Progeny
Part 10
The flight to Houston seemed like it was taking longer than it should, but Spencer didn't mind. He had Sara asleep on one side of him and Hope on the other. Both were sound asleep each resting her head on his shoulder. He reflected on the last week. It all seemed so surreal. His only responsibility had been his job. Now, he had a wife and a daughter. He kissed the top of Hope's head and smiled. So far, his relationship was going … well, and Sara, his beautiful Sara … He rested his head against hers. He had his dream girl, his only love, his wife. He couldn't wait to hear his co-workers reaction to this one. He never told them about the few women he'd dated if you could even call it that. He'd gone out with Lila Archer a couple of times when she'd come to see him. Well, they hadn't actually gone out. He met her at her hotel room where they ate dinner, chatted, and watched movies. After the second time, they both knew it wasn't going to work out and parted ways. Then was the bartender, Austin. They talk on the phone for a couple of months, but then she started dating her dentist. Of course there was the one time he'd gone to the Redskins game with JJ. The one thing that came out of that was that he found his best friend.
Sara woke with a yawn. "We haven't landed yet?"
"We have about twenty more minutes."
She looked across the aisle. "Where's Daddy?"
Spencer grinned. "He ran into an old friend. He switched seats to talk with her." He pointed a few rows back.
"He's flirting with her. That's so cute."
Ladies and Gentlemen, we'll be landing in at Houston's Hobby Airport in approximately fifteen minutes.
Sara reached across Spencer and put her hand on Hope's arm. "Hope, baby, it's time to wake up sweetie. We're almost home."
Hope's eyes slowly flutter opened. "What time is it?"
Spencer looked at his watch. "With the two hour time difference, it's 12:26."
The pre-teen shook her head like she was trying to clear it. "All these time changes over the last week are making me dizzy."
"It's jetlag," Spencer started. "It's the body's…"
Hope covered his mouth. "I know what it is. I was just trying to sound like the average tween. You know, blend."
Sara laughed.
"Scoff if you must, Mother, but I do possess the desire to at least appear normal." Hope looked smug.
"Baby, you are normal. You just have more knowledge in that beautiful brain of yours than most adults."
The fasten seatbelt sign dinged and the plane began making it's descent.
Spencer swallowed. For some reason he was nervous to meet Sara's aunt.
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When they walked into the restaurant, they were greeted with the wonderful aromas of food being prepared.
Hope took a big whiff. "Home." She took off for the kitchen. The adults followed.
"You're going to love my aunt. She's really cool, a little funky, and the best mom I wish I had."
Ethan put his hand on his daughter's shoulder. "Your mother was the same way until she met … him."
Sara squeezed Spencer's hand. "Him being my asshole of a stepfather."
"Ah."
Hope came out of the kitchen followed by a woman who, by looks alone, could have been Sara's mother. Hope looked well chastised, but happy to see her great-aunt.
"There's my girl." The older woman held her arms wide, and Sara immediately allowed herself to be enveloped in those arms. "This him?"
Sara nodded."Sydnie Montgomery, this is Dr. Spencer Reid," she took a deep breath, "my husband."
"Husband, huh?" Sydnie held out her hand to him. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."
Spencer shook her hand. "The pleasure is mind. No mere words of thanks could I use for the gratitude I have for you taking care of my family."
"No sweat, hon. I was just a place holder." She looked over Spencer's shoulder. "Well, I'll be damned. Ethan Michaels," she smiled, "long time no see." She grabbed him in a hug. "You still smell good."
"Hi Syd. You look fantastic," he hugged her back.
"Yes, well, keeping up with that one," she pointed to Hope, "is better than a gym."
The adults laughed.
"I've got lunch for you in the private dining room. Go ahead and start while I finish up with the lunch crowd, and I'll join you."
Hope led the way through the main dining room to a wooden door. They entered the private dining room where a small buffet had been set up. "Nainie's chef is really good, not as good as Momma, but still good," she said with a cheesy smile.
Sara pinched her daughter's cheek. "Good save, my beautiful, little suck up."
