Summary: After hiring a new, if somewhat unlikely member to the BAU, Spencer and the reader find themselves wildly different, yet similar in all the important ways.
Words: 1,104
Warnings: Teasing from the team. Mentions of Spencer’s experiences with bullying.
A/N: My next entry for @cmbingo 2020! This fulfills my opposites attract square. I decided to go for a significant physical difference and a personality difference as well. This also fulfills a request I had from @space-starz.
“Hey, short stuff,” Morgan said, pulling Y/N’s hoodie over her head so that it hung over her eyes. “How you doing this fine morning?”
Flipping her hoodie back, she unzipped her jacket and reached for her steaming cup of coffee. She did not have the energy for this yet. “Well, someone is perky this morning,” she said, eyes still heavy lidded and pulling toward elusive sleep. “I’m gonna go out on a limb and guess you got laid.”
Morgan put his thumb and forefinger up to his mouth, pulling them across his lips, which made her chuckle. “Also, if you keep calling me short stuff, I’m actually going to kill you.”
“If you can reach me,” he laughed without missing a beat.
Personality wise, Y/N melded beautifully with the rest of the team, but physically, she was a little bit different. About a foot different. At 4′11″, she was the tiniest member of not just the BAU, but the Bureau as whole. Regardless, she’d been hired for her incredible martial arts skills in various disciplines and her knowledge of forensic psychology. She knew that the team loved her and welcomed her with open arms, but the teasing...oh, the teasing was relentless. As if she hadn’t heard enough of that all throughout her life.
Standing up to make her second cup of coffee (even though she still wasn’t done with the first), she punched Morgan in the arm. “I am small. But I am feisty. And I will kick your muscley-ass Morgan.”
Before slipping around the corner toward the coffee machine, she flipped Morgan the finger and ran right into Spencer - or into Spencer’s chest. At his 6′2″, she barely hit his shoulders. “Sorry, Spencer.”
“It okay, Y/N,” he said. “You the only one in?”
“Nope. Morgan is here. He keeps calling me short stuff, so I flipped him the bird.”
Spencer chuckled nervously and walked around her, still holding her gaze. “I think it’s awesome; your height I mean. You don’t fit people’s expectations.”
“Thanks, Spencer!” She exclaimed. At least one person on this team understood her. “That’s what I keep trying to tell people.”
“Does the teasing really bother you?” He asked, his tone of voice going from light-hearted to one of genuine concern. When she nodded, he continued. “I understand. I used to get that a lot. Not for height, obviously. But I was a nerd and I got it from everyone.” His gaze was practically magnetized to the ground, his shame clearly still just under the surface of his toughened skin. “I got it from the team for a while, but after Hotch and I talked to them, they let up. You know they don’t mean it, right?”
She still didn’t have enough coffee in her system for this conversation, but she replied. “I know. That’s why I don’t really say anything, because I know they mean it in jest. Even in school, I just made myself as loud and boisterous as possible hoping that got people to like me. Most of the time, it did, and the teasing let up.”
Instead of heading toward his desk for the morning, Spencer followed her to the coffee machine, continuing his never-ending train of thought as she fixed both of them a cup. “So that’s why you’re so-” He picked his words carefully. “Vibrant.”
“Don’t profile me, Spencer. You may be over six feet, but I’ll kick your butt too.”
“I have no doubt about that,” he laughed. “All I’m saying is if you spoke to everyone about it, I’m sure they’d stop. I know what it’s like to take that kind of thing day in and day out. Even the strongest of us crumble every once in a while.”
She handed him his cup of coffee, her face falling at the heavy implication of his words. Something told her life and the job hadn’t been too kind to Spencer. Interpersonal relationships of the romantic variety were strongly discouraged between Bureau members, but she couldn’t help wondering more about him - what lay underneath the surface of his tousled brown hair, deep-set hazel eyes, and a jawline that could cut glass.
Shaking off the memories of her past and the curiosity Spencer instilled in her, she went back to her desk with her second cup of coffee and downed them quickly, forgetting the conversation entirely as she fell into the steady pace of filling out her mountain of paperwork.
Later that day, they all decided to take a break and had Thai delivered to the Bureau, smiles and laughs flying across the bullpen at lightning speed as they fell into easy conversation. Somehow or another, it circled back to Y/N’s “diminutive stature” as Hotch had called it. ‘”Ha. Ha. Ha,” she deadpanned. “At least you used a Sunday word to pick on me.”
Out of nowhere, as if he’d been dying to say something for years (and she’d only joined about six months earlier), Spencer spat out. “I dare any one of you to take her down. Frankly, her height gives her an advantage if used correctly.”
“Thanks, Spence,” she said. She’d used the same nickname for him as JJ, but it felt right to say; it rolled off her tongue with ease and familiarity. “And it’s true. do you know how many guys I’ve gotten off their feet because I’m strong and compact? People think they know me.”
“I know what that’s like,” Spencer said quickly under his breath.
Hotch had obviously heard. And she had too. But neither said anything. It was Morgan that called him out. “What, kid?”
“I’m just saying that I know what it’s like to be underestimated. You really shouldn’t.”
“Me?”
“No, no, no, just people in general,” Spencer replied, not trying to offend anyone. “Like I know, and Y/N knows you’re just teasing, but sometimes you guys are relentless.”
A heavy, awkward silence hung in the air for a moment, before Rossi mentioned something about wine and Emily went off on a tangent. With a soft smile, Y/N picked up her phone and shot Spencer a text message.
Thanks, Spence. I’m gonna be forward. Would you wanna grab a coffee sometime? Like a date? I’d like to get to know you better.
Once Spencer was done stuffing his face with chicken pad Thai, he checked his phone, blushing between her gaze and the message she’d left.
Yea, I’d love that. But one thing? Let’s not say anything to the team for now.
With a chuckle, her fingers slide across the screen.
Prompt: LukexLisa square for CMBingo 2020 @cmbingo
Summary: S15, Penelope and Luke talk about Lisa
Disclaimer: I own nothing....CBS owns all
Thanks: Sharon and Edgar for looking this over to make sure it's coherent.
Note: First fic in ages.....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
S15 ep 11: After Spencer's hangout
"Need a ride?" Luke asked, as they were putting on their coats to leave,
Penelope looked up to see Luke smiling at her." Me?"
He grinned." Yes,you. I know Esther is in the shop, so I'm offering." he took her coat and held it out for her to slip into. "No charge, unlike Uber."
