Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.
A/N: This takes place within Chapter 3 of Mystery Muse - after the flashback (and after the one shot Christmas Embers) and before the regular action of Chapter 3.
"Happiness is not having what you want. It's wanting what you have." - Unknown
o o o o
31 December, 2008
Looking in the mirror again, he adjusted the tie again before pulling it off and tossing it onto the table. He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration and unbuttoned the white button-down shirt and tugged it off, tossing it by the tie.
"What the hell does 'dressy casual' mean anyway?" Spencer picked up the invitation again.
Dr. Spencer Reid
You are cordially invited
as Calliope Sellers' date to
Dahlia Plantations'
307th Annual New Years Eve Ball
7 P.M. December 31, 2008
R.S.V.P. by December 22nd
Dressy Casual
Searching 'dressy casual' on the web had proven less than helpful, in fact, it had only helped in escalating his confusion. One site claimed one definition, another declared it something different, and a third offered yet another explanation. For something that could be so useful, the internets ineffectiveness could be overwhelming.
He picked up his cell and punched in J.J.'s number. Looking through his closet, he waited until she picked up on the fourth ring.
"Happy New Years Eve, Spence!"
"You too, J.J."
"What's up? I thought you were going out with Calliope. I still haven't met her, by the way."
"I know, I'm sorry. But I really need some help."
"Dr. Reid needs help from a mere mortal?"
"I'm serious, J.J. I don't know what to wear."
"Ok, where are you going?"
"It's a party she and her Grandfather throw every year. The invite says 'dressy casual.' What does that mean? I can't figure it out."
"Go with a pair of black slacks. Do you remember that grey sport coat you got when we went shopping like two years ago?"
"Um… the tweed one?"
"Yes. That one."
"It's at the cleaners."
"What about the khaki jacket?"
"I ruined that one when I spilt espresso. You were there. That case in San Deigo a few months ago."
"You really do have no coordination."
"J.J., c'mon, make fun of me later!"
"What are you so worried about, Spence? She knows what you look like. You've been with her for a few months now, if your style was going to scare her off it already would have."
"This is the first time I'm meeting her friends, J.J. I don't want to screw this up and it's already 4:15. I have to leave by five to get to Williamsburg on time. I need your help."
"Tell you what, give me fifteen minutes and I'll be there."
"Thanks J.J."
"I'll see you in a few."
ooo ooo ooo ooo
It took J.J. all of five minutes before she started pulling items from his closet as Spencer held baby Henry.
"Pink shirt? No, no, not pink. Blue shirt, definitely blue. Got it. This one – teal. This is a nice shirt. Slacks... slacks…. Slate grey? I think so…" J.J. was mumbling aloud to herself as she picked things out and put them on the bed.
"You better get your ability to make decisions from your mom, Henry. She's like a machine," Spencer told the boy, kissing the top of the bald head, as Henry watched the glittering of J.J.'s bracelet, mesmerized and drooling.
"Where do you keep your ties?"
"Second drawer from the top."
"Ohhhh, lavender and yellow plaid. When did you get this? This is great."
"Uh, a week ago? I don't remember. I was with Calliope in Macys and somehow I ended up buying it. I don't know how. How does she do that to me?"
"It's a female thing. Just run with it," J.J. told him as she put the tie back in the drawer and picked up a teal and pink striped tie and put it on top of the shirt.
"This? Are you sure? I mean, this is something I'd wear to work."
"Yes and it's perfect. See – you wear the jacket there and if, when you get there, the men have jackets then you leave yours on and everything's fine. If the men aren't wearing jackets, then let them hang it up with the others."
"Shouldn't I be a little more dressed up then this though?"
"No, you still want to be yourself, Spence. This is good. You'd pick this outfit out, right?"
"Well, yeah, I would."
"That's good. You want to still look like you." J.J. picked up the silver pocketwatch Calliope had given him from the dresser and placed it on top of the black vest she'd laid on the bed. "Ok, Spence, you give me Henry and get dressed."
"Thanks J.J." Spencer handed her his godson and watched the two leave the room. He changed quickly, slipped on some black shoes and walked out of the bedroom.
"Perfect. You look great, Spence. Here, hold Henry for a sec so I can fix your tie. It's lopsided."
"You think she'll like it?" Spencer asked, fidgeting as he took his godson and J.J. loosened his tie and reset it.
