Four weeks later, Spencer and Maeve had a crib, dresser, rocking chair, play pen, and changing table picked out. All of them were a basic, dark oak which could be suited to a boy or a girl based on the design of the padding and other items which were to be added later. As of yet, it all remained in boxes sitting roughly where the items would eventually be set up; because for all his knowledge in other areas, Spencer was useless with tools and therefore had no idea how to assemble any of it.
Still there was something else new around the Reid residence… a pair of matching dog bowls, a dog bed, a crate of dog toys, a spray bottle, a bag of dog food, a leash… a collar-activated doggie door leading out to a yard enclosed by recently-installed invisible boundary fence…all of which belonged to a seven week old redbone coonhound puppy which they had chosen but had yet to bring home.
Spencer wasn't exactly known for being particularly good with animals or children, soon he would have one of each. Getting the dog had been a joint decision. It was bothering him more and more to leave Maeve alone for days at a time when he was on an away case. Most such cases victimized women and children and lately it had become increasingly difficult not to see his own beloved wife and his own unborn child as the bodies from the crime scene photos. At the same time, Maeve wanted something warm and alive… something she could cuddle with on the nights that he was gone. So they decided to get a dog… the question was what kind of dog.
Neither one of them knew much about training or living with one, but Spencer's grandparents had once bred redbone coonhounds and trained the pups for everything from hunting to guarding to search and rescue… Nana Penny still did have a few, though she rarely actually bred them anymore. He had called her up (much to her delight) and sure enough, for once there was a recent little of pups. She was keeping two of them but trying to find homes for the rest. He hadn't told her why the very animals that had been one of the most annoying things about his childhood were suddenly his best friends, why he suddenly wanted one, but as always, Nana had picked it out of him.
He'd gotten her answering machine at first, guessed she was at the store or something and thought he'd leave her a message, but she'd picked up the phone while he was leaving that message.
One Week Earlier:
Spencer hated calling his grandmother, at least, when there wasn't anything expressly wrong; because although he loved her dearly, more than almost anyone else in the world…these conversations usually included her guilt-tripping him about not visiting her more often. The worst part about that was the simple fact that she was absolutely right. He'd gone up there, to his mother's hometown, where Nana still lived on nearly two acres of land in an old farmhouse that was ridiculously oversized for just one little old lady…just once in the nearly eleven years since he'd started his career with the Bureau…and that was almost two years ago now. What kind of grandson was he?
The phone rang once, twice, three…four times… before it finally went to her voicemail.
"This is Penny, I'm not here right now. You know what to do when this newfangled contraption makes that beeping sound…"
"Hi Nana…It's Spencer…" he began, but then the real Penny Langston picked up the phone, not a voice recording or an automated message but the real, living, breathing force of nature that was his loving, doting neurotic harebrained grandmother.
"Well hello stranger…if it isn't the grandson who never comes to visit me…"
"Nana I'm pretty sure I'm not your only grandson…" he said, trying to keep a guilty half-smile off his face even though he knew there was no way she could see him now.
"Right as usual, but you know what? Not a one of ya ever comes up here to see me…I just thought that if somebody was going to… it would be you more likely than Timothy, or the twins…but you don't…not unless I organize a family reunion and even then we have to all but kidnap you…"
"Nana, I'm sorry…I really am…tell you what, I'll come visit… but I actually called because I need to ask you for something, something that I'd really rather not ask anyone else…"
"Oh honey, whatever it is, you know better than that. You don't have to strike any deals with me. Whatever you need is yours whether I get anything in return or not. Do you know why?"
"Because I'm your grandson and in your mind that's what a grandmother does?"
"No…because it doesn't matter that you're grown up, or how long you stay away… you're still my little boy…that's all there is to it. So what is it?"
"Well I was wondering if you'd had any hound puppies recently…"
"As a matter of fact… Diamond…that's the great-great-granddaughter of the one that was your grandfather's favorite…had a little of pups born about six weeks ago…"
"Did you find homes for all of them yet…?"
"Just the two I'm keeping, and they aren't going anywhere…why? You know somebody who might be interested in helping me out with that?"
"Um yeah…me…Maeve and I, we'd like one…"
"You? My grandson? Spencer Reid? The guy who spent the first fourteen years of his life scared to death of those dogs? Now you're saying you want one? What's going on Honey? There's something. I know you…"
"Well you know I'm gone a lot with work and sometimes I think it wouldn't be a bad idea if Maeve wasn't completely alone here…"
"Why'd it take somebody as smart at you a whole ten months to figure that out? Unless… unless… Oh…I'm about to be a great-Grandma… aren't I?"
"Yes, Nana you are…"
"Oooohhh I can't wait! Of course you can have one…come up here some weekend, you get the pick of the litter!"
"That's really nice of you Nana, just one problem with that. Neither of us know how to recognize what we're looking for…"
"Lucky for you, I do… let's see…I know you probably want a dog capable of protecting her, but smart too so they won't just bark at any old thing at two or three in the morning… and she probably wants one who will lay by her when you're not around some rainy night… I know just the one…a little female I've already named Peanut…she's yours once she and her siblings can leave their mother…"
"Thank you…"
"Again…all you had to do was ask…I'm just going to ask for one little thing…"
"What's that…?"
"Am I allowed to come down there to meet the next generation when the time comes?"
"Of course…"
"Thank you Dear…"
"Anything for you…"