A Toast to Death
".......just a ONESHOT I've been working on for a very super long time. :) And PLEASE PLEASE note that I know NOTHING about Cancer or if it can be passed genetically. No flamers, pleaz. One last note- this is meant to be a fast-paced story. I dont have time for anything else right now :) Inspired by I go to the Barn Because I Like the Lyrics, by Brand New........ Pleaz R&R!
Spencer Reid stood up from the table that his team was sitting at. Their case had finally been closed, and to celebrate they had gone out for lunch to celebrate their victory. When Reid stood up awkwardly, Morgan smiled "What's her name?" he asked. Garcia giggled along with him.
"Cancer." Reid mumbled.
"Excuse me?" Morgan asked incredulously.
"I got a call from my mother's sanitarium yesterday. They told me that she was diagnosed with cancer. The......the type of cancer she was diagnosed with is passed genetically. They told me that the doctor who diagnosed her asked me to go to my own doctor. He said that there was a good chance that I had it." Reid gulped hard, and tried to ignore the looks on his colleague's faces. "So I went to my doctor and it turns out, I have cancer too." Reid managed to look up at his friends. "I'm dying....." .
"How long...........how long do you have left?" JJ choked.
"Half a year at the most. Which is why I would like to resign from the BAU- effective immediately." Reid said, glancing at Hotch.
"Of course." Hotch said quickly, trying to hide his emotions.
"Thank you, Aaron. If......if you don't mid, I think I'm going to go home now.'' Reid said in a small voice. The team nodded, and Reid left the restaurant.........
2 Weeks Later
"Checkmate in twelve." Reid said, immediately coughing afterwards.
"Hey, are you okay?" Charlie, his partner, asked.
"If I were being truthful, no. I'm not okay." Reid mumbled. "This is the last time I can play with you, Charlie. I'm sorry, but I'm moving away."
"Are you sick?" he guessed.
"Yeah." Reid answered shortly.
"What is it?"
"Cancer." Reid answered. "Checkmate." With that, Reid stood up.
"I'll miss you." Charlie shouted back at Reid. Reid nodded toward Charlie.
"Yeah, I will miss you, too............"
Three Weeks Later
Reid hadn't been in the BAU for about a month now. A week after he had left Charlie for the last time, he moved out of Virginia. He had been in Las Vegas for about two weeks now. Today was the day he would tell his father that he was dying. To say the least, he wasn't looking forward to it.
"So Spencer, what brings you out here?" William Reid asked.
"I'm dying,." Reid answered, catching his father off-guard. "And I need you to do me a favor. I've saved some money over the years I've worked at the BAU. I need you to make sure mom's taken care of- all her bills are paid, her room at the sanitarium is paid for, and food. Do you think you could arrange that?" Reid asked.
"Spencer, I can't do that. Take the money- I can afford to pay for your mother's well-being. And wh-what are you dying from?"
"Cancer." Reid said as he flipped a black book on the table.
"What's this?" William asked.
"Everything you'll need. My will, account numbers, mom's account numbers, everything." With that, Reid stood up.
"Spencer, you just got here. Sit down- stay awhile. My only son is dying; I want to talk with you." But Reid shook his head. "Please? I-I made a lot of mistakes that you've had to pay for. Once of them was not talking to you. I want to make that up. Please." William begged. Spencer finally nodded, and sat back down.
The father and son duo ordered their meals, ate as they made small talk, and shared a few laughs. When they were done, William offered to host Spencer in his house while he was in Vegas. Reid took him up on the offer, but warned him that he wasn't staying very long- 2 days at the most. His next stop was Colorado.
"What's in Colorado?" William asked.
"I guess I'll find out when I get there." Spencer answered. William smiled at his son, and wished him a good night's sleep...........
The next morning, William left early for work. He left a note telling his son to help himself to anything that he'd like, and to be home by 5 pm. Some one was coming over for dinner. Reid tucked the note into his pocket, and put his shoes on. He had two more things to do while he was in Vegas- one of which he was holding off on until he could talk to his father, though.
