Criminal Minds One-Shots

Fairways and Friendship

Spencer Reid wasn’t the typical professional profiler. He didn’t go out to clubs, party with colleagues, or chase the high-life. His solace, his haven, was in the quiet moments where he could focus on the intricacies of the human mind. But there was one person in his life who had always pulled him out of his head and into the real world: Lily-Odete Ericson.

Lily-Odete, a professional golfer, and Spencer had been best friends since they were sixteen years old. It was a friendship that had weathered time and distance—she had been the smart, passionate athlete with a natural ability to do anything she put her mind to. Spencer, on the other hand, had been the child prodigy, the kid who skipped grades, finished college before most his age even knew how to drive, and found comfort in books and complex equations. They came from different worlds, but their connection had always been effortless.

Their bond began in high school. Spencer, already attending college, was a frequent visitor to his old school, mostly due to his curiosity about psychology and human behavior. He would sit in the back of classrooms, often observing students with the same focus he used to study criminal profiles. He noticed Lily-Odete immediately. While the other students struggled to stay awake, she would doze off in class, seemingly uninterested. But whenever tests came around, she would effortlessly ace them, even though no one could ever figure out how. It wasn’t that she wasn’t interested in learning; it was that she didn’t need to be awake to grasp the concepts.

What *did* keep her attention was golf. Spencer had heard about her talent and had been invited to watch her play one weekend. The way she focused on the course, the way her mind could calculate angles and distance while her body executed with the grace of a dancer, captivated him. Golf wasn’t just a sport for her—it was a language, one she understood deeply. It also became the reason she could force herself to stay awake in class—school was just the necessary evil until she could get back to the course. Spencer admired that determination.

By the time they were in their twenties, Lily-Odete’s talent had turned into a career. She was making a name for herself in the professional golf world. Spencer, now part of the BAU, would often attend her tournaments—his mind still consumed with the complexities of criminal minds, but always pulling him back to the tranquility of the golf course, where the world seemed quieter. They had never stopped being friends, though their lives had taken different paths. Spencer would sit on the sidelines at her tournaments, supporting her in the way only someone who understood her could.

Then, one Christmas, Lily-Odete gave Spencer a gift that meant more to him than anything else: a press pass. Not just any press pass—this one was personalized for him. It gave him access to the areas where only players and the press could go—the prep areas, the private lounges, and the behind-the-scenes places that Spencer had only dreamed of visiting.

“Now you can walk the course with me, Spence. You can be part of my world,” she’d said, handing it over with a wink.

---

It was an early morning at the latest tournament. Spencer had just arrived at the course, adjusting the press pass around his neck. He felt a thrill as he walked past the ropes and barriers, the access card allowing him into areas he had never been able to enter before. He was officially part of Lily-Odete’s world—closer than ever to the woman who had been his best friend for years.

The course was beautiful at sunrise—green grass, glistening dew, the scent of fresh earth in the air. Spencer moved with the crowd of reporters and photographers toward the player’s lounge, where Lily-Odete was getting ready.

“Hey, Spence!” The familiar voice broke through the noise of the crowd, and Spencer turned to see Lily-Odete in her warm-up gear, walking toward him with her caddy by her side.

“You look good, Lils,” Spencer said, offering a grin. “Ready to take the course by storm?”

“Always.” She smiled back, but there was a quiet determination in her eyes. Spencer had always admired that about her. It wasn’t just about the fame or the crowds. Lily-Odete was playing for herself, pushing herself to be the best, and there was nothing that could distract her from that.

“Any new trivia questions for me?” she teased, her hand reaching for the thermos of water on the table beside her.

“Always,” Spencer replied, his eyes twinkling with mischief. He'd been brushing up on his golf trivia, hoping to finally stump her.

“Alright, hit me with it.” Lily-Odete raised an eyebrow, clearly up for the challenge.

“Who was the first female golfer to win a major tournament after World War II?” Spencer asked, leaning against the counter, waiting for her response.

Lily-Odete paused for a moment, her eyes narrowing in concentration, before she grinned. “Babe Zaharias, 1946. Next!”

Spencer chuckled. “I swear, you know everything.”

“Not everything,” she said, winking at him. “But close enough. Anyway, how’s work? Any new cases?”

Spencer nodded, his smile fading slightly as the weight of his responsibilities crept back into his mind. “Same old—chasing down killers, profiling suspects. But this…” He gestured around them. “This is a nice break. You should see the crowds today. It’s going to be a tough tournament.”

“I know,” Lily-Odete said softly. “But I’m ready. I’ve been practicing.”

As they chatted, the other players and staff members began to file into the lounge, and Spencer was given a glimpse into the world of professional golf that most never saw. The high-stress environment, the pressure to perform, and the tight-knit group of professionals who had their own hidden networks of support.

He followed Lily-Odete as she moved with grace and focus, a woman completely in tune with her craft. She wasn’t just a golfer; she was a competitor, a strategist, a woman who had learned to block out distractions and center herself, and Spencer had always admired that about her. He didn’t have that kind of laser focus, but he respected it deeply.

The tournament went by in a blur of sunlight, distant chatter, and the rhythmic sound of golf balls being struck. Spencer stayed close to Lily-Odete, moving through the press areas with his pass, taking in the behind-the-scenes of what was, for him, a world of unfamiliarity. Yet, there was something comforting about it—something soothing in the way Lily-Odete was at ease, even in the chaos of the tournament.

Later, as the day wound down and the crowds thinned, Spencer found himself by the 18th hole, leaning against a railing and watching Lily-Odete finish her final round. She had just made a remarkable putt, the crowd erupting in applause, but all he could focus on was her. She looked exhausted but happy—her passion for the game shining through with every step she took.

As she walked off the green, she spotted Spencer in the crowd. Her face lit up. “Hey, you!” she called out, waving.

Spencer smiled and pushed through the press. “You were amazing out there, as always.”

Lily-Odete laughed, brushing a lock of hair from her face. “I’ll take the compliment. You know, you could get used to this—being my official press pass holder and all.”

“I’m not sure the BAU would approve of me spending so much time on golf courses,” Spencer teased.

“Maybe they’ll send you for research,” she said with a smirk. “You could analyze the players. Assess their mental states, maybe even profile the competition.”

Spencer grinned. “Now, that’s something I could get into.”

They walked off together, away from the crowds, their conversation flowing easily as always. For a moment, Spencer was reminded that the cases, the killers, and the pressures of his job could wait. In that moment, it was just him and Lily-Odete—two friends who had grown up together, who understood each other in ways that no one else ever would. And for Spencer, that was enough.