Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds.
A/N: Shout out to criminalmindsrocks, Rookblonkorules, lolyncut, KESwriter, L, fishtrek, Gubloid, Astrahan, Fashionista7, and Yami Naty for reviewing chapter one.
Because of the number of reviews and followers, I got after chapter one, I decided that I should write a few chapters that take place between Max spending the night with Spencer in the hospital and the wedding and write a chapter that has Spencer and Max with their children. I added on more to chapter one, so please go back and read chapter one.
This chapter deals with Spencer's week in the hospital and I hope everyone approves a few characters I bring back since they couldn't be in the finale. I did some research on intracranial hemorrhaging and I found out that Spencer has a high risk for post-traumatic epilepsy.
I dedicate this chapter to Fashionista7 since it's her birthday today! We started corresponding here and then on Facebook Messenger almost two years ago since we help each other with bouncing off ideas and read each other's in-progress chapters before we review each other's stories. A good reason why we became great friends is that we were born exactly four months apart and we both love Spencer Reid. So happy birthday Fashionista7!
Spencer did move into another apartment building after prison.
The next morning at 7:30 A.M., Spencer and Max were eating breakfast as they watched the news when a news segment about Everett Lynch finally being killed when his teammates shot the jet that was his second home, "Would you believe it that I'll miss that jet? I lost count on how many hours I have slept on the couch in that jet. It was my home away from my apartment when I'm not sleeping in hotel beds." said Spencer.
Max laughed, "Rest in peace B.A.U. jet" said Max before thinking about her fiancé's apartment that he moved into after his false imprisonment, "Speaking of your apartment, I don't want to ever return to the apartment that I found you unconscious in while I'm allergic to cats so you should just move into my apartment immediately after your discharge while we spend the next few months finding a house."
"I understand that you don't want to return to the place where you found me unconscious, but I don't own a cat and your not allergic to cats," said Spencer.
"I know, but I don't feel comfortable about you living in an apartment that a certain kitty cat who tried ruin our relationship two months ago by having someone abduct my dad and little sister before she decided to invade your apartment anymore," said Max.
Spencer let out a laugh as he realized that his fiancee was talking about Cat Adams before groaning in pain, "Ow."
"Are you OK?" asked Max.
"Just don't make me laugh with your quirky sense of humor since I have one hell of a headache, right now," said Spencer.
"You're going to be having one hell of a headache for a while," said Max.
"I know," said Spencer before he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, "Since I'm deciding to become a full-time professor who occasionally consults for the F.B.I., maybe I should quit wearing my contact lenses all-together and wear my glasses full time."
Max smirked, "Seeing you in your glasses is the reason why I got pregnant in the first place."
"Speaking of your pregnancy, are you going to have an ultrasound soon?" asked Spencer.
Max smiled, "Dr. Kiyomura already scheduled a doctor appointment for me here at 9 A.M. and she's letting you accompany me as long as you're in a wheelchair."
At that moment Dr. Kiyomura knocked on the door of the Intensive Care Unit room that Spencer was staying until the intracranial hemorrhaging was almost gone completely, "How are you feeling Spencer?" asked Dr. Kiyomura.
"Much better than when I woke up yesterday evening, but I'm having one hell of a headache," said Spencer.
"You did smack your head very hard twice, and Savannah told me that you've been a victim of explosions before," said Dr. Kiyomura.
"I remember meeting you when Savannah got shot in the parking lot here. Was she working here yesterday?" asked Spencer.
"She wasn't, but she's in today and has already seen your name on the patient roster. She's planning on checking in on you after your MRI," said Dr. Kiyomura.
"She's going to laugh when she learns that I learned that I'm going to be a father and proposed to Max in a hospital bed too just like Derek did," said Spencer.
Dr. Kiyomura laughed, "I know," said Dr. Kiyomura before becoming serious, "After the one seizure, you had on your way here and paramedics couldn't do anything I could stabilize you here, you'll need to take anticonvulsants for at least a year to make sure that you don't develop post-traumatic epilepsy. Secondly, you'll be needing to visit with a neurologist every three months for the next year to make sure that there's no lasting brain damage. Lastly, you'll need to quit being a field agent and work a less stressful job to reduce your chances of developing post-traumatic epilepsy."
