LAUGHTER LINES
chapter twenty one.
Spencer woke up the next morning to the radio on his alarm clock. He looked down at the weight on his chest and found Gwen's curly brown hair. She was holding onto the fabric of his night shirt and the night before came flooding back to him.
For an hour, Gwenevere held on to him, shaking in fright. He didn't know how to get her talking when she wouldn't even look at him. Finally, she seemed to calm down enough, and all she would tell him is that Adrienne Foster was out of prison. He didn't really know what this meant, but he was willing to wait after a night of sleep to get some answers.
The weight on his chest shifted and Gwen moaned as she stirred awake. She lifted her head up and blinked. "What time is it?" she grumbled.
"Six thirty," Spencer answered as he turned on his bedside lamp. "How are you feeling?"
"Dismal," Gwenevere mumbled. "Terribly dismal."
"It didn't take long for you to fall asleep, though," Reid said. "I think the stress of yesterday's news tired you out."
Gwenevere sat up and looked at her hands. "I'm sorry if I ruined your night," she said as she began to pick at her nails. "I didn't want to stay at my parents, and going home was slightly terrifying."
"What did Adrienne Foster do?" Spencer asked. He tucked some of Gwen's hair out of her face. He smiled. "You're practically fearless."
Gwen gave him a faint smile and cracked her knuckles. "I saw something I shouldn't have. Adrienne kidnapped me to keep me from telling and when the police were at the door, she thought leaving a bloody mess would give her time to run."
"The scar on your arm," Spencer said. An image of the circulatory system flashed into memory. "She cut a main artery in your arm."
Gwen nodded. She massaged her arm as if it hurt. "I don't like to talk about it," she said. "Mostly, I can't figure out how I lived. I was told that Jacobs used his tie as a tourniquet."
"Why the arm?" Spencer asked. Most people went for the neck.
"Adrienne was smart, and she always liked Anatomy," Gwen said. "I think my arm was easier to get at because she caught my arm after I tried to punch her in the nose. I guess she figured cutting a big artery would create a grave enough situation for her to get away."
Reid's brow furrowed slightly. Gwenevere kept calling this woman 'Adrienne'. That didn't happen usually. It was normal to use a last name or no name at all. This told him that Adrienne Foster probably knew Gwenevere on some level. Gwen was in high school at the time, so Adrienne Foster had to be connected to some school or extracurricular activities.
"You should get ready for work," Gwen said. "I should probably turn my phone on. I'll have a few dozen calls from my mom and dad. They worry when I disappear without a word."
Spencer took this as an I'm done talking statement and slipped out of bed. He gave one last look at Gwen's forlorn face before he moved to the bathroom.
Gwen moved to the living room when she heard the shower turn on. She picked up her phone and turned it on. Sure enough, she found six voicemails from her mom and two from her dad. She listened to them one by one. The last message from her dad made her smile.
"I saw you took my gun. Scott says Spencer texted him. Stay close to him until Jacobs calls later today."
Spencer came from his room dressed and ready for work. He watched Gwen, looking for signs of that fear he had witnessed last night. She looked up at him and smiled. "What?" Reid asked.
Gwen stood up and walked over to touch his damp hair. "Your hair is always so crazy after you towel dry it," she said. "And then, it just stays that way."
"We need to talk about Adrienne Foster," Spencer said. He could feel Gwen tense up. He rubbed her arms free of goose bumps. "Not right now. I don't think we have time."
"I just don't like to think about it," Gwen said. "I'm sorry."
"How about tonight?" Spencer said. "After your martial arts lessons. We can have dinner here. Lizzie and Greg can join us if they need to be close."
"I think I'm going to ask Jenny and Mark if they wouldn't mind letting the kids stay with them for a couple weeks. Jenny knows what happened, so she would understand if I just want to make sure that Adrienne is harmless," Gwen said as she thought about arrangements that needed to be made.
"That won't affect their ability to get to school, will it?" Spencer asked.
Gwen shook her head. "Jenny only lives a few miles from the school and it's on the way to the coffee shop. I've got some work I need to do in D.C today, so maybe it's best if we come back here for dinner."
"Are you going to stay here then?" Reid asked.
"No," Gwen shook her head. She had to go to her office and make sure her client files were locked away. Move some of the more important ones to her 'secret storage'. Then she had to arrange a way to have her condo fitted with security, and she couldn't trust just anyone to do it. Maybe Jason's company would take me on as a client. I do enough work for them as is. She thought before biting her lip. Quantico was a safe place. It was surrounded by a Marine base and hosted two academies for federal law enforcement. Bad stuff rarely occurred in town. "I have some stuff to do in Quantico before I come back to D.C. What time do you want to meet back here?"
"I'll get on the train after work and be back in D.C about six. Your lesson doesn't start until eight, right?" Spencer smiled when he thought about something. "Are you going to drive me to work?"
"Are we stopping for coffee?" Gwen asked.
"Why wouldn't we?
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Espresso Shot! was busy and Gwen and Spencer were forced to squeeze their way past sleep deprived customers. Gwen pushed the kitchen door open as she held onto Reid's hand. She stopped abruptly and Reid plowed right into her.
