Sorry the posting schedule isn't quite back to normal just yet. Been running on empty these last few weeks. Appreciate your patience with me!

"True friends will always push you towards the great possibilities of your future, false friends will always chain you to the mistakes in your past." –Seth Brown

"Well, well, well," I hear Derek drawl from the doorway. I glance up and find him grinning widely as he enters the room. "Would you look at this proud papa? Don't think I've ever seen him smile that wide before."

I know he's teasing me, but I also know that the sentiment is accurate. I don't think I've ever been this happy before, and it certainly would seem to follow that I would be smiling more as a result.

"Oh, as if you didn't have the exact same grin on your face when our kids were born," Emily fires back with a roll of her eyes.

"I never said I didn't, I'm just saying, pretty boy here could be the star of a teeth whitening commercial," Derek refutes as he slides in beside me, peering over my shoulder at the baby held in my arms. At my daughter held snugly in my arms.

"Ignore him," Emily says with another roll of her eyes before she meets my gaze. "It's what I do most of the time."

I smile at her words, but find my attention drawn almost immediately back to my daughter. I'm finding it very difficult to let my attention wander anywhere except things relating directly to her.

"Congratulations," she says, coming to stand on my other side and wrapping an arm around me. "To both of you, that is," she adds as she sends a smile Amelia's way.

"Thank you," Amelia replies with a smile of her own. I feel another wave of emotion wash over me as I'm reminded what Amelia's given me today.

"Do you want to hold her?" I ask, turning my head to face Emily. Her expression tells me that I needn't have asked – it was a foregone conclusion that she would want to hold her. Emily Prentiss didn't fall into many stereotypes, but this was one that she certainly did. Between her, Garcia, and JJ, the babies in our extended BAU family never went without being held for very long.

She nods and holds out her arms. There is the briefest twinge of fear and worry that passes through me as I pass my daughter over to her arms, but it passes when my mind reminds me that this is Emily. There are few people that I trust whole-heartedly in this world, and she is definitely one of them.

I hear a quiet whimper and react instantly, my eyes widening and my breath hitching. It's instinctual, this feeling that I have to protect her. I'd read many articles on the topic of protective instincts in animals and humans alike, and I thought I understood the overall concept. But the moment they placed my daughter in my arms, it became real. I realized then that I would do anything to keep her safe.

My gaze stays locked on them as Emily gently rocks back and forth, the motion soothing Audrey back to a content state. My tensed muscles relax when I see my daughter isn't fussing anymore, and seems comfortable. I let out the breath I hadn't realized I was holding and my eyes meet Emily's.

"She's beautiful, Spencer," Emily says after a moment of quiet contemplation. "And she looks so much like you, Amelia. But she inherited her Daddy's eyes, I think," she finishes with a smile as her gaze locks with the baby in her arms.

I feel a sense of pride and awe surge in me. Not for the first time since she was born I'm struck by how amazing it is that this little girl is the perfect combination of myself and Amelia. To know that the intricate structure of her very being – her genes – is all her own, but passed down by us…it's overwhelming. I've read extensively on the topic of genes, but to see it first-hand, outside of the confines of a lab…is absolutely amazing. She's not even a day old yet and she's already got me experiencing life-changing things.

"So does the little princess have a name yet?" Derek asks as he leans over his wife's shoulder to take another look.

His question shakes me from my reverie, and I find a serene smile spreading on my face. "Audrey," I reply quietly. "Audrey Diana Reid."

"Audrey Diana…" Emily says, testing it out as she readjusts the blankets around her. "Perfect. It suits her."

"That's actually-"

"Spencer," Emily says with a chuckle as she shakes her head, stopping my rambling before it can really get going at all.

"We thought so," Amelia says, coming to my rescue as she seems to do so often.

"Right. Yes," I agree with a nod.

"So Diana after your mom," Derek says knowingly, "and Audrey?"

"We'd talked about the name pretty frequently over the last couple of months, and once we saw her, it felt right," she explains.

"Sounds good to me," Derek says with a grin. "Now come on, Em. Hand over my niece before she gets fussy."

"Shhh. You'll scare her," Emily says, turning slightly away from her husband. "Besides, look how comfortable she is."

Derek rolls his eyes. "Someone is missing the days of holding babies in her arms…"

"Says the one who is so eager to hold his niece," she refutes with an arched eyebrow.

"I can't help it," he explains with a shrug. "I'm drawn to beauty," he finishes with a wink.

"Oh god," Emily groans. "Now I'm definitely not handing her over."

"Aw, come on. Please, Em?"

Just as she's about to reply, Audrey begins to fuss once more and I glance at the clock on the wall, realizing exactly why she's starting to fuss.

"Sorry, Derek," Amelia says, also noting the time. "As soon as she's done feeding you can totally hold her."

