering that Alice was waiting for an answer, Spencer gave her one. "Exactly, Alice Rose. You're the best surprise I've ever gotten because of wishing stars."

Alice hugged Spencer close. "I love you, daddy!"

"I love you, too." he reciprocated the hug. "Do you want to go look for books about stars?"

"Okay!"

Excited, she slid off the couch and hurried to the area of the room that had all of the science books.


Aurora called Spencer when he and Alice were at lunch.

"Hey, babe." she greeted him. "How's it going?"

"Pretty great, and Alice has been having fun all day long."

Aurora smiled even though Spencer couldn't see her. "Where are you at the moment?"

"At the mall: Alice was very hyper after we got out of the library, so I figured, why not make sure she eats before she burns off all that energy, too? She's playing on the playground—the one that looks like a treehouse with a ball pit."

"Thinking like a parent already, huh? Taking her to one of her favorite places to eat and to one of her favorite places to play? Alice will be sleeping like the dead tonight."

Aurora's tone on the 'sleeping like the dead' part was laced with deeper meaning, and for once, it didn't go over Spencer's head.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" he asked her.

Aurora laughed in minxish way—neither of them were strangers to each other in bed. "Oh, for sure."

"Aurora," Spencer said suddenly. "Aren't you with Doctor Cushing?"

"Yeah, but we're on a lunch break and she left to get lunch from the café area just down the hallway."

She paused briefly.

"Spencer?"

"Yes?"

"I've been thinking about my mom."

They both knew she meant Emily.

Spencer sat up a little straighter on the long, wraparound cushy vinyl bench provided for the parents to sit on. "Oh?"

"Uh-huh. I want to have her over for dinner tomorrow, and I want Alice to meet her, but do you think you'd be able to keep Alice occupied for the rest of the night?"

"If today is any indication, then taking care of her tomorrow should be easy, too. And fun." Spencer told her. "I'll bring her back to my place after so you can spend more time with Emily."

"Don't worry, silly goose, you can bring her back to mine. I don't think Emily would mind."

Aurora sounded like she wanted to say something else after that, but ended up sighing. "I can see Doctor Cushing on her way back already, so I guess I should go. Will you tell Emily to come to Noir Crescent at six tomorrow night?"

Noir Crescent was the name of Aurora's neighborhood, but that was what they affectionately called her house because it was the biggest one and also the last one on the lane, kind of a ways away from the others. But that was another story.

"Noir Crescent at six." the profiler echoed. "Got it."

The lovebirds expressed their 'I love yous' and told each other happy anniversary before hanging up.

After checking on Alice and making sure she was keeping out of mischief, Spencer called Emily.

"Spencer, hi!" she greeted him, having seen his name on the screen of her own phone. "What's up?"

"Aurora wants to have you over for dinner tomorrow night, just you and her."

"Really?" Emily was genuinely surprised that her daughter was reaching out to her already, but was, nonetheless, very excited. "Time and place?"

"1175 Jabberwocky Lane, and she specified six in the evening. Her house is the purple one at the very end."

"Her street is really called Jabberwocky in a neighborhood with the word noir in the name?"

"She told me that that was half the reason she chose the house; you should see all of the books she has, Emily." Spencer laughed. "We call the house itself Noir Crescent, too. You'll understand when you see it."

"You said we." Emily teased lightly. "I'll never be over that, but only because I'm just so happy for you and because you found my daughter."

"Thanks, Emily." Spencer smiled. "That means a lot to me."

Emily was already at home and having a movie marathon with JJ, the current one was Dirty Dancing. JJ was beside her on the couch, and their favorite foods were spread out on the coffee table, setting the mood even more. Now that Spencer was calling in regards to Aurora, Emily's pregnancy hormones were on even more of a roller coaster than they had been to begin with.

So as to distract herself and to keep from accidentally freaking Spencer out, Emily asked, "What flowers does Aurora like besides roses?"

"Lilies. She loves lilies, too."

"And does dear Alice have anything that she really loves?"

"She loves anything to do with science, especially The Magic School Bus, chess, and ladybugs."

"Science, chess, and ladybugs? Are you sure she's only three?"

Spencer laughed. "I'm quite sure."

"Then tell Aurora that I'll be at Noir Crescent at six tomorrow."

"Will do."


