Title: Learning Something New: Speaking of Babies… (Part 4 of 4)
Author: Trista Groulx
Rating: T, same as the show
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. It pains me really, but I can let them have some fun, then return them unharmed. They belong to their creator, network, writers, and actors and actresses who portray them.
Summary: After babysitting Henry Prentiss needs to know how Reid feels about having babies of his own.
Notes: I wanted Reid and Prentiss to be on the same page about kids. I didn't think it would be a whole chapter but I think it works. There is a plot bunny about a mini Prentiss-Reid but it's starving currently.

Prentiss and Reid went back to his apartment. She decided she preferred Reid's place, it was a lot quieter then hers. It was also almost covered wall to wall with books, and had a nice homey feel to it. It was the kind of place she expected Reid to live in, and she loved it there. She was upset that they didn't get to watch the end of the movie, because now they would have to rent it, since it was just by dumb luck that she had found it on.

"You were so good with Henry tonight," Prentiss said.

"You keep saying that. Why is this so shocking to everyone?" he asked. "I read a few books about kids, and then I spent some time with him, JJ and Will showed me a thing or two. It's not that hard to be Uncle Spence."

"Does that mean you don't want kids of your own?'

"I don't know Emily. There's a lot to consider before we decide if we are going to have kids."

"I don't mean tomorrow Spencer, I just need to know that there is a part of you that wants to have a baby with me before I'm so high risk I can't carry it myself."

She was worried that he might not want to have kids. She did love him, but she wanted to have a family. Even if that meant that she might have to leave the team to do it if it came to that. Prentiss took his hand nervously. Reid smiled at her reassuringly, squeezing her hand gently.

"I'm pretty sure that I do want to have a baby with you," he explained. "But there's a part of me that thinks that it might be better if were to adopt when we're ready. Just because I seem to have dodged the bullet on with schizophrenia doesn't mean our child will. I don't know how I'd feel if our baby had to grow up with that."

"It can't be that bad, Spencer."

"It's not good Emily. I had to take care of my mother growing up. It was really hard. I just can't imagine condemning a child to that kind of hell. You need to meet my mother before you decide to have a baby with me."

"I've looked into the disease already. I don't think I am going to change my mind once I meet your mother. The risk is pretty slim, and I am willing to take that chance to get a baby that looks as cute you did a baby."

He blushed a little. "I was so awkward looking. I still am. The idea of a child looking like me terrifies me. Now if the baby looked like you I would be perfectly okay with that. You aren't lanky and scrawny."

"You were an adorable baby, Spencer. All right, we don't have to agree, and chances are any babies we would have would probably have bits and pieces of us both."

"You're right. I still, honestly don't know. I just worry."

Reid sighed and looked down at the floor. He had always worried about falling in love because he knew that he would have to have this conversation. He didn't like to talk about his childhood very much. It hadn't been easy growing up the way he had. He was glad that his mother had helped to excel, but there was a lot of things that she hadn't been able to help him with. He had missed out on a lot things growing up, as well as having to endure relentless teasing. Reid wasn't sure he wanted to subject his own child to that.

She ran his hand along his face gently. "What are you so scared of Spencer?"

"I'm afraid that our baby might be a genius like me, and I'm just as afraid that he or she won't be."

"I don't understand."

He took a deep breath. "If our baby is a genius then that's a really hard life for a child. I know. I lived it. You don't get to make friends with people your own age, you don't get bounced around in school, and you get teased. It wasn't easy."

"If that happens then you can relate, and he or she won't be alone like you were."

"Who wants to be best friends with their father?"

"I know what you mean, but our baby will grow up just fine, you did, and you only had your mother."

He nodded. "If we do have a baby, I'm not going anywhere. He or she will have both parents. I promise you that. I will never do what my father did to me."

"I know Spencer, I know." She kissed him gently to reassure him. "I know that you would never hurt any future babies we might have like that. So is there a problem if our baby isn't a genius like you, but is just well average like me?"

"You're far from average Emily. You're one of the most intelligent people I know."

She smiled at him. "That's sweet, but I had to work hard to learn everything I know. Things don't just stick in my brain like they do in yours. What is the problem if our child has to work a little harder to learn?"

"I'm afraid I won't be able to relate to him or her then. Look at today with Henry with the blocks. JJ has told me every time I have bought him anything that it is too old for him. He is just starting to play with the toys I bought him when he was first born. That kid has more alphabet toys then he will ever need. I bought him the alphabet blocks this time because I thought if he's too young for the letters, he could at least make towers and stuff."

