AUTHOR'S NOTE: I really hadn't intended for this to be more than a one-shot, I swear. XD But I got a review that gave me an idea. I've only partially executed the idea in this chapter so there will be a third to finish the idea. Also to reveal the nursery Morgan works on in this chapter.
Reid slept most of the day. A nurse came by a few times to help him nurse and change Michaela. He was surprised that he was so at ease with the infant, easily picking up on how to properly fit the diaper on, how to swaddle, and getting Michaela to latch on at mealtime. There had been a hiccup or two when she wouldn't and he'd become anxious but the nurse was so patient and calm that it kept Reid calm which made it easier to get Michaela to eat. But around feeding and changing and general bonding time, he napped. Which was fine with him because Morgan had to go baby ready the house in a hurry.
While Reid napped the first time, Morgan had made a mental list of the things he'd need and formed a plan on how best to get all those things. When Reid had woken, he'd explained his plans and the younger man had agreed. So while Reid spent the day learning to care for a newborn and napping, Morgan had set off on what was probably the biggest shopping spree he'd ever been on.
Since they'd gotten to the hospital via ambulance and with no money on him for a cab, Morgan had had to call Garcia to come pick him up. He'd hoped to put off seeing her a bit further because he knew she'd be a worried mess until he explained why Reid was at the hospital. In an effort to buy himself a little time – and to keep from disturbing Reid – he waited until he was out front to call her, settling on a bench a little out of the way of the entrance.
"Go for Garcia," the bubbly blond said when she answered.
"Hey, baby girl," he said with a grin.
Garcia gasped in surprise at finally hearing from one of the two people she was worried most about and was instantly firing questions at him in the span of one breath. "Oh, my gosh, are you two alright? Where's Reid? What happened? All Hotch said was that you were at the hospital and-"
"Whoa, whoa, easy there, Mama Bear," Morgan said with a laugh. "We're fine, Reid's still at the hospital – I am, too, actually – and and I will explain everything if you will just take a few deep breaths and calm down for me."
"Okay," Garcia said breathlessly then took a few deep breaths. "Okay. I can do that. I can do that," she said.
Morgan smiled as he listened to her try to calm herself. "Relax, baby girl. This is good news, I promise," he said with a playful smile she couldn't see. He knew she wouldn't like this next part. "Before I tell you our good news, I need to ask you a favor."
"Derek Morgan, if you don't tell me why you two are at the hospital, I am going to PhotoShop you," the blond snapped.
"Hey, hey, no need for that!" he protested. "I just need you to come pick me up. We were brought in an ambulance and I don't have money for a cab."
"Ambulance?!" Garcia shrieked and Morgan had to pull the phone from his ear.
"Remember I said it was good news, baby girl," Morgan said calmly. "No need to panic. We're both fine, I promise."
"Right. Okay. Good news," Garcia repeated, taking a deep breath. "Okay, I am getting my purse now. So will you please tell me what is going on?"
"No." Hearing her gasp and gear up for a rant, Morgan spoke quickly to explain. "I don't want to tell you this while you're driving! Because you're gonna get excited and we need you in one piece."
Garcia groaned in frustration and Morgan could hear the slam of a car door. "Fine."
"Love you, baby girl," Morgan sing-songed.
"Yeah, yeah," the blond muttered. "Okay, leaving now. Where do I meet you?"
"I'll be right out front," Morgan said. "I have to call Hotch, too."
"Okay, be there asap!" Garcia promised.
The two hung up and Morgan redialed Hotch's number. Hotch had taken a few rings to pick up this time and judging by the dimmed sounds in the background, Morgan guessed he was at the police department in the town they were in.
"Morgan? Is everything alright?" he asked.
"Yeah, we're okay," Morgan assured, unable to help the grin the thought of his boyfriend and daughter elicited. "Sorry I didn't call you back right away. Spencer fell asleep in one arm and I had the baby in the other."
"I understand," Hotch said and Morgan heard traces of amusement in his boss's usual stoic demeanor. "Haley was the same right after Jack was born. How are they?"
"Good. Great. A doctor came in to tell us all the tests they'd done were clear." Morgan blew out a breath, feeling himself relax before he'd even realized he was tense again at the remembered worry that their daughter would be sick. "He said she was a lucky baby since she hadn't had any prenatal care. She's small but he assured us that she wasn't premature. There's a nurse with Spencer now, showing him how to care for her. He's taking to it really well, actually."
"It's instinct. Haley had been convinced she wouldn't know how to take care of a baby, but once Jack was really here, she knew exactly what to do. She could even sense a difference in his crying that I could never hear," Hotch said fondly. "What did you name her?"
