Sorry it took me so long to update this story; I recently was able to get a hold of all the chapters again! Thanks to KaaGoomes1 and I am editing them to work into this new version. Please bear with me while I work to adjust everything. I'm happy to report though that my dad is home more as the COVID-19 cases slow in the hospital my dad works at. Unfortunately, my stepmom's schedule is still somewhat crazy because she's a cop but she's going to be working this September as a school resource officer so we're all pretty excited about that.
This is a very Charlie-JJ centric chapter.
Chapter 6- Don't You Worry Child
"Sweets, we need to talk."
The teenager studies her parents with confusion then understanding glossing over her features. This isn't her first rodeo; she's been through this before. Putting the chicken and cheese sandwich down, Charlie swallows hard as she bites down on her lower lip. "Am I in trouble?" The young girl asked quietly. Whenever she got in real trouble at the McCall's they spoke to her together; Jenna tended to lead the conversation though. In fact, when she had to leave the Dalton's, Tanya and her old social worker, Miguel Hayes, told her together. She braces herself for the impending news. "Did I do something wrong?" Charlie can't think of anything that she could've done besides maybe going to Alma's without telling them except neither have pushed her on it since that day. Charlie has an inkling they both know she's visiting Alma and are waiting until she's ready to talk about it.
"No, no honey, you aren't in trouble." JJ promised; she sits down beside her daughter. "Will and I just want to talk to you." Her eyebrows knit together in concern. She thought they were doing the right thing by telling Charlie as soon as both parents felt mentally ready for this conversation. "Why would you think you were in trouble?"
"Cause whenever both parents wanna talk it means I'm either in trouble or getting kicked out." Her shoulders go up and down in slight embarrassment. Every foster kid knows 'the talk' they either learn it at a young age or are told to expect it by an older kid. Regardless, the talk in foster care world isn't about any birds or bees; it's a fake nice way of saying adios.
Will's brow furrows. "Well, neither of those things are happenin' darling." He rubs the back of his neck and leans against the kitchen island in order to create a less imposing stance. "Your momma and I just wanna talk to you about something. You ain't in trouble or leaving."
"A talk can just be a talk." JJ stated causing Charlie to nod doubtfully. The profiler studies her daughter's features in a way she knows she shouldn't, but the teenager keeps so much to herself. JJ knows Charlie got on before she met them and understands she shouldn't push so hard…but, she worries. She doesn't want the teen to go through anymore pain if she can help it – and per everyone's advice, being honest with Charlie is the best way to go about any given situation. "So you know how Will and I are going away this weekend?" The plan is for them to leave in a few hours and return Sunday morning which should give them plenty of time to see Dean on Friday. After their subsequent meeting, JJ isn't sure what'll happen.
"Yeah," the fourteen year old nods feeling a blush creep onto her cheeks. She was a little anxious last week about JJ leaving for a case, but she's gotten better. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Charlie glances at the fruit bowl. "Look, I don't mind you guy's going away or whatever…it was just a weird moment I had." Charlie's eyes are still glued to the array of fruits. "I like Penelope and Spencer, they're cool."
"Good we're happy you feel comfortable around them, darlin'." Her stepfather said as he snags an apple slice off her plate earning a half-grin from the girl. "But, this ain't about either of those things. This is about–" he pauses to exchange a look with JJ. To be honest, Will isn't sure where he stands with Charlie. Nonetheless, he ventures on despite feeling unsure about his place. "This is about your biological father."
Her shoulders tense up and she shifts uncomfortably. "What about him?"
"Well, we're going to see him this weekend and tell him about you." JJ keeps her tone even; she doesn't want to portray just how anxious she's feeling about this. Being Charlie's mother is still very new to her and the profiler selfishly doesn't want to share her newfound daughter, but she can't be selfish; not when it comes to her kids. Charlie deserves to know him and he deserves to know her.
"Why?" Charlie questioned tilting her head to the side, looking every bit like Henry when he's trying to figure out a difficult homework problem. JJ and Will considered getting him a tutor this year because he kept confusing what nouns and adjectives are. "I don't care if he doesn't know about me." The truth to the matter is Charlie doesn't want to know him because she finally feels comfortable with JJ and Will. Well, not comfortable, but okay enough that she can breathe a little. This is the first home in a long time where Charlie hasn't felt like she has to pretend to behave one way despite feeling another. She can just relax.
