A/N: I'm baaaaaack! It's definitely high time for another update. BUT, first…

Thank you, THANK YOU, for all those reviews, listings and love for this story! You can't even imagine how much your support means to me. (HUGS)

Awkay, because stalling is never kind… Let's go! I really hope that you'll enjoy the ride.

Shots of Understanding

Call it a mother's intuition or something else entirely, but on the day Spencer arrived to Las Vegas Diana Reid was lucid for the first time in almost three weeks. The doctor and nurses working on that day were all stunned but she simply met their questions with a smile. Excitement tingled underneath her skin while she sat on a couch that'd been placed in front of a window and waited.

And sure enough, after a few hours she could feel a familiar presence nearby. The smile from before widened and a sparkle took over her eyes. "I should be scolding you over flying when you're that far along with a high risk pregnancy", she pointed out, turning her head. "But at the moment I'm too happy to see you."

She took a long moment to simply look at him. Spencer appeared pale and tired which, taking his happy condition into account, wasn't a surprise. Still much too thin, at which she frowned. The baby bump that should've been quite large already was still barely visible underneath the shirt he'd chosen. It was clear that the difficult pregnancy had taken its toll on him but still he was glowing in a way only a person at a certain spot of life could.

He blinked slowly. The confusion seemed absolutely adorable on his face. "How…?"

Diana chuckled. "How many times do I have to tell you? A mother knows." She motioned towards the empty space beside her. "Now sit down, honey. You're swaying on your feet. And someone had better bring you something to drink and eat."

"I already ate", he told her hurriedly.

She narrowed her eyes. So what if the threat was only half hearted? "Don't lie to your mother, Spencer."

Perhaps the nursing student who'd been following her primary nurse for a few days wasn't completely useless, after all. Because in a few moments she came carrying what looked like macaroni and cheese along with a tall glass of water. Not exactly a five star meal but it'd do, Diana decided.

It didn't slip her attention how the nursing student glanced towards Spencer with a hint of a blush, clearly oblivious to his pregnancy. All of a sudden Diana understood why he received service so quickly and had to hide a smile. How was it possible that her son, a genius and a FBI-profiler, was so blind to his own appeal?

They talked about mundane, daily stuff while he ate. It was comforting white noise, chasing away the chaos blowing in both their heads. Eventually, however, Diana decided that she couldn't let him dodge the actual topic forever. "So… How are things with Derek?"

Spencer froze and for a moment she felt bad about asking. Only for a moment, though, because she knew that he needed to talk about it. He swallowed loudly although he finished eating a while earlier. "He's… trying."

Diana arched an eyebrow when her senses tingled. "Something tells me that he did a lot more than that. And don't imagine that I've forgotten that fascinating doctor of yours." She gestured towards the building around them with her hand. "Spencer, I have all the time in the world. So tell me everything."

Spencer knew entirely too well that he had to make decisions, for the sake of three people and a unborn baby. But when his blood pressure began to show signs of spiking up after the first six days in Las Vegas it occurred to him that maybe getting his mind off of relationships for a few hours wouldn't hurt.

He switched on the TV of his small yet very cozy hotel room and was pleased to discover that 'Doctor Who' was on. Apparently the baby was excited as well. He chuckled at the feel of furious kicking and squirming that began instantly.

Spencer brought a very affectionate hand to the swell and began to rub soothing circles. The baby seemed to be tracing his movements. "So you're a 'Who' fan before you're even born?" He nodded to himself, unaware of the smile that lingered on his lips. "You and I… I have a feeling that we'll get along just fine. I can't wait to see the look on your father's face when I tell him."

That unexpected trail of thought startled Spencer and he blinked quickly, twice. He and Derek… They were about to have a family, weren't they? Perhaps not the most conventional kind but a family nonetheless. He'd been so focused on his complicated relationship with the Alpha that he'd almost forgotten about that fact.

What kind of a family would they be able to provide?

His distress seemed to agitate the baby, because the kicks became harder and sharper. Spencer sighed and shook his head, continuing the soothing circles. "Sorry", he murmured. "It's not your fault that you ended up here into a soap opera." He rubbed his face with one hand. "For the next few hours it'll be just the two of us. How does that sound?"

If the change in the movements was anything to go by the baby approved.

Relaxing marginally Spencer focused his gaze on the TV. "So… That would be David Tennant, the tenth Doctor. I have feeling that your auntie Penelope has quite a crush on him." He frowned, then went on as an afterthought. "Don't tell her that I told you, though." He wasn't sure if the responsive backflip like movement was 'yes' or 'no'.

