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No 1. Somehow, he knew you were pregnant before you did…
You and Spencer hadn’t been actively trying for a baby. You had agreed that if it happened that would be amazing but you wouldn’t start to put any pressure on yourselves to make it happen. Despite this, every time that dreaded time of the month came round like clockwork, you felt your heart grow heavier with disappointment.
It had been a ridiculously busy month for the BAU team. You weren’t sure what had been put in the water to make all these serial killers come out of the woodwork but whatever it was, the team hoped it would go away soon. Everybody needed a break.
With the unit being so busy, nobody seemed to actually sleep in their own beds at home for a while as you hopped from one town to the next across the country. Maybe that’s why you didn’t notice that your period didn’t come, even though it had been like clockwork since you were thirteen.
Now, you had all just completed a case in LA and were on the jet back for some well-deserved days off as Hotch promised he was going to make sure all cases went to another team for at least a week.
“Are we home yet?” You murmured as you tried to get comfortable on the seat.
“Only two more hours to go.” Spencer sighed. He was sat beside you reading one of his books as Emily, JJ and Derek played poker behind you and Hotch and Rossi continued to finish their paperwork. “You’re tired.”
You lifted your head back up to look at him with an absurd look. “Thanks for that observation, Dr. Reid. I wasn’t aware.”
“You slept so well last night though and we spent most of this morning in bed until the airport cars came to pick us up” Spencer pointed out quietly, frowning to himself.
“Everything must just be catching up to me.” You sighed. You knew he was correct, you had slept for over twelve hours last night cuddled up to your husband and it was so unlike you to want to nap in the middle of the day. However, you brushed it off and moved closer to Spencer so that you could rest your head on his shoulder. Within minutes, you were fast asleep.
Thankfully, the team made it back home with the promise that their work phones would not be ringing for at least a week.
On the third day, you were lounging on the swing seat in the garden, enjoying some sun as you munched on a green apple. Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed that Spencer had stopped researching for his latest thesis and was looking at you strangely.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” You laughed “Am I getting burnt? Maybe I should go and put some more sun screen on-”
“No, no you’re fine.” Spencer replied although continued to look at you with a pensive look on his face. “Just…thinking about something.”
“Anything you want to share?”
“Not yet.” He said. He glanced at you for another beat and then went back to his typing. You just put it down to another quirk of your loving husband and went back to your sunbathing.
The next day, you had just returned from a very successful shopping trip with Penelope. Honestly, that woman was such a good person to shop with, even if you did end up spending the majority of your month’s wage in one swoop.
“Spence? I’m home!” You called as you finally managed to open the front door with all your shopping bags in tow.
Silence filled the house, making you frown. You were sure Spencer had said he would be staying in all day to finish off his thesis.
“Spencer?”
You left the bags in a heap at the door and went through to the kitchen where you stopped in your tracks at the sight of Spencer standing there, holding the biggest bouquet of flowers you had ever seen.
“What’s going on?” You smiled. “Have I completely got our anniversary dates mixed up because I’m pretty sure it’s not for another few months.”
“No…I wasn’t quite sure what to give you. Or even whether I should tell you like I might have it completely wrong and then I don’t want to get your hopes up-”
“Spencer.” You stopped him as you placed a hand on his arm. “What’s going on?”
Spencer took a deep breath and placed the flowers on the kitchen bench then pulled out a paper bag from the cupboard.
“I think you should go and take this.”
You noticed your hands were shaking slightly as you opened the bag and pulled out a pregnancy test. “Spencer…”
“We’ve been so busy that you probably haven’t noticed but…I have. You’re more tired, you’ve been eating green apples like there’s no tomorrow and I remember your mom mentioning that she craved those when she was pregnant with you.” Spencer began to explain. “Then the major one was that you skipped your period this month…oh and your nipples were really sensitive the other night-”
“Okay, let’s stop there.” You said shakily as the information began to sink in. You heart was hammering so hard in your chest that you had to steady yourself against the table. “How…how did I not notice that my period didn’t come?”
