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Warning: See my profile and the first chapter

JJ moved quietly down the corridor of the small hospital building. Noon had come and gone, but Emily was still there. The doctor had determined there was no concussion or broken bones. He also had declared that the baby was okay. He wanted Emily to stay there for another twenty-four hours, despite the good diagnosis.

JJ's head was still trying to get around the news that Reid had fathered Emily's baby. For his sake, she thanked God the baby and Emily were okay.

Now… when would they admit that they belonged together in the open instead of hiding?

With this thought in mind, she continued to navigate the long winding hallway to room six. The door was partway open when she stepped inside. The sight in front of her stopped her in her tracks. Reid was sitting in a chair he had pulled up as close to Emily's bed as he could get.

His head was on Emily's legs. One long fingered hand was stroking her baby belly with a gentleness that brought tears to JJ's eyes. She could just hear him talking to the baby.

"Don't worry… Daddy loves you very much. Mommy will be okay and soon we'll go home. I'll never let anything happen to either of you again. I promise!"

JJ backed quickly out of the room and headed back the way she came. Morgan came around the first corner she approached and they almost collided.

"Hey JJ…"

"Come with me!" She grabbed his arm and tugged him several feet down the hallway before he recovered his surprise and planted his feet.

"Hey … What's the big deal?"

"Emily doesn't need a visitor right now."

"I just wanted to see how she is."

"You were going to interrogate her about Reid."

He opened and then shut his mouth with an audible snap.

"I thought so. Either come with me to get coffee, or go back to the motel. They deserve their privacy."

"He's in there with her?"

"Where else would he be? Leave them alone for tonight!"

He turned in the direction she'd been leading him and headed down the corridor. "You're right."

"I'm right?"

"Yeah… Despite what you think, I care about both of them. I'm not out to have a laugh at their expense."

JJ stopped, crossed her arms over her chest and began to tap her foot impatiently while eyeing him with narrowed eyes.

"Alright… You got me! I'd love a chance to make Dr. Reid blush."

"I know!"

"I promise to wait till tomorrow."

They continued down the hallway toward the waiting room where Hotch and Rossi would be waiting to hear what she'd been able to find out. They passed a very short and stocky man who limped by with a black walking stick. He wore a camel hair overcoat and highly polished black shoes. He raised his hat to JJ before continuing down the hall.

Morgan smirked at her and she punched him in the shoulder. "Chivalry isn't completely dead."

"I think he likes your blond hair," Morgan joked.

She smacked him again. "You can't go two minutes without teasing someone."

"It's part of my charm."

"That's funny… You never answered my question."

"What question is that?"

"I asked you why Hanks ran."

"He was the submissive partner JJ. When the FBI was called in, he decided to take the coward's way out. And, he made sure that Stanton takes the blame for everything."

"He obviously hated Blevins."

"No he didn't hate the constable. He feared him. That shot was meant for us. He was completely loyal to Stanton. Stanton was the one that killed the boys. He wasn't a pedophile, he just liked killing. Hanks was the pedophile and a decoy. He's the one that beat and raped the boys."

Morgan's eyes had taken on an angry cast that scared anyone but his team or close friends. JJ laid a hand on his arm. He smiled tightly at her.

"How is she?" Hotch asked as they entered the waiting room.

"The nurse didn't want to tell me till I gave her my proxy."

"I'm not surprised that Emily made you her emergency contact." Rossi said.

"I called her mother and the Ambassador was true to form. She's out of the country and she didn't ask about the baby."

"What did you find out?" Hotch repeated as they took chairs in the small room that was empty but for them.

"She doesn't have a concussion. She has a few bumps and bruises, but no broken bones. The baby is okay too. The nurse said that they want to keep her here for another twenty-four hours. She also said that she's still sleeping. Reid was with her when I went in. I didn't talk to either of them," JJ added.

"By the way JJ, nice job on the press conference," Rossi said.

