A/N

Thank you, Hannah .grahamlecter, for your hard work and dedication. You've done a great job as Beta-reader on this and I am extremely grateful.

I'm thankful for all those who have given me ideas, and constructive reviews. And to those who have given me praise, I'm working hard, trying to be worthy of it.

To all, as always, please enjoy the story.

UPDATE: 8/9/2021

I decided to buy my own Chromebook, so I'm going to try to post the last 3 chapters from my thumb drive. We'll be at the hotel until the 17th, then at an Airbnb for a month. So, it is what it is. We're making the best of it.

But hey, I'll have two refurbished bathrooms, new paint (except for the kitchen) new flooring in the living room, family room, hallway, and in my bedroom.

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Quick question, does anyone know how to approve guest reviews in the FanFic app? Or is there a 'How-to' guide for the app? Is this thing on? Is everyone seeing the updates?

Thanks in advance.

G-Girl

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Chapter 68 - Baby Time!

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"Aaaahhh... I have to go. Everyone gets an 'A' on the final exam. Have a great day," Spencer said as he hauled his bag over his shoulder and ran up the steps. Jesse told him he would take care of everything and lock up.

Rushing back to the parking garage, he called her. "You're in labor?"

Lizette answered. "Suzie was walking back from the bathroom, and her water broke. She told me her back was hurting all night. Spence, she's been in labor."

"Tell her I'm on my way. This isn't quite the drama-free birth plan we put together." He shoved his phone in his pocket, unlocked the car door, tossing his bag onto the passenger seat, remembering too late his tablet was in there. Not important.

In the driveway, he parked next to Susan's SUV, ran into the house, keys in his hand, to find her ready to go and her small suitcase by the door. Out of habit, he picked up his FBI credentials holder off the table. He laughed anxiously and set it back down.

As he lifted the pull-out handle of her suitcase, he held his other hand out. "I had my keys a second ago." He checked each of his pockets and looked over at his credentials on the table. His keys were sitting on top. Chuckling, he grabbed the keys. "Yeah, okay, then. Breathe. Got it."

Lizette handed him a folded towel, and he laid it across the passenger seat of the Lincoln, and helped Susan in, then reached around her to buckle the seat belt.

"How are you doing, Sweetheart? Everything okay?"

"Mm-hmm. Want Lizette to drive?" Susan smiled. Seconds later, her face twisted into a grimace and she started doing her breathing.

"Yes. That's it. Breathe. I… uh… okay… I can drive." He opened the back hatch and threw her suitcase inside, and as he closed it, reminded himself to breathe. He got in the driver's side.

Lizette, standing next to the SUV, told them she would lock up and meet them there, after calling Dr. Hensen, to let her know they were heading to the hospital and Mathilde, to let her know the baby was on her way. So far, it was… mostly drama-free.

The pre-check-in paperwork had been completed the week before, at her last check-up, so finishing the process went quickly, and they were taken to one of the private birthing suites.

After changing into a hospital gown, she sat on the bed with Spencer next to her, helping with her breathing. Nearly a half-hour went by before a nurse came by to check on her, to find out if she was actually in labor. Susan told the woman her water broke earlier, that she was having back pains all night and was having increasingly stronger contractions over the last few hours. The nurse determined she was in active labor, fully effaced, dilated to nearly six centimeters. The baby was in the anterior position, fully engaged.

Lizette got there an hour later, offering to help. "I called Emily, and she said she would let the rest of the team know."

Spencer had taken off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves, now sitting in a chair in front of Susan, as she balanced on an inflated ball, leaning against him, with her hands around his waist. While massaging her back, he told Lizette, "This is what we did earlier this morning."

She murmured, her face burrowed against his sweater. "Mm-hmm, pretty much." Shuddering, she groaned low as Spencer checked his watch. "Uhhh... still almost six minutes apart, Love." Lizette told them she'd check on Dr. Hansen. After she went out and closed the door, he told Susan, "If she can't make it in time, I have delivered a baby before."

Susan answered something muffled that sounded something like "Mmm, okay." At least that's what he heard.

Lizette came back in a few minutes later. "Dr. Hansen's on her way. She says 5 to 10 minutes."

He squinted as he looked up, handing her his cell phone. "Can you turn off a light or two? It's so bright in here. Also, can you call Phil, to let him know? And you called your mom, right?"

"Yup. She'll be by later after she closes up for the evening. I'm sure we have time. Poodle, want some ice chips?" She turned the wall lights by the bed on, then flipped the overhead lights off.

