Honesty - Criminal Minds || Spencer Reid Fanfiction

39. What Is The Right Thing?

"Most of the time - 99 percent of the time - you just don't know how and why the threads are looped together, and that's okay. Do a good thing and something bad happens. Do a bad thing and something good happens. Do nothing and everything explodes. And very, very rarely - by some miracle of chance and coincidence, butterflies beating their wings just so and all the threads hanging together for a minute - you get the chance to do the right thing." ~ Lauren Oliver

The Daughter

I pushed the door open wearily, taking a deep breath as I did so.

They were all gathered around JJ's desk, chatting animatedly; Morgan and Garcia holding each other flirtatiously as ever.

They were all laughing when I entered the bullpen and JJ turned in her seat as if feeling my presence.

"Melanie!" She called out in shock, leaping to her feet in surprise.

Spencer turned in his own chair behind his own desk, but I ignored him as the team turned to me with massive grins as I approached.

"Hello." I smiled as Garcia squealed and threw her arms around me.
"We weren't expecting you back until next week kiddo." Rossi explained as he hugged me tightly.

"Well, I was going stir crazy. And besides, there's only so many times I can play dress-up with Jack without going insane." I joked and Morgan sniggered, holding me at arm's length.

"You look good." He complimented, nodding his head with an impressed smile.
"Oh come off it," I scoffed. "I do not look good. But thank you for being nice." I smiled bashfully and he shook his head, scoffing as he hugged me.

"So, do we have a case?" I asked after a long pause whilst everyone hugged me.
"You're back to actually work?" Rossi asked in a surprised tone.
"Yes. I'm actually going to work." I laughed.

"Well, your dad's on the phone to Tampa PD right now and then we're off." Prentiss explained, pointing behind her to my dad's office.

"Okay," I sighed, nodding. "I best go break the news that I'm back."
"What?" JJ blurted. "You mean he doesn't know you're coming in today?" 

I shook my head.
"It was sort of a last-minute thing," I admitted. 

"He'd left before I could talk it out with him."
"Was Beth pleased with you coming in?" Prentiss asked and I sighed, pondering the question.

"Well... She came round when I explained that I'd been practically housebound for almost two months now, and I couldn't live like Rapunzel for forever when there were people out there in need of a Flynn Rider." I waved at myself for example and the team chuckled.

"I could see you with a beard, yeah. You go Eugene Fitzherbert." Garcia joked.
"You should've seen me last week." I joked, rolling my eyes sarcastically and making my way from the group as they laughed.

I walked through the bullpen and up the short stairs to my dad's office, knocking lightly before entering.

He was sat behind his desk, on the phone as Prentiss had explained.

When he saw me his eyes lit up, and then they fell on my suit and he frowned, quickly concluding his call with the Detective in Tampa before hanging up.

"Melanie," He smiled as I closed the door behind me and approached his desk. "What're you doing here? I thought you were going shopping with Beth today?" 

He rose from behind his desk and approached me thoughtfully with a small smile, reaching out to rub my arm and place his hand on my shoulder.

"Well I was supposed to," I agreed with a short nod, folding my arms awkwardly. "But I'm going crazy dad, I need to get back to work," I explained defiantly.