"I'm just glad that Terry will be okay."

"At least those bastards didn't get a chance to hurt him." Morgan added.

The others nodded in agreement. "Is it wrong for me to be glad Stanton is dead?" JJ wondered.

"No!" Hotch said with finality. "Sometimes it's better that way."

"Why did he obsess over Reid?"

"I got a call from Garcia after they brought in Terry and Emily. His father claimed that Stanton wasn't his son. He was going to divorce Stanton's mother when she disappeared. I suppose he could have believed that his mother was unfaithful. It would have had a strong effect on how he saw women. He saw weakness in Emily when we came here. He knew it was over so he decided to go out his way. Since Reid resembled his father, he got a bit of revenge in his mind."

"Do you think that's really all there was too it Hotch."

"No Morgan, there could be other reasons. We'll never know and frankly, I'm more concerned about Emily and Reid then Stanton."

"Me too," JJ agreed.

"Let's go get something to eat and then we all need to get some rest." Hotch ordered.

---

Emily opened her eyes several hours later, to pain in head and over most of her body. Everything looked too bright to her eyes. She squinted and tried to remember where she was and what had happened.

"Emily…"

The voice was near her head. She turned and saw the beautiful eyes she loved. They were red rimmed and the dark circles that were always present seemed so deep.

"I'm sorry…" She said a bit breathlessly.

"Why?"

"I put our baby in so much danger. You must hate me."

"No, I meant, why did you go out there alone. He could have killed you."

Now she saw what she had missed in the confusion of waking. He was furious.

"I couldn't lose another child."

"So you put our baby in danger. I don't understand you."

He had got up to pace. Nervous and angry energy pushed him in a way she hadn't seen since he'd put his life on the line to save a troubled young man in Texas.

"Are you going to lie there and ignore me?" He attacked.

Tears welled up in her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"I know! What I don't understand is why you did it. Was it hormones? Is that the excuse?"

"Reid… Please don't -"

"No!" He cut through her plea. "It can't be hormones. That's the female excuse. It would be too easy. You never use the female excuse. What else is going on?"

Tears choked her as her fists twisted into the light blue blanket on the bed. She swallowed hard against the hurtful words she wanted to use against him.

"Emily!"

She stared down at her belly as the tears came at last.

"I think we made a mistake." He said with a finality that made her quake in terror.

She looked up in utter shock. He was standing at the foot of her bed with his hands in his pockets. He looked completely serious despite the obvious pain in his eyes.

"What did you say?"

"I think we made a mistake."

"NO!"

"I think we've been fooling ourselves."

Her eyes were glued to his face. He'd never spoken to her and any of them like this. Real pain shattered her heart at his tone.

"You t-think the b-baby was a mistake." She said through her tears.

"No. I think our arrangement was a mistake."

"I don't understand. What do you want?"

"Not this," He threw his arms wide, "Our arrangement to have a baby and be just friends. I love you Emily Prentiss. I realized today that I couldn't stand on the sidelines. I want a real family with you and the baby. I want everyone to know that I'm the one you love."

"Reid I -"

"Call me Spencer," He said very softly. The dramatic shift in tone scared her.

"What?"

"We made a baby together. I think you can call me by my first name."

"I'm sorry for scaring you, Spencer. I didn't think. I just wanted to save that boy. I couldn't bear to find another dead child."

He sat down on the chair that he'd pulled up to the side of her bed. "There's something else. Help me understand Emily."

His eyes had gone soft and the love she'd seen, but ignored for the sake of her own safety was looking out at her again with deep concern.

"I lost a baby when I was a teenager."

Surprise leaped in his eyes, but he didn't say anything as she told him about getting pregnant as a teen and then losing the baby.

"I hated my mom for a long time after that."

"Emily…"

"I don't hate her now. We just have a very complicated relationship. I think she's happy about the baby in her own way."

"You don't have to explain. I know what it's like to have complicated relationships with your parents."

