The Keeping of Words | Spencer Reid

26| A White Wedding

The floorboards of the ancient building squeaked beneath his shoes as he made his way down the hall. The door of Apartment 702 had become familiar over the last few months, and spotting the numbers signifying it from the rest of the unit was enough to make him smile, knowing who was waiting for him beyond that door. Once he knocked, it opened almost immediately. "There you are! Come in, you must be freezing!" Bianca ushered him inside, her living room far warmer than the hallway, and much more so than the air outside where snow was falling lightly.

It smelled nice, like hazelnut coffee and fresh baked bread – she must've been cooking – and lavender. Just like her perfume. "Do you have those papers?" Reid asked, draping his peacoat over the back of a chair.

"I sure do! They're in my room." Her footsteps echoed in the apartment, and she returned to the living room moments later with a file folder in her hand. "It wasn't easy, but I found everything I could. What's this for anyways?" Bianca leaned against the kitchen counter as he rifled through the pages of the file.

Inside were several reports regarding human rights violations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Information about torture methods used by interrogators, crimes against children, child soldiers, and guerilla tactics. After JJ's abduction, he'd worried that something was still bothering her. It was difficult to say precisely what she couldn't let go of, but he wasn't able to forget it either. Reid figured it would be possible for Emily and Garcia to track down extensive information on Tivon Askari, but he was hesitant to involve them just yet. JJ didn't need more people asking her if she was okay. Right now she just needed space to breathe, and to recover. Bianca however, could easily do a little digging into crimes against humanity that matched Askari's MO or occurred in the same region. He could also trust her not to mention anything to the rest of the team.

"I know it's a little premature, but I wanted to know a little more about the man who hurt JJ. Just to see if I could put a better profile of him together. There's still so much about that year she spent in Afghanistan that I don't understand."

"I see. You're really worried about her aren't you?" JJ was his friend, a vital part of his family. It was impossible for him to overlook something that might be hurting her. When it came to the people he cared about, he couldn't rest until he knew they were okay. "You know, you look a little tired," she added. "Have you had dinner yet?"

He hadn't, and was all too happy to accept her offer of food. "What are all these books?" Reid asked, as she gathered things in the kitchen. The living room coffee table was covered in stacks of textbooks, notebooks, and papers.

"I've got finals next week, so I'm trying to study," she said, reappearing with two bowls of minestrone soup and French bread, both still warm. Bianca took a seat beside him on the couch, sighing. "There's so much material this semester. It's taking longer than I expected. Sorry for the mess."

The mess never bothered him; it reminded him that this space was lived in. He picked up one of the textbooks, thumbing through it. "You know, I can read 20,000 words per minute and I have an eidetic memory."

"I'm aware of that. Why do you mention it?"

"I'm just saying I would make a pretty good study partner. I could review all this in about 20 minutes, and quiz you on it."

"You'd do that?"

"Of course," he said. "You helped me gather all this information, it's more than fair for me to lend a hand with this. Not that I need a reason." He kissed the top of her forehead. "I want to help you whenever I can."

When they were done, she began dividing the books into stacks. Each title earned itself a furtive glance, and then was set methodically into place . They were separated by course, she explained. The first pile was for Comparative Law on Women's Rights; the second, International Courts and Tribunals; the third, War Crimes and Prosecution; the fourth, Poverty Law and Policy; and the fifth, Gender, Sexual, and Reproductive Health and International Human Rights Law. Reid quirked an eyebrow, examining the impressive distribution of material, and grabbed the nearest textbook. It took only a few seconds to become accustomed to the legalese, after which reading become easier. Between the turning of pages he was vaguely aware of Bianca moving around the apartment.