Thank you, sweet! n_n I’m so glad you like it. I’m thinking of working on the chapters in non-chronological order if it doesn’t prove too confusing. Here’s a bit of what I’m working on. But send me more Raeve prompts, it gives me inspiration for my story.“According to the Museum of Palaeontology at the Universityof California, real velociraptors weighed about 75 pounds. Roughly the size ofa regular sized dog. It’s also been confirmed that they were covered in plumage.Not unlike the chicken. The film’s interpretation was totally scientificallyinaccurate,” Reid spouted as he drove through the night time traffic. “I guess,” Maeve shrugged picking at the straw of the large soda cup in herlap. “It’s what I was expecting though. Awesome dinosaurs, iffy science.” She sounded distant and distracted. Reid peeked sideways at her. She wasleaning back in her seat and looking out the rain-streaked window dramatically. “Are you okay, Mae?”“I’m fine!” she declared in a high-pitched voice for the umpteenth time thatevening. “You barely touched your popcorn.”“We’re going to dinner with your team. I didn’t want to spoil my appetite.” “You let me drive. You never let medrive.” “I don’t know where we’re going. You’ve memorised every street in Virginia.”“You were silent in the movie. Usually you’re whispering science commentary thewhole film.”“I was appreciating the science of Chris Pratt.” Reid could hear her irritation peaking and knew her last comment was designedto antagonise him. “You’ve been quiet and…distant all afternoon.”Maeve’s head snapped to him and her perceptive hazel eyes narrowed dangerously.“Are you interrogating me, Spencer?” “Of course not, I just…miss you.” Maeve sighed and brushed her handagainst his which was resting on the gear stick before resting her head in herlap. “I’m sorry, Spence. You’re barely ever here and now you are and I’m being a miseryguts.”“You’re not, Mae,” Reid said touching her head. “You should sit up though. Ifwe crash with you in that position, the airbag will break your neck.” Maeve reluctantly sat back up with a groan and slumped against her chair. “Are you upset with Margot?” Reid wheedled trying not to sound too nosy. WhenReid had arrived at Maeve’s apartment to pick her up for the movie, her usuallybouncy and vivacious older sister had rushed past him in the hallway with tearsin her eyes looking hurt and ignoring his pleasantries. “No,” Maeve said quietly playing with her long plait. “I think…she’s upset withme, though.”“Don’t take it too hard, Mae. She’s going through her fourth round of IVF.Common side-effects of IVF include headaches, tiredness, bloating and moodswings…”“I know, Spencer. I am a doctor.” He smiled at her. “Yes, you are. What Imean is…just don’t take it to heart. She’s emotional and vulnerable at the momentand doesn’t necessarily mean what she says. She’s your sister and she lovesyou.” Maeve sniffed and brushed at her eyes. “Do you want to talk about it?” he saidgently. “Not yet, please. Maybe…soon.” “Whenever you’re ready, my love,” hesaid squeezing her hand as they pulled into the restaurant car park. Maevesmiled weakly but the little frown line remained in between her eyebrows. Reid cutthe engine and leaned to kiss the little frown line hoping for it to disappear.“Ready, Dr Donovan?” “Yes, Dr Reid.”“Dr and Dr Lovebird have arrived,” Garcia announced as Reidpulled a shy Maeve behind him by the hand. Morgan wolf-whistled and earned athreatening look from JJ who then smiled warmly at them. Reid kissed Henry’shead peeking up from his high chair before pulling out a chair for Maeve. The team ate, chatted and drank merrily. “How’s your pasta?” Reid asked Maeve through the evening. “It’s fine.” That word again. “You’ve barely touched it. You normally inhale pasta.” “I do not inhale pasta, Spencer. AndI ate all that garlic bread before. I couldn’t stop.”“Ah, is Donovan Italian?” Rossi asked pushing his chair closer to the pair.Maeve shook her long mane of mahogany hair, entrancing Reid momentarily. “No,Donovan is Irish. More specifically ODonnabhain is Gaelic derived from the words ‘donn’ which means brown and ‘dubhan’,a derivative of ‘dubh’ which means black.I appreciate the cuisine though.” Reid looked proudly at his brilliant lover and Hotch chuckled taking a drinkfrom his beer. Rossi and Reid swapped chairs so he and Maeve could discuss each other’s experiencesin Italy. JJ and Morgan were talking across Reid at each other discussing theRed Sox. He joined in a bit, spouting a few random facts about the game that heknew but sports weren’t really his forte. Instead, he found himself gazing atMaeve who was talking about her year at the University of Florence (the yearthat had ruined all American pasta for her, she claimed) to Rossi. Her eyeswere bright like they always were when she was talking about something she waspassionate about and she hadn’t noticed Henry who was grappling at and playingwith the end of her plait that went down her back. “Yoo, hoo,” Morgan said waving his big hand in front of Reid’sface. “Come on, man. You’ve had your little girlfriend all afternoon and you’vegot her all tonight,” he poked him in the ribs. Reid dropped his gaze embarrassedly to his napkin. “So how do Nerdeo and Juligeek spend their free time these days, anyway?”Garcia asked stirring her margarita before taking a hearty sip. “Ah, let me guess,” Morgan said leaning back in his chair. “Museum? Poetryreading? Library? Planetarium? Cosplay convention?!” Reid glared at him. “We went to the movies actually.”