Spencer Reid One-Shots

I don't know how to do this

pairing: Spencer Reid x bau!gn!reader

words: 2,7k

summary: Diana has passed away, and Spencer is struggling to find a way to move forward.

warnings: angst/hurt, death of a parent, grieving, mention of a case, drinking

a/n: this was written for 2024 Criminal Minds Pre-Whumptober organized by @tobias-hankel on tumblr and ao3

Main Whump-ed Character: Spencer Reid

Bad Thing: Minor Character Death

Bad Person: No One

One Line Prompt: "She was the only family I had left... I don't know how to do this."

The cold night air mixed with AC hit you as you stepped out of the elevator, heading towards the hotel's bar. You had checked on Spencer's room earlier and knocked a few times, but there was no response. Either he wasn't there or he didn't want to answer.

Given the month he had, you couldn't blame him for wanting to be alone.

Diana had passed away quietly in her sleep from a stroke, exactly 25 days ago. Spencer had received the call early that Saturday morning and immediately caught a flight to Las Vegas.

At the same time, the team was called in on a high-profile kidnapping - the daughter of a senator had gone missing in New York.

You all hesitated, torn between going to support Spencer or going after the missing girl.

Your first instinct was to be there for him, but with a child's life on the line, the team knew you were needed in the field. With heavy hearts, you left Spencer to deal with his mother's passing alone. He assured you all he understood and that he'd be fine.

But deep down, you knew he wasn't.

You felt horrible. As much as you tried to focus on the case, the thought of Spencer dealing with everything alone gnawed at you.

It crushed your soul knowing he had no one by his side. You tried calling him a few times a day, but he never picked up.

All you received were brief text messages saying he couldn't talk right now. While sitting in the senator's living room discussing strategy, you had to physically stop yourself from getting up, walking out the door, and catching the taxi to the airport.

Every instinct screamed at you to be with him, but duty held you back.

A few days later, the senator's daughter was saved, and Spencer returned to the office as if nothing had happened - or at least, he tried to.

When he walked in, your hearts sank. No one knew what to say. He gave an awkward smile and casually asked about the case, but the tension in the room was palpable.

Seeing the uncertainty in your faces, Spencer quickly added that he was okay, asking you not to tiptoe around him. He kept repeating it, insisting he was fine, but the hollow look in his eyes told a different story.

Hotch took Spencer into his office, and you knew exactly why. He wanted Spencer to take some time off, to grieve.

You had already planned to check on him the next day - bring dinner, maybe even cook something, and just let him talk it all out.

But when you arrived at the office the following morning, Spencer was already at his desk, quietly working on paperwork. You glanced at Morgan in confusion, and he just shrugged, defeated, before returning to his own desk.