"Okay, newbie." she replied, slight shiver as Luke pulled up her coat. She turned to him, wagging her finger." I'm agreeing because I like free stuff, okay?"
"Fine by me, chica." he held his hands up in surrender. Walking to the door, he shook Spencer's hand. "Thanks for a good time, man."
"You're welcome, Luke." Spencer replied. "I'm glad you could come."
"Boy wonder, I loved it." Penelope reached up to kiss Spencer." I love you. And I love that girl of yours, Max, for suggesting you do this."
Spencer blushed."Max is amazing."
"Yup. Never seen anyone make you all googly-eyed like she has," Penelope said, pinching his cheek, causing Spencer to turn redder. "Bye, sweetie!"
*******
When they reached the car, Luke held the door open. "M'lady," he bowed slightly.
"It's Queen, newbie," she answered as she slipped into the car. "And don't you forget it!"
Chuckling, he closed the door and went around to get into the car. Buckling up, he turned the key and started the car. Pulling out onto the road, Luke asked." You cold? You can put the heat on if you want."
Penelope shook her head. "I'm fine."
Driving along, the car ride was silent, the radio playing softly in the background. It was a comfortable silence. Penelope turned to look at Luke,admiring once again to her annoyance, how handsome he really was. 'Stop that! It's the newbie' she thought to herself, as she shook her head.
Out of the corner of his eye, Luke noticed her movement. "Are you okay?"
"I'm sorry about Lisa." she blurted out, wanting to change the subject.
He turned to her, slightly surprised."Thanks."
"What happened? If you don't mind me asking." she added." Oh,god! You know what? You don't have to say anything, I'm just being nosy again. See,I.."
Luke put his hand on her arm. "Garcia, it's fine." he glanced down at her arm, then back up at her, seeing an expression on her face he didn't know what to make of. "Like I said at Spence's, Lisa never got over everything that happened with Phil." he sighed, “She saw a side of me, a side of the job that she'd never seen before and it scared her."
She nodded." It's hard to have a relationship with this job."
He shook his head." And then Phil.." his voice trailed off, not wanting to get emotional. This time she reached out to touch his arm, offering her comfort.
"I miss him." he confessed softly.
"Me too."
They stayed quiet for a bit.
Clearing his throat to break the sadness, he said, "I only wish Lisa the best of luck."
"So, it was a good break?" she babbled." Not good,,,I mean it's bad.."
"Penelope, breathe." Luke laughed, "I know what you were trying to say. The breakup was amicable. No hard feelings."
"Good, good." she turned to see him grinning at her. "What?"
"Nothing, nothing." he pulled up to her house. "We're here." Turning off the car, he got out.
"Oh, good." Penelope reached down to grab her belongings. Reaching to open the door, she looked up to see Luke holding the door open for her.
"My Queen." he chuckled.
"Very funny. Mocking me." she huffed, as she stepped out of the car, batting away his helping hand.
"I'm not. I'm just following your orders to call you...Queen." he smirked, shutting the door.
"You newbie!" she screamed ,walking up the walk. Realizing Luke was following her, she turned. "What are you doing?"
"Seeing you to the door, of course."
Her eyes narrowed, "This is not a date."
Luke shook his head. "No, but I'm a gentleman."
Making a noise, Penelope pulled her keys out. "Well, thank you for the ride."
"Anytime." he beamed. "My queen."
"Oh, you!" she opened the door. "Shoo, shoo..home, newbie!"
Laughing, Luke waved goodbye and walked to his car, smiling all the way.
Warnings: Main character injury, driving while panicking, questionable parking ethics.
Prompt: ”Ok don’t be alarmed, but I may or may not have just been shot.”
Length: 970-ish
Authors Note: This is one of the first pieces I’ve ever published, please be kind! If I’ve left out any tags or warnings or other writer etiquettes please let me know. I also suck at naming things, my sincerest apologies for this.
AO3
The gentle buzzing of your phone against the coffee table dragged you from the light sleep you had fallen into unintentionally. Blinking and rubbing sleep from your eyes you swipe across the screen showing your girlfriends smiling face, the carefree photo from Rossi’s wedding triggering a small smile from your own lips.
‘Hey Em, you leaving the office?’ It was gone 9pm, but dating the BAU unit chief meant late nights even when her team was in town. ‘Hi Y/N, it’s Spencer.’. You sat bolt upright on the couch, the throw you’d been cosy under falling to the floor. ‘What’s happened?’ ‘No it’s ok, Emily is ok, she’s here with me.’ Emily’s voice is audible in the background asking for her phone. The panic in your tone must have carried, that or Spencers face had given away your reaction. There’s a moment of garbled conversation between Emily and Spencer and another voice before you hear Em’s best reassuring tone telling someone to give her a minute. ‘Hey baby, ok, don’t be alarmed but I may or may not have just been shot’ She must have heard the hitched sob you tried to strangle because she quickly promised that she was ok and that she would be home soon. Before you could respond a doctor had demanded she end the call. Not that you even registered the doctor speaking, at that point you were shoving your feet into your boots and grabbing your keys from the hall table.
You bounce into the driver’s seat of your hybrid, turning the key and slamming the door behind you as a call comes through the Bluetooth. ‘Hey Y/N, it’s Spencer again’ ‘I’m in the car Reid, which hospital?’ ‘She says she’s fine, she asked me to call you instead of you…’ ‘Which. Hospital. Reid.’ Your tone is low and the threat it implies is evidently enough as Spencer mutters the name to you and says he’ll keep her there till you arrive. Hitting the end call button on your steering wheel you pull out of the apartment car park like a person possessed, drowning the images of an injured Emily with an internal debate on drive times at this hour.
Mercifully you make it to the hospital accident-free and haphazardly pull in next to the ambulance bay. Spotting Spencer Reid standing by the ER door you mentally thanked the childhood obsession with magic tricks that had caused you two to bond the first time Emily had brought you to dinner at Rossi’s. Besides Em herself, the boy genius knew how you operated better than anyone else. As if by telepathy he started towards you, shouting the name of the ward as soon as you jumped from the car, sliding into the driver’s seat to park it somewhere it wouldn’t be towed while you run through the sliding doors into the hospital. Reading your expression a nurse gives you clear instructions to the side ward Emily is in and you call your thanks back to her, shouldering open swinging doors and vanishing down the indicated corridor within seconds. You didn’t stop until you reached her room, conveniently marked by JJ, Luke and Penelope all standing outside.
