#Spencer Reid X mom

[bensonsbobblehead]

The Village it Takes 

pairings; Spencer Reid x Mom!reader (ft Daughter!oc)

Spencer fakes his death ( basically how Emily did) leaving you and your 11 year old daughter behind.

Content Warnings; angst, sadness, talks of death and grief.

a/n; Hiii, I am working on a taglist and how to make one for the future im so sorry im still fairly new to this.

wc; 1.0k [ first ]

Spencer was always better with her, you were her best friend but Spencer was her diary. He encouraged her to do things he knew he would never be able to do. She was so outgoing, thanks to you, even though he was shy Ronnie brought out another part of him. After he died everything changed for the household. It was harder for Ronnie to adjust specially as she’s approaching womanhood.  

The two of you had argued almost everyday just for it to end with her breaking down in the end. You knew this was just her way of dealing with her father being taken from her. That didn’t make it any better for you though. Seeing Cameron like this was the hardest thing ever.

“I’m sorry I’ve been so mean mom.” She spoke after two hours of silently watching tv, “I just miss dad so much I want to scream. Some days it hurts to breathe and it makes me so angry. I miss him” she said randomly as you both watch tv together.

Thirteen was suppose to be a fun age where you begin to learn who you are or could be. Camerons chance was taking from her now she’s consumed with this grief. The same grief you were dealing with in your own way. It hurt you so much he was missing his beautiful creation grow up. 

You pushed her glasses up off the bridge of her nose, “I know its so hard, I miss him so much it hurts to breathe but I have you and you have me, this is how we get through it.” Kissing her on the temple.

You pulled you daughter into your side rocking her until she fell asleep. You were both abruptly awoken by the sound of your phone ringing. A call from Aaron Hotchner, which wasnt rare but why was he calling so late? He said in a few words that you needed to head to the BAU. 

You gathered your things wondering what in the world this could be about. You held Ronnie’s hand as you headed up to the office. Your heart was ponding reminding you of the last time you were here. You had came to clear out Spencer’s desk and collect his badge. You remembered it like it was yesterday. All the sad eyes watching you attempt to pick up the pieces of what was abruptly left behind. 

“Do you think something bad happened again?” She asked squeezing your hand harder. 

“I’m not sure Rons” you tried to reassures her also wondering the same thing. You all were led to the bullpen with Cameron opting to sit at her dads old desk. The room was filled with your husband family, Jennifer, Aaron, Emily, Penelope, Rossi, and Luke.

“As you all know Dr.Spencer Reid was pronounced dead three years ago.” Confusion spread across everyone’s face and Aaron continued, “Three years ago I made a decision to keep the identity of Dr. Reid and I take full responsibility.” 

“What do you mean keep the identity of him a secret?” You asked still completely confused, 

“Mr.Scratchs son was caught and killed by the fbi a few hours ago. Three years ago he couldn’t know Spencer was still alive and neither could any of you. Once again I say I take full responsibility” Your face cringing at the name of the man who caused you and your family so much pain. 

Then it hit you Spencer was still alive?

“Aaron what are you fucking saying to me? That my husband is alive?” If this was true all those days spent talking to his grave meant nothing. The picnics or visits to the grave after Ronnies competitions were nothing. Spencer was walking this earth while you were here going through the worse pain in your life. Asking with glassy eyes, you were pulled out of your thoughts by Penelope head snapping toward the door. 

“Oh my God” she said with tears falling from her blue eyes. 

There he was Spencer Reid, the love of your life, the man that made you a mother, he’s alive after three years. He stood tall and a bit bigger with his long curly hair. 

“Y/N I’m sorry, all of you really.” He walked in giving hugs to everyone in the room. You hadn’t even moved, you didn’t know rather to be happy or angry at him. For never saying anything for letting you believe he was gone. 

“Y/N, can — can I hug you?” He asked sincerely not wanting to startle you. Before you could even think your hand was moving to slap him across the face, your angry completely took over. 

“THREE YEARS SPENCER?!?, you left me and your own DAUGHTER and still slept at night?” You yelled causing the entire room to become silent. Spencer stood there with no response which only made you more upset. 

“Say something! Say why you did? Just fucking give me a reason to put us through this” you were hitting him in the chest causing Hotch to grab you. 

“YOU don’t fucking touch me!” You snapped toward him, the man that watched you break down silently after putting your daughter to bed every night. Aaron had been there for you and Cameron since he “died”.

Jack and Cameron were always friends before her dad passed and were even closer as time went on. Most of the time having Ron distracted helped you deal with your grief with Aaron by your side, he was one of your husband’s closest friends.

“Daddy?” You heard Ronnie’s voice from the door, you completely forgot you even brought her. 

Everyone turned toward the teenage who stood tall just like her father. She was even wear their matching converse they decorated together. Spencer turned taking in his daughter, immediately regretting everything . She grew so tall and looked so mature, he missed it all. 

“Cameron I’m so sorry honey, I never meant to hurt you sweetie” he didn’t move allowing her to feel whatever emotion she needed. Her eyes filled with tear with a small weep escaping her lips. Her breathing became uneven, she was gasping for air. 

“Dad? You’re alive?” She asked grabbing her stomach looking for some sort of comfort.

“Yes, I’m here sweetie.” Spencer said walking toward Cameron causing her to step back while shaking her head.

“No, No, I—-I, Mama I can’t —-” she said falling to the floor, gasping for air. you pushed pass Spencer immediately hoping into mom mode. Spencer stood still unsure of what to do to help his own daughter. His heart shattering seeing the pain all of this has caused.

“Im right here baby, just keep following my breathing.” You told her as you sat on the floor with her, Emily coming to sit with her too. 

“In and out” you guided her as her breathing evened out, “I’m right here with you love” you pulled her into a bear hug while looking back at Spencer.

You all got up from the floor as you headed toward the elevator with your daughter not saying a word to Spencer as he silently followed behind.

[xsimbaaa]

This scene makes me feral…

The watch, the jaw, the wrist flick, the VEST….🤤

[vee6lolz]

2:34 am .

imagine you’re dating spencer and instead of him not being able to keep his hands off you, he can’t keep his hands on you. during sex he’s always to scared to put it in because he doesn’t want to hurt you, so he substitutes by sticking his pretty little face between your thighs and cleaning your messy cunt with his tongue and running your a warm bath afterwards. on your honeymoon, you guys had p in v sex for the first time and he did not hold back. it felt so amazing, but he ended up bruising your cervix and he wouldn’t touch you for like 3 weeks afterwards. he always muttered ‘i’m sorry- i’m so sorry-’ whenever he even thought that he was going too hard inside of you, he promises to be gentle at first but the pace he goes is always too underwhelming for him so he ends up fucking the lights out of you, only to feel guilty about you being cock drunk; barely being able to form a coherent sentence. he always tells you how pretty you are afterwards, begging you to forgive him. and you love it.

[nini123]

the whole point of tags is to find what you want to read... so please stop putting the fluff tag when it's actually smut 😭🙏🏼

[lyv-writes]

OKAYY WE NEED DAD!SPENCER REID‼️

okay so Reader is going out for the day for like a little girls day with her best friends and says bye to Spencer and the cute little toddler! Buttt then the toddler starts missing reader and Spencer isn’t sure how to handle it at first, but then he gets the hang of it! <33

AAAA this is so cute omg thank u for this!!! i hope i was able to do it justice <33

spencer reid x mom!reader

words: 1,395

warnings: none really! just spencer being a good step-dad to your daughter, fluff, baby crying, that’s it!! :]

୭ 🧷 ✧ ˚. ᵎᵎ 🎀

“Thanks again, Spence,” you say, pressing another sweet kiss to his lips before tugging your coat off the hook and making for the front door. “Remember, Lila is allergic to kiwi. And her bedtime is 8, no exceptions. She has to go to daycare tomorrow morning.”

You had spent the morning holding Lila, playing with her and soaking up her laughter as much as you could. Spencer knew you had never really been apart from her—going to work was one thing, but there was a guilt that came with taking the day for yourself. He watches with a fond smile as you ramble through the list that you had already repeated to him twice and does his best to reassure you, nodding along despite having already memorized it.

Pre-made food in the fridge.

Medical information on the fridge in case of emergencies.

Call if she gets too fussy.

“Oh!” You say, halfway out the door before turning back to Spencer, a smile gracing your face. “And don’t let her convince you to give her sweets after dinner. She’ll ask you for fruit snacks, all cute, then she won’t sleep and it will be hell in the morning.”

“No fruit snacks after dinner, got it,” Spencer said, following your line of sight to Lila sitting on her plush rug in the living room, toys surrounding her as she played. Your face softened, affection swimming in your eyes and he could practically hear the thoughts going through your head. Tucking a strand of hair behind your ear, he gently guides your face back to meet his eyes.

“We’ll be fine,” he says, tone soft as your shoulders sag at the understanding behind his words. “You deserve to have a day with your friends. I think Lila can handle playing dolls with me for a few hours.”

His phrasing made you giggle, picturing Lila’s pouting face, wagging her little finger at Spencer when he takes something too literally, or doesn’t do it the way she wants. For some reason, Lila is never happy with the voices Spencer does, and after a year-and-a-half she still gets that same little pinched brow whenever Spencer holds a doll in his hand, high-pitched voice mimicking a princess’s until she yanks the toy out of his hand with a firm, yet cute, “No, ‘Penth.”

Without fail, hearing his name in her little voice makes his heart soar, pride filling his chest even if she’s scolding him, wagging her little finger as she says it. He’d always been hesitant at the idea of being a father, whenever he pictured his future that was always a blurry part, but now he couldn’t imagine not having you and Lila in his life.

