XXV

"I don't think we should tell everyone yet." I did a quick once over in the mirror, running my finger along the underside of my eyelashes to get rid of the excess mascara.


Reid stood beside me, looking down at his tie as he adjusted it around his neck. "They say you should wait until the thirteen week mark," he responded.


"Really?" I looked over at him, surprised.


The day after I came out about the news Reid drove me to the clinic to take another test. I remember when I got there I couldn't stop shaking. Part of me wondered if I'd made a mistake somehow, like maybe I wasn't pregnant and somehow I'd just imagined the entire thing. Almost immediately Reid rolled his eyes when I told him; assuring me that that the percentage of such a thing happening was slim, especially considering the amount of tests I took.


When the test came back positive, I sobbed. Considering the amount of hormones traveling through my body it wasn't surprising. When it happened though, instead of comforting me Reid just laughed and drug me out to car. As we walked out of the clinic I hid my face in embarrassment. Crying in public was bad enough, but doing it while I was pregnant? I wanted to die.


"That's when the rate of miscarriage drops," he responded.


I pressed my lips together, feeling sick. While I knew that becoming pregnant didn't always result in having a baby, I still didn't like thinking about it. Now that Reid and I were on the same page I actually felt pretty good about everything. Sure, things were still new and exciting, but the more I thought about it the more right it felt.


Reid ran his hand along the front of his shirt, leaning forward into the mirror as he brought his hand up to his hair and smoothed it out. "Do you think everyone already knows?"


"That I'm pregnant?" I looked at him wide eyed.


He chuckled, shaking his head. "No, that we're together."


"Oh," I let out a sigh of relief, "probably."


When he was finished fiddling with his hair he turned to face me, flashing me a warm smile as he moved his hand to the small of my back. "You ready?"


I held up my pointer finger, giving him a narrow eyed look before opening the top drawer and grabbing a couple of bobby pins. I pulled a small section of my hair back, pinning it down so that it stayed out of my face.


Reid checked the watch on his wrist, letting out a stressed out sigh. "Rossi hates when people are late."


I put the last pin between my lips as I pulled back another section and glanced over his shoulder. It was six on the dot, which meant we were already running late. "Shit."


"I'll go start the car." He placed a small kiss on the side of my head and went upstairs.


When he was gone I smiled, grabbing the pin from my mouth before placing it near my roots and patting it down. Even though I was only three weeks along I somehow looked different, like I was glowing. Apparently that was something that happened to pregnant women. At first I thought it was just some silly myth, but yesterday when I got out of the shower I literally had to do a double take in the mirror.


At that moment I realized I should probably be hurrying. Swearing under my breath, I ran out of the bathroom and grabbed my bag. Swiftly, I threw my phone inside before grabbing a pair of shoes and running upstairs. As I passed by Luke on the couch, I yelled a quick goodbye and pushed my way through the front door before running down the driveway to Reid's car. The second I hopped in he started moving, barely waiting long enough to put on my seatbelt.


"Sorry," I let out a heavy breath, "got distracted."


"It's your funeral," he joked.


"You're gonna be late too, you know." I raised my brow.


He rolled his eyes and turned left, pulling behind a line of cars with a groan. "Great," he muttered.


By the time we got to Rossi's it was almost six-thirty. When we got to the front door Reid knocked, letting out a heavy sigh as he turned to face me. I clenched my teeth together, giving him an awkward smile as Rossi ripped open the door. Almost immediately he gave us an unimpressed look and motioned us to come inside. "What ever happened to punctuality?" He shook his head, watching as the two of us sheepishly smiled and walked into the kitchen.


"Where the heck have you been?" Garcia jumped off one of the bar stools, rushing past Reid to wrap her arms around me. She pulled me in for a tight hug, pressing her cheek to mine as she shook me back and forth.


"Sorry, we got distracted."


Garcia pulled away, giving me a suspicious eyebrow wiggle. In response, I looked over at Reid who held back a smile, shaking his head as he wandered over to Morgan and Alex, giving them both a quick hug.


"How are you holding up?" JJ asked. She was leaning against the kitchen counter with an overly filled wine class clutched in her hand. She gave us both a warm smile, bringing the drink to her lips to take a sip.


I shrugged my shoulders and brushed past Garcia to take one of the empty seats next to Morgan. "Still a bit sore, but I'm getting there." Slowly I sat down, letting out a small groan as I clutched my stomach. Despite only being a couple weeks along I still felt pretty uncomfortable most of the time, which according to my doctor was normal.


