1 | 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐍𝐎𝐈𝐒𝐄 ⭃ Spencer Reid

16.1

After everything that happened at the wedding, her sisters needed the break as much as Caroline did.

"Well if you're going to ditch me, I'm glad it's for the girls," she said teasingly. She reached over and patted her hand. "Seriously, enjoy it. You deserve it."

Caroline smiled gratefully at her. "Thanks, Elle."

Her colleague winked at her before leaning back in her chair. She sighed in relief. "I can't imagine what two weeks away from this place is gonna feel like."

"Well, you better thank your man upstairs for making it the whole team, otherwise you know they'd find a reason to bring us back up in here," Derek commented.

"Why?" Elle questioned. "They have other teams."

"Okay, you can go on believing that if you want to, but I am not answering my cell phone."

Elle and Derek reached across their desks to clink their mugs together. Caroline smiled as they laughed, their jovial behavior starting to diffuse in the air. She hoped they had an amazing time in Jamaica, she really did. They all deserved a break after the last couple of weeks.

"Oh, there he is," Derek said as Reid came to his desk and started to pack his things into his bag. He got up and leaned against the young doctor's desk. "Pretty boy. Last chance. I can get my man to swing you a hotel room for practically nothing."

Spencer didn't look up as he began putting his books away. "Thanks anyway."

"Come on, Reid. Live a little, huh?"

"I have to go. I'm going home," he said quickly as he buckled his bag closed and slipped it over his shoulders. "Have a good one, guys."

"Bye?" Elle said slowly as she watched him walk away.

Before anyone could say anything else, he was already out the door and getting onto the elevator. He hadn't even looked at her. Automatically, Caroline glanced down at her desk and began to absentmindedly mess with a button on her shirt.

He had been acting strangely ever since the wedding a couple of weeks ago, but he had never outright ignored her. Sure, he only spoke to her in five to eight-word sentences and only if it was work-related, but at least he was talking to her. Now, she didn't know what to think.

This was exactly what she had been afraid of—all of it. She didn't know if it was their kiss or her past that was making him shun her, but she hated it. She just wanted to talk to him about it, to explain, but he was making that hard. Especially now with him heading out of state for two weeks.

Derek looked over at Caroline. "He look okay to you?"

Caroline shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant as Elle replied, "He looks about the way I would if I was gonna spend two weeks with my family."

"Hey, don't knock family!" Hotch claimed as he walked by their desks. "I'm gonna get nothing but for the next 336 hours."

Derek chuckled. "Good for you."

"Haley's got a list of chores a mile long and I can't wait," Hotch said with a smile on his face. "The biggest decision I gotta make is what I'm gonna do first."

Caroline liked seeing Hotch this happy, it was refreshing from the usual "down-to-business" face he usually wears. She knew that he liked his job, but she also knew that he was missing his family, too. For him, two weeks with Haley and Jack sounded like a dream come true.

"I bet she has a thought or two about that as well," Elle commented.

"Bring it on," he said with a laugh. He turned to Caroline. "You're coming to pick up Jack, right?"