CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE: DRIVING HOME TO YOU !

epilogue!

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A BIG HOUSE WITH A WRAP-AROUND PORCH STAYED STILL ON THE COUNTRY LINE. It was quiet, that was one of the many things they liked about it.

The property was surrounded in real grass, the barn just twenty feet away, surrounded by chickens and the cows leaning towards the fence just two miles away. Even though it was surrounded by animals, the smell of fresh air was the one thing that got their attention.

The house had to have been over thirty years old, but it was worth every penny they had in their wallets.

Spencer Reid had finally gotten his dream home.

Well, summer home, his wife, Casey, promised to give it a try for the summer before their oldest daughter, Lennox, left for college.

So, they'd taken Spencer's Volvo Amazon P130 and drove down to the countryside.

As soon as they parked, eight year-old Christopher was the first to jump out of the car.
"Come on, Comet!" Christopher shouted at their new pet golden retriever that Spencer had profoundly named Comet.

It was actually surprising that Spencer actually agreed to getting a dog. He only agreed if the dog would be house-trained and of course, Luke had been the one to do that with his expertise in dogs. And they'd gotten a family dog that Spencer surprisingly grown to love.

Comet barked as he jumped out of the car to follow his boy towards the grassy lands.

"Come on, Vi!" Chris shouted and his little sister, Violet, who was now almost two, wobbled towards the grass.

She had begun walking at eight months-old - which was nuts in itself. And now, she walked like a wobbly four year-old at still one and a half. It was actually quite impressive.

Little Violet giggled as she followed her older brother and Comet the Dog. Lennox was the next one out of the car after her mother helped the one year-old out of the car. Lennox looked around and took in the sightings and the breath of fresh air. Ever since Spencer and Casey taken her in, she cherished moments like these more often than not now and since she was going to college soon, she was learning to appreciate them more now.

         Lennox grabbed her camera, telling her brother to strike a pose with the dog and then getting a picture of the sun setting on the other side of the hill as Chris began to start following the sun on the other side.

       Christopher made his way to the top and squinted through the sunlight in his eyes and pointed ahead towards the house down the hill as Lennox swiped her little sister to help her up the hill.

        "Is that it right there, Dad?" Chris asked as he pointed ahead.

        Spencer and Casey, hand in hand, followed their kids on the grassy land and Spencer looked ahead, blocking the sun away from his eyes and he nods, "Yeah, that's it."

       With that confirmation, the three children rush towards it, with Lennox carrying Violet carefully down the hill. Chris had quickly and eagerly opened the unlocked door and rummaging around through the house with the dog.

       Spencer and Casey watched as their children rushed in, smiles on their faces and not a worried thought going through their minds.

      Casey looked around and then back at her husband, who wasn't anticipating letting go of her hand at any point in time. "Do you believe in happy endings, Spence?" Casey wondered as they slowly made their way to the porch. "As long as they're with you, yeah." Spencer answered.

       "And what do you think happens with love stories like ours?" Casey's wonders. "They make them into books." Spencer smiled as he leaned down and kissed Casey as passionately as he could. His happy ending would always be with Casey for as long as he would live. In every universe possible, his ending was with her.

        As soon as they finish the kiss, they're alerted by their older children that they should come inside to check the place out.

       As Spencer began to head inside, grabbing his wife by the hand, Casey stayed still and Spencer furrows his brows. "You coming?" He asks.
       Casey looks at her husband and nods, "Yeah, in just a sec." Spencer nods at his wife, grasping her hand one last time before entering the house.

       Casey Reid, much like her oldest daughter, takes in her surroundings as she gazes into the field with a smile on her face. This was peace. A peace she had so needed to fulfill her inner child who didn't have much of a say growing up. This was a place she could imagine driving home to Spencer and their children. She'd eventually learn to get used to a life where she wasn't investigating unsubs every day. And maybe that was alright with her now.

       Maybe in a few years time, she'd go back to the BAU, once her children were old enough at least. She'd already told Lennox that she'd most likely wait until Violet was a teenager to go back.

       For now, she'd enjoy her family and a new beginning filled with warmth, laughter and home. Something she knew was well needed after all the years she'd had. Her mind goes to Leah and she wishes she was here, seeing Violet and Chris grow. Not a day went by where she didn't think of her. Day by day, she started seeing a little of Leah in Violet by her mannerisms and such. Casey looks up at the sky, closing her eyes, knowing she and her mother are looking down on their little family, watching them in content.

       Casey no longer felt like an old cardigan under someone's bed, nor did she feel that things weren't gonna be the same as it once was, she just imagined driving home to her husband and just knew... everything was gonna be okay.

aaaaaaaanddddddd
here come the waterworks🥲
MY GOODBYE IS COMING UP IN THE NEXT CHAPTER!!!!
-mya </333