The Keeping of Words | Spencer Reid

10 |Had We But World Enough and Time

"Please, please tell me you don't have a case today."

"You're in luck. Why?"

There was a deep sigh from the other end of the line. "My family is here."

Reid hadn't been expecting that answer. "Your- your family? I thought you hardly ever heard from them."

"I don't," Bianca said. "Which is why I didn't know they were in Virginia until they called last night saying they were stopping in DC. My parents and my brother were visiting my cousins. And now the three of them are on their way to my apartment as we speak. Please don't make me face them alone."

It took only sixteen minutes to get from his apartment to her place. She was standing outside the building, peering at her watch anxiously. The look that crossed her face when she spotted him could only have been described as relief.

"Oh thank goodness," she said, running to hug him. "Thank you so much for doing this. They're getting off the metro now, they should be here any minute. I'm so glad you came."

"Of course I came. You called."

"I love you." She pressed her lips to his cheek. He was leaning in to give her a proper kiss when her expression changed. If her reaction towards him was relief, this could only be described as panic. Her cheeks turned pink, her palm was sweating as she squeezed his hand, and she was biting her lip.

The three figures walking towards them had to be her family. Her father was the tallest, a round-faced man with graying hair and thick glasses. Her mother was the shortest, at most two inches taller than Bianca. She had dark blonde hair that had recently been permed, and carried a heavy purse. Her brother fell between the two, and he was surprised that he looked so similar to Bianca. They both had short brown hair, and similar facial features, though he wore a scowl and it was doubtful that his hair had been washed recently. In fact, none of them were smiling, even at the sight of their daughter.

"Hey," Bianca said timidly. "I'm glad you made it here okay."

"It took us a while to find the building, but here we are," her mother answered. "Who's this?" The woman gestured to Spencer.

"This is Spencer," her daughter answered. "My boyfriend." She said it like a title of honor, and he couldn't help but feel proud. Yes, that was him. He was her boyfriend.

"Hi." He reached out to shake the hands of each family member in turn, trying to make a good impression despite his disdain for physical contact with strangers. "I'm Doctor Spencer Reid." He usually reserved that particular title for introducing himself out on a case, but he wanted them to know exactly who he was, wanted to tell them that he was above them. He was far above them, smart enough to know just how special their daughter was. How could they not see that?

"Don Brown," her father said. "This is my wife, Ann, and our son, Rick. But then, you probably already know that." Reid didn't correct him. "So what do you practice, Doctor?"

"Oh, I'm not that kind of doctor. I have three PhDs though- mathematics, engineering, and chemistry."

"You must be some sort of genius. Are you a chemical engineer?"

"Actually, Mr. Brown, I work for the FBI. I'm a special agent." A special agent who can find your address, credit card purchases, and criminal record with a single phone call.

"Just call me Don." He'd really rather not. He could keep it impersonal that way, distance himself from them like he would with the family of a suspect or a victim. Though to be honest, her father seemed fairly friendly.