#spencer garcia

“I swear she gets bigger every time I see her,” Penelope commented as she held her three week old granddaughter in her arms. That was taking some getting used to, her granddaughter. 

“You see her at least three times a week.” Spencer reminded Penelope who smiled as she gently stroked the little tuft of brown curls on Ellery’s head.

“Look at those little curls,” Penelope sighed and Spencer smiled, they already seemed to be getting a little blonde tinge but she had to admit she loved her daughters curls too. Sometimes she couldn’t believe that she had a child, that she had made a little human life. 

“They’re beautiful, just like her.” Spencer smiled and Penelope looked at her and grinned.

Penelope carefully lifted the car seat out of the car and carried it inside. Her support group encouraged the mothers to come back after the baby was born for support and to let them meet the baby. As Spencer had been born over the holiday period, it was the second week of January when she was nearly three weeks old. As Penelope walked into the building, she found that she was one of the last ones to arrive.

“Oh my god!”

Penelope smiled at the exclamations which greeted her and Spencer as she set down and lifted Spencer out of the car seat. Penelope rubbed Spencer’s back and smiled at them. “Her name is Spencer and she was born on the 23rd, just before Christmas.”

“She’s beautiful.” One of the women said and Penelope smiled as Spencer yawned but didn’t cry.

“What’s this?” Spencer asked Penelope as she looked at the images on the screen. Penelope looked up and quickly minimised the images. Spencer was too young to see things like that. An Unsub was kidnapping and killing children in rural Wyoming and Spencer was spending the day at work with her after she had become ill at school that morning. However after she had been sick the first time, Spencer hadn’t been ill since.

“It’s just work stuff.” Penelope replied as she took Spencer’s reading book out of her bag. “Read that OK?”

“OK,” Spencer replied as she sat and read whilst Penelope called the team. While she read, Spencer listened as the team were trying to work out how their Unsub was able to lure the children away from public parks. “Mommy,”

“What is it?” Penelope asked and Spencer looked at her. 

“Could he have a dog? Our teacher says that if a stranger asks you to help look for his dog, you should say ‘no’ and run away.” Spencer said; of course when it happened to her and Chris, there hadn’t been a dog but it would still make sense.

“That’s a good point, one of the witnesses said they seen a guy with a dog lead.” Morgan said through the phone and Penelope smiled at her daughter.

“I’ll keep looking, PG and SG out.” Penelope said and ended the call before she looked at Spencer. “You might just have helped us catch this guy.”

“Which one? Letters or hoops?” Spencer asked Ellery and Zach who were sitting in the cart. For once they were both behaving and not kicking up a fuss for being put in the little plastic seats. 

“Letters!” Ellery said as Zach was preoccupied with chewing on the ear of his toy rabbit. Spencer smiled and set the spaghetti letters cans into the cart as well as some tins of soup before wheeling them up into the cereal aisle.

“Good girl,” Spencer smiled, clucking Zach under his chin as he threw his rabbit down in favour of reaching for a box of Trix. “Zach, that was bad.”

“Sweet children, it must be a challenge, having two at that age by yourself.” Spencer frowned as she picked up the rabbit and handed him back to Zach as she looked at the woman who had spoken. She was older then Spencer, more her mother’s age and had that look of a middle class soccer mom. The kind of person her mom had warned her about. 

“Actually, my husband is at work teaching a classroom of children English, math, History, Science, Art and most importantly how to be a good and non-judgemental person.” Spencer replied as she reached under her shirt for the necklace she was wearing with her rings on them. Ellery was being potty trained and it was just safer this way. The soccer-mom looked affronted but Spencer looked sharply at her as she pushed the cart down the aisle and into the next one. 

She had no time for judgemental people like that.

“I’m exhausted.” Spencer complained as she lay next to Chris on the sofa. “Just let me sleep here.”

“No you can’t do that, you know how uncomfortable that sofa is.” Chris said as he pulled Spencer to her feet only for Spencer to fall onto the sofa again.

“Let me be,” Spencer complained as Chris looked at her and put his arms around her shoulders and one arm under her knees and lifted her up. “Hey! Put me down!”

“No can do,” Chris replied as he carried her through the house towards the guest bedroom. They had stayed up late to have a movie marathon and his parents were already in bed asleep. Spencer rested her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes before Chris set her down in the bed and kissed her.

“Good night,” Spencer yawned as Chris smiled at her and slipped out of the room. He loved her more than anyone.

