On the next Tuesday, Spencer sat at his desk, looking through some files. He groaned, stretching his hand and pulling on a brace. By far the most annoying symptom so far was the wrist pain, especially considering it was in his dominant hand. He made his way over to the break room to make his tea, and practically waddling back to his seat.

"What would Lila Archer say if she knew the guy she was making out with in her pool seven years ago is waddling around like a penguin?" Morgan commented.

Emily reached over and backhanded him.

"What?!"

"Actually, Lila knows. I write to her every few months to keep in touch."

"So in one of your letters you said 'P.S. I'm pregnant'?"

"No… we talk about what we've been up to. She told me about her new TV role, and I told her about the case where I took a bullet to the shoulder and how I had to tell you guys."

Emily looked over. "Wait. The Lila Archer. The actress. Was making out with Reid in a pool?"

Morgan nodded. "He was back at her house with her to 'help her pack'."

She looked over at Spencer. "You animal."

He blushed. "Anyway. She, much like Rossi, needed me to confirm that I wouldn't give the baby a strange name."

"Are you?" Emily asked. "I know I gave you the book, but you never said anything."

"I'm not naming her after any serial killers, Greek gods, biblical characters, authors, or novelists. Is that enough confirmation that I can come up with a 'normal' name?"

"So, if that's not how you picked her name, how'd you do it?" Morgan questioned.

"I actually took your advice, Emily."

"You did?"

"What advice is this?"

"I stopped looking for a perfect meaning and just picked something that felt right."

She smiled. "I'm proud of you. The great Doctor Reid doesn't have to have something in his life with the perfect explanation."

He shrugged. "It had to happen sooner or later, right?"

Hotch walked over. "Conference room in 5. Reid, come to the briefing and you can work with Garcia on the case."

He nodded, setting his current file down. As the rest of the team made their way to the conference room, he got up, stumbling.

Morgan turned to look at him. "You okay, Pretty Boy?"

He thought up something, quick. "Uh, yeah. Tripped over the edge of my desk. You know, at 31 weeks, clumsiness is increased due to the lack of concentration and the change in posture."

"Whatever you say, kid."

He sighed, putting his bag on his shoulder and walking to the conference room.

During the briefing, Spencer did his best to focus, but couldn't stop the feeling of dizziness. He didn't want to make it known, because then he'd either be sent home or taken to the doctor, even though they needed him on the case. He didn't want the team to be down a person this close to him being gone for several weeks.

"Reid? You okay?"

He looked up at Hotch, setting down the file. "Just tired."
"After the briefing, lie down in JJ's office while Garcia starts researching the case."

"No problem."

"Small town in Oregon. Three children, all taken from their foster homes in the middle of the night. No sign of forced entry, nothing missing from the homes," Garcia started.

"What are the genders?" Spencer asked.

"All three were boys, between ages 6-10."

"No security footage, no enemies in the families?"

"I haven't been able to find anything."

Hotch sighed. "Wheels up in 20. Reid, go relax. Garcia, check the backgrounds on the foster families, as well as the biological parents. Look for anything suspicious."

Everyone picked up their folders and tablets and went back to their desks, and Spencer and Prentiss were the only ones left in the conference room.

"You okay, Reid?" she asked, collecting her things.

He nodded, putting his palms on the table and pushing himself up. He exhaled, sighing.

"Reid?" She walked over and stood beside him. "You sure you're okay?"

"I-I just…" he started, then he felt himself getting weaker. Luckily, Emily was beside him and caught him when he fainted.

"HOTCH, IT'S REID" she called, lowering him to the ground. She pressed two fingers against his neck as Hotch ran in.

"What happened?" he asked. She looked up to see everyone had run back into the room.

"He tried getting up and he fainted."

"Did he hit the ground?" Rossi asked, walking over.

She shook her head. "I got him before he could."

"Hotch what do we do?" Morgan asked. "We need to leave in 20 minutes."

He sighed, looking at the panic in his team's faces. "We get on the jet. Garcia, take him to the hospital, keep us updated."

"Should I call an ambulance and wait for it?"

"Like hell," Morgan said, picking him up. "Come on, baby girl. Grab your bag, I'll get him in the car," he looked back to his superior. "I'll be there on time. I promise."

Hotch nodded. "Go ahead."

Garcia rushed to her office to gather her things, then met Morgan at the elevator.

He laid Spencer down in the backseat, then got in himself.

"Derek-" Garcia started.

He started the car. "Be sure to update us as soon as they know anything."

"Of course…"

He pulled out and drove full speed to the hospital. When they finally got there, he looked at Garcia. "I'll carry him in for you, but then I have to go."

She nodded as he opened the backdoor.

"M-Morgan?" Spencer said in a whisper. "What happened?"

"You'll be fine, Pretty Boy. They're going to take care of you." He picked him up and walked inside, setting him in a waiting room chair. He then turned to Garcia. "He doesn't get a room in the next few minutes, I give you permission to go off on them."

"Like I need it," she said with a smile. "Be careful."

He nodded, grabbing the car keys from his pocket and walking inside.

Luckily for the hospital staff, and Garcia's sanity, he was taken into a room almost immediately. He was hooked up to a few monitors as a precautionary measure, and he'd fallen asleep from the exhaustion of the day. After talking to his doctor, Garcia called Morgan.

"Hey, Baby Girl, what's going on?"

"He's in a room and sleeping right now. The doctor didn't really get a chance to ask him questions first, so they're not sure what caused it. But we did do the right thing – his doctor had it on record that if he did faint during the pregnancy that he should be brought to a doctor immediately."

"But he's okay?" JJ asked. She sounded anxious. "And the baby?"

"Fret not, Jayje, baby budding genius is fine. Since Emily caught him and he didn't hit the ground, no problems with her. It's just the pregnancy taking its toll on his body, I guess."

