CHAPTER SEVENTY-SIX: GOODBYES AREN'T ALWAYS FOREVER !

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         THE REID-WILLOWS FAMILY HAD MADE IT HOME FROM THEIR DAY OUT. On Spencer and Casey's day off, they had decided to take Lennox and Christopher out for the day. They took them to a nearby park for Christopher, the mall for Lennox, to go and get ice cream for everyone and then to Spencer and Casey's favorite bookstore.

           Lennox had taken an immediate liking to the bookstore and basically went feral at all of the books and their descriptions. Seeing the way Lennox's eyes lit up, the couple had decided to buy all of the books she wanted.

         As soon as they walked through the front door, Lennox carried her bag of books over to the table. "You guys seriously didn't have to buy me that many books. And first editions, too." She bought a total of fifteen books.

        "Of course we did." Casey said, putting her coat around a chair. "You can never have too many books." Spencer added as Casey took a bag out of his hands so he could carry Christopher with two available arms.

        "Says you," Lennox motions to Spencer. "You have books memorized in your head. You can just scan through them in five seconds. But you guys spent over $100 on me. I don't know how I can—"

        Casey immediately holds her pointer finger up, interrupting Lennox. "Hey, you don't need to repay us at all. It was our treat. I'm just happy you like fiction like me." She smiled. "I'm gonna start one of them now." Lennox picked up a book in her hands and then decided to carry the bag over to her room and shut the door behind her.

      "I didn't even know that girl had such a love for books." Casey tossed her thumb over to Lennox as she talked to her husband. "She probably didn't read them as much growing up. Besides of course what that woman taught her." Spencer stated.

       "I'm surprised with how much she knows at her age," Casey comments. "It's average for a teenager." Spencer interjects holding a hand up. "Actually, the average teen's IQ ranges between 50 to 60 but with Lennox, I'm gonna say she's a bit smarter than that. Her IQ is probably 100." He explained.

      "At her age?" Casey wondered. "Yeah, it's a different range for kids at any age's. Like for me, I didn't start off as 187, it practically progressed over time and for you, your IQ being 175, it was probably different, too." Spencer explained and Casey took that into consideration and then nudge her head towards her head. "You think Chris is gonna have a high IQ?" She asks.

      "Christopher is almost three years old in a month or two and I think he's the smartest three year old I've ever known!" He hold Christopher up high and he holds his arms out like he's Superman. "Yeah!" Christopher smiles. Casey's heart warms as Spencer laughs playfully at their son.

        All of a sudden, there is a knock on their front door. Both Casey and Spencer furrow their brows in confusion. "Are we expecting anyone?" Spencer questioned as Casey heads towards the door. "No."

        Casey looks through the peephole and sighs in relief once she sees it's Lennox's caseworker. "Oh, hey, Junie." Casey greets as she lets her enter the home. Spencer puts Christopher down to go and play and Junie greets the adults in the room. "Hello, Casey. Spencer."

        Spencer waved at the woman, "Hi." He said. Junie had made her acknowledgments with Christopher and Casey wondered what the woman was doing here. "Are you here for another visit?" Casey asks.

       "Yes, but I'm also here with news." Junie reveals. "I'd rather talk to you in private afterward though." Both Casey and Spencer furrowed their brows in confusion. Of course, Junie always talked to them in private but she never had major news for them. They were only getting ready to sign the papers, which would be soon.

         Junie checked in on Lennox, where she had her own private conversations for obvious reasons. Lennox revealed the books she'd gotten and their conversation had lasted about thirty minutes to an hour. After their interaction, Casey had Christopher go into his room so Junie could have her own private conversation with the couple.

        Junie sat in a seat in front of the couple on the couch. She had files with her. Casey had fiddled with her hands and Spencer noticed, grabbing her hand with his. Junie noticed and decided to rip the bandaid as softly as she could. "We, uh, we recently dug into Lennox's family tree. We wanted to see if maybe she could have a backup plan if maybe you backed out of adopting her or if maybe she wanted to back out at any chance." She pauses. "And we found someone."

      "What?" Casey widened her eyes in shock and confusion. "I thought you weren't able to find any of her family." Spencer stated.