Garcia scurried back to her seat too, taking the spot on Morgan's other side. As she sat, I glanced over, watching as she gave him a subtle elbow nudge and motioned his face to her's. Sneakily she placed her hand on his shoulder and moved her lips towards his ear to whisper something. I tried to listen in, hoping she wouldn't notice, but eventually stopped once I saw her eyes dart towards me.


"Can I get you guys a drink?" Rossi walked over to one of his many liquor cabinets and opened the door; scanning the contents for a couple of seconds until he eventually decided on a bottle of red wine. He pulled it out and twirled the bottle in his hands, giving the label a quick read before nodding in approval and setting in on the counter in front of us.


The second I saw him grab a set of glasses, I swallowed hard. I completely forgot about the no alcohol thing, which was definitely going to make hiding this whole pregnancy situation pretty difficult. Like everyone else on the team, I enjoyed my fair share of liquor, so I knew denying a glass would probably arouse some sort of suspicion.


Rossi opened the bottle, a wide smile forming across his lips as he poured both glasses about half full. Afterwards he popped the cork back on, sliding the first glass over to Reid who glanced down at it before looking over at me and biting his lip.


As Rossi pushed the other towards me I awkwardly shook my head. "I, uh," I swallowed hard, "I'm okay."


Rossi raised his brow, giving me a quick scan before merely shrugging his shoulders and taking the glass in his hand. He took a quick sip, letting out a pleasant sigh as he examined the drink and twirled the liquid in his hand.


The rest of the team looking equally confused, glancing between each other before their eyes eventually fell on me. Nervously, I pressed my lips together, giving everyone a tight lipped smile as I brought my hand to my mouth and started chewing my thumbnail.


"Can I get you anything else?" Rossi asked.


"Water?"


Thankfully, he didn't question it, but instead grabbed a glass from the cupboard and filled it up. When he handed it to me I muttered a quick thank-you and took a sip, feeling my face grow warm at the sudden unwanted attention. Sometimes it sucked having a bunch of profilers for friends, especially because I knew exactly what they were doing. Like always, they were studying me, watching my nervous ticks and actions in order to determine the cause of my sudden change of behaviour.


As the night went on I tried to not let it get to me; something that was easier said than done. Every so often I'd have to force myself not to snap in frustration as everyone gave me curious glances. At one point, Rossi gave me a surprised look after I declined another drink offering, causing me to inherently glare in his direction. At that point I think he knew something was up, because like that night Reid and I first talked again, he pulled me out onto the patio for a chat.


"Alright," he let out a heavy sigh and pulled out one of the chairs. He put his hand on my shoulder and motioned me sit down. "Tell me what's on your mind."


Grumpily, I obliged, placing my glass in front of me as I adjusted myself into the seat. When I was comfortable I pulled the chair closer to the table and rested my elbows on it. I let out a heavy sigh, placing my head in my hands as I watched Rossi take the seat next to me.


"What's with the attitude?" He asked.


"I don't feel good," I responded. I closed my eyes and ran my fingers along the lids before carefully rubbing the inner corners in frustration. On top of feeling nervous about telling everyone about the relationship, I couldn't stop thinking about the child growing inside me. While it was definitely exciting news, I didn't want everyone knowing yet.


"Why's that?" A smirk formed across Rossi's lips as he leaned back in his seat and took a sip.


I rolled my eyes and looked away. Even though it'd been a while since I properly profiled someone I knew almost immediately he was aware of what was happening. Rossi wasn't the subtle type and when something was on his mind he often let it out regardless of how it affected others.


"I hate you," I mumbled, taking a quick sip of water.


He let out a small chuckle and placed his glass in front of him. "I'm sorry. You're just not very subtle."


"Neither are you," I retorted, crossing my arms over my chest. Like Reid, Rossi could read me like a book, which often times annoyed the shit out of me.


"I have nothing to hide," he shrugged, "you however, do."


"Why do you always have to instigate everything? Can't you just be happy not knowing?"


He shook his head.


I covered my face with my hands, letting out a loud groan as I moved my fingers up through my hair and gripped my roots. I closed my eyes in frustration, taking a couple of breaths to calm myself down before looking back at him. "Look, Rossi-"


"I'm not going to say anything." He raised his hands up in defence.


I let out a sigh of relief.


"What happens between you and Spencer is your business."


"Then why are we having this conversation?" I smirked.


He scoffed.


"That's what I thought," I laughed.