"So you're learning to get him things that he can use now, and later Spencer. To me that's relating to him, even though he is not a genius like you," she reassured him, beginning to play with his hair. "Besides you said yourself that you loved him, and that's really the most important part of being parent."

He shrugged. "I don't know Emily. It might be different if it's my own child. When I do something wrong JJ or Will can come in and fix it. I'm just so scared that I'll do something and mess up our kid."

"They make mistakes too, all parents do. We will make mistakes if and when we have a baby, but fear shouldn't stop us from being parents Spencer."

"I guess you're right. I'm really not ready for that right now Emily. I hope you understand that. I know there is only so much time for us to actually have a baby, but we still have some time to enjoy it being just the two of."

She kissed him gently. "We do. I just need to know there is a fairly good chance we will have babies of our own some day. Seeing with you Henry today just made me want that even more. You are going to make an amazing father."

"It is a possibility I promise you that. We just have a lot of choices to make before we jump right in."

"I know," she assured him.

"We also have to consider our jobs before we have kids. It won't be fair to a child if his or her parents are always taking off all over the country to chase bad guys. That could take one heck of a psychological toll on a kid. We really need to consider that seriously before we decide for sure what we want to do about a family."

Prentiss hadn't really thought that far ahead before. She just wanted to ask Reid what he thought about having a family. Clearly he had already thought about it, which made her happy. But now she began to think about how the two of them could continue to work if they had a child. She knew that giving up the BAU might be a possibility but she had never really had to think seriously about that before.

"I hadn't really thought of that. I mean if we're not careful, we could be raising a future unsub without even realising it," Prentiss sighed. "I guess that's something we will have to discuss when we are ready to have kids."

"That's another thing I'm afraid of. If we have a child who is of above average intelligence and doesn't have a close relationship with at least one of his or her parents, we are just asking for problems. Maybe this job has jaded me, or I just know too much about psychological disorders, but I really do worry about that."

"Has anyone ever told you that you think too much Spencer?" she asked.

"All the time, I've tried to stop, but I can't. All this stuff just pops into my brain. But I do think I would like to have a child with you one day, we just both have a lot of choices to make before that point gets here."

She smiled. "Okay. I guess you're right."

"I'd also like us to be married before we start having kids."

"I didn't think you were so old fashioned Spencer."

"I'm not. I'm just afraid of what your mother might do to me if I were to get you pregnant before we were married. She seemed to eat up all that stuff about me respecting you and waiting."

"You're afraid of my mother?"

He nodded, "terrified of her. She is a force to be reckoned with, especially when it comes to her only daughter. I know you two don't see eye to eye on the direction of your life. I know she doesn't seem to like me, and thinks that you can find someone much better than me."

"I don't want to find anyone else."

He kissed her cheek. "I know, and I certainly don't want you to. But I just don't think it will be pretty if you ended up pregnant before we were married."

"Does that mean you want to marry me?"

"The idea seems kind of nice to me. We might be rushing things if we up and go to Vegas tomorrow, but I have already thought a lot about us having a real future together."

"I'm glad that you have. I have too. It's kind of nice. But it will likely mean that something will have to change."

She nodded. "I know, and I think we both need some time to figure out what exactly we both want."

"But while we figure that out we can still have a lot fun together," he said, leaning in and kissing her.

She giggled, that intoxicating giggle she knew made him weak in the knees. "Yes, we most certainly can Spencer."

"Good. Now I don't think we ever made it to my bedroom earlier. Then you decided we should watch a movie."

"No, we never did, and I'm defiantly not in the mood watch another movie right now."

"Neither am I. Although I would much rather read a book then watch a movie, It's quicker."

She laughed. "For you it is." She kissed him gently.

Reid kissed her back, wrapping his arms around her gently and leading her to his bedroom. When they got into his room she was surprised to find that he had once again managed to get her into her underwear without her noticing.

"How do you do that?" she asked unbuttoning his shirt.

"Do what?" he asked innocently.

"Get me half naked, while you have every stitch of your clothing remains intact."

"It's magic," he laughed, pulling her onto his bed with him.

She giggled again, which only encouraged him, as she began to make quick work of his clothes.

The end

Notes: I told you there a lot of plot bunnies in my brain. But this is what I've got for now, that is ready for posting. Working on other stuff not sure when it'll be ready, I hope this wasn't too much of a tease.