“We’ve been so busy.” Spencer explained softly, “We hardly even knew what day it was .”
“You still noticed though.” You whispered with a shaky laugh.
“I notice everything.” He smiled and then pressed a soft kiss to the top of your head. “Before we get our hopes up you should go and take that test. I could be wrong about this.”
“As if Spencer Reid is wrong about anything.” You laughed but slowly stood up, took his hand and went upstairs with the pregnancy test clutched in your other hand.
Like everything, Spencer was absolutely correct. You were having a baby.
No. 2 He carried around the perfect remedies for morning sickness…
You thought you might have escaped the dreaded morning sickness after it didn’t seem to appear for the first eight weeks of your pregnancy. You had seen first-hand how bad it had affected JJ so you dreaded it but after two months of no sickness, you naively thought you might be in the clear.
Hotch had just called you all into the briefing room for a new case, Spencer being the perfect gentleman and pulling your chair out for you.
“I know it’s early but we’re being called to go to Phoenix.” Hotch explained as the case files were handed out. “Three dead so far, local PD don’t have any leads so they are desperate for our help.”
“Oh you started without me, sorry sir.” Garcia said as she rushed into the room and placed a large brown paper bag in the middle of the table. “I know it’s so early that you probably all skipped breakfast so there’s some bagels and coffee there.”
“I have said it many times before but you are a god of a woman, baby girl.” Morgan winked and reached over to grab a bagel.
“Yeah, thanks PG.” Emily grinned as she opened up the bagel with her name on it to see her favourite, smoked salmon and cream cheese.
However, as soon as the smell of the salmon wafted over to you, you felt your stomach churn. It had never, ever affected you before but right now, the smell was so stifling it was making you ill.
“Excuse me.” You managed to gasp out as you clamped a hand over your mouth and sprinted towards the bathroom, determined to get there in time before you threw up in front of the entire precinct.
The bathroom was thankfully empty and you skidded to your knees (ignoring how disgusting that was) and gagged into the toilet. Within minutes, you felt warm hands pull your hair back and rub small circles on your back.
“I don’t know why that made me feel so ill.” You managed to gasp out.
“Apparently our baby isn’t a fan of salmon.” Spencer replied, continuing to rub his hand over your back. “The team is worried about you but I don’t think it will take them long to work it out.”
You hummed in response, not quite trusting yourself to open your mouth again.
“I’m going to grab something from my bag, I’ll be back in a minute.” Spencer said as he pressed a small kiss to the base of your neck.
You gave him a weak thumbs up, too busy debating how unsanitary it would be to rest your head against the toilet, you felt that ill.
He must have ran as he returned in less than a minute, his hand going back to the base of your spine.
“Are you up for drinking something?”
“Maybe.” You croaked and turned towards him. He brought up a can of open ginger ale to your lips and helped you take a few sips. “It’s flat.” You grimaced.
“I know, I’ve read it works best if it’s flat.” Spencer replied, “Few more sips, okay?”
You took the can from him with a trembling hand and continued to take little sips, watching as he then rummadged around in his bag for something else. He eventually pulled out a small bracelet and carefully placed it around your wrist, adjusting it so it was in a particular position.
“Don’t think this goes with my outfit.” You said with a weak smile.
“Acupressure bracelet, the best thing to help with morning sickness. Wear it about ten minutes a day and it should do the job.” Spencer kissed the strip of skin above the wrist band. “How are you feeling?”
“Thanks to you and your research, Dr Reid, a million times better.” You said honestly, “How long have you been carrying these in your bag for?”
“Since we found out. I thought it would be good to have them on hand.” Spencer said nonchalantly but it made your heart feel so full as you realised how truly lucky you were to have a husband who researched morning sickness remedies and carried them around with him for two months.
“I love you so much.” You blurted out, unable to contain it.
He looked up at you and gave you that wide smile which still gave you butterflies. “I love you too. Now…shall we get up off the bathroom floor?”
No.3 When the baby was keeping you up all night by kicking, he knew that talking to it would help…
You stared at the flashing numbers of the clock on your bedside table, watching as it turned from 02:59 to 03:00. You hadn’t slept. At all.