"Michaela. We don't have a middle name yet. But at least we're not calling her 'the baby' anymore," Morgan said with a laugh.
"I'm glad they're both alright. And how are you holding up?"
Morgan was quiet for a moment before truthfully saying "I'm good. It was scary at first, seeing Spencer actually having the baby out of nowhere, but now… I can't imagine her not being here. Not even a full day old and I love her."
"I'm happy for you. Being a dad is a big responsibility but also one of the greatest accomplishments we can achieve. I couldn't imagine life without Jack either. Listen, Morgan, starting today, I'm putting you both family leave. You don't have to come back for at least a month. Legally, I can give you up to three months but we both know you and Reid won't stay away for that long," Hotch said with a small chuckle.
"We'll see," Morgan agreed with a chuckle. "Hey, Hotch, can I borrow Garcia for the afternoon? I'm already borrowing her for a few to get me back home, but I need to get a lot of stuff and she'll be helpful in setting everything up and making sure what I get looks nice, too."
"Sure, on one condition." Morgan didn't like the mischievous tone in his boss's voice.
"What?" he asked, drawing the word out warily.
"Just ask her to get Kevin Lynch for us in case we need help," Hotch said with a chuckle.
Morgan groaned in mock annoyance at the buildup to a very easy condition, grinning. "Alright, alright. But you have to tell the rest of the team. Because as soon as I tell Garcia, she won't be keeping it a secret."
There's silence for a brief moment before Hotch mumbled a teasing "You're fired."
Laughing, Morgan craned his head to peer around the parking lot at the sound of an approaching car. It wasn't Garcia. "Thanks, Hotch."
"If I have to be the one to tell the team, I need details," Hotch said. "They're going to have questions. Start from the beginning."
So Morgan did. From the moment he woke up to find Reid fighting the cramping that morning up until naming the baby, he gave Hotch as many details as he could. He explained that they knew Spencer could get pregnant but that they had no clues that he actually was. Hotch asked a few clarifying questions which Morgan answered.
Satisfied that Hotch had enough to adequately soothe their team, they said their goodbyes just as Garcia pulled into a nearby parking space. Morgan pocketed his phone and stood, meeting her at the curb as she hurried across the parking lot as quickly as her red stilettos would allow. Before he could even say hello, she was dragging him back toward the bench and plopping down with him.
"Okay, I have been a paragon of patience and we are not going anywhere until you tell me what the good news is that landed Reid in the hospital," she said, folding her hands in her lap, one ankle tucked behind the other.
"Okay, okay," Morgan said with a chuckle. "When we woke up this morning, Reid didn't feel good. He had really bad cramps so I told him to take a bath."
Garcia nodded, completely understanding how a hot bath would have helped. "With you so far," she said warily, waiting for him to finish.
"When Hotch called us to tell us we needed to come in, I was away for two minutes to get the phone. I heard him scream my name – my last name." He bit back the reaction to laugh when Garcia's eyes widened comically behind her red framed glasses.
Ever since the two profilers had begun dating, the team had gotten used to them using each others' first names instead of last names. For Reid to revert back to using Morgan's surname, it had to have been bad.
"Anyway," Morgan continued, giving her hands a squeeze to focus her again, "when I ran into the bathroom, he had a hand in the water" – he gestured awkwardly downward – "there. When I got closer… his hand was cupping a head."
"A… a head? Like… like a baby's…?" Garcia sputtered, cupping both hands in front of herself in a weak miming of cupping a baby's head. When Morgan nodded, her red lipsticked lips formed an O of shock and her eyes widened again. "R-Reid had… h-had a…?"
Laughing, loving her genuine surprise and clear joy, Morgan nodded. "Reid had a baby," he confirmed.
Without warning, Garcia threw her arms around Morgan's neck and hugged him tightly. "My Junior G-Man had a baby!" she squealed before jerking back to lock eyes with Morgan's. "Why didn't you guys tell anyone?!"
"We didn't know. I mean, we knew he could but we had no idea he was," Morgan explained. "He never got sick, didn't have any of those odd cravings, and seemed like himself."
"You'd think as thin as he is, a baby growing inside of him would have been obvious," she muttered with amusement before speaking a mile a minute again. "So what is it? Boy or girl? What'd you name it? When can I see it?"
"It's a girl," Morgan said, beaming once more. He wondered if he'd ever stop grinning at the thought of his daughter, hoping not. "We named her Michaela. No middle name yet though."