She reached out and squeezed his hand. "We're a couple of lost souls, aren't we?"

"No, not anymore," He disagreed. "What now?"

"I'm a grown woman that is deeply in love with her baby and the father of her baby. It's simple!"

He stared at her with hope and reluctance to believe warring in his eyes. "You don't have to say that. It's okay."

She motioned him to come closer so he bent over her bed. "I'm not saying that out of guilt or because I'm hormonal and pregnant."

She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. She kissed him full on the mouth. His lips were tight at fire and he tried to pull away, but she was stronger then him, even injured. So, he gave up and began to enjoy the soft warmth of her lips and the way her hands roamed through his hair.

He pulled her up into his arms, lifting her upper body off the bed as her tongue pushed into his mouth. A sharp sound of need broke them apart. Who had groaned into whose mouth? He didn't know, but it broke through the haze her mouth had dropped over his brain.

He lowered her back to the bed. "I'm sorry…"

"I'm not!" She grinned up at him. "Who knew Spencer Reid could kiss so well."

His face went scarlet. "Um… well I don't know -"

"About time!" A voice said from the doorway.

Hotch stood there smiling at them. Emily almost laughed at the look of hand in the cookie jar expression on Reid's face before he turned to face their boss.

"Oh… ah sir… We were just talking."

"I can see that."

Hotch's smile retreated and he faced Emily with his trademark scowl. "I hope you have a good explanation for your behavior, Agent Prentiss."

She looked up at Reid who was looking anywhere but at her or their boss. So she told Hotch what she'd just told Reid.

"I'd suspend you for two weeks, but we need you and you're going out of maternity leave in a couple of months. Still, I meant what I said; this is your last trip in the field."

"I'm not going to argue with you Hotch."

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine… I just have a headache."

"You're lucky you don't have a concussion."

"I know… I'm sorry Hotch."

"I'm a father too Emily. I understand. I'm very sorry for what happened to you as a kid. Just don't let it affect your job again."

"I promise it won't," She said.

"I guess I'll be pleading your case with Strauss."

"You need help with that," Rossi asked from behind Hotch.

"Yeah, I think I might," Hotch admitted to the older man.

"Sounds like fun!"

Emily laughed with Rossi while Reid and Hotch just looked at them.

"Do I want to know?" Rossi asked gesturing to Emily after the laughter had died down.

"I had artificial insemination. Reid was my donor."

"So you went to all that expense and humiliation instead of admitting how you feel and doing it the old fashioned way?"

"When you put it like that?" Reid grumbled.

"At least you two finally got together."

"And I just lost the pool." JJ complained to Morgan as they entered the room.

"My man... When are you going to do things the normal way?"

Reid went read again under all the pairs of eyes that were fixed on him. "Well… see Emily asked me for a favor and I -"

"Some favor kid," He slapped Reid on the back. "So about the donation…"

"Morgan!"

"I didn't think you were that devious Reid. You tell us the truth months ago and we don't believe you."

"Is there no one that's not eavesdropping on this conversation?"

"You're cute when you're mad." Morgan had put an arm around Reid's shoulders and squeezing tighter then was necessary.

"Shut up Morgan!"

"Hey, injured and tired girl over here," Emily broke in. "Get out or I'll find my gun."

"Well that's friendly."

"Come on guys…" JJ herded them out, leaving Reid and Emily with a smirk and a wink.

"Now that the cats out of the bag?"

"Are you mad?"

"No! I just hope Morgan back off the teasing."

Reid took his seat again. "I don't care. I have all I want."

"You do? A little presumptuous of you."

"I'm s-sorry I t-thought -"

"I'm kidding. I'm very happy."

"Me too, the doctor said you can go home tomorrow."

A grin broke over her face that lit up the room. She was there and she was safe. He'd put aside his anger and start again with her and his child.

"We have to talk." She said as though reading his thoughts.

"Later!"

"Okay!"