˗ˏˋ ✰𝑭𝑰𝑽𝑬༄ 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒔✰ 'ˎ˗
༻✧𓆩🩰📔☁️𓆪✧༺
❝𝒅𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒔- 𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒅𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒐𝒏𝒔❞

SPENCER AND BRIAR WALKED back to the mental institution to see Diana after they visited a therapist who made him remember that his dad was burning bloodied clothing. Standing to the side of the room, Briar watched as Spencer pleaded for his mom to remember the events of that day.

"Try to remember, Mom. You watched Dad burn the bloodied clothes."

"You had a dream," Diana denied her son.

"Mom, this was not a dream. This was a memory. It was a memory and I saw you."

Briar noticed the frustration between the duo. She wished she could intervene and help one another, but it was a matter between the two. Even wanting to leave the room for their privacy, Spencer insisted that she'd stay with him.

Spencer was persistent to get his mother to remember Riley Jenkins, refreshing her memory with possible scenarios of what happened to the boy. However, it escalated when Diana had another breakdown, prompting the nurses to barge into the room.

He rubbed his face harshly when the nurses gave Diana a relaxant, Briar standing by his side and gently caressed his hand in a comforting gesture.

"It could have been you," Diana muttered under her breath. This piqued Spencer's attention and his frustrated emotions soon turned sharp and attentive.

"What? What did you say?"

"It could have been you," Diana said more clearly.

Those were the last words Diana said to the pair before they were urged to leave the facility so she could get some rest. When they arrived back at the police station, Spencer interrogated his father, with nothing but short and sarcastic words leaving his mouth.

"I've never seen Reid like this before," Derek announced next to Briar who was staring at the Reids through the one-way mirror.

"It can be a scary sight to see," Briar murmured, looking at Derek through her lashes.

She noticed the way the agent was looking at her with an underlying smirk daring to make its way onto his face and she rose her eyebrows. "What?"

"You and Reid, huh?"

She groaned in faux annoyance. If she had a dollar for everyone who insinuated this question, she would be the richest person alive. She playfully shoved Derek's shoulder and shook her head at him.

"Nothing is going on between me and Spence. We are just two best friends who found their way back to each other."

Although I wish we were something else—shut up.

"Uh-huh, sure. I have never seen Reid be as close with someone as you. He even shares his food with you and now that's a revelation. He's in love with you," Derek asserted, knowing it was practically impossible for the doctor to even shake hands with someone, yet, he willingly lets Briar touch him.

As much as Briar wanted to believe Derek's findings to be true, there was no way she would risk her friendship with Spencer. She just got him back and she would be damned if anything were to happen to them again.

She couldn't risk it.

"Nice detections, Morgan, but Spence and I are just friends."

Derek gave her a look that screamed 'whatever floats your boat' and she shook her head at him. Briar's ringtone filled the small secluded room, the noise bouncing off the walls.

Looking down at her phone, she cleared her throat when she saw it was Hotch.

"Hey, boss, what's up?"

"Let everyone know, we're taking JJ to the hospital."

A look of concern soon washed over Briar's face. "Oh god, is she okay?" This caught Derek's attention too.

"She's in labor, but everything is fine. We're checking her in now."

Spencer soon walked out of the interrogation room and into the room with the rest of the agents, his eyes resting on Briar and the phone that was now on speaker.

"Did they find anything on Gary Michaels?" Derek questioned.

"Some of him."

The conversation continued a while longer which led to the fact that Gary Michales was dead and was dug up over seven years ago.

They were simply one step closer to finding the killer of Riley Jenkins.

༻✧𓆩♡𓆪✧༺

After arresting Lou who was associated with Riley Jenkins' murder, Spencer found out that Gary Michaels approached him as a kid, leading to Diana also being a part of the murder as well. It set a form of ease to get closure on Riley's case, yet a there was disappointment that Spencer didn't have a reason to hate his father for leaving him.

Finding out that his dad left in order to protect Spencer and Diana, made him more confused for his emotions with his father. It was something he was able to lift off of his shoulders and he was grateful for that, however, he still needed to have a serious conversation with Briar about the reason for her leaving.

He said he would give her time and he did, but lately, his persistent mind seemed to be more eager.

Spencer and Briar gently knocked on the hospital room door, all heads and smiled turning in their direction.

"Briar, Spencer, hi." JJ beamed brightly at the duo, happy to have them there.

"Oh, JJ, he's beautiful congratulations." Briar couldn't hide the smile that curved on her lips. She has always adored children, even at a young age which was another reason why on her free time, she would volunteer at the local ballet and gymnastics studio. She turned her attention to Will and stuck out her hand knowing he hasn't met her yet. "Hi, I'm Briar Onodera. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Will LaMontagne and likewise," Will reciprocated, shaking her hand.

Briar continued to stare at the newly born Henry, her heart growing. JJ noticed her expression and looked up at her.

"Do you want to hold him?"