"Michaela what?" Garcia pressed. "What did you do with the last name?"
"Well, uh," Morgan hedged, rubbing the back of his neck. "I thought we'd call her Reid-Morgan but Spencer… he, ah… he said he wanted just Morgan."
Frowning in confusion, Garcia tilted her head thoughtfully. "But she's Reid's baby, too, and you two aren't… I mean, unless you planned to, but… Wait!" she gasped. "Are you?"
"Are we what?" Morgan asked with a laugh, unable to help teasing her. Garcia was just too adorable when she got excited.
Garcia glared and swatted his arm. "Don't play me, Derek Morgan. If you're naming her Michaela Morgan and not Reid-Morgan, then are you or are you not giving Reid your last name, too?"
Grinning sheepishly, Morgan nodded, deciding he should stop teasing before she threatened to PhotoShop him. "Yeah, we are. Don't know when yet," he quickly added when she looked ready to squeal again. "It just sorta came up when naming her and we agreed that we both wanted to."
"You need to officially propose then," Garcia admonished, wagging a finger at him but she quickly melted into a grin and hugged him tightly once more. "But I'm so happy for you guys!" When she let go of him again, she stood and glanced up toward the upper levels of the hospital as if she could see Reid and the baby. "Can we go see him? Please?" she whined.
"He's probably sleeping again," Morgan said as he stood. "When I left, the nurse was helping him feed her and they always nap afterward. Besides, I have a special mission for you."
"What kind of mission?" she asked, eyes narrowing.
"Well, the house is nowhere near ready for a baby. I need your help getting furniture and clothing and all kinds of things," he explained. "You can help make sure it's girly enough and fashionable."
"Oooh, then I'm your girl," she purred, tugging his hand toward her car. "But can I see them later?"
"If Spencer is up for visitors," Morgan agreed.
When Hotch re-entered the main room of the police department after his call with Morgan, JJ gave him a questioning look.
"Everything okay?" she asked where she stood over a map they were using to try to form a geographic profile. It wasn't as easy as Reid made it seem. Part of her hair fell out from behind her ear and she swiftly brushed it back and tucked it into place without breaking her unwavering stare.
At her question, Prentiss and Rossi turned their gazes away from the board where victim photos and details had been pinned, both pairs of eyes locking on their leader as well.
"Was that Morgan?" Rossi asked, taking a few steps toward Hotch.
"Yeah. They're both alright," Hotch assured. His conversations with Morgan until now had been short and he hadn't gleaned much information to tell his team other than that Reid had had a baby. He hadn't wanted to tell them just that with no details, knowing the lack of information would be worse than just knowing Reid was at the hospital and alright.
"So can someone finally explain to us why Reid had to go to the hospital?" Prentiss asked, arms folding across her chest.
"Spencer gave birth this morning," Hotch explained with no hesitation, getting it out for the other three to process. When both JJ and Prentiss opened their mouths, no doubt to throw questions at him, he held up a hand and continued with his explanation. "Morgan said he wasn't feeling well this morning and when I called you all in, he told me they couldn't make it. Apparently, Reid had already half delivered the head by that point.
"I didn't get another call until we were boarding the jet but all Morgan could tell me was that the baby is a girl. He gave me greater detail when he called just now. She's small but full term. Both she and Reid are doing fine. Morgan said a nurse has been with him to help and Reid is taking to parenthood just fine," he explained.
"What about Morgan?" Rossi asked. "How's he handling it? Having a baby out of nowhere has to be chaotic."
"He's getting Garcia to help gather everything they need for the house," Hotch said. "Kevin will aid us in her place for now."
"What about emotionally?" JJ asked. "I get Morgan diving in to do something physically to handle this but how is he reacting emotionally?"
Hotch shrugged with a small smile. "He says he's already in love with his daughter. It was shocking to suddenly find Reid having a baby but he says he can't imagine life without her."
JJ seemed to digest the relayed admission for a moment before nodding, a small smile gracing her features. "Good."
"What did they name her, do you know?" Prentiss asked, her own lips curling into a smile to mirror JJ's.
"Michaela," Hotch said.
"The feminine form of Michael, meaning 'Gift from God'," Rossi said then blinked at the twin looks of surprise the women gave him. "What? I'm religious, sue me."
The girls giggled affectionately which caused the Italian to smile back at them.
"Okay," Hotch said, tone shifting from friend mode to leader mode. "If we're all caught up on Reid, we need to get back to work. Sooner we catch our unsub, sooner we can get home and see them."
With renewed vigor – and matching grins on the ladies' part – the four dove back into their case.
