Boy Meets Girl / Criminal Minds Fanfiction.

Moving Forward

Over the next few days, Ryder just tried to forget. Forget about her father and everything he had told her. She busied herself with work and friends. Steve had gotten back the day after she met with her father and Ryder told him everything.

Emily had contacted Ryder to have a girl's night out with her, Penelope, and JJ. None of the team except Garcia knew anything about Ryder but the women avoided the topic in front of the others, which Ryder was thankful for. But she didn't stay quiet entirely. She calmly and softly brought up the fact when it was just the two of them, asking Ryder how she was doing and handling the situation.

"I'm fine." Ryder shook her head when Penelope asked, the older women resting a hand on her arm, giving her an unbelieving look. "I'm confused." She changed her answer, this time being truthful.

"Oh, honey, that's normal," Garcia told her, rubbing Ryder's arm in a form of comfort.

"Spencer and my brother are supportive and I love them for it, but I don't know what to do and I just wish someone would tell me." She confided in the blonde, proud of herself for keeping her emotions in check.

"Well, no one can tell you what to do," Penelope started, looking off in the distance as Ryder watched her. "You have to make that decision, and I don't know what that's like exactly but if I had the chance to be with my parents again, either one of them, I'd take it."

Ryder nodded to her words, really thinking them over. It wasn't the exact same but Ryder saw Penelope's point and was able to see the situation from a different point of view. "Thanks, Penny. That actually helps a lot."

"Oh good, anything for you, darling," Garcia said with a smile, happy she would help as she wrapped her arms around Ryder in a hug.

Ryder enjoyed going out with the girls, Natalie was her only female friend and the model was often busy. It was nice, she loved her boys but girls need girl time and it was far overdue for Ryder to have some real girl time and it was exactly what she needed to get her mind off everything and help her feel better. Sometimes when making a big decision, you just needed to stop thinking about it. If that makes any sense.

And Ryder did. When she got to Spencer's apartment that night, the couple sat down for dinner and she brought it up, telling him she decided to contact her father again.

It was late but she suddenly feared losing this chance and so she decided to send him a text, letting him know she wanted to meet again. His response only came a little while later, saying he could do the next day if that was good for her, which she responded with a yes, telling him she'd like to try to go for lunch this time. Hopefully, they could actually sit through a whole meal this time.

It made her feel better, knowing he was still there, which she found odd, finding peace in knowing the person you hated was there. But she tried not to think about it to much, distracting herself in spending time with Spencer until the couple settled down for the night.

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It seemed easier than last time, Ryder thought as she appraoched the little resturant she was meeting Roy at. Maybe she had gotten most of her emotion over it out. Or maybe she was just more confident in herself.

Something Ryder had realized over the time she debated on what to do was it didn't matter in the end. Sure this man was her biological father but she didn't need him to have a family. She had Tommy, her brother, Steve, her best friend of many years, Spencer, the love of her life, and all the other people she had in her life that she cared for. They were her family and that's all she needed. She would give it a chance, and she would admit to herself that she wanted it to work out, but if it didn't, she would be okay, because she already had a family.