"Oh! Um... should I—it's just that..." Briar sputtered on her words.

"Briar, I promise, it's okay." Needing that reassurance from JJ, Briar gently cradled Henry in her arms, cooing at the baby boy. Spencer looked down over her shoulder then into Briar's eyes, a smile that JJ has never seen before, etching his face.

It was Spencer's turn to hold Henry next. He was hesitant and wasn't sure what to do, but when Briar guided him on where to support the baby, he got used to it, swaddling the infant in his arms. Leaving the room for a breath of fresh air, Briar inhaled the refreshing frigid breeze that weaved through her raven hair.

She pushed her hands into her hands into her jacket pockets, clsoing her eyes for a moment of serenity. However, that moment was abruptly interrupted when her phone pinged, indicating a message. Briar looked down at her phone.

UNKNOWN: Already getting comfortable with your new team, doll? 

Her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. Only one person called her 'doll' and her heart was incessantly beating out of her heaving chest. It was a simple message, yet it put an unfamiliar feeling of dread and fear in her veins.

Briar's breaths trembled and her eyes blurred with trepidation. Her senses were blinded, she didn'teven realize the person approaching her from behind.

When she felt a hand on her shoulder, Briar jolted in fear, turning around abruptly. Her terrified face softened when she saw Spencer, a concerned expression already adorning his face.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his brown doe eyes scanning her body for any potential injuries. When he saw none, his worried face didn't go away, in fact he stepped closer to her.

"Nothing. You just startled me a bit." Briar was good at hiding her emotions to the naked eye, but for Spencer, he was able to read her faster than he can any book. He didn't analyze her as a profiler, he analyzed her as a best friend.

"You're playing with your bracelet and you're pinching the hem of your shirt." Spencer pointed out, not dropping the subject. "You've done that ever since we were kids."

Damn his eidietic memory.

"Spence, I said it's nothing, just drop it," Briar snapped harshly, instantly regretting her tone when she saw the way Spencer recoiled slightly. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I haven't slept well in like three days and I'm getting grumpy."

Briar released a heavy sigh and rested her forehead on Spencer's chest, him holding her into a lazy hug. His chin was relaxed on the top of her head, the two of them breathing in the comfortable silence.

"Let's spend tomorrow together. We finally have a day off and we still need to catch up on everything."

Briar knew she had to talk about it soon. Spencer was incredibly patient with her and gave her time to open up about the reason of why she left him all those years ago. She felt that she was ready to tell him what happened. Plus, they really did need to hang out outside of work.

She pulled away from the hug slightly and looked up."Okay, yes, absolutely. I teach at the ballet studio whenever I have time. Do you want to meet me there?"

Spencer's upbeat mood suddenly dropped. The last time Briar mentioned ballet to him, she disappeared the next day. From that day on, Spencer saw ballet as nothing but a terrible memory of missing his best friend.

Noticing his mood, Briar spoke. "What's wrong? Do you want to meet somewhere else instead? I can—"

"No, no. It's just... do you remember the last thing you asked me? The day before you disappeared?"

Briar would never forget it. It was the last time she spoke to him or nearly a decade.

"Yeah, I asked if you were still going to by ballet recital," Briar whispered.

Spencer nodded his head. "Did you know I still went? I went to the recital because I thought maybe you would be there and explain why you didn't come to dinner the night before. When you weren't there that's when I got worried."

The dim moonlight was soft and dull, but it was bright enough to illuminate Spencer's face to make his tears visible. They were leisurely streaming down his cheeks and Briar frowned as she pressed her thumbs on his face, wiping away the tears.

"Spence, I'm so sorry. I promise I'll explain everything tomorrow, but it'll be a little later since I'll be at the studio and —"

"No, it's okay, I'll meet you there and we can go out after. I can spend more time with you."

A soft smile etched her lips. She nodded and that smile turned into a devious smirk. "Will you ever let me finish my sentences one day?"

Spencer snorted and chuckled loudly. "Not a chance, Rosie," he joked.

She shook her head at the incredulous man and released herslef from his embrace.

"Well it's settled then. I'll see you tomorrow at eleven a.m., Sunshine." They both walked back ot their cars, turning around once again to look at each other. Spencer and Briar both turned at the same time and small blushes painted their cheeks when they they turned away quickly.

When Spencer was inside of his car, he released a hefty laugh, happiness and a sense of relief parading in his body. He fidlded with his friendship bracelet and anticipated the fact that he was going to hang out with his best friend tomorrow without worrying about work.

Spencer Reid hasn't been this excited over going out in years.

——༻✧𓆩CHARITY SPEAKS𓆪✧༺
OKAYYY, so like i haven't updated this book in what... a year🥲🥲 i've been very MIA but i'm back with new chapters.  i'm working on a couple other books like rafe cameron and axel kavacevic!

anyway ily all so much and thank you all for reading 🥹🩷🩷