Searching his face, you finally come to the conclusion that he’s being sincere and a bright smile covers your face. Spencer had come to terms a long time ago, far before the two of you were even dating, that he would do anything to make you smile. A sense of pride wells in his chest knowing that the smiles you give him are just for him, a special glint in your eyes every time.

Between work, and Lila, there was hardly any downtime to just relax. Your evenings were often spent wrangling Lila into bed, usually with Spencer if he’s not away for work. Spencer made it a point to be home in time to have dinner with both of you as much as he could, slowly getting involved in her night time routine. She was 6-months-old when you and Spencer began dating, and while it took some getting used to at first, Lila began reaching for Spencer with a giggle and a giddy squeeze soon enough.

When your friends suggested a girl’s spa-day, Spencer was quick to encourage you to go. Having a toddler made it hard to have a social life, especially when your friends weren’t moms themselves. Lila had warmed up quickly to Spencer, which was the biggest relief, and it was hard to find a reason to say no when Spencer offered to babysit.

“She’s gonna be my daughter,” Spencer said, a fond smile on his face as the two of you spoke conspiratorially in the kitchen. “I already think of her as mine, I’d be happy to watch her for the day.”

Your heart swelled hearing his words, and you couldn’t help but say yes when he put it like that. Spencer, you, and Lila being your own happy little family was all you could ever ask for, and it meant more than Spencer could ever know that he had been so welcoming and understanding. He was a dream.

With a final glance at Lila and a sigh, you’re pressing another unhurried kiss to Spencer’s lips, that same lil dazed smile on his face that he got after every kiss, even after nearly 2 years. “Thank you, Spence. I love you.”

“I love you too,” he replies, pressing another sweet kiss to your lips, then your cheek, then your forehead—you were gonna be gone all day, he had to get his fill while he could. “Now go before you miss your appointment.”

With a final kiss, Spencer watches as you walk down the front steps, drive away, waiting until he can't see your car anymore before he’s turning around and closing the door behind him. When he looks up, Lila is already looking at him, eyes glancing between the door and him before her small voice is heard over the cartoon playing on the tv.

“Mama?”

“Mama went to the store,” Spencer cooed, lowering himself down to sit on the floor in front of her and her array of toys. “She’s coming back, don’t worry.”

“Mama s’ore?” she whispered in her small voice, her wide eyes blinking slowly at him before her lip began to tremble. It broke his heart to see her eyes, which looked so much like yours, gloss over with tears.

“Oh, honey, it’s okay,” Spencer said, scooping her up in his arms. “She’s coming back for you. She’ll be here soon!”

With a sharp wail for her mom, the tears that had been welling up began falling in big drops, hands gripping tightly to the fabric of his shirt as she cried. Hurriedly, he began to bounce her in his arms, mimicking the way he had seen you do it countless times. He’s shushing her in a soft voice, whispering soothing words in the hopes that they’ll at least calm your crying.

Spencer wracks his brain, trying to sift through the information he had gleaned from the parenting books he had been reading for the past two years—he had started as soon as he came to the conclusion he would ask you out. Would showing her pictures of you work? He didn’t want to make things worse by making her miss you more, but maybe seeing your face would soothe her.

Transferring Lila to one hip, he fishes his phone from his pocket and opens the album of your photos, showing her various selfies, focusing on pictures he has of the two of you. After a couple of minutes her sobs quieted to sniffles and soon enough she was swiping through the pictures herself and giggling every time she saw your face.

With her swiping, it landed on a video, one he had taken of you reading a story to her before bed. At the time he had thought the voices you were using for the characters were so funny, hiding his own laughter behind his hand so that he could capture the sound of Lila’s giggles.

Spencer watches as she giggles along with herself, laughing at the way she reacts when you tickle her tummy. Spencer cant help the fond laugh the slips from his lips at the sight, bright grin tugging at his cheeks at your rosy smile.

When you arrive home that evening, only the kitchen light is on downstairs, the faint light from your bedroom guiding you as you softly push open the door. A warm smile paints your face as you slip your phone from your pocket, taking quite a few pictures of Lila, fast asleep atop Spencer’s chest, her favorite book lying next to his relaxed hand. His soft breaths rustle the hair at Lila’s scalp, her hand loosely gripping the edge of his sleeve as she sleeps.

Tip-toeing around the room, you shed your clothes from the day, slip on some pajamas before placing Spencer’s book on the nightstand. Slipping softly under the covers, you curl yourself around Spencer’s side, hand resting on Lila’s back as you fall asleep, comfortable with the people you love the most.

[railingsofsorrow]

call your mom

[spencer reid x reader]

SONG INSPIRATION » CALL YOUR MOM by noah kahan  

summary: you're tired of seeing spencer reid struggling on his own and decides to take matters into your own hands: by taking him into a late-night drive through virginia  

pairing: spencer reid x f!bau!reader

w.c: 2.1K

warnings/content: exes to lovers trope (they're best friends); grief (implied); depression symptoms; isolation; spencer needs a hug; hurt/comfort; long hair is mentioned (the best spencer era shut up)

A/N: this is from the same universe of late-night talking but can be read as a standalone. it's my birthday and I used it as an excuse to post this cause I just finished it.

navi

masterpost

criminal minds masterlist

━━━━━━━━━ 

“oh you're spiralin' again,

the moment right before it ends,

you're most afraid of.”

━━━━━━━━━ 

You knock twice, unsure. It is past 9 in the evening and you don't know how this would not bother anybody. But you think about the reason why you're in front of his door and you knock three more times, strong, certain knocks. You need to see him, that's final. 

The door opens to reveal a messy haired Spencer with his work clothes still on and crumpled, showing you he was probably laying down on the couch about to fall asleep or having trouble doing so.  

“Did I wake you?” Your face twitches into a grimace as guilt overtakes your body. 

"No," Spencer's knitted brows tell you he's confused why you're there in the middle of the night. Concern soon takes over. "Are you okay? Did something happen?" 

You are quick to brush him off. "Nothing happened. I came to pick you up." 

"Pick me up...?" 

You nod, crossing your arms. "This is an intervention. We're going out for a drive." 

His shoulders sag, and he shakes his head. You recognize the familiarity of Spencer's ability to shut people down, but he can't do that to you. Not tonight. 

"I'm fine." 

"No, you're not."  

You also know he's not going to shut the door on your face. You bite your cheek, taking one step closer.  

"You're not taking no for an answer, are you?" 

"Sorry." But you're not, really.  

He meets you downstairs, you're resting against your car, staring at the night sky as the night breeze tickles your bare arms. Something soft and warm covers you up and you glance down in surprise. He's silently adjusting the cardigan around your shoulders and you don't have the heart to tell him you did bring a coat and it's in your backseat, but you feel comfortable with the smell of books and coffee in the fabric so you stay quiet.  

"Where are we going," He deadpans, shutting the door with a sigh as he enters the passenger seat.  

"We're driving. No final location." 

No complaints come from him before you turn the car on, so you take that as a good sign and start  driving.  

━━━━━━━━━━━━━

“stayed on the line with you the entire night

'till you let it out and let it in.”

━━━━━━━━━━━━━

The satisfaction of driving through the city late at night comes from the fact that there are no cars honking repeatedly and in a rush to get somewhere. Things are slightly less hectic in traffic after rush hour.  

You drive slowly through Powells Creek Bridge, stealing a glance beside you to see him tilting his head to watch the Potomac River.  

You wait.  

And wait.  

Until, finally. . . 

“Did you know that the Potomac River is approximately 405 miles long, which makes it the fourth largest river on the Atlantic coast? It flows through the Appalachian Mountains and it serves as a natural border between Maryland and Virginia.” 

You bit your lip to prevent yourself from grinning.  

It feels like a breath of fresh air to hear him ramble about something after the tense silence he chose instead this entire week. 

“Really?” 

“Yes.” Spencer is staring at the view outside as your drive, you observe when you stop on red sign. His jaw has a stubble, revealing he hasn't shaved in a while. The way his hair moves to fall off behind his ear and he tucked it every time makes he seem angelic almost. Not almost. He's beautiful.  

You caught the hair tie on his left wrist before you start driving again. 

“Have you ever used it?” 

It was a simple plain purple hair tie. You bought a bunch for him when his hair used to be longer and he would get annoyed when his strands fell on his eyes as he read. When you saw purple hair ties in the place you usually get your hair products, you immediately thought of him, even if you didn't know if he would use it. 

You've never actually seen him use them at work, but he wore them on his wrists religiously and he'd give one to you when you needed it. 

“Used what?” He stopped gazing out into the road to look at you confused.  

“The hair ties.” 

His eyes fell to his wrist. “Oh.” A beat. “Yes, I use it.” 

“You do?” You ask, a tinge of surprise in your tone. “I don't think I've ever seen you wearing it.”  

Spencer huffs out a laugh. “I won't wear it at work. I do at home, though.”  

“Bet you'd look good with your hair tied up.”  

Silence.  

Sometimes you can't control what you say and things come out without you thinking twice about it. This time, though, you should've thought twice. 

“You think so?” Spencer asks, voice small, barely audible if everything wasn't so silence.  

“Sure.”  

“I like it, it helps when I don't want it sticking to my face.” 

“Yeah, they're useful.” 

You feel his stare and your cheeks burn a little with the attention. You turn on an avenue.

“I like wearing them because you gave it to me.” Do you know what I'm saying? He thinks, tongue itching to clarify what he meant I wear it around my wrist because it's a piece of you I have with me all the time. It comforts me. Like now.  

“Because I gave them to you?” You repeat like a stupid person.  

Spencer keeps his eyes on you for a moment before returning to stare at the view outside. His eyes fall shut as the wind enters through the space left open of the car window. It tickled his nose and he smiled a little. 

