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𝑹 𝑬 𝑴
❝ 𝚠𝚑𝚢 𝚍𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚐𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚋𝚒𝚛𝚝𝚑? ❞

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ㅤ"𝐒𝐀𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍, 𝐁𝐔𝐓 𝐒𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐋𝐘."

"I already said it slower!" Alina whined before groaning. "I said 'I love you' back to Aaron Hotchner."

Gwen chortled as she leant back against her hospital bed. She and Spencer decided—and it was also recommended by her doctors—that as her due date approaches, she should already be at the hospital in case of complications. So, two and a half weeks before her babies are predicted to enter the world, she found herself chilling in the hospital, with the only entertainment being Alina's new relationship status.

"Are you guys finally together, then?" She asked, pulling her phone closer to her ear as a teasing smile threatened on her lips.

"No, not yet-- hey, what do you mean by 'finally'?!"

"Girl, we've been waiting for this day to come, don't act like it's news," Gwen scoffed as she caressed her large baby bump. "The lot of them wanted to make bets, but me being the best best friend anyone could ever have, made the largest bet of them all."

Alina choked, nearly tripping on her feet, earning herself a concerned glance from T'Challa, who mouthed 'are you okay?', to which she replied with a halfhearted thumbs up, pointing at her phone while mouthing 'Gwen.' T'Challa proceeded to laugh silently before carefully reaching out and holding on to her in case she wanted to kiss the floor.

Giving the king a thankful smile as she allowed him to support her, she let out an indignant huff as she said, "I hate all of you."

"No, you don't."

"Eh, maybe," she shrugged. "But glossing over the fact that you guys made bets, what do I do?"

"What do you mean?" Gwen scoffed again. "Lina, you have never ever come to me for advice on any person. You just do what you wanna do, and that's it. You're never this...confused about someone."

"I don't think that's a good thing!" Alina cried, letting go of T'Challa's arm to slap her forehead, earning herself another concerned look from the monarch. "I'm the most decisive person you know; you said it yourself!"

"The fact is, Aaron has an effect on you," Gwen emphasized. "I can understand why you think that's not a good thing, and there are definitely going to be moments where you'll think he's rendering your brain useless. But that's what sets him apart, what makes him different from everyone else you've ever been with. You're not..." She pursed her lips as she tried to find which words to say, before settling with: "Alina, he's good for you. He's not like your exes. He's not out to get you, he's not using you. Aaron Hotchner's a great man, and he loves you just as much as you love him, maybe even more."

Alina felt tears pricking her eyes, a feeling of weightlessness suddenly overwhelming her senses. She knew Gwen was right, she knew everyone was right; that Aaron Hotchner was a good man through and through, and that she may never find anyone like him in this lifetime. He was smart, empathetic, good. A great father, and an even better partner. To everyone else, he may present himself as a robot, but with her, he's different.

Stopping in her tracks, she realized that she and Aaron Hotchner were more similar than she could ever imagine.

"What happened, after you said 'I love you' back?" Gwen's voice pulled her out of her overthinking mind, and she found herself biting her lip, sharing a look with T'Challa, before recalling what had happened the night before.

"I...I love you too."

The silence seemed deafening as Alina waited for his reaction, her breath shaky as her heart began pounding loudly in her ears to the point that she felt as though everyone within a five-mile radius could hear. Surprisingly, she could also hear heavy breathing from Aaron's end, and she couldn't stop herself from opening her mouth.

"Are...are you okay?" She asked, her tone laced with concern. The feeling increased even more when she heard him let out a shaky breath. "Aaron?"

Then the most unexpected thing happened: Aaron Hotchner giggled.

"Oh my God." The smile was obvious in his voice, and Alina could swear he sounded lovesick. He giggled again. "Are- are you serious?"

"I...I'm completely serious," she chucked nervously. "I-I think...I think I've loved you for a while, just never...I was just never confident enough to admit it. Even to myself. But now it's just...undeniable. I love you."

Gwen's squeal made Alina jump. "THAT'S SO CUTE!" She let out a cackle, shifting positions as she tried to contain her excited screams. "HE GIGGLED!"

