Thank you, Hannah (grahamlecter) for Beta-reading my story and finding my mistakes so that I can fix them.

In my hurry to get these posted today, I neglected to thank my Beta Reader, . Without her dedication, there would be many mistakes. The characters deserve the best.

I'm juggling these stories (and a new one) the best I can, y'all, and I'm tired. Trying my best to get the ten chapters from Hannah edited so that I can post them while sending the last handful to her for checking. AND finalize the edits for the chapters in Side Stories. But I will proceed and get them all done.

Please enjoy.

G-Girl

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Chapter 48 - Baby Genius Passes the First Test

Monday, shortly after they returned home from Greece, Susan received a call from her doctor's receptionist, Estelle, reminding her of the appointment at the end of the week. She asked her to stop by the lab no later than the next day for blood tests so that the results would be available to the doctor in time for her visit.

Susan told Spencer, "Tomorrow, I'll go after class; one of the labs they contract with is only a mile from campus."

"Sure. How about today we rest, and tomorrow I'll take care of the laundry and getting everything put away? And Friday night, I want to take you out to dinner."

"Another date? Sounds wonderful, Love. You're spoiling me…"

/

Friday morning, Susan woke up first. After a quick shower, she dried off, pulled her robe on, and leaned over the bed, kissing Spencer as he opened his eyes. "Do you want to go with me? You'll meet Dr. Hansen. She's been my gyno for years."

He murmured, sliding his arms around her, pulling her down for another kiss, wanting more, inviting her under the covers.

"Oh, my love, as much as I want you, Dr. Jenna needs to do an internal exam today. Estelle said the doctor strongly recommends we refrain from sex before the exam." She kissed him again and stood up.

"I'll take a nice cold shower... alone." He sat up, pouting with his bottom lip out and brows furrowed, somewhat playfully.

"Caro Mio, I'll come up with something extra special to make it up to you later… I promise."

"I'm holding you to that." He grinned. After she went to her closet, he swung his legs over the side of the bed, pulled on his robe, and headed for the bathroom.

While he was in the shower, Susan dressed in a white calf-length sundress with a smocked yoke and little red poppies all over. She was on the chaise, pulling on crew socks when he came out of the bathroom, wearing a towel.

"Breakfast, Love?"

"Sounds great. You're not too tired?"

"I'm fine."

"I know you're fine. But are you feeling better?"

Susan smiled. "Yes, Love. Still tired, but it's not too bad. Maybe I'm getting used to it." She gave him a kiss and went downstairs.

By the time he walked into the kitchen, she had breakfast and coffee ready. He filled his mug and sat down at the counter next to her. "Hmm. That looks like the dress I saw you wearing on campus once."

"Mm-hmm, because it is. When was that?"

"It was… the Spring of '07… Wednesday, May… 2nd. After work that day, I was on my way to meet with Dr. Harkanian to discuss doing a lecture in his class. I walked up to the building, about to open the door, and I saw you sitting on a bench, with your eyes closed. That's when I noticed your pink ballet slippers and I realized it was you."

"After wearing heels all day, I changed into my flats just before the meeting. So, just before you got there. Why didn't you say hello?" Susan sipped her protein shake and smiled, nibbling slowly on plain scrambled eggs and a piece of toast.

"I would have, but I got called in to the office. We had to go work a case in Idaho. Two brothers were… hunting people. Were you asleep?"

"Hunting… people? Yikes. No, it's a thing I do sometimes. It's silly. It's kind of like meditating. I close my eyes and focus on listening."

"Listening? To what?"

"Sounds… birds… the wind… people walking by; stuff like that. And if you hadn't gotten that call, you would have met with Dr. H. and his grad student assistant."

"Oh? Let me guess; you were that grad student?"

"Mm-hmm. Dr. H. told me the meeting was with an FBI profiler. If you showed a half minute later, I would have been at the door."

"It's all about timing, then. I regret not talking to you first but I was parked across the street, by the Whole Foods Market. I had to rush." He tipped her chin up and kissed her. "But we're here, now."

/

Spencer followed her out of the elevator to the Ob/Gyn office and stood by, looking around as she checked in with the receptionist. It was still early; there weren't many people in the waiting room. After a few minutes, the doctor's assistant called her in, so he went with her.

She showed the pair to a room where she recorded Susan's vital information; weight, blood pressure, etcetera, then took them to an exam room, where she gave Susan an exam gown to wear and a paper sheet, asking her to sit on the exam table when she was finished.

After the door closed, Susan changed into the gown and tied it at the neck. She left her socks on and sat on the exam table, spreading the paper sheet out over her lap, explaining the process to Spencer.

The assistant knocked on the door and came in with an instrument tray, setting it on a square rolling table next to the exam table. "Dr. Hansen will be in… shortly. You're her first appointment." She headed out the door as the doctor came in.

Susan introduced them. "Dr. Hansen, this is my husband, Dr. Spencer Reid." He shook her hand as she held it out.

She smiled at him. "Husband? Well, congratulations. It's nice to meet you, Dr. Reid. MD?"

"Uh… no. PhDs." Spencer estimated she was in her mid-40s, and nearly as tall as he, with short brown hair mixed with strands of silver.