Grief can creep up on you without warning. In a moment, you're okay, going about your routine as always. Then, you're buried in your couch, with a book close to your chest in a foolish attempt to feel the warmth of someone who's no longer there.  

━━━━━━━━━ 

“he's greatest fears and wringing hands and the loudest silence.”

━━━━━━━━━ 

No warning. Like a slap on your cheek. 

It's funny because Spencer has always dealt with everything by shutting people out. In his childhood, he didn't had a lot of people so he didn't worry about that. But today, surrounded by what he calls family that he met through the FBI, it's harder to do that.  

It's familiar to isolate himself. To just lie and say I'm fine, because he's done it all his life so why change now? Because he has people now.  

He has you.  

Does he deserve it? No. Does he have the strength to shut you out completely? Also no. He may ignore calls and texts from the rest of his team, but you? Spencer doesn't have the heart to do that. He sends a text back, a dot, just to prove his alive but not ready to face the world. 

And then you show up at his place, carrying nothing but your strong-willed persona, inviting him out to drive with no destination in sight.  

Intervention. Could he call it that?  

━━━━━━━━━ 

“medicate, meditate, swear your soul to jesus

throw a punch, fall in love, give yourself a reason

don't wanna drive another mile wonderin' if you're breathing.”

━━━━━━━━━

Spencer doesn't care, really. He admits silently that he feels somewhat better that you're there. Close to him. He feels less empty. 

“Stay with me, Spence.” 

He looks at you, gaze falling to his cardigan around your shoulders. Back when you were together, you used to steal it to wear it on every jet ride even if you had a jumper on your go-bag. Spencer never complained or asked for explanations, the fabric would smell like you afterwards, so it was a win-win situation.  

“I'm here,” he said. “It's not like I want to put myself in the ER by stepping out of the vehicle while you're driving.” 

Your lips twitch in amusement. 

“You looked far away just now.” 

“You notice too much.” 

“You think so?” 

“Yes.” 

You leaned back against the seat, letting out a sigh that told him you would say something serious. Something he should pay attention to, that he should listen. He always listens to you. 

“I care about you.” 

“I care about you too.” 

“Yes well,” Delilah turns the car in a street to park it. Everything was so empty but they are not about to get murdered in the dark because they're federal agents and federal agents do not get killed in the dark in an empty park. “you seem to forget that I care sometimes and you worry me.” 

His brows twitch with guilt.  

“Sorry.” 

“I already forgave you when you got out of your apartment.” 

Spencer looks at you, gaze traveling across your face. The streetlights reflecting across your features remind him of a painting. He's glad he's got an eidetic memory to never forget that image. 

━━━━━━━━━ 

“don't let this darkness fool you

all lights turned off, can be turned on

i'll drive, i'll drive all night

i'll call your mom.”

━━━━━━━━━

“You didn't have to do that,” Spencer says, staring at your hand on your lap, he stops himself from reaching out. “I just needed some space. Some... silence.” 

“Yeah, but your silence is deafening and I missed you.” She offers him a small smile and Spencer notices they have stopped. The car was parked around an empty area.  

It's around three in the morning, understandably so, no one is around.  

“You missed me?” 

“I lost to Emily in chess, I need to upgrade my abilities and you're the teacher for that.” 

That got a chuckle out of him and you feel satisfaction course through your body. The display of emotion just now, even though small, was way better than the apathetic person she saw one hour back at his door. If it means she gets to make him feel a little bit better, driving a whole hour at night is worth it. Or twenty hours straight.  

Your conversation enters a steady rhythm. About the past week. About traffic. About the weather. Anything. You were just happy he is talking. Spencer's voice is addictive and if you didn't have him rambling about statistics or mathematical facts during a case, it wasn't the same.  

"I have to confess something." You announce, laughter dying out. 

Spencer raises a brow at you, folding one of his legs under the other before turning his body to face you by leaning against the door.  

"You do?" 

"It's not a work gossip, don't act too excited." 

His lips tug upwards in amusement. "Do I need to hide a body or something?" 

"Don't worry, you'll be the first to know if I commit a crime," you say, twisting your body to grab something from your backseat. "I had that for a few weeks, but I guess this is the right time to give you."  

Spencer is expecting the cardigan he caught a glimpse of a few minutes before but instead, he finds a book in your hands.  

"A book recommendation."  

He takes it from your hands with a lazy smile on his face. "We haven't done that in a while." 

"Yeah." 

He says your name, studying the book with a pensive look on his features. "Thank you for bringing me here today." He looks up from the hardcover to meet your soft gaze staring back at him. "You got me to get up so... thank you." 

You nudge his feet with your own. "Don't thank me. Like I said before, I need to improve my chess abilities."  

We never played chess, we just talked. He thought while hugging the book to his chest. He would start reading it as soon as he got home. 

One of his hand raise up to touch yours and you let him play with the rings in your fingers. He said once the cold metal against his skin was soothing. 

“Spencer,” your voice is gentle but serious. “You know I'd drive all night if it means I get to see you okay.” 

━━━━━━━━━ 

“oh, dear don't be discouraged

i've been exactly where you are.”

━━━━━━━━━

“You don't have to.” 

“I want to.” 

“I know.” 

And some of the heavy burden that had been laid upon his shoulders seems to let go for the time being. His eyes don't look so grey and his forehead momentarily forgot the permanent frown. 

Spencer feels like breathing fresh air.  

So he'll allow himself to be a little selfish and hold onto your company for longer.  

“Do you want to play chess?” He can't help the grin stretching out his lips when he notices your surprise. Excitement takes place. 

“Yes—I mean, that's the only reason I came to see you.” 

“Right,” he nods as if it's obvious. “Of course.” 

“I didn't miss you at all, I really need to get back at Emily. She never won against me!” 

Spencer leans back, watching you with a knowing glint in his eyes, hands itching to touch yours and never letting go. Your voice is the best remedy he could ever ask for.  

“If you say so.”  

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 

“i'll drive, i'll drive all (night) night

i'll call your mom.”

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 

taglist: @lilyviolets  ; @whore-for-spencer-reid ; @yeonalie ; @ninkieminjaj ; @hoeshissworld ; @r-3dlips ; @pleasantwitchgarden

[reidhuhu]

daughters who were raised by mentally ill women grow into women who love spencer reid.

[spencer-reidz]

yall how do we feel about actress y/n x matthew......

he is so nerdy bf i want him

[lovelyspooks]

me waking up for school at 6am after completely ANNIHILATING my sleep schedule over christmas:

[dcvidsrossi]

Emily: What am I most afraid of? Hmm, let's see...

Reid: Global warming. And getting a ‘B’.

Rossi: The phone ringing in the middle of the night.

Hotch: I'm too much of a perfectionist.

Rossi: Aaron, this isn't a job interview.

Hotch: Oh, man. Job interviews.

Morgan: Nothing.

Reid: Yeah, right. What about the pigeons?

Morgan: No, I don't like them. They're shifty.

Will: Losing JJ.

JJ: Aww. Hotel bedspreads.

Will:

Penelope: Never getting my driver's license. Or getting one but the picture sucks.

Emily: Dying alone.

[bensonsbobblehead]

Dance Party - Spencer Reid x Mom!Reader

Pairings; Spencer Reid X Mom!Reader ft Daughter!OC

summary; Walking into Spencer entertaining your 10 month old baby.

cw; fluff

wc; 500 {short}

[ masterlist ]

The shift into parenthood had no book, movie, or podcast to prepare you. From the moment you seen the positive test to the birth to now so much has changed. Of course, in true Spencer fashion he told you about the changes and then some. Even for him it was things that surprised him about being a dad. First, changing diapers, it was harder than getting his PHD in mathematics.

Even though Sabrina just laughed and giggled as her father struggled it was the worse thing for him. Secondly, was how silly and free he felt. Now, not all parents would feel this but Sabrina brought out a side in him you hadn’t seen. He sang so much now and danced, boy did he dance.

When you went back to work Spencer decide to work part time at the BAU and at a college near by. Just so he could be with Sabrina more. You both not really ready to trust a stranger to take care of her.

You had just got off from a long day at work. Walking in, kicking your shoes off and sitting your bag down. The living room was dark along with the rest of the house.

The only thing is the very loud song about apples and bananas coming from Sabrina room. Not even processing the song because of Spencer’s dancing.

Watching by silently as he sang along, swaying hips back and fourth. Honestly impressed caused you never seen him move that way.

Sabrina watching, laughing, and clapping her hands. Spencer picked her up lifting her to the sky as she laughed harder.

“I like to eat, eat, eat, apples and bananas!” Spencer said dragging the s out in bananas.

“Dada!” Sabrina babbled pointing at Spencer,

“Did you just call me—

“DaDa! Dada!” you also shocked at your daughters first words, no surprise that she saying dad before mom.

You walked in, “What are you two doing?” both their big eyes turning toward the door. You walked over to give Sabrina a kiss on the cheek attempting to take her from her father. Of course she resisted wanting to stay in his arms as long as she could.

“Stubborn just like your daddy.” You said kissing Spencer on the lips,

“I’ve missed you” he said giving you another kiss this just a little bit longer. You and Spencer hated being apart even if it was just at work. The both of you were a team and so in tuned with each other.

“Dada” Sabrina said putting a hand over his mouth and pointing toward the tv,

“One more okay, and mommy is joining us!” He told Sabrina causing her to be even more excited. You, of course, not even knowing before you knew it the song was back on.

Apparently Spencer had an entire routine you just followed along too.

“Sing! I like to ate, ate, ate ay-ples and ba-nay-nays!” you both sung and danced with your daughter. Seeing your two favorite people happy always made you happy.

