Chapter Text
I have said it before, and sadly I will have to say it again, I do not own CM or any CM characters. I do however own the characters of my own creation.
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Family is not an important thing. It's everything.
Michael J. Fox
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"Have you everything Spence?"
"Think so" said the younger scanning their seats one last time before they made their way down the aisle of the plane towards the exit. "Aidan now is not the time to do that. Derek, stop laughing and help."
Derek threw the rucksack he had been carrying in his hand onto his shoulder and took their son from Spencer so he could organise his satchel and the small rucksack belonging to the year old child, which he had not realised was open and was currently spilling crayons and sheets of paper onto the floor.
"Uh-oh" giggled the child as he watched his belongings scatter, giggling into his chubby fingers as he noticed his father using him as a mask to hide his own sniggers as Spencer got down on his hands and knees to collect the items, being helped by a jet lagged airhostess they had heard earlier had been working 14 hours straight and was less than pleased at the men delaying her getting home for the night.
Finally they made their way to the baggage area and collected another duffle bag before heading to the car rental desk to organise the car for the few days. After getting the keys and a car seat, they headed out of the foyer of the airport and to the car park. The sun was setting as they drove off, Aidan dozing in the warm vehicle.
"Are you sure he will do okay in this heat Spence, it is far cooler up north?" asked Derek, looking back in the rear view mirror at their son as he cranked up the A/C at a set of traffic lights.
"Hope so. It averages 47 degrees at this time of year at home and as high as 89 in the summer. Here it is usually around 63 at this time of the year, hence why I suggested it. He would have felt it warmer than this last year." Rambled Spencer, though already he noted the beads of sweat on Derek's brow and some of the curls of Aidan's hair sticking to his forehead.
"Well let's just get to the hotel and settle down for the night. On DC time it is midnight and we have a long day tomorrow, plus I'm not sure if Aidan cares that there is a three hour time difference, he will still be up in six hours." Derek groaned, thinking of how excited the waddler would be to be somewhere new in the morning and how cranky he would be due to a lack of sleep. Spencer merely nodded as the light changed colour and the car drove on.
Within the hour the two men were settled into their hotel, showered and in their bed. Aidan sleeping next to them, in a smaller bed with rails, snoring softly.
"How are you feeling about tomorrow? What do you think is the best course of action?" Derek asked cautiously, he had been tiptoeing around the subject all week but now they were finally in Vegas, he knew he had to ask.
Spencer sighed before answering. "I'll go by myself after lunch and test the waters, if she is okay tomorrow, I will prepare her for you both and we will all go the next day."
"Do you think it is good for her to dump both of us on her at once?"
"What else can we do? We can't leave you in by yourself, and who would mind Aidan if we both went in?" Spencer asked.
"Maybe we should have come by ourselves first." Derek pondered aloud.
"He is a year old this week and she hasn't seen him yet Derek. She is better than she has been in ages and we cannot guarantee it will be for long." Spencer rationalised sadly.
Derek immediately felt guilty; his family had seen their son several times during different weekend breaks and for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Diana Reid had yet to see her grandson and wrote often asking for him and indeed Derek, but their busy work schedule and the fact there had been no cases requiring the team's assistance in Vegas, meant they had not made it out there before now.
"Let's get some sleep. We can see some sights in the morning before I go." Smiled Spencer, noting his husbands face. Derek nodded and leant in to kiss the younger man before settling for the night.
All too soon the morning came. The men heard Aidan rustling around on his bed and forced themselves awake, knowing the child would attempt to get over the rails and could injure himself.
"Where do you think you are off to mister?" Derek caught Aidan as he, as expected, was attempting to get over the rail closer to their bed.
"Dada, Daddy" beamed the child, crawling in between the two men, pulling at Spencer's hair as a comfort.
"We really need to get him out of this" groaned Spencer as one or two strands were pulled sharply and at least one was pulled from his scalp.
"I am so glad I shave off my hair. Besides think of it this way, if he is cuddled up between us here twiddling your hair, he is happy to let us doze off again" smiled Derek as he got comfortable under the bed sheet once more.
"You mean you doze off as I remain awake due to….ouch Aidan!"
"Yep" and with that the older man fell silent.
"Seriously? Aidan, stop, that hurts daddy."
"Daddy, daddy, daddy." Giggled Aidan, nestling into Spencer's hair.
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It was an hour later when the men had showered and gotten themselves and Aidan dressed and fed. They went around Vegas for a while, Spencer explaining where he had lived and where he had went to school, neither man making any comment on his time there. They ate lunch in a small diner not too far from Bennington, and agreed that Derek would drop Spencer and go to a nearby park with Aidan for an hour before returning to the facility. Once the plan was discussed with Diana's doctor who assured Spencer his mother was as lucid and good humoured as she could be, they settled their bill and left.
