~Spencer Reid~

The Indian fast food wasn't as good as the Tandoori Chicken made by Spencer Reid's girlfriend. Which was a pleasant surprise. Orion said he was just biased, which Spencer vehemently denied. Truthfully, it may have been how much he enjoyed listening to all her childhood stories that made the meal taste so good.

After dinner and ice cream the couple had headed to Nathaniel and Thea's home for the night. The two were already there, waiting for them to return. Clover had been put to bed while the adults stayed up a little longer to discuss the literal bombshell Orion's parents had dropped on them before turning in as well.

~

Spencer groaned as he rolled into consciousness the next morning. Sunlight streaming through the curtains into his eyes. He reached out, some part of his mind expecting Orion to be lying in the same place she had been when they fell asleep. But that side of the large bed was empty.

His memory brought him back to two weeks earlier, the time Spencer had stayed over the night at Orion's apartment. She hadn't been in bed when he'd woken up that morning either. Sitting up, Spencer couldn't stop the lazy smile from spreading across his face as his eyes finally found purchase on his girlfriend.

Orion was wearing leggings and a tank top, in the middle of a set of pushups on the floor at the end of the bed. He could tell she had been at it for a while already because her forehead had a sheen of sweat on it. Instead of interrupting her, Spencer folded his legs under the blankets, rested his elbows on his knees, and propped his chin up on his hands as he watched.

It was only five minutes later when she began those odd sideways one handed push ups that Orion spoke up. "Good morning SSA Dr. Spencer Reid PHD." She smiled effortlessly at him, as though she weren't going through the motions of what had to be a grueling workout.

"Good morning, Queen of Swords. I see you're getting an early start to your day." Spencer chuckled at her.

"Of course, the best time to get the muscles working. Especially when we'll be having a long day of candy hunting ahead of us." She hummed as she switched sides.

"Ah yes, it's Easter today." Spencer nodded.

"We've got about an hour before Clover wakes up, by my estimates." Orion informed him.

"I'm sure you'll want to have a quick shower after your workout in that time." Spencer raised an eyebrow thoughtfully.

"Unless you are bothered by the smell of sweat." Orion snickered.

"You don't smell even half as bad as Morgan does after his workouts." He scoffed back. Watching as she stood to her feet and began performing a series of stretches.

"Let me guess, he dragged you to the gym with him?" She asked teasingly.

"Said I needed a bit more muscle to impress the ladies." Spencer huffed.

"You look very handsome just the way you are, Spencer." Orion assured him, flashing a smile his way before continuing her routine.

"You're biased."

"Perhaps, but I'm sure there are plenty of other people out there who would agree with me." She told him.

"Your's is the only opinion that I care about, and my Mom's." Spencer said honestly.

"Then you have nothing to worry about."

"Mom thinks I should put on some more muscle or weight." He said bluntly.

"Every mother should be overly concerned about their child's health and well being. Even when they already are in a healthy state. It's usually how they show that they care about and love you." Orion said. "Unfortunately, my mother is an example of the unhealthy version of that."

"I should take you to meet my Mom. She would love you." Spencer smiled softly, envisioning his two favorite women meeting in his mind.

"You sure? I don't want to accidentally freak her out." Orion's brow furrowed in worry.

"Well, she already has an idea of what you look like. I've, um, I've described you to her in my letters a few times actually." Heat bloomed across Spencer's face at that admission.

Orion stopped her workout entirely. "You describe me in your letters?" A pink flush painting her cheeks beautifully.

Spencer shrugged bashfully. "I tell my Mom everything. For the last 78 days, almost every letter I've sent her at least mentions you in it. A few of them have been me rambling exclusively about you."

Orion rounded the side of the bed before leaning over, gasping Spencer's face in her hands and pulling him closer into a soft kiss that made the butterflies inhabiting his stomach dance happily.

"Maybe we can ditch my parents a week early and head down to Vegas instead?" Orion suggested after they pulled apart for air.

"We'll see what happens first, but I like that idea." Spencer agreed.

After that Orion went to take a quick shower and Spencer got dressed for the day. Taking two of Orion's smithing journals, which he'd gotten permission to take from her shelves, he headed to the main living area to read while he waited for the other occupants of the home to wake up.

