S P E N C E R ' S P O V
Our time in the office is usually about ninety percent talking, and ten percent actually doing our paperwork.
The weather is finally starting to pick up here and it's probably the hottest day of the year so far, a fact that is not helping our motivation to get through the day at all.
"It's such a nice day out," Emily groans, fanning herself with a manila folder. "Why are we doing paperwork?"
JJ heaves a heavy sigh, directing her daggers at me. "Because someone suggested getting our paperwork done right now."
I have some news for everyone but Averie is on her way here and I want to wait until she gets here before I say anything. So yes I suggested getting our paperwork done as an excuse to get them to stay here, but it's also just common sense to get it done before our weekend off. They'll thank me Monday morning.
"Less talking," I say, snapping my fingers. "More writing."
Derek gawks at me. "Did you just click your fingers at us?"
I keep eye contact with him while I click my fingers again. Very slowly.
He pushes off his chair onto his feet, the amusement on his face completely contrasting the way he cracks his knuckles. "Oh it's on pretty boy."
"Hey," A familiar voice says from behind me and I turn in my desk chair, a huge smile stretching across my face.
At the sight of my wife and son now standing beside us, Derek retreats back into his seat. His fingers form a V, pointing them between his eyes and mine while he mouths this isn't over.
Averie rolls the stroller to a stop beside me and I push the sun visor back. Aidan's whole face lights up when he sees me, excitedly kicking his legs uncontrollably when he lets out a squeal of delight. I seen him this morning but I love how excited he gets.
"Woah," Emily says, looking slightly impressed. "I have never seen someone so excited to see Reid in my life."
"Ha ha," I roll my eyes at her. My whole expression brightens when I focus back on my son, showering him with kisses.
"I come bearing gifts," Averie smiles, reaching underneath the stroller. She takes out a box of donuts, placing them down on the desk.
"Baby first, donuts later," Penelope grins, holding her arms out to take Aidan from me. "Gimme, gimme."
"Look at you, you little summer baby," Penelope beams, holding him on her hip as she straightens out his little T-shirt and shorts. Aidan erupts in a fit of giggles when she starts to tickle him.
Aidan doesn't know what to do with himself while everyone wants to hold him and say hi, there is so much excitement coursing through his little body you'd swear he was drowning with how much his arms and legs are kicking and his squeals of joy.
Averie and I love learning new things about him and one thing we've noticed is that he is definitely shy around strangers, but the team are anything but that. Just Penelope alone stops by our house every second day to see him and every other day it's someone else.
"Hey little man," Derek says, grinning at Aidan when he holds him up in his arms. He reaches into his desk drawer. "I got you a present."
He slides a tiny pair of sunglasses onto Aidan's face, and we all laugh because they're matching the pair Derek then slides onto his own face.
My new contract was signed this morning so with everyone standing around, I figure now's a good time to break the news. Derek beats me to the punch when he speaks up.
"Why do I feel like this is sympathy food?" He mumbles around his donut. "Is there bad news?"
I chuckle nervously. "Actually, I need to tell you guys something."
I don't think the team know exactly what's coming, but I think they have a fair idea. Penelope saw me coming out of the director's office last week and I know for a fact the first thing she did was run to gossip with Derek, Emily and JJ.
I passed them on my way out of the bullpen that day, and they were all huddled around, talking lowly with hushed whispers. They perked up when they seen me, trying to make basic conversation while I waited for the elevator. But I one hundred percent know when those doors closed behind me, they went back to their speculations.
"Oh thank god," Penelope sighs, wagging her finger between me and Hotch. "Something has been going on and it's been killing me not to know."
I begin to think of how to say it, but I think it's better I show them. "Actually," I say, nodding towards the door. "Follow me."
Everyone does follow, albeit very sceptically, sharing a few looks between each other. I lead them down the hall, right to the office that now has Dr. Spencer Reid written across the door.
"You— what?" Penelope stammers, her eyes darting between me and the door. "Huh?"
Hotch and I talked for hours that night I told him I was ready to leave the team, and he was just as supportive as I thought he would be. We decided not to tell everyone else because while I was firm on my decision to leave, Hotch had a feeling I wouldn't be going very far.
So, Apparently my brain is very valuable to the FBI and it isn't something they are willing to let go of that easy. So when the director got wind that I was ready to leave, he gave me every reason not to.
So when he started spewing out incentives for me to stay and figures that were triple my salary now, I just sat back and listened. It's not like I had another job lined up or anything, so I was willing to hear him out.
One factor that was non negotiable for me was the travel. I always said, not even to just Averie, to myself as well, that I would do this job until it doesn't make sense anymore. To me, it no longer does.