[lightvixxen]

UGH BEING SPENCERS HOUSE SITTER OR BETTER YET MAID!! 18+ mdni

Like his apartment gets DUSTY after awhile, and after months of suffering when coming back from a case. And after prison he says “fuck it” and gets a maid, because lets be honest that man was gone for 3 months the apartment would be dusty asf, and he likes the company.

So you get hired, you do your job well and efficiently. You even have a spare key just in case he’s gone on your work days. And your so relieved on the days he’s gone because that man is dominating, just in the way he carries himself. And you’d have to be blind not to notice that he’s attractive. And the days he’s gone you get to linger for a bit. Maybe you’ll lay in his bed, just for a little, closing your eyes and taking in his scent.

What you don’t know is that he has a nannycam, and he knows you’ve been doing this for months ay this point. At first he got it just incase you stole anything but he came to enjoy watching you.

He knows you’ve accidentally fallen asleep in his bed, or that you like to lay on the opposite side of where he sleeps. He only confronts you abt it when he sees you start using his pillow for your own pleasure.

[vee6lolz]

𝖇𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝖍𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝖇𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐬.

summary; after falling in love with spencer reid, you navigate the challenges that come with your relationship. While you cherish your moments together, the rough patches can be hard to ignore. One day, in an effort to find clarity, you go shopping and unexpectedly discover something world shattering. But before you can share the news with Spencer, he comes home with a shocking revelation that could change everything between you.

cw!!; +18 content, minors dni!, spencer reid x reader, angst, cliffhanger ending, breakups, mentions of drug use, mentions emetophobia warning; vomiting -- mentions of pregnancy -- Y/N HAS A GIRL KISSER BSF !

. w/c: 4.1k -- don't forget to like / reblog !! this is not proof read + english is not my first language

You and Spencer had been privately dating for seven months. At first, it was exciting. sneaking around, leaving parties early to go hook up in the bathroom, the birthday sex, apology sex, apology for apologizing with sex sex, it was easy, it was simple—you both met through a party he and his team was invited to by your best friend Ciara, who was friends with the one and only Penelope Garcia. you both got to talking and by the end of the night, you were snuggled up in his bed with his dick in your mouth. and he learned two things that night. 1. he had never had head that brought him so much ecstasy. and two, by the way your outgoing demeanor fit perfectly with being his more shy and non-direct, you were the one for him and he would've been a fool to let you slip through his fingers. those late-night study sessions, stolen kisses in dimly lit hallways, and quiet moments over coffee made you feel like the luckiest person in the world. but the moment that you hit the three month mark, everything went downhill. and usually, at six months, its supposed to be good again, right? wrong.

the past few months had turned into a whirlwind of arguments. It felt like every time you talked, it spiraled into a fight over something that should have been minor. “You don’t understand what I’m going through, Spencer!” you yelled one evening after a tough day at work where he seemed more focused on the case than on how you were feeling. “I do, understand [y/n] I just don't care. Not everything has to be about you.” that night, you both had shouted over each other until the early hours of the morning, hearts racing, voices raised, and emotions running high. the tension felt suffocating. and to ease it you tried to have makeup sex, and he started an argument while literally inside you because he felt like you were faking orgasms and doing it in a obvious way to make him feel bad; you were.

It wasn’t just work stress that fueled the fire; it was the pressure of hiding your hardships relationship from your colleagues, the weight of lying to your friends, and the constant fear of him leaving. and the fear of you leaving for him only made him resent you more. sometimes, it felt like you were living a double life, and you didn’t know how to bridge the gap between your love for Spencer and the isolation that secrecy brought. the make-up moments after the fights were fleeting, filled with hugs and quiet apologies as you tried to mend the shaky ground you were standing on. you’d find yourselves wrapped in each other’s arms, promises lingering in the air that things would change, but deep down, you both knew nothing had really shifted.

but today, everything felt heavier than usual. you had woken up to yet another silent treatment from spencer, both of you too stubborn to reach out to each other first. the anxiety had burrowed deep in your chest, making it hard to breathe. you could sense it—Ciara had noticed. when she came over, she was met with a hurried and agitated spence who only muttered a cold greeting before walking out the door as fast as he opened it for her. her footsteps where light and quick, making her way towards your bedroom where she heard retching and coughing.

you spit into the toilet bowl, groaning in discomfort as everything you had last week came back to haunt you. you looked up at Ciara as she held your hair back, getting her fingers tangled as she took a moment to try her best to untangle them without scalping you. You sat there in front with your head down as you dry gagged, and once you were safe, you reached up and flu shed the toilet.

Ciara rubbed your back for a little before pulling your head to rest on her chest, planting sweet kisses on your forehead. you giggle at the sensation and make tsk sounds. “If you were a man,” you muttered, to which she rolls her eyes at you and lets you go with a smile, helping you stand up, she runs some water so you pat your mouth with it and spit out all the yucky residue left over. she starts asking questions and all you can think back at was this morning. it pained you and you felt your heart sink the more you thought back at it, you realize that him expressing his feelings, yelling, insulting, or even cursing you would've been better. he just left you, in silence. he didn't acknowledge you, and it just made you feel terrible. you looked at Ciara, overcome with emotions which got you a confused look. “What's going on with you--”

“He didn't even look at me, cee.” You muttered as tears filled your eyes uncontrollably. your emotions overwhelmed you as you melted into her arms, you were holding her incredibly tight, she probably wouldn't be able to breathe if you gave her an oxygen tank. She scrambled over her words trying to find away to not pass out from the lack of blood going to her brain because you were quite literally blocking any blood flow possible. She tapped your back and you released your death grip, to which she exhaled heavily.

“Who, What? What are we talking about?”. you stared up at her with a expression of depression, not moving your lips to answer her question. It gave her the answer alone. “That's not... like him.”. Scoffing, you shook your head and wiped your tears, your mood switching from self-pity to pure and undeniable anger. “It's exactly, like him. Actually.”. She tried her best to calm you down but you couldn't, you just walked out of the bathroom and fell face first on the bed, screaming and letting out all of your frustration on his cotton sheets. You started mumbling out of intense anger, and Ciara just stood there, flinching with every curse that flew through your lips as if you were going to reach backwards and bite her.

It took you twenty-and-some minutes to calm down. It took you three to go back to being sad and depressed. Your mood swings were seriously giving her whiplash. You sat up and heaved, sobbed, flew your arms around like a toddler. Ciara sat with you and let you sob on her chest until you start hyperventilating, she blew on your face so you could catch your breathe, shushing you to soothe your tears. Your brain felt fuzzy, your senses has softened.

The only thing that you felt was the immense pounding on your head you couldn't help but feel. “How about we go on a little drive, yeah?” you looked up at her with your red eyes glistening was a tear fell down your cheek, you nodded. you needed fresh air. “Yeah?” She spoke in a soft voice, kissing your head. “Alright go put on some clothes ill be out here,”

Ciara sat behind the wheel, the engine humming softly as she pulled away from spencer's place. The cool breeze wafted through the slightly open window, sending a refreshing shiver through you. You let it wash over you, momentarily grounding you in the present. Still, your mind felt fuzzy, caught in a haze that blurred your thoughts and emotions. It was as if you were floating, untethered from reality, with everything around you blurring into a muddled backdrop.

the streets rushed by, and while the world outside was alive with the chatter of people and the vibrant colors of storefronts, you found yourself lost in your own silence. You stared at the trees lining the road, their branches dancing in the breeze, but even their movement felt distant and out of reach. each passing moment felt like an echo, reverberating through your mind but leaving no traces of clarity.

Ciara’s was talking, filled with energy and it made you feel oh, so worse because you were not listening. “No, dude, I'm being so serious. I told her that she can either get her shit together and stop acting like a little kid or she can pack her shit and leave because I've had enough crazy girlfriends to know it is not for the fucking weak.” you barely registered the words. they floated in one ear and out the other, your focus remaining hazy. you shifted in your seat slightly, trying to push the swirling emotions away, yet they clung to you like a shadow.

“You’d think we were fighting we were fighting over me burning her house down, no. A miss call, a singular miss call and I called her back immediately. And of course, she chose to get her act together because... honestly, would you leave me?” she joked, grinding in her seat to pop her ass a little;

the corners of your mouth twitched, but you didn’t have the energy to respond; the effort felt monumental. As the scenery shifted from commercial buildings to the broader expanses of the mall, you caught yourself wishing you could feel that lightness again. The breeze slipping through the window felt nice, but every now and then, a wave of discomfort coursed through you, reminding you of the things you were trying to forget.

Ciara continued talking, sharing the latest gossip, her voice a steady stream of sound that mingled with the whoosh of passing cars. “and after that, she tried to hookup with me as an “apology”. if she could lick my pussy a couple times and I'm going to immediately forgive her... she's right.”

Still, you remained silent, lost in thought. The feelings swirling within you were too tangled to unravel—the confusion, the sadness, the weight of it all. It felt heavy, and as you drove closer to the mall, the world outside turned brighter, but for you, it remained shrouded in dimness.

As Ciara pulled into the parking lot, the chaotic colors of the mall surrounded you. She parked the car, casting a glance your way. “Alright, no talk of Spencer with the little dick while we're here alright?”

You nodded slowly, but your mind was still a storm of thoughts and emotions that had yet to settle. The sounds of laughter and footsteps filled the air as you stepped out of the car, but even amidst the noise, you felt like you were still floating, caught between what was real and what was just a distraction.

“There's no reason to lie to make me feel better,”, she laughed.

as you and Ciara stepped into the mall, the vibrant atmosphere enveloped you like a cocoon, yet the comfort it should have provided seemed out of reach. the air hummed with energy: laughter echoed against polished floors, the shuffling of bags blended into an excited chorus, and the enticing aromas of popcorn, pretzels, and fried food wafted through the space, each scent calling to a desire for comfort that you just couldn’t find.

you glanced around, taking in the kaleidoscope of people—the families with cheerful children, groups of friends chatting animatedly as they moved, and couples entwined in conversation. Yet, as the cheerful masses moved past, a heavy discontent settled within your chest, a constant nagging feeling that wouldn’t let up. Your thoughts were tangled, fighting the urge to not talk about spencer.

the urges whooped your ass.