The three agents waste no time or words, ushering you into the room where you stand, and wheeze breathlessly to the attending doctor that you’re her partner before he can ask you to leave, your eyes never once straying from the woman you love, a bemused smirk on her face as she sits on the side of the bed, holding a bloodied gauze to her upper arm. Seizing the moment while you catch your breath Emily smiles affectionately at you. ‘If you’d listened to poor Spencer instead of growling at him you’d have known it was only a graze pet.’ You give her your best glower which is instantly washed away by Emily wincing as the doctor removes the gauze and begins to stitch the small wound. Using her good arm she catches your hand and pulls you close, whispering that she’s ok while rubbing her thumb reassuringly over your knuckles. You cup her cheek gently and rest your forehead against hers, allowing the tears to fall. The doctor finishes up, placing an adhesive bandage over the few stitches, and mentions something about going to finish the paperwork at the nurses’ station, the two women not really listening to him.
Pulling you into her arms as best she can Emily holds you until the silent sobs of relief ease. ‘This job may be more stressful on you than me Y/N’ she says gently, brushing the last few tears from your cheek. You chuckle and kiss her softly, running your fingers into her silky hair. ‘I agree entirely but it’s what I get for marrying a badass FBI agent. You’d think I’d be used to it after four years.’ ‘Actually, studies have shown that the hormonal changes in the final months of pregnancy can exacerbate emotional responses in expectant mothers so it wouldn’t matter if you’d been together longer, you’d probably still react the same way.’ You both smile and you turn to let Spencer into your hug. He perches lightly beside Emily, his hand going straight to your protruding stomach. ‘How is she doing?’ He asks concernedly, snaking his other arm around Emily’s waist. ‘Baby genius is doing fine’ you reassure them both, shifting Spencer’s hand higher so he can feel the kicks that got stronger as soon as your daughter had heard the voices of her other parents. ‘Great, well let’s all get home before the OBGYN team finds us, I don’t think they’ll thank me for dragging you here from bed rest.’ Emily grimaced making you smile and the three of you made your way out of the ER, paperwork and the rest of the BAU family in tow.
Summary: Spencer and Y/N have been on a few dates, mostly consisting of Doctor Who, poker and bad takeout. This time, the reader suggest upping the stakes.
Words: 1,228
Warnings: Fluff, then strip poker, and then some sexy times.
A/N: My next entry for @cmbingo 2020! This fulfills my free space square and fulfills a request I’ve kept for a hot minute from @friedtacostarfish, who asked for a strip poker fic between Spencer and the reader who’ve been on a few dates but haven't slept together yet. They love playing poker though, so one night the reader suggest taking it up a notch. Also, I don’t do poker, I barely know the hands and lingo so if I got shit wrong...oops.
Probably wasn’t the sexiest thing in the world - lo mein noodles hanging sloppily out of your mouth. But you couldn’t help it. You were hungry. “Is this everything you ever wanted in a woman?” You asked, slurping the rest of the noodle into your mouth before flashing him a cheesy smile.
“Absolutely,” he laughed. “As long as you don’t mind when I do something like this.” After forfeiting the chopsticks he still couldn’t figure out how to use correctly and grabbing a fork, he popped a piece of teriyaki chicken into his mouth and splashing soy sauce on himself in the process. “Another round?”
You smirked and felt a wave of heat washing over you. Hopefully, what came out of your mouth wouldn’t scare him away. “How about we up the ante?”
“How much?”
“Not money.”
Spencer’s mouth contorted into a face you hadn’t seen before, making you snort. “I’m confused.”
“How about...we play strip poker? Every hand lost, loser takes off a piece of clothing.”
He blushed and looked down, but when his eyes met yours again, they were filled with want. “Are you sure you want to play that with me? Texas Hold’em?” Oh, now he was getting cocky.
“Definitely.”
Without a word, he divvied up the cards - two hole cards a piece and five community cards. Not that he didn’t love playing poker, but he seemed more invested than usual. Maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea after all.
In the center of the table sat an ace of hearts, 9 of diamonds and 3 of spades.
As you glanced across the table, you tried to read Spencer as best you could, which considering he was a profiler put you at a distinct disadvantage. There was the slightest tick in his lip - upward, so an okay hand at least.
If you got lucky with the next two community cards, you’d beat him, but it was a long shot. You decided to call him anyway. One of you would hopefully get naked and then maybe the cards wouldn’t be necessary anymore. “I call,” he said. “Burn the card and the next is a king of diamonds.”
You could win this hand. In your head, you just screamed gimme a queen, gimme a queen, gimme a queen.
“I call.”
“Burn one and...queen of clubs.”
You tried keeping your game face on. You were sure you had him. “I raise.”
“Okay, I fold,” Spencer said.
He had a pair with threes, but you’d found your lucky butt with a straight - ace, king, queen, and your cards, jack and 10. “Strip, lover boy!”
Spencer chuckled and removed the sweater he was wearing. Unfortunately, or fortunately (depending on perspective), the next few hands didn’t go so well for you, which resulted in you losing both socks and your shirt. The choice of a nude lace bra was definitely a great choice because Spencer couldn’t stop staring. “That choice of bra was mean. It’s fogging my brain,” he said, not once glancing up toward your eyes.
Snorting, you stretched your arms behind you to give him a nice unfettered peek at everything. “Not my fault you’re a man and can’t concentrate in the presence of boobs.”
He bit his lip and dealt the next round of pocket cards before dealing the first three community cards. Within 30 minutes, he was wearing only jeans and you were in your bra and panties. Spencer was practically sweating and you were just waiting for him to break. “Spence, do you...do you think you can go another round?” You asked cheekily.
“No, absolutely not. I know we haven’t done anything before, but um...bedroom?” He pointed his thumb back toward his room, swallowing hard.
You stood up and slowly turned around, finally giving him a long head-to-toe look. “Ah!” You shrieked when he lifted you up and threw you over his shoulder, kissing your outer thigh along the way.
“You’ve been killing me,” he said, his breaths heavy. “All night long. Do you know the things that have been running through my mind?”
Grasping his belt buckle, you fumbled with it as you replied. “I could imagine. What about me? Can you see what’s going on in my head?” You kissed his stomach just above the waistband of his jeans while you pulled them down, palming his length through his boxers. “Look, Spence, I’m all about foreplay on most occasions, but right now-”
“Yea, me too.” As he crawled over you, he pushed your bra up, not even bothering to unhook it before he clasped his lips over your nipple and began to roll it around in his mouth. “God, you’re beautiful.”
