And So It Continues

A CM fanfic

Reid/OFC (Samantha Reid)

M

Author's Note: This Sunday, October 28, is Spencer Reid's birthday. Next Wednesday is Halloween. And so I felt it necessary to commemorate the occasion with a Halloween birthday themed story.

My thanks again to Aut, without whom this just wouldn't have happened. Time management was vital, and I can't begin to thank her for the late nights, late, late nights and really really early mornings that went into the writing and editing of this story. She really was more of a co-writer than 'just' the beta this time. Thank you so much, autumn amber leaves.

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"Love is when the other person's happiness is more important than your own"- H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

October 27, 2018

"You're not gonna tell me where we're going?" Spencer asked as Samantha waited at the light before making a left turn onto the highway onramp.

"Nuh uh," Samantha replied, concentrating on her driving and merging into the early morning traffic on I-66 W. She didn't drive often; neither did Spencer, they both found commuting to work via DC's practical Metro much more advantageous.

It occurred to him that she needed—or wanted—no distraction while she was devoting her attention to the road and he sat back in his seat next to her to relax and just look out the window. Westbound, he noted. Pittsburgh? He wondered, almost instantly dismissing that idea, as that would've meant I-70 north. Richmond? No, that would've been straight south down I-95. He decided to stop thinking about it so much and just trust that Samantha had some sort of plans for them. A smile drew across his face.

She navigated her Tesla Model 3 through a short construction zone and stole a look over at Spencer who seemed engrossed in their surroundings. It occurred to her that they were probably wasting money both owning vehicles they rarely drove but decided against bringing the subject up. Her parents had given her the car, several years ago when she was still living in Baltimore and commuting daily to DC. She'd grown weary of driving an hour each way to work every day. Dealing with the traffic and congestion caused her too much anxiety. The DC Metro commute to Marbury from her apartment was around forty minutes one-way and had its advantages in other ways too. Samantha found the time had passed quickly when she utilised it to catch up on her email, grade papers or just reading. And of course now, she smiled broadly, three stops after she boarded the train was the station at which Spencer entered the train making the commute even more attractive.

Speaking of attractive, she thought and laughed as she wondered momentarily whether she'd voiced that thought out loud.

"What's so funny?" Spencer asked.

"Us," she replied.

"How so?" he wondered genuinely.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean humorous, so much as I meant fun. I mean we both have pretty serious, severe jobs. Six months ago I was happy with that."

He tilted his head and smiled at her; the smile that lit up his face and her heart.

"And then I was sitting on the train one day wrestling with my bags and Tori's birthday present and mail that didn't even belong to me. And this cute guy was sitting in the seat across the aisle from me reading my favourite sci-fi novel. And I remember thinking, there's gotta be more to my life than student dissertations on A Tale of Two Cities."

"Dickens is an amazing writer," Spencer offered.

"And Spencer Reid is an amazing person," she countered. "You've opened up so much more in my life, Spence. I can't even begin to tell you how much you mean to me."

He reached over to touch her hand lightly, not wanting to interfere with her driving. To his surprise, she took her hand off the steering wheel and clutched his tightly for a long moment, resting their clasped hands together on his left thigh. He didn't want to distract her from her driving and debated inwardly whether to engage this conversation further. Instead, he just rubbed the top of her hand with his thumb for a moment before lifting it to his lips and kissing it.

She glanced over at him for just a second to smile and turned her attention back to the road ahead of her. It was a clear sunny day, reflecting Samantha's mood. The dashboard info centre informed her it was 62 degrees outside, a little on the cool side but holding Spencer's hand, she felt warmth radiate through her.

Up ahead, a plethora of red taillights told Sam that the traffic was suddenly halting. She slowed their car, letting it coast to a stop. An accident had occurred several cars ahead of them. A blood-spattered compact car lay on its side; an injured deer lay in the median between the east and westbound lanes of the highway. Screaming could be heard from within the overturned vehicle.

