Spencer Reid was not in the right state of mind, he lost his girlfriend—even if they only talked over pay phone, and he had to watch her die—of ten months, and hear from his old possible crush. His team, and second—maybe even first—family sent him home, to Vegas, to visit his mother until he was…better.
"Spencer…" Mrs. Reid, Spencer's mother, gasped at her son sitting beside her. "What are you doing here?" Asked Diana, who was still shocked to see her son. "It's nice to see you." Diana said, writing in her personal notebook as she spoke.
"My team said, and I quote, you need to fix your thoughts—visit your mom. Yeah…they're worried about me." Spencer said, rubbing his hands together.
"What's wrong Spencer?" His mother asked, pushing her glasses onto her face. "Did something happen?" She asked worriedly.
"I had a girlfriend—if you remember me mentioning—however, she had a stalker and we never met in person. When we did…she was killed—in front of me—and that was the only time I've seen her, at least, outside of my dreams." Reid rambled sadly. "A week ago, one of my old colleagues contacted me, and I used to…like her. She said she would be in town, and she wanted to go on a date, or something of that sort." Reid was not sure if he should be happy or confused. He was so happy hearing Maeve's voice four months ago, but now, he was getting all his old feelings back—it was confusing.
"Spencer, you sound rather confused, why? Is it because you love both of them?" Diana asked her son, continuing writing again.
"Yeah…I am. They are both so lovely, but I do not know whom to choose... I could choose to sadness from a death, or choose to move on and revisit an old flame." Reid said, furrowing his eyebrows at his thoughts. Maeve was so perfect for me, but I never really met her in person, Spencer thought. However, Ashley was perfect in a different way, she would treat me like a close friend and she would be honest—yet secretive, Reid thought.
"Hey, how about I read to you, and you could think about it." Diana said, grabbing a piece of paper.
"Sure." Spencer said, facing his mother with a smile, and a listening face.
"I really like this poem…"
'Merciless Beauty'
"Your eyes two whole slay me suddenly;
I may the beauty of them not sustain
So wounds it, throughout my heart keen.
Unless your word will heal, all hastily,
My heart's wound while it is yet green,
Your eyes two whole slay me suddenly;
I may the beauty of them not sustain.
By my truth, I tell you faithfully
That you are of my life and death the queen,
For at my death the truth shall be seen:
Your eyes two whole slay me suddenly;
I may the beauty of them not sustain,
So wounds it throughout my heart keen.
So has your beauty from your heart chased
Pity, that it avails not to complain,
For Pride holds your mercy by a chain.
Though guiltless, my death you have purchased.
I tell you truly, needing not to feign,
So has your beauty from your heart chased
Pity, that it avails not to complain.
Alas, that Nature has in you placed
Such great beauty that no man may attain
To mercy though he die from the pain,
So has your beauty from your heart chased
Pity, that it avails not to complain,
For Pride holds your mercy by a chain.
Since I'm from Love escaped yet so fat,
I never plan to be in his prison lean;
Since I am free, I count it not a bean.
He may answer and say this and that;
I care not: I'll speak just as I mean.
Since I'm from Love escaped yet so fat,
I never plan to be in his prison lean.
Love strikes my name from his slate flat,
And he is struck out of my books clean
For evermore; my sole course it has been.
Since I'm from Love escaped yet so fat,
I never plan to be in his prison lean;
Since I am free, I count it not a bean."
Reid thought about it, carefully, and he knew what was best. He loved Maeve, and there would always be a spot in his heart—and brain—but he knew moving on is best for him. Ashley was pretty, nice, and I intriguing. He knew life with her would be better, and interesting.
"Hey Ashley…"
A day later, Spencer woke up in his hotel room, arms locked around someone. Spencer was about to get up, when he groaned in pain—his head suddenly was hurting. What happened, Spencer thought questionably. Spencer looked whom he was holding, and noticed brown curls. Who is she, Spencer thought. I thought I invited Ashley, Spencer confusingly thought.