She raised her eyebrows curiously. "As in more than one?"

"Three, actually… and three bachelor's degrees."

Smiling, she turned to Susan. "So, both of you have multiple degrees? I assume you're an avid reader, like Susan?"

"Yes. More so, I think." He chuckled, looked over at his wife, and smiled as she shook.

Dr. Hansen tapped a few times on her tablet and sat down on the rolling stool near the end of the exam table, reading the screen. "You got married nearly two weeks ago? Congratulations. The test results are positive for pregnancy… hCG levels are within the five to six-week range. I assume your smiles mean this is welcome news?"

Spencer nodded, still smiling broadly. "Very welcome news."

The doctor flipped the stirrups out and asked Susan to move down to the end of the table, slide her feet into them, and lay back on the table as she set the tablet on the counter.

After washing and drying her hands, she pulled on a pair of exam gloves as she sat down back down on the rolling stool. "It's basically like a normal, annual exam. You know the drill, cold gel, and a bit of a pinch." After a moment, she looked up and said, "I'm going to order the pap test since it's been almost two years since the last one." Spencer sat in a chair near Susan's head and watched, transfixed.

After Dr. Hansen completed the internal part of the exam, she pulled off the gloves and tossed them in the trash, then pulled the footrest out of the end of the table, and had Susan lay flat, while she flipped the stirrups back, folding them back into the table.

She finished with the external exam and adjusted the head of the table, having Susan sit up in a semi-reclining position. Glancing over at Spencer, she asked, "So, what do you do, Dr. Reid?"

"Hmm? I work for the FBI." He didn't mean to sound so vague, but he had been watching intently, partly out of curiosity about the pregnancy, and partly because the majority of examinations he had seen conducted were on deceased victims.

"That must keep you busy. Susan? After you get dressed, would you two meet me in my office? There are a few things to go over." She saw a concerned look on Spencer's face, and added with a chuckle, "No worries. I give all my first-time OB patients a binder of information with a pocket for prescriptions, appointment cards, and such. People tend to retain more information when done in an office than in an exam room. I'll see you in a few..." She walked out and closed the door.

"Are you okay? You look a little pale. It was basically the same as a regular exam… except for the pregnancy test results. And the light-up plastic speculum. That was new. Made it a bit less uncomfortable."

He nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay. It was… different."

They walked into the office at the end of the hall and sat down in the chairs facing the doctor. She held out a copy of the test results.

"May I?" Spencer asked. She handed it to him and he scanned it quickly and smiled as he gave it to Susan.

Dr. Hansen asked for Susan's first date of her last period and typed that in the tablet for the baby's due date. "Best estimate, December 12th. I'll give you a prescription for prenatal vitamins, and a referral for a massage therapist, based on personal experience. You'll come in every month, for prenatal checkups, and in the last month, every week, until the baby's born. You'll find information in it to answer a wide variety of questions for each month of the pregnancy, but I would strongly recommend reading the What to Expect books and any of the others on the list. I also included some great websites." She handed Susan the notebook and wrote out the prescriptions and referrals. "Do either of you have questions?"

"Any restrictions for me working out and teaching my dance classes? I'll be dialing back the intensity, of course."

"If you have the energy for it, go ahead, but if you have any spotting, stop and rest. If you have any pain, especially back pain, and heavy bleeding, call 911, or go to the emergency room."

She told the doctor about her mother's miscarriages.

"If your brother's size was the cause, you shouldn't worry. Your weight is well within the healthy range, and your overall health is excellent. Since this is your first pregnancy, we'll monitor you as it progresses, as a precaution. And before either of you ask about restrictions on sexual activity, it's the same as working out. After the 4th month, though, you'll need to find positions other than missionary, so that pressure is kept off your uterus. It interferes with blood flow and breathing." She deliberately focused her attention on Spencer.

He pursed his lips and nodded. "Mm-hmm. Got it… and I've already read several books on pregnancy, including What to Expect When You're Expecting." He looked over to see Susan smiling.

"Spencer reads so fast; he makes quick readers like me look slow, but I have read some of it." Susan put her hand on his. "And I will make time to read the rest."

Glancing around the room, he noticed a copy of Dancer, Enchanted on the wall behind him, next to the bookcase. "You're a fan of Andre's?"

The doctor smiled. "Yes. I have some of his prints at home. This one is my favorite. So, any plans for the weekend? Remember, it's much easier to travel before the baby's born."

"We came back from a week in Greece three days ago, and we're going out to dinner later. Otherwise, no, relaxing at home."

Dr. Hansen stood up and extended her hand to Spencer. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Doctor. Susan, if you'll make an appointment for next month with Estelle? I'll see you then."

After setting up a date for the next check-up, they went home. Spencer parked the SUV in the garage. "Have you thought of a way to make this morning up to me yet? I've been thinking about it the entire way home."

Susan smiled, "So have I, Love. There's something I've wanted to do, and this is the perfect opportunity."

He grinned. "What do you have in mind?"

"Meet me in the back seat." She winked and kissed him.

Still grinning, he got out and climbed into the backseat as Susan got in the other side. "I've been thinking about this since we made out in my car in the driveway. This time, we won't be interrupted…"