JJ and Will exchange a meaningful glance before the mother replies. "Because, he has every right to know about you and you have a right to get to know him."
"Okay, then I'll go with you." A tiny piece of her does wonder about her real dad in the way a toddler wonders if it's worth touching a hot stove; curious, but not willing to get burned over. Anyway, Charlie's not stupid, the minute she learned his name, she Googled him and found out he was a Congressman with a family to boot.
"No, honey, no you're not." JJ shakes her head.
The soon-to-be ninth grader clenches her fists in frustration. She demanded. "Then why would you tell me you're meeting him?"
"Because we didn't think it'd be fair to keep a secret this big from you. We decided you were old enough to handle news like this but you aren't coming with us. Not this time," the mother decided all the while wondering if telling Charlie about this meeting was really the best choice.
"Y-You can't just decide stuff like that, JJ." Charlie answered glaring heatedly at the woman. This is not how she wanted the day to go. If anything, the fourteen year old woke up in a good mood until her guardians decided to land an atomic truth bomb on her plate while she was eating lunch. Charlie only just got over the fact that they were both leaving this weekend and now she has to be okay with them seeing her birth father. No, the girl decides, that doesn't work for me.
"Yes, as your mother, I can." The profiler responded just as firmly causing her daughter to huff in frustration before hopping down from the bar stool and stomping away. "Charlie, Charlie wait!" JJ calls wanting to talk this out more, knowing they have to. There was a rabbit runaway look in Charlie's eyes that the profiler didn't like. Will takes her hand preventing JJ from chasing after her. Taking a deep breath, JJ turns to her husband. "Maybe we shouldn't have told her."
The brown haired man disagrees. "Nah, she's a big kid Cher, we can't hide something this huge from her. We gotta include her on the big topic stuff so she don't feel like we're taking too much of her control." Will said earning a surprised look from his wife. "I can be smart too." He smirks and then adds. "All right, Tanya called while you were in the shower and I told her what we were plannin'. She may 'ave given me some advice on this." Taking the final apple slice off his stepdaughter's plate, Will pops it into his mouth. "Let's give Chuck a minute to take this all in."
"I can't imagine what she's feeling."
"My guess would be confused." Her husband offered, wiping his hands on his pants. "We've only had her a month and we're already dropping the dad bomb on her." In his opinion, he thinks they should've waited longer before delivering such serious news.
JJ rubs her brow. "I-I don't want her to wake up one day and regret not knowing him. Okay, so today she said she didn't want to know him but what if she only said that to appease us? I don't want her to miss out of anything because of me." The mother glances up at the ceiling briefly. "Does that make any sense?"
"Yeah it does, Cherie, and you're a damn good momma because of it." Will cracks a warm smile.
She smiles tiredly, despite it being only two in the afternoon she's exhausted. "I have a good partner." JJ pats his cheek giving him a somber look. "I know you never signed on for this and Charlie's not your–"
"Hey stop right there, Cher." The Metro cop ordered kindly. He's finally realizing Cher wants him to be more than just an optional parent to Charlie. Damn, he should've seen this sooner. "The minute that little girl became yours, she became mine. She's my kid just like the boys are." Taking a step closer to his wife, Will lands a light kiss to her lips before his brow furrows at a sound. He pulls back, confused. "Ah hold up, was that the front door?"
Henry strains to hear his parents and sister. He's been under strict instruction to stay in the living room while they have a private talk with Charlie and Michael naps upstairs. People forget to tell you that being seven is not that different from being six. Henry's hoping in four short months when he's eight, his parents will stop treating him like he's a baby. He can handle grown-up stuff. Debating with himself on whether it's worth eavesdropping, he's surprised when his older sister comes stomping into the living room.
He jumps, startled by this intrusion. "Ugh, it's like they think I'm some little kid." Charlie huffed plopping down beside the almost-second grader on the couch.