“What was showing?” Hotch asked. “Jurassic World.” Morgan chuckled and whispered ‘nerds’under his breath. “How did you like it, Maeve?” JJ asked politely to the scientist who wasavoiding Henry’s pea-throwing frenzy much to Jack’s amusement.Maeve shrugged. “It was good. However, theMosasaurs were scientifically too large and shouldn’t have frills on its backconsidering that feature was disproved by scientists ten years ago.” She winkedat Reid secretively. “But that probably will only bother the nerds.” The table erupted into laughter and Maeve sat there, nonplussed, not knowingwhat was so funny. The team were just in awe at how perfect this idiosyncratic geneticistwas for their boy genius. Henry climbed out of his highchair and jumped unceremoniouslyon Maeve’s lap. “Oh,” she gasped holding on to the small boy to stop him from toppling off. Shepanicked at once with a petrified look on her face and held the little wrigglybody out for his parents to take. “No baby geniuses on the horizon, then?”Morganquipped playfully at Reid. Reid beat down the twinge of sadness shamefully and put his lemonade down andsmiled.“No, Maeve and I aren’t having children.” The table suddenly went silent and Maeve looked up at Reid. “Wha-really?” JJ said, slightly disappointed. “Maeve…Maeve can’t have children.”They all looked at Maeve who stared into her lap looking as if she wished theground would open up and swallow her whole. “Be-because of when you were shot?” Garcia asked quietly and morosely. Reid shook his head. “No, Maeve has endometrioses. Her mother and sister bothhave it too. They went through IVF though Maeve doesn’t want to go through that.Endometrioses is a disease that- ow.” Reid was interrupted by a sharp kick tothe shin under the table that came suspiciously from JJ’s direction. He glancedat Maeve who looked mortified and was gripping the table cloth without lookingup. Reid backtracked, hoping he hadn’t hurt her. “But…but – it’s okay. I don’t want children. Statistically, childless couplesare happier and more successful in their careers. And Maeve’s all the family Ineed,” he smiled taking her hand from across the table. Hotch brought up a newspaper article citing one of their cases to break thetension and they all awkwardly joined in appreciatively. Reid looked at Maeve who had her head down andwas refusing to meet his eyes. Maeve slid her hand out from under his andwrapped her arms around her body protectively. She did this when she wasvulnerable or hurt. But she never did it because of him. Never because of him. Shewas shaking slightly and Reid noticed her eyes were closed and silent tears wereescaping down her cheeks. He knocked over his chair in his haste to rush to herbut JJ brushed her shoulder and spoke to her quietly. “Would you like Will andI to take you home, Maeve.” Maeve brushed away at her eyes with her wrist and nodded shakily. His heart wasbreaking seeing his love so hurt. “Mae, I’m so…” Reid started, reaching for her, but JJ stopped him and looked athim with an exasperated expression. “I think that’s enough for tonight, Spence,” she said and led Maeve out thedoor with her husband and son.“What did I do?” Reid said staring at the floor. His team looked at him sadly. “Well, that was intense,” Will said as they drove away fromMaeve’s building. Maeve had sat silently in the back with Henry the wholedrive, with her knees up to her chin and her arms wrapped around her. “I know Spencer loves her so much,” JJ sighed. “He just…doesn’t understandsometimes. Poor Maeve. I can’t imagine…” she said glancing at Henry who wassleeping soundly. Then she noticed the phone lying on the back seat. “Damn.”“What?”“Maeve left her phone. Can we turn back?”“Sure thing.”“I’ll be right back,” JJ told her husband,kissing his cheek as she ran out the door and into the apartment complex. Shetook the stairs two at a time and went so fast she nearly smacked into thewoman coming down the stairs. “Sorry, I wasn’t loo…”“Maeve?” JJ said, peering up to see her in the dimly lit stairwell. She hadchanged from the dress she was wearing at dinner. Now she was in jeans, a vintageDoctor Who t-shirt, jacket and her converse shoes. Her long wavy hair was outof its plait and now free flowing down her shoulders. Then JJ noticed thebackpack on her back and the bag in her hand. She had a book in her other hand,hugging it to her chest.“Are you…going somewhere?” “No…yes,” Maeve stumbled.“Where are you going?” “I…I don’t know. I just need to leave for a while.”“How long’s a while?” JJ asked suspiciously.“I don’t know, I-”“Maeve,” JJ said, blocking her exit. “I know for a genius Spence can be stupidsometimes and says things without thinking. He just keeps going on and on untilsomeone stops him but god, Maeve, don’t do this to him. It was just a littlemistake. He loves you.” “Maybe, but he won’t when he finds out…” she stopped putting her arm across hereyes looking like she might cry again.“When he finds out what? Maeve, what did you do?” JJ said, her heart hammering.Was her best friend being cheated on? JJ couldn’t imagine seeing Spence gothrough that.“It wasn’t supposed to happen…I didn’t know it could. I’ve made such a mess,” shesobbed clutching her stomach.JJ swallowed. “Maeve, whatever it is. You need to talk to him. He loves youmore than anything in the world. Whatever it is…” “No, he already said he didn’t want this.”“This?” JJ narrowed her eyes, confused and then glanced down at Maeve clutchingon to her stomach. “Maeve…you’re…you need to tell him.” “I can’t,” she cried helplessly. “You heard him. He doesn’t want children. Idon’t want to ruin his life. It’s my fault, I can deal with it.”“Maeve, please,” JJ reached for the distressed girl but she stepped back. “Youcan’t go.”Maeve dried her eyes. “I love him, JJ. Take care of him, won’t you?”“Maeve…” But the young doctor pushed past her and ran out the door. JJ rushed to the car where Will was waiting. “Hey, what took you so-”“We have to go to Spence’s.” “What?” “Drive to Spence’s now, Will!”
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