Reid took off in his rented car to his old favorite coffee shop. He had arranged to meet a few people there. When he entered the coffee shop, he was met by a smiling waitress who still remembered him and the confused faces of some of his peers from high school.
"Spencer, what are you doing here?" Liz asked- one of the few friends he had in high school, along with Penn Naples. "I mean, we're glad to see you back in Vegas, but this is sudden. " Liz added quickly.
"Are you okay, Spencer? You look, uh..." Penn started.
"Sick? I am sick." Reid answered.
"Oh my god! Are you okay?" a former cheerleader asked.
"No, I'm not okay. But Penn, I thought I said just you and Liz........." Reid said..
"Well, the rest heard about it through the grapevine, and they asked if they could come. I-I didn't want to tell them no. Sorry, Spencer........." Liz mumbled, although Reid knew she wasn't really sorry by the mischievous look in her eyes.
"No, I guess that's fine.......but there was something that I had to tell you."
"What is it Spencer?" Penn asked.
"I have cancer, and I have half a year to live." With that, Liz and Penn ran to his side, attacking him with a large hug.
"Oh my god! When did all this happen?!" Liz exclaimed.
"Just a month ago. I just got in town, though." Reid said.
"You did tell your dad, right? I know you two always fought, but he deserves to know." Penn said quietly- only loud enough for Reid to hear.
"I told my team from the BAU first. I told my dad 2nd. You guys were next on my list." Reid explained.
"Wait, did you say BAU?" a football player asked. Reid looked at them oddly at first. "Maybe we should explain." he added.
"You........you remember what we did to you?" a cheerleader asked. Reid nodded.
"Well, we............we wanted to apologize. We were just kids back then, we didn't know any better." another football player added. That's when Reid realized that everyone who was on that field when they tied him naked to the flag post was there.
"We understand if you won't forgive us..........." a cheerleader started.
"No,no. I forgive you-all of you. I know that you were just kids and I know that you wouldn't do it again if you had the choice.
"Absolutely not. Man, when I went home that night, I couldn't sleep at all. I just felt so bad for leaving you there." a blond football player said.
"I.........appreciate this- you really don't know how much I do, really." Reid choked, trying to gulp back tears.
"Oh sweetie." a peppy cheerleader cooed. She ran up and hugged Reid tightly. "Come on now; you can cry. No one's gonna laugh." Before Reid knew it, the whole group had joined in for a group hug..
"Come on Reid-Man, let's go order something to eat." Penn said, saving him from the huge hug. He lead his friend to the nearest table, and gave him a menu.
"Thanks." Reid mumbled as he wiped away tears.
"Anytime man." he smiled as he playfully punched fists with him.
"So, who's up for a rousing game of charades?" a smiling football player asked.
"Oh, you know I am." Liz cheered.
"Hm. She reminds me of Garcia. She's a technical analyst that I work with." Reid said to Penn. Penn smiled at Reid and grabbed him by the arm.
"Come on, let's go play charades." Reid laughed, and together they made their way to Liz.
"A tree!" she shouted. The football player pointed to her, and she cheered.
"Yes! My turn!"
Spencer Reid smiled to himself. Maybe dying wasn't so bad after all..........
Later that Night (5pm)
Spencer was guided to the kitchen table by his father as he walked through the door. "There's someone I want you to meet." he said.
"Who is it?" Reid asked, raising his eyebrows.
"My name's Annabel Jones." a 38-year-old with wavy, light-brown hair said. She smiled at Spencer, and offered him her hand. She was a bit overweight, and she came up to Reid's shoulders. She wore a purple sweater with black jeans.
"Nice to meet you, Annabel. May I ask you how you know my father?"
"Oh, we met at his work. Our departments merged and we were assigned to work on a few projects together. I knew your mother, you know. I worked at her college a few years ago. She was such a nice woman." Annabel explained. "I met your parents in college."
"Oh, I see." Reid started. "What was my dad like in college?" he smirked.
"Enough with story time." William said quickly. "Dinner's getting cold."
"We'll talk later." she whispered to Reid, who smiled in response.
