The following morning, Reid texted Jessica. "The media have caught wind that a civilian babysitter took down a professional assassin, and they're clamoring to interview you. Do you want to talk to them?"

"Absolutely not," Jessica replied. "Tell them that I was very lucky, and professional assassins should be left to equally professional law enforcement officers. And if they don't have my name already, then don't give it to them."

"I can't guarantee they won't dig it up on their own. But I'll pass along your comment." A few minutes later, he texted again. "JJ suggests that you instead attribute your success to the fact that you've been raised by law enforcement. She says your original comment could be twisted to portray you as recklessly stupid."

"Fine, tell them I only defeated Izzy due to the unofficial training I've received from you guys. And a bit of sleight of hand."

"Sleight of hand?" Reid repeated, surprised.

"Well, not exactly, but I used similar principles of distraction to prevent her noticing when I pulled my pepper spray out of my purse."

"Okay, we will tell the media that you attribute your success to unofficial training from the federal agents and amateur magician in your life."

"Didn't you do magic tricks for money back when you were in college? If you've made money doing it, I think you can call yourself a professional."

"Well I don't do that any more, so how about 'retired magician'?" Reid suggested.

"Fine, 'retired'," Jessica agreed.

"Okay, we will pass along that comment," Reid confirmed. Idly, he wondered if this was how his teammates felt when he went off on marginally-relevant tangents. He hoped he'd been getting better about that.

A few days later, Jessica joined her friends in the dining hall and found them holding a print-out of a news article. Mateo raised an eyebrow at her. "So, a wedding was the most interesting thing to happen to you this weekend?"

"Yes," Jessica insisted, slightly annoyed and exasperated. "It was the first wedding I've ever been to."

"If you ask me, this badass babysitter in the news sounds way more interesting than a wedding," Eve argued.

"They were supposed to keep my name out of it," Jessica griped.

Mateo broke into a grin. "They did. Thanks for confirming our suspicions."

Jessica glared at him. "I hate you."

"No you don't," Mateo argued cheerfully.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Eve asked curiously.

Jessica sighed. "Because believe it or not, confronting someone who is willing and probably able to kill you is actually not an enjoyable experience. And unlike the wedding, it wasn't the first time that's happened to me either."

Eve winced. "Damn, I forgot about that. I'm still kind of impressed you kept that out of the rumor mill in high school."

"It probably helped that it happened during summer vacation," Jessica suggested.

Mateo slumped dramatically in his chair. "Well, my life seems incredibly boring now. Want to trade?"

"Believe me, I'd be getting the better end of that deal," Jessica retorted.

"Okay, okay," Mateo pouted. "And I suppose I'm also not allowed to boast about being friends with the most badass person on campus?"

"Absolutely not," Jessica insisted. "I am trying to live a normal life here."

"Amen, sister," Eve agreed. "Here's to being left alone to live your own damn life."

On Friday night, Spencer and Maeve had dinner plans. Maeve wrapped up her work and headed into her office, where Spencer was waiting for her. "I wasn't expecting you here this early," Maeve commented, surprised. "I still need to change, give me a few minutes." She picked up her bag and turned to the door.

"Wait," Spencer called suddenly. Maeve turned back, and saw that he looked unusually nervous. "I was going to ask this at dinner, because I've asked around and people tell me that's a good time to do it, but really I don't think this is something that should be said in public, and besides this is where you first asked me out so it's a really significant place for it, and that really makes more sense—"

"Spencer!" Maeve finally cut in, head spinning. "As much as I love you and your brain, I'm going to need you to back up and let me get on board your train of thought. What's this about?"

"Um." Spencer swallowed nervously. "I had this whole speech planned, but maybe…" Maeve gave him a wary look. "Maybe I should cut to the chase." Spencer got down on one knee, pulled a box out of his pocket and opened it to reveal a ring. "Maeve Donovan, will you marry me?"

Maeve broke into a broad smile, happy that her guess had been correct. "Yes, Spencer Reid, I will most definitely marry you." She took the ring, offered a hand to help Spencer to his feet and pulled him in for a long kiss. Then, she broke away and gave Spencer a very stern look. "But no calling in Rossi, okay? I want to actually plan my own wedding."