"I know my nosiness isn't necessarily appreciated, but I just want you to know I'm here for you. Obviously I don't exactly know what it feels like to have a child, but scientifically I know it's difficult, especially during the early stages." He reached over and grabbed my hand, pulling it towards the table before giving it a tight squeeze.


I flashed him a somewhat apologetic smile, nodding my head as I placed my other hand over top of his. I gave it a light pat as I nodded my head. While I didn't necessarily like him being up in my business, I couldn't help, but admit it felt nice knowing I had someone other than Reid to turn to.


"How far along are you?"


"Only like three weeks or so," I responded with a shrug.


"Am I safe to assume you and Spencer are together?"


I nodded. "We were planning on telling everyone tonight."


"About the pregnancy?"


"Nah, just that we're together," I sighed. I grabbed the glass of water, pulling my hand a way from Rossi's as I took a quick sip.


"Well, I'm happy for you." He smiled.


I gave him a little head nod and placed the glass back down. "It's so weird," I couldn't help, but laugh. "I feel like our relationship is kind of backwards."


"Well Isla, if I've learned anything about love, it's that it's not as linear as people make it out to be." He raised his glass in the air, as if he was giving some sort of toast before he threw back the rest of his drink and sighed.


"You would know with your three ex wives," I responded, holding back a smirk.


Without hesitation he pointed his finger threateningly in my direction and narrowed his eyes. "You're lucky you're growing a kid in there or I'd be inclined to kick your ass."


I placed my hands on my stomach, pushing it outwards as I smirked. "I can already tell this whole pregnancy thing is going to be very beneficial for my attitude problem."


Rossi chuckled and shook his head. "Don't let it get to your head. After nine months your pass to do whatever you want gets revoked and you get to answer to that for at least eighteen years." He pointed to my stomach.


I let out a small laugh. After a couple more minutes of casual banter, Rossi and I wondered back inside, flashing everyone light smiles as we walked through the kitchen to meet the rest of the group. Without hesitation I walked over to Reid, placing my hand on his shoulder. He was in the middle of talking to JJ about Henry, which made kind of nervous. I figured he was probably being cautious about it, making sure not to make things obvious, but I still felt on edge.


When he turned to face me he smiled and moved his hand to the back of my head. JJ looked at us curiously, her eyebrow cocking upwards as she glanced over at Alex and Morgan who looked equally confused.


As time went on Garcia eventually looked over too, peeling her eyes away from Hotch who was discussing something work related. When she saw Reid's hand on my head she let out a loud squeal of excitement, causing Hotch to stop in confusion. Roughly, she smacked his chest and pointed towards us, bouncing in her seat as she wiggled her hand and mumbled a series of incoherent sentences. Morgan immediately laughed at her inability to speak, clapping his hands together as he leaned forward in his chair.


"What? How? When?" Her eyes darted around the group desperately as she tried to put the pieces together on her own.


As I watched I couldn't help, but laugh. I moved my hand from Reid's shoulder down to the middle of his back, giving it light rub as he pulled me into him and kissed the side of my face.


"Why do you guys keep doing this?" She wined.


"Doing what?" I smirked.


"Getting together without telling me! It's so unfair! You know how much I hate secrets!"


"You hate secrets?" Reid asked sarcastically.


Garcia huffed, causing the rest of us to laugh. Honestly I was surprised she hadn't already figured it out. She (despite everyone else being literal profilers) was the master of all things sleuthing and constantly bragged about it. I remember back when I was sharing her office she often gossiped about everyone, relaying information she'd managed to find on the down low.


"Did you seriously not know?" Morgan asked.


Garcia glared in his direction and shook her head.


"They've been hanging out non stop since Isla got out of the hospital," he responded matter of factly.


"So," She crossed her arms over her chest and pouted, "I'd do the same thing for you."


"Baby girl, that's because you're in love with me," Morgan laughed.


Garcia rolled her eyes, holding back a smile. At that point the rest of the group starting asking questions; all of them collectively wondering what happened to change our minds. Reid and I, while feeling somewhat vulnerable at the amount of attention, answered everything as truthfully as possible; making sure to leave out the details about our night at the hospital. As we did, everyone listened, nodding their heads as we explained the situation. It felt good to get some of what we'd been hiding off of our chests. Now that we were in separate departments at work we didn't have to worry anymore, which definitely felt good after what happened last time.


After everyone had finished questioning us we went back to casual conversations, all of us branching out in groups. At that point I snuggled up to Reid, letting out a small yawn as I tugged the back of his shirt to get his attention.