Dinner went well; they all talked, ate good food, and enjoyed each other's company.
"Uh, excuse me, but I have to use the restroom." Reid mumbled, suddenly feeling sick.
"Are you okay, Spencer?" William asked. But as Spencer stood up, he got his answer. Suddenly, Reid fell to the ground, clutching his head. "Spencer, Spencer! Can you hear me?" William yelled. Annabel abandoned her mean and went to the scene.
"Head hurts. It's just a symptom, is all." Reid managed to choke out.
"Here, let's get you to the living room." Annabel suggested. William nodded, and helped her carry his son to the living room. "Wow- he's light."she commented.
"Yeah, you're telling me." he agreed. They laid Reid down on the couch gently, and William pulled a blanket on top of him. Reid shut his eyes, and let out shaky breaths.
"William, I think we need to talk." she whispered angrily. William nodded and they went to the kitchen.
"You didn't tell me he was dying!"
"I just found out myself! I was going to tell you over dinner." William defended. "And I'm not close to him, anyways."
"Damn right you're not close! Your only son is in there crying himself to sleep because you made him afraid to even talk to him! Now I've been your friend since college, and you've never even once mentioned having a son to me! I know that you told Diana not to tell me you have a kid. I don't know why, but to tell me on top of it that you abandoned him to take care of her? My god William, what's happened to you? What's so horrible about this kid?"
"He doesn't want me in his life; he never did." William mumbled back as her words sank in and registered with his brain.
"Well, did you ask him?" Annabel shoved back.
"No ,but it's obvious."
"No it's not! Damn it, for a smart person you sure are dumb! Now, when he wakes up tomorrow you two are going to talk! Like you should have done a looong time ago!"
"He's leaving tomorrow- to Colorado." William answered, sounding defeated. "I know I'm too late. I'll never be apart of my son's life now. I should have been with him more-we should have talked."
"William, do you really mean that?"
"Yes, of course." he answered.
"Then go with him." she answered. After that, William let a silence hang over the air.
"Excuse me?" he asked.
"Go to Colorado with your dying son- make sure he makes it the okay."
"I don't want to intrude-" he started, but was cut off.
"Ask him, at least. Go sleep on it; I'll pick up, alright?" William nodded, and headed upstairs.
"Thanks Annabel; you always know what to say." William smiled.
"Anything for an old friend. Now go get some sleep."
The next morning, Reid was already packing his bags when his father woke up.
"Hey Spencer, there was something I wanted to ask you."
"What is it?"
"Why don't I do with you? Make sure you're okay, you know." Reid looked back down at his bag. No matter how nice it would be to have someone on his trip with him, he wasn't sure if he should introduce him to Gideon. But before he could process a better reason for his father to go with him, he found himself answering.
"Yes dad, I would like you to come." William's heart beat a little faster. His son wanted him there for the last moments of his life. "That is, unless you can't go away from work."
"I have a few months stashed up with vacation time. I can afford to get away." William said quickly.
"Alright, then let's go." William said, smiling at his son.
"Just give a second, I have to update my blog."
"Blog?"
"Oh, it's like an online journal. My friend Garcia sat it up for me so I could let my friends know how I'm doing while I travel." he explained.
"That's nice." William said, still refused. "May I ask what we're going to be looking at in Colorado? Sightseeing?"
"Uh, no actually. After I found out that I had cancer, I realized there were a few people I haven't seen in a while. I just.....I just need to let them know."
"Are you going to tell your mother?" William asked. "She deserves to hear it from you before you die."
"Yeah, I was just about to go there before I headed out. I told the doctor my situation, and he said that he was going to take her off her medication so she could understand the situation fully – to make it easier for everyone." Reid answered.
"Oh, alright. I'm just going to go take Annabel home then. You should talk to your mom privately." Reid nodded, and let his father leave. He sighed as he picked up his keys and headed out the door.
When Reid got to the sanitarium, he was greeted by the main doctor. "Good morning, Dr. Reid. It's good to see you again."
"How is she?' he asked.
