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Chapter Nine:
Reid brought Clara home the next day early in the morning. She woke at three a.m. for a feeding but then slept until they came home at seven. Clara woke up needing to be changed then. Once he did that, he nestled her in his arms sat in the rocking chair. He could not take his eyes off her. Nothing could compare to the joy he felt in that moment. It was pure ecstasy.
Garcia and Morgan were the first to arrive around ten. Garcia apologized for J.J. not coming as they got called out on a case.
"You'll meet your godmother eventually," Reid said to Clara. "But you get to meet your godfather now."
"Hey, little princess," Morgan said as Reid handed a wide-eyed Clara to him. "Aren't you the sweetest little thing."
Garcia was staring at Reid. "You're glowing," she said.
"One doesn't actually, Penelope," said he started to slightly red.
"No, but I have never seen you this happy," she said and gave him a hug. "You deserve all the happiness in the world boy wonder."
Clara began to cry.
"It looks like someone is jealous," Morgan said and hand her back to Reid.
He began to choke up as she calmed down.
"I feel like I don't ever want to let go of her," he said.
"But you have to," Morgan said with a smile. "You need and sleep too buddy. Eventually they will also want to start crawling and then walking."
"I'm sorry I missed so much of that with Hank," he said.
"You have your reasons."
Garcia's phone beeped. "I need to get back."
"Understood," Reid said. "I'll see you later."
"Next time with the whole team," she said left.
Reid set Clara down in her crib and pulled out some orange juice for himself.
"So, how was it?" Morgan asked. "Having Cat deliver your child?"
"Morgan, for a single moment, I think I felt something like affection for her when I saw her holding Clara," he said as poured a glass.
"Reid, that woman as horrible as she is and that is putting it lightly, is still the mother of Clara," he said. "You were bound to feel something in the heat of that moment with her."
"Please don't mention heat," he said. "The only reason she is here is because Lindsey drugged me into reacting that way chemically."
"I have no idea what you're going through," Morgan said. "Just try to focus on Clara. My world was upended when Hank came into the world, let her do the same for you."
Reid raised his orange juice. "To Clara!"
Morgan nudged his hand. "To Clara!"
…
Garcia got back into technical analyst mode and hunted down information about what the latest abductee might have in common with the last two victims. She couldn't find anything on the surface but promised to keep digging.
"One last thing Garcia," J.J. said. "How are Spence and Clara."
"Guys I don't I think I have ever seen him so happy. He just radiates joy with her in his arms even though he claims glowing isn't a real thing."
"It's a thing," J.J. said. "I can't wait to meet my god daughter."
"I swear you'll love her on the spot. Garcia out."
…
Blake was next to visit. She smiled and cooed over her. She also brought a small gift.
"Blake, you didn't have to," he said. "I'll be paying you soon."
"But I wanted to," she said.
It was a silver rattle.
"Blake!" he said. "This is too much!"
"It's been in my family for several generations now and has been properly baby-proofed not too long ago. Please let her use it. You can see the teeth marks on it. She'll be old enough to use it is sooner than you think."
"Thank you so much."
"Spencer," she said slowly. "I think you know that because you remind of Ethan, you have special place in my heart. I'm sorry I ran away rather than embracing those feelings. You are a special agent in so many ways. I expect Clara to hand this on to her child. You are now family Spencer. Most definitely, family."
Reid put Clara down and gave Blake a hug. They held on for a long time.
Blake left not long afterwards. He fed and changed Clara and prepared for the three-a.m. feeding. Reid then changed and went to bed. This was the first day of the rest of his life and he couldn't be happier.
