Clara has been staying with Ellie since Spencer had gone back to Houston, telling his daughter he was going to try to get his mom back in her facility or at least find something else to help her.
The girl is currently at school, it being the lunch period.
"Can I copy your math homework?" Isabelle asks Luke. "There were a few I couldn't figure out."
"Sure." He slides paper over to her. She glances around, making sure it's not obvious what she's doing as she starts to copy the few answers she needs.
"What if they're wrong?" Erin asks.
"He has an A+ in math all the time." Isabelle says. Luke nods in confirmation.
"When does your dad get back?" Erin asks.
"In a couple of days." Clara says, eating the pudding cup Ellie packed for her.
"Think he would let us sleepover?" Isabelle asks.
"Uh... no. No, he wouldn't." Clara shakes her head.
"Think he'd let you sleepover again?" Erin asks.
"Maybe." The Reid girl shrugs.
"My mom said you could come over for dinner if you wanted." Luke tells her.
"What about us?" Erin frowns.
"You're also invited. She's just more worried about her cause her dad's out of town." Luke says.
"You make us feel so welcome." Isabelle quips. Luke rolls his eyes, chucking a grape at her. "Hey!"
+++
"This has got to be Scratch." Tara states. "He was laying low. Now we know why."
"Crossing the border as a fugitive is a huge risk." Luke says.
"The reward is greater." Emily says. "He's been punishing the team. Now his target is Reid."
"Peter Lewis dropped off the map after attacking Tara's family." Stephen says. "Maybe he's been hiding in Mexico this whole time."
"We also have to consider this isn't related to him." Emily says.
"Who else would it be?" Rossi asks.
"Drug cartels." Luke says. "Could have threatened Reid and used him as a mule."
"Agreed. This could simply be a case of bad luck." Rossi says. "Reid was in the wrong place at the wrong time."
"Spence's mom is okay. The home nurse he hired said all is stable. Clara is at school. I saw her at lunch with her friends." JJ assures.
"Oh, thank the stars." Penelope sighs in relief.
"How long did he tell the nurse he'd be gone?" Luke asks.
"3 days." JJ answers.
"That sounds reasonable. After the Palm Springs case, Reid said he had to get back to Houston to talk to his mom's doctor." Emily says.
"Well, Houston is only a 5 hour drive from the border." Tara says.
"Usually I can read him. I can't believe I didn't pick up on any of this." JJ says.
"He didn't want you to, and there's no way you would have guessed he'd end up in Mexico." Stephen says.
"The question is, why did he go down there?" Tara inquires.
"And why does he have narcotics?" Rossi adds.
"Yeah, exactly. That-- that-- he wouldn't-- he wouldn't do that. Especially with Clara in his life. I'm not gonna share any secrets I'm not supposed to, but those drugs were planted on him." Penelope states.
YOU ARE READING
never grow up, criminal minds
Fanfiction[ criminal minds -- seasons 1-15 ] Clara Reid Stand Alone: Never Grow Up I DO NOT own Criminal Minds, any of the show's characters or storylines. I ONLY own my OCs and their storylines.