As they took their plates and served themselves, Sydnie joined them.
"I'm starved," she sighed. "That new office building finally opened. I took smarty-pants advice and sent discount flyers over. We've been busy every afternoon and evening."
Hope blew on her fingers and brushed them on her chest. "I'll take my usual commission."
"Fine by me, but it's going straight into the bank. I don't know how you accessed your account without your mother or my…"
Hope lifted her eyebrow and there was a gleam in her eyes.
Sydnie shook her head. "I don't even want to know." She looked at Spencer. "It's a good thing you're an FBI agent, Spencer, because you're going to have your hands full with this one."
Spencer gave Hope the same look she'd given her aunt. "White collar crimes aren't my department, but I can make a few calls."
Sara nearly choked on her food. "Crap, I promised I'd call my client back when we got the restaurant." She took a sip of water. "I've gotta go shopping, go home, and start prepping for tomorrow."
"I'll go with you."
"No," she put her hand on Spencer's arm. "I'm gonna be in total work mode. If you could make sure that Hope get's home … Wait, you don't know your way around here. Um…"
"Sweetheart, don't worry about it," Sydnie assured her. "I'll make sure they are taken care of. You go do whacha gotta do. Your car's in the back lot where you left it."
"Thanks." She turned to Spencer. "I should be home in a couple of hours to do my prep. Make yourself at home." She kissed him, and then turned to Hope. "Behave. Mind your father, aunt, and grandfather."
"Yes, ma'am." Her mother kissed her.
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As Spencer drove, Hope pointed out different things. "That's a really cool theater. It's like a restaurant and a movie theater in one. I've only been there once though. Turn left at the light."
Spencer did as his daughter told him. "I thought you lived in Houston. This says Clear Lake City."
"It's a Houston address. Turn right."
He did.
"I wonder why Granddad wanted to stay at the restaurant?"
"He said that he needed to talk with your aunt."
"Oh." She pointed to the condo complex up ahead on the left. "That's it. Pull up to the gate and I'll tell you the code."
Once the gate opened, he pulled forward and she directed him through the complex. She pointed to a two car garage. "That's ours." She opened her bag and pulled out the opener, and pressed the button. Spencer pulled the car into the garage, and Hope closed it behind her. She took out a key and opened the door that led to the apartment.
"Home, sweet home. For now." She hung her bag on a hook by the back door. "Momma and I've lived here for three years. One of her clients owns it. In exchange for rent, she cooks for their monthly dinner party."
"That's a pretty sweet deal. This is a huge kitchen."
"Yeah, Momma loves it. She spends a lot of time in here." She led him into the living room. "This is the living room where we do most of our living. Notice the lack of a television. Momma read a book before I was born that said a living room should be a place where conversations should be held." Hope continued to show him around. "This is my room. Notice the absence of the color pink. FYI, I feel that pink a disgusting color that subjectifies females. Plus it reminds me of that gross stomach medicine."
Spencer looked at the massive collection of books she had. His fingers moved across the spines when they stopped on three large binders. He took one out and opened it as Hope sat on her bed. Opening it, Spencer found his life lain out before him. She had his dissertations, papers, articles he'd written, articles written about him, and pictures she'd downloaded from the Internet. "Wow, if you weren't my daughter. I'd say you were obsessed with me."
"Maybe a little. I've known who you were all my life, but I didn't know you until I was eight. That's the first time I googled you."
"Do I, uh, live up to the hype?"
Hope smile. "You're more fascinating in person."
"Good to know."
"Can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
She chewed on her lips for a minute. "You've been in the FBI since you were twenty-one, and I know you carry a gun. Have you ever … had to shoot anyone?"
"Yeah, yes, I have, a few times."
"Oh." She swallowed. "Have you ever been shot?"
Spencer nodded. "Last year. I jumped in front of a doctor before an unsub could shoot him. I got hit in the leg."
"That's what that scar is?"
"You were shot?" Neither of them had heard Sara come in.
Spencer turned to see the horrified expression on his wife's face. "Sara, I was doing my job."
She turned and left the room.
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