Spencer stood up, stretching, before noticing he was only in a new pair of briefs. Wasn't I using black ones last night; Spencer asked himself. Spencer shrugged it off, and went to go change into a new set of clothes.
After changing, Spencer got his usual coffee, waiting for the woman to wake up. Is that Seaver, Reid thought, no it could not be, she would not dye her hair…right?
"Mmm…" The woman hummed in her sleep, shifting in the bed. Spencer stared at the woman as she shifted, and to him, it did look a lot like Seaver. "Reid?" Seaver said, reaching around the bed for Reid's body. "Are you still here...?" Seaver asked sleepily.
"Over here." Reid said, waving his hand for Seaver to see. "Are you still tired?" Reid asked, despite not remembering what happened last night.
"I'm still tired…but I want a cuddle buddy." Seaver said, giggling at cuddle buddy. "Can we cuddle, and maybe take a nap, or sleep longer…whichever." Seaver said.
"Sure, I'll just finish my coffee." Reid said, sipping the rest of his coffee. He was hesitant about cuddling with Seaver. He did not remember much from last night, and he wondered what happened, so he asked Seaver.
"Hey, Ashley..." Reid said, Ashley hummed when he spoke, "What happened last night, Ashley?" Reid asked. Ashley's ears perked when he asked.
"Oh, um, we met at the casino last night. I ended up coming back with you. I wanted to lay with you, and we fell asleep. Yeah..." Ashley giggled, flustered at the same time.
"Oh, that makes sense..." Reid said, cleaning his coffee cup while he spoke. "So, Ashley..." Reid said, as Ashley wrapped her arms around Reid's waist, face placed on his back. "What are you doing, Ash?" Reid asked, turning his wad slightly towards her.
"I wanted to cuddle..." Seaver said, still hugging Reid's waist. "Can we cuddle…on the bed, Spence?" Ashley murmured, kissing Spencer's back, through his shirt.
"Sure." Spencer said, nervously gulping afterwards. "I just have to…dry this." Spencer said, nodding towards his coffee cup. Does she like me, Spencer thought nervously.
"Spencer." Ashley whined teasingly. "Can we go now...? I'm cold." Ashley said; giggling and poking Spencer's sides, making him squirm at her pokes.
"Okay…fine. I just want you to stop—stop tickling me, Ash." Spencer said; squirming at her fingers poking his sides still, "Please stop poking me." Spencer said, gripping Ashley's wrists to stop her from tickling him.
"No." Ashley said, in that stubborn tone Spencer liked to hear. Spencer laughed lightly, just loving to hear her voice. "I will not stop poking you." Ashley said, continuing to poke Spencer's sides. Why does he have to be so cute, Ashley thought to herself.
"Okay, I'm done, we can cuddle now." Spencer said, and as soon as Ashley heard cuddle, she dragged him back to the bed. Spencer was somewhere between happy and confused, because she was so giggly—which made him happy—however, he thinks he didn't get the full story from last night. "Hey, Ash, is there something else you're not telling me about last night?" Spencer asked Ashley, as they sat on the hotel bed.
"Uh…maybe." Ashley said, letting her cheeks shade pink. "Last night, when I came here, you were playing games, and you thought I was someone else, so you just continued playing games. Until, I asked if you wanted a drink, and you said yes. After a few hours, or so, you were getting drunk—so I took you to your hotel room. I didn't want to leave, especially after we both—simultaneously—said we wanted to cuddle." Ashley said, trying to inform Spencer of last night—as much as she could. "I don't remember much after that, but I think you went to go change." Ashley said, shrugging at her memories of last night.
"Oh, that explains why I woke up in a different pair of briefs…" Spencer said, blushing at his earlier thoughts. Okay I am glad nothing too…bad…had happened, Spencer thought. "I almost thought I…uh…slept with someone I didn't know. I didn't recognize you, because you have brown hair now." Reid said, still blushing at his thoughts.
"Oh, no, I wouldn't do that to you." Ashley said. Unless you wanted to, Ashley thought.
