Disclaimer: I own nothing, no copyright infringement is intended
A/N: Thanks as always to the fantastic crew of CM fanatics that read and review. (I know don't give up my day job)
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Reid noticed the look in her eyes. He knew it well. He'd seen it before. He'd seen that look in the eyes of victims' families. He'd seen that look in the eyes of victims. He'd seen that look in the mirror.
He stood in the doorway, not wanting to scare her by approaching too quickly. "Allie," he said, "It's me, Spencer, okay. There's nobody else here, okay." She nodded but didn't move. She started to shiver from fear and throwing the tee shirt over her still wet body. "I'm sorry if I scared you. I didn't think. Can you come out of the tub, you're shivering." Allie nodded again but still didn't move. "Can I help you, please," he begged. His heart was breaking to see her so frightened. He moved slowly into the room, approaching the woman he loved. It took only a couple of steps to reach the tub. He reached out his hand but didn't touch her and waited. She lowered her arm, dropped the nail file and put her hand in his and then moved it to his shoulder. He put his arm around her and lifted her from the tub. He wrapped her in a warm towel and led her to the bedroom.
She stood near the bed, just staring into space. Reid quickly went to the closet and retrieved an extra blanket and wrapped this around her as well. She allowed herself to be led to the bed. He lifted her onto the bed, sitting beside her, not touching her at first. The shivering was easing up and he put a hand gently on her back. The touch seemed to waken her and she turned and looked at him. "I'm sorry," she said, laying her head on his shoulder while tears overtook her.
"You have nothing to be sorry for. Why would you think that?" He wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back; glad she had finally spoken and was letting her emotions out.
"Maybe I wasn't careful enough. Maybe I was too cocky. Maybe on some level, I doubted that you were right. I should know better than that by now, huh," she sniffed. Reid reached for a tissue from the bedside table and placed it in her hand. "Thanks," she said with a small grin. "Sorry I was such an idiot just now."
"You were not an idiot. You had a very traumatic day. You were abducted by someone you'd once considered a friend. You had to watch your best friend suffer while you tried to shield her from the worst of it. You had a knife held to your throat and then you had to help deliver your friend's baby. And that was all just this evening." He looked down at his hands. "I'm the one who's sorry. I shouldn't have left you. I should have stayed with you and been supportive."
"No, you had stuff to do," Allie replied. "You had no way of knowing I'd turn into mush. How did the interrogation go? Did you get a confession?" Reid nodded. "See," she touched his cheek with her hand. "I knew they needed you there."
He got up from the bed and went over to the drawers, going through Allie's things. "Where are those blue flannel pajama bottoms you always wear?"
"I didn't bring them," she blew her nose again.
"Your sweats?" She shook her head. "Your granny nightgown?" Again she shook her head.
"I was going to wear that," she gestured to what he held in his right hand. He looked down at a little nightgown, a very little nightgown, in soft cream silk and lace. "I wanted to be sexy for you." He looked at Allie and back at the nightgown, realizing how far removed this weekend had become from what she had planned. "It's okay; I like your tee shirts. Why don't you put on your sweats and we can order some hot chocolate and some devastatingly rich dessert and then watch something totally insane on TV."
"Are you sure you don't want me to call your Mom or something?" She shook her head and pointed to the bathroom so he headed off to change. They would do it her way for once on this trip.
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The day dawned bright and sunny and if you didn't look at a newspaper or turn on the TV, you wouldn't have known anything had happened last evening in this quiet little city. Reid and Allie had gotten their things packed and were down in the hospitality room helping the team pack everything up. They said goodbye to everyone and Reid said he'd see them when he got back.
Allie and Reid were now taking their belongings to the SUV and Reid went to the desk to check out. "It's been taken care of sir," the desk clerk said when Reid went to pay the bill.
"Taken care of," Reid replied, "Taken care of by whom?"
"It doesn't say sir. It just says that the bill's been paid in full. It's stamped and everything. I wasn't present at the time so I don't know."
"Okay," Reid looked bewildered. "Thanks." He went out to the SUV where Allie was waiting.
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They headed for the hospital to visit Chantal. It was a little too early for visiting hours but they were allowing it since Reid and Allie would be leaving before visiting hours and they were the ones who helped deliver the baby.
Allie stopped at the gift shop and picked up a balloon that proclaimed 'It's A Boy' and a little blue teddy bear. She also found a lovely arrangement of flowers that she gave Reid to carry.
When they arrived on the maternity ward, it was quieter than Reid had expected. He had assumed the air would be filled with the sound of crying babies but much to his surprise that was not the case. They went to the nursery first and Allie pointed to a bassinet, "Look, that's him, baby Jeffries." He had a little blue sleeper and a blue cap on and a very tiny nasal cannula delivered oxygen to the newborn. "Isn't he darling?" Reid looked at the baby and was amazed to feel a closeness to the wee boy who had started life in his hands.
They carried on to Chantal's room. Chantal and Allie embraced, "We saw him in the nursery window. He's beautiful."
"That's my boy," Mark said, already the proud father.
"Hi Spencer," Chantal said, "I apologize for my behavior last night. I know I was rude to you."
"Think nothing of it. You were in quite the predicament. I thought you were a trooper."
She turned to Allie again. "He was sixteen inches long and 5lbs 2oz. He's doing really well. They don't think he'll need the oxygen for long. They think he should be able to go home in about a week." Chantal gave them a rundown on the baby's medical condition and got out of bed, saying, "I have to go down to the nursery to breast feed. Come with me Allie." Allie agreed wholeheartedly leaving Mark and Reid in the room alone.
In the hallway Chantal said, "I know you won't actually be able to come in the nursery but I wanted to give the guys some time alone. Mark wants to talk to Spencer." Allie nodded her understanding.
"I'm sorry for the way I acted yesterday. I had no right to take off on you like that," Mark began.
"It's fine, you were under a lot of stress and I should have kept a better watch on them, maybe it wouldn't have happened," Reid replied.
"Chantal and Allie both told me what you did, talking Daryl down and then delivering our baby. I owe you for my wife and son's lives man. I mean, you must have been as frantic as I was, the guy had your woman too but you held it together."
"Well Mark, I've had training. That's the type of thing I deal with every day," Reid explained.
Mark shook his head, "I don't know how you do that but I'm glad that you do." He reached over and offered Reid his hand.
The door opened admitting the women. "He's all fed. The nurse is going to change him and they'll take him off the oxygen briefly and bring him in for a few minutes so Allie and Spencer can see him and then he has to go right back." As Chantal said this a nurse entered with gowns for them to put on. It reminded Reid of the first time he'd seen Evan. The nurse returned with a little bundle in a blue blanket and handed him to Chantal who cuddled him tenderly. "He's so beautiful," she crooned, softly kissing the baby on the forehead. "Would you like to meet your Godmother sweetie?" She handed the baby to Allie who stroked the baby's cheek as she cooed at him. "This is Allie," Chantal said to the wee babe, "Allie, this is your Godson, Reid Graham Jeffries."