      "We weren't until we did," Junie said. "And we did background checks among background checks and we found her. Her name is Isabella Vega." She hands the file to Casey who takes it and skims through the file. "She is Lennox's mother's sister. And we talked to her and she wants to meet Lennox."

       Both Spencer and Casey looked at the file, the woman looked related to Lennox. Lennox definitely had her nose and her almond eyes. This woman had it good. She was a writer, made over six grand on her latest book. Had no family, no husband or kids, she was in her late thirties. Casey's heart fluttered in relief but also squelched in pain as she read over the woman's file. She would be able to give Lennox a good life. And she had to encourage this. This was her aunt, the only form of blood family she had.

       "I have an aunt?" Lennox's voice startled everybody in the room and both Spencer and Casey turned over to her as she walked over to the three.

       "Well, why didn't she answer when we called to find her family?" Casey questioned. "She said she'd been off the grid. Had an abusive boyfriend, went into hiding until he was in prison. She didn't even know if Lennox was still alive."

      "Well, can I see her?" Lennox questioned. "Can I talk to her?" Her eagerness had shown in her voice. Junie looked at the couple and then at Lennox. "Uh, we'd have to schedule but..."

        Getting the hint, Lennox faced towards Spencer and Casey. "Can I? Please?" She begged. Both Spencer and Casey looked at one another and then Casey answered, "Uh, it's your choice, Lennox." She said, folding her hands in her lap.
"You don't have to if you don't want to." Spencer said, wanting Lennox to make her choice for herself but assuring to her that she didn't have to.

      "I do, I really do." Lennox said and Junie nods, "Okay. I will schedule a meeting soon. I'll text Spencer and Casey with details." Lennox smiled, "Great!" She had practically skipped back in her room happily.

       Spencer and Casey began to show Junie out after she said she had to leave to check in on another case. Junie faced towards the couple as she stood in between the doorway and outside of the apartment. "I just want you to know now. Isabella does want to raise Lennox. She's aware she's missed a lot from her life but she wants to get to know her. And Lennox... she may want to back out of the adoption."

      "Well, there has to be some visitation here with Isabella." Casey told. "We'll see her often if it means Lennox can stay." Spencer added. It was obvious that they didn't want her to leave and it was obvious to Junie. "We can schedule meetings with her, let Lennox get to know her. We can do that for her." Casey offered, trying her hardest.

      "Dr. Reid, Miss Willows," Junie faced towards the couple. "Isabella may be more equipped to raise her. I mean, you two have hard-working jobs, you spend all the time you have with Lennox but it's not enough when the courts decide." Her eyes then went back and forth to Spencer and Casey. "Not to mention the addiction history Dr. Reid has and Miss Willows, your drinking problem and you post-incarcerated father being around her and your two year-old son. Not to mention the danger your job has led to at points."

       Both Spencer and Casey looked down, knowing that Junie was making valid points. Lennox had been through enough with her life before she met Spencer and Casey. They'd only be putting her in more danger. But they were willing to fight for her.

      "What are you saying, that we should give up on Lennox?" Casey questioned, crossing her arms defensively.

      "I'm saying to reconsider," Junie spoke. "Isabella has a good job and she's able to look after Lennox. Think about Lennox, what she may want." She takes a pause. "I know you both have a bond with her... but... you had to have known there was a possibility of this happening." With that, she says, "Have a good rest of your day, you two." and exits.

       Hours had paced since Junie visited. Lennox had been in her bedroom, probably still reading her books as Spencer and Casey were in their bedroom. Casey paced the room as she bit down her fingernails and Spencer laid on the bed, staring at the ceiling. "I don't know what to do." Spencer finally spoke up after hearing nothing but silence. "For the first time ever in my life, I don't know what to do."

      Spencer raised his head up and took a look at his pacing wife. "Will you stop pacing?" He asked, sitting up a bit, his head hitting the headboard. "I can't help it. It's a habit." Casey spoke quietly. "A habit you can stop." Spencer told.

      "I actually can't stop, Spencer." Casey stopped pacing and looked at her husband. "I can't stop my brain from thinking and I can't stop my mouth from moving and now it's turning into word vomit because I'm scared and confused and have no idea what to do either." She then plops face first on the bed.