They were some of her earlier ones, so they weren't quite as detailed as her current ones yet. But they did have significantly more observational notes from Goro Yamada's teachings as she trained under him. Spencer had never had much of an interest in blacksmithing, and yet he found these journals fascinating.

"Good morning, I see you're an early riser like my sister." Nathaniel yawned his greeting as he shuffled towards the kitchen. His jet black curls an untamed mane around his head.

"Good morning, Nathaniel, and I'm not up quite as early as Orion. I honestly don't know how she does it." Spencer chuckled.

"Easy, she's insane." The younger man scoffed jokingly.

"I heard that!" Orion's voice called from down the hall, emerging a few seconds later. Her own black curls freshly combed and still slightly damp. Unconsciously, Spencer smiled at the sight of her.

"You heard nothing!" Nathaniel denied.

Spencer stood from his seat on the couch and followed Orion into the kitchen, just in time to see her smack Nathaniel lightly on the shoulder. Her younger brother yelped, grasping his 'injury' and jumping out of her reach.

"Ow! Don't do that!" He cried.

"I barely even hit you!" She rolled her eyes at him as she retrieved the eggs and milk from the fridge.

"It's going to bruise!" Her brother insisted.

"Well, then you've learned your lesson."

"Yah, that my sister is insane." Nathaniel muttered as he pulled out a bowl and set it on the counter. Beginning to crack eggs into it. Orion smacked him again, harder this time.

"Ow!" Nathaniel shrieked. "Stop that!"

"Why should I?" Orion asked innocently.

"Because it's not nice to pick on your little brother?" He tried.

"It's just how siblings show their love for each other." Orion shrugged.

"That, and because it's safer." Spencer jumped in. "It's completely normal for friction to occur among Humans living together, but with siblings there is an underlying establishment of trust that is not immediately present in relationships outside of family. Thus it is safer to pester a sibling rather than a friend."

"That makes sense." Orion smiled and nodded.

"Though, when it comes to children who are emotionally or mentally imbalanced, things can go too far as they don't have the capacity to recognize what is okay and what is harmful. If the parent's don't clue in on this and don't try to help the child understand the boundaries of what is okay, the child can become cruel in the torment of their siblings which will eventually spread to those outside the family as well." Spencer continued before catching himself rambling and flushing in embarasment.

"So it's a miracle my brothers and I came out okay." Orion teased, leaning over and pecking Spencer's cheek. Easily putting his self conscious thoughts to rest with that simple action.

Loud giggling was the only warning the they got before a very excited three year old dressed in a purple rabbit onesie came skipping into the kitchen. "Daddy! What's for breakfast? Did the Easter Bunny come last night! Can I have chocolate for breakfast?" She asked in rappid fire.

Nathaniel laughed, turning slightly away from where he now had three pieces of french toast on the frying pan. "Good morning Princess! We're having french toast, your favorite, and you have to hunt for the chocolate the Easter Bunny left for you. Remember?"

Clover bounced over to Orion and held her arms up for a hug. "Of coarse I remember!" She replied to her father as Orion squatted down to give her niece a bear hug with extra tickles on the side. Spencer watching with a smile on his face.

"Good, well, we have to wake up Mommy before we can have any breakfast-" Nathaniel didn't even get to finish his sentence before Clover was escaping Orion's hug and dashing back down the hall to the master bedroom.

"Well she's certainly excited." Spencer chuckled as Orion stood back up.

"She's like that almost all the time. I have no idea how Thea and I are going to handle it if the little on the way is the same." Nathaniel huffed with a smile and a shake of his head.

"Have you learned the gender yet?" Orion asked.

"No, Thea want's it to be a surprise." Nathaniel pouted.

"You only have to wait about five more months." Orion assured him.

"I know, but I honestly can't wait."

"Clover, slow down!" Thea's laughter echoed from the hallway. The little three year old was seen seconds later dragging her mother towards the kitchen.

"But what if all the chocolate melts before we find it!" Clover dispaired at the very thought.

"The chocolate will be just fine, Clover." Thea smiled in amusement.

"Good morning Thea." Orion greeted with a smile.

"Good morning, Orion, Spencer." She greeted them both in return.

"Time to eat, and then the Easter Hunt!" Clover declared, causing them all to laugh.

