The Story of Us

Chapter 32- An Old Friend Returns

The team got back on the 29th and they had a small party for Reid to make up for working a case on his birthday and he went home happy, feeling closer to Amanda than he had in a long time after saving her life. Then, he woke up the next day and Morgan and Garcia convinced him to get coffee with them at a small coffee shop near Quantico and everything came crashing down. He was ordering his usual order of a large black coffee that he would practically overflow with sugar when he heard her laugh. He had it memorized, it was one of his favorite things about her.

Amanda worried about what people thought so much. It had been drilled into her by her father and Sean, but when she laughed, she let everything go. All her worries, anger, and hurt. Everything just fades from her when she laughs and it makes her look even more beautiful than she already is. It's why he could be in a loud and crowded room and still be able to pinpoint her laugh, so he turned as soon he heard it and felt his heart shatter.

Well not really shatter because he knows that isn't scientifically possible but it still felt like it. It felt like he couldn't breathe and like his chest was caving in on his heart as he watched her sitting there and laughing with none other than James Reynolds. It wasn't that he had anything against James. Of course not, the two of them were best friends and still kept in touch, so why hadn't he mentioned that he was coming to Virginia? Why was he here anyway when he made it clear that he hated the East Coast? He was born, raised, and went to school in California so he never wanted to leave. He loved it there.

"Hey, Boy Genius, what are you doing? Aren't you going to get your coffee, they've called your name 5 times?" Garcia says with a small smile.

"Right, sorry." He goes and grabs his coffee as Morgan studies him.

"Are you okay, Reid?" He questions and before Reid can answer, he hears the voice he was dreading.

"Spencer Reid, what's it been, man? Three years since we last saw each other?" James exclaims and Spencer carefully schools his features before turning around.

"Hey, James. Uh, yeah it's been three years since I went to see you at Caltech, and since you hate the east coast," he shrugs, and James chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck to hide his awkwardness.

"Actually, I just moved here. I got a job teaching at Virginia Tech. Better pay and my two best friends are here."

"Wait, you moved here?" Amanda asks from behind him and James turns to her with a beaming smile.

"Yeah, I was going to tell you while we were catching up and I then I heard Spence's name and I realized it was him."

"Right, well I just remembered I have a meeting with my section chief so it was really great to see you, James. Seriously." She smiles before rushing out of the shop and the rest of the team follows soon behind. After that, Reid's happiness slowly faded. He knew that James was the only person that Amanda had actually cared about that was a jock. It was only him and James which is why it makes him nervous that he's back. The only person that Amanda would choose over him is James and he knows that James didn't move across the country for a job, he moved for Amanda, and once she realizes that, she'll forget about Spencer for good.

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The next day is Halloween, aka Amanda's birthday....kind of, and to say it was going less than happy is a severe understatement. It had started well with the knowledge that David Rossi was attempting to come back and then she had gotten the message from Harrison telling her to meet him in the conference room where she had met with him and Strauss just two years ago. She heads up there, bypassing the sixth floor in the elevator and wondering why he's in Quantico rather than DC.

When she walks into the room he smiles. "Happy Birthday, Ames. That's from Aurora and Mikey."

"Please tell me you didn't come all the way from DC to tell me happy birthday. You could've just called."