Chapter 25:

So sorry for the slow ass updates! I work somewhere in the vein of 70 hours a week, and am going to school as well so sometimes (well honestly, always) everything is just too crazy to find more than a few minutes to write. I know there are a lot of you out there that follow this story, and I apologize for being so slow!

That being said, here's another chapter! I feel like the last few updates have been so serious, I'm going to try to stay away from anything like that and try to give you guys some good fluff.

Also, everyone should feel free to leave their comments on the chapters and let me know what you guys want! I have the whole rest of the story framed out, but I've always got some filler chapters in my brain of you guys ever thought the story was getting too heavy! I love your reviews and thoughts, both on the chapter and on what you think should happen

As always, I own nothing.

Avery's POV:

Stay at home they said. You'll have some relaxing time off they said.

They were dead wrong. For the past week I'd been cooped up in my house, forbidden to go anywhere until my ribs fully healed, and I was beginning to go a bit insane. Between feeling like I was going to jump out of my skin whenever anything around the house made a noise (yesterday a bird had flown into the window and I'd nearly peed in my pants) and staying home with a teething Amelia suffice to say it hadn't been the relaxing break that everyone insisted it would be. Arrow had insisted on keeping the kids in daycare in order to "help me rest" and I'd refused. He, more than anyone, should have understand how much I hate to have nothing to do, and would much rather be surrounded by my kids than lay around all day. We eventually compromised and decided Henry and Jack should still go to preschool but Amelia would stay home to keep me company. The boys would miss their friends and teachers, and besides they were, admittedly, a lot to handle sometimes. Amelia, however, was proving to be quite the handful herself; she was running low grade fevers nearly everyday, drooling like mad, and chewing on everything in sight. She was definitely going to cut teeth soon, and she was naturally more fussy than usual.

As for the jumping out of my skin bit, I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched, and my anxiety grew everyday the unsub was still out there. My stalker was definitely aware of where I lived, a thought which sent chills up and down my spine each time I was reminded of my situation. Even though I was extremely uneasy, I trusted my friends to keep me safe. Arrow had updated the house's security, and though they couldn't be with me always the team was hell bent on making sure I was always safe at home. They each had been taking turns periodically coming around during the day, and Hotch called me every hour to check in. Admittedly, Spencer had come to check in on me more than any of the other team members, which was absolutely welcomed by me. After leaving the hospital, he'd become quite protective over me; whenever he was given the chance he stuck by my side like glue. Needless to say, I had no problems with his sudden protectiveness. Considering the way he'd been avoiding me for the last few weeks, I was beyond excited each time I saw his handsome face in my doorway, or when it illuminated my home screen when he called. In fact, my stomach still erupted into what felt like a million butterflies each time he came near me, even though I've known him for months now. To my great satisfaction he'd become much more open about our feelings for each other, and my hand always seemed to find his soft, lanky hand to hold whenever he was close enough. He still blushed a bit each time I intertwined our fingers (which I found incredibly cute), but never pulled his hand away even if the team was present. It seemed that now, since they'd all seen firsthand how we were together, they were relatively nonchalant about our actions. I mean, Morgan still teased Spence a little and Arrow still put his blank face on sometimes when he saw us together, but all things considered they stayed relatively passive about the subject. A smile tugged at my lips at the thought of the adorable way Spencer's smiling face tinged pink and the way he always shyly looked down at his feet each time he reached for my hand or pulled away from a hug. It still baffled me that he could be so sweet and innocent around me, and yet so comfortable at other times . Besides, if anyone should be bashful it should be me; I was the one lucky enough to be in the near constant presence of a handsome genius that made me feel immeasurably more important than I ever had. If anyone was the lucky one in our relationship it was definitely me.