Spencer laughed. "Fine by me. Rossi did a great job with JJ and Will's wedding, but I'm happy to plan ours together."

"And seeing as you've used the location of our first meeting for the proposal, maybe we could use the anniversary of that meeting for the wedding date?" Maeve suggested.

Spencer frowned. "January 22nd will be a Tuesday next year. I think weddings are generally supposed to be held on weekends."

"Okay, so the nearest weekend day?"

"That would be Jessica's birthday."

Maeve laughed, half amused and half exasperated. "Okay, so what about the weekend after that?"

Spencer smiled. "January 26th and 27th, 2013. My schedule's wide open for that."

"Not any more." Maeve pulled him in for another kiss.

"So, I'm assuming you know the news already?" Garcia asked Jessica.

"If you're talking about Spencer's news, then yes," Jessica confirmed.

"I was kind of hoping it would be enough to change Emily's mind, but she just said she'll take time off and fly to the States for the wedding," Garcia admitted.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Change Emily's mind? Fly back to the States? Is she going to hide in Paris again or something?"

"No, she's taking over the Interpol office in London. Did no one tell you?"

Jessica stared, trying to process that curve ball. "No, no one told me. I guess I didn't know ALL the news already."

"Oops. This is why I tell people, I cannot keep a secret."

"Was it supposed to be a secret?" Jessica asked, confused.

"Well I didn't think so, but it's been a week and apparently no one told you…"

"A WEEK?!" Jessica repeated, shocked. "Okay, so Spencer has kind of had other stuff on his mind, but no one thought to tell me for an entire WEEK?!"

"I guess the rest of us just assumed Reid would tell you?" Garcia suggested.

"Why is it that you supposedly made the announcement a week ago and I'm only just now learning that you're moving across the Atlantic?!" Jessica demanded.

Emily winced. "Sorry. I've been busy trying to work out all the logistics of the move, and I kind of figured Reid would have mentioned it to you by now."

Jessica swallowed, realizing that it actually had been a rather fair assumption. "No, he's been very focused on Maeve. When do you actually leave?"

"That's one of the logistics I still need to work out. Even with Interpol sponsoring my move, it's proving surprisingly difficult to find a place in London."

"Is Sergio going to be able to go with you?"

"No, Garcia's taking him again. This time permanently."

"That sucks. I guess I won't be moving out of the country any time soon. I'd miss Bianca too much."

"I might get a cat in England," Emily suggested.

"Wait, and they use different sign language there too!" Jessica realized. "Not fair. You get to stick to your native language, but I can't do that if I visit!"

"If you visit me, I will act as an ASL interpreter for you," Emily offered.

"Fine, I suppose it wouldn't be THAT different from talking to hearing people in the US," Jessica conceded. "I'd better pull out the Doctor Who DVDs so I can practice reading lips on people with British accents."

"Does it really make that big a difference?" Emily asked, surprised.

"Yeah, the vowels really throw me off. I'm glad Will learned how to sign, because I had trouble with him at first too."

"Well, I can always interpret British English into American Sign Language too."

"Thanks." Jessica swallowed. "And good luck with everything."

"Thank you."

Jessica, along with most of the BAU, did what she could to help Emily with her move. Jessica also spent a considerable amount of time babysitting Henry, began volunteering at a local animal shelter, and managed a meetup with Beth and Claire (how did six years of friendship fade into the background so easily?). It was a hectic summer, but at least they got a few relatively quiet months on the unsub front.

Inevitably, Hotch had to begin conducting interviews for Emily's replacement. Jessica only really knew of one Bureau agent who wasn't involved with the BAU already, so her speculation was limited. "Remember when I suggested Alex join the team? Seems like you've got room for a 'mom agent' now," she joked.

"She's expressed interest, and I put in a good word for her with Hotch," Spencer replied.

"Wait, seriously?" Jessica signed, surprised.

"Yes," Spencer confirmed, nodding. "I really hope she gets it."