Alina could hear Spencer in the background, asking who Gwen was talking to and who giggled. The scientist waited as she listened to her best friend explain the situation, when another squeak was heard, and she knew right then and there that even her fellow genius was as invested in her love life as everyone was.

Rolling her eyes, she continued, "You guys are barbaric."

"Barbaric for what?" Gwen huffed. "I at least won a hundred bucks."

"That's just from Rossi," Spencer mentioned, and that was when Alina realized she was now on speaker.

Blowing a raspberry, Alina began walking towards Shuri's labs again, sharing a look with T'Challa who only gave her an amused smile, clasping his hands behind his back, straightening his posture. She could tell that, despite not hearing the other end of the conversation, he was as amused as everyone else.

"I hate the both of you."

"Uh huh, okay," Gwen mocked. "And then what?"

"I love you. I love you, I love you." Aaron kept repeating those three words as if he couldn't believe what was happened. "And you love me back," he let out a breath. "You love me back. Wow."

Alina couldn't stop herself from letting out a laugh. "I don't think you're okay."

"I'm okay!" He quickly defended. "More than okay, I-I'm great!"

"I really don't think you are," she chuckled. "Should I take it back?"

"Absolutely not," Aaron scoffed, before chuckling with her. He cleared his throat. "I, um...wow."

"Wow indeed," she teased. "Sooo...what now?"

"What do you mean 'what now?'"

She rolled her eyes. "Come on, Aar. 'What now' as in, what the fuck do we do now?"

"Then we just pretty much talked about that," Alina shrugged, standing before the automatic doors to Shuri's lab, walking through as soon as they opened. "We came to an agreement that we'll only actually become 'official' once I'm back home and we've actually talked thoroughly about the situation. But at least we've established that we do indeed love each other."

"Ah, I can't believe this!" Gwen cried. "My Arlina heart!"

"Arlina, really?"

"You literally call Spence and I 'Spenguin'."

"It's cute!" She defended. "Anyway, I have to get started on work. I promise I'll be back in DC just in time. Or, well, at least on the day of. I would be a terrible godmother if I'm not there at the hospital."

Gwen shook her head despite knowing Alina wouldn't see. "You don't have to rush, you know. The babies wouldn't mind, neither would Spencer and I. Just knowing you're making the world better and safer for the both of them is enough."

Alina took her place beside Shuri before scolding Gwen, "Do not make me cry!" She scoffed. "But I will be there, I swear."

"Okay, if you say so. Now, go and save the world."

"You bet."

"Happy birthday, Jack," Alina softly greeted, nodding respectfully at the event organizers as she walked through the halls of where she and Helen would be presenting their REGEN to the people of Wakanda.

Their very first presentation will be in the African nation, as a sort-of thank you to the royal family. Afterwards, they'd be touring the other countries in Africa; just about a quarter of all countries, spending a day or two at each location, for the first round. Soon after, both her and Helen will head back to DC in time for Gwen's due date.

The sound of giggles entered Alina's ear. "Thank you, momma," the boy replied.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be there, baby Hotch."

"It's okay!" Jack reassured. "You're out saving the world, dad said so! I have a superhero momma!"

"I'm no superhero, Jack," she denied, but she couldn't fight back the smile that was spilling from her lips. She cleared her throat, avoiding a collision with one of the staff by swerving to the right, before finally reaching Helen, who was standing nervously by the stage, waiting for her cue. "But thank you. I already had your gift shipped out a few days ago. Hopefully, it'll be there soon."

"Yay!" Jack giggled again.

"Hey," she called to him. "I was thinking, we can have another little party when I get home. Just you, your dad, and I. How's that sound?"

Jack teasingly hummed in thought. "I mean..."

"You've been spending too much time with Bucky," she playfully rolled her eyes as she teasingly jokingly scolded him. "But do you want that? A second birthday?"

"Alright!"

"Good," she smirked. "Well," she glanced up at Helen who finally walked on stage and began their introduction, "I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Okay! I love you, momma."

"I love you too, Jack. I'll see you soon."