Aidan is already growing up so fast and I don't want to leave one day and come back and have missed the first time he crawls, takes a step or says his first word. And I don't want to be hundreds of miles away, watching it through a screen either.
At the end of the day this job is just a job but the team will always be my family. So wether I'm on the team or not, nothing is going to change between us all.
My son deserves to have me there to read him a story and tuck him in every night. He deserves to have me there every morning when he wakes up, help him with homework in the future and come to cheer him on at every game or activity he decides to take part in.
Averie deserves to not have to parent alone half the days out of the year. She deserves to not be afraid every time the phone rings, scared out of her mind that who ever is on the other line is going to say something went wrong and I wouldn't be coming home. Ever.
And damn it I deserve to enjoy my family and not worry about psycho serial killers coming after us.
So with the directors persistence on me staying at the FBI, we came to an agreement.
There's not exactly a title for my new job, since it was basically created between my conditions and the director working around anyway of keeping me here, but who needs a job title when I now have my own office. I call that a win.
I will be working on cold cases that have not yet been fully resolved. I'll be re-examining archives, new or retained material evidence or witness testimonies. And since they're cold cases and not exactly time sensitive or in dire need of a resolution, I get to work a basic Monday to Friday, nine-five job.
I also get to work with the best technical analyst around, miss Penelope Garcia, to search any records or research I might need. I can also help the team on local cases if they need, but I just won't be in the field.
I'm happy with the decision I made and that's all that matters.
I don't know if the team's speculations was that I was leaving, but none of them look all that surprised when I finally tell them.
And while I explain my reasoning on leaving the team to everyone, I keep my eyes on Averie and my son the whole time. They are, and always will be more important than anything.
"—so this is my office now. I'll still be here, but I won't be working on cases with you guys."
"You are doing what's best for you," Rossi says with a smile, being the first one to speak up. "We're still family, no matter what. I'm so happy for you."
Emily wraps me into a hug, whispering so only I can hear. "Cases are going to be a hell of a lot harder to solve without you."
I smile when I pull back to look at her, knowing that that is her own way of saying she's going to miss me.
"Damn," Derek mumbles, pursing his lips. "I don't think I'm going to like who replaces you."
I snicker. "That's because I'm irreplaceable."
"Damn straight," He chuckles, pulling me into a hug. "I love you, kid. I'm so happy for you."
"I don't know why I'm crying," Penelope sniffles, wiping at her eyes. She laughs a little, confused by her own emotions. "My office is ten steps from here. I'm going to see you every day, probably more than I see you now."
I chuckle, pulling her into a hug. "Now I'll be here everyday. We can have lunch together and croissants every morning," I grin, knowing that will make her smile.
She does smile, flashing me a huge grin. "I'll hold you to that," She says, patting my chest. "You know those are my favorite."
"I'm happy that you're happy Spence," JJ whispers when she hugs me, nothing but joy in her tone. "You have everything I've ever wanted for you."
"We're going to celebrate tonight at my place." Rossi smiles, placing his hand on my shoulder. "Not because we're losing you, but because you're starting a new adventure."
"Okay, now back to your paperwork," Hotch says, ushering everyone out my office door. "He's not dying, you'll still see him every day."
Waving them off, the team start to file out of my office. I'll see them later at Rossi's anyways, so there's no need for any dramatic goodbyes. I'm not going anywhere.
"Thank you," I say to Hotch before he leaves my office. He was by my side during all the negotiations of my new contract, making sure I got exactly what I wanted. "I really appreciate it."
"For what it's worth, I think you're doing the right thing," Hotch says, pausing at the door, smiling softly. "Time with your son is irreplaceable."
When the door clicks closed behind him, the first thing Averie does is walk into my arms, hugging me. Aidan reaches for me so I take him, holding Averie to me, squeezing her tight.
Averie's soft lips brush my cheek, kissing it repeatedly. "Are you happy?"
I tilt her chin up, dipping my head to capture her lips. "Unbelievably happy," I say, mouth curving into a smile. "I never have to be away from you two again."
"You have an office with a door now," Averie grins, pumping her eyebrows. She reaches over to cover Aidan's ears. "You are so fucking me over that desk someday."
When the director mentioned me having my own office, I'm not ashamed to say that that was my first thought too.
Laughing, I walk over and sit Aidan down on my desk chair, letting him do the honours of being the first one to sit in it. Propping his back up, his legs barely reach the middle of the seat but he looks like he's having a great time, smiling at us and tilting his head back so he can see us through the sunglasses which are now sliding down his face.
