Chapter twenty-nine

JJ

All Spencer had asked for by way of the wedding was not big, small; the smaller the better. If they could keep it to immediate family and the team he would be thrilled. He hated large parties with a passion. So JJ and her family kept it small. Not a lot of people, the team, family, some old friends in an old antebellum house outside of the city with a small chapel on the grounds; simple, elegant, not a ton of fuss. He wore his best suit; she wore ivory lace with flowers in her hair. Emily was the maid of honor, Morgan was the best man. No grand procession, just gather at the front of the chapel and done.

Except for one hold up, Rossi; "I can't believe he's late." Emily grumbled.

"He went to get his wedding gift." Garcia told them. "You can't start before it gets here."

"Why not?" Spencer asked.

"Because," was her only answer. "It's a big thing, it has to be here."

"How big are we talking?" Morgan wanted to know.

"Well, it's not physically big, not really, but it's, like, big. You just…trust me. You need to wait." Garcia was almost aflutter with excitement.

Emily looked over and clearly decided to try another angle. "So how much did this big thing cost him?"

"About twelve thousand."

That shocked everyone. "What, is it a new car?" Morgan asked.

"No, bigger."

"Some art thing?" Emily tried.

"Uh-uh. Bigger."

JJ sighed. That was far too much, whatever it was. "Garcia, just tell us."

Garcia had been watching the walk that curved around the chapel from the parking lot. Now a slow smile spread across her face, "Okay, medical transport from Vegas to DC and back."

While they all stood there trying to make sense of that a voice spoke up from behind Spencer and Morgan. "Hello son."

They turned. There stood Dave Rossi, with an elegant, serious blond woman on his arm. Spencer's jaw just dropped, "Mom?"

Diana Reid nodded. "Oh, don't you look handsome. I like the short hair." She reached over and smoothed a bit of dust off his lapel. "David arranged it. It's only for the day, I'm flying back tonight, but I'm very grateful for the chance to be here."

"Mom," he pulled her in and hugged her, how could he not. "You…you're here. You're….?"

"Unmedicated, now, now…" She held up a hand to ward off his concern, "Just since yesterday. And the nurses are under strict direction to put me back on my meds for the trip home. But I wanted to be clear today, to remember this." She stepped back and turned to the bride. "And you must be JJ? Welcome to a very strange family."

While they spoke Spencer turned to Rossi, but before he could speak the older man stopped him. "I told you I wanted a proper wedding. This is part of it. Now I've got two aids to help me look after Diana and make sure she gets safely on the plane, you go enjoy your day. You can thank me later."

Spencer couldn't say anything; he just stood there gaping like a fish.

Diana put a hand on his elbow to get his attention. "Well, going to escort your mother to a front-row seat?"

Spencer offered her his elbow and walked her down to the front row. Then he went back for JJ.

And that was that.

Spencer

As they were going into the house for the reception one of the staff came up to Spencer. "A man left this for you; he said to give it to you right after the wedding."

Spencer murmured his thanks as he took the envelope and opened it, carefully. He wouldn't put it past an UnSub to try something on this day of all days.

The envelope held Redskins season passes to a VIP booth at FedEx Field and a note. Tell Hotch I take full responsibility. JG.

Morgan looked over and started laughing, "That son of a bitch."


The nice thing about having it in a house was that it offered a number of smaller, private spaces. In the library with the big windows Rossi settled Diana Reid, allowing her to visit with people and not get overwhelmed. It was here that Spencer found her, as usual with a book on her lap, "Hey Mom, having a good time?"

"Yes, actually, I just had a lovely visit with your old friend Ben. He's still quite the charmer."

Spencer smiled, chuckled a little. "Good, I'm glad. There are a couple of people I really want you to meet though."

"Oh really? Who?"

Spencer reached down and behind him and tugged his shy little shadow into view. "Well the first is Henry here. This is JJ's son, my godson. Henry, this is my Mom, Dr. Reid. Can you stay here a moment? I'll be right back."

Henry looked up at Spencer and nodded, then looked over at his mother. "Hello."

"Hello Henry. It's very nice to meet you. Tell me, has Spencer been reading to you?"

Henry nodded. "Uh-huh. We've been reading Treasure Island."

"Ohhh, Treasure Island. Stevenson. That's quite the good one. Good, reading is very important." She looked up as Spencer came in again. "And who is this."

Spencer sat on a footstool, right near her chair, and held the little girl in the party dress on his knee. "Mom, this is Sophia. Sophie, this is your Grandmother Diana."

As Diana's eyes began to fill Sophie looked over and pointed to one of her favorite things in the whole, wide world, "Book."

Diana nodded. "Oh my yes, darling, it is a book. Would you like me to read to you?" As Sophie almost threw herself into the chair she looked over at her son, "Hyperlexia?"

Spencer nodded, "And a host of other symptoms. She's already tuning out just like me."

"Oh marvelous! How wonderful!" her smile beamed like the sun. "Do you want to join us Henry?" She held out her arm and Henry scrabbled into the chair to sit on her other side. "Proust. This was one of Spencer's favorites when he was a boy. Let's see now…Many years had elapsed during which nothing of Combray, save what was comprised in the theatre and the drama of my going to bed there, had any existence for me, when one day in winter, on my return home, my mother, seeing that I was cold, offered me some tea…"

Spencer sat there on the footstool at his mother's knee, listening while she read to his children as she had to him, not hearing the people in the doorway, looking up only when JJ sank down beside him.

It was a magic to be savored for a long time.


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Quote from Du côté de chez Swann by Marcel Proust. Published in 1913 and no longer under copyright.