Spencer tilted his head and wiggled to a position that didn't make his spine feel it'd been cracking in half. "This is 'Blink', one of my favorite episodes. I'm glad that you're in there, though, because this is way too scary for you." Another chuckle broke free when the baby kicked hard as a protest. "Well, tough luck, because I'll be choosing what you watch from TV for a long time. Maybe we can watch this episode together one day, though." That thought felt… very, very good, actually. Sent a warm flutter through him. Based on the changed, calmer movements the baby felt the same way. Or maybe the little one was just falling asleep after roaming around since the silly hours of the morning.

Spencer himself was quite close to nodding off, anyway. He yawned. "You seem to like Tennant, so maybe we can watch all his episodes. I won't be showing you his last ones until you're much older, though. They're too sad for small children."

As the episode wore on Spencer ended up telling his unborn child everything about 'Doctor Who'. About Time Lords. About the past incarnations. About all the fantastic adventures, fear, grief and joy. About Tardis and the Sonic Screwdriver. About Sarah Jane, Rose, Jack and everyone else the Time Lord had met during his travels. In the end Spencer drifted off into the most peaceful rest he'd had in ages, following the baby. The episode provided them a pleasant lullaby.

It was a week and a day from Spencer's departure. Derek was almost certain that if he'd taken a look at any clock he would've been able to count the hours. Because yes, he'd definitely been counting.

No Alpha felt comfortable with an Omega that was pregnant with their child so far away from them and his situation with Spencer was… well, unusual.

The only comfort he had was that at very least he didn't let Spencer go without letting the younger man know of his true feelings. He'd been living in regret and denial for much too long. Now… Now it was all in Spencer's hands.

He'd been so absorbed by his thoughts that a familiar voice managed to startle him. "You miss him, don't you?" There was a knowing smile on JJ's face.

Derek scoffed although it came out half heartedly at best. "And you don't?" They all did, although it wasn't quite as painful for the others. Their family just wasn't complete without their resident genius.

JJ contemplated for a while. Hesitation still lingered in her voice when she spoke. "He misses you, too."

Derek forgot to breathe for three long seconds. His first, greedy gulp of air hurt on its way down. "How would you know?"

JJ sighed, drumming her fingers against the bureau's break room's table. "He can't call you. Not yet. But… He called me a couple of days ago, asking how Henry's doing."

One corner of Derek's lips twitched while realization began to dawn. It filled him with the kind of warmth he'd been missing for a long time. "I suppose that you didn't talk only about Henry?" he guessed.

"No, we didn't."

Derek actually had to gather his courage for a while. Like a teenager asking their friend if they thought the special someone liked them. "So… How is he?"

JJ smiled, clearly seeing something on his face that she liked. "The little one's giving him a hard time. He's sore, tired and increasingly impatient. But… He's about as okay as is to be expected. Though I have a feeling that he'd like to have the father of his child with him."

Something fluttered in Derek's stomach. He opened his mouth, several times. In the end he couldn't figure out what to say.

"Morgan." JJ's eyes were stern but full of sympathy. "He said that he'll come back and he will, soon. Until then, remember this." She made sure that he was focusing before continuing. "His heart… It's been broken, several times. But he loves you with all the pieces there are still left. Don't doubt that for even a second."

"I won't", Derek swore. And meant it. If there was something in the world he trusted it was Dr. Spencer Reid.

JJ nodded. "Good." Her eyes then hardened. "And Morgan? If you hurt him ever again, if you cause even a tiny crack more to his heart, I'll put a bullet on your sorry arse. And I'm pretty sure that Hotch would have nothing against it."

Despite knowing that she most definitely meant her words Derek grinned as he nodded. In the middle of all the chaos and drama it felt good to realize that he and Spencer weren't alone. That the BAU-family would support them, no matter what. "Understood", he confirmed.

They were just about to take some more coffee when hurried steps approached the room. They turned their heads simultaneously to see Penelope standing at the doorway. The look on the woman's face promised nothing good. "We've got a new case, a local one. It's… bad."

A week slipped by, turning into almost two. And as much as Spencer enjoyed his time away, being in a stress free environment where no one expected anything out of him, he was also starting to grow agitated. Frustrated. Towards himself, towards the world, towards the two Alphas that'd crashlanded into his life.

He was a pregnant Omega that'd ended up far away from the nest entirely too close to the time of birth. Alone, in several senses of the word, despite all the people around him. Unbonded. And, most frustratingly of all, undecided.

Because no matter how many times he'd practically screamed at his heart to make up its mind the answer was still lost to him.

On that particular day his usual afternoon stroll took him to a café he remembered seeing for the first time when he was just a little boy. With a fond smile touching the corners of his lips he entered, unable to resist the call of caffeine. He just hoped that the baby would forgive him for getting her or him addicted to coffee before the poor thing was even born.