"Well I can't know for sure because I still haven't met her! Hint, hint. But if she has any taste at all, and I suspect she does because she's with you, she will love it," J.J. stepped back and put her hands on her hips. "Spencer Reid, you are some serious handsome. And with a baby too. Mmm, mmm, mmm." Spencer chuckled as J.J. took her son back and gave Spencer a one-armed hug and kissed his cheek. "She's a lucky girl, Spence."
ooo ooo ooo ooo
Driving up the driveway, Spencer felt like he'd driven into another world – a world full of Mercedes, Lexus', and BMWs. For a moment he thought he was going to stick out like a zucchini in a bag of potatoes in his beat up sixty-five Volvo, but he turned the corner and the large parking lot came into view housing a whole variety of different vehicles in a range of conditions.
Sighing in relief, he parked between a rusted Dodge pickup and a sleek black Jaguar. He pulled the key out of his ignition and got out into the cold, closing and locking the car behind him. Taking in the surroundings, Spencer slowly walked to the large, intimidating white plantation house – mansion would be a more appropriate word. This place could not have been farther from his childhood home in Las Vegas and he couldn't imagine growing up here.
Since Calliope had told him about Dahlia, he had managed to resist researching the plantation and the Seller family history. He wanted to enjoy having her tell him. All he knew about Dahlia was that it was started in 1694, which had been engraved on the stone marquee at the entrance. But, now that he was here, he wished he knew something.
He walked up the fifteen steps to the open front doors and was greeted by one of the four doormen holding clipboards.
"Name and ID please, sir?"
"Dr. Spencer Reid." He fished in his pocket and pulled out his ID and handed it to the doorman.
"FBI? What does the FBI want with Dr. Sellers And Calliope?"
"I'm not here as an agent, only as a guest. That's just my ID."
"Ah, sorry. Just a second, let me find your name. Reid… Reid… there you are. Have a good night, Dr. Reid," the doorman smiled and handed Spencer his ID back.
"Thank you." Spencer smiled, tucked his ID back into his pocket, and walked into the door and, after taking J.J.s' advice and checking the other guests, handed his jacket to the coatroom attendant when he was asked.
The foyer he stood in was massive and even at six-foot-one he felt tiny. There were easily a hundred and fifty people present and more pouring in behind him, so he let himself be shuffled to the wall, an area he was familiar with. He was always more comfortable sitting on the sidelines watching but, for all his watching, he couldn't spot Calliope anywhere.
There was a loud holler from the second story and Spencer looked up to see his muse leaning over the banister waving, Dr. Sellers standing next to her. Unsure if she was waving at him, he tentatively raised his hand – along with every other person in the room. He saw how every single face he saw was lit up and smiling as they watched Calliope. She was obviously well loved by everyone but it was almost as if they were waiting for her to do something.
"Thanks for coming everyone! Grandpa and I are so glad that all of you are here to bring in 2009 with us here at Dahlia! I know most of you are return guests to our new years bash, but we do have some new party members this year –" Calliope had to wait for a moment for the applause to stop before she could continue. "So, for our new friends I'll do a run down.
"On your left you'll see a set of large French doors, that is Charlotte's Ballroom where you are welcome to dance until your feet fall off. On your right and thru the arch is the White Room or, as I like to call it, Calliope's Childhood Time-Out Room where a huge buffet is set up. If you don't eat it, we'll be finishing it off for three months, so please, if you love me, you will eat.
"If you follow the very old family paintings past Charlotte's Ballroom there is a the library where a cornucopia of games have been set up, all of which are kid friendly. Go the opposite direction past Calliope's Time Out Room and there is a room that we have set up as a makeshift movie theater and a tower of DVDs and I will let you fight over what gets played. Be out back by the fountain right before midnight or you will completely miss out.
"So! Without further ado, lets get this party started!" Not missing a beat, Calliope hopped up on the banister and Spencers heart stopped.
'She's not going to slide down that staircase… Please, Calliope, don't slide down that – And there she goes.'
Spencer watched, terrified and holding his breath, as she slid down with her hands in the air as naturally as if she were riding a rollercoaster. He didn't breath again until she hopped off and landed on her feet to a round of applause. Calliope was twenty feet away from him and it was hard to resist striding over to her and kissing her, not letting her out of his reach.
But he stayed back, watching as she, obviously in her element, greeted all the people around her. Everybody loved her; he knew that, it was easy to see. They loved her for all the reasons he loved her. He knew he loved her. He knew that with the same certainty he knew his name and rank. He also knew that he wasn't ready to tell her yet.
He waited, leaning against the wall and watched. Calliope was beautiful. A quirky beautiful: she would never grace a magazine or win a beauty pageant, but he couldn't take his eyes off of her and neither could several of the other men in room. Part of him wanted to wrap his arms around her and glare at any man who dared look at her, but he knew he wouldn't. Instead, he waited.
