Moving Forward

Part 20

Jennifer Jareau's POV

I enter my bedroom and I see the kids crying. I run over to them. Jaeden has vomit around his mouth, and there's also vomit on the floor. I hold him, he still has a high temperature.

"It's okay, Buddy. I got you," I whisper in his ear.

Then, I hum 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star' to him.

Spencer enters the room, still wet.

"What's wrong?"

"Jaeden has been sick... And he still has a high temperature. What about Hope?"

"She's pretty hot too," he declares, rocking her.

"Okay. If in eight hours they're not feeling better, I'm going to the hospital."

I go downstairs with Jaeden. While Spencer is following me, Hope throws up on Spencer.

"Dam..."

"Spencer. Watch your language."

"Hope just threw up on me!"

"Are you kidding me?" I ask, trying not to laugh.

"It's not funny!" He says, putting Hope on the couch.

"I'm not laughing!" I declare, trying to hide my laugh.

I walk to the kitchen to pick a washcloth to clean Jaeden's and Hope's mouth. Spencer enters the kitchen too. He takes a small towel to clean the vomit he has on him.

I go back to the living room, and I clean their mouth. While I'm cleaning Hope's mouth, my phone starts ringing. I pick it up, continuing to clean Hope.

"Jennifer."

"Hey JJ! It's Emily. Wanna do something today?"

"I can't... The kids are still sick..."

I get up, and I head to the kitchen. Spencer's still there.

"What do you mean by 'sick'?"

"I thought they had the flu, but they vomited and they still have a high temperature."

"Did you call your doctor?"

"I did, but he said that they have to rest. But if in eight hours they're not feeling better, I'm going to the hospital."

"Okay. Give me news!"

"I will."

Then I hang up.

"Who was it?"

"Emily. She wanted to know if we could do something today."

I go back to the living room. I sit on the couch, and I hold the kids.

I sing them 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star'.

* * * * * * * * * *

Spencer Reid's POV

"Twinkle, twinkle little star."

Jennifer has the most beautiful voice on Earth. I love when she's singing! Every time she's singing, I can't prevent myself to smile.

"What?" She asks.

"You have the most beautiful voice on Earth."

"Stop kidding!" She laughs.

"I'm not kidding! Even my mother doesn't have a voice like that! And I swear to you that she has a beautiful voice!"

"Talking about your mother, it's been a while that she hadn't seen the kids. They were like, what? A few days?"

"I'm sure she'll be happy to see her grandchildren. But it'll be better when they won't be sick anymore."

"Good idea."

Jennifer continues to sing a lullaby. After a few seconds, Jaeden starts to cough a lot. He has difficulty to breathe. Jennifer puts Hope on the couch to give more space to Jaeden. She starts to gently rub his back to help him to breathe.

"Spence, can you go in their room, and bring me back Hope's inhaler. It could help Jaeden to breathe."

I run upstairs, and I pick Hope's inhaler. Then, I run back to the living room to give Hope's inhaler to Jennifer.

Jennifer puts the inhaler on Jaeden's mouth and also massages his back to help him to breathe.

"I got you, Buddy. It's okay."

I hold Hope to give space to Jennifer and Jaeden. After a few minutes, Jaeden restarts to normally breathe.

"What was that?" I ask.

"I don't know, but I didn't especially like that," Jennifer sighs.

Jennifer gets up and gives me Jaeden.

"Is everything okay?" I ask her.

"Yes. I just need some fresh air," she responds, walking to the balcony.

* * * * * * * * * *

Jennifer Jareau's POV

I go outside. I really need to feel the wind blowing on my face. I close my eyes, and I let the wind blowing on my face. The fact that the kids are sick stress me a lot. I think I never feel stressed like that. Maybe that's what they name 'maternal instinct'. I can't handle my kids being sick. I don't even know if they are suffering. And if they do, I can't do anything to make them feel better.

That's what a mother is supposed to do, right? Consoling her kids. Taking their pain away. Loving them like nobody else.

I open my eyes, and I look at the ring that Spencer offered me. It's a simple gold ring, but it's still a pretty ring.

That ring announces that, soon, we will have to talk about the wedding. But it can wait. We're not obligated to get married this week, or next month. It can wait till next year, I don't care because I will still love Spencer even if we're not married yet.

I close my eyes again, and I imagine my wedding: me, in a big white dress, walking down the aisle arm in arm with my mother, looking at Spencer who will wear a suit. Hope in a pretty little dress, holding a bunch of flowers. And Jaeden in a suit, holding the wedding rings. I would invite Emily, Aaron, and Oliver; Rossi, Joy, and Zoe; Penelope; Derek, Desiree, and Lacey; Spencer's mom, Diana; my mom, Sandy...

I'm getting out of my thoughts by hands placing on my shoulders.

"Is everything okay?"

I turn back.

"Yes, fine."

"But... Why are you crying?"

While thinking about the wedding, I didn't realize I was crying.

"It's nothing. Where are the kids?"

"In the living room. They are watching cartoons. What's wrong, Sweetie?"

Within a second, I let myself fall in Spencer's arms.

"It's okay, Sweetie. I got you. Tell me what's going on?"

"I'm worried about the kids... What if they are actually suffering? I can't do anything!"

"You're doing everything you can. You're comforting them. You're..."

"I don't how to react in front of that! I don't know what to do! I'm doing everything wrong!"

"Not at all, Honey. You're doing everything right. You're doing the best thing you can do: you're loving them."