"Tell me about it." Henry nods with a newfound sense of solidarity. Noticing traces of anger clear as day on the teen's face, he squints seriously. "Why're you so mad?"
"I'm not!"
Henry eyes her skeptically. "You sound like you are."
"Okay, whatever maybe I am." The fourteen year old forgets that the person sitting beside her is only seven as she rants. "JJ and Will are so," she groans, "it's like they think I can't handle stuff. Well, I can. I was doing okay before I met them…and just because I'm here now doesn't mean she can just decide – no! No," with that Charlie stands up causing Henry to frown in confusion, not entirely sure what's happening. Charlie struggles to regain control over her emotions; usually she's better at calming down, but right now she's feeling way too pissed off to try the breathing exercises Tanya taught her. No one realizes this hasn't exactly been a cakewalk for her either; she went from doing whatever she liked to having people to answer to and that's not easy. Why…why can't they understand that I am trying? Charlie shakes her head, she needs a break.
The teen shakily bounds over to the door, curling her hand around the door knob. "You can't go outside without telling momma and daddy." Henry called, concern crinkling his face. Charlie looks weird right now and she's acting like she can't hear him. "Charlie, you can't–" before he can get another word in, the front door opens and Charlie runs out. The strawberry blonde wasn't even wearing any shoes. "Jake's right, sisters are weird." He chews on his lower lip; he should go after her and make sure she's okay. That's what daddy would want him to do, except he can't go without telling his parents that Charlie left and that'd get her in trouble. And if he leaves without telling their parents, then he'll be in trouble too. Feeling conflicted, Henry runs his fingers along his palms and heaves a sigh of relief as their parents wander into the living room.
"Bubs, did your sissy just leave?" JJ questioned looking around the living room, hoping Charlie's decided to go to her room or anywhere else in the house right now.
"Yeah she's mad except she said she wasn't. I was gonna go after her, but I didn't wanna get in trouble." Traces of anxiety enter the boy's tone as his parents gazes soften. Henry's shoulders slump, he'd make a terrible superhero now that he thinks about it. He gains some newfound confidence as he glances up at them. "Charlie shouldn't be in trouble for leaving either, she was upset."
Will and JJ exchange a look before the mother raises her eyebrows. "Your sister isn't in trouble for being upset; she's in trouble for leaving without telling us." A rule JJ's pretty sure Charlie knows by now. Henry pulls a face at the injustice, someone has to stick up for her. "Honey," JJ sighs slightly pleased there isn't much of a sibling rivalry. "Daddy and I appreciate you looking out for Charlie, but her leaving isn't safe that's why I'm going to go find her and talk to her."
"Big fella, why don't you get your science kit Grandma got you huh?" Will's offer sounds more like an order to the near eight year old who nods reluctantly. He does like his science kit Auntie Pen got him for Christmas, but knows when he's being told to get lost. As their son trudges upstairs, the brown haired man pulls his wife in close. "You find our girl and text me when yah do."
"I will." JJ nods slipping on her flip flops and grabbing her car keys from the side table.
About a million and one thoughts dance through Charlie's head as she wanders the streets. There's a dull throbbing on the soles of her feet and Charlie momentarily registers that she ran out of the house without putting any shoes on. She didn't even think to grab her phone. The teen just left – without thinking, all of these emotions are bouncing off one another and Charlie didn't know how to deal with it. Leaving felt easier than confronting everything, the teen knows she's not using her head; Tanya would call it 'irrational' and Ben would scoff at the 'over-dramatic' nature of it all, but this is a learned behavior. When things get tough, Charlie feels comfortable escaping for a minute to take it all in. That's what she's always done.
Except this time, Charlie isn't sure where she's running to. Ben's gone, Jules has gone to Paris with Colette, and anyone else doesn't live in walking distance. She squares her shoulders as she nears a park, the same one she went to with Will and the boys' yesterday morning. That was fun. Mikey kept getting bored with the swings and Henry insisted she sword fight with him.
Going over to the swing, Charlie stares up at the gray sky. Surprisingly there isn't anyone here, the fourteen year old guesses with it being the middle of the week that people are too busy and its dreary out too. The swings used to be Charlie's favorite part of any playground – she liked to see how high she could get before someone would tell her to stop or slow down. It hasn't been many people, just Tanya and a few teachers throughout the years.