“I think you’re making excellent progress,” Spencer said encouragingly to the teenage girl sitting in front of her. The teenage girl gave a nervous smile as there was a knock on the door. “One moment.”

Spencer stood up and approached the door, ready to tell whoever was on the other side that she was with a client. To her surprise, Spencer opened the door to be faced with a massive bouquet of red roses. Before she could ask who sent them, the roses were lowered to reveal Chris’ grinning face.

“Hey you,” Chris smiled as he leaned over and kissed Spencer.

“Not that I’m not happy to see you but I’m with a client.” Spencer reminded Chris who looked into the room and spotted the teenage girl who gave him a slight nod of her head as he smiled at her.

“Sorry to interrupt.” Chris apologised as he handed the roses to Spencer and kissed her again. “I’ll see you at home.”

“Hi, how’s motherhood?” Emily smiled as the image of the screen showed Penelope sitting in front of the laptop, Spencer carefully balanced on her lap.

“Exhausting but she’s worth it.” Penelope replied as she smiled at her daughter. “Aren’t you? Yes you are, you’re worth all of Mommy’s sleepless nights, aren’t you?”

“Motherhood suits you,” Emily said and Penelope smiled at her. She hadn’t ever expected to become a mom but life was funny that way. Now she couldn’t imagine not being a mom to little Spencer. Even if she was having to wake up every two hours, figure the difference between every type of cry and somehow keep her baby daughter alive. It was hard but already so worth it.

“Thanks, how’s being back in London?” Penelope asked and Emily shrugged her shoulders.

“Wet, it’s been raining constantly. At least in DC it snows. Here, you’re lucky to get sleet. It was good to be home, even if little Spencer did manage to outdo my arrival.” Emily joked as she smiled at Spencer who was sucking on her little fist, unaware of what Emily was saying.

“Yeah, I think she gets that from me, always have to be the centre of attention.” Penelope joked and Emily laughed. Spencer already looked to be the spitting image of her mother and Emily smiled at the two of them together. She knew Penelope would be an amazing mother, Spencer would probably be spoilt rotten but she would be the most loved little girl in the world.

“Keep a hold on her,” Spencer advised Chris as he held onto Ellery’s hand. She had recently started walking and loved walking and running around. 

“I’ve got her,” Chris said as he picked Ellery up and rested her on his hip. Spencer rubbed her stomach as she sat down. She was seven months pregnant and was finding it harder and harder to walk. There was only one baby in there according to the scans and he was going to be a big boy. Chris took a highchair in one hand and tried to set Ellery into the chair. Ellery began to whine and kick her feet and once she was in the high chair began to cry loudly.

“Not again,” Spencer sighed as she tried to get Ellery to calm down by giving her some toys. The waiter gave them a sympathetic look as he took their order and Spencer lifted Ellery out of the high chair. “See, it’s not so bad.”

“Excuse me but can you please control your child!” An older man who looked to be in his mid-fifties suddenly snapped at them.

“She’s a baby,” Chris retorted firmly, not wanting to get into an argument.

“She’s a nuisance! Kids ought to be able to show respect and behave at any age. That’s bad parenting.” The older man retorted and Spencer felt tears in her eyes as the harsh words hit her hard as she hugged Ellery, hoping she wouldn’t hear what he said.

“Well apparently your parents didn’t raise you to have enough respect to mind your own business.” Chris said as he stroked Spencer’s hand. “Ignore him,”

“I know,” Spencer replied as she kissed Ellery on the forehead. “Just who does he think he is?”

“An ignorant old man,” Chris whispered as he reached across and wiped the tears from Spencer’s face as the waiter disappeared and Ellery calmed down.

“Will you try the high chair again Baby?” Spencer asked as she stood and tried to put Ellery back into the high chair. Again Ellery whined and Spencer looked worriedly at the old man who was glaring at them as the waiter reappeared with the manager.

“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to leave. You’re harassing other costumers including a small child who has no control over her actions.” The manager said to the man who looked at her furiously.

“You can’t do that!” The man claimed and the manager held her head up high.

“Yes I can. Because I am the manager and you’re just a rude bully, picking on a family who were just minding their own business. Now you have one minute to leave before I call the cops.” The manager said and the man stood up, slammed some money on the table and walked out. The manager turned to Spencer and Chris who looked at her gratefully. 

“Thank you,” Spencer said and the manager shook her head.