Alina ended the call, just in time to see Helen beckoning her over while calling her name. Plastering a smile on, she relaxed her shoulders and walked on stage, arm raised to wave at the gathered crowd, nodding respectfully at them as she took her place beside her fellow scientist.

She opened her mouth, and began their seminar.

After visiting the closest countries to Wakanda—Uganda, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Sudan, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, and Mozambique—and staying there for a day or two, giving each country a REGEN each and teaching the locals how to operate it, both Alina and Helen halted their tour to head back to DC in time for the birth of Gwen and Spencer's twins.

Brimming with excitement, Alina practically skipped through the halls of the hospital. Gwen was in the middle of giving birth with Spencer, and everyone was waiting outside of her room. Greeting the Avengers and the BAU team with a hug each, she settled to the right of Aaron and decided to hold his right hand with her left, and entwine their fingers together.

The usually-brooding Unit Chief fought back a smile, gently squeezing her hand, before leading her a little further down the hall to give them a bit of privacy, sitting down on one the benches while ignoring the teasing grins sent their way.

As they sat, Aaron pulled Alina into his arms, and pressed a kiss onto the crown of her head. Alina let out a noise of satisfaction, snuggling into him as he pulled her in tighter, resting his chin on her head. Given that she and Helen rushed straight from the airport, she wasn't exactly dressed for the occasion. Instead, she wore a proper plane outfit, consisting of a large white t-shirt underneath a gray zip-up hoodie, paired with matching gray sweatpants, and white sneakers. She was comfortable.

"I missed you, so much," Aaron admitted, his chest vibrating slightly due to his baritone voice. "Can't believe it's been more than a month since I last saw you."

"Sorry," Alina apologized, pouting slightly even though he couldn't exactly see her, with her back pressed against his chest. "But at least I'm back, right?"

"At least you're back," he repeated, smiling softly. "How long will you be staying here before you head back to Africa?"

She shrugged. "About a week or two, I'm not sure. Helen and I haven't exactly decided yet, the only thing we have right now are the list of countries to visit next. Our visits aren't 'official,' anyway. We're not following orders from anyone, just simply visiting and giving away on our own accord. It's up to us."

"That's good," he told her. "I've missed you too much. I'm not letting you go anytime soon."

Alina pulled away so she can look at his face, sporting a teasing smile as she stated, "You've changed. You're a lot touchier, and a shit ton more honest with your affections. Wonder why."

"I'm only like this because of you."

Slapping his chest, she avoided his gaze as her cheeks darkened crimson. "Shut the fuck up."

Aaron smirked, opening his mouth to retort when Spencer suddenly stepped out of the room, hair slick with sweat, hands shaking as he panted. Everyone turned to look at him, and everyone—including Alina and Aaron—stood up from where they sat and walked towards him.

It was obvious Spencer had been crying, but it was also clear that they had all been tears of joy as he grinned at everyone widely. "They're just cleaning them," he panted. "They're healthy, and they're beautiful."

Applause suddenly rang through the otherwise quiet hallway as everyone clapped and cheered for the couple. Derek had moved to hug Spencer immediately, with JJ walking forward with a cloth in hand to wipe away the tall genius' sweat.

Without missing a beat, Alina walked forward and said, "Why do you look like you were the one that gave birth?"

Spencer chuckled, running a hand through his hair as he offered JJ a thankful look, taking the cloth in his own hand before looking at Alina. "I kinda..." He chuckled again, breathing heavily still. "I kinda nearly fainted."

Throwing her head back, Alina began cackling, hitting Aaron in the chest with her hand as she did so. The others followed suit, all laughing lightheartedly at Spencer's admittance. The man only shrugged, unable to really say anything, as all his thoughts were overtaken by the happiness and joy that came with the birth of his kids.

"You know," Rossi spoke up. "I still can't believe that Spencer had kids before Morgan. I'd assume the man would've knocked someone up by now."

Raising his hands in defense, Derek grinned. "Hey, now. I keep it safe, alright, but apparently," he patted Spencer's shoulder, "this one doesn't."

This sent another wave of laughter through the group, with Penelope giggling right beside Tony, who was smirking proudly at Spencer. The billionaire didn't hesitate to speak up, asking, "Hey, it was a good thing, I say. We wouldn't be here if not for Spencer's lack of protection."