That was another thing on my mind lately; as I savoured our newfound sense of openness, I couldn't help but have some doubts as to what Spence and I even were. It made me feel so girly and whiny to complain (because how could I possibly complain about any relationship with Dr. Spencer frickin' Reid?!) but I did often think about our status as a couple. Were we dating? Boyfriend and girlfriend? Just trying something new? My short dating history didn't cover this kind of grey area, and I wasn't sure how to proceed with anything. Should I ask him out on a date, or would he think that was weird? If I felt like giving him a kiss, just because, could I? He'd kissed me a few times in the last week I'd spent at home, but mostly just on the cheek or the forehead as a means of greeting or goodbye. I'd never thought of myself as a jealous or possessive person, but I really really wanted to call Spencer my boyfriend. I mean who wouldn't? I spent many hours at home letting all the thoughts swirl in my head, and although the questions never really answered themselves one resounding thought was incredibly clear; I was thoroughly enjoying whatever this thing was between me and Spence. If it weren't for him and Amelia I would have definitely already gone insane stuck in this house alone. He brightened my days, and made me happy in a way I'd never felt before. I'd fallen hard for him, and I didn't even care who knew. He was the first person I thought of when I wanted to talk about my day, and he never seemingly got bored of all my mundane problems. He seemed like he truly cared about me, and I certainly cared a lot about him too. He made me laugh, and he was big factor in my ability to deal with all the uncertainties in my life currently.

I smiled, thinking about my adorkable, wonderful what-ever-he-was as I finished up getting Amelia settled on the floor with more toys. Toys that she had minutes before thrown across the room in a fit of mini-person-in-training rage, I might add. Seriously, if she got this sassy when she was teething, i could only imagine how her terrible twos would be! Suddenly, I heard the front door open. My back and neck immediately tensed, listening closely for the next sound, which happened to be Henry and Jack's excited voices as they ran into the living room to find me. Relaxing a bit, I welcomed them with a hug and a kiss as they excitedly told me about their days.

"AVERY do you know what I made today?!" Jack said, jumping up and down.

"What?"' I asked, smiling in amusement.

"The teacher helped us make dinosaurs feet out of boxes! And then I painted mine green, cause that's what dinosaurs wear", he finished happily.

"Yeah, I made some too, only mine are blue because Superman wears blue, and I want my dinosaur to be like superman" Henry said, in a serious, matter of fact tone. Jack nodded solemnly too, and I couldn't help but giggle at their faces. They continued to tell me all about their day, until one of them dropped their backpack onto the floor.

"I would love to hear more about your days, but how bout you take your backpacks to the mudroom where they belong? Then we can talk as long as you want to, okay?" I said. They both nodded and ran to put their school things away. I heard a chuckle from the doorway, and smiled widely in response.

"Hey Spence", I grinned at the handsome, lanky man in the doorway. His smile widened and he walked in to take a seat next to Amelia and I on the floor. I felt the now familiar sparks along my arm as he settled in next to me. Familiar, but certainly no less wonderful.

"Didn't feel like joining the debate on who would be stronger, a dinosaur or Superman?" I teased as I shoved his arm playfully. He chuckled again before saying,

"No, I was far too interested in the great points those two were making to join in". I laughed. "Hey Amelia! How are the teeth today?" he cooed at her, tickling her back. She giggled and reached up her arms for him. He readily picked her up, placing her on his lap where she continued to chomp on a toy.

"Oh sure, I cater to her teeth and love up on her all day, but as soon as her favorite doctor comes by I'm all but forgotten", I fake pouted. Spencer chuckled. Regardless of how I let on, I was beyond thrilled that my baby girl loved Spencer as much as she did. She'd become attached to him just as Henry and I had, and honestly nothing was more important or endearing for me to see than the guy I liked bonding with my kids.

"Are you jealous because Amelia likes me better?", he grinned mischievously. I fake gasped.

"Doctor Spencer Walter Reid you take that back right now", I said, trying my best to use my authoritative big sister voice. It seemed to work for a moment, I saw his eyes flicker with fear, but it was quickly replaced with amusement.

"Just because Garcia told you my middle name does not mean you can use it to scare me", he teased. I huffed in annoyance, and crossed my arms. He set Amelia down, and inched closer to me.

