DISCLAIMER:
I DO NOT OWN CRIMINAL MINDS! Nor do I own any other copy-righted things mentioned, for example The Chronicles of Narnia.
JJ sat there quietly watching the two kids draw. Jack was on the floor with Perdita next to him. He showed her a picture he'd drawn of his daddy as a superhero. Perdita soon held up a picture for Jack and JJ to see.
There were two people inside what looked like a tent. When Jack asked what it was, Perdita simply answered, "It's me and Uncle Spence in the fort we built."
"Spencer built a fort?" JJ asked.
"Yeah and guess what? He said it was one of the only times he'd ever made one! At first he couldn't remember what I was talking about!" Perdita said.
"Wow!" Jack gasped. "I thought every kid built forts!"
"So did I!" Dita said.
JJ chuckled as the two kids began swapping stories. Dita began to draw another picture while talking to Jack about the forts. Jack was wrapped up in the conversation and he looked at JJ.
"Miss JJ? Have you ever made a fort?"
"Once or twice," she replied. "But that was a while ago. I'm not a kid anymore. Now it's all work, work, work."
"Do you like it?" Dita asked.
"Do I like it?" JJ asked. "I like being able to help catch dangerous people to help other people. I don't like what those people do though."
Dita nodded and said, "I want a job were I'll be happy."
The girl than turned her eyes to Jack.
"What about you?"
"I wanna help people like Daddy does," Jack said.
JJ sighed listening to the two kids talk about a future that seemed so very far away. She ruffled their hair and said, "You two still have a lot of time before then."
Dita looked at JJ and said, "It's better to be prepared."
The little girl looked more like Reid than ever. She had an innocent little look, a look that matched her uncle's, especially when Jack asked her about her mother. Her upset face matched a look Reid normally got while looking at a particularly alarming case.
"Mommy was real young when she had me," Dita said. "I think Mommy was born before Grandpa left Reid's mommy though. I think my mommy was a mistake….and I think I am too."
"Perdita!"
"Well…it's true!" Perdita said. "Why else would Mommy hold me at an arm's length? Why else would Grammy not wanna talk about Spencer?"
The little girl stared at her feet. JJ got up and hugged Perdita.
"The mistakes that people made in the past…we can't change them," JJ said. "But we're all happy you're here Perdita. Reid's been all alone since he had to leave his mommy with the doctor. He likes having you around already Dita…I can tell. Never let anyone tell you you're a mistake."
Dita nodded into JJ's blouse. Jack reached out a hand and patted her shoulder. He then took a piece of paper and began to draw something. He quickly finished it and handed it to Perdita.
"Here," he said.
Dita took the paper and smiled. It was a flower. A bright pink flower. She smiled and hugged Jack. Jack smiled and said, "I made her feel better!"
JJ smiled and patted his head. She said, "You sure did Jack. You sure did."