never grow up, criminal minds

033. bras

Spencer had been gone when Clara woke up, Ellie telling her he was on a case. He had gotten home a couple days later while Clara was at school.

Clara walks into the apartment, dropping her bag by the door.

"Daddy!" She runs over to him, hugging him.

"Hi, honey." Spencer weakly smiles.

"You're not at work." She notes.

"No. No, I'm not. I'm taking a couple of days off." Spencer says.

"Oh." Clara nods. She frowns at the look in his eyes. "Why are you sad?" She asks, nothing but worry showcasing on her face.

"Well... do you remember Gideon?" Spencer asks.

"Mm... no." She shakes her head.

"He-- he used to work on the team. He was around Rossi's age." Spencer says. "Here." He leads her over to the wall of pictures. "Him." He points the man out.

"Oh. Okay. What about him?" Clara asks, still not really remembering the man.

"Well, he... he died this week. He's the case we had to work on." Spencer says.

"He was murdered?" Clara frowns.

"Yeah." Spencer mumbles. 

"I'm sorry, daddy." She hugs him, keeping her grip around him tight.

"Me, too." He mumbles, stroking her hair. "I'll be okay, though." He says, making sure she won't worry.

"Are you sure? Cause last time somebody died--"

"I'll be okay." Spencer promises. "I won't rot away on the couch in a messy apartment again or snap at you. It's okay."

"Okay." She mumbles. Spencer kisses her on the head.

+++

Clara fell asleep on the couch, a random movie now playing on the TV. Spencer gets home, having spent the past couple nights at work, still grieving Gideon.

He quietly walks in, the guilt tugging at his heart when he finds his daughter on the couch. While he was depressed after Maeve died and barely did anything, at least he was home with her.

Not that she hasn't ever spent a single night without him, but that's only because he had work. He never tried to stay away longer than he had to until now. Something in him just wouldn't let him come home, trying relentlessly to finish the never ending chess game he had started.

Spencer glances at Ellie who is asleep in the chair, deciding it's best not to wake her up. He leans down and gently shakes Clara.

"Clary." He whispers, brushing hair out of her face. "Clary." The girl groans, rubbing her eyes.

"I don't wanna go." She grumbles.

"You're going to bed." Spencer whispers. "You hate waking up all sweaty on the couch." He says, knowing how much the leather tends to bug her if she spends a night on the couch.

Clara groans, but slowly gets up, her eyes only half open.

"What about Ellie?" She asks.

"She can spend the night." Spencer says. "Come on." He leads her to her room. When they reach the door, Clara simply walks past it and right into Spencer's room.

"Right. Of course." He mumbles, following her into his room. She's already made herself comfortable in bed, curled up under the covers.

Spencer quickly gets ready for bed, Clara already asleep by time he lays down. He leans over and kisses her on the head.