Your entire body blushed at his praise. You lifted the bra over your head and threw it somewhere toward the edge of the bed. It creaked from age but neither of you seemed to care, your labored breaths and the rhythmic sounds of the mattress was music to your ears.
Even though he seemed desperate, his muscles tight and coiled, he couldn’t help but press kisses down your stomach as he hooked his fingers into the waistline of your panties and pulled them down. Hungrily, he spread your legs and licked a stripe up your slit. “I know we said no foreplay, but I just couldn’t resist.”
Smiling, you pulled up and into a kiss. “Spence, I had no idea you could talk this way. I like it.”
“Only because I know you so well. And you’re perfect for me.”
You sighed into his mouth and helped him kick his boxers away. “Want me?”
“Hell yes,” he mumbled. He kissed your neck as he reached into his bedside drawer and grabbed a condom. In a few quick flicks of his wrist, he slid it on and placed the head of his length at your entrance. “So wet already.” He practically sing-songed.
“What can I say? You do something to me.” You skimmed your hands down his torso and grabbed his ass. When he slipped inside you, you immediately mewled, wanting more, to be overwhelmed by feeling.
Spencer pumped inside you over and over again, groaning as you closed your legs around him. “Fuck, Y/N,” he breathed.
You bucked into his movements, his hands slipping over your arms and toward your own hands. He intertwined his fingers with yours and held them above your head as he fucked you. Whimpering, you wrapped your legs around his waist and used your heels to push him deeper, feel him harder, more insistent. “I need you, Spence. Please, I-”
Your begging was cut short when he reached his hand between your bodies and massaged your clit as fast as he could. “Fuck, fuck, fuck, I-” As you came, your toes curled, every muscle in your body tightening. You barely heard him as he screamed your name into your neck, the only indication being the feel of his lips on your skin.
Both of you came down slowly, heavy breaths getting in the way of forming a coherent thought. You grasped his face in your hands and probed his mouth with your tongue. “That was...wow.”
“Was it you that suggested strip poker or me?” He asked, falling to your side.
You giggled and pulled the blanket closer to you. “That would be me.”
Spencer swallowed and took your mouth in another hungry kiss. “God, you’re brilliant.”
Summary: On a walk through the park with your boyfriend, Spencer, you meet up with an ex, leaving Spencer a bit jealous and insecure.
Words: 774
Warnings: Jealous Spencer, but otherwise nothing.
A/N: My next entry for @cmbingo 2020! This fulfills my ex’s square and a request from @ijwrff for a piece where Reid comes across an ex of his significant other and gets jealous/insecure.
With Spencer taking a few sick days off to decompress from back-to-back cases, you woke up and late and decided to take a walk through one of your favorite places - Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park. Even though it was a drive from your apartment, it was well worth it.
As you walked along the canal, gravel crunching underneath your feet, Spencer was able to relax. You were grateful to see the smile return to his eyes as he took in the beauty around you. It was a quaint little park, connected buildings of different colors sitting opposite the canal. Other park-goers passed you by, soft conversations and the thudding of runners’ feet occasionally disturbing the tranquility. But for the most part, you took in nature’s symphony - the rustling of leaves and sluicing of running water filling your ears.
Spencer leaned into you as walked, his head resting lightly on yours. “Thanks for this,” he whispered, guiding you toward a swan resting by the canal.
“Always, Spence.”
Quietly, you snuck up on the sleeping swan to take a few pictures. When it stirred, you saw two babies underneath the mother’s wing and could barely contain your excitement. Not wanting to disturb the mother and her babies, Spencer glided you back onto the path.
After a few minutes, you popped your head up from Spencer’s shoulder. “What is it?” He asked.
“I think that’s Xavier,” you replied.
“Your ex, Xavier?”
Nodding, you flagged him down and pulled him in for a hug. Though you didn’t work out as a couple, you only wanted the best for each other. “Xavier, this is my boyfriend, Spencer. Spencer, this is Xavier.”
Spencer stiffened slightly at your side, his grasp on your hand getting noticeably tighter. He had nothing to worry about, but you knew he always did. Xavier was the one ex you were on good terms with; he was a nurse at a local hospital and fit the stereotypical ‘model’ look. “How’ve you been?” You asked.
An avid runner, he stretched as he spoke. “Pretty great actually. Been getting a lot of hours at work and I got accepted to Georgetown Med.”
“Oh my God, congratulations!” You said, genuinely happy for him. “You’ve been working toward that for so long.”
“Yea, it’s finally coming together. What about you?”
For nearly 10 minutes, you exchanged pleasantries, with Spencer adding in a few words in a clipped tone. “Xavier, it was great to see you.”
“You too, Y/N. See you around, okay?”
“Absolutely.”
As he jogged away, his footsteps getting further and further away by the second, you leaned back into Spencer. “You okay?”
“Yea,” he said quickly. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
You turned to him and stopped him in his tracks. “Spence, I know you. I could feel how tense you were when I was taking to Xavier. Talk to me.”
Spencer shuffled his foot against the gravel path. “I don’t know, I guess I just feel a little jealous. A little insecure. He’s a good-looking guy, seems nice, has a great job where he helps people.”
“And now I’m with you, a sexy nerd that is also kind and giving and has a great job where he helps people. I realize you tend to see yourself as ugly or not living up to your full potential, but that is the complete opposite of how I see you.” Leaning in, you placed a chaste kiss on his lips before you began to walk again.
Walking into the forested area of the path, arms swinging between you, Spencer started to profile Xavier. Obviously, he didn’t say as much, but it was apparent. “He’s toned, so he obviously takes care of himself. He’s a nurse and going to medical school, so he’s intelligent. You’re still friends with him, so he must be a decent guy. I guess it just leaves me on shaky ground because you could go back to him in an instant. I’m not what someone people would pair with you, he is.”
You pulled Spencer into a heated kiss to let him know just how much he meant to you. “Well, let me break down your analysis for you. He’s toned. He does take care of himself, but he’s almost obsessive about it, which is a turn off to me. His job is his life, to the point where he was neglectful of our relationship and one of the reasons I broke up with him. I’m still cordial with him, but I’m not about to get together for a beer or anything. We wanted different things. And despite our commonalities, we were too different to maintain a long-term relationship. With you, I was instantly home. We want the same things. You’re everything I’ve wanted and most importantly,” you said softly, tapping his nose, “I chose you. And I will always choose you.”
