Out of the TARDIS

The dinner scene

"Hey Spence, come on in!" JJ invited, stepping aside to allow her co-worker/friend into her home.

"Hello, I hope I'm not too early." Spencer smiled his usual awkward smile, holding out the customary bottle of wine.

"Not at all. Will's just started on the steaks." JJ said accepting the bottle and leading the younger man towards the kitchen. Spencer suppressed a smile as he watched his friend busy herself with opening the wine. You didn't need to be a profiler to see that she was practically bursting at the seams with curiosity. Who wouldn't be after all? The second she got home from the last case her son had begged that they invite Spencer, and only Spencer, over for dinner.

"Can I help with anything?" Spencer asked, giving nothing away.

"I don't think so," JJ passed him a half glass of wine. "I've got most of it ready…we're just waiting on the steaks, I think."

"Where's Henry?" Spencer asked, noticing the conspicuous lack of his godson.

"Up in his room finishing some homework."

"I'll go see if he needs any help." Spencer smiled placing his glass on the counter and disappearing before JJ could say anything.

"Henry," Spencer called knocking on the open door.

"Uncle Spence!" Henry launched himself at the older man, enveloping him in a hug. Spencer's breath left him as he realized how tall the boy had gotten, his head landing squarely at Spencer's chest. It seemed like yesterday he was holding the boy in a bundle, rocking him to sleep while his parents had a night out.

"How are you?" Spencer asked. He moved, closing the door behind him, so that he could sit in Henry's desk chair. They hadn't had a chance to speak since the unexpected call during the last case.

"Okay, I guess." Henry leaned back against the now closed door. "Actually, I'm really nervous."

"There's nothing to be nervous about."

"I know, I know." Henry flopped onto his bed face down, turning his head just enough for his godfather to hear him. "Part of me knows that my parents love me, that nothing can change that. That they will always accept me."

"But?"

"But, there's like this voice in my head that says they won't. That, that they'll stop loving me, they'll be disgusted and won't want me anymore."

"Oh, Henry." Spencer kneeled next to the bed, running his fingers through the medium gold locks of his nephew comfortingly. "You can't listen to that voice, Henry, it will only lead you to a very bad place."

"Again, I know, but…"

"The voice is really loud." Spencer finished. Henry nodded as much as he could while lying on his front. "Just do what Morgan does with obnoxious unsubs."

"What's that?"

"Tell it colorfully to shut up." Henry laughed, easily imagining his Uncle Derek in an interrogation room cussing out a bad guy.

"Spencer, Henry! Dinner!" JJ called up the stairs.

"Just a sec!" Henry hollered back. He turned suddenly panicked eyes on his godfather. "Oh my god, what am I going to do?"

"We are going to go down there and enjoy the lovely dinner your parents have made."

"What about telling them?"

"As I see it you have two options: tell them during dinner or afterwards. Whenever you feel most comfortable."

"It's getting cold boys!" JJ called to them again.

"Coming!" Spencer shouted back. Spencer stopped Henry before they left the room, "You do not have to do this tonight, not if you do not want to."

Henry searched his godfather's face finding only honesty and understanding. "No, I want to."

"Alright." Spencer smiled proudly as he followed his godson down the stairs. He'd been on and studied enough cases to understand the courage it took for his pseudo-nephew to do this.

While Will greeted Spencer, JJ took the moment to pull her son close and lay a quick kiss to his forehead. She knew something was bothering her boy and that he'd turned to his godfather for help and, while a small part of her felt troubled that Henry hadn't gone to her or Will, she knew if it was something truly serious Spencer would tell her. For his part, Henry returned the kiss with a quick hug, used to the displays of affection from his parents.

Dinner, itself, started easily enough with Spencer sliding effortlessly into the usual dinnertime chatter. Though it had become less so as he got older, Aunt Penelope and Uncle Spence were regular additions to the house. Summertime barbeques generally bounced between the LeMontange, Hotchner-Reid, and Morgan households.

Henry tried to focus on the current conversation and eating, though his stomach was tied in knots with the thought of what he needed to tell his parents. Whenever it felt like to much he glanced over to his Uncle Spence who always had an encouraging smile on his face. Nevertheless conversation flowed easily through the small group even if all of them felt the undercurrent of tension.

Henry felt like dinner was taking forever yet, before he knew it, all of them were finished and he hadn't found the right opening. When Uncle Spence insisted on helping clear the table, Henry shoed his parents out, offering his own assistance. He ignored the suspicious and questioning looks his parents shot him.

"Take a deep breath." Spencer told him once they were alone in the kitchen.

"I just don't know how to tell them."

