Disclaimer: see my profile
Warnings: See my profile and the first chapter.
A/n I have no idea how a trust fund is set up or the cost of private schools. I just pulled a couple of figures out of the air. Forgive me if it's not realistic.
Emily tapped on the open door that led into Hotch's office. "Come in," He said curtly.
She sat down with the same awkwardness she had seen in all her friends when they were eight months pregnant. It hadn't looked fun then and it wasn't fun now, but it was worth it.
Hotch looked up at her and his hard demeanor was oddly reassuring to see. "I have something I need you to look at. It's personal."
He picked up the file and opened it. She tried not to fidget in her chair while he read over the contents. "An interesting proposal." He said, his dark eyes sharing nothing as always.
"I told her I would ask you to look it over. She didn't bat an eyelash."
"What do you want to do?"
"I don't know yet. I was hoping you could tell me that she's sincere. She said there was no strings attached to the offer, but I know my mother. She's very used to getting her way."
"It's an iron clad offer. It basically states that your child, beginning with preschool if you desire, will be given five thousand dollars for the cost of schooling. The amount will increase by five thousand when the child goes to elementary, then junior, and senior high school. When the child turns eighteen, he or she will receive a quarter of a million dollars to be used only for school. Your mother has also included a condition for any of the monies paid. Your child must stay out of trouble or the money is lost for the next school year. She leaves the decision to discontinue payments for any reason of your choosing. If anything should happen to you or Reid, he or she will continue to receive money from the trust."
"That's it then. Can you think of anything that she might have left out?"
"No… it's clear that this contract is up to you and Reid to accept or reject at any time."
"So you think I should accept the trust." She shifted in the chair when the baby kicked her hard in the ribs.
"You okay?" He asked.
"Yeah, the baby must be a future soccer start or football player."
"Haley used to say that when she was pregnant with Jack."
A bit of his hard demeanor had softened and some of the pain he still felt for the loss of his family became evident before he straightened his back and the mask slammed back into place.
"Hotch I…"
"This is as tight an offer as you'll get. If you think Reid will agree, then I say take your mother up on it. She only wants to help Emily."
His eyes bored into hers and more pain was breaking through the armor he wore like a medieval warrior going into battle. They also warned her not to prod.
"My mother isn't one not to pry in my life Hotch."
"Your mother is a very hard woman because she doesn't know how to express her feelings."
Like you have trouble with yours.
"Have you ever wanted someone to just accept and love you for who you are?"
"She loves you Emily. She was so proud of you when you went to Brown. I could see it in her eyes."
"She never told me." She winced as the baby kicked again.
"Sometimes it's hard for people of express how they feel. They think that if they tell someone that they love them or are proud of them, they will get rejected or laughed at."
"I wouldn't do that to her."
"I know and so does she, but old habits die hard Emily."
He folded his hands on his blotter and his eyes had shut down again. She decided to change tactics. "I need help with another big problem."
"You want to get my advice on how to tell Reid about this."
She looked down at her feet, or would have seen them if it weren't for her belly getting in the way. The baby kicked again as if to say, "get on with it Mom."
"Yeah… I think he's going to be really upset. I know him Hotch. He's going to say that she's trying to run our lives. He's going to think the same thing I thought when she first approached me with this idea. He's going to think that she thinks he can't take care of his child. You've seen how he's been acting since I got pregnant. He's Mr. Overprotective and he talks all the time about being there for the baby and never leaving. His father hurt him on a much deeper level than I ever considered. I have no idea how to begin to talk to him."
"Reid is starving for a real family. We all stand in as surrogates for the family he wants but in his heart he knows it's not enough."
A shiver ran down her spine and the baby went still as though listening to something more important than stretching and growing.
"What are you trying to say Hotch?"
"He will be upset. He'll be angry, but he'll agree to this. He finally has the family he's wanted since he was a small child. You gave him that. Why do you think he agreed to be a donor for you? He loves you very much, but having a child gives him the chance to make up for what his father did."
The baby kicked again and tears came into her eyes. God… Why couldn't she keep control over her tears anymore?
"That's not his fault," She said in a very unsteady voice. "He was a little boy, genius or not, it wasn't his fault." She repeated. "His father was the weak one. He left Spencer alone with a mentally unstable woman. He's the one that should suffer, not Spencer."
"That's why I think that Reid will accept your mother's help. He wants to do the very best for his child. That means good schools. I'll bet he's already picked out a bunch and discussed it with you."
"Yeah… He has," She grinned at him for the first time.
"I thought so. Now, go talk to him. He'll be angry, but he'll come around. He loves his little family. I can see it in his eyes every time he looks at you. It's not just because of the baby. He loved you for a long time before you two decided to hatch this scheme. Remember that and everything will be okay."
He smiled at her before his eyes shut down again. "I think you've got a few files on your desk?"
"Yes sir," She pulled herself slowly out of the chair.
"Hotch?"
He looked up as she turned back from the door. "Yes…"
"It's never too late to change, for anyone."
He only looked at her, but there was something deep in his eyes that made her smile as she left the office.
Emily stroked Sophie's head with one hand. "He's your new best friend. How do you think he'll react?" She asked the cat.
Sophie patted a paw at Emily's free hand and softly meowed at her mistress.
"Okay… I know I just have to wait and see.