In the end, waiting paid off when she caught his eye and winked at him. It took a few minutes more before she could break away, but when she did she slipped through the throng of people straight to him.
"Hey there, Mr. Magic," her voice was barely above a whisper as she slipped snuggly into his arms and wrapped hers around his waist.
"Hi Sweetheart," he returned, dipping his head slightly and kissing her. "You've gotten taller," he teased, kissing her again. "Heels?"
"Four inches. You like my party dress? My heels match!" She spun around in front of him making the bright fuchsia skirt flair up. If a persons personality could be captured in a garment, this dress captured Calliope completely. The dress was strapless, synced at the waist with a ruched sash, and fell just above her knees. A mixture of different sized, different coloured plastic circles were sewn to the bodice and skirt. She was wearing bright yellow heels that matched the huge bow clipped to the headband nestled in her curled hair.
"The dress is almost as beautiful as you."
"You, my love, are a complete and utter suck up," she giggled as she pressed herself against him, snaked her arms around his neck and pulled him down to kiss her. "And it serves you oh so well, Spencer."
"Calliope Kirsten, have you forgotten every thing that I've taught you?"
Calliope grinned widely and grabbed Spencers' hand, "C'mon, String Bean. There's someone really special I want you to meet." He let her drag him away from the way and tried to find who had spoken, but with so many people picking out a single one was hard. She stopped suddenly and he managed to halt without smashing into the back of her. In front of them stood a small, withered woman who had a look about her that made Spencer think she could take on Morgan.
"Spencer, I'd like you to meet my Mammy, Brenda Sellers. Mammy, this is Dr. Spencer Reid, my boyfriend."
Spencer shook the thin brown hand Brenda offered, "It's nice to meet you, Ma'am."
"You taking good care of my baby girl?" were the first words that small woman said to him.
"I hope so, Ma'am," Spencer said, smiling.
"He takes very good care of me, Mammy, when I let him that is." She giggled and squeeze his hand.
"Are you sleeping with my Callie, Dr. Reid?"
"Mammy!"
He squeezed her hand the tiniest bit before replying, "No, actually, we're, um, we're not sleeping together. Ms. Sellers, Calliope means more to me then sex."
"Good. She should. She's very, very special."
"I think so too."
Calliope smiled and leaned against him. "I really like him, Mammy. So be nice to him. He means a whole lot to me. I have to go and play the good hostess bit, Spencer. I'll be back soon, ok?" She smiled and kissed him before giving his hand a last squeeze and disappearing into the crowd.
"She loves you."
Startled, Spencer turned around and started at her. "Excuse me? I don't think I, um, I don't think I heard you properly."
"She. Loves. You." Brenda Sellers stared at him. "What? Are you stupid?"
"No, Ms. Sellers. I'm not stupid, quite the opposite." Spencer didn't like the way this woman was staring at him; it made him uncomfortable and flustered.
"Do you love Callie?"
Spencer didn't answer, instead he just stared at her the way she was staring at him. Oddly enough, he had the same feeling he had whenever he was staring down an unsub in an interrogation room and that unnerved him a bit.
"Let me spell this out for you, Mr. Reid –"
"Dr. Reid."
"Dr. Reid. I've raised Callie since she was two weeks old. I was there when she rode a two-wheeler for the first time, I was the one who rushed her to the emergency room when she cracked her head open jumping off the roof."
"Wait, what? She jumped off the roof? This roof? How old was she?"
"I was there when she got her first crush, when she went to the prom and when she got her acceptance letter to Washington and Lee. I was there when she discovered painting, when she discovered how much she loved it, how she was meant to paint. Have you seen her paint, Dr. Reid?"
"No, Ms. Sellers. I haven't. She won't let me watch her. Calliope says that watching her paint is too intimate. I've never painted, so I just trust her."
"She's her most beautiful when she's painting, Dr. Reid."
"She's always beautiful."
"Yes, she is. Dr. Reid, I want to like you."
"I'd like for you to like me too, Ma'am."
"Dr. Reid, Calliope has never brought any man home. Ever. She's gone on dates, went to prom with someone, but she has never, ever brought someone home for us to formally meet. You must be very special to her, Dr. Reid, for her to have brought you here and introduced you as her boyfriend."
"Ms. Sellers, you mean the world to Calliope and I think it's safe to say she means everything to you. I, um, I really care about her, about Calliope. I really do. In answer to your question, yes, I do love Calliope, but I'm not ready to tell her yet. So please, I um, I would really appreciate it if you would keep that to yourself. I will tell her. When I'm ready to."