As soon as their Tesla came to a stop, Spencer clamoured out of the car and ran up to the accident site. As he raced past four other stopped cars, he yelled out directions, "Someone call 9-1-1! Bring me some blankets!"

Once at the overturned car, he lowered his voice and intoned in a more soothing tone, "You're gonna be okay," to the frightened woman trapped in the vehicle. He wrestled with the car door, finally managing to wrench it open. The woman stopped screaming and was now crying as Reid reached in to undo her seatbelt.

"Are your hurt at all, miss?" he asked her as she reached for him.

Her sobbing subsided and she hiccupped as she clutched his hand. She was bleeding from several cuts to her face and left arm. Reid guessed it was from the shattered windshield.

"I'm okay. Just please! Get me out of here! Please."

Another man arrived and together, he and Reid lifted the fearful woman through the open door and lowered her to the ground. Two blankets were handed to him and Reid carefully wrapped the woman up in them.

"I called EMS," someone said. "They're on the way."

A gunshot rang out and the woman began to cry again.

"It's okay, it's okay," the other man who'd helped extract her soothed. "That's just my dad, putting the deer out of its misery."

Reid pulled his iPhone from his pocket. "Is there someone you'd like me to call for you?" he asked her.

"My husband," she told him, reaching for Reid's phone. He punched in the number she gave him and handed the device over to her. Rubbing her arm soothingly, he reminded her "Calmly. Please stay calm. You're okay."

"Baby? I wrecked the car, there was a deer—" she started, her words punctuated with sobs and then she broke down again. Reid took the phone from her.

"Your wife," he paused and looked at her, mouthing the word name.

"Sheryl," she supplied in a second of calm before losing it and resuming her tears. Samantha arrived and crouched down beside Sheryl, enveloping the distraught woman in her arms.

"You're okay, nothing's broken, right?"

Sheryl nodded between sniffles.

"It's just a damn car. You're gonna be all right."

Reid finished his conversation with Sheryl's husband just as the police and ambulance arrived. He gave Samantha a hand to help her straighten up as the paramedic took over attending to Sheryl. Samantha wrapped her arms around Spencer, overwhelmed by the situation but now relieved that help had arrived. He hugged her back and kissed the side of her temple, then made his way over to the police cruiser. The man who'd assisted in Sheryl's rescue, and his quick thinking father were giving their statements to the state troopers and Reid stood by waiting to do the same.

As the paramedics lifted Sheryl into the ambulance, she reached out and took Samantha's hand.

"Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you and your husband for your help." Samantha smiled back at her, squeezed her hand and released it. Sheryl was remarkably calm now, as the ambulance doors were shut and the attendants climbed aboard to take her to a local hospital.

Two state troopers were directing the backed-up traffic through the reduced lanes now as the tow truck drivers worked on righting and extracting Sheryl's destroyed car from the scene. The deer's body was removed and in a matter of minutes, the flow of traffic restored to its usual course.

Samantha and Spencer returned to her car and resumed their journey westward.

"I hope Sheryl will be all right," Samantha ventured after they'd driven about twenty miles in silence.

Spencer nodded, "I'm sure she will be. A little emotionally distraught maybe, but physically she's okay."

"That was quite a bit of heroism, Spence."

He shrugged. "Just basic first aid. Anyone could've done that."

"Anyone could have," she agreed, "But you did."

"It's the training," he told her. He rolled his bottom lip in his teeth and added, "Sorry. I'm not trying to sound dismissive."

"I know. You're sounding modest, Spence."

She could almost hear him blushing.

"I guess this is gonna make us late to," he paused, "wherever we're going."

She chuckled. "A little, but it's okay."

"I'd offer to drive part way but," he started.

"You don't know where we're going."

"Exactly."

They lapsed into a companionable silence again. Samantha fretted, wondering whether or not she should engage Spencer in conversation. He seemed lost in thought, taking in the beautiful rolling Virginia countryside. She snuck a glance over at him, he seemed happy. Knowing he wasn't one for idle chitchat, she decided he was quite content with the current quiet.