With a scrunched up smile, Spencer dipped to kiss you, his hand caressing the side of your neck. “I’m sorry I get jealous sometimes. I know I shouldn’t.”
“It’s okay. It probably stems from all the BS you went through when you were a kid. Just try not to let it get between us. If you feel bad, talk to me, and I’ll do the same with you, okay?”
Spencer kissed the top of your head and promised to confide in you. You’d never discount his feelings, but he had nothing to worry about. When you looked forward and imagined your future, Spencer was it.
Summary: After catching Everett Lynch, it’s finally time.
Words: 881
Warnings: None!
A/N: This is for @cmbingo and fulfills my fix a plot hole square. One episode Rossi said he was retiring, the next episode, he changes his mind. I mean what? Spaghetti grandpa deserves some retirement. Also, I’m getting rid of the stupidity that was replacing Hayden with Krystal. Rossi and HAYDEN live happily ever after. Thanks. :D
Nearly 40 years earlier, when he and Jason Gideon founded the BAU, it was only the two of them. Now here he was, standing in his backyard with a glass of champagne in his right hand and Hayden, once again, at his left.
At the seemingly never-ending array of tables ahead, sat his BAU family, their families. His daughter Joy and his myriad of adopted children, Spencer, Morgan and family, Luke (who was trying and failing to keep his crush on Penelope a secret) Matt and his brood, Penelope, Emily, JJ, Will and the boys, Tara; they were all here. Hotch came too, with Jack who was somehow a teenager now, in tow. Despite his hardships - the cases he failed to solve, the people he lost - he was a lucky man.
“Alright, alright,” he said, clinking his knife against the side of the champagne glass. “I want to thank you all for coming. For those of you that said this would never happen,” he chuckled, lifting Hayden’s hand to his lips. “The day is here.”
Tears gathered in his eyes as he continued to speak. “I’m not that old, but four decades ago, I started the BAU along with Jason Gideon to hopefully do some good in the world. To delve into the minds of killers no matter how scary that idea sounded so that we might be able to get ahead of them. I had no idea that our little two-person team would grow to what it is today. And I couldn't fathom how proud I would be of the people I’ve worked with. When I came back to the BAU it was to solve a case that had haunted my dreams, but even after we solved it, I stayed, not only because I couldn’t sit still just yet, but because I’d found a family. And now I’m confident leaving my baby, the BAU, in the hands of the wonderful team that’s become my home away from home over the last decade or so. To all of you, thank you so much for standing at my side. I always have and always will, love you all. Salut!”
Rossi lifted his glass to the air in a round of cheers. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house. “And don’t think just because I’ve retired that you’re getting rid of me. I’ll be around for babysitting duty. I’ll be around for consulting, because even though I want to be home, I’m a pitbull and can’t imagine not lending a hand now and then, and most importantly, I’ll just be around if you need me. Thanks again for coming. Now, let’s eat!”
Spoken like a true Italian, Rossi had his entire gathering catered by his favorite Italian place. There was chicken parmigiana, lasagna, pasta alfredo, garlic bread, anything you could think of and alcohol to match. Like a bride on her wedding day, he made his way around the gathering, conversing with anyone and everyone. “Rossi, you’re finally settling down,” Morgan said, clapping his former boss on the shoulder. “You think it’ll stick this time?”
“Definitely,” he leaned in to kiss Hayden’s forehead before his eyes glanced across the yard to where Matt’s twins played with his grandson, Kai, Joy following closely behind. “It’s time to step back. Plus, I’ve lost this one once,” he said, squeezing Hayden’s hand. “Completely my fault, but I don’t want to jeopardize this again. And I know everyone at the BAU is more than qualified. They probably won’t even miss me.”
Luke sidled up to his side just as the words left him. “Of course, we’ll miss you. That just means we’ll have to show up unannounced every now and then and raid your secret stash of scotch and bourbon.”
“I had to give in my FBI gun, but I still have another. Try me.”
Morgan rejoined Savannah as Luke and Rossi strode through the dance floor toward the bar, that of course, Rossi had tendered. “So, you gonna ask Garcia out yet or are you gonna wait another five, ten years?”
“What?”
“Come on, kid, you can’t lie to me.”
Luke smirked and bit the side of his lip. “No, I’m not gonna wait. Figuring maybe now might be a good time.”
“I think so,” Rossi replied, shoving Luke away by the shoulder. “Go get the girl.”
Rossi chuckled to himself as Luke practically skipped away. Those two had been dancing around their feelings for each other for near three years now. Hayden laid her head on her husband’s shoulder. “You sure you’re ready for this? Retirement?”
“Oh yea,” he replied, leaning against the bar. “I’m tired. Not that I’m gonna slow down, you know. But it’s time for me to relax, spend time with you, with Joy and Kai, be the refuge for the team when they need it. Host lots of lots of parties with good food and great alcohol. Think you’ll be able to stand me being home all the time?”
Hayden kissed the underside of his chin. “I can think of a few ways to stay occupied,” she replied with a raise of her eyebrow.
Unfortunately, Joy had the privilege of walking by just at the right moment. “Ew.” Despite herself, she had to smile. They both deserved this.
Notes:Thanks to Sharon and Edgar for making sure this is coherent
Notes 2: The title is a play on the MASH finale title:Goodbye,Farewell,Amen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Parking in the driveway, JJ turned off the ignition and laid her head on the steering wheel. She still couldn’t believe what happened, she still hadn’t processed it yet.
Spencer was gone.
Emily had called an emergency meeting this morning to tell them that Reid had resigned. Everyone was shocked, talking all at once, asking questions. Emily told them that Spencer left his badge,gun and a note saying that he needed a break after everything that happened in the last year or so. Prison,dealing with Cat, his mom, the cult, he told Emily that he needed to do something different. Everyone was wondering especially Penelope if he’d ever come back. JJ did her best to comfort her, reassuring her that he would be back but she wasn’t so sure. Of all the things he mentioned that caused him to leave, he didn’t mentioned LA and JJ wondered if what happened at the jewelry store was a part of it. She knew him well enough that he wouldn’t have said anything to the team. But, his demeanor after that case was distant, quiet, especially when he asked her at Rossi’s wedding if she was telling the truth about her confession.