Susan groaned again, breathing slowly. "Make it ice cream, and I'll take it. Ooh, how about a popsicle instead? Would one of you help me to the bathroom? I gotta pee again."

Spencer offered to get the ice. "How about ice cream later, Honey? I'll be right back with ice chips."

Susan stuck her bottom lip out and huffed out a breath. "Aww, you're no fun. I'm about to push a human being out of me, and I can't have a damn popsicle?"

Lizette laughed and told her, "Yes, Pood, you can have a popsicle," as she shuffled her into the small bathroom and closed the door.

He went off in search of either a popsicle or ice chips, thankful he had already eaten something for breakfast. There was a woman wearing pink scrubs with a name tag hanging on a lanyard walking towards him, so he asked where to find the ice. She merely pointed behind him.

"Thank you. If it was a snake... " The woman kept going on her way before he could finish his sentence.

As he went back into the birthing suite, Lizette was helping Susan through another contraction. Her cell phone, on the nightstand by the bed, playing violin concerto music on low.

She did a cleansing breath and slowly rose up, whimpering, "Need to walk, gotta walk, gotta walk... " Her eyes were glazed with determination.

Spencer slid his hand over her back, massaging, as he handed Lizette the cup of ice. "I'll help you, Honey. We're both here to help. Whatever you need. We'll get through this." With his hand still on her back, he held her other hand and walked her slowly around the room. Minutes later, she stopped and grimaced as another contraction started. He held her, brushing his hand gently over her abdomen, getting her to breathe through it. Her legs shook and Spencer asked quietly, "Do you want to go sit down on the ball, Honey?"

Susan leaned against him, burrowed into his vest, sobbing. "I don't know if I can do this. Those classes were... bullshit. There's nothing that can effectively prepare someone for this. What if I can't do this?"

He smiled, holding her. "Of course, you can. You're so strong, Honey. Susan, look at me. You can do this. We can do this together." Spencer kissed her, and she shuddered and groaned. After a moment, she buried her face in his vest again, so he massaged her back. He could feel her starting to relax and checked his watch, figuring she had at least another minute before the next contraction, as he led her back over to the chair and ball. She tensed up, groaning against him. He spoke, calm and slow, getting her to do her breathing while rubbing her back. "That's good, Sweetheart. You're doing great. I love you so much." He looked over at Lizette and held up five fingers.

She headed for the door. "I'm… gonna go check on the Doctor… BRB."

Once Lizette was out of the room, Susan stood up, clutching Spencer's vest, moving him backward, asking him to take her to the bed and make love to her. "Please, Love? That made me feel so much better earlier."

"Honey, we can't, your amniotic sac has already ruptured, but I will rub your back." He was trying not to laugh; she was adorable. After kicking off his shoes, he sat back near the head of the bed and had her sit in front of him, between his legs and trying to think of the next best thing; kissing her neck, while whispering in her ear everything he knew she liked, in details as graphic as he could muster, while gliding his fingertips over her belly, down her arms, and up again.

She shuddered harder and grinned. "Oh, keep talking, Lover. That helps." Susan took a deep breath and then another. She started tensing up again minutes later, and Spencer went back to lightly running his fingers over her arm, over the top of her belly, and around, keeping his voice calm and quiet, having her do the breathing exercises.

There was a knock on the door as it opened, and a nurse walked in, checking to see how Susan's labor was progressing, asking how she was doing. "Good, you're doing your Lamaze breathing."

Susan grumbled, "Well, we were making out, but without a lock on the door…" She trailed off, breathing slowly, as the nurse checked her blood pressure.

"Very funny." The nurse put on a fresh pair of exam gloves and checked to see how dilated Susan was. "Six centimeters. Keep doing your breathing, and I'll be back with Dr. Hansen; She's with another mother who delivered earlier. If you need me or the doctor, press the button on the side of the bed."

After several more hours of contractions and breathing, the doctor came in, followed by the nurse. By then, the contractions were constant, and Jenna told Susan it was finally time to push. Spencer helped, as best he could, helping her maintain focus, wiping sweat off her face with a towel, still sitting behind her. He'd heard stories of women in labor swearing at the doctors, nurses, but most often, they cursed at the spouses and significant others helping them through labor. Susan closed her eyes and focused on her breathing. When the doctor asked her to push, she pushed until the doctor asked her to stop, with not much more than groaning, some whimpering, and a few choice expletives. Once the baby's head and shoulders were out, one more good push and the rest of the baby followed. As in their birth plan, they decided to wait to cut the cord until it stopped pulsing. René arrived with a pediatric nurse to check on the baby, giving her a solid 10 on the APGAR score, and Susan gave an audible sigh of relief as the doctor laid the baby on her chest. Her arms gently encircled the infant.