The office is still empty so I open my wallet, taking out the few photos I have of my son and wife stored in there, propping them up on my desk. I'll get some frames soon, but these will have to do for now.
"What do we want to do today?" I ask, picking Aidan up, bending and extending my arms while he giggles in the air.
"I was going to go on a run," Averie says and it's only now that I realise she's in her workout clothes. "Do you want to run with me?"
I bounce Aidan in my arms, quickly thinking of a compromise. "How about we watch and cheer you on from the sidelines?"
Averie grins. "Deal."
-
"This is where I first met your mommy."
It's such a nice day and the sun is beaming down on us so I've laid down a blanket in the grass, right in the middle of the park. We decided to come to rock creek park, Averie's favorite place to run.
I lay Aidan down on the blanket between my legs, reaching into his diaper bag to grab the sun screen. I start to smooth it over his little arms and legs, making sure to get his face and ears too.
"She was running, just like she is now. I spilled my coffee over her and rambled like an idiot," I laugh quietly, thinking back to how awkward I was during our first interaction. "I don't know why, but she liked me and agreed to go out with me."
Aidan has no idea what I'm saying, his hand stuffed into his mouth while I talk. I think he likes to hear me speak, he's always so content listening to me so I continue.
"We've travelled together to so many places," I smile, thinking of all the different vacations and weekend getaways we've been on. "We're going to take you on vacations too. Where do you want to go? Disney world?"
Penelope has already got him many stuffed Disney toys and I'm sure whenever she babysits him she will have Disney movies on repeat. I don't know if they will be more for him or her, but either way she'll instil her love for them in him.
"There was some stuff in between that like the day she agreed to spend the rest of her life with me," I say, putting his sun hat on his head, making sure it shields his eyes from the sun. "But then boom, you came along and everything changed. In a good way of course, the best possible way."
In the distance I see Averie approaching us, finally finished with her run. I turn Aidan in her direction and his face lights up when he sees her. She stops about a foot away and Aidan's giggles when she starts to play peak-a-boo from behind her hands with him make my heart melt.
I pass Averie some water when she sits down beside us on the blanket and she downs half the bottle in one go. "That felt so good," She sighs, leaning back on her palms. She tilts her face back, letting the sun rays shine across her skin. "I haven't ran in forever."
Running is absolutely not my thing, but I can appreciate my wife in a sports bra and leggings all day long so I guess I'm a fan.
With Aidan's curiosity getting the better of him, he leans over in my arms, reaching for the grass. Averie and I both laugh at his first reaction to grass because the second he touches it, his eyes widen and he try's desperately to grab at it.
"It's fascinating, isn't it?" Averie smiles, flickering her eyes to mine. "Seeing such simple things through his eyes."
The murmurs of families talking and laughing surround us as the park gets busier. There are children of all ages playing in the grass, pets running around too.
Averie lays her chin on my shoulder, looking at me with hope filled eyes. "Can we get a dog someday?"
"Let me guess.." I grin. "A golden retriever?"
The irony is not lost on me. We first met when we bumped into each other because she was staring at a dog that looked like her childhood one. So It's only appropriate that if we get a dog, it's a golden retriever.
That hopeful smile only gets bigger. "Please?"
I press a gentle kiss to her lips. "Of course we can."
We enjoy our time in the park a little longer until we decide to head home. Averie gets Aidan all strapped into his stroller while I pack up his diaper bag and blanket.
"Do you want to grab some coffee on the way?" Averie asks, looking back at me while she pushes the stroller down the trail.
"Only if I can spill it all over you," I laugh and she playfully rolls her eyes. "Come on, for old times sake."
She shakes her head, teasingly nudging her shoulder to mine. "You wish."
I could run my mind wild thinking where our lives would be if Averie had slept through her alarm and decided not to go for a run that morning. Or if I had picked one of the many other parks in the city to read in before work. But either way, we met and that's all that matters.
So hand in hand, with the smiling face of our son in the stroller beaming up at us, we walk out of the park that started everything for us.
-
A/N: ...the end🤍
Spencer and Averie have grown so much and will always hold a special place in my heart. I can't believe it's over :(
But I want to say thank you so much for your reads and support of this story, I genuinely can't believe how far it's come. It's literally insane to me how many people are reading something I've wrote..🤍🤍
The next few days are crazy busy for me so I won't get much time to work on the epilogue and I want to make sure it's perfect before I post it (there's so much I want to include, it's already 4000 words and I'm no where near done yet😅) so it will probably be next week before it's up!
Also the Epilogue is set far in the future because I wanted all of their kids to be of talking age🥰 How many do you think they had?