Paranoia - s.reid

Maryland 2.0 - The Duo

Callahan's pregnancy was about the only good news the team had gotten in the past month.

Liz's silent battle against Joy was still raging on, concerning Rossi to no end but it didn't stop the father-daughter duo to hear Hotch's news as they walked down the hall.

"Barbados? Americans on foreign soil is Jack Garrett's territory." Liz tilted her head, confused.

Hotch nodded. "Cruz says there's more to it." 

"Speak of the devil." She mumbled just as Jack and Cruz turned the corner, meeting the trio. "Hey, Jack. How've you been?" She smiles, being pulled in for a hug by the man.

"Busy. I wish this was under better circumstances." They were handed a manila folder.

-----

The jet home from Barbados was one Liz was looking forward to. 

She got up from her seat next to Spencer, constructing a new coffee cup. "You mind making me one?" The voice of Matt Simmons snapped her attention up as she smiled, nodding. 

"How do you do it, Matt?" She asked her long-term friend. "Look at us. We've both got four kids at home waiting for us and we were just in Barbados. I can barely handle being in a different state, let alone a different country."

Matt sighed, his lips spreading into a thin line. "It's hard. I don't know how I do it, if I'm honest."

"I guess it's the idea of trying to make the world a better place for them." He agreed. "How are yours?"

"They're all fine, completely good. How are your geniuses?"

"Margot and Alex are talking and walking. Dee and Lyle are fine. The thing is, when I had my last two, I had this embedded fear that they'd feel left out, you know?"

"It's just a matter of staying alert and present, isn't it?"

-----

The very next day, a knock echoed throughout the house in the midst of the Reid's celebrating for absolutely no reason, all sharing a cake with decorations strewn across the kitchen. Liz left the scene to tend to the door, opening it as she licked frosting off her finger.

Her smile dropped slightly. "Oh. Hi, Joy. Dad's not here, actually."

"I'm not here for him, I'm here for you."

She nodded awkwardly. "What's up?"

"I know we probably got off on the wrong foot, but I just want you to know that I'm not here to take your place or threaten your relationship. I really want us to be friends, to be sisters." Liz has tuned out after Joy began rambling about the meaning of family friendships.

"Okay." She cut the other girl off.

Joy's mouth fell open. "What?"

"I said, okay. We can be friends."

She chuckled in surprise. "Okay. Wow! So, um, wanna get lunch?"

Liz shifted on her feet. "Actually, I'm kinda in the middle of something. Maybe tomorrow if you're still around?"

"Yeah, tomorrow."

-----

Aaron and Liz were on their way to the interrogation room, silently prepping themselves. "Are we going to talk about how you made friends with Joy?" He teased.

"Shut up." She smirked. "She came to my house, I wasn't going to kick her back to where she came from."

"Well, I'm proud of your for not doing that."