      After a minute of staying there, Casey's head peeks up and she looks at her husband. "Pros and cons game?" Spencer sighed and nods his head, "Pros and cons game."

Spencer and Casey had created this little game for themselves called the 'Pros and Cons' game. They always played this little game when someone, such as themselves, were about to make a big decision. They had used the pros and cons game when moving in with each other and when Casey found out she was pregnant, of course. They haven't needed the game in a while.

Casey faced towards the ceiling, leaning her head on Spencer's arm as he continued staring at the ceiling. "Pros: if Lennox stays with us, she can grow up properly. Go." Casey started.

"Cons: if Lennox stays with us, Isabella will go to the courts and try to prove we're unfit for her. Go." Spencer said. "Cons: if Lennox doesn't stay with us, she'll be exposed to all of the bad in the world." He added on.

"Cons: if Lennox stays with us, she'll still be exposed to all of the bad in the world." Casey faced the undeniable truth and then faced towards her husband and he turned his head to his wife.

Casey placed a hand on Spencer's chest and reached for his hand since it was laying right there on his chest. Spencer's thumb stroked over Casey's knuckle and Casey looked down to the sheets and spoke quietly. "I don't wanna lose her." She said.

Spencer sighed, knowing how Casey was feeling. "I don't either," He admitted. "But we should give her a chance to know her aunt. I mean, she's never even met her before. She should at least have a chance."

Casey took a deep breath and knew that Spencer knew what he was talking about. "You're right." She said.

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       So, on another day off they decided to take, Spencer and Casey had followed through, practically getting begged by Lennox, that they would meet her aunt, Isabella. They had been at a bridge with a lake stream below in town where Junie had met with the couple and Lennox.

        They had walked ways away. Casey was happy with the weather, it was beautiful and sunny but she hoped for stormy weather if she were being honest. She wanted dark and gloomy skies so this day couldn't happen. But that was selfish. She felt better after having Garcia look into the life of Isabella Vega and was happy to know the woman was who she said she was and that she came up clean.

        Lennox was far up ahead and she immediately recognized Isabella at the bridge, despite her not knowing what she looked like. Lennox kept her distance but Isabella spotted her and immediately walked to her. Junie, Spencer and Casey had caught up to them.

        Junie had decided to throw the introductions out there. "Lennox, this is your aunt, Isabella." Junie said. Isabella smiles a bit, looking down at the girl. "Hi, sweetie." Lennox smiles back, "Hi."

         Isabella isn't sure if she should go in for a hug or handshake and Lennox settles on a tear-filled hug and after a minute or two, Isabella pulls away and cups Lennox's face. "You look just like your mother." She comments and Lennox chuckles a bit.

        Junie turns towards Spencer and Casey next. "Isabella, these are the couple that have taken care of Lennox for past few months. Agent Casey Willows and her husband, Dr. Spencer Reid."

        Isabella gets a look at the couple as they politely smile at her. "Doctor and agent?" She questioned. "They work for the government. They were the ones that saved Lennox." Isabella held a hand out for either one to shake and Casey decided to shake the woman's hand. "Thank you. So much. For saving her. And for taking her in." Isabella's gratefulness seemed genuine and sincere.

       Casey nods at the woman, "Of course." She said and Spencer adds, "We can't imagine not taking her in. She's amazing." Lennox smiles at the compliment given by Spencer.

        Lennox got to spend the day with her aunt and days soon turns into weekends and weekends turned into every single day of the week. Two weeks later, Casey found herself often getting in screaming matches with Lennox in her room. It would be about the stupidest of things. And Casey would say something, Lennox would respond with attitude and it turned into a horrible argument. Casey wondered how her relationship with Lennox went bad overnight. And it wasn't any better with Spencer. It seemed as if Lennox wanted to start an argument for just about anything.

        Tonight wasn't any different. Lennox had slammed the door in Casey's face, shouting: "Leave me alone!" And Casey knocked on the door vehemently and shouted, "Lennox, you cannot stay in there forever!"

