The Doctor and the Redhead, part 15-Happily Ever After (The Epilogue)

1700 Hours

Somewhere over Kansas

Three Years from Now

Spencer settled back into his seat on the plane, and closed his eyes. The team had just completed a case and were heading home to DC. He took some time to reflect on his life, as the others fell asleep around him. He flipped his iPod on, and let his mind wander.

He pictured his wife, his lovely Fee, who was more brilliant every day. He loved her dearly, and feared that one day, she would realize that she was far too good for him and leave. Just three days before, though, as he'd left, she'd kissed him and said she loved him. He was happy that they had been able to retain the romance of the early days; he knew that sometimes the spark died when you had children, but he and Fee were still strong. Her blazing red hair still made him smile, and she claimed that the gray hairs that had snuck into his hair made her feel like they were growing up together.

He suddenly remembered that he'd forgotten to have the little present he'd picked up for the kids wrapped, but shrugged to himself. Diana wouldn't care, and little Dec was too young to open it anyway. Dec had been born earlier that year, and it had been one of the worst times he could imagine. Fee had been incredibly sick during the pregnancy, and had suffered from depression with this baby. She'd also been on bed rest for the last trimester, and the baby had been born early, and there was a fear of complications from the doctor. He'd been so afraid of losing his wife, and his son, that he had had to take an extended leave of absence. Luckily, Rossi, who had been promoted when Hotch took a supervisory position that would keep him DC with Jack more, had been understanding, and hadn't given him too many problems when he'd requested the time off.

He thought back to his daughter. She was truly a Daddy's girl, and he loved her so much. He and Fee had discovered that the girl was a genius, too, and excelled in music. She had learned to walk and talk by one, and was playing piano at a music school three days a week. In fact, that weekend was a big holiday recital, and he had every intention of being there, so he was glad when the case had only taken three days to resolve itself. He was also teaching her chess, and was delighted that she was a quick study.

Things in his wife's life had changed, too. She was no longer with the CIA, she'd taken a teaching position at the local junior college so she could be home with the children more. Both of her parents had passed away, and her mother's husband had moved her brother and sister to Ohio, where he was originally from. She hardly saw them, but did speak to them on the phone. Her step-mother wasn't handling her father's death well, though, and Fiona feared that the woman's depression could be serious. Her brother, Liam, though, was getting married soon, so she hoped that that would help Syd start to feel happier. He had wanted to be able to comfort his wife, and had found that he could do so by letting her have some quiet time, so they had a regularly-scheduled date night, usually a Friday, and they just went to dinner and talked the whole night.

Finally, he thought about his own father, and the words he'd said to Spencer on the day he'd married Fee, about not letting his family be like theirs. He had worked hard every day to make sure that he and Fee kept their connection, and that his children felt safe and loved and paid attention to, and he made sure, for himself, that he could provide for his family and love them as much as he could. His father was starting to take a more active role in his life, and he was OK with that.

Finally, Rossi tapped him awake, telling him they were landing in about a half-hour, and he pulled out his phone and dialed home. No one answered, so he tried Fee's cell. It, too, went to voice mail, and he sighed in frustration as he left a message.

"Sweetie, we're landing. You're probably in class still. See you tonight. I love you." He shut his phone as Derek smiled at him.

"Fee not answering?"

"Nope. I think she's still at the college. I hope she remembers that I am coming home today." Derek chuckles.

"The way you two are inseparable makes me think she probably does. How are the kids?"

"I talked to Diana this morning; she is excited to see me. Dec, of course, only cares about people if they bring him a bottle." Derek shook his head.

"No, if he's anything like that little girl of yours, he'll have you wrapped around his finger in no time, too. You love those kids, anyone can tell that." Spencer nods.

"I do. Thanks."

"Did I ever tell you how cool it was, that day you and Fee brought Diana by the office, and Fee let me hold her? I was, like, holding geniusness in my arms. It kind of pulled the daddy strings for me, too."

"Oh, are you and Renee talking about the future?"

"Yes." Renee was his long-time girlfriend. Morgan had confided once, not long after Spencer and Fee had married, that he didn't see himself as marriage material, but that he COULD see himself in a long-term relationship. Not long after that chat, he'd met Renee, who worked for DC Metro police, and they'd been dating steadily for the past two years. Spencer smiled at his friend.

"That's excellent. Good luck."

"Thanks."

Just then, the pilot, an Air Force aviator, announced that they would be landing momentarily, and advised them to be seated and secure their seatbelts. Spencer did so, and turned off his iPod. Fifteen minutes later, he was standing to disembark, and as he was gathering his personal items, JJ spoke to him.

"Spence? Did you get a hold of Fee?" He shook his head.

"Nope. I left a message for her, though."