~

Spencer wasn't sure how this had happened, but somehow Clover had ended up sitting on his shoulders as they trapsed around her parents very spacious yard in search of treats left behind by the 'Easter Bunny.' Who had very conveniently made tracks going in every direction across the thin layer of still melting snow. Orion trailed behind them as Spencer pretended to 'profile' the tracks in order to find more candy.

The basket Thea had handed to Clover was only half full at this point and all the candies had been numbered so that they would know when they'd found them all.

"Where else should we look, Princess Clover?" Spencer asked, tilting his head back slightly to see the underside of the little girls chin.

"Have we looked under the porch yet, Sir 'Pence?" She asked, trying to sound reagle and posh, which was very cute.

"I don't believe we have, M'Lady. Shall we go have a look?" He raised his eyebrows, making sure to keep a good grip on her ankles so she wouldn't accidently slide off his shoulders.

"Yes! Let's go! Come on Aunty O, you gotta help look too!" She cheered as Spencer began tromping through the snow towards the deck. Orion's soft laughter drifting along behind them.

"Very well, Princess." She replied. Crouching down once they reached their destination to look under the deck. Spencer carefully lifted Clover off his shoulders so she could look as well.

"Do you see anything, Princess Clover?" Spencer asked as she crouched down beside his girlfriend.

"I think so!" Clover began crawling under the deck to reach the vague shape of a bag partially hidden by the shadows.

"You are aware that Thea's taking picktures of us, right?" Spencer leaned over to whisper to Orion.

"Yup, maybe she'll prit a few extra for us to keep." She hummed back with a smile.

"I found it!" Clover cheered triumphantly as she crawled back out.

"Oh wow! That's a whole bag of chocolate you got!" Spencer gasped as Clover fully emerged and showed them her spoils.

"Uh huh." She nodded before pulling a piece of paper off that had been stapled to the front. "What's this?"

"Looks like a note, shall I read it for you, Princess?" Orion asked.

"Okay!" Clover held the piece of paper to her Aunt.

"Dear Clover, my poor rabbit toes got quite cold out in this snow, so the rest of your treats have been hidden inside your rabbit hole! From the Easter Bunny." Orion chuckled.

"What's that mean?" Clover furrowed her brow in confusion.

"It means we have to look for the rest of the candy inside." Spencer told her.

"Oooh! Okay! Come on, let's go!" She placed the bag inside her basket before grabbing Orion's hand and beginning to drag her towards the back door of the house.

"Alright, alright, we're coming!" Orion laughed as they followed her inside.

"Do you think the Easter Bunny left any chocolates for you and Uncle 'Pence too?" Clover asked as Orion helped get her boots and jacket off.

"Maybe, we'll have to look any see!" Orion smiled at her.

Giggling with excitement, Clover went racing off into her home in search of more candy. Leaving Orion and Spencer a moment to chatch their breaths.

"How is she still so full of energy? We've been running around outside for an hour and a half!" Spencer huffed in bafflement.

"She three, almost four, Spencer. Kids are literally tiny balls of energy." Orion patted him lightly on the back as they removed their own shoes and coats.

"And I guess I was carrying her around for a good part of that time as well." Spencer nodded.

"Keep this up and you might be steeling Leo's coveted title of 'Favorite Uncle.'" She teased him.

Spencer felt himself blush slightly, but grinned at the thought of it. "He'd certainly pitch a fit over that." He snickered back.

"Come on, we gotta look for candy!" Clover hollered back down the hall. The sound of her parents laughter following directly behind.

"Well, Spencer, it looks like we've got some more hunting to do." Orion raised her eyebrow at him and he smiled back.

"That it does, your Majesty."

~

Spencer felt completely exhausted by the time they'd found every piece of candy Thea and Nathaniel had hidden. Flopping down on the couch next to Orion for a much needed moment of relaxation. Despite how tired he felt, Spencer was content. He'd enjoyed playing with Clover all morning.

A small part of him hoped he could do things like this sometime in the future with kids of his own. Spencer hadn't really thought all that hard about having kids of his own before. He'd known he'd wanted a family, but had never let himself imagine what it would actually be like.

Now he had a girlfriend, for whom his feelings for seemed to grow more every day, and she had a niece who already called him Uncle. This was a taste of what the future could be for Spencer. He'd never been happier and more thankful in his life.

But then the doorbell range through the house.