BAU's Baby

Part 25

Reid snapped awake. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, letting out a big yawn. He was exhausted, but couldn't stand the thought of going back to sleep so soon. He stood and climbed out of his crib, back in his adult headspace.

He walked into the living room, where he saw Morgan and Garcia on the armchair and couch. He walked over to Morgan and gently tapped his shoulder.

"Morgan." He whispered, shifting his paci to the side of his mouth. Morgan grumbled but opened his eyes, blinking a few times.

"Hey pretty boy, what's got you up at this hour?" Morgan whispered.

"I couldn't sleep. Wanna go grab a bite?" Reid replied. Morgan looked down at his watch, then glanced at Garcia.

"I don't know, kid. It's 4 in the morning." Morgan began. Reid looked down sadly. "Tell you what, we'll chill here for another few hours, then get breakfast bright and early. Think you can stay up for a while?" Morgan asked.

Reid nodded eagerly, leaning over Morgan and hugging him. Morgan chuckled and patted his back, standing.

Finally, as birds began to chirp and the clock struck 7, Morgan and Reid got dressed for the day. Morgan looked over at the couch, debating if he should wake Garcia. He decided he should, as the tech wouldn't want to miss any special moments with her family.

"Garcia," Morgan said softly. "Baby girl." That caught Garcia's attention and she sat up, smiling at her boys.

"Wanna come get breakfast with us?" Reid asked, dressed in loose gray joggers and a blue sweater.

"Of course, pumpkin." Garcia answered. "Just give me a minute to get ready, and we'll head out."  With that, she headed to the bathroom to get dressed, emerging a couple minutes later.

"Have you been out of your headspace long?" She asked Reid. He nodded.

"Since 4:00. It's nice to be more aware of my surroundings, though. I've missed talking to you guys." Reid said.

The trio headed to Morgan's car, Garcia sitting shotgun and Reid in the backseat. They pulled out of the large parking lot, making their way to their favorite diner.

"I'm gonna get a big old cup of coffee, and nothing's gonna stop me." Reid said, grinning. It had been quite a while since he'd had his favored beverage, as baby Reid was never allowed to have it. Reid turned to look out the window, freezing instantly.

"Reid? Reid, are you okay?" Morgan asked, glancing at him in the rear view.

Reid snapped out of his daze, nodding unconvincingly.

"Yeah, I just thought... could've sworn I saw..." Reid stuttered, blinking.

Had he just seen Ax, or was his mind playing tricks on him?

When they arrived at the diner, Morgan parked, exiting the car with Garcia, but Reid stayed put.

"Are you alright? We don't have to go in if you're scared." Garcia assured him. Reid took in a deep breath before getting out of the car, walking in between Morgan and Garcia. The tech grabbed his hand, squeezing it.

"We've got you, baby." She cooed to him, smiling.

Reid smiled and nodded. His friends would always be there, and they looked out for him.

Throughout breakfast, Reid felt better about the car ride. There's no way he'd seen Ax, the man was probably long gone, off to kidnap some other poor soul, put them through what he's been through.

The thought made him lose his appetite, and he pushed his plate away, focusing just on his coffee.

"You alright, pretty boy?" Morgan asked quietly, gently resting his hand on Reid's shoulder.

"Yeah." Reid mumbled. Morgan and Garcia looked at each other. 

"We can go if you want. I'm done eating." Garcia offered, and Morgan nodded in agreement.

"I don't wanna make you guys leave." Reid said. He felt bad that they were ready to leave just to accommodate him.

"Don't be silly. We want you to be comfortable, and if you're getting restless, we can go home." Morgan assured him.

"Okay." Reid said, setting his empty mug down. Morgan paid for the food, and the three left, walking back to the car.

As he sat in the back seat, Reid began to feel sleepy. He rested his head on the seat and closed his eyes, drifting off.

Once they parked, Gracie and Morgan got out of the car, and Morgan carefully picked Reid up out of the back seat. He carried him inside, walking in with Garcia and shutting the door after them.

Morgan looked down at Reid, unsure if he'd regressed or not. He didn't want to wake him up, but he didn't want to leave him in his big clothes if he was little.

"I'm gonna go get him changed." Morgan whispered to gar is before bringing Reid to the nursery. He laid him down on the changing table and removed his sweats, grabbing a diaper and onesie.

Reid slowly opened his eyes, looking up at Morgan.

"Hey pretty boy." Morgan greeted softly. He waited for a sign from Reid to see where he was at.

Reid cooed happily, making grabby hands at Morgan, which told him all he needed to know.

"Alright baby boy, let's get you dressed." Morgan cooed, changing Reid into a diaper and onesie. He scooped him back up, kissing his temple as he brought him back to the living room, sitting him in the playpen.

"You stay there, bubba, and I'll get you a bottle." Morgan promised, walking into the kitchen.

Garcia looked at Reid from the couch and smiled.

"There's my handsome boy. Aren't you just the cutest?" She cooed, causing Reid to smile.

When Morgan returned, he carried Reid to the couch and cradled him, holding him close as he fed him.

Reid drank his milk happily, leaning against Morgan's chest and humming behind the bottle. Garcia went to the kitchen to make some coffee.

Once Reid was fed and burped, Morgan laid him down on a playmat, walking into the kitchen. Reid tipped his head back, trying hard to look into the kitchen, but he couldn't do it. Frightened that he couldn't see his caregivers, he whimpered, tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Hey sugar, you're alright." Garcia cooed, setting her coffee on the table before sitting be Reid. He smiled, relieved that he wasn't alone.

Morgan walked into the room, smiling at the baby.

"Did I forget to give you your paci? Silly me." He said, going back to Reid's nursery to retrieve a pacifier. When he returned, he popped it in Reid's mouth, and the boy cooed.