The baby kicked her ribs again and she winced. "Don't worry, Daddy will be here soon, which is what scares me." She rubbed a hand over her stomach.
A soft knock came at the door. "It's open," She called.
"I thought you locked it behind you every time you come home." Reid said, entering the brownstone with his Go bag in one hand and his messenger bag slung over his shoulder. He put them both on the floor next to the couch and sat down next to Emily.
Her eyes drank in the sight of him wearing a pair of dark blue slacks, a white shirt turned up to the elbows, and a sweater vest with a dark blue and red diamond pattern. He looked like a college student. It was very sexy.
Sophie leapt into his lap the minute he sat down next to Emily and put his arm around her. "See, she loves you more than me." Emily complained as the cat lay down and began to purr.
He grinned at her. "She likes it when I scratch her head."
"Well she can't have you. You're mine!"
"Yes I am." He leaned in for a kiss that sent little shivers down her spine to the tips of her toes.
"Wow… You're in a mood."
"So are you," He took her free hand in his.
"It's silly really." She tried to look anywhere but at his eyes which saw too much.
"But it was important enough for you to call me over here from work." He nudged.
"Yeah… I had a visit from mom over the weekend."
"I know, you told me all about it."
"I didn't tell you everything."
His hold on her shoulders tightened a bit, but his face stayed relaxed. "Tell me," He kissed her forehead.
"She set up an educational trust fund for the baby. Before you say anything I took it to Hotch and he said that it was iron-clad in our favor. We don't have to agree to any of the terms. They can be set up any way we want. It's a really good thing for the baby because we can send him or her to any of the really good schools here in DC and -" She said very fast.
Reid had left the couch and was pacing rapidly up and down in front of the coffee table with Sophie on his heels meowing when he ignored her.
"You agreed to let your mother pay for the baby's education?" He shouted, going red in the face.
"I haven't agreed to anything Spencer Reid! Don't shout at me!"
"Why shouldn't I yell? Your mother comes in here thinking that she has to pay for our child like I can't take care of it. What gives her the right to come in her like she owns the place and our child?"
"Spencer…"
"No, the answer is no. You call her and tell her tomorrow."
"Wait just a minute Spencer Reid. This is my baby too. It's a good idea to have financial help for the baby's education. This isn't an attack on you. My mom likes you."
"You say that is if it solves everything." He stopped in front of where she sat. Sophie had fled the room when he'd begun to yell.
"I know it doesn't solve everything. If you'd calm down and look at this logically instead of letting your emotions rule -"
His face had gone scarlet and he wouldn't let her take hold of his hand. "I am looking at this logically. Logic says that if we let your mother do this, she'll try to run the baby's life and our lives."
"That's not true!"
"How can you say that to me?" He'd gone to the window that looked out over the Jefferson Memorial. "You're the one that constantly complains about how she tries to force you into her world. You got pregnant because she wouldn't leave you alone about it."
"That's not fair! I wanted this child. It had nothing to do with my mother. You know me better than that."
His shoulders suddenly slumped. "I know… I'm sorry." He walked back to her on slow and hesitant feet. "I overreacted."
"Spencer…"
"No, I lost my temper. I'm so sorry." He sat back down at her side. "I just don't want anyone to think -
"That you can't take care of the baby. I know you think you have to be Super Dad. You think you have to do everything yourself because your dad left."
He pulled away from her. "Emily…"
She grabbed his hand and squeezed it hard. "You're going to be the best dad in the world. I don't have any worries at all about that. But, you were the one that agreed with me when I pointed out that the schools you wanted the baby to go to are too expensive for us. So, unless you want to quit the FBI and go make millions in the private sector…"
"Alright, I get it." He let go of her hand and got up to pace again. "I just wish that -"
"You wish that it wasn't my mom. It's okay. I know her faults better than anyone. I know my mother likes to control everything in her sphere, but Hotch said this was a good arrangement. I trust him with my life and so do you so why not the financial wellbeing of our offspring."
Spencer began to laugh. "Offspring?"
"Laugh all you want mister. At least I got you to smile again."
He came back to the couch again and pulled her up into his arms. "Okay… I'm sorry I freaked out. I'm not totally happy about this, but I'll try to accept it for your sake and the baby."
"Good," She hugged him as tight as she could with her baby belly in the way. "Are we okay?"
"Yeah… We're okay." He kissed her hard with a smacking sound when their lips parted. "This being a parent thing is a lot harder than I thought it was going to be."
She smiled against his shoulder. "Just wait till we get our first special delivery diaper."
"What's that?" He gulped. She looked at him and his face had gone white.
"You'll find out!"
"Emily!"
"Don't worry, it'll be fine. We only have to change diapers for the next three years."
"Right," He thought of all the books he's been reading and realized what the "Special Delivery" diaper must mean. He could handle it!
"How about some coffee? Helga left some dinner in the oven."
"No coffee for you." He commanded.
"May I have some tea, Master Reid?"
"Sure… I'll get the coffee and dinner out. You sit down and rest."
"Spencer…"
"I mean it!
"Yes sir!"
He went to the kitchen and Sophie jumped up next to her. "See, that wasn't so bad."
Sophie stared at her "Okay, so I overreacted. Sue me!"
The cat meowed and began to wash. "Yeah… I know… You know everything."