"Is everything alright?" Reid asked as he walked into Desiree's hotel room, Spencer and Anna were waiting downstairs in the car for them after Reid had promised to take them all out for a meal as it was their last day before they went back home.
"Yeah…" She said as she closed her phone, dropped it on the side before it started ringing again. "The house's rent is going up again and the landlord is asking for an extra $200 a month" Desiree explained as she turned off her phone, put it back on the table and followed Reid out of the hotel room. "The neighbourhood got reviewed and is now the place to live if you're raising kids… Three people have already moved out to find somewhere cheaper to live" Desiree added, obviously annoyed by the situation.
"Maybe you could consider relocating" Reid suggested as they got into the elevator. "If you look hard enough you'll find plenty of places in Las Vegas that's great for raising kids" He added as the elevator jolted into action.
"It's not just that" She said with a sigh. Reid gave her a concerned look so she explained "The investigation into all those kidnappings sparked some media attention. One of the neighbours just called to say news reporters have been reporting outside my house for the best part of today. How am I supposed to take Spencer and Anna back tomorrow with all that happening?" She asked as the elevator doors opened and they paused in the lobby to talk without the kids having to hear.
"You could always stay a little longer… or relocate out of Nevada" Reid suggested as he pushed his hands into his pockets.
"I guess so… I mean, there's nothing keeping me and the kids there anymore. Spencer's starting high school in September so I guess if we were to move now would be the best time" Desiree said, although a little unconvinced she did seem to be giving it some thought.
"We could talk about it over dinner?" Reid suggested as he followed Desiree towards the door.
"Yeah…" Desiree agreed as she opened the front passenger door and hopped in.
Reid hadn't eaten out in the entire time he'd lived in Quantico which only seemed odd when he tried to find a place to eat. In the end he had to seek out JJ to help him find the right place that wouldn't scream out 'look how much money I can spend on food I don't like' but also a place that his family would like. In the end he settled on a family friendly restaurant a couple of blocks from the hotel.
"I'm starving" Anna said as she sat down at the table and played with a strand of hair.
"We only ate a few hours ago" Desiree said with a little laugh as she pushed the hair out of her daughter's face to reveal her big blue eyes. "Come on, find something you want to eat" She said and handed her the menu.
Spencer grabbed at the other menu placed in the middle of the table and Reid couldn't help but smile when he saw his niece and nephew eagerly search the pages. Desiree glanced over at her brother and saw the small smile written across his face that seemed to pass itself onto her.
"What?" Spencer asked as he looked up at his mom and uncle that were now both looking at him and his sister.
"Nothing" Desiree with the same smile on her face as she reached across for the menu. "Do you know what you want yet?" She asked as her eyes scanned the page.
"Ice cream" Anna answered for him with a toothy grin as she handed the menu to her uncle.
"You can't have ice cream for dinner" Spencer said as he playfully nudged his little sister.
"You can! Can't you Uncle Spencer?"
"Oh, most definitely. In fact, I think we should all have ice cream" Reid replied with a big grin as he placed the menu back in the centre of the table.
"Ice cream for dinner?" Desiree asked with a little laugh.
"Yes" Reid replied with a little smile. "Or any other desert of your choice… But it has to be a desert" Reid added with a put on seriousness followed by a big grin.
"Well, I'm having brownies" Spencer eagerly jumped in with the joke.
"Apple pie for me, fine sir" Desiree said with a smile as she placed her menu in the middle.
"And for the young lady?" Reid asked as he looked to Anna who had the same big grin on her face as earlier.
"Ice cream!" She practically yelled as the excitement her goofy uncle had placed over her brother and mom became too much for her.
"Looks like we're ready to order then" Reid said with a big smile. Soon a young, red haired waitress came over to take the order and ten minutes later there food was brought over.
"Oh my God…" Spencer said as he took a bite of his brownies. "These are amazing" He added as he slowly chewed.
"You should try the cookies" Reid stated as he grabbed for the chocolate chip cookies he'd ordered as something for the whole table to share.
"What're you eating?" Spencer asked as he sat up a bit to see Reid's plate.
"It's called a Mississippi mud pie. Have you ever tried one?" Reid asked as he spooned another mouthful of pie into his mouth. Spencer shook his head so Reid passed him a spare spoon and pushed the bowl closer for him to reach.
"Oh. My. God" Spencer said as he tasted the pie.
"I wanna try some" Anna pleaded so Reid passed the bowl over to her.
