north//spencer reid

chapter seven

warnings: gun fire, mention of blood

SPENCER

SIX MONTHS LATER

"Wheels up in thirty."

The team nods and gathers our things from the round table, leaving the briefing room to return to our desks and grab our go-bags. I take a seat at my chair and reach under my desk, eyes widening as I realize my go-bag isn't there. I retrace my steps of the last few days of not being on a case and my brain produces an image of my leather go-bag in the corner of Amelia's bedroom. Upon checking the time, I realize I won't have time to hop on a train, get to Amelia's apartment, and then catch a train back here within thirty minutes. I'd miss the plane and then I won't be able to go on the case.

My phone sits on my desk, screaming at me to make a call. I know I need to call Amelia because I need my clothes for the case. But having her come here and show her face would mean that our secret would no longer be ours. It would give the team more material to make fun of me with and to tease me about but besides that. It would mean that our relationship goes from being just two people to being eight people. I'm sure Amelia doesn't mind as much as I do, but the fear of something happening to her because of my job will linger forever. However, I really need my clothes and I can't take the time to worry about the long term issues of telling everyone I have a girlfriend.

I pick up my phone and dial Amelia's number. A glance around the bullpen tells me that nobody is looking my way and that means they won't be eavesdropping on my conversation. What am I even nervous about? Amelia gets along with everyone so I'm sure the team will like her. They will absolutely love her, Penelope surely already does. Everything will be okay, right? I can stand some teasing about her. I already endure the teasing about basically everything else in my life so I can stand some more. At least I can be open about Amelia and bring her to dinners at Rossi's and she can bond with my best friends and we just won't have to hide anymore.

"Hi, dove! What's up? I just saw you like, ten minutes ago. Aren't you at work?"

"Yeah, I am but I've got a problem and I'm hoping you can help." Once again, I glance up to make sure that nobody is listening.

"I'm at your service, Spence. I'm still at home and I just got dressed. It's your lucky day. What do you need?"

"I left my go-bag in your room. Do you think you could bring it over here for me?"

"Yeah, of course I can but are you sure you're okay with that? You want everyone to meet me? I know you said you wanted to keep us a secret for a little while."

No, maybe I'm not so okay with Amelia meeting the team yet but I can't keep her a secret forever. I have some level of confidence right now so I can't miss this opportunity to introduce Amelia to my friends. "It's okay. Not a big deal," a white lie never hurt anyone, right?

"Okay! I'll be there in a couple minutes!" I can hear the beautiful smile on her face when she speaks and the thought of getting to see her once more I leave for this case somehow makes all my anxiety and hesitation float away, leaving elation in its wake. We say our goodbyes and then I'm left to my own thoughts without Amelia as a distraction.

I tap my fingers against the desk as I wait anxiously for my girlfriend's arrival. I try to pick up the case file to observe it again but I just can't focus. Every time I try to read about the details of these dead prostitutes, my brain drifts off to something else and then I realize that I didn't process anything I just read and I have to start over. All that is happening is that Amelia is dropping off my go-bag, saying hi to everyone, and then she's going to leave. Simple. That's all.