Speechless | Spencer Reid FanFiction ✔️

Chapter 18: Sleepover*

Spencer and the team have been on the case for about 4 days now. It is now Thursday at 6 pm and I just got home from work. It wasn't a bad day, the days just drag on when I know I'm not leaving to see Spencer because I don't have anything to look forward to besides dinner, Netflix, and Ryder. As I'm curling up on my couch with some ramen, Grey's Anatomy, and Ryder, my phone starts to ring and JJ's name is on the screen.
I start to panic a bit and answer the phone saying "Hey JJ, is Spencer okay?" She quickly realizes why I'm asking and she says "Hey, Annie, Spencer is fine I was calling because I just wanted to know if you were serious about your offer to help with Henry?" I am immediately flooded with relief and say "yeah I was totally serious! Is everything okay with Henry?" JJ laughs lightly and says "Will is just being called in to work and he has Henry and Jack at our house because Hotch's sister in law, Jessica, had to go out of town for the week. Could you stay with them tonight? You can bring Ryder with you. We have a big fenced in back yard that he would probably love."
I nod to myself and say "yeah I can do that! I have a day off tomorrow so I can stay for a while. I just need to pack up an over night bag real quick and I can head over there. Send me the address?" JJ lets out an audible sigh of relief and says "thank you so much, Annie. Will, Hotch, and I all owe you big time." I laugh softly and say "it's no problem, JJ. The best way you can repay me is bringing my boyfriend home unscathed, in one piece." She laughs at that and says "we will certainly do our best to do that. Texting you the address now!" I tell her "okay, thanks, JJ." And hang up.
I get a quick overnight bag together and pack up Ryder's stuff. I am bringing his crate with me so he has a safe place at JJ and Will's house and I have a place I can put him if he gets himself into too much trouble. We pack up and head over to JJ and Will's which is only about 20 minutes away from my apartment complex. I get to the house and park in the driveway, careful not to block Will's car and go to knock on the front door with my overnight bag and Ryder.
I knock on the front door and a stressed looking Will opens the door, immediately looking less stressed upon seeing me. He smiles with relief and says "Hey, Annie. Thanks for coming on such short notice! This must be Ryder." I smile and say "yeah JJ said I could bring him, I hope it's okay that I did?" Will nods saying "it's perfectly fine," as he lets me into the house. I smile and say "okay I just need to get his crate out of the back seat and I'm good to go." Will says "don't worry I'll get it," he grabs my keys from me and continues "the guest room is down that hallway, first door on the left."
I walk into the guest room and put my stuff down, keeping Ryder with me on the leash. I let Ryder lead me with his nose and ears to the room Henry and Jack are in; it's a cute nursery with a crib and a trundle bed as well as toys for babies and probably toys for Jack when he's here. Jack is immediately excited to see me and runs up to me hugging my legs saying "Annie! You want to play LEGO's?" I chuckle and say "sure Jack we can play LEGO's. Remember I will also have to take care of Henry tonight. Will you be my little helper tonight and help me take care of Henry?" Jack excitedly smiles and nods and goes to pet Ryder.
Will comes in the doorway and says "I put the crate in the guest room. You have all of our numbers if you need anything. They haven't had dinner yet but there's frozen stuff in the freezer for Jack and baby food and breast milk in the fridge and pantry for Henry. Thank you so much!" I smile and say "don't mention it, hope you have a good shift!" I hear him laugh and yell thanks as I hear the door shut and lock behind him.
I look at Jack and say "you ready for dinner?" He jumps up excitedly and says "yeah!" I chuckle as I grab Henry from the crib who is happily babbling and head to the kitchen with a toddler, a baby, and a dog. It sounds like the opening to a weird joke, honestly. I get into the kitchen and place Henry in the high chair, get Jack set up sitting at the island, and I've got Ryder's leash attached to the kitchen door so he can't go explore in the house and steal stuff. I grabbed Ryder's bed from his crate and brought it with me to the kitchen with some toys so he could be comfortable and occupied while I took care of the kids. I look at Jack and say "let's look at what's for dinner!"
I check the freezer and then the pantry before turning to Jack and saying "it looks like we have chicken nuggets, Mac and cheese, or pizza for dinner, Jack. What'll it be?" He looks at me smiling and hums before saying "chicken nuggets!" I chuckle and say okay as I get them cooking in the microwave. I go to the fridge and say "do you want ketchup or barbecue sauce or anything with them?" He gets excited and says "ketchup please!" I smile and start to get everything ready for him.