It took Reid a moment to fully register that man that was seated at a small bar. He was in his thirties with dark brown hair and a thin beard. He sat eating a bagel as he scanned the Washington Post quietly with a pleasant smile on his face. He grabbed a coffee cup that smelled vaguely like a latte on Gwen's list of favorites. He looked up and the smile on his face grew into a full blown grin. "Well aren't you just a sight for sore eyes."
Gwen let go of Reid's hand and rushed over to the man. "Walter, you're certainly a sorry sight yourself!" she cried. "You're back from Germany."
"Why yes, I am," Walter grinned. "And might I say, you look like you haven't slept one wink."
Gwen turned to Spencer and gestured for him to come over hastily. "Spencer, you must meet Walter," she said brightly. She held her hand out for Spencer to take.
"Walter, this is my boyfriend, Dr. Spencer Reid," Gwen said. She looked up slightly and beamed.
"How'd you do?" Walter smiled genially and nodded his head in a complimentary nod.
"Spencer, this is Walter Kane," Gwen introduced. "He's been touring Europe in hopes of expanding his appreciation for the older written works. He works at the newspaper with me."
Walter looked Reid over and nodded approvingly. "So, you finally nabbed yourself a doctor."
"It's not that kind," Gwen and Reid said quick before blushing. "How do you know Gwenevere?"
"We've known each other since we were kids," Walter stated. "I was also her first boyfriend, too. We dated throughout high school."
"I'm not sure you could call it dating," Gwen said. "We only 'went out' so people wouldn't know you're gay. I didn't really mind though. You were a better boyfriend than half the guys I've dated."
"Yes, well I'm out and proud now, and you have a boyfriend who looks to be pretty smitten with you," Walter said. "So I guess it worked out all right."
"You dated a gay man?" Spencer asked wondering why anything surprised him with Gwenevere.
"He's my best guy friend!" Gwen defended herself. "And people were mean at our school. Believe me; it was best for both of us to be 'taken', so to speak." She hugged onto Reid's arm in an effort to stop any further line of questioning.
Walter laughed and looked at the couple. "Gwen, can I have my job at your firm back?" Walter asked. "And my apartment in the office building.
"Of course!" Gwen smiled. She looked at Spencer and squeezed his arm. "Walter and I converted a detached office into an apartment when Jenny and I bought the place."
"What do you do for Gwenevere," Spencer asked curiously. If they both worked at the paper, that probably meant that the two friends spent a lot of time together to begin with. What more could Walter do for Gwen.
"I'm her body guard," Walter said somewhat seriously.
"Assistant," Gwen corrected.
Reid smiled. Gwen was surrounded by characters. Her mother, the teenagers, and now a bodyguard. Everywhere Reid turned, he was meeting someone new and interesting that was somehow connected to his certifiable girlfriend. "Are you qualified to be a bodyguard?" he asked.
"I was a media liaison in Afghanistan before I went to Europe. I'd like to think I'm qualified, but Gwen still had to teach me how to shoot a gun," Walter explained. He wouldn't admit to the doctor that he had yet to hit a single paper target when shooting at a gun range and that Gwen suggested he take up a more noble sport like chess.
Gwen laughed and stepped away from Spencer, finally, as she was struck with an idea. She turned so that she was looking Walter in the eyes. "Walter, would you mind hanging around for a bit?" she asked. "My dad has me on orders not to go out alone right now, and I wouldn't mind walking around with a stud like you."
Walter laughed and winked at Reid. "Only if your boyfriend doesn't get jealous. I mean, we do have a past."
"Someone has to keep her out of jail," Reid said jumping at an opportunity to show a more humorous side to himself. He got the impression that Walter was silently judging his worthiness for Gwen. If he didn't get the seal of approval, chances were Reid was looking at a rocky relationship with Gwen's only male best friend.
"I've never once been arrested. That was my mom, and how do you think she met my dad?" Gwen argued. She crossed her arms and pouted playfully.
"Just stay safe," Spencer said. It felt off for him to say it. Gwen had always been the one to say it to him before he left on a case, and he had to wonder if he somehow believed her to be in more trouble than he was when he was going after a serial killer.
"Let me take you to work," Gwen said happily. "I'm sure our coffee is ready by now."
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Reid entered the BAU feeling apprehensive. Gwen had given him a hug, kiss, and smile, but he still felt something had shifted in the air. Now, he felt as if Gwen wasn't the only one that needed to be worried. He was her boyfriend after all, and he knew that this wasn't just some simple little relationship for the two of them. It was serious, and they were both working so hard to make time for the other. Part of the reason Spencer spent most of his time with Gwen and the kids was because he felt guilty for the four or five day cases. It ruined a few date nights and plans to build robots. What did Foster's release mean for his relationship with Gwen?
"Mr. Brain," Garcia's voice came from his left. "You look lost in your thoughts."
Reid turned and attempted to smile. "Just thinking about some things."
