Disclaimer: See chapter 1
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"Why don't you give Henry a bath while I get dinner ready," Garcia suggested as Reid entered the kitchen after showering, his damp hair still clinging to his head, beginning to spring into curls. She'd never seen him looking like this, his feet bare, wearing a navy blue tee shirt with the large white letters FBI emblazoned on the front, and matching sweat pants. Reid did a quick 180 back into the living room where Henry was quietly content with one of his toys. Garcia raised her eyebrows at his retreating form, "Lookin' good junior G man."
"Garcia!" Reid shook his head, his cheeks turning pink. "Come on Henry, let's get you bathed." He picked up the toddler and carried him up the stairs.
The small boy smiled and clapped when they entered the bathroom. At least he likes his bath, Reid thought as he set to getting ready. He noticed a plastic basket full of toys and knew this would not be a usual bath, at least not usual, in his scheme of things. He turned the water on and it began to flow through the trunk of a soft plastic elephant head placed over the faucet to protect Henry from bumps and bruises. He added some bubble bath from one of the bottles he found around the bathtub and, while the water ran, he undressed his young godson. When the water reached, what he considered, the right depth and temperature, he lifted Henry into the water. The boy sat down immediately trying to reach for the basket of toys. "Okay, just a minute," Reid said as he reached for the basket that contained a yellow duck, a boat, and another wickedly smiling spongebob squarepants among other toys, and dumped them into the tub.
Henry quickly attacked the toys and played with each for a short time until he lost interest in favor of another. He then reached over to a square unit mounted on the tub and pressed a blue button that released large bubbles into the air. He pointed them out to Reid, "Bulz," he said.
"Yeah Henry, bubbles," Reid repeated as he got the cloth to begin washing the toddler who, apparently, had other ideas. He grabbed one of the toys, another rendition of the, it seemed ever popular, spongebob and squeezed it sending a jet of water squirting into Reid's face. The boy squealed with glee as the water dripped down his godfather's face and he used the bottom of his tee shirt to wipe it away. Henry began to move both his arms and legs up and down, splashing and squealing at the same time.
"Very funny Henry, okay, how about we get you washed because Aunt Penelope's making some yummy mac and cheese," he told the boy as he gently moved the cloth over his face and arms, ridding Henry's body of any traces of the sand he'd gotten into earlier. "There," he said pulling the plug, allowing the water to drain away while innocent blue eyes looked up at him as if something catastrophic had happened. He lifted Henry from the tub, "Ooh, slippery when wet," he said as he placed the boy on the bath mat and turned to reach for a towel only to find when he turned back that his naked godson had taken off squealing down the hallway.
Reid groaned as he got to his feet, his knee having had enough for one day and tore, well, more literally, limped after the naked boy who was God knew where by now. "Henry," he called as he made his way down the hallway and saw the tiny nude body toddling out of Will and JJ's bedroom and towards her office. He wanted to reach the boy before he got near the stairs. "Garcia," he yelled, just in case he didn't get to the boy in time.
"What sweetcheeks?" Garcia came running from the kitchen at the sound of Reid's voice.
"Just make sure he doesn't fall before I get to him," Reid said as Garcia took in the site before her. Reid was half running half limping down the hallway in hot pursuit of a totally nude Henry who seemed to realize the commotion he'd caused and was squealing in delight because of it. She had no choice, she told herself. There was only one thing to do. She reached into the pocket of her pink skirt, pulled out her phone and began snapping pictures until Supervisory Special Agent Dr. Spencer Reid caught up to his quarry and lifted the squealing boy into his arms.
"Come on little Lord Godiva, let's get you dry and get some clothes on you." He kept wishing Hotch would put him back in the field but maybe he truly wasn't ready if he couldn't handle a nineteen month old.
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His nose was met with a glorious mixture of aromas even before he reached the kitchen. An apple pie and a fresh loaf of garlic bread were cooling on racks on the counter while the smell of bubbling cheese wafted from the oven and Garcia had even made a pot of coffee. Reid was sure he was in love. "It smells pretty good Henry," he said to the boy.
"You match," Garcia exclaimed as she took off her oven mitts. "That's the jammies I gave you." She poked Henry in the stomach garnering a laugh from the boy.
"Why am I not surprised," Reid said as he set down the toddler dressed in a navy top and bottom, like himself, but his shirt declared that he was a "Future FBI Agent."
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"So, you had fun today," Garcia said when she and Reid were alone in the living room after Henry had been put down for the night, once he was exhausted from another marathon playing session with Uncle Spence.
"It was an eye opener!" He said as he and Garcia collected up the toys in an effort to restore the living room to some semblance of order. The reason for this was lost on Reid when they'd only bring everything out again in the morning.
"That's not what I said. I said you had fun. It wasn't a question; it was an observation."
"Garcia," Reid said as he placed the toy box back in its original position, "I was just trying to keep Henry occupied."
The computer tech stood with her hands on her hips. "Why is it so hard for you of the 187 IQ, the three doctorates, two BA's, eidetic memory, 20,000 word a minute reading speed and whatever the hell other talents you have, to admit that you had fun playing in a sand box with two toddlers? I wasn't the only one who noticed."
"W…what do you mean?"
"Becca, she noticed it too."
"S…she did?"
"Oh Reid," Garcia sat on the couch and tucked her feet under her. "Do you think it makes you seem less of a man if you admit it?" She waited for a few moments but he didn't respond. "I'm no profiler, but do you want to know what I think?" Reid remained silent, realizing he was going to find out, whether he wanted to or not. "I think that all your life you've had to prove yourself. You were a genius, by God, and you weren't expected to be out playing with the other kids; you were expected to be reading books and excelling at everything. Nobody was there for you when you were a teenager and your body was changing to answer the questions you had; they expected you to already have the answers. Nobody was there to guide you at the age of twelve when you entered university and were expected to decide what kind of man you wanted to be, when you were still just a boy. The FBI made an exception for you and you weren't going to let them down, so, you went out and got more education so that every time Hotch asks you a question, you'll have the answer. When you go to work, there are the expectations for you to be perfect and know everything and when you go home, there are books to read, lessons to take, research to do, and articles to publish. But today, in that little box of sand, there were no expectations. Henry and Joshua wanted nothing from you but someone to play with them. You were free at last to just be," tears came into her voice, "and that made me happier than almost anything in my life."
"Garcia, I don't…" Reid began, but Garcia slid over on the couch next to him and put her finger on his lips.
"It's okay sweetcheeks, sometimes with friends no words are necessary. Now, we have something else to talk about."
"What?"
"Becca. She liked what she saw."
"Garcia, she doesn't even know me. All we did was say hello."
"Doesn't every relationship start with hello? And anyway, that doesn't matter, it's like, you know, in a bar, when you see a member of the opposite sex that turns you on and you send over a drink, you don't know them but you want to."
Reid looked totally confused by this concept.
"I can see there are definite gaps in your education we'll have to fill. Anyway, I'll vet Becca and get her number. She'll be happy to hear from you, believe me. Is your goddess ever wrong?"
"No," Reid said hesitantly.
"Good answer sugar. I'm off to bed, sleep well." She kissed his cheek and headed for the stairs.
"Garcia," Reid called when she was halfway up the stairs. She turned. "You'd make a great profiler."