Title: Life's a Journey (Part 9 of 40)
Author: trista groulx (dustytiger)
Rating: T (same as the show to be safe)
Disclaimer: I am still a poor barista, please don't sue me. I know that CM is owned by lotsa ppl who are not me, including the network, creator, writers, actors and actresses that bring the show to life weekly.
Summary: After the events of the Doyle storyline Prentiss and Reid's lives change. Will they come together again?
Notes: This is another aww Reid kind of chapter. For those of you worried about Reid moving on, do you know me? That's why Garcia and JJ know the truth in their own ways, I wouldn't pair Reid with an OC, this isn't a crossover, and in case you missed it I don't acknowledge Seaver.
Reid went into Aemelia's room quietly, not wanting to wake her. He had told the nanny she could have a few days to herself, and the young woman jumped at the chance. He tiptoed over to the crib, and watched as the child slept. It always amazed him to watch her sleep. She looked so peaceful, her whole belly moving up and down with each breath. The plush bunny Garcia had given her the first time they'd met was clutched in the baby's hand. At first Reid didn't want the toy in the crib, fearing that it might fall onto Aemelia's face, but the infant would not settle without it close by. He always found himself checking to make sure the toy hadn't moved close to her face. He would always find the bunny by Aemelia's side, with her tiny hand wrapped around the plushie's ear. After watching the baby for a few minutes more he settled in the chair in the corner and began to read a book, wanting to be close to his daughter after the case he had just been on.
He was half way through reading his third book when Aemelia let out a tiny whimper. He had to force himself to not jump up the second she made a peep. He knew that sometimes babies would wake up and need to soothe themselves back to sleep. He listened for a moment waiting to see if the baby would settle herself. This time the whimpers got louder until she finally began to wail. Reid jumped up and picked the baby up from the crib. The second he touched her her cries got quieter but didn't stop. He carried her into the kitchen rocking her gently as warmed a bottle for her. Reid enjoyed these moments when it was just the two of them. He felt like he could bond with his daughter without having to worry about what anyone might say. The team was very supportive of him but sometimes they liked to give their opinions and he didn't always feel he needed them.
"All right, Princess," he whispered, putting the bottle in the baby's mouth. "I bet that helps, doesn't it?"
He was careful to not call her any nicknames when other members of the team were around. He liked to share these moments with his daughter privately. He had read in many sources that it helped the baby to form a bond with her parents if the parent spoke while doing different tasks, so Reid had been making an conscious effort to speak to her whenever he could. Aemelia was half way through her bottle, and Reid gently took it from her grasp, and laid her on his shoulder. She let out a small whimper in protest.
"I know, you're still hungry, Princess, but you don't want to get sick do you? Can you give me a burp?" he asked, patting the infant's back. After a few pats the baby burped, surprisingly loudly. "That's it, good work Aemelia. Now I bet you want the rest of your bottle."
The baby cooed softly her hand moving upward to reach for the bottle. Reid grinned loving to see how she was starting to respond to things. It seemed like she was learning something new about how to make her muscles move each day. He gently put the bottle back in the baby's mouth, and she quickly finished the last of the liquid. After the bottle was empty her burped her again surprised by the large burps she let out.
"Those giant burps are not very lady like, Princess," he warned the baby. "How about I change your diaper quickly, then it's back to bed. I'll sit in your room and read until you fall asleep."
Reid went back into the baby's room and laid her down on the change table gently. He changed her diaper, and changed her into warmer pajamas since the temperature outside had dropped since she had originally been put to bed. He then laid Aemelia down in her crib, and kissed her soft cheek. He gently brushed the side of her face staring at the infant. There was still something about her that reminded him of Prentiss, and he was thrilled to get to be such an important part of the baby's life. It made him feel like he was given back what he had lost when Prentiss had been killed.
"Daddy loves you Aemelia," he whispered. "Sweet dreams."
Reid then sat back down on the chair and picked up his book. He read two more before he went into his own room. He changed into a pair of flannel pajamas, then climbed into his bed. On his side table there was a picture of Aemelia and one of the team as well. Prentiss had her arm playfully around Reid, they had been seeing each other at the time and he knew that what looked like a playful gesture to the rest of the team had meant the world to him. That photograph always reminded him that what they had was real. He took a notebook out of the side table and began to write. He had found himself writing a second letter nightly. He wrote his mother as he always did, and stuffed the piece of paper into an envelope. Then he would write a letter to Prentiss, usually about Aemelia, leaving it in the notebook.
He knew that he should be moving past Prentiss it had been over a year since they had buried her, and even longer since they had been together, but there was a part of him that still held out hope. He knew that he would not find anyone who accepted him like she did. He knew that most of the time it took half the time of relationship to heal from a breakup, and he should have been long healed, but he still counted the time they were friends in the time it would take him to be fully over her. He didn't want to meet a new women, and possibly introduce her into Aemelia's life feeling how he did now. He wanted his daughter to have a mother, but he wanted her to have one for her whole life, and at that time he couldn't do that. If he was to date another woman he knew that she would have to live in the shadow of a ghost, and he would not do that to anyone. So instead he focused on being the best parent he could for his daughter, and hoped that one day he would be able to give her everything she deserved.
As he was falling asleep he whispered a goodnight to Prentiss like he did every night, and fell into a somewhat restful sleep. His sleep was not as restful as when he had Prentiss next to him, but having Aemelia in the house seemed to help him, and he rarely woke up with nightmares when he was in his own home. On the road was a different story, he had nightmares within nightmares about losing Prentiss, but at home he usually had dreams where he Aemelia and Prentiss were a family, a dream he never thought he'd have.
End Part 9
Notes: I hope you enjoyed this wee bonding bit, and the tiny glimpse into how Reid feel about Prentiss...