"You want a ride home?"

"Sure, thanks." He finished gathering his things and followed the others off the plane and onto the tarmac. As they entered the hangar, though, he spots Fiona waiting for him, the baby in her arms, and Diana walking towards him. He scoops her up, and kisses her red curls, and carries her towards his wife and son. As soon as he is front of her, Fiona speaks.

"I got your message. I grabbed the kids and headed over. I'm glad we made it in time." He grins, and kisses her head.

"I missed you. Thanks." He turns to JJ, who is standing nearby, Henry at her side, and watching the family. "I guess I won't need that ride home."

"No. Hi, Fee."

"Hi. I'm taking my husband home, if you don't mind, and he won't see any of you again until precisely 8:30 am tomorrow."

JJ laughs as Spencer sets Diana down and picks up his bag and briefcase and follows his wife and family out of the building and to her car. They climb in, and he kisses his son as he straps the baby into the car seat, and they begin the trek home. Once there, Fiona puts the kids down to nap, and as Spencer pulls her close to him after changing his clothes, she smiles at him.

"We've missed you, Spence. The bed is so huge and empty without you there next to me." He nods.

"I know. I hate waking up in the morning, and instead of your kisses, I come face to face with Morgan." She laughs.

"It can't be too bad."

"He's not you." She smiles at him, and they make love before the kids wake up. He stands up, and as he dresses, he speaks to Fee.

"I'll take Di outside, and you can have some quiet time. I feel like Monster Hunting." Fee grins big at him, and nods. Monster Hunting was a game that he and Diana had invented, and basically, it was bug catching, but the little girl thought that the bugs were scary, so she called them monsters.

"Thanks, honey. That would be lovely."

"You're welcome." He strides to the door, Fee behind him, and he turns to kiss her before heading to the little girl's room and opening the door. A few minutes later, Fiona hears the back door shut, and her daughter's loud giggles as her and her father play.

Outside, Spencer hands his daughter the jar they use for the bug hunts, and she falls quiet, so as not to frighten the insects. He settles in the grass, and adjusts his sunglasses. He watches in amazed silence as his daughter plays. He loves how much she looks like Fee; the girl has Fiona's russet red curls, and big blue eyes, and easy smile. But in demeanor, she is more like him, quieter, but curious, and very sure of the things she knows. He watches as she carefully catches a ladybug, her favorite, and then turns and walks towards him to show him. He smiles as she approaches.

"Look, Daddy. A ladybug."

"Yes, sweetheart. What will you call her?"

"I want to call her Fee, like Mommy." He smiles.

"Mommy would like that, I think." The little girl nods, serious.

"Should I let her go now?" He nods, and helps her to unscrew the jar, and watches as the bug flies away. They find a butterfly, which Di decides to name after her brother, and then they head back inside as Fee calls them for dinner. As he looks around at his family gathered at the table, he feels his heart swelling with joy and pride. He watches Fee spoon some oatmeal to the baby, at the same time that she feeds herself, and he smiles. He looks at Diana, who was mashing her peas with her fork, and mixing them with her potatoes, and he shook his head. Finally, their meal was finished, and as he helped Fee clean up the kitchen, bathe the kids, and read to Diana, he realized that what he mostly felt was contentment. His life was good, and he was happy and proud of his family and the things that he had accomplished in his life. Finally, it was time to put Diana to bed, and as the girl climbed into her toddler's bed and he pulled the covers over her as Fiona handed her a stuffed cat, he kissed her goodnight.

"Goodnight, my dear. Sleep well, and Daddy will see you in the morning."

"Good night, Daddy. I love you."

"I love you, too, honey." Then Fee kissed her, and they turned off the light and closed the door, heading hand in hand for their bedroom. As they changed for bed themselves, and prepared for the next day, he kissed her for a long moment, and spoke.

"Fiona, when was the last time I told you how happy I am that I have you and the children, and that I love you all?"

"Just a little while ago, actually. But I love it whenever you say it. I love you and the children, too, and I am proud of our little family." He nods, and pulls her close.

"Me, too. Di named a ladybug after you today." Fee smiled.

"That's so sweet. The woman at the pre-school said that she had drawn a picture of you, and told everyone that you were in New Mexico, catching bad guys. I think your job is interesting to her." He grins.

"I must see this picture."

"I will hang it up tomorrow. We pick up the art folders on Thursday's." He nods.

"OK." He kisses her again, a little more passionately, and as they move to the bed, his mind went blank, all thoughts of work, and the case gone, and he made it a point to concentrate on the woman in his arms. They make love again, and then fall into a comfortable sleep after he turns on the baby monitor, and places his arms around Fiona's body. He falls asleep happy, and dreams sweet dreams of the future.

The End.