Spencer and Delilah

The sight of the two of them snuggled up together was a sight I never got tired of seeing.

This was one of the rare moments when he looked content and at peace. There were no riddles to solve, no unsubs to chase, none of the stresses of his day to day life.

When he walked into our house, he wasn't Supervisory Special Agent Dr. Spencer Reid. He could just be Spencer. He could just be dad.

Our work at the BAU was challenging, but keeping people safe was worth it. We are always trying to make sure the world is a safe place our daughter.

Even though she won't admit it, I know that Delilah was a daddy's girl at heart. She was just like her father. She was smart for her age, easily the most intelligent kid in her 1st grade class. She's very inquisitive, always asking us to teach her new things and wondering about the world around her. Her big heart and the constant desire to be cuddled are qualities that we love about her the most.

Like right now, she wanted to lay with her dad and watch a movie, and how could he deny her that?

I could see him starting to drift off, the tiredness evident in his eyes. It was obvious in the past few weeks that he's been like this more and more often, ever since his mom had moved into our basement.

One thing I've learned about Spencer in the years we've worked and been in a relationship together was that when he wanted to fix something, he would not stop until things got better.

So when he brought up the idea of bringing his mom into our home, it was hard for me to say no.

Diana had a rough life and it wasn't getting any easier. She had become a big part of my life and I wanted to help her out too.

Even though it had been a bit of a struggle, we were managing this new change. The caregiver we hired was a big help, but dealing with a condition like Diana's was rough. We all had to make adjustments to our lives, but that's what you do for the people you love.

"Mom?" I heard a whisper from my daughter.

"What's up, baby?"

"I think dad's asleep," she said with a quiet giggle. And she was right. Spencer was passed out, soft snores falling from his lips.

"Well, why don't you wake him up so we can get ready for bed?"

She nodded at me and started lightly poking her dad's cheek, soft giggles leaving her mouth.

He started to stir, a smirk appearing on his face. "Dad, it's time to get ready for bed."

"I'm up, I'm up!" he said, lifting the girl in his arms and taking her down the hall. He was such a natural with her and I love watching the two of them interact.

We helped her brush her teeth and tuck her into bed. I gave her a hug and a kiss before moving out of the way, waiting for Spencer to break the news to her.

"Hey, sweetie. We've got to talk real quick."

She looked up at him, her eyes wide and waiting for him to speak. I had a feeling she knew what he was gonna say, having this conversation a couple times before.

"Tomorrow I'm going on a little trip again, so I'll be gone for a couple days. I've got to get more stuff for grandma."

The look on her face was killing me, and I'm sure it was breaking Spencer's heart as well.

"Promise to make it a quick trip? And you'll come home soon?" She extended her pinky out to him. He laced his with her own.

"I'll try. I love you so much, sweetie." He gave her a kiss and a hug and was soon out of the door, turning off the lights.

I silently followed him to our room. I could tell he didn't want to leave her, leave us, but he would do anything to help his mom.

"I know you don't want me to go," he said, breaking the silence as we crawled into bed.

"Spencer, how many times do I have to tell you? I'm always gonna support your decisions. You're trying to do what's best for her, and I can't stop you no matter how hard I try."

He dropped his head, a look of sorrow across his face. I placed my finger under his chin and tipped his head up to look at me.

"Hey. I love you so god damn much. I just want you to be safe and to take care of yourself."

He grabbed my hand that was cradling his face, placing a kiss on my palm.

"I love you, too. And I'm going to spend the rest of my life making this up to you."

I just grabbed his face, placing a gentle kiss on his lips. Sometimes, we struggled with the words we wanted to say. But somehow, our kisses conveyed everything we ever wanted to say.

We laid down, my head resting against his chest. "What time is your flight tomorrow?"

"10:45. I talked to your dad, he said he'd drop me off at the airport."

"That's good. Just be safe and make it quick. Delilah gets antsy when you're not here."

He chuckled, giving my small frame a gentle squeeze. "God, I love her. I know she's having a hard time adjusting to all of this, but she's so strong."

"She's so smart and mature for her age. Wonder where she got that from?" I said with a smirk.

He laughed again. "What are you talking about? You're a genius, too. Sometimes, you've got more brains than me."

Our conversation slowly died off. We gave each other a few more lazy kisses as we let sleep take over us.

The last thing I remember was hoping that Spencer would make it home safe and sound and we can continue to work past this.

But I would soon learn the hard way that sometimes life throws curve balls, not caring if you're ready for it or not.

First chapter is in the books! I really hope you all enjoy this one.