Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds.
A/N: Shout out to Fashionista7, fishtrek, and criminalmindsrocks for reviewing chapter 25.
I hope that all the readers who were in the path of Tropical Storm Cristobal stayed safe. Tropical Storm Cristobal was still strong enough to hit my Northeastern Wisconsin hometown which is extremely rare.
Spencer who was already dressed in his "Dr. Who" pajama pants and a CalTech t-shirt for their long flight to Las Vegas so he wouldn't have to change when they arrive at their hotel entered his house to find Maeve who was wearing a pair of yoga pants and a short-sleeved dress shirt of his as pajamas placing a wide-awake Arthur into his car seat that was next to the car seat the held a wide-awake Violet, "Everything is in your SUV and your father is already in the driver's seat."
Maeve looked towards the stairs and called out, "STEPHANIE, WE'RE LEAVING IN TWO MINUTES WITH OR WITHOUT YOU!"
"I'M COMING!" called out Stephanie as she showed up on the landing with a duffel-bag that contained books that she wanted to bring along.
Spencer smiled at his half-sister who had her cast removed two weeks ago while she was wearing a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt too, "Do you have everything you need?" asked Spencer.
"I grabbed all the books that I want to read the next few days," said Stephanie.
Maeve looked at her sister-in-law who was now looking at her upper teeth that had Damon System braces glued onto her teeth a week ago and were no longer been in pain in the mirror that was hanging on the wall, "Did you brush your teeth?" asked Maeve.
"Brushed, flossed, and used mouthwash," said Stephanie.
"Good," said Spencer before looking at his watch, "Wheels up in one hour, so we better head to Dulles so we can go through security and board our 8 P.M. flight."
Maeve shook her head as she picked up Arthur's car seat while her husband picked up Violet's car seat and Stephanie grabbed her toiletry bag and her niece and nephew's diaper bag.
An hour later Spencer smiled as he saw his wife's and half-sister's reactions when they realized that they were about to board the jet that Maeve once flew on with her husband so he could go to rehab for intense counseling in Sedona, Arizona for two weeks.
"Why is the B.A.U. jet here?" asked Maeve.
"Even though we're going to be in Las Vegas for the next two and a half days, the police department my teammates and I helped at last month requested that I give a seminar on geographical profiling the next time I'm in town to visit family. So Aunt Erin asked me if I was willing to give a two-hour long seminar to the police department I consulted at so we could have a reason to take the jet and avoid taking our three-month-old twins on a commercial flight," said Spencer before looking into his wife's and sister's eyes, "I ended up saying yes since I wasn't ready to take Violet and Arthur on a commercial plane since they're a petri-dish for all types of viruses and bacterial infections, so I'm sorry that I'll have to leave you two with the twins for at least four hours tomorrow afternoon."
Maeve rested a hand on her husband's arm, "Even though Violet and Arthur are old enough to fly on a commercial plane, I'm glad that your aunt found a way to let you take the B.A.U. jet to Las Vegas since I was a bit worried about taking Violet and Arthur on a commercial flight too. Stephanie and I can amuse Violet, Arthur, and ourselves by watching TV in our hotel room or spending a few hours at your Aunt Ethel's and Uncle Gordon's ranch."
"Thank you for understanding," said Spencer before looking at his wife and sister, "We might as well get the twins and ourselves onto the jet."
A few minutes later Spencer was introducing Violet, Arthur, and Stephanie to the pilots that usually transports him all over the country as they loaded their suitcases and double stroller onto the jet before one of the pilots kindly offered to take a picture of the five Reids together so a picture that deals with Violet's and Arthur's first plane ride could be placed into Violet's and Arthur's baby books and photo albums and helped make sure that Spencer and Maeve got Violet's and Arthur's car seats secured by the window seats of the four-seater table where Spencer briefs cases or plays poker with his teammates during their flights.
After Spencer buckled himself into the aisle seat next to a sleeping Violet, Maeve taking the aisle seat next to Arthur, and Stephanie deciding to buckle herself to the seat on the couch, the jet started to take off while Spencer and Maeve sighed in relief when they realized that Violet and Arthur never woke up during takeoff.
Five hours later Spencer was giving Stephanie who was refusing to wake up for him a piggyback ride down the stairs and maneuvered his sleeping sister into the middle seat of the S.U.V. that his aunt arranged to be waiting for him at the airport and buckled in his sister. After buckling in his sister, Spencer helped Maeve buckle in Violet's and Arthur's car seats on either side of Stephanie before Maeve got into the front passenger seat so Spencer could get their suitcases and double stroller from the storage compartment on the jet before he started driving them to their hotel.
