Dazed | Spencer Reid FanFiction

Chapter 36: Thankful

When Spencer's birthday rolled around almost 4 weeks ago and I was still miserably pregnant, he didn't want to celebrate anything and I didn't have the energy to prepare anything. So I talked to the team and we are going to do a mini celebration at Thanksgiving for Spencer's 30th birthday. I felt like an awful wife at the time but I could not get the energy up to throw him a proper celebration like last year. He told me he has everything he wanted already and to focus on the baby.
I still felt like crap but I knew he would be mad if I did try to do anything the night of his birthday. Instead we got his favorite take out delivered and just watched Doctor Who until he fell asleep with his glasses on watching it. All we are going to have for Spencer is a birthday cake. I think some people may have gifts for him but I told them all there was no obligation for gifts. They rarely follow instructions like that anyway.
My mom left a few days ago, but I think we've gotten everything figured out with our own rhythm. I'm less worried about SIDS right now but the fear still sits in the back of my mind at times. When my mom was still here, Katie had lost a little weight at her 5 day appointment, but that's normal. She was 6 pounds 7 ounces to begin with at birth and dropped to about 5 pounds 3 ounces. She was and still is tiny and beautiful. Her vitals and everything looked good, she passed her hearing screening that they did. She has a clean bill of health so far. The team has been wonderful, all of them at least once cooking us dinner or providing us dinner from a restaurant of some kind. It really has taken the stress off of us about worrying what to cook.
Today is Thanksgiving. She's a little over 3 weeks old. Spencer previously told me we didn't have to do anything for Thanksgiving and we could just stay home and get takeout or something. I told him "no, we need to leave the house and see people. We can dress Katie up all cute in the turkey outfit Aunt Penelope got her and go to Rossi's for Thanksgiving like we have every year of our relationship." Spencer looked at me with concern and said "I just don't want you to overdo it. You've barely healed." I gave him a sad smile and nodded "I'm not waddling anymore and I can sit like normal without hurting a lot. I'm not ready to do much else, but I can handle one social gathering. I'm not cooking anything this year, though." Spencer laughs "somehow, I think everybody will understand."
I didn't care at all what I looked like at Rossi's for Thanksgiving. I wore leggings and a sweatshirt and my uggs. I didn't wear a lick of makeup and my hair was in a messy bun. I wore my glasses instead of contacts as well. Everybody's attention will be on Katie anyway. She looks beautiful - she always does. She's only 3 weeks old so she still kinda looks like a raisin. I'm packing my diaper bag for her first longer term outing and feel like I've forgotten something. We have pacifiers all over the house to grab in a pinch whenever she starts to get upset or is hungry or something. Usually it works in a pinch or helps her somewhat calm herself down so I am grabbing 8 for my diaper bag for Katie tonight. That's reasonable, right?
         Spencer is equally as casual as I am and helps me get her secured in the car seat. She's only been in the car seat to ride home from the hospital, go to her first appointment, and to go on some walks around the neighborhood in her stroller with my mom. He carries her in the car seat very carefully to the car and secures her in the rear facing car seat. I sit back there with her and Spencer doesn't fight me on it at all. It's just too early for me to feel so secure in her sitting back here by herself while we drive 15 minutes. I haven't had to do it yet so I'm going to wait until I have to let her sit back here by herself.
        Spencer did joke with me "eventually she's going to have to sit back there by herself." I shush him and say "don't remind me." He chuckles and tells me "I feel better with you back there, too." I give him a sweet smile and let my daughter grasp my finger with her tiny hand. Spencer did go see his mom today at her facility. We are trying not to expose Katie to any places that might carry communicable illnesses so Spencer went and saw his mom for a bit without me and immediately came home and showered and washed his clothes. We just aren't risking anything right now while she's so young. In the winter, diseases like RSV spread a lot more. Spencer was already a germaphobe so he's kinda gone all papa bear about germs with her. I'm secretly relieved because I was feeling the same way. We agreed the team can hold her if they wash their hands thoroughly and agree to not give her any kisses.