"Okay, can we just…cuddle?" Reid asked, wrapping his arms around Ashley. He felt comfortable, and so did she. Not far after, they both fell asleep—holding each other happily.
After their nap, Spencer woke up to his phone vibrating. What is it now; Spencer asked himself, it could not be a case… Spencer looked at his phone to see that Bennington Sanitarium was calling him. Did something happen to my mom, Spencer thought, as he answered his phone.
Spencer moved away from Ashley, quietly, to answer his phone. "This is Spencer Reid." Reid said, still worrying about his mother. "Oh, hello Spencer, your mother was wondering if you were visiting today." The nurse, who Reid usually saw when he visited, asked. "Oh, yes, I might be bringing someone…if they wanted to…but yes, I will be there." Reid said, sighing contently. "Okay, she was hoping you would visit…before you leave." The nurse said, hanging up.
A few hours later, and an awkward—slightly awkward—conversation later, Reid convinced Seaver it was okay to visit his mother with him.
"Are you sure this is okay?" Seaver asked, once they reached the Bennington Sanitarium building. Reid knew Seaver was uncomfortable, since they were not 'technically' dating, despite sleeping in the same bed, cuddling, and maybe a few small kisses.
"I'm sure; my mom hasn't met many people I'm close to. I've had a few friends; however, she will forget some of them." Reid said. "She'll like you too." Reid said, shrugging, and thinking of the conversation he had with his mother the other day.
"Oh really?" Seaver said, seeing Reid's lightly blushed cheeks. She did not want to ask, however, she was curious if he had mentioned anything to his mother about her. "Were you talking about me, Mr. Reid?" Seaver teased, smirking at Reid.
"Maybe…" Reid said. "I might've mentioned you before…" Reid said. Or the other day, Reid thought.
"I'll ask her." Seaver said, giggling teasingly. The two were talking for an amount of time, that they had not noticed the woman looking at them.
"How may I help you, Spencer?" The woman asked Reid, recognizing him from his previous visits. "Are you here to visit your mother?" She asked, "Or are you dropping off a gift?"
"Oh, we're here to visit." Reid said, with butterflies when thinking of Seaver and him as a 'we'. Reid did not know what his mother would think about Seaver, because he would like her to approve of her.
Reid walked towards his mother, who was sitting in her usual spot—reading something. Reid was nervous, and could feel his heart beat faster; then Reid felt Seaver grabbed his hand, or more so, his fingers—in a comforting way. Somehow, Seaver's touch calmed Reid down.
"It'll be okay." Seaver whispered, making Reid even more comforted.
"Hey mom." Reid said; then his mother looked up from her book. She smiled at Reid, and grinned more when he noticed a woman beside him.
"Oh hello Spencer." Diana said, "And who's this with you?" Diana asked, curious about the young woman.
"This is…Ashley." Reid said, wondering if "this is my possible girlfriend" was normal, especially if it technically was not official to either of them.
"Hello Mrs. Reid." Ashley said, wondering if she should call Spencer's mother Diana or Mrs. Reid, or something else.
"Well hello, it's nice to meet you." Diana said, remembering the other day with her son, and his conflicted feelings. "I've heard…little about you."
"It's wonderful to meet you, Spencer hasn't told me much about you, but I know he loves you." Ashley said, remembering the discussion earlier.
"He's a good boy," Diana said, "well he should be, I taught him manners…from the fifteenth century." Diana said, smiling at her son.
After an hour, of random readings from his mother's current book, Spencer thought it was time to head home.
"We should be going now mom, maybe we'll stop by tomorrow, since I have to go home tomorrow." Reid said, standing up, with Seaver getting up too.
When Reid was ready to leave, his mother called out to him; "Spencer!" Diana said, motioning her son to come closer—to whisper something to him. Spencer hummed, as he moved towards Diana, who whispered, "She's wonderful. You made a good decision."
Spencer smiled, stood up straight, and began walking towards where Seaver was standing—silently watching the interaction between Reid and his mother. Before they could walk away, Diana said—loudly,
"A mother knows best…"
And Reid knew exactly why she was saying that, and he smiled happily.