"Let us know when you find anything out," Hotch said.

"Will do, sir," she said, before hanging up and walking back to his room.

Emily sighed. "Now I feel guilty."

"Em, you helped him and saved the baby from getting hurt. How does that warrant feeling guilty?"

"I just feel like we should've seen warning signs or something. Dizziness and fainting don't just… happen."

Morgan groaned. "Damnit."

JJ looked over at him. "What?"

"Before the briefing, he was getting up from his desk and stumbled. I just thought he tripped and didn't think anything of it. Then of course he justified it with the fact that 'clumsiness is common'."

"From now on, if anyone notices anything off about Reid, you come to me. Don't question him, don't put him on the spot, come directly to me, and I'll get to the bottom of it. Is that clear?"

They all looked over at Hotch.

"Why, because he can't lie to you?" Rossi asked.

"Exactly why. Are we agreed?"

They all nodded in agreement.

Sometime later on, Spencer woke up.

Garcia looked over and smiled. "Well, hello there."

He sighed, looking over at her.

"Feeling better?"

He nodded. "Much. What happened?" he mumbled.

"You fainted after the briefing." She looked at his face and saw him starting to worry. "But Emily caught you, lowered you down, checked your pulse, and Morgan drove us to the hospital."

He rested a hand on his bump, then looked over at her.

"Princess Prodigy is more than fine. I made them double and triple check."

He smiled slightly. "Thanks."

"Anytime."

His doctor walked in, and asked a few questions.

"Was this your first time fainting during your pregnancy?"

A nod.

"Have you been getting enough sleep at night?"

Another nod.

"Are you taking all of your vitamins?"

Another nod.

"Have you been eating right?"

Another nod.

"Was this your first time experiencing dizziness?"

A headshake.

"Reid…" Garcia started.

"I just, didn't want to make anyone worry about me."

"Oh, honey, that's why we're here. We care. We want to know you two are okay." She reached over and rubbed his back gently.

"We're going to keep you overnight, just to be sure there aren't any complications."

He sighed, but nodded.

"Is there anyone with you at home who can keep an eye on you? Maybe a parent or a roommate? In case something like this happens again."

He shook his head. "It's only me."

"…But I work with him, and live only a few blocks away. I could stop by and check on him if he and the baby need it," Garcia spat out.

He looked over to argue, but sighed, knowing that it was the best option.

After the doctor had left, she looked at him.

"Want me to go get you some decent food? Maybe a few things from your apartment?"

He chewed on his lip. "Can you just… stay? For a little bit, keep me company? If you have other plans, I understand."

She shook her head. "Only other thing I have to do is call the team and let them know you're okay. Unless you want to do that yourself. They're out to dinner, then they're going to the hotel for the night."

"Can I see your phone?"

She reached into her pocket, then handed it to him.

He thought to himself, and dialed JJ.

JJ checked her phone. "Hey, Pen, is sleepyhead up yet?"

"Is that a new nickname?"

She smiled. "Hey, Spence. How are you feeling?" She took the phone and put it on speaker.

"Pretty tired, and greatly disliking the smell of hospitals."

"What'd the doctor say?"

"They're keeping me overnight, just to confirm that there aren't any serious problems. Apparently the dizziness and headaches I was having weren't just symptoms that were going to go away. From here on out, I need to stick to a strict schedule on my medications and drink plenty of water, and they recommended a nap in the middle of my day, if possible. But I get it if I can't-"

"Reid, you're going to listen to your doctor's orders and take that nap in JJ's office. We only have you for another five weeks. We're not going to lose you any earlier than we have to."

"Thanks, Hotch. The doctor also suggested having people check in on me, but nobody has to do that part, I can take care of myself."

"Garcia, can you take that while the team's gone on cases?"

"Absolutely, sir."

"But Hotc-"

"I'll take Mondays, JJ on Tuesdays, Morgan on Wednesdays, Prentiss on Thursdays, Rossi on Fridays, Garcia on Saturdays, and we'll alternate who takes Sundays."

"Do I get a say in this?"

"We're not going to invade your personal space, Reid. Just checking in and making sure you're okay and you and the kid are safe," Rossi said.

He sighed. "Just promise me that nobody's actually staying in my apartment until 36 weeks, like we agreed."

"Should no more problems arise, I promise."

"How's my niece doing?"

"Fine, Jayje. She's down for a nap right now. Hopefully she stays down so I can get some sleep tonight."

"I'm gonna let you go so you can get some sleep. Call me if you need anything."

"Will do."

He hung up the phone and looked at Garcia.

"If you need to get home, I'll understand."

"You're not getting rid of me that easily. You need company and the only way I'm leaving is if they force me out. Now, off your back."

"Excuse me?"

"Roll on your side and get off your back. Last thing we need is more complications and you in the hospital again because you were sleeping on your back instead."

"And they call me paranoid?" he said, laying on his side and looking at her.

"Very funny."

"Thanks, Garcia. You didn't have to stay and take care of me."

"Of course I did. Now, can I ask you something without you getting upset?"

"Sure."

"We both know who the baby daddy is. I know you know that he doesn't remember making her and that's why you don't want to bother him. But… shouldn't you at least give him the chance?"

He took a deep breath, sighing. "I've thought about it. I really have. I just. I need to know I can do this alone. That I don't need to go running to him for help because I can't handle it. I know both of us are responsible for her, but he's not going to be on the birth certificate because I don't want to tie him down to a one night stand."

"What if he wants to be?"

He shrugged.

"Just, please promise me if you're in way over your head, he'll at least know."

He bit his lip. "I'll tell him after she's born. And he can take it from there. Deal?"

"Deal. Now get some sleep, young genius. We've got a long day tomorrow."