Emily snorted. "That's for sure." She gestured towards Gwen's door with the tilt of her chin. "Was there any complications?"

"Nope," Spencer beamed. "Gwen was pretty lucky, she was able to deliver both of them normally. And like I said earlier, both healthy."

"Do you have names already?" Penelope piped up, raising her hand.

"Of course," Spencer answered. "Actually," he glanced into the room to see the doctor nodding at him. "Why don't I introduce you to them?"

Because only a few people can actually enter the room at the same time, Spencer and a nurse rolled the twins' beds near the door. Carefully, the man picked up the male, judging by the blue blanket he was wrapped in.

"This is our first born," Spencer introduced. "Gideon Daniel Reid, named after Gideon and my mom. We call him Dan." At that exact moment, Dan let out a small yawn that had everyone cooing. Spencer then gestured to JJ and Derek. "Godparents, you wanna meet him?"

JJ cooed, as she walked closer to the baby boy, a hand on her chest as Derek moved to stand beside her. "Hi little guy," she whispered, gently touching his cheek with her finger. They all watched as he scrunched his nose in reaction. "He's absolutely adorable, Spence."

"I'm so proud of you, man," Derek said. In his eyes were unshed tears as he looked down at the baby, placing a hand on his tiny head as softly as one could before taking his hand away. "You're gonna be a great dad."

Spencer gave them both a thankful smile, before putting Dan down. Then, he picked his daughter up. "This little one's twelve minutes younger than her brother," a sharp inhale was heard, and Alina couldn't stop herself from glancing at Wanda, who was surely remembering her brother. The Sokovian was quickly comforted by Vision. She turned her attention back to Spencer again as he continued, "Victoria Finley Reid."

"Finn," Aaron couldn't stop himself from speaking. "It's Finn."

"It is," Spencer grinned, looking down at his daughter lovingly. "We named her Finley...it felt right. And of course, we also named her after Viktor." One look at the giant man, you would see just how much those words meant to him. Spencer then moved his gaze towards Tony and Alina. "Godparents, time to meet her."

Alina let go of Aaron's hand as she walked forward, with Tony by her side. She cooed, just as much as JJ did, but didn't touch the girl. Not when Finn suddenly opened her eyes, and looked up at her curiously. The tiny genius then placed her finger on Finn's palm, and giggled when the baby grabbed it.

"Stop hogging," Tony complained as he stepped forward. He leaned closer to baby, and nodded approvingly. "I'll spoil her rotten."

"Tony!" Pepper scolded, and pulled her partner away.

Everyone laughed at the display, and Alina pulled her finger away, giving Spencer a smile as he placed Finn down on her bed. He then looked up at Viktor. "You know, Gwen and I had a hard time decided on godparents, but one thing we easily agreed on, was making you the godparent to both of them."

Viktor let out a breath. "Both of them?"

Spencer nodded and shrugged. "It felt right."

He allowed Viktor to walk forward and see both babies as they laid on their beds. Dan was fast asleep, but Finn, despite being awake, seemed calm and very much aware of the attention both she and her brother were receiving.

"They're beautiful," Viktor muttered, with only Spencer hearing him. He then turned to the said man, and unexpectedly pulled him into a hug. "Congratulations."

Spencer hugged him back, before letting go and turning to the nurse. The nurse then gave Spencer a nod before rolling the beds towards the nursery, the others making a pathway for her easy access. They watched as another nurse came in, and helped her push the beds away.

"Now," Spencer spoke up. "Gwen's surprisingly still awake and is eager to see you guys. How about...two at a time?"

Alina quickly raised her hand. "Me first!"

No one bat an eye as she rushed in, laughing at her enthusiasm before each of them started arguing amongst each other lightheartedly, as all negative emotions that they might've had dissipated, as the birth of Dan and Finn brought light into their lives. 

author's note: how was that for a comeback?

let me know if there are any spelling/grammatical mistakes! i kinda wrote this in one sitting; everything just pretty much came flowing out, so i couldn't proofread. regardless, i hope you guys enjoy!