She never intended to tell him her feelings. Not in a million years. And instead of definitively telling him no, she cowardly stayed silent, letting Spencer wonder if she meant it. And JJ honestly didn’t mean to be evasive, it was just she still hadn’t decided herself what her true feelings were about everything,
Partially what she was said was true, and partially not. She did love Spencer. That was true. And it wasn’t just as a brother/sister love either, no matter how much she told herself that’s all it was. The love she had was somewhat romantic in nature, she couldn’t deny it. She wondered over the years, why she was overprotective of him or why she was shocked when she found out about Maeve, telling herself that it was because he was her best friend and she wanted only what was best for him. But, that was not the whole truth. she now realized that a part of her had been a little in love with him or the idea of him, that clouded her reactions to Maeve, to Austin, to the others, that caused her protectiveness of him over the years.
The one thing she hadn’t known or if she’d ever known, if he’d felt the same way. He was so hard to read sometimes,if not most of the time even though they were best friends. She’d told him once that there was a part of him that he never showed anyone and she wondered if he’d ever would. ’Why do you care?’ she asked herself, not wanting to answer the question.
Rubbing her hands over her face, she took a deep breath and opened the car door. She had to pull herself together. Walking to the mailbox, she retrieved her mail. Flipping through, her breath caught. A simple, white envelope with familiar handwriting was staring back at her.
It was from Spencer.
Walking briskly up the walk, she entered her house and quickly shut the door. Dropping her things on the kitchen table, she grabbed the envelope and sat in her favorite chair. Settling in, she opened the letter and began to read.
Dear JJ,
If you’re reading this, then it meant I left the team. I needed to. After everything, I had to leave for my own health. For a long time, even before prison, I’ve felt I’m losing parts of myself to this job and I was starting not to recognize who I am anymore. And I knew if I stayed, I’d lose myself forever. So, I had to leave.
I know what you’re thinking. You’re wondering if what transpired in LA contributed to my leaving and I’ll be honest with you, it’s a part of it. I’m sorry. I didn’t want you to feel guilty but I’m not going to lie to you now.
You’re confession stunned me because I didn’t expect it at all. I thought you’d say surely something else to diffuse the situation but when you said ‘You always loved me’, I didn’t know what to think. I thought you might be lying but while earlier you said I didn’t know your tells, but playing poker and confessing secrets are two different things. And I knew there was something more. But, when I confronted you at the wedding, your evasiveness confirmed my initial thoughts.
I knew that there was truth in your confession. How much, I still don’t know but you weren’t lying outright. I know not because I’m a profiler but because I’ve been your friend for 15 years and I know you well.
You’re my best friend and always have been, Our relationship had been so close, almost like siblings. You’re the sister I wished I had growing up and every instance of closeness we’ve shared over the years, I’ve felt a deep, familial love that’s made me consider you my sister in every way but blood.
And because of how much I cherish our friendship, the awkwardness that has been happening between us has been distressing. I don’t want this to not only affect our friendship but affect everything else, it’s best for everyone for me to leave.
Please don’t try to find me, nor get Garcia to find me. I told Emily the same thing. I need to be away from the BAU and knowing where I am, will not make me heal.
Tell everyone I love them and especially Henry and Michael that I love them more than I can say, and I’ll be back someday.
Love, Spencer
Folding up the letter, JJ started to cry, knowing that nothing would ever be the same.
******
Meanwhile at LAX:
Spencer took a deep breath as he walked down the corridor. He was both excited and nervous at the same time. It had been a long time since he’d seen her but he’d thought of her often. When he decided to leave the BAU, one of his thoughts was to see her, wanting to reconnect with her in a meaningful way that he should have done all those years ago. His salvation, he truly believed.
Coming out of the tunnel, Spencer glanced around, smiling widely when he spotted her. Walking over to her, he smiled brightly.
Pairing/Characters: Matt Simmons and the Simmonses girls
Disclaimer: I own nothing. CBS owns all....
Summary: Matt has to supervise his daughters selling Girl Scout cookies with some unexpected help
CMBingo 2020 Square: The Simmonses
Thanks: Sharon and Edgar for making sure this is coherent...I hope
Note: This is kind of based on my experiences selling Girl Scout cookies when I was little.
Note 2: Find the hidden Max Brenner reference( meaning the Rachael Leigh Cook reference)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Hey, Matt!" Luke said,as they were getting ready to go home. "Anything planned for the weekend?"
Matt flung his bag over his shoulder. "Yeah. I'm the chaperone for Lily and Chloe's Girl Scout cookie sale."
"Awww..." Tara and JJ cooed together, laughing.
"Did you know that last year the Girl Scouts sold over 200 million boxes of cookies with Thin Mints being the most popular?" Spencer said, grabbing a couple of books off his desk.
"I didn't know that, Spence." Matt replied. "I know Lily and Chloe are not going to sell THAT many tomorrow, for sure."
Emily and Rossi came up. "So, what are we all doing this weekend?"
"Matt here is going to be the cookie lady," Luke teased.
"What?"
Matt explained. "I'm helping out Chloe and Lily selling Girl Scout cookies at the store."
"That sounds fun." Rossi replied, sarcastically.
"Nice support there, Rossi." Tara said, patting him on the shoulder.
"Hey, sellling cookies with the kids outside is not my idea of fun." Rossi replied. "Why don't I just buy all the boxes and save you the time?"
"Thanks for the offer, Rossi." Matt answered, "But, we have to sell them like this because it promotes responsibility, time management and whatever else the handbook said."
As they were walking to the elevators, Emily asked. " So, how long do they have to sell?"
"Two hours only. From 11-1. The girls are Daisies, which are the youngest group, so no more than 2 hours with 2 chaperones." Matt answered.
"How did you get suckered into it?" Luke inquired as they piled into the elevator.
"Last year, Kristy did it but because she's busy with Rosemary, so I'm the lucky one." Matt said. "Usually, it's one parent for their child or in my case, two children, during the one shift."
JJ asked. "What store?"
"Ralphs at Elm and Sherman." he answered, the doors closing, the team nodding.
********
Saturday morning, Ralphs:
"Yeah, Sheila. no, no...it's okay." Matt assured on the phone. "I can manage. I'm sorry to hear Mary Anne is sick. I hope she feels better."
"What's wrong, Daddy?" Lily asked, smoothing down the sign as Chloe neatly arranged the boxes.
He put his phone in his pocket. "Mary Anne is sick, so it's just the three of us today."
"Yay!"
