Criminal Intelligence

Absolutely Gorgeous

"He's so gorgeous," JJ whined to the thanks of Mrs. Hotchner.

Haley Hotchner had brought her newborn son into the BAU, met with her husband, and ended up introducing her child to the team. I say "ended up" but I think it is needless to say that Penny had immediately swarmed around the sight causing such a spectacle that the rest of us could not help but to come and swoon along with her.

Hotch, holding Jack, stood next to his wife and was encircled by JJ, Penelope, Spencer, and I, holding Spencer's hand.

"...If you find baldness and wrinkles attractive," Spencer muttered in response to JJ's praise.

I raised my left hand, the one not occupied by his at my side, and slapped him light and teasingly on the stomach. I would have smacked him lightly on the back of his head but the pipe cleaner man towered too far over me.

"Oh, come on, Spence!" I exclaimed, "He is so adorable! How could you not want one for yourself?"

Spencer, unnoticed by me as I was too busy focusing on the baby before me, turned beet-red. It should go without saying that Penny definitely did not allow this to fly over her head... though, hers was much taller than mine so, there's that.

"O-oh, yeah... maybe not for just myself but- he... he's adorable. Ab-absolutely gorgeous," Spencer tripped so severely over his words as he looked down at me with an awed face that I was surprised his falling did not become literal.

As I said, Penelope definitely did not miss his bashfulness but decided to spare him the embarrassment of anyone else picking up on his comment that might have been better regulated to me in confidence.

Simulating my movement, she gently backhanded his chest, brushed past my head in the process, and continued to shower baby Hotch and his parents with compliments.

"Look at his little, witty bitty nose," she babbled.

"Don't you want one of these?" Garcia added to a Morgan who rested his head right on top of mine, to the result of a very displeased Spencer who discreetly gripped my hand tighter in his pocket.

"Hm," Derek joked, "I'll stick to practicing."

Everyone laughed at this. Well, everyone but Spencer, who pulled a face. When I looked up at him with a cheesy smile, his face melted. Again, Penny noticed.

"Congratulations," Elle awarded, popping up on the other side of Spencer.

Both the happy parents thanked her and Hotch wasted no time to praise his wife and crack a self-deprecating joke.

Mrs. Hotcher looked around at the crowd she was gathering and announced that it was likely time for her to take her son home.

"It was a pleasure seeing you, Mrs. Hotchner," Spencer, ever the gentleman, formally replied.

After a quick round of kind goodbyes, Haley backed the baby into an elevator and waved goodbye.

As Elle handed Hotch a file and they briefly commented on the severity of the case at hand, the rest of us moved happily into the bullpen. Spencer, still holding my hand hidden in his pocket, led the group into the room with me at his side and the rest of the team behind us two.

When we reached an intersection, Penny pushed me hard in the small of the back, caused me to stumble forward, and as a result, Spence to trip on his feet so badly he was almost brought to the ground. He caught himself, fortunately, before I had to. Once I made sure he was alright, I whipped around to face her with an assaulted look.

As she chuckled, Garcia nodded suggestively in one direction before she grabbed JJ by the elbow and guided her in another.

"Peaches, I do not need to be a kid genius profiler like the both of you to realize that you two have a lot to discuss..."