We All Fall Down - A Criminal Minds AU

Thirteen

You lay in bed later that evening, your tummy full of home cooked food and your eyes heavy with tiredness. You couldn’t decide if the evening had been better than you’d expected or worse.

Spencer had driven you both there. Initially, you’d planned on offering to drive you both, thinking that if you drove it would help you stick to your new self vow to lower your alcohol intake. After Spencer’s “gift” though, you decided that you needed a drink, just one or two, and after all, you’d told yourself you’d lower the intake, not cut it off completely. The drive over had been relatively quiet, a classical music radio station playing in Spencer’s car, him humming along quietly as you stared out of the window trying to memorise the route in case you ever did need to come here. When Spencer had knocked on the front door with Will opening it seconds later, a small, blonde haired ball of energy rushed forwards, surprising you entirely by wrappings its arms around your waist as tightly as they could go.

“Aunt Y/N!”

“Hi Henry!” you raised your eyebrows at his father, noticing the look of amusement in Will’s face.

“He’s been looking forward to seeing you all day, doll. Been trying to convince his mama to let him stay up later to eat with the adults but she’s having none of it.”

You were surprised Henry even remembered you to be honest, but then again it is sometimes funny how the mind works, a person or sometimes just a name sticking with you. You patted the blonde head that was still nestled against your stomach and prised his arms from around your waist.

“Well I guess we’ll just have to have some fun before bedtime then won’t we Henry?” The little boys eyes lit and he slipped his hand into yours.

“Can I show Aunt Y/N my bedroom, Dad?”

Will nodded and Henry grinned widely, tugging you along the hall and up the stairs. You let yourself be tugged, looking back and making a shrugging motion at the men, clocking the slight scowl on Spencer’s face. Was he annoyed at you for going with his… well your nephew? Was he jealous of the attention you were getting from him? Or perhaps seeing you with Henry was reminding him of what you had taken away from him, once by accident and the second time through your own choices? You pushed it to the back of your mind, away with all of the other thoughts and questions you had about the state of your life right now and allowed yourself to be taken in by your nephew’s excitement.

Henry showed you all his favourite toys with glee, you making the appropriate noises and taking each from him and looking it over with acted awe. He had a child sized artist easel in the corner of his room and when he saw you that you’d seen it, he dragged you over and started flipping through the huge drawing pad that was on there, you smiling at his paintings. For a child, they were good and you told him so.

“Mr Alvez says so too, he says I’m the best artist in his class!” Henry grinned at you happily, lisping due to two missing front teeth.

“Henry, Y/N, wherever did you disappear off too?” Diana Reid poked her head around the door and you glanced up at the huge clock on the wall, realising that you’d been up here for almost forty minutes.

“Henry was showing me all his favourite toys,” you told her, a genuine smile upon your face. You’d quite happily spend the evening up here, playing with them if you could.

“Well my boy, your mama says it’s your bedtime. And it’s almost dinner time for the adults. We’ve got time for one bed time story, a quick one.”

“Can Y/N read it to me?” the little boy asked and you felt your heart melt a little. Diana looked over at you and you nodded.

“I’ll tell you what, we’ll both read it to you,” she said. Henry grabbed a book and hopped into bed, more willingly than most children would and you and Diana took it in turns to read page after page until Will called you both downstairs with the news that dinner was served. You kissed the boys head and assured him that you’d come back to see him soon, walking down the stairs to the dining room with Diana.