𝓶𝓪𝓻𝓪 𝓳𝓪𝓷𝓮 ➢ 𝓼. 𝓻𝓮𝓲𝓭

𝓉𝓌𝑒𝓃𝓉𝓎

"Dave and I will go to the crime scene," Hotch said to everyone. "I think the rest of you should be here when she wakes up. I don't care about protocol. I don't care whether we're working this officially or not. We don't touch any new cases until we find out who did this."

"Wait," Mara stood up. "Can I come with you to the crime scene?

Hotch quickly shook his head. "You need to be here when she wakes up."

"No, I need to find this son of a bitch."

Hotch sent her a look and she quickly nodded. She wanted to find the man that did this but her mind was clouded with exhaustion and her friend being hurt.

Reid set a hand on the small of her back and spoke quietly, "Hungry?"

She nodded and followed Reid out of the hospital and into his car. As much as she hated to admit it, she needed a break. She needed fresh air and a moment to run over everything Penelope told her.

Reid decided on an Italian place. He knew pasta was a type of comfort food for Mara and she would be comfortably in a place surrounded by warm and filling food. They were seated in the back, Mara facing the entirety of the restaurant.

They ordered and got their food, silently eating. Reid could tell by her body language she'd calmed down. And she stopped bouncing her leg.

"Not the biggest fan of storms," Reid spoke. "Or hospitals."

Mara chuckled, her guard still down. "You noticed?"

"I read behavior for a living, you thought I wouldn't catch on?"

"I guess you're right," she said, sipping on her water. "I have always hated hospitals."

"Why?"

Mara cleared her throat, looking up and meeting his eyes. "They kept me there for four days after my parents died."

"You remember?"

"Of course I do," she replied. "I've replayed the night over and over in my head for fourteen years."

"What were they liked?" Reid asked, Mara furrowing her eyebrows at the question. "Your parents?"

Reid could see her think about building her walls back up and not saying anything but she let out a deep breath. "They were amazing, Spencer. They were kind and they cared so deeply about us."

Reid nodded, setting his drink down and focusing on the girl as she continued. "My parents worked their asses off to make us happy. They had good paying jobs, they spoiled us rotten. My brother got lacrosse lesson, I took ballet classes. My mom used to say 'we deserve the best of the best and never less.'"

Mara's eyes filled with tears. "They were the nicest people alive. They didn't deserve what they got. They were beautiful people."

"You don't deserve what you got, either," Reid interjected. "You are a nice person, Mara. You are a beautiful person."

She shook her head and chuckled. "Don't do that. Don't try and make me feel better about myself. You're a shit liar."

"If you think I'm lying then you need a new job because you're wrong," Reid shook his head. "You think you deserved the pain you were put through when you were a child?"

"Of course not," Mara lightly scoffed. "However, it did make me the person I am today. It just sucks not being able to connect with anyone because of my flaws."

Reid set his drink down and chuckled darkly. "Flaws? Mara, seriously, this is how you think about yourself?"

She couldn't look up at him but she nodded. Reid quickly moved to the chair next to Mara, turning to face her. Mara furrowed her eyebrows and looked up to meet his eyes.

"Listen to me, Mara," Reid said. "You are an amazing profiler, a bright person, and a beautiful woman. All these..things you think about yourself, you're wrong. You struggle letting people in because everyone in your life has either used you or left you. You blame it on the work, it's easier to say you have to work than try and commit to a person. You have one friend, Mallory, only because you met in the academy and she hopes she'll be able to make you bright like her-"

"Spencer, that's enough."

"Once we find the man that killed your parents, you're not going to have the same motivation and you're scared your entire career had built up to nothing-"

"Reid-"

"Shawn's in love with you but your disgusted with thinking he's the man you could settle down and have-"

"That's enough!"

Reid stopped, his hands shaking with anger. Mara stood up, ignoring the looks of everyone around her. "Our friend is in the hospital, Reid. She almost died. And you're here, fucking profiling me."

Mara stormed out of the restaurant and down the street. The hospital's five miles away but Mara could use the walk. About half a mile down, Reid's car pulled up on the sidewalk.

"Mara, I'm sorry."

She ignored him and continued walking, crossing her arms over her chest. Reid stopped the car and got out, following the girl down the street.

He caught up to her, grabbing her arm and turning her around. She snatched her arm
from his and pushed her shoulders back, looking up at him.

"What?" she roared at him. "Here to throw more insults in my face?"

"Mara, I didn't mean to-"

"You sat in there-" Mara stopped and cleared her throat, pushing back tears. "You sat in there and insulted me, Reid. You pointed out everything I already hate about myself. You tore me apart in there."

"I'm sorry-"

"Why?" she asked, her voice shaking. "Why would you do that?"

"Mara, you push people away that care about you. You don't let people in," Reid said to her. "I care about you. We all do. I can see who you are even if you don't let me in."

"You don't know anything," Mara scoffed, shoving him back. "Just because you profile me doesn't mean you know anything about me."

"Please, Mara, just.." be took her hand and moved it around his neck, taking the other and doing the same before he wrapped his arms around her torso and hugged her tightly. "Let us in. Trust me."

Mara wanted to push back in anger and shove him away, punch him maybe. But instead, she melted into his touch. Stood on her toes and hugged him, her face digging into her neck. She knew he was right. If there was a home in the world she could trust, it would be this team. It would be Spencer.

She pulled away, her walls still up but slowly crumbling. She took his hand and softly smiled. "Let's get back to Penelope."