"I already promised my mom and Max that I would leave the B.A.U, and I hope that it's OK to be a freelance consultant at one of the field offices here in Washington D.C. while I'm planning on accepting a job offer to become a criminology professor at George Washington University," said Spencer.
"Those professions are perfect, but only limit yourself to working eight hours a day," said Dr. Kiyomura before looking at the clock, "I already have you scheduled for an MRI to check the intracranial hemorrhaging after you get back from Max's prenatal checkup."
An hour later Spencer was sitting in a wheelchair as he teared up at the sight of his son or daughter on the monitor as he held Max's hand while Dr. Amelia Carson did a transvaginal ultrasound on Max only to learn that they were having twins.
After Spencer's MRI was finished, he smiled when he saw Savannah who was waiting by the gurney that he was brought into the room on, "Hi Savannah," said Spencer tiredly.
"You almost gave Derek a heart attack when he heard about your girlfriend finding you unconscious in your apartment," chided Savannah.
"I'm sorry, but I know that I'm lucky that my fiancee found me when she did," said Spencer.
"Did you end up proposing to Max from your hospital bed just like Derek did to me after his abduction?" asked Savannah.
Spencer blushed, "Yes and Max is pregnant with twins."
Savannah laughed, "Derek is going to get a kick out of this."
Spencer smiled, "I know, but please keep my proposal, my upcoming fatherhood, and the news about my upcoming resignation from the B.A.U. a secret. Max is so furious at my current teammates. She told me that I can't see any of my teammates until the day after I'm released from here or she'll have me get a vasectomy so I can't get her pregnant again."
Savannah laughed, "I remember the threats I gave Derek when he was pregnant with Hank, so you shouldn't argue with Max."
"I know," said Spencer.
Savannah quickly noticed how tired Spencer was looking, "I'm going to be telling Derek to hold off visiting you until you're out of the intensive care unit since you shouldn't have your three-year-old godson visit you until you have more time to recover," said Savannah as her phone vibrated and she smiled when she saw a video message from her husband, "Derek just sent me a video of Hank. Want to watch it when I take you back to your room?" asked Savannah.
"Yes, please," said Spencer.
A few seconds later Savannah was helping Spencer climb back into his hospital bed she and one of the male orderlies wheeled his bed back to his critical care unit hospital room as he watched a video of his three-year-old godson telling him to get well soon.
Four hours later Hotch entered Spencer's hospital room to find his former youngest agent asleep as he shook his head, "After almost losing my hearing during the Angel Maker Copycat case almost 12 years ago, I thought that you wouldn't lead by my example and don't fly home," said Hotch
Spencer opened his eyes as he blearily saw Hotch, "Hotch?" croaked Spencer.
Hotch instantly saw Spencer's glasses on the rolling table and a bottle of water and passed both objects to Spencer.
"Thanks," said Spencer as he slipped on his glasses before taking a sip of water as he thought about Hotch meeting Max after Cat Adams trying to break him and Max up, "Did Max call?" asked Spencer.
"She did and I know that she's furious with the team. She asked me if I would have let you fly home if I was there and I told her that I wouldn't, so she's allowing me to visit you while she's teaching an art class," said Hotch before shaking his head, "I thought that Prentiss would do a better job keeping an eye on you after Mexico."
"I know, but Emily didn't go along to Reno," said Spencer.
"Prentiss told me when I called her to call her out on not forcing you to stay in Reno overnight," said Hotch before shaking his head, "With how everyone neglected you and learning that you have a high risk of developing post-traumatic epilepsy, I believe that you should work as a desk-bound agent for another team or focus on teaching like you've been doing during your mandatory time off the past few years."