After getting checked into their hotel, Spencer who had to give his still sleeping half-sister a piggyback ride the second time was laying down his sleeping sister into her queen-sized hotel bed and covered her up before he helped Maeve change Violet's and Arthur's diapers and place the twins into the hotel provided crib before Spencer and Maeve crawled into their bed so they could get some sleep.
The next morning at 7 A.M. Spencer who had already taken advantage of using their hotel's fitness center and took a shower and ordered room service was giving Violet her bottle when Stephanie woke up and blinked a few times.
"Where am I?" asked Stephanie.
"The Mandalay Bay Resort," said Spencer.
"How did I get here? I remember falling asleep on the jet," said Stephanie.
"When it came to you refusing to wake up for either Maeve or me, I had to give you two piggyback rides from the jet to our rental S.U.V. and from our S.U.V. to this hotel room. Thankfully everyone who witnessed me giving you a piggyback ride were very understanding when I explained that you're my 12-year-old sister and it was past 1 A.M. back home on the East Coast."
Stephanie thought about knowing that her brother likes to take Zoey on a run every morning when he's home, he'll also swim laps in their in-ground swimming pool a few days a week, and the two bicycle rides that they already did together the past week, "And because of knowing that you try to work out every morning that you're home while you're lugging two car seats that each weigh over 20 pounds because of Violet and Arthur, you didn't have an issue with giving an 80-pound me two piggyback rides."
Spencer nodded, "Exactly."
The next morning at 9 A.M., Spencer, Maeve, Stephanie, Violet, and Arthur entered Bennington Sanitarium causing Dr. Jesson who was talking to a nurse to make a beeline for them.
"I'm glad that you were able to find time to come back like you promised, Dr. Reid," said Dr. Jesson.
Spencer smiled a bit, "Me too since it's going to be hard taking time off to visit mom when Stephanie starts the seventh-grade on the 20th," said Spencer before gesturing to his sister, "This is my 12-year-old half-sister Stephanie. She's going to be living with us until she's off to college."
Dr. Jesson smiled at Stephanie, "I'm Diana's psychiatrist, Dr. Jesson. I'm sorry for your loss and I hope that you're adjusting to living with your brother, sister-in-law, niece, and nephew."
"Thank you. I'm pretty much adjusted to life with my brother, I've been going to therapy, while I gained three new best friends who I'll be starting the seventh-grade with on the 20th," said Stephanie.
"That's good," said Dr. Jesson before she heard some coos that caused her to look down at the double stroller that contained Violet and Arthur who were both awake and smiled at the sight of the grandchildren of one of her favorite patients, "Pictures do not do justice. Your mother is going to be thrilled when you five are visiting Diana in her room."
"In her room?" asked Stephanie.
"I thought that it would be easier for Diana to interact with her grandchildren in her room so Violet and Arthur don't agitate other patients if they get fussy," said Dr. Jesson.
Maeve nodded, "Plus I can easily have the privacy to breastfeed the twins in my mother-in-law's room too."
"Exactly," said Dr. Jesson before looking at Spencer, "Why don't you get your family settled into your mother's room before you track your mother down in the garden."
"OK," said Spencer.
After escorting his wife, children, and sister to his mother's room, Spencer headed out to the garden and smiled at the sight of his mother wearing a blue maxi-dress and a straw hat while reading a book by Chaucer, "Would you like to read to Maeve, Violet, Arthur, Stephanie, and me, mom?" asked Spencer.
Diana looked up from her book, "You never told me that you, my daughter-in-law, my grandchildren, and your sister were coming to town, Spencer."
Spencer smiled, "Even though Dr. Jesson, Aunt Ethel, and Uncle Gordon knew that we were coming to town, they agreed to keep this visit a surprise just in case you weren't lucid during this visit."
Diana hugged her son, "Either way, I'm glad that you're here, Spencer," said Diana before taking in her son's appearance, "Even though you're still too thin for my liking, you look like you gained a few pounds while the dark circles underneath your eyes have faded a bit."
Spencer smiled a bit, "When I'm home, I'm sleeping when Violet and Arthur are sleeping while my mother-in-law is cooking up a storm to fatten me up while your sister makes sure I don't miss meals at work."
"Good," said Diana.
"Want to go see your daughter-in-law, your grandchildren, and finally meet my sister in person?" asked Spencer.
"Where are they?" asked Diana.
"We're visiting in your room so Violet and Arthur don't disturb other patients when they cry about needing to be fed, changed, or rocked while Maeve can have the privacy to breastfeed them in your room," said Spencer.
Diana linked arms with her son, "Then let's go."
A few minutes later Diana smiled when she entered her room and found Maeve holding Violet and Arthur who both grinned when they recognized her thanks to her son and daughter-in-law frequently video chatting with her so she could see her grandchildren before she laid her eyes on her son's half-sister who had her straight armpit-length brown hair was pulled into two French braids while she was wearing a white knee-length skirt, a pink polo shirt, and pink converse sneakers while she was reading "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows", "You're more beautiful in person, Stephanie."