Spencer happily spent the time appreciating the beauty of view. Although the team had been to rural Virginia several times over the years for cases, he didn't recall ever being able to see any sights. As he thought about the possible destinations, Samantha slowed and took the exit for US-29 S. She followed this route for a dozen miles or so and then turned off towards US 211. He was surprised when she pulled into a Dunkin Donuts parking lot.

"I need to use the ladies room," she told him. "Can I bring you back a coffee while we're here?"

"I'll get them," he told her, unbuckling his seatbelt and getting out of the car.

"A large please!" she requested, coming around to his side of the Tesla and kissing him quickly before they headed into the restaurant.

There was a considerable lineup for coffee Spencer noted with a sigh and he took his place at the end of it. Samantha made her way to the women's bathroom where she took out her cellphone and called the resort at which she'd reserved a cabin for the weekend. She confirmed arrangements she'd made with the owner and a concierge. The man very helpfully answered a few questions she had and gave her a few telephone numbers.

"We're just at Gainesville now," she told the man.

"Well then we'll be seeing you in about an hour, Dr. Reid," the man said. "And I assure you, cabin seven is ready as per your emailed requests."

"Thank you so much, sir! We'll see you soon!"

After she made several more calls she used the bathroom, and then Samantha rejoined Spencer in the restaurant. He had progressed to first in line in her absence and they quickly purchased their coffees and returned to their car.

Spencer pulled out his iPhone and called up the Maps app. He activated the GPS, pinning their location.

"Really, Spence? Ruining my surprise?"

Sheepishly, he shut off the phone and put it away. "We must be nearly there," he pointed out. "Making our destination—" he paused, looked over at her and relented, "A surprise."

She broke into a smile and said, "We are almost there, Spence. Please trust me."

"Oh I do, Sam. You know I do."

He sipped at his coffee and enjoyed the scenery. His only previous experiences with rural Virginia had encompassed cases, gruesome murders and missing children and it was refreshing and enjoyable to see the panoramic beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Sitting back against the seat, he let out a contented sigh. Hearing him this happy made Samantha smile.

A short time later, Samantha turned off the highway at Thornton Gap and stopped at the Entrance Station to the Shenandoah National Park. After paying the admission, Samantha proceeded along the way to their initial destination, the drive considerably slower than the highway speeds they'd driven earlier.

"Spence, this is Skyline Drive. It's a one hundred and change mile long drive through the park, with all sorts of views of the Blue Ridge mountains, and lots of fall colours."

As they merged onto the scenic drive, Spencer's eyes lit up. He was completely enthralled by the brilliant fall colours. The array of golds, yellows, oranges and reds took his breath away. She suppressed a laugh when she saw him crane his neck and press his face up against the window to get a better look.

A few miles down the road was a lookout point and Samantha pulled into the parking lot and stopped. She watched delightedly as he hurried out of the car over the fence that lined the cliff side. The glorious vision of fall colours filled their view for as far as one could see in any direction. Spencer stood in awe of it all, clearly overcome with joy. Any trepidation she had about this trip was wiped away when she saw the look of utter wonder on her lover's face.

As he stood transfixed by the autumn amber leaves, Samantha removed her phone from her pocket and took several photos of Spencer. He moved along the fence and she managed several more pictures, with reds and oranges in the background. Spencer's love for fall was abundantly apparent and Samantha was never so happy as in that very moment when he turned from the fence and picked her up, twirling her around twice before setting her back down on her feet.

"Thank you so much!" he enthused, "I've never, ever seen such gorgeous fall colours. It's just beyond spectacular." Holding tightly onto her hand, he walked the entire length of the fence, savouring every moment of the kaleidoscope of colour, and every moment of being with the woman he loved. They spent almost an hour just absorbing the beauty, and Samantha was amused that Spencer, who was always lamenting the cold, didn't appear to notice how chilly the air was at this elevation.