"Don't worry Avery, we all know Amelia loves you the most", he said, putting an arm around my shoulder and rubbing small circles on my arm. Trying, and failing, to stay fake-annoyed I shot him a look that I was hoping looked incredulous. I'll admit, trying to stay angry when he was so close to me, when I was breathing in his familiar scent and turning to jelly with his gentle touch was nearly impossible.

"I mean everyone loves you best, how could they not?", he surmised, the last part more of an afterthought that I wasn't sure he meant to say out loud. I flushed bright red, and he smiled his goofy wonderful smile at me. Failing to stay mad anymore, I leaned my head on his strong shoulder and tried to hide my blushed cheeks.

Just then, the boys came running back to the living room, asking if they could go upstairs and play with their toys. I agreed, and they stumbled over each other in a race up to their room. I smiled fondly in their direction.

"It's so strange to think that they didn't even know each other a few months ago, and now they're just like brothers", I said, filling with pride and happiness."God knows we need more of their wackiness in our lives". Spencer nodded and smiled. I rested my head on his shoulder once more as we both sat and watched Amelia in an amiable silence, enjoying each others company. I closed my eyes for the first time that day, sighing in complete contentment.

Spencer's POV:

Sitting on the floor with Avery, I couldn't help but reflect how utterly perfect and mesmerized I still was with her. The passing months may have made me more comfortable around her, but I was amazed at how strongly I still felt each time I was with her. She truly was a one of a kind, once in a lifetime girl; the kind of girl I had thought I'd never find for myself. Since leaving the hospital, I'd been less inconspicuous about how I felt for her, although the team all clearly knew beforehand. And while it felt wonderful to be so open, my thoughts often crept back to that conversation I'd had with Morgan about dating. I still was wholly confused and terrified of the prospect of asking Avery to go on a date with me. No matter how much reassurance Morgan or Garcia gave me, there was a large percentage of me that doubted that Avery even wanted to date me. What if what we had right now was all she wanted? I certainly had trouble processing why on earth a girl as incredible as she was would want to associate with me at all, much less call me her boyfriend. Not that I was complaining, I'd more than happily take whatever time I could get with Avery, boyfriend or not.

That being said, I had thought about where I'd take Avery if I did ever work up the courage to ask her out. I had the entirety of the night planned out, and had asked Garcia her opinion on it. She'd squealed loudly with intervals of time where she also "awwwwwww"ed, so apparently that meant she thought it was a decent enough idea of what to do.

*Flashback*

"Awwwwww...ohmygod...awwwwwSpence!" Penelope squealed as I finished explaining what I'd planned for taking Avery on a first date. I cringed a little at her volume, but still asked,

"So that's good...right?", I questioned tentatively. She shot me a look of exasperation.

"Reid, it's an AMAZING idea. Genius even", she said excitedly. I rubbed the back of my neck in embarrassment and uncertainty.

"Well good, but I guess… I just don't know how I'll ever get to ask her" I admitted. Garcia looked sympathetically at me as I continued, "I mean, nothing would make me happier than to be able to ask her, but I just get so nervous and I don't know how to begin the subject, and then I worry that she won't want to go or that it's a bad idea, or that she doesn't want things to change or--"

"SPENCE", Garcia interrupted my, possibly, coherent rambling. "Of COURSE Avery wants to go with you. She literally could not send you anymore signals that she wants you to ask her. I mean like short of wearing a sign that actually said 'Please ask me out Spencer Reid' I think she's been abundantly clear", she explained gently.

"Well, that still doesn't solve my problem. I can't even form words once I begin to broach the subject", I said dejectedly. Penelope looked at me exasperatedly.

"How about this: next time you try to ask her and you get nervous, you just picture her on the date with you? Picture how excited and happy she'll be and I'm sure you'll power through the rest because believe me I've noticed how you can't help but get all dreamy whenever you think about her", she said thoughtfully. I considered it for a moment. It wasn't a bad idea; history had proven that I'd do just about anything if it'd make Avery happy. Her smile was just so radiant and contagious, how could I resist? I smiled lightly, and nodded.

"Okay. That might work", I agreed. Garcia started squealing again, but this time when I cringed, she engulfed me in a hug and started to jump up and down.

