never grow up, criminal minds

016. birthday

Clara is finishing her book report, Ellie helping her, when Spencer gets back from his most recent case.

"Daddy!" Clara grins, running over to him, and hugging him.

"Hi, baby." Spencer smiles, picking her up. He kisses her cheek, holding her close. His mind goes to the one mom who had a drug addiction, buying drugs when her son got kidnapped on the playground. He's been in that position of being addicted.

Spencer's grip tightens around his daughter as he imagines how different their lives could be if he never got clean.

"I love you." He quietly tells her.

"I love you, too." Clara kisses his cheek making him smile.

After bidding Ellie goodbye, Spencer shuts the door and locks it.

"You finish your book report?" He asks, walking over to the table.

"Almost. There's a couple more things to finish, but Ellie was helping." Clara says.

"I can help you." Spencer says, sitting down and putting Clara on his lap. "Let's get it done before bedtime, huh?"

"I don't mind staying up late." Clara grins.

"You will in the morning." Spencer softly laughs.

+++

Spencer is holding Clara in one arm, the girl asleep, her head on his shoulder. She had been having trouble going to sleep, nothing getting her to sleep but being held in her father's arms.

Spencer isn't certain why she's been struggling to sleep since she hasn't told him about any nightmares, it's not around the anniversary of when she got kidnapped, she's not grieving, she doesn't watch scary things. He assumes it's just a stage she's going through as part of growing up.

Spencer's phone dings and he goes over to it, reading the text from Penelope about the team needing to come in for a case about two missing children.

Spencer sighs, wincing as he looks down at his daughter.

"Sorry, baby." He whispers, pressing a light kiss to her head.

Spencer calls Ellie while he carries Clara to his room, hoping letting her sleep in his bed surrounded by his scent will keep her asleep.

+++

After the case, Spencer calls his apartment, talking to Clara.

"So are you coming home tonight?" Clara hopefully asks.

"No, not yet, honey. I'll be home tomorrow, I promise." Spencer tells her. "The weather isn't safe enough to fly. We have to spend the night again."

"Thunderstorms?" Clara asks.

"Yeah." Spencer nods.

"What about tornados? Did you guys risk being like Dorothy?" Clara asks.

"Uh..." Spencer isn't sure if he should answer that, not sure if the idea of him getting blown away by a tornado could cause her nightmares. "There were a couple tornados, but we didn't get close to them. They just... went right past us."

"So you didn't get to meet munchkins?" Clara asks, Spencer able to picture the sad pout on her face.

"No. Sorry." Spencer says, listening to her let out a dejected sigh. Spencer looks at his watch. "It's bedtime, you should be going to sleep."

"Can you tell me a story?" Clara asks. "You or Ellie can hang the phone up after I fall asleep."

"Sure, honey." Spencer agrees.