Charlie sighs taking in the muggy day with a frown; it's so humid out, almost too hot for anyone to be wandering around outside. As this thought flickers through her head, the teenager is surprised when someone plops down beside her.
"You make a habit of leaving the house without shoes?" JJ's voice startles Charlie, she hadn't expected anyone to go after her but based on her few weeks with Jennifer she knows she shouldn't be that stunned. Softening her tone, the profiler sighs. "Do you have any idea how worried I was about you?"
Will studies as his son concentrates hard on the test tube in front of them. He's impressed with just how careful Henry is being about squeezing the right amount of ingredients into the tube. Michael woke up from his nap remarkably cheerful, albeit curious as to what his big brother is doing, but not enough so that Will feels the need to encourage Henry to share. Anyway, he and Cher are both trying to get Michael to understand that Henry doesn't always have to share his toys with him especially the big kid ones. That's easier said than done with a raging one year old, but a task they're attempting nonetheless. Luckily enough, Mike's too busy enjoying his toy trucks to bother paying attention to what Henry's doing at the kitchen table.
"You're doing such a good job, fella." Will praised with his gaze shifting between both boys expertly.
"Thank you," the almost second grader is polite and looks up from his science kit with a frown. He mashes his lips together thoughtfully before letting a breath out. "Why'd Charlie run away?" He wondered finally voicing the concern that's been on his mind. "Why didn't she just talk to you and momma?"
"Well," the father pauses. That's a million dollar question with more than just one answer. He takes a deep breath before answering. "Sometimes we have feelings that are so big we don't know how to deal with them and we leave because that feels safer ah I mean in the moment that's all we feel okay with doing." Henry's brow furrows as he tries to understand. "Okay, think of it like this, remember how you felt when Grandpa went to Heaven? Your heart hurt right?"
Henry nods with his eyes trained on the tube. "It was like I got the wind knocked out of me." Grandpa Harry was his favorite; he introduced him to his love of science. After learning Grandpa Harry died, he recalls feeling anxious and having his parents take him for a walk made him feel much better.
"Yeah, well that's how Charlie felt earlier. She needed some space and decided to go for a walk."
"She went all alone." As a rule, he's allowed out of the house without asking for permission first and Henry thought because Charlie was his sister that rule extended to her too. A sliver of injustice etches its way into his facial expression and the father reads that instantly. Before Henry was willing to defend Charlie to the end, but now that he knows his parents don't plan on punishing her he kind of feels a little jealous.
The Metro cop takes a sip of water. He stated seriously. "I know that's the rule and your momma is having a talk with Charlie about that, but she's still new to living with us bud. She's not exactly used to asking grown-ups if she go someplace."
"Why?" Henry's question is innocent enough.
"Well, cause no one's ever made that a rule for her. Your sister's still learning about our rules so that's why at least for a little while, we're gonna need to be extra patient with her when she forgets." Will figures the longer Charlie's with them, the more she'll get used to following their rules and after a while; it'll be instinctual. Henry's head bobs up and down in agreement silently vowing to remind Charlie about the rules later. The brown haired man goes on to add. "Yah know ah sometimes kids need more alone time to help understand their big feelings."
"Will she feel better after?" His son asked with worry scratching the back of his throat. Despite Henry feeling a bit jealous about Charlie being able to get away with breaking the rules, he's somehow getting to be okay with it.
"I hope so."
The seven year old thinks for a moment. "We should make the crystals purple." His voice is soft. "She told me that's her favorite color."
"I think that'd be very kind of you." Will's heart swells knowing his boy definitely got his compassion from JJ and loving him even more for it. They really are raising sweet kids, he thought just as Michael comes over and throws one of his trucks at Henry damn near missing the boy's head. "Hey, not nice, don't throw toys at big bubba." Well his kids can sometimes be sweet. Henry tosses his little brother an unimpressed huff before shifting his body so it's protectively guarding his crystals. The father chuckled. "Yah know, it's gonna take some time till they become crystals, but I'm sure when she hears you made 'em her favorite color, she'll be so happy."
