A.N. Back from a great vacation! Not quite firing on all cylinders yet...

Reverberations

Chapter 21

After her two men left the next morning, JJ brought her journal onto the patio. She'd insisted on a two mile run before Reid left for the BAU, and she was feeling deliciously sore from the newly resumed activity.

"I think we may have turned a corner last night. I sure hope we have. I think Spence may finally be starting to feel that he has what it takes for a forever life. Of course, I'm not entirely sure about myself, either. I think I'm just more comfortable living with the uncertainty. Growing up in a family, even one visited by tragedy such as ours was, helps me to see that problems can be overcome. Maybe not without leaving scars, but enough to allow life to go on. Spence saw only endings in his young life. I pray that he will be able to focus on beginnings.

Mom called yesterday. She and Dad get home next week from their Australia trip. They're still so worried about me after the accident that they plan to turn around and come right here as soon as they get home. Spence went completely pale when I told him last night. I think he's afraid of my dad. I know that when they met each other before, Spence seemed fine with Mom but always kept his distance from Dad. Maybe it was Dad's tendency to be a little gruff, or maybe it is just more fallout from Spence's experience with his own father. Either way, Spence won't be able to avoid Dad forever. When he gets to know him, he'll realize that Dad is just protective of his remaining 'little girl'. And since Spence is too, I'm sure they'll eventually get along just fine. I hope."

JJ knew she intended that her father understand everything that Spence had done for her and Henry-who was 'Papa's little man'-as well as everything Spence was to both of them. Her father had liked Will, but JJ had always wondered if that was because he saw Will as a 'done deal'...she was already pregnant with Henry at the time. The fact that neither parent had pressured her at all to think about marriage had spoken volumes to her about whether they saw Will as the right life partner for her.

She resumed her writing. "Spence is different from the kind of male I grew up around, which makes him different from the kind Dad might have pictured me with. He is, obviously, more cerebral than most...more cerebral than most of the world, really. And he's much more sensitive, and he cares so much. And he is so not full of himself, which is a lot more than can be said about most of the guys I dated. That leaves plenty of room for Henry and me. I hope they can see him the way I see him. And I know Henry will fill their ears about his Uncle Spence!"

JJ put her pen down, leaned back in her chair, and closed her eyes. Being at home like this allowed her the luxury of a nap, with the promise of a beautiful dream inside.

#####################################

Emily observed Reid's distraction. He usually plowed through his pile of paper consults so quickly that he noticed when she or Morgan tried to slip him a few extras. Today Morgan had gotten three into Reid's pile without so much as a glare from their resident genius.

"What's up, Reid? Everything all right with JJ?" Emily made the assumption about what might be bothering him.

"Hmm? What?" He hadn't really been paying attention.

"Is everything okay?"

He looked confused. "Okay? Sure, why wouldn't it be?"

She looked at him for an extra beat. "You just look like you're far away. I wondered if there was anything bothering you."

He was too quick to answer. "Nope, nothing's bothering me. Nothing at all."

Morgan came by to make another run at sliding in a file and heard the last part of the exchange. He felt a little guilty when he caught the gist of it and held the file behind his back.

"Kid, there's clearly something on your mind. You didn't even notice that I gave you one of my files."

Emily gave Morgan her raised brows. Apparently he would cop to sliding only one of the three folders into Reid's pile. Morgan shrugged at her in return. He was willing to acknowledge the one to make his point to Reid, but he didn't see a reason to admit to everything.

Reid looked from one to the other, and correctly deduced what had gone on. They'd worked together for so long, and so intensely, that there were essentially no secrets among the team. He decided he might as well share his concern with them.

Looking embarrassed, he conceded, "All right. There is something on my mind."

Morgan encouraged him. "Go ahead, Kid."

"It's stupid, really. But JJ's parents are coming to visit her next week. They're just getting back from Australia and they want to come to see her right away."

Emily nodded. "That's understandable. It must have been awful for them to be so far away with their daughter so seriously injured."