Matt smiled. "All right, girls. Let's go over the rules." Lily and Chloe gathered in front of him." Chloe, you did a nice job of stacking up the boxes. And Lily, the sign looks great." the girls' beamed at him. "Now, remember, stay close to the table and ask people as the come OUT of the store if they would like to buy cookies. Not as they're going in." they nodded. "Now, what do we say?"
"Would you like to buy some Girl Scout cookies?" they said in unison.
"Good. If they say yes, direct them to the table." Matt said, "And if they say no, what do we say?"
"Thank you. Have a nice day."
"Very good. Always be polite., no matter what." He put the cashbox on the table. "You have the cookie names down, right?"
"Yes."
"Great." he clapped his hands. "Now, let's sell some cookies!"
*******
Spencer's apartment, Saturday morning:
"These pancakes are delicious, Max!" Spencer said, stuffing another into his mouth.
Max blushed. "Thanks, babe. It's the vanilla and the cinnamon." She stood up and dropped her plate into the sink. Coming around to Spencer, she wrapped her arms around his neck. "So, what's the plan for today?" she asked, her breath tickling his neck, causing a shiver down his spine.
Wrapping his hands around her forearms, he replied. "Well, I had an idea."
"Ooooh...what's going on in that big, beautiful brain of yours?" she asked, kissing his head.
Blushing, he answered, "I thought maybe, we could go to the store."
"Okay..." she dragged out, confusion in her voice.
Laughing, Spencer kissed her forearm. " I didn't finish, beautiful."
"Go ahead." she whispered in his ear.
"God, you need to stop doing that, I'm losing my train of thought." Spencer whined, Max giggled. "What was I saying?"
"You wanted to go to the store." Max said. "Sounds like there's a reason."
He nodded. "Lily and Chloe, Matt's girls, are selling Girl Scout cookies today at the store. And I thought that we could stop by to support them?" he turned to her, questioningly.
Max beamed. "That sounds wonderful! I love Girl Scout cookies."she kissed him on the lips. "You, Dr.Reid, are a great friend."
Turning crimson, Spencer wrapped his arms around her waist and yanked her into his lap. "You, Ms.Brenner, are an amazing girlfriend." he responded, cupping her face to kiss her.
*****
LeMontagne Household, Saturday morning:
"Cher?" Will asked. "We're running out of things, bread and eggs for sure. I think we need to go to the store, soon."
"I know." JJ walked into the kitchen. "How about we go today with the boys?"
"I can go by myself." Will looked up to see JJ smiling sheepishly. "I know that smile. What do you have in mind?"
"Well, I was thinking we could go to Ralphs on Elm and Sherman to support Matt and the girls who are selling cookies today?" she smiled.
Chuckling, Will answered. "All right, Let's go, The boys would love to see the girls again."
JJ leaned in to kiss him. "Great. I'll get them ready."
******
Meanwhile, back at Ralphs:
"Daddy, no one is buying." Chloe whined, disappointment on her face.
"I know, sweetie." Matt sighed. He knew this would be hard but didn't realize how difficult it would be. They'd been there for close to a half hour and no one wanted to buy. He thought with his two precious girls, that customers would be excited to buy from two cute little girls but they kept giving excuses not to buy, some more outrageous than the next. He thought two little girls would make it easy to sell because they wouldn't be turned down but it still happened. He couldn't imagine how the older Scouts did it. Probably near impossible. 'Maybe I should have had Rossi buy them all.' he mused.
"Daddy! Uncle Luke is here!!" yelled, Lily.
Swiveling his head, Matt spotted Luke coming up. "Hey, man." he slapped his hand. "What brings you here?" he asked, surprised.
"Roxy needed food." Luke answered. Turning to the girls, he said. "Hi, girls. How's it going?"
"Not good." Chloe replied, sadly.
"We haven't sold anything." Lily chimed in.
"I'm sorry." Luke said. "I'll buy some on my way out."
"Really?" Lily asked, excitedly.
"Yup." Luke looked at Matt, who had a curious look on his face. "What?"
"Roxy needed food?" Matt asked, warily. "That's the best you could come up with? Isn't there a Petco by your house?"
Swallowing, Luke grabbed a basket. "Yes, but they have better prices here.And I have a coupon." Turning to the girls." I'll be right back."
With that, Luke entered the store, Matt shaking his head.
********
20 minutes later:
After Luke left with 5 pounds of dog food and 5 boxes of cookies, things started to pick up for the sale. Four customers stopped by and bought at least 2 boxes a piece, causing excitement from Lily and Chloe. Matt loved seeing his girls happy and they were doing a good job remembering cookie names as well as the prices with Matt making change. As he was marking down which types of cookies had been sold, he heard Lily say, "Aunt Emily!"
"Hi, girls!" Emily waved. "How's it going?"
"Great!" Chloe answered. "We've sold 20 boxes."
"Wow."
"Uncle Luke bought the most. He bought 5!" Lily replied.
"Did he?" Emily looked up at Matt, who was eyeing her with suspicion." Well, since I'm here. I'll buy some too."
'Yay!" Lily jumped up and down.
"Emily.."Matt warned.
She shrugged. "What? I had to go to the store to pick some wine for a romantic dinner with Andrew." she winked.
"And there were no liquor stores around your place?"
"Not with these low prices. " Emily picked up a basket. "Besides, Keeley loves cookies." the girls cheered.
Matt shook his head. "Emily.."
She threw up her hands in defense. ' Hey, I'm the boss. If I want cookies, I'm getting cookies." she grabbed a basket. "See you in a bit, girls."
"Bye."
No sooner had Emily went into the store that Matt saw a familiar face walking across the parking lot. 'Tara' he sighed.
"Hey,Tara!" he yelled.
She waved at them. " Hey, Matt. Hey, girls."
"Hi, Aunt Tara." they responded in unison.
"How's business?"
"Good. We sold 20 boxes." Lily answered.
Tara smiled. "That's great."
"Uncle Luke was here and Aunt Emily is in the store." Chloe said.
"Aaah.." Tara answered, eyebrows raised.
"What brings you here this morning?" asked Matt, smiling.
"Weekly grocery shopping."
"Uh,huh." Matt replied, looking at Tara disbelievingly. "Across town?"
She shrugged. "They have excellent produce here. Best carrots."
"Right."
"Well, girls, Good Luck." Tara got a basket. "I'll be back to buy some cookies!"
"To go with your carrots, right?" Matt asked, teasingly.