"Me too," Jessica agreed. "It would be nice not to have to wait for the new agent to learn ASL."

"It would be nice if the new agent is someone I already know," Spencer concurred. "I know I can be off-putting to new people sometimes. I feel kind of bad for how I treated Rossi when he rejoined the BAU…"

"Well, you weren't off-putting to me when I met you," Jessica offered consolingly.

"You were a 12-year-old foster kid who was desperate for any way out of that neglectful group home. You couldn't afford to be put off by me."

"I needed you. Didn't mean I had to like you. You're a very likeable person."

"I've had a lot of classmates who would disagree with you."

Jessica shrugged. "They don't sound very likeable."

Spencer let out a short laugh in spite of himself. "No, they really weren't."

Alex Blake got the job, and she joined the team for a case in Seattle while Morgan and Garcia helped Emily settle in London. Almost as soon as both groups returned, the BAU was sent right back out to Texas. Jessica checked her phone after class and saw two texts: one from Spencer, letting her know where they'd gone, and the other from Garcia. "Hey, have you met the new?"

"If you're talking about Alex, then yes," Jessica confirmed. "She and Spencer have known each other for years."

"You've been to their lectures at Georgetown?"

"No, but Alex did show me around when I was considering Georgetown as a possible college option."

"So what do you think of her?"

"She's cool. Seemed kinda mom-like to me, but that's probably just due to the age gap."

"…do you describe all of us as mom-like?" Garcia asked worriedly.

"Nah. You, JJ, Emily and Elle have all been like big sisters. Derek is like a big brother, Hotch and Rossi are like uncles, and Gideon's like a grandpa."

Garcia laughed. "I'm guessing you've never said that to Gideon's face."

"Nope. I value my life. But I think we all know he's been a better father to Spencer than his actual dad, so why shouldn't I view Gideon as a grandfather?"

Garcia started to type a response, then was struck by a sudden thought. "Wait a minute. I just realized you've never mentioned any of your ACTUAL grandparents."

"That's because they're all dead. Both of Spencer's and my maternal grandparents died before even Spencer was born. My dad's dad died when I was five and my dad's mom died when I was nine."

"I'm sorry."

"It's ok. I barely remember Grandpa, and Grandma had an annoying tendency to try to force me to act 'normal'. She and Dad eventually got into a huge fight over it."

Garcia winced. "Wow. Glad your dad stood up for you."

"Yeah, I definitely had better luck in the dad department than Spencer did."

"So did I…right up until the crash," Garcia agreed. "I guess that means you and I had pretty much equal luck in that regard."

Jessica was briefly tempted to point out that she'd lost her dad at a younger age, then decided it didn't really matter in the long run. "RIP all the good dads."

On the jet back from Texas, the whole team sat in somewhat uncomfortable silence. Rossi finally decided it was up to him to break it. He turned to Reid. "So, shall we discuss the elephant in the room?"

"Elephant?" Reid repeated blankly.

Morgan sighed. "Cochlear implants, kid. We all know someone who could potentially use one."

"Oh. Yeah, we discussed that way back when Jessica was in sixth grade. She said she wasn't interested, and I respected that. I would never have forced one on her like Myers' mother did with him."

JJ winced. "After seeing what happened to Myers, I don't blame her for declining the option."

"The technology has come a long way since the 1980s," Reid defended. "But it would involve surgery, there would still be risks, and Jessica would have to put in a lot of time and effort to learn how to actually understand sound. And now that the technology is out of the experimental stages, it's become fairly expensive, so I was kind of relieved that Jessica didn't want one."

"If she ever changes her mind, I'd be happy to gift it to her," Rossi offered. "You list plenty of valid reasons for her choice, but I wouldn't want money to be one of them."

"I'll bear that in mind, thanks."

"I can't imagine that learning about this case will sway her mind," Blake commented.

"Unless she asks, I wasn't planning to tell her," Reid replied. "We don't usually talk about BAU stuff at home."

"That's healthy," Hotch said approvingly. "I try not to let this job get to Jack any more than it already has."

"I think we all need a life outside this job," Morgan said quietly.

