Tough Love
Criminal Minds Oneshot
Spencer Reid/ OC
"The house is clear."
Chelsea jumped out of the truck. She was not allowed inside due to her emotions. Everyone was afraid she would over react, "What do you mean the house is clear? You said he was here?!"
Hotch raised his hands in a calm manner as Derek put a comforting hand on her shoulder, "He was here Honey Bee."
"Was?! Was isn't good enough!"
Everyone fell silent and the woman fell against the truck. All of her thoughts and fears hit her at once, 'He could be dead. What am I supposed to tell his mother? What am I supposed to do without him?!'
The silence was cut as a clear gunshot rang out in the distance. Chelsea took off into the woods, running as hard as her heart would allow her to, "Chelsea!" Hotch called after her. She knew why, she had on no vest and her gun was in the truck. What would she do if something happened?
"Spencer? Spencer!"
Reid looked up at her, his body looking more frail than usual and his skin was almost sheet white. She fell to the ground next to him and held him as close as possible, running her hand through his hair.
JJ and Emily let the tears fall freely as the men heaved sighs of great relief. Reid clutched the woman's black t-shirt with shaking hands, too stunned for words. She kissed his forehead, cheeks, and lips over and over as she rocked him gently like a baby, "I'll take care of you ok? I'll get you through this."
Chelsea sat up from the bed as Reid writhed around, "Spencer, relax."
He opened his eyes and she felt her heart, ache at their tired, red, gaze and his body drenched in a cold sweat, "I need it." He whined.
"No you don't." She tried to keep her voice calm.
He sat up and she wrapped her arms around him, trying to keep him in the bed. He fought against her, "Chelsea please! I feel like I'm dying!" He tried to look over his shoulder at her, "You don't want me to die right?! You love me so you have to let me have it!" he said, his voice panicked.
She hated this, in this state he would play on her love for him, "That's not true and you know it. You'll die if you use it. If I loved you I would keep it from you like I'm doing now." She whispered.
"You hate me!"
"I love you!" her voice finally losing it's calm tone. He broke free form her and she crawled to the end of the bed and shouted down the hall after him, "It's gone Spencer! I threw it all away!"
"No! No, no, no, no, no!" She heard his voice take on a more frantic edge.
This was the worst it had gotten. Normally holding him close and whispering in his ear was enough to put him back into his fitful sleep. But this, she wasn't sure how to handle this. A crash from the bathroom made the woman leave the bed.
Reid ripped at the medicine cabinet, not believing her words, "It's here! It has to be!"
"It's gone Spencer, stop it."
"Stop lying to me!"
"I'm not lying!"
He turned on her and everything happened so fast as her back hit the wall, the painting above her crashed to the floor, glass littering the area. Chelsea felt disoriented and dominated, her head was spinning and she slumped to the floor, and backed as close to the wall as possible.
Reid calmed only a little as the woman started to cry. She nervously buried her hands in her hair, "Spencer please…"
"I'm sorry Chelsea…I…I just need something! Anything!" He started to panic again and turned to the medicine cabinet. After a while he stopped as a gun cocked and pressed to the back of his head, "Ch-Chelsea?"
She moved the gun enough for him to turn and face her. Once he did she pressed the cold barrel to his forehead, "Don't even think for a moment that I won't shoot you."
"I-"
"Shut up." Her voice was low and even, and tears flowed freely down her face, "You're a genius Spence. You should know what I'm capable of doing."
He stared at her and she stared back for a few minutes. It startled the woman as he fell to his knees and wrapped his thin arms around her waist. She gave a cry of relief as she got on her knees before him and held him close, "I could never hurt you."
He only nodded as he took the gun from her and threw it somewhere, holding her and kissing anywhere he could reach, "Thank you. I don't…"
"I know, but I promised to get you through this." She kissed his head, "The gun was empty. I was hoping you would hear me."
"I did. Thank you."
"I don't like using tough love on you, Spence." She chuckled sadly, "Don't make me do it again."