When Morgan returned to the hospital later that evening, his body ached and he was exhausted. But with all of Garcia's help, the spare room he'd been using as an office had been completely transformed into a nursery for Michaela. The joy that he'd created a space just for her made any weariness worth it. Reid had agreed to let Garcia see him and Michaela when they were finished so the tech followed him on his way up to Reid's room. She didn't seem as exhausted as Morgan, her excitement at seeing the baby for the very first time overpowering any other sensations.
Morgan had brought with him a black diaper bag with pink trim that he and Garcia had already filled with anything Michaela might need on an outing – not that she'd be going on any soon; he'd brought it this time so she could be dressed to go home. He'd also stuffed a change of clothes for Reid into the bag. A carrier that securely attached to a car seat base had already been secured in the backseat of the car. Morgan hadn't been sure if he needed to bring it up with him but he reasoned that it was in the car at least and he planned to drive up to the hospital to collect Reid and the baby anyway. It's not like they didn't have one to take her home in.
As the neared Reid's room, Garcia seemed to vibrate with excitement.
"Garcia, relax," Morgan said with an easy smile.
"Sorry," she said with a small exhale, forcing herself to calm.
Chuckling, Morgan pushed the door open and stepped in. He dropped the bag at the foot of the bed and moved up to settle on the edge beside Spencer, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. Garcia followed him in but stopped a few steps from the foot of the bed, eyes locking on the baby in Reid's arms.
"Oh," she said, voice barely making any sound.
"Hey, Garcia," Reid said with a warm smile. "You can come closer, you know."
She took a few steps forward and peered at the infant who yawned, the hand peeking out of the top of her blanket rubbing uncoordinatedly at her nose before she sighed and nuzzled toward Reid's chest.
"Reid," Garcia said in that same barely there voice. "She looks like you."
"Yeah, poor thing," Morgan teased, earning a glare from the other two. "Garcia, you wanna hold her?" he asked. When Reid looked at him with a mix of surprise and unwillingness of letting go of the baby, he pressed a kiss to his temple. "You can't hold her while you change and I did bring you new clothes."
"Oh. Right." Reid smiled at Garcia then nodded toward the baby. "Would you?"
Grinning, she nodded emphatically and carefully bent down to let him settle the infant into her arms. She carefully lowered herself into the chair beside the bed and adjusted her hold on the baby. "She's so beautiful."
While she was distracted with Michaela, Morgan helped Reid up and toward the bathroom, passing him the diaper bag. When he returned, he looked a lot more comfortable in the black sweatpants (the kind without the elastic ankles; Reid hated the way they felt like they were "grabbing" him) and gray sweater.
"Who picked the bag?" he asked as he set it at the foot of the bed then used both hands to brush his hair behind his ears.
"Garcia," Morgan said with a nod toward the blond.
"Wha'?" she sputtered when Reid's gaze fell on her. "I-I thought black wouldn't make you two feel awkward carrying it but since it is for Michaela's stuff, I felt it needed some pink."
Reid smiled as he sat on the edge of the bed closest to Garcia. "That's very thoughtful, Garcia, thank you. So, you've known all day, then. I assume the rest of the team knows now?"
"I told Hotch," Morgan said. "Since he was the one who called while you were in the bath and I told him we couldn't go in, he knew something was wrong. I explained it all to him earlier when I left and gave him permission to tell the other three."
Reid nodded with a small smile. "I guess that's easier than trying to tell everyone ourselves," he admitted with a laugh. His attention was back on Michaela when she let out a whimper and squirmed in Garcia's arms. He watched for a moment, hoping she'd settle back into sleep, but she continued to squirm and her face crumpled before she let out a very displeased cry.
"I-I'm sorry, I didn't do anything," Garcia said nervously, biting her lip as Reid gently took the baby with a soft laugh.
"I know, Garcia, it's okay," he said, shifting on the bed to lay Michaela in the middle. He began to unwrap the blanket she was swaddled in. "She ate a little bit ago so I'm betting she needs a new diaper."
Morgan swiftly snagged the bag and set it on the bed beside Reid. "Have I told you how proud I am of you, pretty boy?" he said.
Reid smiled up at him then began removing the dirty diaper, shushing the whimpering baby and cooing to her.
"Seriously," Morgan continued, grinning. "You got this down."
"I've had help all day," Reid said with a sheepish smile as he cleaned Michaela up and fastened a new diaper in place. He dug into the bag again for clothes. He held up a white onesie with an M in calligraphy, laughing as he looked at Garcia. "This has to have been your idea."