A few weeks later, Jessica and Mateo were in the campus library together. Jessica was halfway through her marine biology assignment, but Mateo kept tapping his pencil and staring out the window. "Fall's only just starting and I'm already homesick," he lamented. "I didn't consider the climate when I picked this school."

"Spencer's team is in Southern California right now," Jessica commented. "Not sure whether he's in Los Angeles or San Diego, though; he said their case is in both cities."

Mateo perked up. "Has he ever been to San Diego before?"

"Yes, a few times. I don't know the exact number off the top of my head, but he would."

"Has he ever been to Balboa Park?"

Jessica shrugged. "I don't think so…you do realize he's not there to sightsee?"

"Oh, right," Mateo signed sheepishly. "I was just thinking you'd both enjoy it…you because it's a park, and him because there are museums…"

At that moment, Eve pulled out a chair and joined them, a wicked smirk on her face. "I just saw Jeffrey with a girl."

Jessica shrugged again. "So what? He hangs out with you and me, and we're girls."

Eve shook her head. "He doesn't hold hands with us."

Mateo leaned forward, breaking into a wicked smirk of his own. "And he thought he could hide this from us? He really doesn't know us very well yet."

"But he will learn," Eve replied sagely.

That year, Garcia's reminders successfully made sure that no one forgot Reid's birthday…and then the party had to wait a few days anyway, because Reid went to Vegas to visit his mother that weekend. At least the team could all honestly say the belated birthday party wasn't their fault this time.

On the jet back from Kansas, Reid couldn't help but ponder their unsub and his obsession with 'perfect' families. As a child, Reid didn't think his family would have caught this unsub's interest; even before his dad walked out, his mother's illness had been visible. But what about the life he'd built with Jessica? Did any of their neighbors believe they led some idyllic, 'perfect' family life?

No, probably not—it was no secret that Reid spent a lot of time traveling for work, nor that Jessica was an orphan. And they hardly fit the model of the stereotypical nuclear family. Still, Reid was fairly certain that his neighbors were unaware of his ongoing struggle with narcotics, and the unfortunate impacts it had had on Jessica. Any family spats (be they drug-related or otherwise) were kept behind closed doors.

But despite their 'imperfect' life, they did love each other. And while Reid hoped he would never be called on to put it to the test, he was certain that he would die for Jessica if need be. Family didn't need to be perfect to be meaningful.

As soon as Spencer got home, he walked over to Jessica and gave her a long hug. She hesitantly returned it, slightly concerned.

"Bad case?" she asked once he finally pulled away.

"No, just a case that made me really appreciate family." Spencer smiled at her, then headed to his room. As he closed the door, his thoughts turned to his impending marriage to Maeve. His family was about to grow, hopefully in more ways than one—and though it would undoubtedly be 'imperfect', it would be worth it.

Looking at the first female victim of their leg transplant case, Reid abruptly pulled out his phone. "I'm gonna call Maeve."

"Maeve?" Morgan repeated, bewildered. "Why?"

"If he's using a bloodmobile, then he's obviously screening for something. Amputation alone wouldn't show up in a blood test, there has to be some underlying condition that he's looking for. Maeve's a geneticist, she might have a fresh perspective that could help."

"All right," Morgan relented, shrugging. It wasn't like their case was classified, so he didn't see any harm in it. He headed back to the SUV for their return to the precinct, and Reid climbed into the passenger side.

Very quickly, Morgan had to tune out Reid's half of the conversation, because Reid was talking so quickly that Morgan simply couldn't focus on both Reid and the road at the same time. Finally, Reid hung up. "We're looking for someone with a limb deformity caused by the chicken pox virus in utero."

Morgan let out a small noise of disbelief. "That's pretty specific."

"Well yeah, when you consider the various conditions…"

"Kid, I believe you," Morgan interrupted. He slowed to a stop at a red light, and glanced at his friend. "I'm just worried for the DC school system."

"Why?" Reid asked, bewildered.

"Because if you and Maeve ever have kids, their teachers won't know what hit them."

"So, what did you think of Henry's Halloween costume?" Jessica asked.

"I loved it," Spencer replied, smiling broadly.