“Ugh, I can’t believe how dramatic Spencer has been lately,” you began, shaking your head as you ambled towards the escalator up to victoria's secret each step feeling heavier than the last. You reached for a sleek top on a nearby rack, your fingers brushing the fabric as you stated, “He didn't even tell me what his problem was this time, Ciara. He's like a fucking kid,”

Ciara nodded, her attention shifting between you and the vibrant clothes on display. “He's exactly like Manny. You know if you were a lesbian, I'm pretty sure you would've been with her by now.”

"Har-har." you let out a fake laugh, pulling the top closer to you and inspecting it in the harsh fluorescent lights. “and its not like I don't fuck with him. Of course I do, but its only okay when I do it! and i never do it first.”

She stared at you.

“Okay, I mostly never do it first.”

you stepped into the fitting rooms, pulling aside the curtain with a little more force than necessary. Ciara leaned against the wall outside, concern evident in her eyes. “Well, it sounds like he’s really going through something. I mean the last time he had a girlfriend was years ago, plus she did get shot in front of him. Maybe, just maybe... he needs time to adjust to having you.”

“It's been 6 months, how much time does he need.” you admitted, slipping into a pair of jeans. “I’m trying to support him, but at the same time, it feels like whenever I need support I'm the 'crazy' one.”

you spun in front of the mirror, checking the fit, and briefly appreciated the outfit, but the satisfaction was fleeting. You couldn’t shake the gnawing frustration and worry that lingered in your mind. After trying on a few more items, you settled on a cozy sweater that draped nicely over your shoulders and a pair of jeans that tugged your ass and thighs perfectly.

Stepping out of the fitting room, you caught sight of Ciara’s bright smile—a thumbs-up that fueled a flicker of confidence despite the dark cloud of your thoughts. “You look great! Food?” she chirped, her enthusiasm piercing through your fog. “I look like I got fat, but, yes.” you giggled.

“Yeah, only in the right places.” she replied, leaving a quick smack on your ass. the idea of food felt foreign to you, your appetite making you uneasy. and the more you thought about it, you weren't really prone to gaining weight. in the last eight weeks, you've gained almost seven pounds. even as you walked toward the food court, the excited chatter and laughter felt like a cruel reminder of the happiness you were struggling to hold onto with Spencer.

as you navigated through the chaos of the food court, the aromas wrapped around you, each scent competing for your attention. You scanned the options—pizza, burgers, Asian stir-fry, sizzling hot dogs—but as much as your stomach wanted to respond, it remained cold and distant.

Ciara and you eventually settled on a plate of asian food. You found a table, and despite the enticing food in front of you, the heaviness in your chest pulled you down, dimming your appetite further.

while Ciara was talking about her sex life, your own thoughts lingered on Spencer: his hands, the way his mind worked like a finely tuned machine, how he would

“when I tell you she had me bent in ways I can't say out loud because I would be put on some kind of list--” Ciara’s words finally broke through the fog in your mind, and you looked at her, your voice barely above a whisper, “I feel… weird.”

Ciara’s smile faded, concern etching itself across her face. “What do you mean weird? ”

The discomfort swelled inside you as the weight of your stomach pressed down further. “I don’t know. It’s just everything… ugh. I really don’t feel good.” The admission felt heavy on your tongue, yet fear flooded through you, mingling with confusion and anxiety.

“Hey, [y/n] uh--” Ciara said, her voice laced with concern as she leaned closer, trying to draw you back into the moment. “Breathe, okay? Just uh--”

her voice did no help, the world around you began to tilt, the bright lights and laughing voices tuned out as your vision began to blur. A rising wave of dizziness crashed over you, swallowing every sense until you felt on the verge of vanishing into the void of darkness.

before you could utter another word, the world slipped away in an instant—darkness encased you, quieting the chaos of the food court and pressing down into a silence that felt weighty yet freeing. You couldn’t tell if you were floating or falling, but nothing remained except an overwhelming absence -- and then your body hit the floor.

“[y/n]? [Y/N]! Someone help, please!” Ciara begged and yelled out as she breathed on your face, checking your pulse. you were breathing, that's all that mattered. being in school for nursing, really wasn't doing her any justice at the moment.

three-hundred-thirty-eight minutes. that's how long it took for you to wake up.

you gradually regained consciousness to the muted buzz of light and occasional distant sounds filtering through the haze of your mind. blinking several times, you squinted against the warm, yellow light spilling through the curtains in the hospital room. the glow felt too harsh against your eyelids, and as you turned your head slightly, a wave of dizziness swept over you.

a sharp ache spiked through your temples, and you instinctively raised a hand to your forehead, feeling the softness of the pillows beneath you. your body felt heavy, soreness settling deep in your muscles—each small movement sent prickles of discomfort shooting through your limbs. you groaned softly, the sound a mere whisper in the stillness of the room.

The room itself was a comforting chaos, the machines beeping, the flowy blue curtains. But it was the smell that truly caught your attention: a mix of treacle sweetness from ciara's half-eaten candy bar on the nightstand, which you grabbed over and took a chunk out of. the clean scent of freshly laundered sheets, and just a hint of the medication. it was oddly grounding, and for a moment, it eased the nausea rising in your stomach like a tidal wave.

taking a deep breath, you lay still, attempting to collect your thoughts. fragments of memory flickered through your mind—little moments of laughter and joy interspersed with the anxiety that had been consuming you before everything went dark. You remembered the bustling vibe of the mall, the annoying feeling of your heart racing, and a sudden wave of dizziness that had pulled you down. panic surged through you as you recalled Ciara’s frantic voice, calling for help when you collapsed.

“there's, no way I actually fainted.” you murmured to yourself, the thought sending a shiver down your spine. “ew, that's so corny.” you felt a flush of heat creep up your cheeks, a mix of embarrassment and concern. you turned to ciara, whose face was unchanged the entire time. her face stayed the same -- she looked horrified. concern. something was wrong with you, and you had a really bad feeling about what. it wasn't stress, it wasn't spencer. it was something else.

thirty-eight minutes. thats how long it took for you to find out.

ciara stayed by your side, her face didn't dare to flinch. a nurse stepped quietly into the room, her hesitant movements breaking the fragile quiet that enveloped the space. the atmosphere felt charged, and you could sense the shift immediately, your heart beginning to pound. the light from the window framed ciara, washing over her in a way that felt almost ethereal. as her expression morphed from concern into something more serious, an unsettling tension settled between you, pinning you both in a moment that seemed to stretch on.

when the nurse began to deliver the news her words flowed without sound, each gesture amplifying the weight of what she had to say. you felt your breath hitch as a wave of uncertainty crashed over you, the reality of her news unsettling sinking in like a stone. the room, once familiar and comforting, suddenly felt small and suffocating, the walls closing in as vivid memories backtracked through your mind—laughter, plans, and dreams that now teetered on the brink of change. the warmth of the space became oppressive as your heart raced, fear mingling with disbelief.

in an instant, the safety of your world unraveled, and the gravity of ciara's presence anchored you to an unsettling truth. the air was thick with unvoiced questions, your heart heavy with the weight of responsibility and the unknown. as the silence roared in your ears, every breath turned bittersweet, a reminder of how everything that had once seemed so certain was now tinged with complexity. you stood there, caught between the past and an uncertain future, realizing in that moment that everything had changed.

fifteen minutes. that's how long it took to get discharged.

the car glided smoothly along the dark road, the headlights casting fleeting beams of light onto the pavement, illuminating the otherwise shadowy world outside. ciara sat in the drivers seat seat, her silhouette a quiet presence lost in thought, her silence wrapping the cabin in an almost palpable stillness. each soft breath she took seemed to mirror the steady thrum of the engine, but the weight of her unspoken emotions filled the air, creating a tension that was hard to ignore. the familiar contours of the landscape slipped by in an undulating blur, trees lining the road like silent sentinels.

as the miles rolled on, your mind began to wander, seeking distraction in the rhythmic pattern of passing objects. you started to count the trees, the sturdy trunks becoming a makeshift anchor in the sea of swirling thoughts. one after another, the arboreal figures flickered past, offering a sense of solace as if each counted tree marked a moment of time that moved further away from the hospital. the darkened silhouettes blurred together, yet you found a strange comfort in the repetitive task, allowing your focus to drift into the rhythm of your surroundings.

six hours, thirty-one minutes. and not a single call from spencer.

as the car glided to a stop in the driveway, the familiar surroundings of your home greeted you with an unsettling mix of comfort and anxiety. the sky was turning shades of purple and orange, a vivid sunset framing the moment. ciara turned off the engine and sat in silence for a moment, her eyes fixed on the front door, as if gauging its significance. you both understood that what waited beyond that threshold was life-changing.

you unbuckled your seatbelt and took a deep breath, your mind swirling with thoughts you had been trying to organize all day. today had felt unending, a series of moments stacked upon one another, each one urging you toward this very conclusion. the weight of what you needed to reveal pressed heavily on your chest, and you were acutely aware of the time you had spent wrestling with your emotions.

ciara glanced at you, her expression a blend of concern and encouragement. you could tell she wanted to say something, perhaps offer reassurance, but instead, she simply gave your hand a gentle squeeze. the gesture felt grounding, a reminder that while you were stepping into the unknown, you were not entirely alone.

with a nod, you exited the car, the cool evening air wrapping around you like a cloak. you took a moment on the doorstep, hesitating as you glanced back at ciara, who offered you a reassuring smile before she drove away. the sound of the engine faded, leaving you with the echo of your own heartbeat.

spencer sat there, something heavy on his mind. his shirt was off, and he was stood in sweatpants and the line of his boxers showing. his hair was damp and flew down to his shoulders, his arms clinging onto the back of his neck and he eyed you up and down. you stared up at him with heavy, red eyes. you set down your purse and stared off into the distance.

he stared at you in silence. it was pissing you off. he was acting like a fucking child, and now really wasn't the time. your heart raced as your thoughts spiraled, the weight of everything you had been holding inside bubbling just beneath the surface. You could feel the frustration rising as you realized you were no longer willing to play your eyes met, and in that shared moment of understanding, something unspoken ignited.