Garcia nodded once. "Darn right it was. This baby is gonna be the trendiest baby in existence."
Still grinning, Reid deftly pulled it on and snapped the buttons at the bottom. He reached into the bag once more, frowning as he pulled out a black band with a giant red poppy sewn on it.
"That was my idea," Morgan said with a grin.
"She is not wearing a giant flower," Reid muttered, setting the headband aside and reaching in again for the little black skirt Garcia had packed to pair with the onesie. He easily slipped it on then expertly folded the blanket back around her to swaddle her once more.
"Come on, pretty boy, she has no hair yet," Morgan whined. "You gotta put something there."
"It is exactly that she has no hair why she is not wearing one," Reid said as he lifted the now calm infant into his arms once more and adjusting the white cap when it slipped toward her eyes. "You're just drawing attention to the fact that she has none."
"Fine, fine," Morgan muttered, snatching the headband and putting it in the bag. "I suppose it will look better when she has more hair."
"Looks like we have a little party going on," a cheerful feminine voice said. The three turned to see the nurse that had been helping Reid all day stride into the room. "Hello, Dr. Reid. How are you and little Michaela doing this evening?"
"Hi, Melanie," Reid said, smiling down at his daughter at the mention of her. "We're good. Just finished another diaper change, actually."
"Yeah, there are plenty of those in your future," Melanie said with a laugh as she glanced at the clipboard she was holding. "Well, you two have been given permission to get outta here. Everything looks good with the both of you. She should grow into a healthier size in the next few weeks provided she eats properly which shouldn't be a problem. You two have done well each time she needs feeding. Just remember what I showed you if you have trouble getting her to latch again."
Reid nodded in understanding and absently swayed with Michaela when she fussed a bit. She immediately quieted again.
"Latch?" Garcia asked, tilting her head.
"Getting her to take his nipple in properly," the nurse explained while Reid's cheeks flushed. As confident as he seemed when it came to Michaela – much different than his usual awkward shyness – he just couldn't bring himself to discuss that part of his anatomy with his friend.
"Oh. Does it hurt?" Garcia asked, looking at Reid.
Reid shrugged slightly as he met her eyes. "Sometimes. If we get it right, it just feels like a pulling or tugging. Not outright painful."
"So, you ready to get out of here?" Melanie asked with a grin.
Reid nodded again. "Very much."
"I just need you to sign these," she said, holding the clipboard toward him to show him the papers.
He handed the baby to Morgan then took the clipboard and quickly scanned them before signing them and handing it back.
"Good," she chirped. "You are good to go. Unfortunately, I do have to do the Ride of Shame," she said with a pout. "Doesn't matter how good you feel, it's policy."
"Ride of Shame?" Morgan asked with a slight chuckle.
"The wheelchair ride down to the car," Reid mumbled, finding his sneakers shoved into a side pocket of the bag and tugging them on. "I had mentioned earlier I really didn't want to be wheeled out like I can't walk."
"And I told him I had to," Melanie added. "I'm going to take these to be filed and I'll be back with the chair," she said before disappearing.
Reid finished lacing his sneakers then took Michaela back into his own arms. The baby whimpered at the constant changing of places but he gently bounced her, patting her diapered bottom through the blanket, and cooed and she settled once more.
"Reid, you're like a pro," Garcia whispered in awe. "This is so different from the awkward genius you are at work."
Reid smiled sheepishly and ducked his head, his hair falling forward to cover his face. "I just somehow know what to do and know that it's right."
Melanie returned with the chair and held it steady as Morgan helped Reid lower into it without having to let go of Michaela. Once his boyfriend was settled, he grabbed the diaper bag and proudly slung it onto his shoulder. Before they left, Melanie produced a small pair of scissors from her scrub top's pocket and snipped the bracelets on Spencer' sand Michaela's wrists. Then the three made their way toward the elevators.
Outside, Morgan handed Garcia the bag and jogged toward their car while the other three waited at the curb. When he pulled up, he hopped out and gently took Michaela to fasten her into her car seat. While he helped Reid up, Garcia leaned into the car and reached for a small pink blanket lying on the seat and tucked it around the baby. When she made to sit in back and Morgan led Reid to the front, the younger man shook his head.
"No. Garcia can sit up front. I want to sit with Michaela," he said.
The two swapped places and Morgan helped Reid settle into the back seat next to their daughter. Morgan smiled affectionately when one of the doctor's hand immediately settled on the edge of the carrier near her legs. The three waved to Melanie who waved back, grinning proudly.
She waved until she lost sight of the car and was still grinning when she took the chair back inside.