"You've got your own mini-me now," Jessica replied, smiling back at him. Then, her smile faded. "Although I'm still a bit annoyed that JJ told him he wasn't allowed to dress up as me."

Spencer raised an eyebrow. "He wanted to dress up as you?"

"Yes. I'm the only person he's actually seen fighting a 'monster', so his first thought was that monsters would be scared of him if he dressed up as me. But then JJ told him he should dress up as a guy."

Spencer winced. "I can see her point. I'd hate to hear what other kids might say to him if he dressed up as a girl."

Jessica huffed in annoyance. "You, too? You think it's good to stifle a kid's self-expression and force him to conform so he fits in with other kids? Cross dressing has been around for centuries; it used to be standard for male actors to play characters of both genders! And if Henry wants to dress as a girl, and we tell him that's a bad thing, what kind of message does that send him about gender roles?"

Spencer considered this. "That's actually a very good argument, but JJ is the parent here, so she gets the final say where Henry is concerned."

Jessica sighed. "Yes, I know. And his costume was cute, and if that had actually been his first idea, I'd probably still be cooing over how adorable he is." She paused, grimacing. "Do you think it would come off too much like undermining JJ if I dress as a man for Halloween?"

Spencer considered this as well. "JJ isn't your parent. She has no authority over your costume. So long as you don't come right out and tell Henry that you're wearing it because you disagree with JJ, you're not undermining her."

"But if Henry asks, and I simply tell him I wanted to be a guy for Halloween and that was my prerogative, that's okay?"

Spencer shrugged. "It would be true. Short of keeping Henry under lock and key, JJ can't prevent him being exposed to people who may have different opinions than she does. In fact, it's quite healthy; exposure to multiple viewpoints encourages critical thinking."

Jessica nodded decisively. "Okay, time to track down a lightsaber and become Luke Skywalker."

With that, they each headed off into their own rooms, and Spencer pondered the conversation. Would he be willing to cross dress for Halloween? The very idea was instantly off-putting…but why was that? The idea of women dressing as men didn't phase him in the slightest; he genuinely had no objection to Jessica dressing as Luke Skywalker, nor had he found it odd when Garcia dressed as the Eleventh Doctor for Comic-Con. He supposed the double standard was an unfortunate result of the patriarchy; women were inherently seen as inferior, and therefore it was demeaning for any non-woman to dress as a woman.

Well, having come to that conclusion, Spencer would feel like a misogynist if he didn't dress as a woman that year. He supposed he could go with Jessica's theme and dress as Princess Leia; he didn't think he was quite willing to go so far as to wear a dress (and there was no way in hell he was touching a metal bikini), but Leia had worn pants throughout most of Empire Strikes Back. He could probably cobble together an all-white outfit that resembled her wardrobe from that film. He just hoped Morgan would one day let him hear the end of it.

A few days after Halloween, Spencer texted to let Jessica know that the team was heading to Miami. About an hour later, he sent a second text. "Also, does Mateo actually play baseball, or does he just watch it?"

"He likes watching baseball, but I'm pretty sure he did track rather than baseball in high school. Why?"

"In exchange for not teasing me about my Halloween costume, Morgan demanded that I be a reserve for the FBI's baseball team. One of the agents on the team has a pregnant wife who's due any day now, which means they might need an extra body for Saturday's game against the Secret Service. I tried practicing with Morgan earlier, but it didn't go too well. I need any advice I can get."

"Didn't Derek have any advice?"

Spencer snorted in annoyance. "Yes. He kept telling me to stop thinking and just 'feel' it. I don't really know what that's supposed to mean, and it didn't help at all."

"I'll ask Mateo if he has any suggestions, but I can't guarantee he'll have any."

"Thanks."

Mateo did not have any helpful suggestions for Reid. Reid found himself pressed into becoming the world's worst second baseman…and to make matters worse, Maeve had showed up alongside the rest of the BAU and their families.

And then after Reid drove in the winning runs, he found himself very glad that his fiancée had come to watch. He resolutely ignored the players from both teams who wolf-whistled as she gave him a victory kiss.