Title: First Step (1 of ?)
Pairing: Lila/Reid
Rating: T
Summary: Spencer calls Lila after the events of 2x18 "Jones"
Author's Notes: Eighth in Deal Breaker Series. Follows Safely, Coming Home, Pain in the Past, Lean on Me, Courageous, Aftermath and Sorrow. Safely is rated definitely M for sexual scenes and doesn't have to read to understand the story. All others are more necessary and not rated as high.
Spencer drops his keys on the table near the door before making his way to the couch. He sniffs, wiping his nose. He hasn't used since before Ethan's show and his hands are starting to shake. He knows the signs of withdrawal and knows what to expect, even if he can't believe that he had ever taken enough to get addicted. He rubs his hands together before grabbing the phone, dialing a familiar number.
"Ms. Archer's phone." It's Linda, her agent. He licks his lips, he should hang up. It was a bad idea to call. Plus if it's Linda, that means Lila's most likely busy with something work related. He shouldn't interrupt that.
"It's a 571 area code." He hears Linda speak and there's some shuffle.
"Spencer?" It's Lila, a little breathless. He stays silent, unsure of what to say now. He shouldn't have called. This was a very bad idea.
"Are you okay?" She asks and he closes his eyes.
"No." He hears himself say before sighing. He wasn't okay, though. He was far from okay.
"What's wrong, Spencer? Is everyone okay? Did something happen?"
He sniffles again and wipes his nose. He was already feeling sick. He could fix it. He could use, instead he speaks. "I… I did something really bad, Lila."
There's a long pause and he thinks he hears a door close. "What happened, baby?"
His jaw clenches at the term of endearment. "I… I'm struggling."
He can't make himself say the words and Lila doesn't understand.
"Struggling? What's going on, Spence?"
"I need… I need help." He breathes out, his free hand moving to scratch as his inner elbow.
There's another long pause. "I'll be there in a couple hours ago? I'm on the next flight."
"No." He opens his eyes. Is that what he wanted? He didn't even know why he had called. He sighed.
"Lila…I'm sorry."
"There's nothing to be sorry for, Spence. I should be the one who's sorry. I broke your-"
"I've been shooting up." He says, lowly and he hears her inhale sharply.
"You.. what?"
"Dilaudid. I… I've been using drugs."
"I…okay. Okay. I.. I have to go, Spencer."
"Lila-"
"I'll be there soon, okay? I just.. I can't… I can't talk to you right now."
"You're still coming?" He says, softly.
"Yes. Yes, I'm still coming. I just… Bye, Spencer."
She hangs up before he can say goodbye. He closes the phone before resting his hands and phone in his hands.
Criminal Minds || First Step
Lila closes the phone before taking a deep breath. She opens it again, dialing a number.
"Jareau."
"What the hell is wrong with you?"
"Excuse me, who is this?"
"Who do you think this is, JJ. Spencer's on DRUGS? You didn't think that you should have told me that when I called and asked how he was?"
"I… Lila, It's not-"
"He's on drug-store HEROIN, JJ. You can't miss that! Even if he's a certified-" She growls, unable to finish her sentence.
"It wasn't our place to… He went through a lot." JJ tries to reason.
"And that gives him a right to shoot up? You're supposed to be his family! You're supposed to be there for him!"
"Says the woman who dumped him in a hospital bed! I don't see how you have any right to talk, Lila Archer. I've read the magazines lately, going out to clubs and taking home guys. But you supposedly love him, right?"
Lila clenches her jaw, ignoring JJ's statement completely. "I'm coming down to Virginia, and you better not let me see you or any of Spencer's so-called family, do you understand me? Definitely not you. You're supposed to be his-" She stops and shakes her head. "Goodbye, JJ."
"Lila-"
She hangs up before putting the phone down a little harder than she attended. There's a knock, but she ignores it, rubbing her hands over her face. She had been in the business long enough to see how the lifestyle could overtake someone. She had seen friends die because of meth addiction and fighting to stay skinny enough. She never thought she'd have to see Spencer Reid fight with something like this. There's another knock and Linda opens the door.
"Chris is ready for you, Lila."
"I can't." She stays, not turning around. "I have to get to Virginia."
"Virginia? What? For that man? Lila, this is your big break! You get this part and your name will be everywhere. You won't be able to go anywhere without hearing about Lila Archer."
"I can't, Linda. Ask him to reschedule. I have to go."
"Re- You can't ask Christopher Harris to reschedule. His last picture was at the number one at the box office for 6 weeks, Lila. It beat that little pop-stars movie."
Lila breathes out. She knows this. She knows all of this. She knows that if she could have gotten this role, and there was a very good chance she would have, that she would have been able to get off the damn tv show, but this was Spencer… and he needed help. She bows her head. She never thought she'd to be this position, picking a boy over her career. She takes another deep breath before raising her head up. She turns to face Linda, putting her strong face on. "There will be other roles. My friend needs me."
She walks past the woman, who looks flabbergasted. Lila's assistant, Dante, stands up and Lila smiles at him. "Can you drive me to the airport?"
He looks confused, looking over to Linda before at Lila. "Of course, Little."
"Lila, you're making a huge mistake." Linda calls out, but Lila ignores her, stepping into the car.
Dante looks over the seat. "You okay?"
She wipes her eyes before smiling. "Of course. Just drive, Tay."
He looks at her for a few seconds longer before turning around and starting the car. She wipes her eyes again, trying to stop the tears that have started. It's the first time she's cried since leaving the Georgia hospital and she doesn't want to start now, but she can't help it. The tears continue to come over everything that had happened in the last year. She thought about how she was stuck on a TV show she hated and was now, going to be stuck on it even longer. She thought about her relationship with Spencer, a man who risked his life everyday with his job and now was killing himself with a drug. She wasn't sure how she had even got here. When she had graduated from Juilliard, she had planned to star in a some big-time movies until she had a good amount of cash to move back to New York and do some Broadway shows while living in Greenwich Village, maybe starting a family and being happy. What had happened to that?