Reid acknowledged her point. "They'd wanted to abort the trip, but JJ wouldn't let them. I understand their wanting to come. I'm just a little nervous about her dad."

"You've met him before, Reid. What's to be nervous about?" Morgan didn't get it.

Reid's anxiety was growing. "What's to be nervous about? When I met him before, I was just the good friend, the godfather to his grandson. Will was under the microscope then. Now, I'm the guy in JJ's life. Her dad scared me when I wasn't dating his daughter. Now I'm terrified."

Rossi was strolling by as this last statement was made. He stepped over to Reid and put an avuncular hand on his shoulder.

"Remember, my young friend, that I am very fond of young JJ myself. It's not only her father you need to be worried about." The profilers all shared a laugh at Rossi's attempt at humor, although Reid's was somewhat forced.

"That's just great, Rossi. I feel so much better to know I have two of you after me."

#######################################

More bad news awaited Reid upon his return home. JJ met him at the door with a hug and kiss…..and the news of the date her parents would arrive. She brought him to the kitchen to show him on their calendar. It was two days before the date circled in red. Two days before their four weeks were up.

Reid was open-mouthed. When he recovered himself, his only question was, "How long are they staying?"

"They haven't said, exactly. Probably only a few days…..although my mom stayed for two weeks when Henry was born."

Reid sat with his head in his hands. JJ knew he was going for a comical effect, but also sympathized with him. She was disappointed too. Finally, he offered, "Well, I guess if I could wait thirty years, I can wait another few weeks." He looked at her with a resigned grin. "But it just might kill me."

She bent down and kissed him. "It will just be more precious."

Then Reid got more serious. "JJ, should I go back to my place while they're here?"

She'd obviously been giving some thought to the question. "I honestly don't know, Spence. I mean, they seemed to be okay with Will and me living together, but then we had a child together. They know you and I are seeing each other, and they know you've been staying here with me after the accident. I think Mom would be fine with you being here, but I'm not as certain about Dad. He's pretty protective of his little girl, and he might not see why you need to stay here if he's around to take care of me."

Reid noticed that JJ seemed to be holding something back. He prodded her. "And what else?"

She looked briefly at him, and then away. "And I wonder if they'll think it's too soon for us….I was with Will the last time they visited."

That caught him off guard. "JJ, do you think it's too soon? Are we moving too fast?" It didn't feel fast to him. He'd loved her for years, without being able to acknowledge it, sometimes even to himself.

"No, Spence, no. We've been connected for so long, nothing about our relationship feels rushed. I'm just not sure my parents will see it the same way." She gave him a flirtatious smile. "After all, we did sleep together on our first date."

He'd never thought about it that way. Technically it had only happened because he hadn't managed to ask her for a date until long after they'd declared their love for one another. Still….. "JJ! I never realized you were that kind of girl…or that I was that kind of guy." He gave her his Groucho Marx eyebrows. "Must be my animal magnetism."

"Or your fear of dancing."

"Touche. Although I did rather like it."

She was smiling. "So did I, Spence. It was a beautiful night. And I still remember it, thank God."

He was serious now. "Nothing else coming back?" He didn't want to upset her, but he was anxious for her memory to return, for his own reasons.

She looked a little sad, but there was only resignation in her voice. "Nothing. I look for them in my mind every day, but the memories are still gone." She sighed and then continued. "But in the good news department, I think my emotions are on a more even keel." She hesitated a moment. "Unless you tell me otherwise?"

He smiled again as he took her into his arms. "No, I've got my old JJ back." His eyes studied her face. "No matter, JJ. No matter what you remember, no matter what your mood is like…I love you. Always have, always will." He punctuated the statement with a kiss.

"And I love you, too. And the more I think about it, the more I think my parents will love you. Let's plan on you staying."

He still looked wary. "All right, if you say so. But please remember I'm rather fond of my hide, so if you see any signs that your dad is after it…"

"I'll be sure to let you know."