"Good." He squeezes the blue then red dye into a tiny bowl, mixing them together until they're blended into a nice dark purple color. The boy then carefully pours his mixture onto the unformed crystals with Will watching in awe of his son's intuition and know-how.
"How'd you know I'd be here?" Charlie's voice crackles in the humid air.
"I didn't…I drove by and saw your hair and knew it was you." The mother commented honestly. At first, she wasn't sure if it was her daughter but slowed the vehicle to get a closer look and recognized Charlie's army jacket. The teen tugs on her strawberry blonde curls looking slightly annoyed. "You don't have to be embarrassed about having red hair." She reads the girl whose cheeks turn pink. "I think it's unique."
Charlie cocks an eyebrow at her. "Try getting called 'Ginger' everyday in middle school." She readjusts herself on the swing. There's a question behind her eyes. "Does he have red hair?"
"Dean's is more brown than red." He had light brown tinted hair except in the summer it took on a reddish hue. "His sister, Daphne did though." Based on the pictures JJ saw once, Dean's older sister Donna had a similar color to Dean's but his younger sister Daphne had bright red trellises. She died of heart failure when she was twelve. Dean only ever spoke about Daphne when he was drunk.
"Oh so I get it from his side then."
JJ hums in agreement. "Sweets, you may have features similar to both of us, but you're your own person." Charlie nods with a ghost of a smile forming. "Okay, so let's talk about you leaving without telling us." Just like that, the grin evaporates and is replaced with a nervous lip nibble. "I get you were upset with us, but you can't just take off like that. You have to tell us when you leave…" JJ pauses for a moment taking in the fact that Charlie would likely tell them and still take off. She corrects herself immediately. "Actually, you need to ask us if you can leave before going anywhere."
"Why?" Charlie asked not to be rude or out of spite but genuine curiosity. She's never had to do that before, not even with the McCall's and they were probably the strictest parents she ever lived with.
"Because Will and I need to know where you are at all times," her mother informed seriously.
The teenager unconsciously shows her age as she whines. "But that's so stalkery."
"Yeah I'm a real stalker for wanting to know where my kid is." JJ scoffed rolling her eyes. The profiler gets Charlie is only reacting like this because of how she was raised; it kind of isn't her fault. Had she grown up with JJ then she would've known this stuff already. But, she didn't and JJ knows this must be a culture-shock for the teenager but the mother isn't budging on this. She has to know where Charlie is at all times. "Why'd you take off?"
"You're the profiler, you figure it out." Charlie scoffed heatedly; this situation has also resulted in her realizing the lack of control and power she has in her life anymore.
JJ ignores the tone and nods assessing the situation. "Okay fine, I will. You believe we think that you're immature and are lashing out because of it. I can also see that the talk we had about your father took a lot out of you emotionally and–"
"Stop, okay?" Charlie ordered looking away with a newfound sense of discomfort. No one except Ben has ever been able to read her so easily and the girl doesn't like it. Her tone becomes one of pleading. "Just stop."
The mother winces, realizing she took that a leap too far. This girl sitting beside her isn't a suspect, she's her kid and that's what makes this conversation even more difficult "I'm sorry honey, look the reason you can't come this time is because Will and I are trying to protect you."
"Protect me?"
"Yeah, we didn't want to get your hopes up."
Her promise is thick and full of emotion. "I won't. Hope's for suckers anyway."
"No, it's not." The profiler hopes to god she didn't do this to her daughter. Having a child who's gotten so jaded in such a short period of time is like a sucker punch. JJ hopes. "You can't really believe that."
Charlie's temper gets the best of her and she snaps. "You barely know me. How would you know?" The recognition of pain flashes across JJ's features and the strawberry blonde instantly feels guilty. "Sorry, I'm not trying to be a bitch–" she closes her eyes feeling tears form. "I-I'm sorry, this is all so confusing. I didn't even know he had a name a month ago, like I knew I had a dad but I figured he was just some random you slept with or whatever." JJ nods letting her continue. Charlie bites down on her lower lip. "I just…I don't know…I don't like this feeling, feeling like I don't know what's gonna happen next and I-I used to know stuff or at least I thought I did."