When your baby started to kick a month ago, you thought it was the best and most magical thing in the world. But now, after your gorgeous bundle of joy continued to use your insides as a punching bag, you were sick.
You weren’t even aware that you had started to cry until you let out a large sniffle, your tear filled eyes continuing to look at the clock. 03:14 now.
“Y/N?” Spencer croaked, his voice still heavy with sleep.
“Go back to sleep, babe.” You replied, trying to hide the tears. “I-I think I’m just going to go downstairs for a bit, you need to be up early for your lecture tomorrow-”
“Hey, no. Stay there.” Spencer placed his arm over you and the bump as if he was physically preventing you from leaving and then leant over you to turn the bedside lamp on, the soft light filling the room.
“I’m sorry.” You sniffled. You weren’t quite sure what you were apologising for but you were so tired that it was making your head feel slightly fuzzy.
Spencer shook his head and carefully thumbed away the tears which were still running down your cheeks. “How long have you been awake for?”
“I haven’t slept.” You said quietly with a shrug. “I don’t know why, I just can’t unwind…and I feel so lucky that we’re having this baby but right now…they just won’t
stop
kicking-”
“You’re allowed to be upset that the baby is keeping you awake right now, it doesn’t mean you don’t love it any less.” Spencer said gently. “And I’m sure we’ll both be feeling that for at least the next twelve months.”
You let out a wet laugh and nodded, beginning to feel slightly embarrassed that Spencer was having to comfort you as if you were a child yourself.
“Now lie down, okay?” He carefully helped you lie onto your side, your bump protruding out towards him. He then also laid down, your faces so close that he couldn’t help but give you a quick kiss.
He then shimmied down so his head was at your belly. “So I’ve been reading that talking to you might calm you down, something to do with the vibrations from my voice. But then again lots of people in the past have told me that my ramblings can send them to sleep, especially Morgan, so it might help you go to sleep too.”
It took you a moment in your sleep deprived mind that Spencer was no longer talking to you, he was talking to the baby.
“Now, I just mentioned Derek Morgan he uhm…he’s going to be your Godfather. We haven’t told him yet but I think he’s going to cry like a baby when he finds out.” Spencer continued. He brought a hand up to cup the bottom of your bump, his thumb rubbing back and forth. “We’re still undecided about the Godmother, we have too many wonderful women in our life to decide…”
Spencer continued to speak quietly to the baby and eventually…the baby calmed down. There were still small movements but rather than keeping you awake, it just reassured you that they were still okay in there. You still allowed Spencer to continue to talk but after ten minutes, you weren’t sure what else he told the baby as you…you were fast asleep.
No.4 Eight months of pregnancy was hard on your body but Spencer was there to assist.
Queen was blasting through your kitchen speaker as you piped chocolate frosting onto the cupcakes in front of you. It was Penelope’s birthday tomorrow and since she was always the one baking cakes for everyone else, you decided it was her turn to get some baked goods.
“Hey!”
You swear you must have jumped at least three feet as you dropped the icing bag in surprise.
“Fucking hell, Spence. Do you want to shock me into labour in our kitchen?” You exclaimed as you clutched at your chest. As you were officially on maternity leave, now only Spencer left the house every day to go to Quantico, leaving you to do things like…bake lots of cakes. You hadn’t been expecting him to come home for another few hours.
“I’ve been shouting for you since I came in, Freddie was obviously just a bit louder than me.” Spencer laughed, leaning around you to turn the radio down. “And I thought you were going to take it easy today, you shouldn’t be on your feet.”
You sighed, this was a battle you always ended up losing. Spencer Reid had just become a tad too protective in the latter stages of your pregnancy. Now, at eight months, he was quite the worrier. But it was adorable.
“My back hurts too much when I sit in the same position for too long.” You explained with a sigh. “But then again…it also hurts when I stand so I can’t really win.”
“Hang on, I read this in one of the pregnancy books today, it might help.” Spencer said. You watched him place his bag and jacket on the table and then he came up right behind you.