Stephanie placed a bookmark in her book and closed it before she looked at Diana who told her to call her by her first name during the last video chat they had, "Thank you, Diana."
"May I please hug you, Stephanie?" asked Diana.
"Yes," said Stephanie.
Diana pulled the half-sister of her son into a hug, "I'm glad that I finally get to meet you in person. Even though I'll never be able to replace your mother, I'll be there for you."
"Thank you," said Stephanie.
Diana then walked over to her daughter-in-law, "May I please hold my grandchildren?" asked Diana.
Maeve nodded, "Yes."
A minute later Diana was holding her grandchildren for the first time since Violet and Arthur were two-weeks-old, "I can't believe how big they've gotten."
"They turned three-months-old six days ago, mom," said Spencer.
Diana smiled at her daughter-in-law, "How are you doing, Maeve?" asked Diana.
"I'm all healed up from giving birth," said Maeve.
"That's good," said Diana before looking between her son and daughter-in-law, "Even though you two gave me two beautiful grandchildren over three months ago, when are you two going to give me another grandchild or two?" asked Diana.
Later on that afternoon, Spencer walked into the police station while carrying Violet's car seat and walked over to Sergeant Edward Cooper, "I'm sorry about having to bring my three-month-old daughter Violet along. Violet started getting very clingy with me when she saw me getting ready to leave the hotel room and my wife told me to take Violet with me and have her in the baby carrier on my chest," said Spencer.
"I take it that Violet's a daddy's girl who's clingy to her father when you're not on a case?" asked Sergeant Cooper.
Spencer nodded, "Yep and Violet's twin brother Arthur is a Mama's boy."
"My daughter was a daddy's girl until she started puberty, so it's OK," said Sergeant Cooper before looking down in the car seat to see a three-month-old baby girl with curly red hair, eyes that looked like they'll be brown like her father's in a few months, while she was wearing a violet-colored t-shirt that said DADDY'S PRECIOUS FLOWER while she wore a tutu style violet-colored skirt, "Violet is very beautiful."
Spencer smiled, "Thank you."
"I take it that your son is with your wife?" asked Sergeant Cooper.
"Yes," said Spencer before looking down at his daughter who gave him a toothless grin, "Let's get you into a clean diaper before I get you into your baby carrier so daddy can start his lecture, flower."
Sergeant Cooper pointed at a nearby table, "You can change Violet's diaper there, Dr. Reid."
"Thank you," said Spencer.
A minute later Spencer was laying Violet on a diaper changing mat that he placed on the table and easily removed Violet's tutu and unsnapped the bottom of Violet's onesie. As soon as he removed the diaper he wrinkled his nose at the sight of a number two being present in his daughter's diaper, "Even though dealing with crime scenes keep me from gagging at yours and your twin brother's stinky diapers, what has mommy been feeding you, flower? At least it's much easier for everyone to change your diaper to be changed since your twin brother still urinates on everyone who doesn't use something to catch your twin brother's urine."
Violet grinned and laughed for the very first time.
"Daddy's proud of you for laughing for the first time, flower, but you'll have to laugh again for mommy, your Aunt Stephanie, your Grandma Diana, great-aunt Ethel, great-uncle Gordon, and your great-aunt Erin later," said Spencer as he used wipes to clean up his daughter.
Violet grinned as she babbled, "Eee deee baaa, da."
Spencer grinned as he realized that Violet called him Da, "You turned three-months-old six days ago and you're getting closer to saying Dada, flower."
"Da," said Violet.
After getting Violet redressed, Sergeant Cooper helped Spencer get Violet into the baby carrier that was appropriate for a three-month-old to be in while making sure that the baby carrier was secure on Spencer.
"Thank you for your help," said Spencer.
Sergeant Cooper smiled, "Your welcome."
A half-hour later, Spencer was standing in front of all the police officers that he helped his teammates give a profile on Gerald Royal too, "For any of you who haven't met me a month ago, I'm Supervisory Special Agent Dr. Spencer Reid and I was born and raised in this city until I left Las Vegas to attend CalTech in Pasadena before I ended up becoming the youngest profiler for the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit down in Quantico, Virginia," said Spencer before allowing Violet to grab his finger, "This baby girl who just grabbed my finger is my three-month-old daughter Violet who wouldn't let me leave the hotel without her. Her twin brother Arthur is with my wife right now," said Spencer before he started to give his lecture while ignoring the dreamy looks that all of the female police officers were giving him at the sight of him gently running a hand through Violet's growing red curls as he taught every officer about geographical profiling.
Three hours later, Spencer and Violet entered their hotel room to find Maeve and Stephanie getting whatever they ordered for dinner through room service situated.