"Curious. I can't blame her, though. I didn't tell her anything; I figured that you would prefer to do that yourself. I took her off her medication this morning; she's clear-headed right now. She'll be able to grasp the situation better, I feel."
"Thank you doctor." With that, Reid sat down next to his mother.
"My god Spencer! What's happened to you?" she gasped.
"Mom, there's something I need to tell you........." Reid explained everything that had happened to him.
"Oh my god Spencer, I'm so sorry. I-I did this to you."
"No, no mom. You didn't, and I don't blame you."
"My baby boy is dying." she cried. So far, everything was going as expected- very bad. Once his mother finally accepted to situation, it was time to leave. The doctor had to give her back her medication.
"So, how did it go?" William asked as they started their way to Colorado.
"Bad, as to be expected. I think having her off her meds helped, though." he said. William only nodded, and started the car.........
Three Days Later
They had finally reached Colorado three days later. Reid pulled up in his friend's driveway, and looked to his father. "Do you remember Gideon?" he asked.
"Is this his house?" William asked. Reid nodded. "I've always wanted to meet him, you know."
"Well, then you're in luck." William and Reid got out of the car, and knocked on Gideon's door.
"Spencer." Gideon said. "Come on." When they were inside, Reid explained the cancer once again.
"You know, we should go out- all three of us. Spencer doesn't have much time left, and he deserves to have a night out of fun." William suggested.
"I agree. What about you?"Gideon asked.
"Sound like fun." Reid smiled. With that said, the trio went out to the local bar.
At the bar, Gideon laughed as Spencer showed them another magic trick- this time, making his father's wallet disappear. They laughed and smiled the night away without a care in the world.
The next day, William and Reid took off. "Where to next?" William asked as he reached the first major road.
"A hotel room." Reid slurred. He was beyond tired from the last few weeks. William nodded, and started driving off.
2 Months Later
For the last few months, Reid and his father had traveled around neighboring states. They went to Salt Lake City, Seattle, and a few small cities. But as they traveled more and more, Reid's symptoms kicked in at more extreme amounts.
The BAU team had called many times, and they had had endless conversations. The conversations helped Reid cope with the pain.
4 Months Later
Reid's symptoms had became too painful for anymore travel adventures. William was taking Reid home- Quantico, Virginia. He needed to see his team for the last few months of his lives, and he was going to supply his son with that.
Reid was checked in to the hospital immediately. He was hooked to an IV to help him eat and breath. Over the last few months, visitors from both Quantico and Las Vegas came to see Reid. Liz and Penn had brought some of the old football team and cheerleader members with them. They had all left a week later, but Penn and Liz stayed; they, like the BAU team, were determined to stay around until Reid died.
6 Months Later
Reid died on December 6th, 2010. he had died peacefully in his sleep. A week later, the team, his family (including Diana, who went with her doctor to help her stay calm without her medication) and his friends from Las Vegas came to the funeral. A few victim's parents came, too. Gideon had came, also. Everyone who came, especially the victim's parents, said a few words about Reid. By the end of the speeches, everyone was crying.
1 Month After Reid's Death
Reid's death was finally getting easier for everyone to cope with. They still missed their friend like hell, but it hurt less.....just a little
1 Year Later
The following year, both Diana Reid and David Rossi passed away. Their funerals were just as touching as Reid's, but a bit easier to deal with.
10 Years Later
The rest of the BAU team was still together. Today, they had decided to visit the graves of their fallen teammates. As they gathered around their graves, they bowed their heads. Morgan cleared his throat, and raised his glass.
"A toast." he started. "To death."
"To death." Hotch said.
"To death." the rest of the group said. With that, the team clinked their glasses and hung their hearts...
The End
You were right outside,
by your doorstep.
In a worn out suit and tie.
I'll wait,
for you to come down
where you'll find me,
where we'll shine.
Oh.
-I go to the Barn Because I like The (Band f Horses)
"..............A bit of a different one for me.. Pleaz R&R! Also, my friend that Im always talking about is on fanfic nowz. Shes under Beth Reid :)"