Title: Life's a Journey (Part 30 of 40)
Author: trista groulx (dustytiger)
Rating: T (same as the show to be safe)
Disclaimer: I am still a poor barista, please don't sue me. I know that CM is owned by lotsa ppl who are not me, including the network, creator, writers, actors and actresses that bring the show to life weekly.
Summary: After the events of the Doyle storyline Prentiss and Reid's lives change. Will they come together again?
Notes: I know the last part was a little rough I know but it needed some realism... Aemelia is going to warm up to her a little in this part but she's still a daddy's girl. Thank you for the support on this as always.
When Prentiss woke up the next morning it took her a moment to realise where she was. She was alone in the queen sized bed, and for a long moment she thought was alone in a foreign country again. Then she saw a picture of the side table and knew that she was really at Reid's. She could hear voices coming from the other room, and realised after a moment that Aemelia was in the kitchen telling Reid a story over breakfast. JJ had told her many times in letters how talkative the little girl was but so far she hadn't heard it. She was almost afraid to get up and ruin the moment the father and daughter were sharing; then she realised they probably shared these moments every morning. She got up slowly and pulled Reid's robe on, tying the sash around her waist to hide Reid's shirt she didn't want to explain that to her daughter, ever. She went into the living room.
"'Morning Miss Emily," Aemelia greeted.
"Good morning Aemelia," Prentiss replied.
"The coffee is fresh," Reid told her.
"Thank you Spencer."
"You call Daddy Spencer," Aemelia commented.
"That's his name."
"Only Nana calls Daddy Spencer. Aunt JJ calls him Spence, almost everyone else calls him Reid or Doctor Reid and Aunt Penny calls him all kinds of crazy stuff but she doesn't never call him Spencer. Well some of the moms at dance class try and call Daddy Spencer but he don't like that. He tells 'em he's not interested, I guess it's cause I'm not friends with their girls."
"Aemelia, eat your breakfast," Reid told his daughter, the tips of his ears turning red.
As much as his daughter was an articulate and smart child, she still had her moments of being a five year old with no buffer. She had no idea what she had said wrong, nor why her father was turning a very bright shade of red, but continued to eat the French toast her father had prepared her for breakfast that morning. She took the last bite of her food.
"But Daddy it's true. I am not friends with a lot of the girls from dance class," he explained. "But those girls mommies all ask you if I wanna go over to their house and play, and Bria's mommy even makes you cookies and you tell her you're 'lergic! It's not true Miss Emily, Daddy isn't 'lergic to nothing 'cept spring and his nose gets all itchy and he wears his funny glasses."
Prentiss couldn't help but laugh when she heard Aemelia say that. She was also surprised to hear that women had obviously been flirting with Reid, and from what she was hearing he was having nothing to with it. She had always hoped that he would still be single when she came back to North America but she didn't believe he would really stay single the whole time she was gone though. Her biggest fear had always been that he would move on, or someone else would realise how amazing he was and would take an interest, but despite everything he had been loyal to her. Prentiss knew she would never find another man like Reid and hoped he would continue to want her in his and their daughter's lives.
"Aemelia, please," Reid sighed. "We've talked about this."
"Okay Daddy. Daddy is Miss Emily going to have sleep over here all the times now?"
"I don't know Princess, maybe. I would like her to be able to take care of you while I'm at work if she wants."
Prentiss had poured herself a coffee and was surprised when Reid handed her a plate. She smiled at him silently thanking him and began to nibble at the food, watching Aemelia who had gotten quiet since she had come into the room. When the little girl was finished she asked to be excused and Reid asked her to get dressed. Prentiss realised that she was changing a lot in the little girl's life and she wondered if she had done the right thing. She didn't want to tell Reid how she was feeling knowing he already had enough to deal with.
"She's still adjusting. I told her that Deena might not have to work for us anymore," Reid explained. "She was telling me about how much she would miss her, and when she heard you coming she said she didn't want to hurt your feelings."
"I've turned her life upside down. I should just-."
"Don't say it," Reid warned her. "You've left for long enough, or did those letters you wrote to Aemelia and all of the letters and pictures you kept from JJ mean nothing; were they just for show?"
"Of course they weren't just for show- wait, you read them?"
"You never told me I couldn't. I was curious. I have some letters for you as well. I'm not sure why I wrote them since I thought you were dead, and they don't have the same feeling as yours but they are yours. I could almost hear how upset you were when you wrote them and I understand that giving Aemelia to me was hard for you and honestly I am glad I have you in life again, and that Aemelia might finally be able to know her mother."
Prentiss could feel tears forming as he handed her the letters he had been writing. She was glad the Reid seemed to understand why she had done what she did, but there was a part of her that knew Reid must be hurt by what she had done. She didn't understand how he could be so willing to let her back into his life, and their daughter's. She was glad that he had done that, but was still expecting him to change his mind. She went into the other room to read the notebooks he'd given her as he began to clean up from breakfast. Prentiss curled up on the couch and began reading Reid's notebooks. She was amazed by the detail in them. He had written something in it every day.
Prentiss didn't hear Aemelia coming into the room, she was too engrossed in her reading. Aemelia sat down next to her and looked at the pile of notebooks. She knew that the writing in them was her father's and knew she shouldn't just start to read whatever Prentiss was reading.
"Can you read that to me, please?" Aemelia asked, Prentiss was still surprised by how polite the little girl was being.
"You need to ask your dad," Prentiss replied. "These are his notebooks."
"Oh, okay."
Aemelia ran off to find to find her father. Reid was in his study doing some paperwork. When he heard Aemelia's footsteps running down the hall he got up and met her in the hallway. He still didn't like the idea that she might accidentally see something to do with his work, and made sure she never went into that room. She barreled into him giving him a hug. Somehow she always knew when he needed that.
"Daddy, would it be okay if Miss Emily read to me from your notebook?" she asked.
"I think that's a wonderful idea. They are about you when you were a baby. Why don't you bring your baby scrapbook that Aunt Penny made you so that she can see pictures and things from when you were a baby to go along with the stories."
"Okay cool!"
Aemelia went into her room and got her first scrap book off the shelf. Prentiss was surprised when she saw the little come out with the scrapbook. She had had no idea that anything like that existed, and she knew it was going to be difficult to read the letters and see the pictures knowing that she had not been there, but was glad had the chance to go through everything with her daughter.
"Daddy said yes, and to also go through my baby scrap book, this one is from when I was a little baby, Aunt Penny made me six before I was two!" she explained.
"Wow, Aunt Penny must really love you."
"She does and she likes to make me all kinds of cool stuff. Now could we read?"
"Of course."
Prentiss began to read the letters to Aemelia who was going through her scrapbook at the same time. Prentiss felt a little overwhelmed, but was glad to be able to share this moment with her daughter. It wasn't the same as if she had been able to be there, but at least she was able to be a part of the rest of the little girl's life. It still felt unreal to be sharing these kinds of moments with her daughter, but she was glad to finally be having them. She had waited for so long to see the little girl, and although she knew it would take a little while longer for her to really accept her she knew she was doing the right thing. It amazed Prentiss that Aemelia was so similar to her without her having met her before. Reading the notebooks and seeing the scrapbooks was emotional for them both but it seemed to help them get closer.
End Part 36
Notes: Well she's warming up but still worried, I can't believe this is almost over *sniffle* it might be a while before I write another longfic depending on how my doctor's appt goes in a couple days (darn wrists).