         Casey's head turned over to her husband, on their bed, reading a book in Latin. "What has been up with her attitude recently?" Casey questioned, walking to her bedroom. "Terrible teenage years?" Spencer guessed. Casey groaned, if it was this bad with Lennox, she couldn't even imagine how it was gonna be with Christopher.

        "She's never been this bad before. Now that's she's screaming constantly!" Casey shouted, getting Lennox's attention. "I heard that!" Lennox said through the other side of the door. "You were meant to!" Casey shouted back.

        Lennox's door opens and Lennox peeks out and looks at Casey. "I just don't understand how you can't understand three simple words to leave me alone!" Lennox yelled. "I was just checking on you!" Casey didn't know why she was acting like this over a simple question. "No, you're invading my personal life so just stay out of it!" Lennox slammed the door in Casey's face again and gives up, going into her bedroom.

        "If she keeps slamming doors, she's gonna end up not having one." Casey comments.

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         Spencer liked having solo-days off every once in a while. He had just finished taking Christopher to his most recent doctor appointment and looked forward to spending the rest of the day with him. He was currently in his room, helping him build a train track with wooden blocks that connected together for his magnetic cars to go around in. Using his scientific brain, Spencer had wanted Christopher to have a never ending train track for him to use.

         Their angelic father-son moments were interrupted by a slam of the front door and the argument between a certain devilish mother-daughter duo. "I cannot believe I had to pick you up." "You didn't have to!"

        Spencer was grateful that Christopher ignored the sounds of his mother and Lennox arguing and continued to play with trains and tracks. It was like the yelling didn't even phase him. "Sounds like trouble's home." Spencer comments quietly to Christopher as he kisses his head and decides to go play mediator.

       "Of course I had to!" Casey shouted to Lennox. She was in her work attire and looked at a very frustrated Lennox. Spencer wondered what both of them were doing home early, since Casey was supposed to be at work and Lennox at school. "They would've suspended you for a month if I didn't at least say anything!"

      "I told you to leave it alone! But you meddled, like you always do!" Lennox argued.

      "Hey, what's going on?" Spencer immediately inserted himself in between the two.

       "Lennox here got caught graffitiing a bathroom stall some rude stuff I'd rather not repeat about her principal and was smoking on the property." Casey stated, glaring right at Lennox as she explained.

        Spencer's head immediately whipped back at Lennox in shock. "Smoking?!" Lennox rolled her eyes and groaned. "Not cool, Lennox. Smoking by youth and young adults can cause serious and potentially deadly health issues immediately and into adulthood. You're thirteen!" Spencer said, sounding more panicked than mad.

       "I told you, I was hanging onto it for a friend!" Lennox said. "Oh, sure you were!" Casey couldn't help but laugh and Lennox crossed her arms as she faced the couple and Casey had just about enough with Lennox.

       "You know, I have no idea where this attitude all of a sudden came from, but it's gonna stop and it's gonna stop now." Casey told.

       Lennox groaned and shouted, "You're not my mom!"
      "Yeah, but I'm the closest thing you have to one!" Casey retorted back.

      Spencer held his arms up in between the two. "Okay, everyone, let's just take a deep breath and just calm down for a minute." Casey ran a hand across her hair. "God, why are we even doing this anymore?" She wondered aloud.

     "Then tell me why you decided to do this and why you suddenly wanted to adopt me?" Lennox questioned the two. "For your own benefit? To make you feel good about yourself?"

      "Lennox, that's not at all why we did this." Spencer interjected.

     "Then, why?"

      Spencer didn't know how to answer and neither did Casey. "I... just..." Lennox rolled her eyes again and began to storm back to her room, "Yeah, that's what I thought."

      "Lennox, if you slam that door—!" Spencer shouts this time but of course, Lennox slammed the door. At this point, the two were shocked the door didn't come off its' hinges by the amount of times she kept slamming it the past few weeks.

       Casey sighs as she takes the vodka down from the top shelf again and took a shot. Spencer gave her a worried look and he looked at the glass in Casey's hand. "What? If you were dealing with people at the school all day, you'd do the same thing."

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       An hour or so passed and the walls were filled with silence. Lennox had been in her bedroom, reading one of her books, laying on her bed, reading the words on the page as music plays in her headphones. There's a slight knock on the door and Lennox pauses the music and Spencer lets himself in, peeking through the door.

