Dark Academia- Spencer Reid

Chapter 28

"I cannot believe that the holidays are already coming up. Please tell me you got something sexy for Spence. Actually, don't tell me I don't think I can handle the thought of boy genius in bed. Ew!" Garcia shrieked into the phone, causing Zena and Spencer to laugh.

"Oh Penny, did I forget to tell you that you're on speaker phone?"

Garcia gasped and the married couple just knew that her porcelain face had a beet red tinge to it. "No, Dr.Barbarage, you did not tell me such a thing. I have to go and drown myself of sheer embarrassment. I'll see you two tonight at the family holiday party," Garcia said, ending the call as soon as she was done speaking.

"So, Dr.Barbarage what did you get me for the holidays this year? I bet it something sexy," Spencer said factiously wiggling his eyebrows. Little did Spencer know; it was exactly that. A lacy nighty with festive white fluff lining the bottom.

"Well, if you must know" –Zena started, however she was cut off from her sentence by Spencer's phone beeping repeatedly.

Reid looked down at his phone enraged. "SON OF A BITCH!" Without hesitation, he flipped the phone open. "Hello, this is Dr. Spencer Reid, I actually can come to the phone right now with a message that your mother is ..."

"Spencer Reid!" Zena shouted at him.

"Z, the same phone number has called me a total of 22 times in the past 14 hours. I've picked up twice and each time it was completely silent on the other side."

"Spence, it's a telemarketer. Just leave it alone. If anything, block it."

"We work for the FBI and your first thought is a telemarketer? You haven't been in the field in a while, huh?" This caused the two to laugh, but Zena reassured Spencer that working endless hours for the FBI has just made him extremely paranoid.

The couple and Pavlov were in the car, driving to Rossi's mansion for their little BAU Christmas party. Zena was absolutely ecstatic to see her nephews and spend time with the team as people rather than agents. Zena had taken a long and well deserved break from the field, phoning and facetiming in when needed, so she hadn't been able to spend time with the team when it wasn't a high pressure scenario.

"The smile on your face right now, it is sparkling. You're thinking about Jack and Henry, aren't you?" Spencer loved her relationship with the two boys, it reminded him how great of a mother Zena would be in the future.

The party was in full swing by the time the two PHD holders arrived. Jack and Henry were bundled up running around in the backyard. Zena saw them and smiled even wider, letting Pavlov into the yard to run around with them. The young boys screamed and giggled with pure joy in their voices.

"HI AUNTIE Z," the two exclaimed in unison, waving their hands dramatically in her direction.

"Hi you two! Have fun with Lov, he's been missing you both!" Zena then made her way inside to where the entire team was sitting in the kitchen talking about god knows what.

"Hey Barbarage! How have you been mama," Derek asked, pushing through everyone to give her a big hug.

Zena was about to respond when Emily chimed in. "Why are we still calling you Barbarage? Aren't you officially Mrs. Dr. Zena Reid?"

"Funny story," Zena started. "Spencer and I are obviously married. But, when you guys left for that case I went straight home instead of going back to the courthouse to get all of my legal documents changed. For now, I'm just Dr. Zena Barbarage," she said shyly. There was no reason to be embarrassed or worried. Her and Spencer had spoken about it, and he told her that she should keep her last name in honor of her father, which she thought was a beautiful idea.

"Honestly, it makes it so much easier in the field, so I can't complain or question it," Hotch said with a chuckle.

"Aaron, did you just make a joke?" Zena questioned her boss, causing the entire team to laugh.

The team was gossiping about people in other departments of the FBI when Hotch decided to pull Zena aside. "Zena, do you think that you could join the team in person again during the holiday break. I know you have a few months until the spring semester starts again. We really miss your energy on the team and could honestly use the extra brainpower."

"Absolutely. I've missed you all so much. I was hoping that I would be needed again soon!"

Hotch sighed in relief. "That is so great to hear. While I'm hoping we won't have a case for the next week or so, I will keep you updated if and when we get one."

Barbarage and Hotchner walked back into the kitchen together, noticing a definite switch in the mood of the room.

"What's going on?" Hotch and Zena peered over all of their shoulders to get a look at what they were all staring at. The same number had begun to spam Spencer's phone with text messages. All the messages were cryptic and mildly terrifying. The worst however stating;

'This party is the last time you and your team will ever be together again alive if I don't get what I want.  I know you know who I am, Dr.Reid. BTW, nice tie. Forest green is your color.'