Echos of a Genius | Spencer Reid

Around the Bend

Stephie

I've been shaking for hours. Since I got off the flight, i've been so nervous, so on edge. Seeing JJ was like a breath of fresh air. She caught me up in everything I missed while I was out of the country, I missed so much. I missed Henry's first steps, I missed Rossi's first ever team dinner party. She told me his house is a mansion and we are to refer to it as such. It makes me laugh.

What i'm most nervous about is what's what to walk through that door. I stand in the conference room, JJ standing near, as Hotch gathers the team. The team who believes that I am dead. The team who I am about to face. JJ and Hotch are revealing the truth, I don't know how the teams going to take it. How Spencer will take it. I'm so scared.

The conference room door creaks open, and the team filters in, unsuspecting of what's about to unfold. My heart is pounding so loudly, I'm sure JJ can hear it. I glance over at her, and she gives me a small, encouraging nod. Hotch stands stoic beside her, his usual unreadable expression etched on his face.

The team gathers around the table, the usual chatter quieting as they sense something serious is about to happen. JJ clears her throat, pulling everyone's attention.

"We need to talk about something important," JJ begins, her voice steady but filled with emotion. "There's been a lot going on that we couldn't share with you right away, for safety reasons."

A few of them frown, exchanging confused glances. Spencer, sitting near the end of the table, watches her closely, as if already feeling the tension in the air.

Hotch steps forward, his authoritative tone cutting through the thick silence. "What you're about to see is going to come as a shock. But I need you all to remain calm."

The door behind him opens slowly, and it feels like everything in me freezes. My feet are heavy, but I take a step forward, then another. The air is thick with anticipation.

At first, no one reacts. They stare, eyes wide, trying to process what they're seeing. It's as though time has stopped, the room suspended in shock. I can see their faces—a mixture of disbelief, confusion, and something else I can't quite name.

Then Spencer stands up, his eyes fixed on me, unblinking. His lips part, but no words come out. He steps forward slowly, as if testing reality, his gaze searching my face for any sign that this isn't real.

"No...no, this isn't happening again," he whispers, shaking his head, his voice tight with disbelief. "You're not...you can't be real. Not again."

"Spencer..." JJ says softly, stepping closer, trying to ground him. But he keeps moving toward me, a blend of awe and desperation in his eyes.

I take a shaky breath. "It's me."

He's in front of me before I can even prepare, pulling me into a tight, almost crushing hug. His arms tremble as he wraps them around me, holding me as if I might disappear again if he lets go. I can feel the way his body shakes, the disbelief pouring out of him.

"Stephie..." he breathes into my hair, his voice breaking. "I thought...I lost you."

JJ steps forward quickly. "Spencer, you need to be careful," she warns gently. "Stephie's still healing."

Spencer loosens his grip immediately, his hands hovering, unsure of how to hold me without hurting me. His eyes search mine, filled with both relief and fear. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to—are you okay?"

Tears well in my eyes, and I nod, smiling softly through the flood of emotion. "I'm okay."

The rest of the team is still frozen, stunned into silence, until finally, one by one, they rise, their faces reflecting the same shock, relief, and confusion.