################################################

Reid's consternation about the visit continued into the next week. He pumped JJ for information on her parent's interests, likes and dislikes, and held "practice conversations" with himself on the way to and from work each day. And then…

"JJ," he said over the phone, trying not to sound as relieved as he felt, "we have a case. I'm going to have to be out of town. I'll definitely be away when your parents arrive tomorrow."

She was disappointed. She knew how worried Spence was about meeting them in this new context, but it had to happen sometime, and she very much wanted to share their relationship with her parents.

"Oh, Spence, what awful timing! I really wanted you all to be able to spend some time with one another. I want them to know you the way that I do, and I want them to see how happy you make me."

"JJ, I can't lie to you. Part of me is relieved, but most of me wants to do what makes you happy. Maybe we'll get back before they have to leave. Although the police in Kentucky made this sound like a pretty complex case."

She sighed. "It's the hazard of the job, I guess. They'll be disappointed about not seeing you….I know they really want to thank you in person for all you've done for me. But, like you said, maybe you'll get back before they leave and, if not, we'll find another way to get you together."

"I'm sorry, JJ. We're leaving in 20 minutes. Will you be all right on your own tonight?" It was the first overnight they'd be apart since she'd come home from the hospital. Despite her assurances of being able to handle things, he was worried, and was glad to know that her parents would be joining her the next day.

"We'll be all right, Spence. If you get a chance, call and say good night to Henry."

"Will do. I love you both."

################################

"Yay! Meme and Papa!" Henry was thrilled to see his grandparents. They lived far enough away, and JJ's schedule was so unpredictable, that they didn't get to visit as often as any of them would have liked. The little guy was all smiles and hugs, and greatly confused when he noticed that all three of the adults were shedding tears as they greeted one another.

Her mother held JJ away from her to get a good look. "You're too thin. Are you eating? Let me fix us a good supper tonight."

JJ laughed at the predictability of her mother's behavior. "I'm fine, Mom. Spence has been doing a lot of the cooking, and he's pretty good at it." She noticed a shadow of disappointment on her mother's face. "But I will never turn down a home cooked meal from my Mom."

Mrs. Jareau was placated. "Then you shall have it. Honey, do you have any pain?"

"Sandy, let the girl breathe, will you?" Her father wanted his turn at hugging JJ. "How's my lovely daughter?"

"I'm fine, Dad, really. Everything's pretty much back to normal. I'll see the doctor one more time next week, but I'm expecting he'll clear me to go back to work then."

Mr. Jareau wanted to know. "When will we see your young man?"

JJ hadn't told them yet. "Actually, they were called out on a case yesterday. Spence is in Kentucky. He was very disappointed not to be here when you arrived." A little white lie is okay sometimes. "But he's hoping to be back before you have to leave."

Her mother responded. "Honey, we were in a hurry to see you, so we came right away. But I'm afraid we can only stay a couple of days. Your father has a doctor's appointment at the end of the week."

JJ's alarms were ringing. "A doctor's appointment? For what?"

Her father squeezed her arms reassuringly. "It's nothing, honey. Just a check-up. But it takes so long to get an appointment that I didn't want to cancel."

She looked from one parent to the other. She didn't know that she should believe him, but they weren't giving anything away with their expressions. "You'd tell me if something was wrong, wouldn't you?"

"Of course, honey. It's really just a check-up. Now come and sit in the kitchen with me while I start supper. I want to hear all about you and Spencer." Her mother took JJ's arm and escorted her out of the room. Her father thought he'd better hear about the man who'd captured his daughter's heart as well, and followed them.

#####################################

JJ took time with her journal before retiring for the evening. Spence had managed a brief call at Henry's bedtime, and bid a speakerphone 'Hello' to her parents, but there hadn't been time for more than that.

