Chapter 23
Capitol Plaza Apartments
Apt. #23
Washington DC
June 2012
Spencer and Mia made it home in time for dinner. They came with bags of books and bags of groceries, and promises from Uncle Derek that they would see him tomorrow. They passed an agent standing guard, because Maupin still hadn't been found, and let themselves into the apartment. "Hey Mom!" The kitchen was a tiny nook off the one main room, making it easy for Mia to run up and throw her arms around her mother. "What are you doing?"
"Hey boo. I'm cooking dinner." Shan was in his kitchen, barefoot and wearing the comfortable things Garcia must have brought, her curls escaping her braid. Mia stepped back and looked up at her mother with huge eyes. "What?"
"You've never cooked dinner before."
"I've never done a lot of things before. But I'm going to start doing them now. Like cooking."
"But why?"
"Because that's something moms do, and I want to be a better mom. Didn't your friends at school have moms who cooked?"
"Yeah. But you never cooked."
"No, I couldn't then. But now I can."
"But why couldn't you then?" She thought for a long moment. "Because Mister Maupin made you stay in the library all the time?"
"That's right."
"Oh! But you never said you wanted to."
"Maybe I should have. But what matters is that now I can and I intend to."
"Cool! Dad bought us books; I'm going to go read one to Sophie!"
"Sounds like a plan to me." Shan smiled as Mia took off to examine the day's treasures.
Now it was Spencer's turn. "Hey." He said as he started putting groceries away. "What are we having?"
"Green beans, roasted potatoes, and a chicken from the grocery store deli." She managed a sheepish smile. "I wanted to keep it simple for my first time. And this is a really small kitchen."
"We need a bigger apartment." He agreed. "How was your day?"
"Intense." She turned her attention back to where she was cleaning green beans. She couldn't look at him, he realized. "I met with my new therapist today. The GM's office briefed her so we were able to start right out."
"That's good." With things put away he started building a small plate. "So long as you're comfortable working with someone from there."
"They didn't do this Spencer. The GM herself personally showed me the log books in London. My transfer and our dispensation were approved the same day your transfer was. We could have been married before you went to the Academy if we wanted."
That should not have surprised him, but it did. "This really was all Maupin."
"Yep. All of it."
"Damn."
She still wasn't looking at him. "Why did you call and ask about what Mia looked like when she was born?"
He took a deep breath, "Because we got in to see the doctor today." Her shoulders sagged. "No. Stop. This is not your fault. This is entirely Maupin's fault. It's not just you, all right. I called Emily and she looked into it, it affected all of the children. Mia isn't even the worst one off."
That stopped her. "Are the others..."
"Getting help. They are. And we're going to get Mia back on track. She'll be fine, I promise."
She sighed and seemed to accept it. "What did they say? And do not sugar coat..."
"They said the children were born with Asymmetrical Intrauterine Growth Restriction resulting in them being small for their gestational age."
"I knew it. She replied. "I knew there had to be something. It doesn't seem to have affected her intellect though."
"No, with Asymmetrical IGR the body prioritizes head and brain development at the cost of fat stores and size. It looks like the ones who got professional nannies recovered by age 2, like most children. The ones who got housekeepers..."
"...haven't yet. And I had no way of controlling it even if I had realized." Shan shook her head.
"And having my genes doesn't help." Spencer admitted. "The brain can burn a lot a lot of glucose, there's a reason why I have so much sugar at work. But she'll be fine; we've got an appointment with a nutritionist tomorrow which should take care of it." He was quiet a long moment. "I'm more worried about you."
"Me?"
They had been talking in hushed whispers in the kitchen, but now Spencer picked up the plate he'd been building and took Shan by the hand. "Hey Mia?" He said, tugging Shan out into the living room. "Are you going to be okay if your Mom and I go talk in the bedroom for a few?"
"Sure." Mia replied.
"Good, thank you. Here." He put the plate of crackers and cheese on the coffee table, now littered with toys, and pulled his headphones and phone from his bag. "Eat that, please, and here's some music you can listen to."
"Okay." But when he got close enough to adjust the headphones she looked up at him. "A box?" She asked quietly.
Spencer nodded, "Likely a big one."
She nodded, "Makes more space for happy." She settled back with music and her book and Sophie in the crook of her elbow.
Spencer tugged Shan into the bedroom and closed the door. "Asymmetrical IGR is likely the result of poor maternal weight gain and nutrition. I know he treated all of you badly but I didn't realize how badly. This has to have affected your health too. I'm worried about you."
"Spencer, I'm fine." She insisted as she wrapped her arms around herself.
"Are you?" He gave her that look, that one that didn't believe a word.
"I am." She replied. "He knew just how far to push. He always was a master at that. He didn't break me." But she was quiet a minute. "Did he break us?"
"What do you mean?"
In reply she butted up into his arms and kissed him.
It surprised him for a moment, it was so unexpected. But then he felt that spark catch again, the one that had been there so long ago in that narrow bed in Avery. He threaded his fingers in the flamed silk of her hair and let that kiss deepen and grow until he heard her groan and responded.
Somehow he pushed or she pulled or they both moved together but they tumbled to his bed in a jumble of arms and legs. He landed with her on top of him as he tried to kiss her everywhere, as she tried to kiss him, as he was sliding his hands under her shirt to find the warmth of her skin. It had been so long...
And then came the sound of off key singing from the living room.
That put a damper on things. "You wouldn't know a good babysitter, would you?" She gasped out.
"Maybe we can swap nights with JJ and Will." He kissed her hard again, putting a pin in all that want and need for later. "Looks like he didn't break us."