"I'm already thinking about working as a freelance consultant at one of the field offices in D.C. while I accept my latest job offer to teach criminology classes at George Washington University Foggy Bottom campus after Memorial Day," said Spencer.
Hotch smiled as he thought about Spencer showing him his job offers and what they offered to him to lure him from the F.B.I. to teach future students who want to work for the F.B.I., "What George Washington University offer you this time to get you to work for them?" asked Hotch.
"They offered me a starting salary of $200,000 and they have a six-bedroom and a three-bath townhouse house that belonged to one of their professors who is retiring in May. Max and I would be allowed to live in that house all year long rent-free as long as I teach three classes a week during the fall, spring, and summer semesters," said Spencer.
"Now that's a tempting offer," said Hotch.
Spencer nodded, "Max said to take it since I'll be teaching possible future FBI agents."
"Are you going to stay with Max when you're released from here?" asked Hotch.
Spencer nodded, "Max is refusing to let me out of her sight when I'm released from here while she doesn't want me to live in the apartment that a certain kitty cat she claims to be allergic to invaded my apartment two months ago."
"I thought you were crazy for deciding to stay in your apartment after Adams forced you to take her to your apartment to save Max's little sister," said Hotch.
"It's been my home since my false imprisonment, but it's too small for Max, the twins, and I to live in this fall," said Spencer.
Hotch quickly connected the dots, "Max's pregnant with twins?" asked Hotch.
"Six-weeks pregnant and my near-death experience caused me to do the honorable thing and ask Max to marry me," said Spencer.
Hotch smiled as he thought about the few phone calls they had about JJ's confession, him meeting Max, and Cat Adams trying to break him and Max up, "You know that Maeve would be happy that you're finally getting married and becoming a father."
"I saw Maeve while I was in a coma and she told me that she's happy for me," said Spencer before thinking about Hotch being a father figure for him in the past, "Would you be co-father of the groom for me?" asked Spencer.
"Rossi will be the other?" asked Hotch.
"Yes," said Spencer.
"I'm honored," said Hotch.
At that moment Spencer started to tell his former unit chief about the conversations he had during the hallucinations he had until he woke up from the coma he was in.
When Spencer was finished, Hotch shook his head, "I'm not surprised that Chief Strauss showed up since she had a soft spot for you, but I'm more surprised about Foyet showing up."
"Me too," said Spencer before thinking about the six SWAT agents who died after he told them to breach Lynch's house, "I know that Foyet showed up because of the guilt I'm dealing with telling Captain Montero and his team to breach, six SWAT agents died."
Hotch rested his hand on Spencer's shoulder, "You didn't know that Lynch created a tunnel to escape the house from and that he wasn't going to shoot a gas line to demolish his house. I felt the same way when Foyet killed seven people on that bus when I told him no deal, but you're going to have another seizure if you stress yourself over the guilt of six SWAT agents dying," said Hotch before giving a glare that he mastered on Spencer to get him to listen, "As your former unit chief, I order you to stop feeling guilty about ordering those six SWAT agents to breach that house and focus on being glad that you convinced Roberta and Everett Lynch to let the 15-year-old girl they were holding hostage go."
"As your mother, I'm ordering you listen to your former boss," said Diana as she briskly walked into her son's hospital room and kissed her son's cheek before she took the spare chair, "Remember when I told you about the time you tried being a tightrope walker by walking on top of the backyard fence when you were a kid?" asked Diana.
Spencer nodded, "Yes."
"There's going to be times that you're going to be making mistakes and I know that you'll be making a few mistakes when my grandchildren are born too," said Diana.
Hotch nodded, "I agree with your mother. You made some mistakes when I use to be your boss, but you always learned from your mistakes," said Hotch before getting up and shook Diana's hand, "I use to be your son's boss, Agent Hotchner. We met once over 13 years ago when your son brought you out here to help with a case."
Diana quickly flashed back to meeting Hotch during the case her son had flown her to Quantico, "I vaguely remember you and Spencer always wrote highly about you in his letters to me," said Diana before smiling at Hotch, "When Spencer was a little boy, we would go cloud watching and try to pluck what we want and let go what we don't want. I promised Spencer that I would visit him today so we can see if there are any cumuliform heap clouds outside."