Brenda sized him up and nodded. "Good. Make sure you act like a gentleman around her, Dr. Reid."
"Spencer. I'm only Dr. Reid at work."
"What do you do, Spencer?"
"I work for the FBI. I'm a, uh, a profiler for the BAU – the Behavioral Analysis Unit. We create profiles to help us find and capture serial criminals based on their behavior and how they act out their crimes."
She spent the next forty-five minutes interrogating him, asking him about his job, why he choose such a gruesome career when he could do almost anything, where he grew up and so on. He answered her questions, glossing over those about his mother and the details of his job.
She sized him up one last time before saying, "My Callie has good taste in everything. Her grandfather and I have taught her well. Of all the men Calliope could choose, she's choosen to love you. She's decided that you are who she wants. Don't make her regret that choice, Spencer."
He watched her turn and walk away without another word and felt a full breath fill his lungs for the first time since Calliope walked away. Spencer ran a hand through his hair and stopped a waiter, "Scotch?"
When the young man said yes, Spencer grabbed a glass and downed it before placing the glass back on the tray. He massaged his temples and the middle-aged black man next to him chuckled. "You're Calliope's date, aren't you?"
"Hmmm? Oh, yes. I'm Calliope's boyfriend. How could you tell?"
"You look like you've just been run over by one of our tractors. Ms. Brenda tends to produce that appearance."
"Thanks."
"Hey Joseph!"
"What are you doing? No! Stop! Don't call somebody else over."
"Did you find him, Mark?"
"Sure did. Ms. Brenda's harvester tracks are still fresh."
Spencer sighed and grabbed another glass of Scotch, making Mark laugh as the man named Joseph sauntered over.
"Fresh meat," Joseph laughed, slapping Spencer on the back. "Scrawny meat, anyways. So how are you, Dr. Reid?"
"How'd you know my name?"
"Every person who works on this plantation knows your name and about half of them have thought up ways to kill you if you hurt Miss Calliope. I know all 1,249 acres of Dahlia, Mr. FBI, and if you fuck up not a single person will ever be able to find your body."
"Good to know," was the only thing Spencer said as he shoved his hands into his pockets.
"Uncle Joseph, Uncle Mark, what are you doing?"
"Just getting to know Dr. Reid, Callie."
"Getting to know doesn't usually include threatening death. Or did they broaden the definition since the last time I checked?" Joseph laughed and returned the hug Calliope gave him before she moved to hug Mark. "You two better be nice. I like him. Y'all are gonna scare him off."
She took a sip of her martini, snuck her hand into his, and waved to the two men as she pulled him away.
"You couldn't have given me some warning, Sweetheart?" he whispered as he kissed the top of her head.
Calliope looked up at him, blushing furiously, "I was afraid if I told you this would happen you wouldn't come."
"I would have come," he told her, "but I could have been a bit more prepared for Brenda Sellers."
"I'm really sorry, Spencer. I'll make it up to you later." He closed his eyes as she pulled his head still down and took his mouth with hers, teasing his lips with the tip of her tongue. "I promise."
ooo ooo ooo ooo
Her lips were soft against his and he held her tight as the sky lit up with fireworks and people shouted variations of 'happy new years!' and 'happy 2009!" all around them.
"Happy New Years, String Bean," she murmured against his mouth.
"Happy New Years," he returned, kissing her again. "Happy New Years, Sweetheart."
ooo ooo ooo ooo
The last of the guests were leaving when Spencer shrugged on his jacket and Calliope was waving people off and calling last goodbyes. She turned around and saw him, placing her hands on her hips.
"Where exactly do you think you're going, Dr. Reid?"
"Home? Back to Quantico?"
Calliope snorted and took his jacket off for him, "You are not driving two hours back to Quantico on New Years."
"I haven't had that much to drink, Sweetheart. I'm not drunk."
"I know you're not, but other people are. Plus, you're tired and you shouldn't drive two hours when you're tired. I already have a guest bedroom set up for you, String Bean. You're staying here."
"I never get to make my own choices when I'm with you, do I?"
"Only every once in a while, Mr. Magician. She closed the door as the last guest left and locked up, turning on the three different alarm key pads. "Mammy? Everyone out?"
"Yes. Everyone's gone, Callie. Your grandpa just turned on the gate alarms and Joseph and Mark are checking the grounds – they'll be out in a few minutes."
"Brenda lives here?"
Calliope nodded, checking the security cameras, "Yes. The three of us: me, Grandpa, and Mammy. Well, technically I don't live here anymore and Grandpa has another home in Fredericksburg, but he still lives at Dahlia most of the time.