The tyres crackled as they went over the stones in the driveway of the facility. Derek made a comment about the building and how it was at least less sterile than a hospital setting. Spencer agreed, explaining it was one of the lures of the place. His mother would have that comfort at least. He turned to Derek, who wished him luck before giving him a gentle kiss. Aidan was asleep in the back seat so without any further reason to delay, Spencer slowly got out of the car. Derek waved as he drove off.
Spencer registered in reception before walking through the hallways with a large, middle aged male nurse, who showed him to his mother's room. Every step seemed to increase his heart rate and anxiety. By the time he reached for the door handle, he was positive his heart rate equalled that of a mouse. He spent close to a minute taking deep breaths before finally building up the courage to turn it. When the door was slightly ajar he tapped gently on it to get his mothers attention. "Mom?" he peered around the door.
"Spencer. What brings you here?" Diana Reid seemed to sound a mixture of concerned and annoyed.
Spencer's face fell and he felt a plummeting sensation in the pit of his stomach. She clearly had forgotten about his call the previous afternoon to inform her of their impending visit. He was beginning to wonder to himself if all of this was really such a good idea. Even though he knew every time her medication was altered or new ones added it meant her condition was worsening, nothing made it seem more real that seeing his mother on what was seen as a good day, in such a state.
"Sorry Mom, just wanted to see you." He held his head down, hoping she would not see the tears and disappointment in his eyes.
"No matter, I am just surprised to see you, that's all. I would never turn down a visit, you know that. Are you here with work, you know I really hate you working for the government. They really cannot be trusted Spencer. I bet they and their biased media are spreading lies again to promote another one of their selfish wars. No good has ever come from war. In the words of Agatha Christie 'one is left with the horrible feeling now that war settles nothing; that to win a war is as disastrous as to lose one.'"
Spencer merely nodded, knowing better than to attempt discussions regarding his employment. "No mom, I am here with Derek and Aidan with the sole purpose of seeing you" he smiled. Diana looked towards the door somewhat expectantly, then back towards to Spencer. "I thought it would be nice for you and I to catch up undisturbed before meeting then, it is hard to talk over a babbling child, then maybe tomorrow, if you are free, you can get to meet Derek and Aidan and get to know them."
Diana seemed to mull over the suggestion for a moment before nodding in agreement. "Indeed, it isn't very often I get to see you these days. I enjoy our letters no end, but face to face will always be my more favoured means of communication. Please tell me everything that is going on in your life."
"Not too much these days, just work and family really. I see you got the photo's we sent you of Aidan when he was born, the wedding, Christmas and Thanksgiving and well, now we are here to see you." Spencer smiled, indicating to the numerous photos around the room of himself, Aidan and Derek.
"Ah yes, if my memory serves me correctly, it is my darling grandson's birthday this week, is it not?"
Spencer's eyes welled up once more. Even in all of the confusion she suffered as a result of her mental state and medication, his mother still remembered Aidan's birthday. He nodded. "It is." The conversation lulled for a moment before he continued. "I, eh, I am doing well at work." Diana frowned and pursed her lips but allowed him to continue. "However, as I told you a few times in my letters, I find it hard to leave Aidan behind when we travel."
"That is the heartache and turmoil of the working parent, I'm afraid sweetheart. Though always think of those less fortunate. Rig workers, and even soldiers, they do not see their families for months on end." Spencer was pensive for a moment before agreeing. "Besides, it will prepare you for when he makes his own way in the world. From what I have gathered from your letters, he seems as intelligent as you, though to say that I am not surprised is an understatement. He will be heading to college in no time and you will ensure he is more than capable. That is a skill lacking in many youngsters these days, believe me, I have seen it often enough."
"I rather not think about the day he leaves for college thanks Mom. I can barely leave him at the doorway of the day care as it is" shuddered Spencer. "But yes. He shows signs of being extremely intelligent, even already. You will love him when you meet him" he beamed, knowing how true the statement was. Diana smiled a smile that he could only assume mirrored his own.
"And how is that husband of yours treating you?" she asked, her demeanour changing from that of doting grandmother to protective parent.
"Derek is an amazing man Mom, you don't have to worry" defended Spencer immediately.
"Good, I don't ever want to hear of him putting you down or anything of the like. Promise me that Spencer." Spencer promised. "We all have arguments, and sometimes we even say things in the heat of the moment that we do not mean and later regret. That happens. But never allow there to be malicious words between you. I never want to think of you hearing those sorts of words from someone you love. Not again." Spencer stared at his mother. "You think I don't know the things your father used to say to you, the things that happened while you were in school. I may have suffered badly at the time, but once I was myself again, it took me all of a few moments to figure out what was wrong. Although in all honesty, your father never once kept his tongue on his opinions regarding either of us. Not that his opinions matter in the slightest. You are innumerable times the man he could ever wish to be, and that kills him."