Very slowly, he placed both hands under your bump and gently lifted it up, making you sigh out in pleasure as you realised how much weight was lifted away.
“Oh my god, we should have read about this way earlier.” You breathed, allowing your head to fall back onto his shoulder. Although suddenly, you jolted, “This isn’t harming them, is it?”
“It’s perfectly safe.” Spencer soothed, making you relax against him again. “I’m simply taking the weight of them for a while.”
You both stood together for a while, Queen continuing to play quietly in the background as Spencer’s strong and slightly gun-calloused hands continued to hold your bump.
“Thank you.” You murmured. “Thank you for continuing to make this easier for me.”
“You’re carrying my baby. Reading a few books and doing this for a few minutes every day is the least I can do.”
You smiled and trailed your fingers up and down his hands, relishing the feeling of being in his arms. You couldn’t quite believe how much you had lucked out with this guy.
“I’m going to release you now, okay?” Spencer warned as he slowly let go of your stomach. You had to hold in a whine as you felt all the weight come back to your own body. “But I’ll go and run a bath and we can massage some of that nice oil JJ gave us into your back, it’ll help.”
Before he could leave to head to the bathroom, you grabbed his hand and pulled him in for a hard kiss, trying to pour out all your gratitude and love into it.
“I’m so lucky.” You murmured against his lips.
“Not as lucky as I am.” He whispered back as he gave you three more soft kisses and left to run you a bubble bath like the loving husband he was.
No.5 One week overdue and you were ready for this pregnancy to be over. Cue Spencer with his ways to induce labour.
“Fuck!” You ground out as you tried to get up from your position from the sofa but your ridiculously large belly prevented you from doing so. “I am so fucking sick of this.”
“Wait there, I’m coming!” You heard Spencer call from the kitchen. You were so pissed off that you were still pregnant, a week after your original due date that you couldn’t even begin to feel sorry about how much Spencer was running around after you.
After all it was his fault that you were in this situation in the first place.
He came in with a steaming cup of peppermint tea, that he had been in the kitchen making for you, and placed it on the coffee table before using his lean arms to pull you up from the sofa.
“I just want them out.” You whined, resting your head against his shoulder. “I’m so uncomfortable. ”
“I know, baby. They’ll be out soon, you’ve just made such a good home for them that they don’t want to come out.” Spencer soothed as he ran a hand up and down the side of your stomach, smiling when he felt a kick.
“That doesn’t help. I need scientific Dr. Reid to tell me how to get this baby out. C’mon, you will have read some strategies on how to induce labour, tell me the best one and we’re going to do it right now.” You begged.
Spencer gave you a fond smile and kissed the space between your eyebrows where you were frowning. “Okay, the most effective way is walking. It will help to loosen up the pelvic muscles, there’s no proper scientific evidence to says it definitely induces labour but-”
You clamped a hand over his mouth. “We’re going for a walk.”
He laughed and nodded, “Great, I’ll grab our coats. Do you want me to grab your shoes?”
“Yeah but you already know you’re going to have to tie my laces for me. I can’t even see my feet, never mind tie up my shoes.” You sighed.
“That’s what husbands are for, Y/N.” He called back, making you laugh for the first time that day.
Now you knew it was going to be a slow walk but you were sure neither of you were quite prepared for how slow you were actually going to be. You had both made your way to the local park and were making your way around the perimeter, Spencer’s arm firmly wrapped around your waist to help support you.
“That’s the third elderly person who has overtaken us.” You said, eying the woman who walked around you. “I was a first-class FBI agent and now I can’t even make my way around a park without being out of breath.”
“It won’t be long until you're back to kicking down doors, babe.” Spencer laughed. “I promise that you’re still badass, even more so now.”
“That’s nice of you to say, it’s a lie but thank you.” You gave him a quick peck on the cheek of appreciation. “So how long are we meant to walk for until this baby pops out?”
“Oh I think at least to the lake and back.” Spencer replied with a grin.