"Uncle Mark and Uncle Joseph are leaving now, Mammy. Both their cars are out right… now. Gate's closing as we speak and the light from the alarm just lit up. I'm going to bed, Mammy, Grandpa. I love you!"
"I love you too, Peanut." Brenda and Dr. Sellers both called from another room.
Spencer smiled and kissed her again. Hugging her tightly, he asked, "So if you won't let me go home, were am I sleeping, Sweetheart?"
"Third floor. That's our personal part of the house. The rest has been converted to a hotel and restaurant. C'mon. I'll show you." She tugged his hand and he followed her up the stairs.
Finally they came to the top of the stairs and a large French door that was obviously not a part of the original structure of Dahlia. There was no lock on the door, no handles either. Instead, to the right of the doorframe, there was a sophisticated screen that Spencer had never seen outside of government buildings. Calliope pressed her palm against the pad and a green light flashed above the door and Calliope pushed it open.
"Safty precautions," she explained to Spencer as she pulled him through and carefully closed the door behind them. "You can pick a lock. This, not so much."
Calliope led him down the right hallway and pushed open the last door. "This is your room and this –" she to the door a few feet away "is my room. There are two doors in your bedroom, one's a closet an the other is a bathroom. I'll let you figure out which is which." She turned to him and smiled before kissing him goodnight and slipping into her own bedroom.
Once inside that room, he was changed into the pajamas she had left on the chair and slipped into the bed. It wasn't until his head hit the pillow did he realize how tired he really was and was intensely glad he didn't have to drive all the way back to Quantico.
He was almost asleep when he heard a scuffling noise from the corner of the room and he sat up to watch a small, square panal in the wall push itself open and Calliope crawl through.
"What the hell are you doing?" He asked, wiping a hand over his face. She replaced the panal and climbed onto the bed and under the covers.
"This," she murmured as she kissed him.
"What? No. Calliope, you have to stop. There are two other people in this house who would kill me if they –"
"Hush up, Spencer. They're not going to find out. Besides, I'm a big girl, a whole twenty-six years old, we don' need their permission," she whispered, kissing him again, burying her fingers in his hair and entangling herself with him.
"I just assured your mammy that we weren't sleeping together," he mumbled between kissing her.
"This doesn't feel like sleeping," she teased.
"You're going to be the death of me, you know that right?," he told her. "I'm going to die and the M.E. isn't going to be able to figure out why. The only thing they're going to be able to put under 'cause of death' is 'Calliope Sellers'."
"Sounds like a plan, Dr. Reid," she giggled as she pinned his hands and kissed him, pushing him on his back and crawling on top of him. She kissed his jaw, his neck, his Adams apple, and he wrapped his arms around her waist, gripping the fabric of her nightgown as he pulled her tighter against him.
"Calliope, we can't do this. We're in your grandfather's house, Calliope. He'd kill me."
"Actually, Dahlia's mine. Grandpa already legally transferred Dahlia to me. Something about 'just in case' crap. So, stop worrying, Spencer," she kissed him again.
Everything in him wanted to keep kissing her, to never stop, to see where this went, but he couldn't stop hearing Brenda Sellers' voice in the back of his mind.
"Stop, please. Sweetheart," Spencer hugged her against his chest and kissed her forehead. "We can't do this here, Calliope. I want them to like me and –"
"String Bean, it's ok. And, just so you know, you weren't going to get anything besides this tonight, anyways. You're protesting for no reason," she snuggled close to him, tucking herself against his side, her head on his chest, and kissed his neck again, starting to yawn.
"You better go back to your room," he whispered, running his fingers through her hair.
"No, here." She murmured, shaking her head.
"I told her I wasn't sleeping with you, Sweetheart."
"This isn't sleeping with me. It's sleeping beside me. You're a genius, you should know the difference between your prepositional phrases."
"Death of me," he told her again, kissing her.
"Are you happy, Spencer?"
"Am I happy? What kind of question is that?" Spencer kept running his fingers through her hair, realizing she liked it. "Of course I'm happy. I'm with you, Sweetheart, how could I not be happy?"
"I'm happy too," she whispered, smiling, and he watched her eyes drift closed. He waited until he was sure she was asleep before tugged the down comforter around them and closing his own eyes.
He fell asleep holding her close and knowing there was no other place he wanted to spend the first hours of 2009 then sleeping with her in his arms.
A/N:
Happy New Years!!
There's a picture of Calliope's dress in my Photobucket under the album "Calliope's Outfits." It's a pretty epic dress, so you should go look at it. XD
Thanks for reading! I hope you like it and stick around for the second half of this story! Please tell me what you think, good or bad!
Love, Thalia
