Monsters Are Real

"Thanks for coming with me JJ. I didn't know who else to call."

JJ smiled, nodding, "It's no problem. I was in the same place that you are. Scared, worried, sick. Everything all at the same time."

Miranda gave a pained smile, crossing her arms tighter over her chest. Her stomach and whatever was left of its contents were tightening and cramping over and over, making her feel like she was going to lose the rest of her breakfast right there on the floor. Swallowing hard, she checked her watch, wondering where in the world the doctor was.

"It's just a simple test, how long can it take?" she mumbled, putting her hands on the bed and shifting to a lying position. The paper crackled, riding on her nerves even more. She decided to get off the bed altogether and inspect the charts that lined the wall. One depicted the reproductive organs of a male and the other of a female. The next one was of a baby in the womb at full term. Seeing that made her stomach turn again, so she moved on to something else.

"So, how did Spencer take it?" JJ asked, watching Miranda roam around the room.

Miranda scoffed, remembering the previous evening and the look of shock and terror that lined Spencer's face. She ended up telling him that she was tired, basically kicking him out of her apartment, left confused and alone, only to pass out on her couch.

"Not good, I take it?" she answered her own question, giving the same pained and awkward smile that Miranda gave before.

"We haven't talked about it. I sort of made him leave." she nervously played with the glass jars of swabs and tongue depressors. "I can understand though."

JJ frowned, "Understand what?"

Miranda glanced back at JJ, "If he doesn't want to be with me anymore."

"Oh, Miranda, don't-"

Her sentence was interrupted by the door opening and the doctor coming in. "Good afternoon ladies, sorry about the wait." He looked at Miranda, holding out his hand. "You must be Miranda."

She furrowed her eyebrows a little, "How did you know?"

"Pending pregnancy tests usually have women wandering around my office playing with things. I see it more than you think." he smiled, inviting her to sit down.

Sitting back down on the crinkly paper, she held her breath, waiting for the words to leave the doctor's mouth and reach her ears.

YOU'RE PREGNANT.

It felt like he was about to pull out a gun and shoot her right there. Her heart was pounding so loud, she was afraid it would burst right out of her chest. That would solve all of her problems. Oh god, she thought, mentally kicking herself. What an awful thing to think. The doctor cleared his throat, sitting in his roll-away chair, making the suspense that much more intense. Why didn't he just tell her? It was like watching a reality show right before the host announces who is getting voted off.

It was killing her. Just when she was going to scream for him to reveal the answer, the doctor swung around in her chair, smiling.

"The test came back negative. There's no baby today."

Miranda couldn't help the barking laughter that left her lips. Both the doctor and JJ looked at her, but it was only the doctor that looked confused. It took a good minute for the laughter to stop. Miranda finally held up a hand.

"I'm sorry about that. I'm just...relieved. You have no idea." She breathed out another laugh, closing her eyes.

The doctor was still frowning and looked to JJ for some kind of explanation. JJ just smiled and shrugged. He cleared his throat and put on an awkward smile. "Well, if there's nothing else, I'll just leave you. Have a good afternoon ladies."

"Thank you, thank you so much." Miranda hopped off the table, her smile stretching from ear to ear. He closed the door behind him and JJ stood up, giving Miranda a hug.

"That's a relief."

"Oh my god, yes. I thought I was going to punch him if he didn't tell me."

"I know right? I think he was messing with you."

Miranda exhaled, feeling the weight fall right off of her shoulders. "Come on, I have someone I need to talk to."

___________________________________________________________________________________

Spencer Reid was having an argument with himself in his kitchen. He knew all the statistics of pregnancy after a rape and he knew that there was a fifty-percent chance that it happened to Miranda. What he didn't know was if he was ready for something like this. Pregnancy and childbirth and dirty diapers were all things he only read books about, and that was very limited. He wasn't afraid of being a father necessarily. JJ always told him he would make a great dad someday and he took that to heart. However, the situation that was unfolding wasn't something he imagined would be happening so soon. Especially since the child wasn't his. He blinked, realizing that the tea kettle was whistling at him.

He turned the burner off.

"Maybe I can handle it. Miranda and I can raise the child together and he doesn't have to turn out like his father."

The mutterings were getting louder as he poured hot water into his mug. "But what if she doesn't want to be with me? What if she feels too ashamed and leaves? Would that be better? No, that couldn't be better, she would be alone."

The tea bag bobbed in the water, swirls of brown mingling with the clear. "Maybe she isn't pregnant at all and all of this is just a waste of time. Everything could be okay and we could move on from this." His monologue was interrupted by a knock at his door. Spencer took a steadying breath and answered it.

Miranda was standing in the hallway, hands tucked inside her jacket pockets. "Hi."

"Hi. Come in." He stepped aside.

The look on her face was neutral which was a first for her. He closed the door, moving toward her and placing a chaste kiss on her cheek. Her expression didn't change. Clearing his throat, he smirked.

"So, how are you?"

She shrugged. "Alright, I guess."

This was killing him. "What did the doctor say?"

Her eyes moved to his, "The doctor said-" She paused.

Spencer knew it. This was bad. This was really bad. He couldn't help himself; his arms wrapped around her, hugging her tightly. "Whatever it is, we'll get through it. Together."

"Spencer." She started and he held his breath. "I'm-"

The words were coming and he readied himself for the blow.

"Not pregnant."

He frowned. "What?" He pulled her back.

The smile on her face was so happy and so bright, he couldn't stop his own from forming. "You told me I needed to work on my poker face."

"You are so mean." He sighed, embracing her again. "I can't believe you led me on like that."

"It was too easy. You opened the door looking like someone died. I knew I had to mess with you. Just a little bit." She looked up at him, giving him a quick kiss. "But now I think we should celebrate."

"Ah, yes. I was prepared." He let go of her, moving to the kitchen table. "I got this in case the test came back positive."

He held a copy of Juno in one hand and a bottle of sparkling white grape juice in the other.

"Very creative." She laughed, unzipping her jacket. "I'm guessing you have something for if it was negative?"

Excitedly, he turned around, revealing his next option. A bottle of red wine and Star Trek Nemesis. Miranda rolled her eyes.

"Romantic."

"You said you haven't seen it, so I thought, you know-" he shrugged "-it has nothing to do with babies or reality for that matter, so I thought it suitable."

Miranda walked to him, kissing him fuller. "It's perfect."