1 | 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐍𝐎𝐈𝐒𝐄 ⭃ Spencer Reid

2.1

"Your sister's birthday is in two days," Aunt Guinevere explained to her as she cleaned up the leftover food she used to cook breakfast earlier that morning, "and it is her sweet sixteen. We are celebrating as a family."

"With a cake that's bigger than her?"

"With a cake that is bigger than her." She nodded enthusiastically.

Caroline rolled her eyes and laughed at her aunt. It felt nice to be back again. It was rare when she got to visit her family, because of all the travel she does at the BAU. So, she packed up and she was going to stay with Aunt Guinevere for a couple of days. Somehow, she was able to convince Hotch to let her take a couple days off, but he only agreed to it after he heard it was her Cait's birthday. He, of all people, knew how big that was for them. And with everything about Reid and the recurring nightmares she's been having of late, she needed to see her family now more than ever.

"So, is Chris here yet?" She asked her aunt, reaching over the counter to taste the pancake batter she was making. Her aunt slapped her hand away and shook her finger at her niece playfully.

"He is outside with Rebecca and Cassie setting up the decorations for the party."

"Becca is here?"

"Yes, she flew in from Jamaica this week." Her aunt informed her, mixing the batter confidently. Caroline reached over and dropped in some strawberries and her aunt smiled at her. She knew those were her sister's favorite type of pancakes—strawberry.

"But I thought she was doing an exposé in Cuba?"

"She was. . .until Jamaica presented a better story."

"Let me guess, water for the poor?"

Her aunt laughed, shaking her head. "No, actually. It's about providing healthcare in rural areas in Africa."

"Well, nonetheless, I'm glad she's here." She told her aunt, giving her a small smile. "It's been a while since I've seen her."

Rebecca Moorehouse was not only her brother's girlfriend of seven years, but she was also one of her closest friends. Her brother and Rebecca were high school sweethearts, but the only reason they started dating was because Caroline introduced them when they were seventeen. And despite Becca's absence because of her job, the two have been together ever since.

Her brother's girlfriend worked as a travel writer and she was just about the coolest person she knew. Rebecca was one of the only people who had stuck around after the death of their parents and she had been by her family's side ever since. In Caroline's eyes, she was the only girl good enough for her brother.

"Caroline?"

The moment she heard her sister's voice, she turned and saw Caitlin standing in the doorway, holding a leather-bound journal that Caroline had given her for her last birthday in her hands. They stared at each other for a moment and Caroline was struck by how much she had grown.

She remembered her little sister with pigtails and braces, but her sister was no longer a little girl. Her straight-as-a-stick dirty blonde hair was pulled back in a sloppy ponytail, but somehow, her sister managed to pull it off. Instead of big dopey eyes and chubby cheeks, her sister had lost most of her baby chub, which was replaced with high cheekbone and a rounded jawline. Her jade green eyes had lost their doughiness over the years and had become more prominent on her face.

Oh, her eyes. She had their father's eyes—the Hale family eyes. Those deep green eyes that practically glowed when the light hit them were the hallmark of the Hale line. Her siblings had inherited the beautiful jade green eyes that people always envy. Caroline, on the other hand, inherited her mother's eyes—the blue turquoise ringed with gold.