never grow up, criminal minds

029. cabin in the woods

Spencer quietly leaves Clara's room, rushing to his phone as it rings. He quickly picks it up.

"Garcia? Did you find anything?" He asks.

"Yeah. Uh... yeah, well..." Penelope sighs. "Her boyfriend's name is Chad Leery. He was arrested three years ago for public indecency. He was peeing in a park. He was arrested a lot for petty theft as a kid. He's been arrested while on drugs or wasted. He's had five DUIs, he doesn't have a license anymore."

"That-- that's it?" Spencer asks. "I mean, those are all bad, but-- but nothing, like... super, super bad that could let me keep her."

"I'm gonna dig as deep as a can, boy wonder. This was just a quick search, I will spend every spare second I have getting any dirt I can on those two. If you can try to get her to talk--"

"I tried." Spencer sighs. "She just kept saying she was tired. She-- she's just too quiet. I don't doubt that she's tired, but... but I'm just scared they're hitting her something. She's starting to show signs of being abused."

"Oh, if they lay their hands on that sweet baby girl, they have hell coming for them on seven different levels. Six of those levels carry firearms." Penelope states.

"Just, please, keep looking. I-- she has to go back tomorrow, if you could find something before--"

"I will try my best. Stay strong." Penelope hangs up.

Spencer tosses his phone onto the couch, roughly rubbing his hands over his face, his palms digging into his eyes.

+++

The next afternoon, Spencer makes Clara sit down on the couch and he sits across from her.

"Clara, I need you to tell me anything that isn't right at Lily's." Spencer states. She opens her mouth to protest. "I know it might be scary to talk about, but I need to know. Okay? I'm your dad, I need to know so that I can protect you."

"What if you can't protect me, though?" She questions.

"I'm an FBI agent. I can protect you better than almost anybody." Spencer says. Clara sighs, keeping her eyes down. "Clary, I need to know."

"There's nothing." Clara insists.

"I know when you're lying." Spencer states.

"No, you don't." She frowns.

"Yes, I do. It's a qualification of my job." Spencer says. "Tell me what's going on."

"Nothing." Clara insists, annoyance and fear in her eyes.

"Baby, I just want to help. If you tell me, I can go to the judge and we can get you out of there if they're hurting you." Spencer says.

"Nobody's hurting me." Clara says, shrugging her arm out of his grip.

"Clary--"

"Everything's fine! Just leave me alone!" Clara screams, storming off to her room.

+++

Clara gave Spencer the silent treatment the rest of the time she was home until Lily had come to pick her up. She still hugged him bye, telling him she loved him, but left before he could try to question her again.

24/7, the only thing that runs through her head is the image of the psycho junkie she's forced to live with shooting her father. She knows she should know better, aware her father owns a gun and can shoot if somebody if he's threatened. But Spencer's almost died before and she doesn't want to be the reason for the next time.

Only being at the apartment for a day, Clara is confused when Lily and Chad come home, packing their stuff.

"Where are you going?" She frowns.