“I can’t do this anymore,”

“I'm pregnant.” You blurted simultaneously.

The air shifted, charged with the gravity of your revelation and his confession, and the silence that had ruled the room felt like it was finally ready to crack open, revealing the unvoiced truths waiting just beneath the surface. your eyes widened and jaw feel open, as you grasped what just came out of his mouth. tears welled up at your eyes, and his met with yours with the same expression, and at the same time you both uttered;

“What?”

reblog or comment for part 2 <3

[anothermansjeans]

besties give me name suggestions for youtuber!reader's and spencer's kid 🤭

*edit: some clarification, this kid WILL NOT be in a video*

[littlemisscantloveyouback]

hey, how are you?

I'm good guys <33

[criminalmindsgonewrong]

alternatively titled; emily prentiss deserves to be a mom.

tw: it is briefly mentioned that the unsub has lost a baby.

(this was supposed to be for @criminalmindsweek but oops guess its early because i'm stupid)

read on ao3, fanfiction.net or under the cut

They bluelighted their way down the street, tires screeching and marking up the road as the wheels bumped up the curb and the car came to a halt. Vaulting from the cars, four sets of feet pounded the pavement, guns at the ready, vests in place as they entered the building, stopping only to clear the area before moving swiftly from room to room.

Their case had taken them to a small town outside of Seattle. Somebody was kidnapping newborns, and nobody could quite figure out how. So while they'd been casing local hospitals, a call had come in that someone was acting suspicious in the neighborhood, carrying a car seat.

The witness had seen the suspect enter this building, but as they cleared room after room, it was evident that whoever it was had disappeared, apparently, into thin air.

"Clear," JJ's voice came over the comms, followed by Derek, mimicking her sentiment. Emily felt her heart beating quickly, as it always did as they cleared a scene, her senses on high alert. Hotch was a step behind her, which was a comfort, since she knew he had her back.

Heading up the stairs, she looked left then right with her torch and gun. Still nobody. Kicking open the only door she found at the end of the corridor, she stepped quickly into the room and the arm holding up her gun faltered.

"Prentiss," Hotch hissed from behind her, reprimanding her, but she shook her head.

"It's fine, Hotch, it's clear, but you've gotta see this."

As he stepped into the room, Aaron saw what had halted Emily, what had caused her to lower her weapon.

"How old do you think she is?" Emily asked, softly, from where she knelt in front of the car seat. The baby was asleep, her head lolling to one side, chubby cheeks pushed against her shoulder. She wasn't unsettled or screaming; in fact, she didn't look as though she'd been harmed at all.

"She looks perfect," Emily spoke aloud what Hotch had been thinking. She skimmed the baby, looked over her shoulder at Hotch, "Should I take her out and check?"

Hotch was frowning, holstering his own weapon as JJ and Morgan cleared the final rooms, and then headed up to them.

"Is that a baby?" Morgan asked from the hallway, "There's never been a baby left behind before."

"Maybe the unsub got spooked, dumped the kid and ran?" JJ suggested, crouching down beside Emily. She reached towards the baby, lowering her blanket, checking, Emily assumed, for any evidence.

"There's nothing," Emily shook her head, tilting it as she studied the baby, "Poor thing."

"Let's get her back to the station and have her looked over by a medic," Hotch said, "And get started on trying to find her parents."

"What the hell, Hotchner?"

From the moment they'd set foot onto the asphalt at the strip, the locals had made it well known how unwelcome they were here. Nevermind that they were only trying to do a job, no, they didn't care about that; as far as the chief of police and his squad were concerned, the BAU weren't just there to step on toes, they were there to trample them.

" Agent Hotchner," Hotch corrected, not for the first time. He stopped dead in his tracks, the car seat held securely in one hand. The glare he fixed the chief of police with was a clear message, but the chief went on glancing between Hotch and the baby, and the rest of the team.

"What the hell do you think I'm running here?" He demanded, his voice loud enough to stir the sleeping child, "A damn daycare?"

"You wanted us to leave the infant at the crime scene, Detective?" Emily raised her eyebrows, and the chief turned his eyes onto her. Emily didn't flinch, even as he stared her down, trying to intimidate her. She even smirked at him.

"You brought it here," He sneered down his nose at Hotch, as though seeing him carrying the car seat was something funny to him, "You take responsibility for it. My officers aren't babysitters."

" Her ," JJ corrected, shortly, as they filed past him and into the small room at the back of the station that they'd begrudgingly been assigned.

"What?" The detective didn't seem to care much for what any of them had to say, but his disdain for the girls was even more evident.

" Her." JJ repeated, unfaltering, "Not 'it '. Her."

"Yeah, whatever," The detective sneered, and turned his back on her. JJ glared at him, and then pulled out her phone, once again trying the social care number she'd dialed twice already in the car.

"Someone really should have a look at her," Emily was saying, her left arm folded tightly across her chest, her right thumb between her teeth as she anxiously gnawed at her skin, "Make sure she's alright."

They were waiting for the medics, and much as Hotch wanted to follow protocol, the baby had woken up and was staring at them all with wide, confused eyes. JJ sat beside her, speaking softly to her, but she wriggled and writhed and arched her back, frustrated by the constriction of the seat.

"Fine," Hotch nodded, and JJ reached for her instantly, pushing in the button to pop up the fastening and slipping the straps off of the baby's little shoulders.

"Come here, darling," The blonde smiled, lifting her out. She had assessed that the baby couldn't be more than six months old. Henry was coming up to eleven months, and was significantly bigger than she was, but she was too big and too wide eyed and alert to be much younger than six months, JJ said. So when she picked her up, the baby held up her own head, craning it to look at them all. Her wide blue eyes were focused and intent on staring at them, as though she were studying each face in turn.

"She's a cutie," Derek grinned, stepping up behind JJ and offering his finger, tapping at the palm of the baby's tiny hand with the tip of his finger. She grabbed it, and held fast, and he beamed at her.

"Yes, but who does she belong to?" Hotch sighed, from where he looked on, his arms folded across his chest.

"Have we considered this might not be related to our unsub at all?" Reid suggested, "Perhaps she was dropped off by her parents and left on purpose?"

"In an abandoned building, Spence?" Emily was shaking her head, "No, there are safe haven laws for a reason."

"While, yes, more than 3500 newborns have been surrendered through safe haven laws nationwide since 1999, over 1400 have also been found abandoned since then, too." Spencer offered up, and Emily grimaced from where she was leaning against the wall.

"Why would somebody do that when there's another option?" She mused, and she was speaking more to herself than to any of the others.

"JJ, try the social again," Hotch told her, and the blonde nodded, looking around the group. She met Derek's eyes and the grin fell from his face. He stepped back, holding up his hands as though in surrender.

"Okay, I'll do that," JJ said through an amused chuckle, "But somebody's gotta take the baby, guys."

To everyone's surprise, Hotch stepped up immediately, offering both of his hands. He and JJ, the only parents in their group, passed the infant easily between the two of them, and the surprise subsided as Hotch settled the little girl easily in his arms. She looked up at him with wide eyes, her little lips pressed tightly together, as though she wasn't sure whether or not to be afraid of the huge, stoic man into whose arms she had been settled. She gave a little cry, and then another. With the ease that only an experienced parent could muster, Hotch began gently rocking her, and she settled almost immediately.

Hotch, who had been focused on the baby, looked up and found four pairs of eyes fixed on him, their expressions ranging from shocked to impressed to amused.

"What?" He said, slightly defensively, "I'm a dad, remember?"

"I will now," Emily muttered under her breath. JJ laughed, but Hotch chose to ignore her, smirking to himself as he dropped his gaze back to the child.

"This is shaping up to be a very cute 1980s American Family Comedy," Morgan quipped, "but what's this little lady going to eat?" He grimaced, "And what happens when…you know, it comes out the other end?"

It was Hotch who grimaced, then.

"We've hit a dead end with the case," Emily posed, "Unless there's another abduction, we've got no leads besides what Penelope is searching up. We can spare an hour; why don't you and Reid find a department store and buy the supplies we need?"

"Sure." Morgan nodded, "Come on, man."

He and Spencer were halfway to the door when they both turned, quizzical expressions on their faces, and Spencer said, "What exactly do we need to take care of an approximately six month old for an unspecified period of time?"

Closing his eyes for the briefest moment, Hotch sighed. "Take JJ with you, too."

"You really are a natural, you know."

The others had been gone for half an hour and, after fussing for a while, the baby had fallen asleep in Hotch's arms. They were sitting at the table, Hotch leaning back in his chair to rest the baby against his chest. He'd shifted her so that her cheek lay against his shirt, and Emily watched them both with blatant amazement.

Hotch opened his eyes, which had drifted shut in thought and in the strange contentment that had come over him at having a small baby resting on him once again.

"Hm? Oh," he looked down at the small head just below his chin, "I wasn't when Jack was first born. It's something you learn. Parenting is the definition of 'sink or swim'."

Emily smiled at that comment, folding her hands under her chin, unable to take her eyes off of the sweet baby.