He didn't know how long he sat there, watching the people passing by. By the time he finally came back to himself the coffee had grown cold long since. With a deep breath he took a look around the café.

A customer was arguing with the barista. At a corner table two old men were lost into a rather heated conversation. Not too far away from them a young mother was chuckling at the antics of her little girl while feeding a baby. In a few moments the young family was joined by a tall, very atheletic looking man. The man kissed the woman's forehead briefly before scooping the little girl into his arms. The child squealed excitedly.

What truly struck Spencer, however, was the expression on the woman's face. The fond, fully content smile on her lips. And then the glance the young couple gave each other. It was full of happiness and devotion.

It was the look of two people who'd somehow had everything in their joined universes click together perfectly, of people who'd been made for each other.

Spencer didn't know what came over him. Hormones, quite possibly. But all of a sudden he was fighting back tears while grabbing his cell phone and dialing numbers. He didn't know what part of him it was that seemed to know what do but he surrendered gladly because his conscious side was in a state of chaos.

It took torturously long before a familiar voice answered. "Spencer?" Derek sounded a bit tired and genuinely surprised. "Are you alright?"

Spencer shook his head. It wasn't until then it struck him that the Alpha probably found his call more than a little odd. "Yeah, yeah. Just… It's one of those weird days." He felt his cheeks gain a hint of color. "Sorry, you're probably busy…"

"Hey, don't worry. I don't mind one bit that you called me." There was something close to worry in Derek's voice aside softness that wasn't in it often. "You sound sad although I can hear that you're in a café, which is a clear sign that something is wrong. So what's going on?"

Spencer emitted a tiny, mirthless chuckle. How was he supposed to explain something that even he couldn't understand? "I… I don't know", he admitted at last. And hated it almost beyond everything else. "Probably the hormones. And… I guess that I'm a bit homesick, is all." Which was ridiculous, because he'd chosen to make this journey and he knew that the time away was something that he needed.

"So you called me, of all people?" Derek sounded very, very happy about the fact. The joy in the older agent's voice chased away some of the shadows circling around Spencer's heart.

He smiled, just a little. "Yeah", he murmured. And almost slipped 'I miss you' until he stopped himself. It would've been too much, too soon. He cleared his throat. "So… What are you doing?" All of a sudden he felt like a teenage girl calling her first crush. The thought bothered him a lot less than it should've.

"We just closed a local case. To be honest we would've needed you to seal it faster." There was a brief pause. "I'm still stuck at the police station with paperwork. Hotch is interviewing the suspect, the others headed out to blow off some steam. I'll join them as soon as I can."

Spencer felt a shudder of sympathy. A tough case, then. "I'm sorry that I'm not there."

"Trust me, I'm very happy that you're far away from this sick bastard." Derek sighed. "It's just that we could really use that brilliant mind of yours."

Spencer was smiling before he even realized that it was happening. His heart fluttered, just a little bit. "I'm glad that it's over now."

"So am I. And even happier that the guy will be behind bars soon." Derek hesitated uncharacteristically for a moment. "I'm… also happy that you called."

Spencer's heart jumped unhealthily while his lips opened uselessly, unable to utter even a sound.

Derek clearly took his silence the wrong way. "I… have to go. There's a lot of paperwork to do. Stay safe, okay? And take care of you both."

Spencer's eyes widened while his heart began to hammer in a way he couldn't remember it doing ever before. "Wait!" It was like something had been sliding forcefully into place. Like clouds had drifted away from the sun. Even though it was all horrifying and full of uncertainty, at last everything made sense. The force of it was nearly enough to make his heart burst.

Spencer blinked twice, quickly. Now, finally, he knew exactly what it was that he wanted to say. "Derek, I…"

That was where the universe interfered again.

His sentence was cut by the sound of a gunshot.

TBC

A/N: Oh dang…! You're going to beat me up for that one, aren't you? (winces) What the heck just happened? And what will the repercussions be?

Now's your chance to speak out your minds when it comes to these cliffies. Soooo, let me hear out your thoughts! Isn't that box down below just enchanting?

I've gotta go. (Especially after that cliffie...!) Until next time, ya all! I really hope that you'll all join in then.

Take care!

Guest: Gosh, how that's a pleasure to hear! (beams) I really hope that what's to come meets all your expectations.

Monumental thank yous for the review!

tymbur1: I just couldn't resist typing in that sentence. I'm thrilled to hear that you liked it! FINALLY Derek's eyes are opening. Let's hope that everything turns out okay for those two and their little family.

Colossal thank yous for the review!