We get to Rossi's house and Spencer parks the car, gets Katie out still in her car seat, and then makes sure I get myself out okay. He tried to help me and I didn't let him. We slowly walk in to Rossi's house, met with muted cheers of excitement to avoid upsetting the baby. I guess Rossi made the ruling of casual thanksgiving because everybody's in sweatpants and leggings and t shirts. I love it. Rossi comes up and hugs me first and I tell him "we might have to make thanksgiving a casual affair from here on out." He chuckles in response "you know, I might just agree with you on that." We part ways and I greet the rest of the team. Jack is very excited about holding a baby. Killian goes with him to make sure that he washes his hands thoroughly and she and Hotch coach him thoroughly on what to do and not to do.
I let Spencer hold our baby and gently place her in Jack's arms. He has steadier hands than I do in situations like this and if I kneel down in front of the couch I don't think I'm getting back up without making a spectacle. The team wouldn't bat an eye, but I would still like to avoid it. Spencer has delivered a baby before, I trust him to handle our daughter carefully. Jack looks at her and says "she's so wrinkly." Spencer laughs and says "well, she was just born a few weeks ago." Jack looks at Spencer and nods "on Halloween, I remember." He looks at the baby then looks up to Spencer and me confused. He asks "but Aunt Annie's belly was big on Halloween. Now it's normal. What happened to it?"
         Spencer looks back at me and then at Hotch and Killian before he says "uh, well Katie here grew inside of Aunt Annie's belly for a long time. That's where babies grow." Jack asks "like a seed?" Spencer nods "yes, exactly. Like a seed." Jack's quizzical expression has yet to falter when he asks "we learned in class that you have to plant seeds for things to go. How do you plant a baby seed? Where does the baby seed come from?" Spencer looks at me with wide panicked eyes before looking at Hotch and Killian. Killian looks panicked as well but Hotch just says "you have to pass a test when you're a grown up and they give you the seed so you can plant it then if you want to. You don't have to have a baby if you don't want one." Jack nods and says "okay that makes sense."
          I think we all breathe a sigh of relief that he accepted that answer so easily. I watch Spencer's shoulders visibly lose the tension he had built up. Jack holds the baby a little longer before he says "I wanna go play, can I give her back now?" Spencer laughs and nods, gently taking our daughter out of his arms. Penelope walks around and sits on the couch and says "my turn to hold our little Katie Di." Spencer smiles and gently hands the baby to Penelope. I turn to look at JJ who is sitting down on a different couch, looking uncomfortably pregnant. I turn to her and ask her "when is your due date?" She chuckles "it was two days ago." I look at her and tell her "I'm sorry it's taking so long, I know you have to be uncomfortable." She shrugs "just a bit longer before all the sleepless nights."
          I nod and tell her "we are not enjoying that part. Thankfully my mom came to help us out for a bit. They're planning to move here, soon." JJ smiles and says "that's great! I'm sure you'll love having some extra help." I nod "they put in an offer on a house around the corner from us. I'm very excited to have an extra set of hands." I sit with JJ and watch as our daughter is passed throughout the team. The dinner is very informal followed by a surprise birthday cake for Spencer, everybody pretty much grazes the food and dotes on our daughter. I love having a baby but I am very excited to have other people take care of her for a while.
         Penelope was all too eager to feed Katie and I just sit down and rest for a bit while everybody else eats and talks. Spencer looks possibly the happiest I've ever seen him. He was always meant to be a girl dad. After everybody has had a chance with her, Hotch holds Katie and she easily falls asleep in his arms. Killian eyes Hotch with a sweet expression, I know she's seen the father side of Hotch but she wasn't around when Jack was a baby. Maybe she will want a baby soon, who knows. Killian is very secure and doesn't care what other people think. I wonder why they haven't gotten engaged yet, I know she doesn't care what other people think but at this point they're pretty much married already.
         We all sit and talk quietly, Katie sleeps through the chatter. I think she's like me and prefers some quiet level noise while she sleeps. I'm very grateful for this little family we have in the BAU, the BAU has been there for Spencer and me for years. They're better than even some of my blood relatives in my family. Spencer and I decide to head home after everybody has had a chance to hold Katie and she starts to get cranky. With the help of the team we pack up quickly and head home. It's a quiet drive home, but definitely a happy one.