        Lennox is honestly relieved that it's Spencer that walked in. She didn't want to continue her exhausting argument with Casey. "Hey." Spencer greets and Lennox sits up, saving the page by dog-earing it at the corner of the page. She yanks her headphone out of her ear.

        Spencer holds his hands up in surrender. "I'm not here to scold you or yell at you or anything. I just want to talk." He sits at the edge of the bed next to Lennox. "Sometimes when people are mad, they say things they don't mean."Lennox looks down at her book in front of her. "What's been going on with you, Lennox?" Spencer asked softly.

        It was the softest whisper that Lennox could barely even hear it. But Spencer's words were genuine. They always were. So when she heard that, she knew she could be honest and upfront with Spencer. "I don't mean to yell." Lennox admits. "I just... I thought it'd be easier for when I leave."

       Spencer furrows his brows in confusion. "When you leave?" He asks.

      "I want to live with my aunt, Isabella. She asked if I wanted to and I told her I did. I mean, she's cool, she spends time with me, she works from home and she can be there all the time. Not that you and Casey aren't there, it's just..."

      "It's not enough." Spencer said sadly.

      "And besides you have so much stuff with Christopher going on. And I figured that if I just push you away, you'd let me. And it'd be easier to let me go." Lennox told.

      "Now why would you think that?" Spencer questions. Lennox shrugs, "I feel bad for what I said to Casey. And how I've been treating you guys like garbage. I'm sorry."

       Spencer nods in understanding. He now knew why Lennox was acting the way she was. She wanted to feel less guilty for leaving if she pushed them away. He knew someone that was just like that. And she was standing at the doorway, listening to the conversation.

      "It's okay. But I'm not the one you need to apologize to." Spencer tells and Lennox sighs. "Sometimes, when Casey gets a little hotheaded, she just does that because she's scared. And there are times when she can be scared. She just doesn't want to lose you."

      "He's right, you know." Casey spoke up from outside the door and opens the door. "It's something I'm still working on. And if you want to live with your aunt, we won't be mad or upset about it. In fact, we'll encourage it."

      Lennox looked at Spencer and Casey carefully. She felt like she was breaking both of their hearts by leaving them. Of course, she loved them like they were her parents but she had the opportunity to get to know her blood family. And Spencer and Casey had carried her to where she needed to walk and now she could walk on her own.

     "I'll call and I'll write. All the time. I'll do good in school, I will go to college. And I'm gonna make you guys proud." Lennox told.

     "Lennox, you already have." Spencer said as he rubbed her back soothingly. "Except for the whole cigarette thing." Casey commented and Spencer retracted his arm. "Yeah, I agree with that." "I just... wanted to make you mad." Lennox sighed, waiting for whatever was coming to her.

     Casey scrunches her lips in contemplation. "We can't exactly ground you, now can we?" She wonders and Spencer wonders what to do. Then, undecidedly, Casey holds a hand out. "One day. No cell phone. Hand it over."

      Surprisingly, when Lennox hands the phone over to Casey, she gives Casey a hug. It's a hug that says, 'thank you for never giving up on me'.

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      It took another few weeks and the paperwork was finalized, Isabella adopted Lennox and the day finally came when she would be leaving for Isabella's house.

     Casey had walked into Lennox's room, almost in shock of the emptiness of it all. There only laid a made-up bed, empty shelves, empty walls that used to be filled with her posters. "Alrighty, are you all packed up?" She asked as she walked in.

      Lennox spun towards Casey with a box in her hands. "Yeah, I just have this box to bring out and that's it." She said. Spencer had come to the room now as Lennox stared around. "Your aunt is already downstairs." He announced.

       The couple noticed the look in Lennox's eye as she looked around the room. All of the memories she had were in this room. "We are definitely keeping this color up." Casey comments, indicating to Lennox that they were gonna forget her and change it the minute she left. "Oh, yeah." Spencer agreed. Lennox looked at them with certainty in her eye and she took a breath of relief.