"Stop thinking of it like it's a big announcement –"

"It is though!"

"It is, but stop thinking of it that way."

"How am I supposed to think of it?"

Spencer thought about it for a moment, "You're treating it as if it's bad or something shameful. Think of it more as an everyday, common good thing…like a good grade."

"Like a good grade?" Henry raised an eyebrow at his Uncle Spence. The guy was a genius and Henry loved him but sometimes the stuff he said just didn't make sense.

Spencer nodded, turning from wrapping up the leftovers to face Henry, "This is just another fact about you. Same as your blond hair, liking Doctor Who, never having a grade lower than a B-. It is as simple as that. Think of it like that."

Henry took a moment to let that sink in. His godfather was right. It was just another fact about him, something he couldn't change – he had blue eyes, had a knack for languages, hated green beans, was attracted to men. Henry nodded feeling something click inside of him, the knots in his stomach loosened.

Spencer smiled seeing the change in his godson. He reached into the fridge and pulled out a few drinks.

"Ready?"

Henry smiled taking a few of the drinks to carry, "Yeah, I'm ready." He followed his uncle out of the kitchen.

Spencer handed JJ her drink taking a sip from his own as he sat next to Henry on the couch. There was a few moments of awkward silence before JJ turned to face her son.

"Alright, I've tried being patient but I can't just sit here as if everything is okay when I know it isn't."

"Jayje," Will placed his hand on his wife's shoulder, trying to calm her down.

"I get that you've gone to Spencer for help," JJ continued as if Will hadn't spoken "and that is fine. Really, it is. I'm happy Spencer has been there for you. What's tough is that something is obviously still bothering you, Henry." The steam seemed to leave JJ's sails, her eyes turning pleading. "I-I just want to know if you're okay."

"I am Mom." Henry stated quickly. "I didn't mean to worry you guys so much. It's just, well, I've had some heavy stuff on my mind lately."

"Like what?" Will asked before he could stop himself.

"Well, uh…" Henry felt his throat tightening up, all of his former nerves returning at once. He glanced at his godfather, who put a steadying hand on his shoulder. Henry relaxed as he remembered his earlier words.

"This is just another fact about you."

He looked back to his parents, and with a deep breath, "I'm gay."

Henry watched both of his parents closely, looking for any negative reaction.

"That's it?" Will asked, disbelievingly.

Henry blinked, "What do you mean?"

"That's what's been bothering you for the last month? Just that?"

Henry looked back to his godfather but he seemed to be just as confused, "Um, yeah?"

Henry jumped when his mother let out a sudden laugh. JJ slumped against her husband, laughter pouring out of her. What really surprised Henry though was that her laughter sounded relieved.

"M-mom?"

"Sorry, sorry." JJ took a few deep breathes, calming herself down. "Oh, sweetie," JJ moved to kneel in front of her little boy taking hold of his hands. "It's just, I was so worried it would be something bad. I thought you were in serious trouble. Honey…we've known about that since you were three."

"You have?!"

"Your Mama there is one of the best profilers in the country, of course she knew." Will stated proudly.

"What about you?" Henry asked his father.

"Well you always did prefer tea parties to action figures." Will smirked lightly.

"It doesn't bother you? Really?"

"Of course it doesn't! You are our son and we love you." JJ stated seriously.

"It doesn't matter who you love, we will always be here for you." Will added just as seriously.

Henry's eyes bounced back and forth between his mother and father. All he could see was love and acceptance.

"Henry?" JJ asked. Henry realized he was crying as his mom wiped the tears away from his face. He wrapped his mother in a tight hug.

"I love you."

"We love you too baby." JJ returned the hug. She smiled as Will quickly joined her on the floor and the family hug.

"Thank you for tell us cher, we may have known but we still appreciate it." Will placed a gentle kiss on his boy's head.

"Alright, who wants some pie?" JJ asked after a few moments. Henry laughed but nodded all the same. JJ gave him another quick squeeze before standing and moving to the kitchen to get the dessert.

She was startled to find Spencer there, plates already set with pie and ice cream. When he had left the living room, she didn't know, but she was grateful that he allowed them to have the moment privately.

There was so much she wanted to say to him. Thank him for being there for her son, for being here tonight, for being a great godfather/uncle, and friend to all of them. She wanted to say all of that and more. In the end all she got out was, "Thank you."

Spencer smiled at her shyly but accepted the hug she gave him.

JJ grabbed a couple plates to carry out to her waiting family, imaging it was for her son and his future boyfriend…and if she already had an idea of who that boyfriend could be, well, that was between her and the pie (and possibly Garcia) for now.