*Back to Present Time*

"Earth to Spencer", Avery said, snapping her fingers in front of my face. I jumped slightly, forced out of my thoughts. I turned to see her bemused face, blushing slightly.

"Sorry I was spacing out", I said as she giggled, marveling a bit at her melodic laugh. "What did you say?".

"I asked you how your day was, spacecadet", she said playfully. I cleared my throat as I began to tell her about today's cases-- leaving out the bit where I'd spoken to Garcia. As always, we fell into an easy flow of conversation, and it wasn't long before I found myself watching the girl I was infatuated with animatedly talking about how she'd finished the book I'd brought for her, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

"So I take it you enjoyed the novel?" I asked, smiling at her. She beamed.

"Are you kidding? I loved it! I adore Scout, she's so spunky and opinionated", she gushed. "The racial elements broke my heart, but I think that's the mark of a great writer. You know, writing with themes that transcend time, making people both past and present identify with the work".

"The themes are quintessentially timeless; growing up, racial inequality, they all are things that others can identify with at any period of time", I agreed. Avery nodded.

"Yeah, and I absolutely love the relationship between Scout and her father. He never scolds or reprimands her for her vocal nature. He allows her to grow as she is, he never squashes her personality. And she, in turn, thinks he's the greatest man alive", she says. "Even given the societal pressure and expectations put on young girls based on their location and the time, Atticus never tries to change her. He doesn't buy into the conventions of demure women or the idea that children should be seen and not heard. He fosters Scout to be a woman, not just a southern belle". I smiled wider as Avery spoke. She was so intelligent, so insightful. I loved these conversations with her where it became clear that she was just as excited about literature as me, and unlike most people that she was truly interested in what I had to say. Many people could only take a moment or so of my rambling before they interrupted or changed the subject. Avery gave me her full attention, always.

"It's so strange to me that you were never assigned to read it in high school, it's a modern classic", I said thoughtfully. She shrugged in response.

"I think I was supposed to at some point, but once Henry was born and his dad left, school definitely took a back seat. Even when my mom was still around I was Henry's primary care giver, and my last year was kind of a blur. I mean I still technically graduated, but there was a lot of work I missed that year", she stated plainly. "My grades definitely dropped off, and I didn't really pay much attention".

My chest felt tight as I listened to her. Our lives were so different; I had graduated high school at the age of twelve with the highest GPA in the district record. It hurt to know that Avery was deprived of her educational experience just because of her mother. I cleared my throat.

"It's still admirable that you managed to finish; statistically, around 50% of teenaged single parents tend to drop out due to the responsibilities that accompany both school and parenthood", I said. She smiled with a glint of something I couldn't place in her eyes.

"Well I've never been like most people", she chuckled. I grinned.

"Certainly not", I replied fondly. "In the best way possible", I added. Her cheeks tinged pink and she smiled shyly, my favorite look on her. She looked down and I felt my heart flutter at the idea that my words, still, could elicit such a response in her.

"Have you ever thought about continuing your education?" I asked, curious. "Going to college to become a teacher of some sort?"

"I guess I've never really thought about it before. There's never been a spare moment in my life for me to even consider it", she said simply. She seemed different, guarded even. I furrowed my brow slightly.

"Now that you have Hotch and the team, you could easily go back. You could go to any number of schools in the area, pursue a degree in child development or early childhood education, -".

"I really don't think school's for me Spence", Avery said suddenly, surprising me a little. That guarded feeling I'd gotten from her earlier was now clear on her face, though she did a decent job of covering it up. Years of profiling clued me into her emotions, but to anyone else she would seem simply disinterested.

"Can I ask why?", I questioned gently. she shrugged, attempting to seem nonchalant. However, I felt her arms tense and her body shift, telling me she wasn't as carefree as she wanted to seem.