Finally, almost reluctantly, they made their way back to the car and resumed the journey along Skyline Drive. Even the view from the car, driving at the speed limit along the winding mountain road, was awe-inspiring and Samantha couldn't believe when other vehicles passed them. A few miles down the road, they pulled into another lookout point parking lot. Spencer retrieved his coat, scarf, hat and gloves from his go bag before heading out towards this vantage point.

Samantha was excited to see there was a waterfall at this stop and cajoled Spencer into posing in front of it with her for a photo. The foliage around the waterfall was scrubbier and not particularly colourful but the waterfalls made the photo lovely regardless.

Finally, they returned to the car and Samantha drove on, pulling off Skyline Drive when she got to the small town in which she'd reserved accommodations.

They walked through the enormous lobby towards the front desk. The entire building was spectacularly open: cathedral ceilings and floor to roofline windows, the construction large wood beams and the ambience warm and inviting.

At the front desk, the concierge recognised her name and voice immediately.

"Ah, Dr. Reid. Yes, we have," he paused for a moment to choose the right word, not wanting to spoil Samantha's surprise, "prepared everything to what I sincerely hope is your liking." He pushed a button on the phone in front of him and then turned his attention back to Samantha. "Cabin seven is ready for you and your young man, and Douglas here," he indicated the bellhop who'd answered his summons, "will take you to your accommodations. If you have any questions, if you need anything else, please do not hesitate to call me. To call the desk here, simply lift the headset and punch the 1 key. I hope your stay here is most enjoyable."

The concierge didn't see the bellhop roll his eyes as he picked up Samantha's suitcase and led them back through the lobby to the front door.

"You can just bring your car down to the cabin, it's got its own little parking spot," he told them as he held open the door. Spencer held the driver's door open for Samantha and once she was seated, hurried around to the passenger side and got in himself. By the time she'd started the car, Douglas had already made it past cabins one through five. As Samantha pulled the car into the tiny driveway in front of cabin seven, Douglas arrived and unlocked the door with a flourish. He entered the cabin, set her suitcase down on the floor and then hurried out to help his two guests unpack the car.

Spencer had tossed his go bag and a small duffel bag into the back seat of the car, as earlier directed by Samantha. She stalled him as Douglas made two trips with several boxes from the Tesla's trunk and then nodded to Samantha. Ready now, Douglas had Samantha's other bag in one hand as he led them to the cabin's front door.

Spencer gestured for Samantha to precede him into the cabin, as she'd hoped, and once inside, Douglas stepped behind Samantha and waited as Spencer entered.

"Oh my goodness," he breathed as his eyes surveyed the cabin interior.

Samantha's face broke into a wide smile. The room was perfect, decorated exactly as she'd requested. She turned to Douglas, pressed a bill into his hand and thanked him profusely.

"It's utterly perfect, Douglas. Thank you so, so much. Pretty much exactly what I'd hoped for."

He smiled back at her and told her, "Enjoy your stay. And like the boss said, please call us if there's anything we missed, if there's anything else you need." He motioned the hand holding the bill she'd given him and in a lowered voice said, "And thank you for this. Unnecessary but very appreciated."

Spencer was standing in the middle of the cabin's front room, taking it all in. The entire room had been done up in autumn and Halloween décor. Orange and black candles set in Halloween motif candleholders stood on the small dining table in one corner of the room. The pattern continued along the island countertop separating the cabin's tiny kitchen from the main room. Douglas had apparently lit them just before they'd arrived, and the scent of cinnamon and cloves wafted through the air. Several orange and black vases carried arrangements of coloured leaves and fall asters and mums. Mini pumpkins on sticks highlighted each such arrangement. As he walked around the room, he saw autumn-toned placemats and napkins on the table. In one corner, sitting on a table across from a cozy two-seater sofa, was a display of various sized gourds placed around the central focus—a wonderfully ghoulish carved Jack O'Lantern. Even the tiny kitchen was remembered: the tea towels hanging on the oven door matched the pumpkin motif oven mitts on a hook next to the appliance.

They'd even replaced (Samantha assumed) the standard wall artwork with several prints of photographs depicting the fall colours as seen from Skyline Drive.