Worry seeps into JJ's features, she never meant for her kid to be so distraught. "I'm sorry you feel that way, I never wanted you to feel like that. Sweets, we're seeing him is for you; it's to tell him about you so you don't – in a few years or whatever – feel like you missed out."
"But, I like it with you and Will." The fourteen year old stands up from the swing causing JJ to follow suit, slightly worried Charlie is going to take off on her.
Realization dawns on JJ. Charlie didn't leave because she was angry about them not bringing her; she left because she was scared of losing them. "Honey, just because Dean is going to know about you doesn't mean you're going anywhere." The profiler promised reaching out to take her hand. "You're still under my legal and physical custody and that means you live with Will and I."
"Then why can't I go with you guys?"
"Because, we're trying to protect you," JJ reiterated.
Charlie asked quietly. "Is he a bad guy? My real dad," she chances a glance up at the woman wanting to know the truth but a part of her hoping JJ lies. "Some stuff online says he's kinda a dick."
"No, sweetie," JJ answered softly before kicking her kid lightly and warningly. "And hey language, please," she gets an eye roll and slight blush in return. The mother decides to clean up Dean's image. "Don't believe everything you read online. Your father is in the spotlight because of his job yes, but what he does for a living does not define him." Just like she hopes, what she does for a living doesn't define her. "I don't know what kind of person your father is, but he wasn't a bad guy when we were together. He was actually really funny." JJ chuckles at the memory of Dean trying to get her to dance at a bar and ended up jumping around by her stool to Who Let The Dogs Out by Baha Men. "Will and I wanted to meet him by ourselves first before throwing you into the ring unprepared."
"You think he won't wanna meet me." Charlie is a lot more perceptive than people give her credit for, most foster kids are; they get used to reading situations as a means of survival. It helps that the young strawberry blonde had Bug and Tasha to show her the ropes too.
The blonde parent blinks, surprised by her astute assessment. "I never said that."
"You didn't have to." Her daughter responded evenly. Her shoulders slump as she takes this all in with a newfound more open perspective this time. "Don't I get a vote?"
"Not this time." JJ's tone is soft, similar to how it was whenever one of her kids gets hurt. The FBI Agent's eyes are full of warmth as she gently tucks a stray loose curl behind her child's ear. "We aren't trying to take away your voice, but this is going to be…I don't want you to hear things you won't ever be able to forget."
Charlie asked. "When are you guys gonna talk to him?" No one except Tanya has ever tried to protect her like this before; it's strange feeling to encounter.
"Tomorrow afternoon," the mother answered. That's why she and Will are leaving later today so they can get into Blue Bell sometime before bedtime tonight.
"Do Penelope and Spencer know?" Charlie isn't sure about calling them 'aunt' and 'uncle'. She does whenever the techie is around. However, she does it solely out of respect and because she knows Garcia likes it.
JJ shakes her head as they start for the parking lot. "No, they don't. If you want to talk to them about it, that's your decision." A look of pure surprise forms across Charlie's features, she's so used to the adults in her life discussing all of her private matters. Having parents respect her privacy like this is refreshing. "Will and I chose not to tell anyone because we wanted to protect your privacy."
"You'll tell me everything that happens…even if it's bad?" The fourteen year old questioned letting her mom steer her towards the car. She's too emotionally exhausted to put up a fight anymore and the talk they're having has helped relieve some angst she was holding.
The profiler vowed. "Yes, sweetie, I promise." JJ opens the passenger side door for her kid "Come on; let's get home before Henry sends out a search party – I think you worried your biggest fan with your great escape." A smile finally does form across Charlie's face. She's never met a kid who treats her like a celebrity and also enjoys it when he can annoy her too. "Wait, where are your shoes?" The mother stares down at her kid's dirty feet slightly worried the girl stepped on something she shouldn't have on her trek here. Charlie's face turns near bashful. "You left the house without wearing any shoes? How did you get here without your feet burning off?"
"I don't know, I didn't even notice I wasn't wearing shoes until I got here."
"You're crazy." JJ shakes her head watching as the teen clicks on her seatbelt.