"Leave some for Spencer" Desiree said with a little laugh as the two kids took another spoonful each.
"Seriously, how did you find this place?" Desiree asked as she took a bite of cookie.
"My friend recommended it to me" Reid replied with a little shrug and smile.
"You all finished?" Desiree asked as Anna wiped some ice cream off her chin and Spencer took his last bite of brownie.
"Yep" Anna answered for them as she grabbed a cookie from the table then hopped down from her chair.
Reid paid at the main desk then drove them back to the hotel. "I'm so full" Anna complained as she flopped onto her mom's bed.
"You were whining earlier because you were hungry" Spencer said as he nudged her leg.
"Anyone want these cookies?" Reid asked as he dropped the paper bag the restaurant had given him to take the spare cookies in.
"Ugh" Desiree, Anna and Spencer moaned in unison.
"Come on, sweetie. Bed time" Desiree whispered to Anna and kissed her softly on the head. "Let's go get your PJs" She added and slowly followed her daughter out into her and her brother's joining bedroom.
"So, how was your last day in Quantico?" Reid asked as he lazily stretched and sat down on one of the arm chairs dotted around the room.
"Last day of freedom don't you mean?" Spencer said as he sat up a bit on the bed. Reid raised a questioning eyebrow so Spencer picked up his phone and showed him a picture of a news van, cameraman and reporter standing outside his house. "I got that this morning from my friend Jake. He wanted to see if I was home yet and got asked to do interviews for like ten news shows" Spencer explained and lay back on the bed.
"By time we get back tomorrow I won't be able to play soccer without being ambushed by them" Spencer sighed and pushed some hair out of his face.
"You never know, they might find a different story. News coverage can change overnight given enough interest or disinterest" Reid said hopefully, remembering Desiree and he had forgotten to talk about moving with them.
"That won't stop the guys at school being jerks about it" Spencer confessed and turned on his side to look at Reid across the room from him.
"You're moving to high school soon, though. The story will get swallowed up with all the other drama going on" Reid offered.
"Have you ever been to high school?" Spencer asked with a little laugh as he doubted what his uncle was telling him.
"I was twelve when I graduated. I was tutoring seventeen year old quarterbacks that kicked my ass after school; you think I didn't attract much drama?" Reid asked with a little laugh.
"That must have sucked" Spencer said sympathetically as he sat up on the bed.
"At the time it really sucked. Now? Not so much. I mean, I'm working for the FBI and they're could've been football stars" Reid replied with a half smile.
"I wish I could live here" Spencer sighed as he lay back on the bed.
"Wouldn't you miss Las Vegas?" Reid asked as he looked at his nephew with a hint of surprise in his voice.
"Not one bit. Half my friends are going to a different high school, the only guy my age who lived near me just moved to New York and there's a million camera crews waiting for us back home. Here- there's awesome restaurants, it's never too hot and you live here"
"But if you lived here you wouldn't get to go to restaurants everyday" Reid reminded him.
"I wouldn't mind" Spencer answered as he sat up.
"And it gets pretty cold here in winter"
"It gets cold in the desert too" Spencer replied with a little smile.
"And I can get pretty boring after a while" Reid added with a smile that mirrored Spencer's.
"Oh, I can't imagine that" Desiree cut in as she followed Anna, who was now in pyjamas, back into the room. Anna bounced onto the bed and nestled into one of the pillows. "Hey! I said you could say goodbye to your uncle, not sleep in my bed" Desiree said teasingly and tickled Anna until she jumped off the bed.
"Night, Uncle Spencer" Anna said after Reid had stood and wrapped her arms round his waist and pulled him into a hug.
"Good night, Anna" He said quietly as he smoothed out her hair. "I'll see you tomorrow to drop you off at the airport?" He asked Desiree as Anna slowly let go of him.
Desiree smiled and nodded at Reid as he made his way to the door and gave a cheeky smile to Anna who was now sitting on the edge of the bed next to Spencer. "See you then"
Sorry this update is a little late in the day, I've been working through serious writer's block and one big headache. I finally managed to get this one down but I'm still unsure about where the story is going. I'm leaning towards the next chapter being the last but making a new story as a carry on from this in a few days. I've been giving it a lot of thought and I think it'll be best to end this story and to make a new one (or possibly more) and be able to take it in different directions. If I do decided to end this story I promise I'll get the plan down for the follow up and the starting chapter will be up by the end of next week. I hope you liked the chapter and the large amount of fluff I've been writing lately isn't killing you all :)