"Sounds like fun. Spencer used to teach Jack about the clouds when Jack was a child," said Hotch.
"How old is Jack now?" asked Diana.
"14," said Hotch.
Diana sighed wistfully, "I rarely got to see Spencer when he was 14 since he was already going to Cal-tech. Cherish the time you have with your son before he leaves for college and starts a career that lets you rarely see your son."
"I'm a full-time dad now, " said Hotch before looking at Spencer, "I'm going to let you spend some time with your mother and let me know when the wedding is so Jack and I can be there."
"Max talked about having the wedding be in six weeks since she wants me to focus on recovering first," said Spencer.
"I'll make sure that Jack's and my schedule is clear in six weeks," said Hotch before he left the hospital room.
Diana looked at her son, "Where's Max?" asked Diana.
"She's teaching an art class at the Smithsonian right now since I told her to take a break from being here, but she'll be taking two weeks off when I'm released," said Spencer.
"I'm glad that Max isn't here right now because I have something that you that Max shouldn't see until you give her a proper proposal by getting on your knee," said Diana as she reached into the pocket of her tweed jacket and pulled out a small jewelry box and passed it to her son.
Spencer slowly opened up the box and saw a gold ring that had a round opal surrounded by diamonds.
"The aid that came here with me yesterday told me that engagement rings don't have to be just diamond, so I thought that you would appreciate giving Max a ring that I was given on the day you were born," said Diana.
Spencer smiled at his mother, "It's perfect, mom."
Diana smiled, "Now let's go see about getting you going cloud watching."
A few minutes later Diana was pushing her son who was reluctantly sitting in a wheelchair towards a window that one of the nurses told them that was perfect for cloud watching while the nurses could still keep an eye on him.
The next morning Spencer was entertaining Max with a card trick and he had just told Max to check inside her purse causing Max to say that it was the card that she picked when a clapping Dr. Kiyomura entered the room.
"I see that someone is feeling better," said Dr. Kiyomura.
Spencer smiled, "Even though today's MRI will determine if I can leave the intensive care unit and be moved to another room, I'm starting to feel more like myself."
"Being alert more and doing a few magic tricks is a good sign, but you're still going to be here until the bleeding has gone away," said Dr. Kiyomura before coming up with an idea, "After you have an early afternoon nap, would you like to be taken to the pediatric ward to put on a magic show for the kids when they have an hour of playtime at 3 PM?" asked Dr. Kiyomura.
Spencer grinned, "I would love to," said Spencer before looking at Max as he thought about ignoring his mother's wishes and propose to Max during a magic show despite not being able to get on one knee at the moment, "Want to be my assistant?" asked Spencer.
Max smiled, "Yes."
Later on that afternoon, Spencer was doing sleight of hand tricks and card tricks for hospitalized children before he did a somewhat proper marriage proposal by doing a sleight of hand trick with a coin to Max only to present her with the ring his mother gave her the day before and looked at Max who was tearing up at the sight of the ring in her fiance's hand, "Even though I asked you two days ago, here's the ring I promised to get you," said Spencer.
Max smiled as she allowed Spencer to slip it on her left ring finger causing her to look at the opal and diamond ring, "How in the world were you able to get a ring?" asked Max.
"My mom was given this ring by my father on the day I was born and she thought that this ring would be perfect for you," said Spencer.
Max smiled, "It's perfect," said Max before she kissed her fiance as a bunch of the children and their parents who were visiting clapped.
A few days later Spencer was reading a book in a regular hospital room when he heard little footsteps run into the room.
"Uncle Spencer," said Hank.
Spencer smiled as he watched his three-year-old godson stop by his hospital bed while Morgan entered the room with a few packages of jello.
"You're going to be making me go gray before I turn 50, pretty boy," said Morgan.
Spencer smirked, "You're bald, so you don't have any grey hair, Derek," said Spencer as he patted his bed, "Please place my godson by me."