"What are we going to call her?" She said, softly, and Hotch gave her a quizzical look. Shrugging, Emily said, "Well, I don't want to keep calling her 'baby', do you?"

"She probably already has a name, Prentiss." Hotch said, but Emily just gave him a blank stare.

"Humour me." She said, and he knew she wasn't about to give him a choice, either way.

"What do you think we should call her?" He asked, certain she'd already come up with at least a few ideas.

"What about Molly?" Hotch scrunched up his nose, shaking his head. "Okay, not Molly. Amber?"

"No, that's not right, either," he shifted his head, tilting it to try and see her face better, and in doing so he missed the warm little smile that appeared on Emily's face; smug that she'd drawn him in, amused by his enthusiasm and glad to see the softer side of him come out. "What about Zoe?"

Emily tilted her head, reaching out with a gentle hand and brushing her fingertips over the downy blonde hair at the base of her neck.

"Zoe is good," she nodded, smiling, "We can call her Zoe until we find out her name."

Zoe didn't stay content for long. She woke up with a vendetta, and began screaming at the top of her lungs. Hotch tried everything that had ever worked with Jack; standing up, bouncing, bobbing, rocking, singing, burping. Nothing worked. He knew why.

"She's hungry," he said, through grit teeth as he gently patted her back over his shoulder, her screams hollering down his ear, "Where the hell are the others?"

"Okay," Emily stood up, shaking her head, "Give her here."

"What, why?" Hotch's eyes grew slightly wider as she held her hands out, reaching for the baby and wrapping them around her middle. He had no choice but to let Emily gently lift Zoe from his shoulder, tucking her into her own arms.

"Because," the voice that came out of her as she looked down at the baby but spoke to Hotch was not the voice of an impartial FBI agent, but of a soft and gentle maternal figure, "You're getting all ," she even put a sing-song tone on the word, dragging it out as she rocked Zoe back and forth. The baby went on screaming anyway. " All stressed. And Zoe doesn't like that. So you're going to take a break and I'm going to take a turn."

Hotch raised his eyebrows as he watched her, and even though she still fussed, Zoe did actually stop crying long enough to reach a tiny fist into the air. Emily smiled a triumphant smile down at her, not halting in the soothing song she'd begun to sing. At least not until Zoe found what she was looking for; her chubby fingers curled around one of Emily's dark curls and pulled .

"Mother-"

"Emily!"

"-goose." Emily pressed her lips together, closing her eyes as she dislodged one arm from beneath Zoe and detangled the baby's fist from her hair, "What did I ever do to you, huh?" She said, putting on a voice that only babies find amusing. It worked and Zoe's face split into a grin, her hunger momentarily forgotten, "What do you think you're doing?"

The giggle that came from the baby was rapturous and Emily's head shot up, her eyes, when they found Hotch's, full of surprise and pride.

"Did you hear that?" She asked, and he nodded, a small smile on his face.

"I heard it."

"We're back, we're back," JJ said, rushing in, laden down with two bags of shopping, Morgan and Reid following behind her, "I'm so sorry that took so long, it's rush hour. Has she been crying?"

"Yes but, oh my god, Jayje," Emily was saying, excited, "You just missed the most adorable laugh. Wait, let me see if I can get her to do it again. What do you think you're doing?"

But Zoe had been disturbed by the arrival of the others and was screaming again.

JJ disappeared (she had assigned Reid to make the bottle but when he looked at her blankly, she made a quip about him knowing everything except for anything useful, and then headed off to do it herself) and was back moments later, bottle in hand.

"Do you want me to feed her?" She asked, but Emily shook her head.

"Can I?" She asked, "I've never…"

JJ smiled, and nodded, showing her how to hold the bottle, how to keep the teat full to avoid giving the baby gas.

"She's probably old enough to hold her own bottle, but she'll let you know if she wants to do that."

Maybe it was the shock of the day, or maybe she was absolutely starving, but Zoe seemed perfectly content to let Emily feed her and had guzzled down over half of the bottle so quickly Emily was fearful that she might choke.

"She's fine," Hotch reassured her. Morgan and Reid both watched from a short distance away, as fascinated as Emily was by the baby, and JJ and Hotch watched their three colleagues with amusement.

"You have sisters who have kids, Morgan," JJ pointed out.

"Well, yeah, but I'm hardly ever home," he shrugged, "Guess I missed on the baby stage with the kids. Mostly on purpose, probably, babies terrify me."

"They're not so bad," Emily said, softly, staring down at Zoe's face as her eyes began to droop, the tip of her little finger gently stroking her cheek, "She's milk-drunk."

"Oh, they get so cute when they're milk drunk," JJ rushed to her side, peering over Emily's shoulder, and Morgan watched both women with furrowed brows.

"Estrogen, huh, kid?" He joked to Spencer, earning him a glare from both Emily and JJ, but neither of them commented, turning back to the baby, instead.

It was then that Hotch's phone rang.

"Garcia? Uh-huh. Right. Thanks." The others knew what was up before he'd even hung up the phone, "We've had a hit. Attempted abduction of a newborn one town over."

"Attempted?" JJ frowned, and Hotch nodded.

"Security has been increased, someone stopped the unsub, they passed the baby to the guard and made a run for it."

"Guard was holding a newborn," Morgan offered up, "Didn't want to chase-what are you doing?"

Emily had stepped up to him and was gently lowering Zoe into his arms. Before he could protest, Morgan was holding the baby, who had been disturbed from her subdued state and looked up at him, another new face, with wide eyes. "Prentiss?"

"It's your turn to stay with her," she told him, handing the bottle to him, too "You and Reid." Then, with a shrug, as she grabbed her blazer from the back of a chair, she added, "Wouldn't want JJ and I to get too overwhelmed by all that estrogen , would we?"

And she was out of the door after Hotch and JJ before Morgan or Reid could protest.

"It's definitely your turn now, man." Derek insisted, but Reid shook his head.

"Absolutely not," he was pouring over the case files and fooling absolutely nobody.

"Man, I know you memorized those files on the plane. You're not reading anything, you're just avoiding baby duty, now would you please hold Zoe? I have to pee." Reid looked up from the manila file, his eyes narrowed.

"You used the bathroom an hour and twenty minutes ago at the store and I've not see you take a drink since."

"You-you track that sort of-? You know what, I don't even care, Reid, but I need you to take this baby before I smack you upside the head, okay?" He held his arms out, but Spencer hopped down from the table and backed quickly away. "Reid-stop it, take the-" Derek followed him around the table, but with the baby in his arms he couldn't jostle her too quickly, and Reid was quicker as he stepped out of the way each time Morgan approached.

"Derek," he was saying, "Stop it. I don't want to hold the baby. I'm not going to hold her."

"She's just a baby , what's the worst that could happen?"

"Then why do you want to get rid of her so badly?"

"She stinks , man."

Reid paused, then gave a short burst of laughter. "Oh, no, you're not palming that job off on me."

Morgan was scowling, "This is why Emily left." He was grumbling under his breath, turning his face away from Zoe, as though he could avoid the smell coming from her diaper.

"Babies are disgusting," Spencer commented, looking at Zoe, laying on a blanket on the desk, as though she were a bomb about to explode. She was looking up at them, smiling and kicking her feet, like she thought they were playing some kind of game.

"It's okay," Morgan, standing beside him with his hands on his hips, said, "It's gonna be fine. It's just like-it's easier if we take it in steps, right?"

"Right." Spencer nodded. "So you take the first step."

Morgan glared at him, narrowing his eyes, before he sighed and stepped up to the desk, unfastening Zoe's baby grow. The smell, when uncovered, was so much worse.

"Oh, god," Covering his face with his hand, Morgan stepped back a good few paces, "That is just wrong , what have they been feeding this kid?"

"Formula, most likely," Reid was saying, "Usually, a breastfed baby's poop wouldn't smell bad at all. The particles are so tiny that they mostly get absorbed in the gut, and the milk doesn't spend long enough in the gut to develop much of a smell. Formula takes longer to process."

Morgan was staring at him, now, his eyes narrowed with confusion, "See, I- why do you know that, Spence?"

"I know a lot of things," Spencer said, looking at the baby, his nose wrinkled in disgust.

"You know what I know?" Morgan posed the question, slapping Spencer on the back.

"What?"

"I know it's your turn, pretty boy."

Somehow, with a lot of argument and retching and crying - and not from Zoe - they managed to clear her up. Sure they went through three diapers and a whole pack of wipes (Reid refused to touch her unless his hands were entirely covered) but, in the end, she was clean and fresh smelling once more.

When Hotch, Emily and JJ returned, it was to Zoe sitting on a blanket on the floor, Spencer and Morgan on chairs in front of her, staring at her intently, as though waiting for her to perform a trick of some sort. She, however, was just looking back at them, frowning as though slightly disturbed by their intent attention.

"What are you guys doing?" Emily said, immediately stepping in and picking her up, "Don't put her on the floor!"

"Hey, we sat her on the blanket!" Morgan defended, hotly.

"It's still filthy in this place," JJ said, grabbing for the wipes to clean her hands, "What-where are all of the wipes?"

"We changed her diaper," Spencer grinned, looking incredibly proud of himself.

"Just one?" JJ asked, incredulously, as she tore open a second packet of wipes and tugged one out, using it to clean off Zoe's hands.

"Did anything useful come up at the hospital?" Reid asked, determined to get back to the case. Hotch nodded.

"The unsub is a woman," he said, and it was something they'd already suggested, but having the concrete information was certainly helpful, "We've got the security guard working with a composite sketch artist now."

"And once they've done that, I'll get her face all over the news," JJ said, "Hopefully if anybody knows her, they'll come forward."

"Hopefully," Emily nodded, "If she did leave Zoe then that's two babies that she's failed at abducting, she might grow more desperate."

