A familiar face from Spencer's past joins the BAU, his ex-girlfriend, who left him fourteen years, two months, and fifteen days ago.
A slow-burn love story in which she and Spencer figure out who they are together and apart, and whether or not the h...
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After Spencer was released from prison, the team took to having breakfast together at least once a week. It was a way to cling to one another, to let down their defenses and enjoy the morning before heading back to Quantico and having to harden themselves again.
They loved being together, and were always fairly open with one another, though their situations had changed in the last year since Reid was released and exonerated. They depended on each other a lot more, and were much more involved in each other's lives.
Spencer especially loved these breakfasts. The only family he really had was his mother, and spending time with the team like this made him feel a lot more connected to them.
They were used to dinners at Rossi's or at O'Keefe's- good laughs, good food, Rossi's good wine- but breakfast at The Grind was different. Their guards were all down, uninhibited by alcohol and unguarded with shop talk away from their civilian families, they could branch out and expose themselves easier.
Spencer had never really been much of a morning person. He was a chronic insomniac, and would toss and turn, eventually finding himself in a tangle of limbs and sheets that left his back aching and neck sore. He hardly had the thought process to go to the bathroom in the morning until he had a cup of coffee in his hand, but in the last year, he woke up early every Tuesday for breakfast with the team.
Luke and Garcia were always the first to arrive, bright and sunshine-y, chittering away and laughing while Roxy's head rested in Penelope's lap, trying to joke and wake up the rest of the team.
JJ and Reid usually arrived next, JJ a mess in a baseball tee and leggings, her hair sloppily tossed into a ponytail, grumbling about having two kids and not enough sleep. Reid would nurse his coffee, already dressed in his work clothes, trying to stay awake long enough to order food.
Rossi and Walker usually arrived together. They lived close to one another and Rossi would pick Stephen up in his classic car. They'd pull up, listening to Sinatra on full blast, looking like they would rather be anywhere else in the world besides The Grind at 6 am.
Prentiss and Lewis were always last to arrive, usually late and hungover, in hoodies and sweats, sunglasses snug on their faces as they winced at the sound of honking horns and clinking silverware.
This morning went like most of these mornings went. Garcia and Alvez chatting and laughing, the others listening and chiming in here and there. Rossi fell asleep in his chair, Stephen elbowing him awake when his snoring got too loud.
"We're getting a new agent," Emily said suddenly, white knuckling a cup of coffee, her hood up over her dark hair as she and the other girls staved off their hangovers from Girl's Night the night before.
"You guys will love her," Luke said, earning a disbelieving arched eyebrow from Garcia, "I swear! She's awesome. We worked together a few times while I was still in the Army. She also saved my ass in Iraq during my last tour."