"Say no more," Derek says, holding up his hands. "I have to check in with the babysitter anyway. Make sure our kids haven't overwhelmed the poor girl."

"That's probably a good idea," Emily says as she passes Audrey to Amelia. "Lord knows those two are a handful."

I share a grin, knowing exactly how rambunctious the twins can be at times. I'd experienced first-hand how excitable they can be, and how quickly they can cause a headache.

"Do you need to stick around, or can I buy you a cup of coffee?" Emily asks.

I glance over at Amelia, who immediately waves her hands to shoo me out of the room. "You've been more than wonderful, Spencer, and I know you want to be here for it all, but I also know that you desperately need coffee."

I feel my cheeks tinge with embarrassment, and offer a sheepish smile.

"Go ahead. And you were going to call your mom anyway."

"I won't be gone long," I promise.

"Go," she says, giving me a gentle push. "We'll be all right for a few minutes without you."

"I love you," I whisper as I press a quick kiss to her lips, and then stroke Audrey's cheek ever so gently.

"I love you too," she whispers back and then gives me a gentle push again. "Now get going."

Emily chuckles as I fall in step beside her.

"Don't start," I warn. "Or I will have to remind you exactly what you and Morgan were like when Tegan and Matthew were born."

She just laughs as we reach the elevator and wait for it to arrive. "You don't need to remind me, I remember pretty well."

"You do?"

She nods. "The day your children are born isn't a day you tend to forget."

"I suppose not. It is rather significant."

"I'll say."

"How did you feel when they were born?"

"Exhausted," she quips with a smile as she steps into the elevator.

"Rightfully so," I say with a nod. "You had a long labour and delivery."

"And twins, Reid. Twins."

"Statistically speaking you shouldn't really have been surprised you had twins."

She waves her hand dismissively. "I know, I know. You gave me this speech already when I was pregnant."

"Sorry," I say with a crooked grin. "How did you feel though?"

She looks thoughtful for a moment before she answers. "Overwhelmed. Not necessarily in a bad way though. More like, I couldn't believe that it was over and I had two babies. I couldn't really wrap my head around the fact that I was now responsible for these two tiny humans. It was overwhelming emotionally and physically."

"How long until that feeling passed?"

"I'll let you know when it happens," she answers with a chuckle. My brow furrows as I consider her response. "I'm kidding, Spencer."

"Oh. So you're not overwhelmed?"

"Well…" she hedges, "I'm not overwhelmed all of the time now. It still hits me sometimes that I'm responsible for teaching them everything from how to tie their shoes, to how to navigate social situations. But I've gotten to a point where I'm not completely scared shitless all the time."

"That's reassuring…" I say as we exit the elevator and make our way down the hallway and into the cafeteria.

"You'll get there too. It just takes a little while to get your head straight and accept the roller coaster of emotions."

I nod, but stay quiet as my thoughts turn to my daughter. I'm a father now. A father.

"How are you feeling, anyway?"

I pause before I answer. How am I feeling? "I'm not really sure, to be honest."

She smiles knowingly. "That sounds about right."

"It does?"

"Mm," she answers with a nod. "Maybe it was just the hormones, but I remember swinging from completely over the moon happy to utterly despondent in just a few seconds."

I nod in understanding. She and JJ had both tried to explain it to me, but it hadn't made much sense to me. I understood on some level what they were saying, but it didn't really resonate with me until today. Until I felt myself swing from deliriously happy to absolutely terrified in just a few seconds.

"Hey," she says softly, grabbing my arm to stop me mid-stride. "Don't worry, Spencer," she continues, meeting my gaze once I turn around, "you're going to be a great father."

"You think?" I manage to croak softly in reply.

She shakes her head and smiles. "I know so. Audrey is a lucky, lucky girl to have you and Amelia raising her."

I offer a half-hearted smile in reply.

"I mean it," she says, with a little more emphasis. "I know you're scared, and are thinking about the dozens of books on parenting that you've read, but don't focus on all of that. Just focus on the fact that you have a baby girl, and that she already loves you. I've seen you with Tegan and Matthew, and Henry and Alyson. You're better with kids than you give yourself credit for. Just love her, and be there for her."

Before I can say anything, she begins to walk again, heading toward the cafeteria once more. She knows me well enough to know that I need to let her words sink in, and let my mind mull over the different ramifications. And she knows that I need space to do that.

"You coming, handsome?" she asks in a teasing tone when she realizes I haven't followed her.

"Yeah," I say hurriedly as I take quick steps to catch up to her. Her words are a comfort to me. That she gives me such a strong vote of confidence is reassuring. Emily Prentiss does not trust easily, and the fact that she trusts me to take care of her children speaks volumes to me. Maybe I am ready for this.

So...did you 'awwww' over Reid as a new Daddy? Enjoy their little chat? Chuckle at Morgan's antics? Let me know...