"Of course. Balance is key." Tara waved, entering the store.
*****
Hour later:
After Tara and Emily, who both bought more cookies than they needed, using the explanations of 'for Keeley' and ' for my Psych colleagues', the two women left and traffic dropped. There was a sale here and there but the bulk of the boxes sold were from his team. He loved his team for doing this for his girls but part of him knew it wouldn't always be this easy for them. But, that was a conversation for later.
Checking his watch, he realized they had just under one hour left. He wondered if anyone else on the team would stop by. 'Let's see, still have David,Penelope, JJ, Spencer..'
"Would you like to buy some Girl Scout cookies?" Lily asked.
"You're cute." the lady said. "But, my granddaughter already sells them I'm sorry."
"Thank you, anyways."
Matt smiled, marveling at how the girls were still polite despite being turned down. He was so proud of them. As he was checking over the cookie sheet, he heard Chloe yell. "Aunt Penelope!"
"Oh! Lookie here! My beautiful little daisies!" Penelope cooed over them, wrapping them up in a hug.
"Good Afternoon, Penelope." Matt offered, grinning. "What's up? Casual shopping?"
"I needed to buy some snacks for my group." she explained, perusing the boxes. "And everyone likes Girl Scout cookies."
"You're boyfriend was here about an hour ago." Matt teased.
Penelope snapped her head up. "He's not my boyfriend."
"Not yet." Matt smirked. " How many dates have you been on?"
"Four." she mumbled.
"Sounds like a boyfriend to me." Matt said, grinning ear to ear.
"Shush! Mister!" Penelope shook her head. "I'm here to buy cookies from my angels."
"Which ones do you want, Aunt Penelope?"
"Let me see.." she scanned the sheet. "I'll take 3 Thin Mints, 3 Samoas, 2 Trefoils, 2 Tagalongs, 2 Do-si-dos. I love peanut butter." Penelope offered, as the girls collected the boxes.
"Twelve?"
"Yup."
"Penelope.." Matt drew out. Penelope hit him, "Hush, My group is big and they need fuel." Facing the girls, she smiled. "Now, how much?"
"How much, Daddy?" Chloe asked.
"60 dollars."
"Wow!!" and 'That's a lot." both girls screamed.
"Anything for my daisy angels." Penelope grinned.
"Thank you, Aunt Penelope."
"Anytime, my beauties!" Penelope put the cookies in her bag. "And you, Mister, send my love to Kristy and the baby and the boys." she kissed his cheek. "I'll see you later."
Thank you, Penelope." Matt said, kissing her back.
"Bye, my loves!"
"Bye, Aunt Penelope."
'So, who's left?' Matt mused.
********************
12;30 pm. Half hour to go:
"Daddy, we've almost ran out." Lily said, arranging the remainder of the boxes. They had just had a handful of boxes of each variety left.
"I see, girls." Matt replied, marking them down on the sheet. The last 45 minutes had been busy. Not only did selling pick up from strangers at the store but like he thought, two more members of his team showed up for support. David came a little bit after Penelope, saying he needed some cookies for Ringo and his poker buddies, while JJ and her family, came by under the pretense of needing groceries which Matt asked why not go near home when Will gave up the game by saying they wanted to support the girls. JJ bought half a dozen and Rossi bought only 10 after Matt had to stop him from buying the entire inventory. It wasn't an easy thing but Matt did it. He said it wasn't fair to the girls who were trying to develop responsibility and luckily, Rossi relented.For now.
"Thank you. Have a nice day." Chloe replied, as an elderly couple bought two.
"How many, Chloe?" Mattt inquired.
"Two. One Trefolis, one Thin Mints." she said, as Matt marked off the respective boxes on the sheet.
"Look, Daddy! Uncle Spencer and Aunt Max!" Lily exclaimed, waving.
'I knew it.' Matt thought to himself. He knew out of anyone on his team, Spencer would show up. He was so good with supporting kids and their activities. He knew about the endless soccer games and school plays Spencer attended on behalf of his godchildren.
"Hi, Lily. Hi, Chloe." Spencer greeted them with a wave.
"Hello, Matt."Max said. "Hello, girls!"
"Hi, Uncle Spencer and Aunt Max." Lily called, causing both Max and Spencer to smile at their names.
"Hey, guys. What brings you by?" Matt asked, knowingly.
"We wanted to buy some cookies."Spencer replied flat out.
Matt laughed, causing confusion. "Thanks, Spence." he clapped him on the back.
"What for?"
"For being honest." Matt explained. "The others came by, with varying excuses for coming by but you were straight up honest about it."
Max giggled, squeezing Spencer's hand. "Truthfully, for a moment, we thought about making up an excuse but decided to be upfront about wanting to help."
"Who else came by?" Spencer asked, looking over the cookie selection.
"The entire team."
"Really?"
Matt nodded. "Yeah. And the excuses they gave were so funny,"
"What were they?"Mas inquired, pointing out a couple of cookies to Spencer.
"Let's see. Rossi needed some for Ringo and Emily said there was cheaper wine here than anywhere else. And Tara needed cookies to balance out her produce."
"You're kidding me."Max chuckled, as did Spencer.
Matt smiled. "It was funny to say the least." he watched as Chloe and Lily were telling Spencer all the varieties with him listening intently to everything they were telling him. Max watched smiling lovingly. "That's great that they came by. Families do that."
Matt agreed. " They do."
"Babe, have you decided which ones you want?"
Spencer wrapped his arm around her. "Well, thanks to Lily and Chloe who did an amazing job of explaining the types to me, I've decided on..." the girls beamed at him. " I want the Thin Mints and Samoas. And the toffee ones for sure. What do you want, love?"
"I love peanut butter, So, I'll take the Tagalongs and Do-si-dos."
"Good choice." Spencer said. "Here's 25 dollars." he handed the money to Lily.
"Thank you, Uncle Spencer." Lily took the money to the cashbox.
"Here are the boxes, Aunt Max."
Max put them in her bag. "Thank you, Chloe."
"Thanks for stopping by." Matt offered.
"Anytime."Max replied as Spencer carried her bag.
"See you on Monday." Spencer said, again wrapping an arm around Max, waving goodbye.
"Thank you, Uncle Spencer and Aunt Max!" the girls screamed, waving wildly.
Matt smiled, watching them walk away. Max was right. Family supports each other. And if one thing he knew for sure, was that not only his family at home was everything he could have hoped for but so was his work family.
