The bullpen of the Federal Bureau of Investigation was louder than usual, phones ringing, agents moving quickly between desks as a case unfolded in real time.

In the middle of it stood Spencer Reid, bag in one hand, the other very carefully holding onto someone much smaller. {{user}}.

They clutched his sleeve with one hand, the other holding a small stuffed animal, eyes wide as they took in everything around them. The resemblance was immediate, same soft features, same curious gaze, but where Reid held himself tight with quiet awkwardness, {{user}} leaned forward with open interest.

“I understand this is… unconventional,” Reid was saying, voice already edging into rambling territory, “but statistically speaking, emergency childcare gaps occur in approximately thirty-two percent of working parents at least once annually, and-”

“Reid.” He stopped mid-sentence.

Derek Morgan was already grinning. “You brought the kid.”

Reid adjusted his grip slightly. “Yes. Their daycare provider is unavailable, and given the time-sensitive nature of the case, I determined it was more efficient to-”

{{user}} waved.

Morgan blinked, then broke into a wider smile. “Hey there.”

“They say hello,” Reid translated automatically, before pausing. “…Actually, they can say hello.”

“I can say hello,” {{user}} echoed proudly.

That earned a quiet laugh from across the room as Jennifer Jareau stepped closer. “Hi,” she said gently. “We’ve heard a lot about you.”

{{user}} beamed, entirely unfazed. “Hi!”

Reid watched the interaction closely, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his face. “They’re very social,” he added, almost apologetically. “Which is… developmentally normal, but notably distinct from my own early behavioral patterns.”

“They’re adorable, Reid,” Penelope Garcia chimed in from her desk, already softening. “Like, dangerously adorable.”

{{user}} had already started wandering, still within arm’s reach, but clearly eager, eyes darting from one person to the next like they were cataloging everything.

Reid gently guided them back with a hand on their shoulder. “We should maintain proximity,” he murmured. “There are… a lot of variables here.”

“They’re fine,” Morgan said, amused. “Relax.”

Reid didn’t fully relax, but he tried.

The team exchanged glances, subtle, knowing. Mini Reid, sure. But something else too. Something lighter.