"I didn't realize how much I needed to see my parents until they got here. No matter how old I get, there's always something righter in my world when they're around. Mom had a hard time hearing about my time in the hospital….and I think Dad teared up a little bit as well. But they were also so very happy to hear about how Spence stepped in. And if they ever had any doubts about his role in our family, I'm sure Henry's accolades resolved them. He couldn't say enough about his Uncle Spence."

She smiled as she remembered watching Henry demonstrate his acquired magic for his grandparents. Spence's little apprentice was accumulating an impressive bag of tricks….for a four year old, anyway.

"I love watching Dad with Henry. They just love spending time with each other. And I so hope that Dad is telling me the truth about his doctor's visit. I'm not ready for anything to be wrong with either of them. Of course, I don't think I ever will be. After sharing Spence's experience with his mother, I treasure each moment I have with my own parents all the more."

#######################################

Their time together ended all too quickly. The BAU team expected to wrap things in Kentucky within the next 24 hours, but it would be too late for Reid to meet up with the Jareaus.

"Maybe we can take a trip to Pennsylvania if Spence and I can get some time off together. Although I think this medical leave will make that difficult. But maybe you and Dad can get down here again soon, Mom."

"We'll definitely try, honey. You tell Spencer that we love him for taking such good care of you."

"And that he'd better keep it up." JJ recognized the humor in her father's gruff tone, but wasn't so sure Reid would have had the same interpretation.

Henry joined JJ in waving goodbye to his grandparents. He saw the wetness of her eyes and was concerned. "Are you sad, Mommy?"

She looked down and squeezed the hand she was holding. "I just love my mommy and daddy, and miss them when they leave."

"Like I cried when my daddy left?"

JJ's eyes shut as the wave of guilt washed over her. "Like that, buddy. Do you still feel sad now?" She realized it had been a couple of months since anyone had heard from Will. Deep undercover was a difficult place to be.

He considered it a moment. "Sometimes, when I want him to call me. Why doesn't he call me, Mommy?"

"He's in a place that doesn't have phones, Henry. I'm sure he wants to call you, and he will, as soon as he can."

Henry made the four year old's lightning recovery. "Okay." And then, precociously recognizing an opportunity, he seized it. "Mommy, can we get a puppy?"

######################################

The following evening found Reid striding quickly up the walkway, anxious to see his family again. He was, unpredictably, not met at the door by either Henry or JJ. Walking through the house, he realized it was empty, but he heard sounds coming from the yard. He caught the flash of a little blond head running by a window, and then a smattering of laughter.

The profiler in him couldn't help but notice some changes to the interior of the house. There was a baby gate in the doorway leading from the kitchen to the living room, a pile of newspapers inside a crate newly placed in a corner of the kitchen, and a water dish on the floor. So he wasn't at all surprised at the sight that met his eyes when he stepped into the yard.

"We got a puppy, Uncle Spence!" The little guy was chasing the little golden retriever all over the yard….or being chased by the dog. They were so all over the place that Reid couldn't tell.

"So I see." He was looking at JJ with an "I told you so" expression on his face, eventually replaced by a cheek to cheek grin. Henry wasn't the only boy in the house happy to have a dog.

She returned his smile as she got up to greet him properly. "He broke me down. Or maybe it was the Big Guy and the prayer he made, I don't know. It might be a challenge, but I'm game if you are."

"I already feel like a kid again. Or maybe, for the first time." Hearing that, JJ was sure she'd made the right decision.

"Wanna know her name, Uncle Spence?"

Reid was a little disappointed not to be in on the naming, but hid it. "Sure, Henry, what is it?"

"Well, we got her while you were away on a case….so I called her 'Casey'!"

"Henry, that is the perfect name for a dog….and especially for our dog. Great job, little man."

"Yay!"

######################

JJ watched out the kitchen window as she prepared dinner for them. Her heart was full of love for both of the men in her life as she watched each of them rolling in the grass with Casey. She'd only seen that kind of grin on Spence's face when he'd wrestled with Henry. She mused that he was slowly acquiring the boyhood that had eluded him so many years ago. And she was immensely grateful for having been able to give it to him.