"Yeah?" He smiled down at me, giving my arm a light rub.


"Can we go outside for a sec?" I asked quietly.


He nodded his head, moving his hand to the small of my back as he stepped aside and ushered me forward. I smiled as I passed, grabbing his hand on the way out as I dragged him out to the patio and sat down. As I did, I felt my lower back erupt in a series of cramps, which caused me to cringe in discomfort.


"You okay?"


"Yeah," I nodded, "just cramping up a bit." According to my doctor, on top of feeling somewhat nauseous, mild cramps were typically pretty normal.


Reid put his hand on my shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze before he grabbed the chair next to me and pulled it close. As he sat down he grabbed my hand, giving it a light kiss before flashing me a wide grin.


"What's that for?" I laughed.


"I'm just really happy right now," he shrugged.


"Me too."


He stroked the back of my hand, looking down at it lovingly as I leaned back in my chair and scanned his face. Even though it'd only been two days since I told him, he'd already developed a sudden need to be more physically affectionate. Not that I was complaining. "What'd you and Rossi talk about?" He eventually asked.


I sighed and scrunched up my face nervously, causing him to look up. He gave me a confused look, watching as I slid to the front of my chair. "He knows," I responded.


"Oh," Reid furrowed his brow.


"Yeah."


"What'd he say?"


"That he wouldn't say anything," I responded, "and that he was there if we needed him."


Reid snorted, giving his eyes a quick roll. Like me, I could tell he was somewhat annoyed.


"Stupid alcohol," I muttered, shaking my head.


"Agreed," he replied.


"I'm sorry. I should've lied or something."


He let out a small chuckle and shook his head. "You and I both know that never would've worked."


He was right. Rossi knew body language more than anyone. "Stupid Rossi."


Both of us just laughed, because at that point what else were we supposed to do? As much as we wanted to keep things to ourselves and work through everything on our own we knew it would only be a matter of time before word got out. Secrets weren't common in the BAU, especially life changing ones like this.


At that point I thought about my family. Like the BAU, they were very nosy people and ever since the incident they'd been contacting me non stop. A big part of me wanted to respond to them. Wanted to let them know that I was doing okay, but for some reason I couldn't bring myself to do it. Maybe it was because I felt weirdly guilty about getting abducted or that I was nervous they'd be disappointed in me. Either way, I wasn't entirely ready to talk to them yet.


"I think I'm ready to go home, how about you?" Reid placed his hand on my knee, flashing me a warm smile as he pushed his body out of the chair.


I nodded my head and gripped his hand, feeling him pull me to my feet. Together we walked back into the house, holding each other tightly as we wandered into the kitchen to say goodbye. For once, we were the first to leave, which felt kind of strange. At that moment I knew it was just something I was going to have to get used to though. Being pregnant was exhausting and while I loved my friends I knew socializing would eventually take its toll, especially once they baby actually arrived.


Everyone hugged us lovingly, subtly mentioning how happy they were we were together again. I couldn't help, but smile every time they said it. Reid and I's relationship was honestly the best thing that ever happened to me and while it took a while for us to get here I was glad everyone was still supportive.


As we walked out the front door I waved goodbye, my other hand clutched tightly in Reid's as he led me out towards the car. Lazily we walked towards it, swinging our interlocked hands back and forth as we smiled at each other. "I think that went pretty well," I shrugged.


"Yeah, me too," he nodded.


We got into the car silently after that, buckling our seatbelts as Reid turned on the car and adjusted himself in his seat. As he did, I looked over, flashing him a tired smile as I leaned my elbow against the edge of the window and propped my cheek onto my knuckles. "Can we please get ice cream on the way home?" I mumbled.


He chuckled as he glanced at the road for oncoming traffic. When it was clear we turned started moving. "Only because you asked nicely," he retorted jokingly.


I stuck out my tongue and smiled, feeling suddenly sleepy. People weren't kidding when they said growing a baby made you tired. As we drove down the street I felt my eyelids start to close themselves. Defiantly, I tried to keep them open, taking the time to blink aggressively as I tried to focus on the road in front of me.


"Go to sleep," Reid laughed.


"No," I grumbled, "I want ice cream."


"You can have ice cream when you wake up."


I thought about arguing, but unfortunately my brain was too tired to think of something witty to say, so instead I let out a grumpy sigh and adjusted my body so that it was leaning against the door. I really was tired and as much as I wanted to stay up and hang out with him I knew it was only a matter of minutes before my brain took over and forced me to go to sleep.

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