Charlie smirks, her eyes twinkling. "I get it from my momma." The mother rolls her eyes doing her best to hide the big grin that forms at Charlie's nonchalant words. She shuts the passenger side door, doing a little dance as she rounds the car to the driver's side.
JJ and Will left shortly after they returned from Charlie's misadventure. They made sure to sneak off while Michael and Penelope were reading a story together. That's the way they do it at daycare; out of sight, out of mind kind of situation which contrasts Henry because that kid had a meltdown if his parent didn't hug him goodbye before he went to class. Charlie seemed a bit hesitant about being left with different people than her usual, but JJ figures this is also a good time to get the fourteen year old used to more than just them. After all, she and Will do have a trip planned for early-January; her mother, Sandra, plans on coming then.
As of right now, Charlie's sitting at the kitchen table eating pizza with Spencer. Henry meanwhile is attempting to pick out a movie to watch while they munch on pizza. Only, it seems as though by the time he's decided on a film they'll be done with eating dinner.
The teenager swallows a nibble of her slice before asking bluntly. "What's your dad like?"
"I don't really know him. He left when I was ten." Spencer takes a slice of pizza from the box. "Our communication since then has been sporadic and infrequent which is how I think we both prefer it." If the genius is perturbed by her question, he doesn't show it.
Charlie picks at the crust of a piece of her pesto pizza. Penelope insisted on buying two large pizzas, a pesto one with bacon and peppers and a red sauce one with just cheese. The techie has made her aversion to red sauce pizza well-known and at first, Charlie thought she was being over-dramatic but pesto pizza is much better than red sauce so she now sees where Garcia was coming from. She asked softly. "Was he nice when you were little?"
"Yes, he was…better than most, I think." Reid is honest. Regardless of having grown up in the eighties he was never spanked; neither one of his parents had the heart to. "He wanted me to play Little League, but I wasn't athletically inclined; studies have concluded that pushing children into athletics can damage a child both mentally and physically, even further the parent-child bond can suffer because of it." Charlie studies him, listening intently to the genius. "He didn't love that I spent a lot of time playing chess, but we often watched baseball together." Reid's memories of them cuddled up on the couch together flickers through his mind and the man briefly wonders if he blocked out a lot of the good times they once shared together…because there were more good than bad. "I enjoyed the mathematical aspect regarding the anomaly of whether a player slides faster headfirst or feet first onto the white sack."
The girl grins amused by his facts. "Which is faster?"
"Going headfirst," Reid answered easily. He's surprised Charlie likes his facts this much. There haven't been many young adults in his life that enjoy hearing him rattle off facts, even Jack and Henry get bored of them and they're pretty well-mannered kids.
"Cool," Charlie nods as a mental image forms in her head of just such an action. She wouldn't have thought of the mathematics behind baseball until Spencer told her as much. She bites down on the inside of her lip. "I don't know my real dad either." She keeps her tone almost conversational. "I've had foster dads before; one was nice, the other not so much. James let us call him by his first name. Mr. Rick didn't always do that, it depended on his mood." James was a good guy, kind of like Will, except way dorkier. He wasn't as smart as Spencer, but he really enjoyed documentaries about outer space. Rick didn't talk much about himself; he preferred to hangout in his workshop, smoking cigars and drinking beer. "I like Will best…he's funny, he makes really good pancakes you know." She rambled causing a light grin to form on Reid's features, Charlie's adjusting well.
Spencer agreed. "Yes Will does make really good pancakes. I don't know what he adds to them to make them so delicious, even Rossi is stumped and he's a great chef." As he stares into Charlie's blue orbs, he can tell at the moment, this is all he's going to glean from the teenager about her past.
Henry, having heard only his Uncle Spencer's part of the conversation, climbs from the back of the couch to plop practically on top of his sister. "Daddy told me he adds lots of butter." He explained seriously. Charlie pushes her brother off of her. "Can we have pancakes for tomorrow Uncle Spencer? I'll help you make them so they taste good and you can make them into cool shapes."
"Hmm," the genius pretends to think this over. "That sounds like a plan to me."
Garcia flounces into the kitchen with Michael firmly planted on her hip. "What sounds like a plan? Ooh are we voting on movies because mine is The Princess and the Frog."