I hand Jack his plate and get baby food ready for Henry. Jack asks me "why can't Henry have chicken nuggets, too?" I smile softly and say "Henry doesn't have enough teeth for that yet so he eats baby food that is soft and easy for him to chew with what little teeth he has and his gums." Jack looks at me still a bit confused but says "huh okay." I feed Henry some more and Jack asks me out of the blue "do you love Uncle Spencer?" I'm a bit shocked by the question and hesitate before I briefly respond "yes I do love Uncle Spencer." He nods and is quiet for a second before he says "and Uncle Spencer loves you?" I think for a second before saying "well he's told me he loves me before, Jack, but you'd have to ask Uncle Spencer that question to know for sure." He giggles and says "okay I'll ask him."
I turn to Jack and ask him "why are you asking me those questions, Jack." He shrugs before saying "my mommy loved my daddy but my daddy left us alone for a while. And my mommy is gone now. Uncle Spencer leaves a lot with my daddy and I just don't know why they leave us if they love us." I can physically feel my heart splintering into a million little pieces.
I pull Jack in for a hug and tell him "oh, Jack. Your mommy and daddy loved each other so much. Your daddy had to leave for a long time because he loved you so much because a bad man was after him. He was trying to save you from the bad man. Every time your daddy and Uncle Spencer leave they are trying to save other kids and mommies and daddies from bad guys. They leave so they can make the world safer, not because they don't love us. They always come back when they leave and that's how and when they show us they love us."
Jack sniffles and nods. I look at him and tell him "I love you and I love Henry, too. I will always be here when you want me to be. Your aunt Jessica has my number and she can always call me if you need me. Uncle Spencer loves you guys, too, and would do anything for you." Jack leans forward and gives me a big hug and says "I love you, too, Annie." I feel my heart warm in my chest at his statement.
Jack gets down from his chair and says "can we go play LEGO's now and watch Monsters Inc?" I smile and nod before saying "just let me finish feeding Henry and then I'll be in there." He smiles and goes to the nursery to play. I talk in baby talk to Henry while I feed him. After Henry eats as much as he will let me feed him I take him out of the high chair and go to the nursery to play with Henry. I crate Ryder in the guest room so I can fully focus on the kids. I sit cross legged on the ground in the nursery and play LEGO's with Jack while Henry sits in my lap. I work on building things with the LEGO's in between entertaining Henry. The LEGO's are big so I don't have to worry about Henry or Jack swallowing them.
I check my watch and realize it's 8:30 and probably time to get them ready for bed. I put Henry in his crib and go to the bathroom to fill up the tub for Jack to take a quick bath before bed. I go back into the nursery and tell Jack it's time to take a bath and get ready for bed. Luckily he's old enough to sit in the bathtub by himself and only needs me for washing his hair. I try to stay within eye sight of both kids in the door way to the bathroom that's connected to the nursery.
Henry is in the crib playing with a crib toy and Jack is having fun with the bath toys. After we get Jack all clean and in pajamas it's time to quickly bathe Henry. There's a little bath support thing that I use to bathe Henry while Jack brushes his teeth and gets ready for bed. The bath time for Henry is quick and I get him out and into a new diaper and sleeper. I carry Henry and hold Jack's hand as I fix a bottle of breast milk for Henry and a warm sippy cup of milk for Jack. We walk back into the nursery and I tuck Jack into bed and turn on the noisemaker and night light that projects stars on the ceiling and take Henry with me to the living room to have his milk while I watch tv.
Henry finishes his breast milk and I burp him for a bit. After I'm satisfied with Henry's burping I hold him against my chest and feel his head nuzzle into my neck. He quickly goes to sleep sucking on a pacifier. After I'm sure he's fully asleep and not going to wake up I take him into the nursery and settle him into the crib. I check on Jack who is now sound asleep. I grab the baby monitor and make sure the cameras are on so I can flip the screen between the two. I lock all the doors and turn on the alarm to the house before getting Ryder out of his crate and settling on the living room couch watching tv for a while.
After so long I go to take Ryder out before we go to bed and I let him roam around the back yard for a while. You know, let him get some energy out and explore. After he does his business we go back in the house and I double check the doors and alarm as well as double check that both kids are sleeping soundly before going to get ready for bed in the en suite guest bathroom. I quickly get ready for bed and send Spencer a good night text, thoroughly worn out from work today and the kids tonight. It definitely solidifies for me that I am not ready for kids. Although, you don't usually start out immediately with a 4 year old and a 10 month old.
I turn on the guest tv to a random comfort show on Netflix and make sure the baby monitor volume is up so I can hear if Jack or Henry wake up crying. Ryder jumps on the bed with me and curls up next to me, he seems to be thoroughly exhausted as well and falls asleep instantly. I fall asleep quickly, too, happy that I was able to help my friends and their kids.