"In the meantime," Hotch nodded to the window, where the sky was rapidly darkening to black, "We should try and get some rest."

In Emily's arms, Zoe had already lay her head against her chest and was nodding off to sleep.

"Who's on babysitting duty tonight?" Emily whispered.

"Not it!" The chorus went up, and not one person was left behind. In Emily's arms, Zoe flinched at the noise.

Hotch sighed, watching Emily rock her as Zoe began to cry. "Fine, I guess we all are."

They set up camp in Hotch's room, the logic being that it wasn't fair to load one person with the baby, so they would share the responsibility. There were two double beds and the sofa, which Hotch took, so plenty of room for them all, even though nobody got a good night's sleep in the end. He called down to room service and had a travel crib brought up. Zoe fell asleep almost instantly, but the adults in the room couldn't sleep, no matter how hard they tried. They were all too aware of the baby in the room; the baby that didn't belong to any of them but had somehow become their responsibility.

Zoe was a terrible sleeper, anyway. Clearly the day had exhausted her because she fell asleep almost as soon as JJ changed her into a new baby grow and lay her down in the crib. Hotch played some nursery rhymes on his laptop to soothe her and they watched her fight it for only a few moments before her eyes drifted closed.

An hour later, she woke up screaming and it took twenty minutes of feeding, burping, rocking and a diaper change to calm her down enough to put her back down.

And the cycle repeated all night.

They took it in turns, picking her up, pacing the room with her, patting her on the back and soothing her until she was calm enough to be put back down. But Zoe was persistent, and unsettled, and far from wherever home was.

It was the early hours when JJ woke up yet again, only it wasn't Zoe's screams that woke her this time, but a much gentler noise.

Music. Low, quiet music…humming. She cracked her eyes open a fraction, her vision blurry from sleep, her head aching from the lack of it and the constant reverberation of Zoe's crying in her ears. Beside her, Emily had fallen asleep, just as she had, on top of the comforter. Her hand rested hear to her face, her head tilted in JJ's direction and JJ could tell by the steady rise and fall of her chest that Emily was still fast asleep. She could also see across to the sofa, where Hotch lay on his side. He didn't look comfortable, but he, too, was dreaming away.

Rolling over slowly, gently, so as not to disturb Emily, JJ turned to Morgan and Spencer's bed, and found Spencer laying on his back, Zoe on his chest, humming softly as he patted her back rhythmically.

Hearing the creek of mattress springs as JJ turned, Spencer looked towards her, and his cheeks flushed a little with embarrassment, but JJ just smiled, softly at him, settling into her new position and tucking her hand beneath her cheek on the pillow.

"It didn't seem fair…" Spencer whispered, "You all…she woke up crying again and I just thought I should take a turn."

JJ nodded, looking from his face to Zoe's; in the dim light of the only lamp in the room JJ could see that the baby was fast asleep, her mouth the perfect little pout, her eyelashes occasionally fluttering.

"You've been holding out on us, Reid," JJ smiled. Spencer shook his head, but his lips curled up a little, into a private smile of his own.

"I've never really been around kids, except for Henry." He clarified. JJ knew this already, of course. Even when he was a child, Spencer was never really around other children. He was too mature for them, too intelligent. And his home life required too much of him for him to spend his time doing frivolous things like playing. He had always insisted that those things never appealed to him anyway, but the story was always terribly sad to JJ; everyone deserved to be a kid.

"You'd be a good dad." She told him, and she recalled a similar conversation she'd had a while ago with Emily. Spencer looked at her with much the same expression; he and Emily were cut from the same cloth, really, neither ever having a family they could ever really rely on. Spencer at least knew his mother loved him. Emily had no such comfort.

"Maybe," The younger agent nodded, his hand continuing its rhythmic patting of Zoe's back, "One day."

Come morning, they were all yawning at breakfast.

"Here you go, kid," Morgan said, as JJ sat Zoe in the highchair at the table. He had cut the crusts off of his toast and cut a sliver about an inch wide which he put onto the tray in front of her. JJ opened her mouth, ready to protest, but Zoe's eyes went wide and she reached for it, putting it immediately to her mouth and beginning to suck on the buttery bread.

"Okay, so someone's been weaning this kid." Emily said, raising an eyebrow as she watched Zoe go to town on her breakfast.

"Who do you belong to, little one?" Hotch said, with surprisingly tenderness. He had his hands wrapped around a cup of strong black coffee, and sighed as he put it to his lips.

JJ's phone rang.

"Hopefully we'll get some answers to that today," she said, glancing at the screen. She waved it at the others, "Social Services." Putting it to her ear, she stepped away from the table, "Hello? Yes this is Agent Jareau."

"There've been no abductions through the night," Reid said, passing JJ and returning to the table, slipping his own phone into his pocket as he sat down.

"So we still have nothing?" Emily splayed her hands, feeling helpless, as Morgan dialed Penelope's number.

"Good morning, mama," He said, and they all heard Penelope's grumble on the other end of the phone, smiling fondly at the sound of it. Morgan put her on speaker.

"I do have a lead for you, my loves," she said, to their surprise, "So our unsub has taken five babies in three weeks. That's a lot of formula to go through-"

"Unless she's breastfeeding them." Emily frowned at the phone.

"Exactly what I thought, gumdrop," She could practically hear Penelope nodding on the other end of the phone, "And I know what the profile says. A woman stealing babies has probably…lost a baby," she trailed off, sadly, "So, I revamped my search this morning and there were three women who delivered still borns in the last month, but only one before the abductions started."

"Who is she, Garcia?"

She was Valerie Tierney. 23 years old.

They found her, and four healthy babies, at her grandparents farm an hour outside of town.

Emily watched sadly as they brought her into the station, the chief of police and his officers carrying the babies.

" Not a daycare," JJ quoted, beside her, and she allowed herself a small smirk that turned into a warm and emotional smile as she watched a set of parents be reunited with their son.

"This is about as good of an ending as we get, huh?" Emily mused, as Hotch stepped up beside them.

"We won't see another like it for a while, I expect," he confirmed, "Where's Zoe?"

"Sleeping." Emily turned to JJ, "Social?"

"Coming for her today," the blonde said, and neither of them missed the sadness in her voice, because they felt it, too.

"So we think that she was abandoned?" In his chest, Hotch felt his heart sink.

"She doesn't match any descriptions for missing children," JJ shook her head.

Social services arrived a few hours later and, joyous as they had been watching the babies be reunited with their parents, knowing that Zoe was going not home to an equally loving family, but directly into the system, weighed heavily on all of their hearts.

JJ hugged her tightly to her chest, the scent of babypowder strong in her nose. Turning her around, Zoe's back to her chest, the others approached to say their goodbyes.

"We won't forget you, kid," Morgan told her, letting her hold onto his finger, and grinning when she did so, "So don't forget us, okay?"

Spencer kissed her chubby cheek, and JJ saw the sparkle of unshed tears in his eyes. She pointedly looked away; she didn't want him to feel embarrassed. "Good luck." He whispered, gently, before stepping away and turning his back on them all, staring out of the window. JJ wondered what was going on in his head.

Emily stepped up and offered her hands, a question in her eyes. JJ handed her over without question, and Emily buried her face in Zoe's downy hair.

"I'm going to miss you, baby," she said, lifting Zoe up against her chest. The baby's blue eyes searched over her shoulder, and Hotch stepped up, dropping his own quick kiss onto her head.

"Me too," he said, gruffly.

"We'll make sure she's safe and happy," the social worker said, from where she stood nearby. Exchanging a glance with Hotch, Emily raised an eyebrow.

"You'd better," she muttered, under her breath, earning her a subtle glare from her boss.

She manouvred Zoe, ducking her under the handle of the car seat, and buckled her into it.

"She has blankets and diapers and wipes, bottles, formula and some toys in here." JJ handed the bag over to the social worker, who looked surprised.

"Oh," she said, with an amused little noise, "It's not often people take such…care. Usually we just get a call, pick up the kid and that's it."

"Yeah, well," Morgan said, from where he was leaning against a desk, "We're not most people."

The social worker nodded, agreeing, and, settling the bag in the crook of her arm, she moved forwards to pick up the carseat.

"Wait," Emily said, reaching into her pocket. "If anything…if you find her parents, or a family, or if she's ever in trouble…" she handed over her card, "Just put my name on her file. Please."

The woman met her eyes, saw all of the emotion there, and, pressing her lips together in somewhat of a grim smile, nodded as she took the card from Emily's hand. Then she lifted the carseat, and both she and Zoe walked out of their lives.

"And a year later, that's when you adopted me, right, mom?"

"That's right, baby," Emily smiled, deft fingers winding their way through her daughter's wet hair as she braided it back.

They were sitting in Zoe's bedroom and, as was customary of a Sunday evening, they'd ordered a pizza, Zoe was bathed and cleaned, hair washed, and then had requested a story, as she always did. This story, the story of how they'd met, was a favourite, and Zoe demanded to hear it in full detail once every couple of weeks. So, sitting on her pink comforter, Emily had recounted it - or, at least, the child-friendly version of it.

"And everyone was so happy that I was back!" Zoe always liked this part of the story best, and Emily's smile widened into a grin, fastening a bow into the bottom of the braid.

"So happy." She agreed, winding her arms around Zoe and pulling her back against her chest, in a hug. Zoe's little hands came up to rest on her mothers arm and she sighed, happily.

"I'm glad you're my mom," the six year old said, with a contented sigh. She often made statements like thils; Zoe was much more forthcoming with her emotions than her mother was, and it always caught Emily by surprise. Everytime, she felt a lump rise in her throat, and everytime she couldn't believe how she ever got so lucky.

"Me too, baby," she said, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head, "Me too."