February Night

Chapter 101

Two days after Diana's death, Spencer flew to Vegas, joined by JJ. No one had wanted to let Spencer do this alone and Lucy had to stay in D.C. to look after the twins. Both, Spencer and Lucy, hadn't wanted to leave their kids with someone else. They were still too little and it was way too hard for Lucy to be parted from them right now. So, JJ had said she'd go with Spencer. Will had agreed. While staying at home, Lucy had started to organize the funeral together with the rest of the team. Spencer had asked to do that – he trusted her. He had only told her that he wished to have white roses on the grave and who he wanted to invite for the funeral. The rest, they'd talk about when he was back from Vegas.

But Lucy had a hard time concentrating on what she was doing. There were the kids that seemed to feel that the atmosphere in the house wasn't the happiest. They were whining and crying a lot; maybe also due to getting new teeth. But it was exhausting. And Lucy couldn't stop thinking of Spencer. She had wished to be able to fly with him to Vegas to get his mother back. JJ sent her a message here and there, telling her how it was going. It must be so hard for Spencer, Lucy couldn't even imagine.

But together with the team, Lucy tried her best to organize the most beautiful funeral for Diana Reid. She and Spencer deserved this. The team worked almost night and day to get everything done in time, so Spencer wouldn't have to do anything when he came back. They were sitting in Lucy's and Spencer's apartment, around the table and ordered flowers, tried to find out which priest would be the best and if anybody wanted to say something. Lucy had to leave the group every now and then; the babies needed her attention. And holding them in her arms felt consoling to her. The smell of them, their little hands that were gripping one of her fingers...it was really giving her a calm feeling in these sad days. Organizing a funeral was emotionally exhausting. Lucy was glad she could escape from all of this for a while when the twins needed her. Sometimes, one of the others helped her when she had to feed them at the same time. "It really is a good feeling holding such a tiny human while everything around us is so heartbreaking at the moment", Rossi quietly said while he fed Tessa. Lucy was sitting next to him, feeding Mateo.

She nodded. "It is, indeed. Do you...think he'll get over it?" Lucy looked up at Rossi. He looked at her as well.

A little smile appeared on his lips. "Yes, he will. It'll take time, but he'll get over it at some point. And do you want to know why?"

"Yeah."

"Because he's got you. You and those beautiful, adorable kids. You give him so much strength and love. Before he met you, he didn't believe in love, especially after Maeve died. But then you came along and since then, everyone can see the happiness and the love in his eyes. You've changed his life to the better. And with you and the twins by his side, he'll get over it", Rossi said. Only when he stopped talking, Lucy realized that tears were streaming down her face. She hurried to wipe them away.

"He's changed my life as well", Lucy choked out and now holding Mateo up on her shoulder and gently patted his back to make him burp. "And it breaks my heart to see him like this. I don't know what to do."

"Just be there", Rossi simply said and held up Tessa now as well.

~

Spencer returned two days after leaving for Vegas. JJ had driven him home and he had entered the apartment with a huge box in his arms. Lucy assumed there were Diana's belongings in there. Carefully, Spencer put it on the floor and then came to pull Lucy into a tight hug. "I've missed you", he breathed into her hair and she clasped her arms tighter around him.

"I've missed you too", she whispered. "And so did your children." She pulled away and gave him an encouraging smile. She took his hand and dragged him with her into the nursery. There were Mateo and Tessa, sleeping peacefully. Spencer leaned over the cradles and kissed their small heads. Mateo slightly shifted in his sleep by the touch of his father.