And even though he was joking and really, there wasn’t actually any evidence to say that walking actually helped, it was in fact your last day together as a twosome as on the meandering walk back home, you felt your first twinge of a contraction.
And the one time he was completely and utterly unprepared…
“I’m so proud of you. This is nearly over and I love you so much.” Spencer murmured into your ear as he clasped your hand, allowing you to squeeze it as hard as you could as another strong contraction passed through you.
“He’s right, this is nearly over.” Your midwife agreed. “I think one more strong push and they’ll be here.”
“I can’t. I can’t do any more.” You cried out, allowing your head to fall back against the pillow behind you as you began to sob. “You have to just pull them out.”
“We can’t do that, lovely, you need to push. One more.” The midwife continued.
“I have every faith that you can do this Y/N, one more push and our baby son or daughter will be here. You’ve done all the hard work, just
one more.
” Spencer encouraged, pressing multiple kisses to your sweaty forehead. “I love you so much.”
“One more and…and they’ll be here?” You cried, looking up at Spencer for confirmation.
“One more.” He confirmed, “You’re the strongest person I know, you can do this.”
When the final contraction came, you pushed with everything you had, outpouring all your stress,delight,pain,excitement that this pregnancy had brought you both.
Within seconds, your baby was finally born. The room was then filled with the most magical sound you had ever heard, your baby’s first cries. It made it so real.
“Congratulations, guys! You’ve got a baby girl.” The midwife cooed.
“A girl.” You gasped out, tears still running down your cheeks. “We have a daughter, Spence.”
Spencer remained silent, his hand still tightly wrapped around yours as he stared at the newborn baby being quickly checked over by the midwife. His own eyes had filled with tears as he stared in complete wonder and…fear.
“Does daddy want to come and cut the cord?” The midwife asked with an understanding smile. She had seen that look before.
“I…I don’t know” Spencer gasped out, still clearly in shock. “I don’t know how.”
“Just take these scissors and cut here between the clamps.”
The midwife gestured to the cord still attached to your wailing daughter and before Spencer could protest again, she placed the scissors in his hand.
You had never seen Spencer’s hands shake so much as they did when he carefully cut the cord. His eyes were still filled with utter fear. All you wanted to do was climb out of bed and give him a tight hug and tell him that it was completely normal to feel like this now that she was actually here and together, they would work it out and be the most incredible parents.
Of course, that was out of the question (you could hardly even move, never mind get out of bed!) and before you knew it, the midwife was bringing over a small bundle. “Let’s get you holding this absolutely beautiful baby, shall we? We’ve waited long enough for it.”
You gave a wet laugh and allowed the baby to be placed in your arms. At that moment, your heart could have exploded, it was so full of love and endorphins. Because here she was…you and Spencer had made an actual human being…and she was the most beautiful thing you had ever seen.
“Do you want to meet your daughter?” You asked Spencer quietly after you finally managed to tear your eyes away from her tiny features.
“I….you can hold her for a while longer…I don’t want to do it wrong….I-” Spencer stammered out. He wrung his hands together a few times but continued to look at his daughter longingly.
“Why do you think you’ll do it wrong?”
“I’ve managed to prepare for every other step of this pregnancy by doing what I do best…reading and researching. But there’s nothing which could have prepared me for this.” Spencer murmured.
“We’ll work it out together. But right now, I have a baby who just wants to meet her dad and I want more than anything to introduce this incredibly lucky girl to her father. So please…Spence? Take her.”
He finally looked up from his daughter to look at you for a few moments. Then slowly, he nodded. With his still shaking hands, he took her from you and pulled her up close to his chest.
“Hey…hey Amelia…I’m Spencer…I’m your dad.” He whispered to her. You grinned and watched with tear-filled eyes as he began to grow more comfortable in holding her and how he looked down at her with such adoration and love. “We’ve waited a long time for you and I promise I’m going to be the best I can possibly be for you.”
He now understood why this experience wasn’t written down in books and papers. Because there was absolutely no way he could describe what he felt right now. How happy he was. Your family was complete.