"I mean high school wasn't exactly easy for me, I was a nerdy girl with a dead dad, not super popular. I can't imagine having to re-experience that. Plus, I'm not as smart as you Spence", she said cracking a sad smile. "I was never a straight A student, and after the way I barely squeaked by my senior year, I don't think anyone would accept me", she admitted sadly. I swallowed thickly. I always assumed that Avery had an easy time with everything; she made her life seem so effortless, and I was foolish to think she didn't have insecurities and doubts like everyone else. I felt the sudden urge to comfort her, but she continued speaking.

"It's really not a big deal Spence, I'm happy with my life as it is. Really", she said with finality. I cleared my throat awkwardly.

"You know when I was a kid, I didn't have an easy go of things either. I was bullied, mercilessly. But college..college was different. I didn't mean to offend you. I just loved the college experience, each time I did it, and I just wish you had the chance to have the same experience", I said. Her face softened, so I assumed it was okay to continue. "Avery I think you're capable of anything you want to do. But if education isn't what you see for yourself, that's perfectly okay too. You're one of the most vibrant, determined women I've ever met, and I'm certain anything you do will be incredible".

Her face flushed red, and I savored the way she buried her head into my chest in an attempt to hide her face. I internally wondered how she was feeling. Was she angry I'd pushed the topic, or upset by the memories I'd ignorantly dredged up? I didn't have to wonder long, because soon I heard Avery's sweet voice speaking from where her head lied in my chest. Her words were quiet, muffled slightly from her position in my arms, but her voice was strong.

"You're one of the reasons I'm so 'vibrant' you know. Everything in my life has been better for having met you, Spence. You make me feel comfortable, cared for...accepted", she said. I let her words sink in for a moment before I let my smile spread and my stomach flip. Even after all the sweet words Avery had spoken to me over these last few months, I was amazed that the intensity of my reactions would seemingly never change. She had an inexplicable effect on me, one that always shocked me with it's fervor. I exponentially shared her feelings, and as I sat with her in my arms I decided to use whatever ounce of courage I had to ask Avery to be with me.

"Avery?", I asked, clearing my throat. To my satisfaction, she kept her head on my chest and decided to simply look up at me from her current position.

"Yeah Spence?", she asked, wrapping her arms tighter around my side.

"Avery I understand how you feel completely. I can't explain the way you make me feel accurately, no words really ever feel like enough. You make me feel...normal. Talking to others is difficult, but talking to you is effortless. I had something to ask you,uhm, if I could". Avery smiled, but must have noticed my unease because she turned more so she was facing me and grabbed my hand, gently rubbing circles into it. She nodded slightly, and I had the courage to continue. I took a deep breath in, and cleared my throat.

"Averywouldyougoonadatewithme?" I mumbled quickly. She raised an eyebrow as I realized that all those words were likely indistinguishable. I blushed, took another breath and tried once more.

"Well, um, I was, ah, wondering if you'd like to go on a date with me sometime", I said, more slowly, looking down. Suddenly a wave of fear washed over me and I regretted this entire conversation. Why was I even trying?It was highly improbable that a woman like Avery would ever agree to go out with a man like-

My thoughts were suddenly once again interrupted, but this time it was from Avery's body nearly toppling mine over at full force. She was hugging me? I looked up to find that she was indeed hugging me, speaking words now completely dulled by my chest. Confused, I (reluctantly) pulled Avery's face away from my body, raising an eyebrow at her. On her face was one of the biggest smiles I'd ever seen, as she continued to speak quickly and excitedly.

"I'm sorry what was that? I didn't hear a word you said", I asked carefully. She straightened up, and fixed her now messy mop of hair.

"I said, 'Of COURSE I would love to go out with you Spencer'", she said beaming. I blinked for a moment, processing. As soon as my brain caught up with reality I grinned so widely I thought my face may break in two. I pulled Vary into my arms again, savoring the feeling of relief and excitement that was washing over me. Just then, Amelia crawled onto our laps, forcing us to pull apart, babbling. We both chuckled as her big blue eyes looked innocently up at us. Avery's smile stayed firmly on her face as she looked back up at me. She leaned in, and I felt my heart skip a beat as she pressed her smooth lips to mine. As she pulled away and her eyes fluttered open she whispered,

"Name the day and time and I'll be there genius".