Violet who was wide awake in her car seat grinned when she saw her mother, "Ma!"
Maeve's eyes went wide as she looked at her daughter, "Did I just hear her say, Ma?" asked Maeve.
Spencer beamed with pride, "She started laughing and called me Da before it was time for me to start my lecture," said Spencer before grinning at Violet.
Violet grinned at her father, "Da," said Violet before she started laughing at the funny faces that her father made for her.
"Mommy's proud of you, Violet," said Maeve.
"How was Arthur while Violet and I were gone?" asked Spencer.
"He mainly slept the entire time, but he just woke up and is having tummy time on a blanket over there," said Maeve as she pointed over where Arthur was laying on a stomach on a blanket.
Spencer smiled as he looked at his son, "Were you a good boy for mommy and Aunt Stephanie?" asked Spencer.
Arthur grinned, "Eee deeee geee, Ma."
Maeve's eyes went wide as she looked at her son, "Did you just say Ma?" asked Maeve.
Arthur grinned at his mother, "Ma. Ma. Ma," said Arthur before looking at his father, "Da. Da. Da. Da."
Spencer swooped up his son and lifted his son's t-shirt and blew a raspberry on his son's stomach causing his three-month-old son to laugh for the very first time, "Daddy's very proud of you and your twin sister today, hobbit."
The next afternoon Spencer, Maeve, Violet, and Arthur were in the same diner that Spencer took Maeve to after Christmas while Stephanie who fell in love with the horses at her brother's Aunt Ethel's and Uncle Gordon's horse ranch chose to spend time with her brother's aunt and uncle's horses when Spencer who got up from the booth to use the bathroom causing Violet to start whimpering as she watched her father enter the bathroom.
Maeve unbuckled Violet from her car seat and cradled her daughter close to her, "Your daddy will be back in a few minutes, sweet pea."
At that moment a man with graying brown hair and was wearing sunglasses behind his eyes got up from the booth behind them and walked a few steps before looking at Violet and Arthur as he tried to keep himself from tearing up at the sight of the infant twins in front of him before looking at Maeve.
"I have to tell you that you and your husband have beautiful twins," said the man.
Maeve raised his eyebrows as she thought that the man had the same hair color as her husband and sister-in-law, "Thank you."
"How old are they?" asked the man.
"They turned three-months-old on the 4th," said Maeve.
"Is their father taking good care of them?" asked the man.
Maeve nodded, "Even though my husband works a job that requires him to be on-call 24/7 and travel all over the country, he's an amazing father to Violet and Arthur when he's home," said Maeve before tilting her head as she thought about the sad tone of voice that the man was speaking with, "Do you have children?" asked Maeve.
"A son and a daughter, but they haven't been part of my life in over a decade," said the man before reaching into his wallet and grabbed two $50 bills, "I don't know if you and your husband have piggy banks for your twins, but please put the money in their banks and make sure that you and your husband never make any mistakes that hurt each other and your children like I have."
"I can't take this money from a stranger," said Maeve.
The man shook his head, "Please take the money for Violet's and Arthur's future college education fund."
"OK," said Maeve as she took the money and looked at the mystery man, "I promise that I won't make mistakes that would cause my husband, children, and I to break apart since my husband vowed to never abandon his family like his own father did."
The man looked at Violet and Arthur who were both looking at him with the same look that his son used to give him causing him to wonder if Violet and Arthur knew who he was, "Violet and Arthur, please be good for your parents," said the man sadly before leaving the diner 30 seconds before Spencer left the bathroom.
A minute later William Reid entered his 2005 Toyota Prius Hybrid and sat down in the driver's seat and started to cry as he thought about how much of a coward he was for not introducing himself to his daughter-in-law or not choosing to confront his son despite the two minutes he spent looking at his grandchildren.
The next morning Spencer, Maeve, Violet, Arthur, and Stephanie went to Bennington Sanitarium one last time so Diana could see her grandchildren one last time before the Reid family had to fly back to Washington D.C. on the B.A.U. jet.
One week later, Spencer and Maeve were at their favorite restaurant celebrating their first wedding anniversary.
A/N: I hope that having William Reid approach Maeve, Violet, and Arthur without introducing himself was an interesting twist. You can just imagine Spencer calling out his father for not approaching him or tracking him down when he first found out that he got married and was about to become a father or choosing not to properly introduce himself to Maeve and wait for him to leave the bathroom in a future chapter.
In my 26 and a half years of life, I've only flown on a commercial flight twice while I was supposed to take my third and fourth trip on a commercial flight in August to attend a conference in Atlanta, Georgia before COVID-19 started going around causing the conference to be virtual. A week after coming home from the state I flew with my maternal grandmother to, I ended up catching a nasty cold causing my mom and a few other people told me that it's common for people to get sick after flying on a commercial flight.