Garcia could see a glimmer of something in his eyes. A shadow was a more appropriate word. Perhaps it was the way they didn't match the slight smile on his lips, or the way they didn't completely focus. "Reid, what's wrong?" She put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Is it your mom? Gwen?"
Reid was about to shake his head, but he stopped mid-movement. He might upset Gwen by doing this, but he wanted answers. He wanted her to be the one that told him, but he also knew that something like attempted murder was going to leave mental scars. It was personal, and some people didn't like to talk about it. Spencer Reid was a facts kind of guy, and right now, he wanted the facts.
"Garcia, could I get you to look into an old D.C kidnapping case?" Reid asked. "At least, I think it's a D.C case. It might be McLean."
Garcia blinked. This was vaguely reminiscent of when Rossi had her look up the Galyean case. She was happy to be of service to the team on side matters, but Rossi got a little strange when she was unable to come up with more information.
"I should be able to find something. A preliminary record will be the first place to start," Garcia stated quietly. "What was the name of the child?"
Reid hesitated slightly. This was the point of no return. "Gwenevere Thompson. It would have happened some time in 1997," Reid said after conducting some quick mental math. "Her kidnapper was released from prison yesterday, and I just want some extra information."
Garcia didn't really know what to say. She only nodded before she found her voice. "I'll see what I can dig up," she said. She smiled before she hugged him. "We'll make it a lunch date."
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Garcia had ordered Reid's favorite Indian dish for lunch and had set up shop at the long table in her office. This was where she could eat food without fear of harming her precious babies. Two steaming plates of Tandoori chicken filled the room with smells of rich spices.
Reid closed the door and smiled at the food. Garcia would be the kind of person to get his favorite when he was down.
"Lock the door," Garcia said. "We don't need Morgan barging in, searching for his favorite prank victim."
"Is the case that bad?" Reid had seen the uncomfortable shuffle in Garcia's steps and the micro frown.
"It's not good," Garcia said by way of a nonanswer. She handed him a paper file as she woke up her iPad. Just once she wished he would go digital. "Let's get started."
Reid opened the file before he dropped it on the table and grabbed his fork. He dug into the food quickly, but he was almost too distracted to fully appreciate the flavor and tingle it brought to his lips.
The first thing he saw was a photo of a younger Gwen. She looked almost the same as most people did when they were teenagers. Her curly brown hair had been pulled back in a ponytail and she was dressed in a gi for karate. A gold medal hung around her neck and the braces she wore caught some unseen light. He distinctly remembered seeing the photo hanging in her family home among other photos chronicling the long list of Thompson Family Achievements.
Garcia looked up. "It was the photo that her family released to the press. The medal is from a Karate competition she was in a few months prior," she explained.
Reid moved the photo to look at another. It was a mug shot of Adrienne Foster. Her eyes were sunken, probably from lack of sleep. Her black hair was a mess, and she had dried blood around her nose. "What did you find out about Adrienne Foster?"
"She's smart. School wise that is. She excelled in science and math," Garcia said. "She was a senior, had just been accepted to Virginia Tech. However, there are some psychological notes on her record. A school counselor said that her fascination for the human body may have gone a little farther than human curiosity. She had been asked to leave the morgue when she wanted to cut a cadaver open. Creepy. Anyway, after her arrest she made statements showing her desire for Gwen's death."
"How did Gwenevere know her?" Spencer asked.
"They went to the same dojo in McLean," Garcia answered. "Foster was at the same advancement ceremony as Gwen, so they must have had classes together."
"So what happened?"
"Love, I'm guessing," Garcia said. "Passion more likely. Foster was dating the local bad boy, Matthew Turner. Turner broke into a home and in the process a family was killed. He ran with the help of Foster," Garcia took a bite of food and moved her finger across the screen of her tablet.
Reid pulled a copy of the newspaper article. He scanned it quickly and nodded. "Where does Gwenevere come in?"
"According to Gwen's official report, Foster left the dojo after an extensive work out. In truth, she was giving some supplies to an on the run Turner," Garcia said. "Gwen stepped out as well to get some air, and she saw the exchange take place. Turner freaked out, and Foster did too. Foster used a couple of well-placed punches to knock Gwen off her game and locked Gwen in the trunk of Turner's stolen car."
Reid frowned as he looked over Gwenevere's handwritten report. Gwen was taken to an abandoned warehouse in D.C, and was tied up in an old office. Her contact with Foster and Turner after that had been limited to avoid overhearing potential plans. She had been held for three days. Statistically, Gwenevere's Thompson's survival was uncommon. Then again, she had nearly died according to Garcia's information.
Reid flipped a page and looked at another newspaper article. It said the police had arrived just in time and that young Gwenevere was lucky. It all painted a grim picture for the doctor. A picture he didn't like. Another newspaper article gave the details for the court ruling. Adrienne Foster received twenty years for attempted murder, kidnapping, and accessory after the fact.
"Gwen turned out all right, though," Garcia said. "I did some after the fact research. She continued on in martial arts, participated in school plays, got accepted to Cal. Are you worried that something might happen now that Foster is out early?"
"I don't know," Reid said as he dropped his fork. He didn't really feel like eating anymore. His head was filled with too many questions.