       The time eventually came and Junie had come to the apartment to take Lennox to Isabella's. Lennox stood with her things and rolling suitcase in her hand. She faced towards the couple that had taken her in. And tears formed in her eyes so she looked down so they couldn't see them. But it was too late, they already had.

      "Thank you," Lennox spoke. "For everything you've given me. You helped me on my feet. You helped me when you didn't need to." Casey steps forwards first. "You are one spectacular kid." She leans towards Lennox and engulfs her in a hug. "Don't change ever." She muffled in her long hair.

       When Casey pulls away, Lennox then looks at Spencer and then decides to hug him next. It's a tight hug and then Lennox is sure she's never hugged Spencer like this before. She pulls away and says, "Thank you." Spencer furrows his brows. "For being the only decent man in my life that I've ever come across."

       Spencer smiles and Casey smiles as well, looking at the scene.

      Christopher runs into the room and rushes towards the three. "Where are you going? Why are you sad?" No matter how many times the couple had to go explain that Lennox was going away, Christopher couldn't wrap his head around it.

      Lennox leaned down to Christopher's level and got on her knees. "Uh, well, because I'm saying goodbye, Christopher." She tried so hard to not cry in front of him.

     "Why are you leaving?" Christopher asks and Lennox can't give him an answer he could understand. It's then that Christopher speaks up again. "I'm gonna miss you."

      "Oh, I'm gonna miss you, too." Lennox lets a tear shed but she immediately wipes it away, she's sure Christopher didn't even notice.  "Now, you give me a really big and tight hug, okay? Like this one?" Lennox pulls Christopher in for a long-lasting hug and pulls away.

       Standing up, Lennox gathers her stuff with her again and then looks at the couple. "Thank you for everything." She smiled. "Let's go." Junie led her out of the door. "Call us as soon as you can." Casey stated.

        The couple watch as Lennox is about to disappear under the staircase but she looks up at the them in their apartment and rushes back up to give them both one last big hug. "Thank you for everything. I mean that." With that, she finally leaves and disappears under the staircase, along with Junie.

        Through the window, Casey and Spencer watch as Lennox drives off with Junie and Isabella to Isabella's home. And just like that, Lennox was gone.

        Hours passed and it was nine o'clock. Spencer noticed Casey going into Lennox's old bedroom when she left and she hadn't come out in a while. Spencer knew she needed alone time and he respected that. He had decided to occupy Christopher for the rest of the day and put him into bed.

         Spencer stood in front of Lennox's old bedroom door and contemplated on going inside. He wanted Casey to come to bed with him. It was the only way he was able to sleep at all with her by his side. He decides to slowly open the door and inside he finds, Lennox's fairy lights she left behind on and practically glowing the room and Casey curled up in a fetal position, sleeping on Lennox's bed.

          Spencer smiles slightly at the sight and decides that she needs to sleep in her own bed and out of her day clothes. So, Spencer carefully picks her up and carries her into their bedroom and lays her on the bed, removing her shoes and her clothes and dressing her in one of her comfortable nightgowns. Casey hadn't stirred awake at any point while Spencer put her into bed. He had taken off his own clothes, shirtless and only dressed in some flannel pajama pants.

         Spencer curled up under the covers with his wife and Casey absentmindedly found herself cuddled to his bare chest, holding onto him like he was gonna leave the next day. Spencer had wrapped his arm around her and tucked her head under his chin as he drew shapes on her skin. He watched as she slept the day off and now could not bring himself to find sleep. So, he just kept rubbing his wife's shoulder, hoping to soon find sleep. And peace.

told y'all it was gonna be sad :/

me writing this:

here's some mgg photos from my pinterest board to make y'all feel better so you guys won't think i'm evil😁

aka a bonus of our favorite dilfs <\3

anywayssss
thank you for reading
i am so so so sorry for the depressing chapters recently but it helps when you're in a depressed mood all the time😁
morgan storyline is coming up :(((

also
i saw this book on tiktok called "ranger" and like the main love interest is based on spencer reid's character so i bought the book on amazon and it came today and i started reading it and bro ITS LITERALLY SPENCER REID TO A T
book is called "ranger" by rebecca sharp if y'all are interested ;)

thank you for reading!
i love you all!
-mya </333