Aurora beat her family home with enough time to put her things away and change into something more comfortable. All she wanted for the rest of the weekend was to focus on her family.

She was in the kitchen when she heard Spencer and Alice return, so she hoisted herself herself up onto the counter and sat on it. Her family entered, and Spencer was carrying Aurora so that she was facing front and away from him.

"Hi, mama!"

"Hi, baby!" Aurora kissed Alice on the nose when she leaned forward. "Have a fun day?"

"Yep!"

"Did you get a lot of books?"

Alice tapped the straps of the backpack on her back, where her favorites of the day were stored. "So many!"

"You go run off to the front room, and we'll come join you in awhile."

That sat well with Alice, and taking her mother literally, she slid out of Spencer's arms and ran out of the front room.

When they were alone, Aurora pulled Spencer close to her, so he was now standing between her legs. Intertwining their fingers, Aurora held Spencer's to her lips and kissed them. She'd noticed that he was a little out of sorts.

"You okay, Spencer?"

He nodded. "Yeah, but I had an interesting conversation with Ladybug today."

"Oh, really? What did she say?"

"She informed me that Rebel's mother is expecting."

Rebel's mother was Aurora's best friend, so she knew of the pregnancy full well.

"She's almost at fourteen weeks now." Aurora arched an eyebrow at Spencer. "Alice told you that she wants a sibling, huh?"

"She did."

Aurora didn't respond at first, but only because she was trying to figure out exactly what to say. So Spencer spoke first.

"Rory, I know things are fast and not exactly in the most traditional of orders, but I love you so much and there is nobody else I'd rather be with. Ever. When the time comes, or if it's a surprise, I'd be over the moon to have a baby with you."

Aurora's eyes filled with happy tears because even though it was obvious that Spencer loved Alice like she was his own flesh and blood, he had still had some reservations about having a biological child because he was afraid of passing down the schizophrenic gene he'd inherited from his mother.

Spencer's admission had been a breakthrough.

"Do you mean that?" Aurora asked.

"I really do."

"Even though Alice...?"

As a baby, Alice had been diagnosed with myopia and was required to wear a special prescription that would correct her eyesight in time. Alice wasn't blind, but her eyesight still required a certain amount of care at times.

"Even then." Spencer told Aurora, giving her a kiss on the lips. "You can say that Alice warmed me up to the idea of life with a kid who's a little different."

Aurora only half-heard the last part of what Spencer had said because the previous part of the conversation was finally catching up with her, and a giddy feeling was now spreading through her body.

"A baby..."

"Um, Rory? Looking what you're doing."

Getting lost in thought, Aurora had been holding Spencer's hands to her middle, using her own hands to keep them in place.

"Sorry." she apologized, but didn't move their hands.

"Are you pregnant now?" Spencer asked cautiously.

"No, so go ahead and breathe. I was just remembering my pregnancy, once all of the kinks had been hammered out."

"Did you like it?"

"Spencer, I loved it."

Spencer was about to reply to that, but didn't get a chance because Alice called to them from the front room.

"Daddy? Mommy? You comin'?"

"In a second, Alice!"

That was from Aurora, and she looked back at Spencer, she held her hands a little tighter over hers. They were still plastered over Aurora's middle because they liked the feeling.

Aurora turned back to Spencer and spoke gently and lovingly to him.

"We can revisit the idea of having a baby or adopting one, and other such things another day, but," she pulled Spencer in by the shirt collar and planted a sizzling kiss on his lips, just because she had suddenly gotten in the mood. "There's nothing wrong with practicing, which we can do in the shower later tonight."

Aurora had a very strong influence of suggestion over Spencer's body, and she could see that he was quick on his way to La La Land, so she snapped her fingers in front of his eyes, immediately bringing him back to reality.

"Hm? What?" Spencer blinked and refocused his attention on his girlfriend, backing up as she gave him a gentle nudge so she could hop off the counter. "I'm totally here."

"There's just one last thing I want to say."

"And what's that?"

"All of this back and forth we've been doing lately, between your place and mine, it's getting a bit silly. And when you aren't traveling, you practically live here and it's closer to where you work; will you move in with us?"

Aurora's question caused Spencer's heart to leap into his throat, but he recovered quickly, surprising his love with a kiss.

"Yes!" he said when they pulled apart. "Yes!"

Aurora smiled at him. "Then let's go look at books with our daughter now."

And they did.