Morgan quickly did what Spencer asked him to so Spencer could wrap his I.V. free arm around Hank.
"Who knew that you would get so cocky," said Morgan.
"You can thank Max. She brought a playful side out of me since the day we met at the park," said Spencer.
"Speaking of Max, I'm glad that she found you when you did," said Morgan.
"Me too," said Spencer.
"Where's Max?" asked Hank.
Spencer smiled, "I'll be getting discharged tomorrow, so she's getting a few things from my apartment."
"You're going to stay with her while you recover?" asked Morgan.
Spencer nodded, "She asked me to move in with her and we already found a bigger house that available in May."
"After what happened, I hope that you're considering leaving the B.A.U.," said Derek.
"I've been ordered to work a desk job because this latest injury gives me a high risk of developing post-traumatic epilepsy," said Spencer.
"I'm sorry, man," said Morgan before thinking about Emily, "Does Emily know yet?" asked Morgan.
"No," said Spencer.
"None of your teammates has visited you?" asked Morgan.
"Max is so angry at the team that she forbade them from seeing me until the day after I'm released from here and I personally give Emily my resignation," said Spencer.
"I don't blame Max," said Morgan before thinking about Spencer having to change careers, "Have you figured out what you're going to do with your life yet?" asked Morgan.
"Aside from accepting a job to teach three classes a week to criminology students at George Washington University starting in June, I already got approved to be a freelance consultant at the Hoover Building by the Director since the F.B.I. refuses to lose me to academia completely," said Spencer.
"You won't get bored teaching and consulting?" asked Morgan.
Spencer smiled, "I won't be bored at all since Max is six-weeks pregnant with twins."
Morgan grinned, "That's great. Have you thought about asking her to marry you yet?" asked Morgan.
"We're getting married in five weeks," said Spencer before looking at Hank who was playing with the edges of his blanket, "I already told your mother that you'll be the ring bearer, Hank."
"What's a ring bearer?" asked Hank.
"A ring bearer is a little boy who carries the rings to the bride and groom on their wedding day. Max and I decided on getting married in five weeks, so you'll get to dress up in a suit or a tuxedo and bring Max and me our wedding bands," said Spencer.
"Am I your best man?" asked Morgan.
"My soon to be sister-in-law Michelle's 12-year-old son Sammy is going to be my best man," said Spencer.
"Isn't he the boy who got you and Max together in the first place?" asked Morgan.
"Sammy begged to be my best man since he's the reason why I got together with his aunt," said Spencer.
Morgan chuckled, "Then I'm not upset, but I'm going to be arranging your bachelor party."
"I can't drink alcoholic beverages because of being placed on anticonvulsants for the next year," said Spencer.
"Then I'll figure out something else that doesn't involve going to a bar," said Morgan.
"Thank you," said Spencer before yawning.
Morgan lifted his son out of Spencer's hospital bed, "We should let uncle Spencer get some rest, little man."
"Do we have to?" asked Hank.
"Uncle Spencer hit his head so hard that he'll be sleeping a lot for a while. It's going to be a while before he's ready to take you to the D.C. Exploratory Center or any other museums," said Morgan before looking at Spencer, "Rest up so you're back to rambling about the development of three-year-olds to me."
"I will," said Spencer as he kissed his godson, "I'll see you soon, Hank."
"Love you, uncle Spencer."
"I love you too, Hank," said Spencer.
A few minutes later Spencer was eating one of the containers of jello that Morgan brought him before he took a nap until Max arrived to visit him.
The next morning Spencer was being given the all-clear to leave the hospital by the neurologist who was assigned his neurologist for the next year. As soon as he got dressed in comfortable clothing and Max packed up his belongings, he was holding his fiancee's hand as an escort wheeled him out of the hospital.
A/N: Aside from being familiar about epilepsy because of once having an epileptic charcoal lab who was put to sleep over two years ago, chapter three already has over 2,000 words typed, so it will be up in a few days!