Pairing: Emily/Reid

December 26, 2015

Song: Spirit of the Season from The Polar Express original soundtrack

A/N: A few notes about what would be the current team. This follows my other Spemily chapter.

Kate was hired to replace Spencer when he left in what would have been mid season 8.

Blake never left the team.

Kate left in what would have been the end of season 10 for the same reasons as Canon.

Tara joined in early season 11.

Emily placed a hand on her stomach but then burst out laughing. "I keep forgetting that I'm not pregnant and fat anymore," she giggled as she looked into the web cam.

"It's a bit weird for me, too," Garcia agreed. "You were pregnant, Em! And I missed it."

"You didn't miss it," Emily soothed. "You were there every step of the way that you could be. Via web cam."

"I know," Garcia sighed. "It's not the same."

"You love all things tech, Pen," Emily reminded.

"I am coming right after New Year's," Garcia said. "I bought my tickets. I am coming over to see you, Spencer, Nicholas and Holly ASAP. I will never forgive myself for missing their birth."

"You were busy," Emily said. "And everyone understands that. This Dirty Dozen is messing everything up but you're coming here now and we'll be fine."

"How's Reid?" Garcia interrupted.

"He was on diaper and bottle duty last night so he ended up sleeping in," Emily told her. "He's a bit tired."

"The twins are a handful, huh?" Garcia said. "Well, they are twins. I thought you guys were going to do it '200% together' though."

"Well, we are," Emily said, chuckling. "But sometimes it shifts."

"I guess it would," Garcia said. "Whoops, I have another call. It's probably Tara about the current case. No, it's Blake. Gotta go."

She hung up and disappeared from the screen in front of Emily.

Emily pushed her chair back from the computer desk and left the study, going along to the nursery where her twins slept.

Twins.

She had never even thought of having twins. The idea hadn't crossed her mind in the many (and there were many!) steamy sessions with Spencer before she conceived. She knew that they weren't using contraception intentionally, since Em was about to cross into the 'now or never' territory.

With baby had come wedding. The current team (Hotch, Morgan, Blake, JJ, Garcia) had flown out in July for Spencer and Emily's wedding. Kate would have come to but it was just about the time she was due. Indeed, little Jamie Callahan had been born only two days after the wedding. Emily remembered receiving the news while on her honeymoon and remembered it fondly.

Nicholas woke up with a soft babble that only babies can make. Emily scooped her son into her arms, cradling him close. "You're going to be hungry soon," she reflected, opening her shirt. "And I'd better get you filled up before your sister awakes."

Nicholas latched on immediately and Emily roamed the apartment as she nursed the baby, looking at the Christmas decorations that still stood all over the apartment.

Her first Christmas as a married mother of twins had astounded her by how utterly perfect it was, in nontraditional ways. She'd done nothing huge. She hadn't lost all of the baby weight by any means.

But she'd spent time with Spencer, her Spencer, and her kids.

That was more than enough in Emily's book, after her years of spending Christmas alone.

She looked outside at the snowy world. London was in the throws of a very rare blizzard, and the whole city had kind of stopped for it. She loved how weather could do this. How no matter how important people's plans were, simple weather could throw everything out of whack, remind everyone for a moment that they weren't in charge.

She heard footsteps behind her and turned from the window to see Spencer exiting the bedroom, his hair sticking up at crazy angles.

"I love your bedhead," Emily said.

He turned bleary eyes to see her. "Hey, the twins are up?" He yawned, stepping over to see his son.

"Thanks to you, I got a very good sleep last night," Emily told him, and when he got in reach, used her free arm to pull him close and kiss him deeply.

He returned the kiss.

"I have morning breath," he protested, his hand covering hers as he gently pulled away.

"I don't mind," she said, keeping him near to her.

"Well, then neither do I," he said and kissed her again.

Holly's cries split the air. Spencer pulled away.

"I'll do it," Emily said. "I'll put Nicky down and see to Holly. You need to get some coffee inside of you."

"I suppose I do," Spencer agreed, patting her arm.

Emily headed to the nursery, and when Holly saw her mother's face, her cries ceased momentarily, at least long enough for Nicholas to be burped so that she could settle him back in his crib before picking up her daughter.

"Oh, you need a diaper change," she murmured and took care of it before heading back into the main apartment, going to the kitchen.

"Penelope apologized for missing Christmas," Emily told Spencer. "Again. She told me that she was bringing about two dozen gifts each for Holly and Nicky and it was all I could do to remind her that they are only two months old and won't remember them or play with them all that much."

"What did she say?" Spencer asked, filling the coffee pot with water.

"She told me that gifts could keep," Emily chuckled. "That some things were timeless."

Spencer chuckled. "That sounds like her," he agreed. "So. I already got a call from Easter. There's no way I can go into work today and he dismissed me from at-home work."

"So, what does that mean for us?" Emily whispered, moving closer to her husband.

"It means a deliciously lazy Saturday," Spencer said. "Spent alone, in front of the fire, reading Kurt Vonnegut to each other and eating dark chocolate."

"Oh, not too much chocolate," Emily said, suddenly remembering just how much she'd indulged yesterday. "I am trying to take off this extra weight."

Spencer's eyes darkened as he looked at her; with desire. "Em, I think you look fine with the baby weight," he reminded. "And I just remembered why we placed mistletoe all over the house."

"Why you did," Emily reminded. "And why was that?"

Spencer walked over, backing her up til she was in the doorway. "So I always had an excuse to kiss you," he whispered.

"You're my husband, you never need an excuse," Emily said.

Next time:

Pairing: Hotch/Blake

Date: December 27, 2014

Song: We Wish You a Merry Christmas

The 2015 Profiler's Choice Awards are on! Calling all CM readers and Authors! Join us in the annual Profiler's Choice CM Awards; help us choose the best of the best Criminal Minds fanfiction and let your voice be heard. Check out the nomination ballot and rules at the Profilers Choice Awards 2015 Forum. All rules and information can be found there. Nominations begin November 14, 2015 and end December 31, 2015 (please note: ballots received before November 14 will not be counted. Thank you). All entries with ten (10) or more categories filled out are eligible to win an Amazon gift card!

Please review! Especially if you managed to find your favorite pairing in my list of chapters. :)

And a belated Merry Christmas to tannerose. I hope you liked this one and that it didn't disappoint. I almost want to start some sort of pairings one shot fic so I can keep doing things like this for you :)