Spencer kissed her temple, his arms sliding around hers. "You did it, Honey. I'm so proud of you… I love you so much." The baby had been crying but quieted when she heard Spencer's voice. He stared at her. "She's beautiful, like you. Hello, my little love… my darling girl." Tears filled his eyes as he smiled at their daughter, his hand with Susan's on the back of the baby's head. Susan turned to him, kissing his cheek.

"Mm-hmm. Okay, I think that deserves a popsicle." She laughed wearily, still leaning back against Spencer.

Lizette poked her head in the door to congratulate the pair and told Spencer something he didn't quite hear and went back out.

He gazed in wonder, touching his daughter's arms and legs, counting ten tiny fingers and ten tiny toes, declaring her to be absolutely perfect.

While the doctor and nurse were busy delivering the placenta, the nurses took the baby, cleaned her up, diapered her, swaddled her in a blanket, and brought her back over. That part of the labor experience was a little easier, compared to the eight pounds, three ounces, 21 and a half inches of Emily Diana Reid.

After the hustle and bustle of the birth, the medical staff cleared out. They left the new parents alone for a few minutes to bond with their baby.

Since Susan wanted to try nursing, Spencer helped, untying the back of her hospital gown, pulling it out of the way. After a couple of tries, mother and child got it right.

He marveled at their progeny, thinking about how everything he had done in his life couldn't quite compare to this. He and Susan created this child, so perfect, so amazing. Even his accomplishments and degrees were, at this moment, insignificant in comparison. This small, squirming, noisy little bundle of potential genius was theirs. Every time he attempted to speak, he felt his throat tighten and his eyes welled up. Even the lump in his throat refused to go away when he swallowed, which he did several times.

Susan turned her head. "Are you alright, Love?" He nodded quickly, smiling. She kissed him, asking quietly, "Are you sure? You look nauseated." He shook his head, still smiling. She put her hand on his, still cradling the back of the baby's head. "Don't worry, love, she's not going anywhere, except home with us." He nodded again, his chin quivering slightly, as happy tears trailed down his cheeks.

He took a deep breath and sighed, relieved it was over, but now there was the what's next part he had trouble grasping. Susan asked him to help pull up her hospital gown. Spencer tied it as she held the baby against her, facing him.

With his chin on Susan's shoulder, he gazed at his daughter, inches from her face, as she stared at him. He whispered to her, something he read once. "Don't be in such a rush to figure everything out. Embrace the unknown and let life surprise you." He kissed the baby's forehead and still whispering, said solemnly, "I will do my absolute best to never let you down."

Susan smiled and gently kissed him. "That was beautiful, Love. See? You're a great daddy already." He felt so much love and admiration for his wife, for this wonderful gift she gave him.

A knock at the door meant an intrusion from the outside world in this perfect little moment. His eyes widened as he looked at Susan. Without turning away, she said, "Come in." It was Lizette.

Walking up, she spoke, barely above a whisper. "Spence, I almost forgot. Here's your cell phone. How are you two doing? Mom's in a waiting room full of FBI agents, hoping to see the baby. Oh, my god, she's beautiful. Jeez, Spence, you look like you're gonna barf or pass out." She put a hand on his shoulder, pointing to her eyes with her other hand. "Look at me. Breathe in, breathe out, keep repeating."

He nodded and took another deep breath, finally able to speak above a whisper. "I feel like if I move, I'll wake up and find out this was all a dream." Still sitting behind Susan, his legs had gone numb.

Susan said softly, holding their sleeping daughter. "Love, after what I went through, I can assure you, we're not a dream."

Lizette helped him off the bed, slowly, without waking the baby, and sat next to Susan's knee, tucking pillows behind her back. "I'll stay here with them… to make sure they don't get away."

He chuckled, gave Lizette a peck on her forehead, then turned and kissed his wife and the baby. "Thanks. I'll be right back. Two at a time?" Susan nodded, and he went out the door.

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Coming up next, surprises galore in Chapter Sixty-Nine. The BAU team meets Baby Genius