"Why do you allow him to visit you? I saw him the time I came and told you I was expecting Aidan."
"I enjoy your father's visits, though sadly they are far too seldom."
"But why do you allow him visit you at all, after everything he did to us?" Anger was beginning to seep into Spencer's voice.
Diana leant forward in her chair and placed her hand on Spencer's. "Sweetheart, you need to let go. How can you expect to be happy in your marriage and with your family if you allow him to take up room in your mind? I have not stopped him from coming here as I have let go." With that, Spencer realised his mother was wearing a wry smile. "And it eats at him more and more every time he comes here and he sees that. And that I do not care about him and the life he now leads. It hurts him more than he could ever hope to hurt me. And if I am truly honest, I have to shamefully admit I love it." Spencer took a minute to process his mother's words. "That." He looked back to her face again. "And though it is a terrible thing to insult another person, but I love doing it to him and for him to never even realise that I am even doing it. I wonder does it suddenly dawn on him on sporadic intervals. I can only imagine the look on his face as he is sitting down to his dinner at night or as he leans over his desk at work and comes to the realisation that the whole time he thought he was being the insulting one, he was actually the one being insulted and that he had not the capacity to even realise it." She pondered aloud before laughing.
As the image of his father halting mid meal and becoming infuriated at his own lack of intellect played out in Spencer's head, he too erupted into laughter. When it subsided Diana sighed. "My dear, as much as I have immensely enjoyed our conversation, I fear I am becoming tired and I wish to be well rested before meeting your family tomorrow." She rose from the chair and Spencer quickly followed suit.
"Sure thing Mom." He kissed her cheek before walking to the door. "We shall be back tomorrow at the same time."
"I look forward to it." Spencer returned to the sincere smile on his mother's face and exited the room. He sent a text to Derek immediately hoping he was ready to leave the park and headed to the reception, informing the staff that he would be returning the next the day with his family.
In a matter of minutes, Derek returned to the parking lot and Spencer got into the car without uttering a word. Derek looked at his husband expectantly for a moment before coming to the conclusion he was going to get nothing from the lithe man. He turned his attention to the road and drove out of the hospital grounds and back towards the hotel.
The car remained in silence with the exception of Aidan, who was snoring quietly after his run around in the park. For nearly three miles Spencer did nothing but stare out the car window. When they had nearly reached the city again, Spencer turned to Derek and noticed the worry on his face. "Sorry, I was in my own world thinking about something my mother said." Derek glanced sideways momentarily to show his concern. "Nothing bad happened, though she seems to have completely forgotten about my phone call yesterday, so she was not expecting me. But I was just mulling over the advice she gave me" he had a small smile on his face.
Derek wondered exactly what it was Diana Reid had said to her son, but he knew it was not his place to ask. Spencer would tell him if he wanted him to know. "So it went okay then?" Spencer's reply was a nod and an "mmhmm" which quelled Derek's concern. "Is she okay with us going tomorrow? All of us?"
"She told me to leave so that she will be well rested. I only hope she remembers. Which reminds me; even in her state she remembered it was Aidan's birthday this week." He was proud of that, and Derek could hear it.
"That's something." Again Spencer merely nodded. "You okay Spence?"
"Yeah, just hungry. At home it is dinner time now. I hate these time differences."
"I know. I get a bit muddled too. Let's find a nice diner. Any recommendations?"
"Actually yes, take a right up here." Derek flicked on the indicator and listened to his husband's instructions carefully as he turned the corner.
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"So that was Garcia, Clooney is at Rossi's. Apparently he was looking lonely and needed a friend." Derek laughed as he sat back down to the table after taking a call from the vivacious blonde.
"Poor Rossi, was he even consulted before she landed on his doorstep with a dog?"
"Doubt it, you know Baby Girl, she is not one to ask." Derek looked over his shoulder as he spoke, looking in a concerned manner towards the door.
"Everything alright Der?"
"Yeah, just…."
"Just what?"
"Well when I was going out to take the call, there was a guy behind me just glaring at me, he continued to do so while I was on the phone and on the way back in. I dunno, it's a bit weird." Spencer glanced around to where his husband had indicated the man had been. "He seems to be gone now." Derek shrugged. "I wonder what his problem was."
"I wonder. But to be honest there are more than a few odd people in Vegas." Spencer answered picking Aidan up out of the highchair he had decorated in pureed carrots and potatoes while Derek got the cheque. Neither man thought anymore of Derek's encounter.