When Timothy had picked Spencer up from Juju's place to bring him down to the Dusty Rose, Spencer had gone with the hope that he would walk away from this meeting with an engagement and a plan. What he definitely hadn't expected was for his newly acquired fiancée to remain his fiancée for only two hours. "You want us to get married now?" Spencer couldn't help but ask.
Remy flashed him a grin as he made his way over to the desk. "Y' was lookin' fo' a long engagement? An ad in de paper, maybe?"
"No, I just…"
"Don't worry, cher." Remy dropped down into the chair behind his desk and the way he looked at Spencer then, that shark's grin he wore, gave the young genius a clue as to how Remy did his business. Sharp, quick, lulling them in and then moving fast before anyone could realize what was happening or change their mind. "Dis is just de formalities. We're both on a bit of a time limit, y' and Remy. Dere'll be plenty of time fo' y' to find de perfect dress or whatever fo' when we do de more formal ceremony for de Guild later on."
Spencer's usual reaction to sarcasm and anger was to shut himself down. To ignore it or to deliberately misinterpret it. It wasn't the best way to deal with things, he knew, but it had saved him a lot over the years. However, he'd presented an image to Remy so far and it wasn't one that he could just turn his back on now. He couldn't risk the man suddenly changing his mind once more. Obviously, the slightly snarkier, a bit bolder version of Spencer was the one that had caught his interest. Even if it was just a front he put up. He couldn't drop it now and risk losing it all. That in mind, he tried his best to mimic that falsely sweet tone that Juju could get when he was trying to mock someone without actually mocking them. "I'll gladly pick out a dress for you if that's what you want, but are you quite sure that's the image you want to present as future leader of this Guild? I wasn't aware they were so, open here."
He watched Remy actually startle back from his words a little. Obviously that hadn't at all been what he'd expected Spencer to say. Then, one hand frozen over his phone, he let out another of those husky laughs of his that suggested someone who'd smoked just a little too much in life. It shouldn't have sounded half as appealing as it did. "I guess I deserved dat. Y' aint afraid to call me on m' shit, Spencer. I like dat about y'." Pulling his hand back in, Remy gestured at the seats across the desk from him and then folded his hands in his lap. He watched as Spencer sat down. "I need someone dat can do dat. I don't know what Timmy or Juju told y' about what y'r getting into here, mais I need someone strong enough to stand at m' side. Someone who aint gonna be afraid to tell me when I'm being a dick—an I've been told I often am. Is dat somet'ing y' t'ink y' can do?"
"Yes." Spencer would've promised him almost anything. This, though it went against the grain to promise to something almost guaranteed to make them fight, was far easier than some of the things Remy could've asked for.
The way that Remy was looking at him left Spencer feeling as if the man was looking past the shields he was putting up, past this outer shell of bravado down to the scared kid inside of him. It was almost like he knew somehow that this sassy bit wasn't a side of Spencer that typically came out. It came out with Juju, of course. They had years of friendship to have built the comfort there between them. But with people he didn't know? This kind of boldness wasn't like Spencer. He was finding it easier to do with Remy than he'd thought, though.
After a second, Remy nodded a little. "I can't promise not to get pissy with y' when y' tell me. However, I can promise I aint ever gonna do more dan shout at y'. I've never abused a partner in m' life and I aint planning on starting now."
The sound Spencer made could've been taken for agreement or for disbelief. It was the best answer he would give on the subject. They'd have to wait and see what time said on that one. Spencer was going into this knowing full well that Remy could end up being one of the most abusive men on the planet. That was just a risk he was going to have to take.
"Hm." Remy hummed low in his throat, but he didn't push that anymore. Instead, he lifted his arms and folded them on the desk, leaning forward to better look at Spencer. "If we want dis to work, we're gonna have to make people believe dis is a love match."
"I know the deal. Juju explained that part clearly." Spencer said. How could he forget? He knew what he had to do here. "I'll hold to my end of things. You just make sure to hold to your end of the deal as well."
Remy huffed out a laugh. "I always do. De name of de men dat y' gotta pay, do y' know it?"
That was an easy enough answer. He'd taken the time to confirm Juju's suspicions not long after his friend had voiced them. "The Campbell brothers."
Something briefly twisted Remy's face before it was gone again. "Ah. An dis debt, de three mil, dat's money dat y'r Poppa owes, oui?"
Heat warmed Spencer's cheeks and he had not fight not to look away. It mortified him to sit here and so calmly discuss his father's debt. It was what he had to do, though, and he'd do it. "It is. For whatever reason, they came to my mother to pay." The memory of her terrified voice on the phone line, the bruise on her face when he got there, and the rough few days she'd been having since then all boiled up in Spencer and his hands clenched into fists in his lap. When he spoke, his voice was short and clipped, his anger just barely contained. "They threatened her and told her that she had a week to pay. They hit her."
"Fuckin' connards." Remy cursed lowly.
The curse had Spencer sitting up just a little more. Hearing that Remy was just as upset by it, actually seeing on his face that he was equally offended by this kind of behavior, gave Spencer a bit of courage. He drew in a breath and steadied himself as best as he could. Getting his mother help was a part of this deal and he didn't know how much had been told to Remy already. Spencer needed to make sure that Remy knew; that he understood. That meant talking about the one thing that Spencer had trained himself not to talk about. "My mother," A lump formed in his throat and he swallowed it down. I have to do this. "She's not well."
A gesture from Remy had Spencer falling silent. "Y' don't need to explain, Spencer. Timothy told me about it. One of de meetings we're gonna have t'day will be with m' lawyer to set up a trust fo' y'r Mama's care. Taking care of her is part of our agreement here an I won't leave y' wondering if dat'll change, so we're gonna set up a trust in y'r name to make sure dat she's taken care of."
Spencer had no words for that. It was everything he wanted and it seemed far too good to be true. This seemed like some sort of strange dream. Would he wake up soon to find himself lying in his bed, the deadline still looming and no solution in sight? The idea was terrifying. Spencer didn't want to wake up from this if it wasn't real. He didn't want to do anything that might jeopardize this. But his inquisitive mind had always been his downfall and he couldn't stop himself from voicing the questions that were pouring through his head. "Why are you doing this?" He asked, first and foremost. "I mean, Juju explained your situation and your reasons for marrying. But why on earth would you pick someone who comes to you with a three million dollar debt and a mentally ill mother for whom he has to care for? You have to realize that my mother's bills are always going to be there. Her care isn't a one time, short thing. She will be under medical care the rest of her life. Medicare will pay for part of it, but they won't cover it all. Why would you agree to take this on? I'm sure there are countless men or women you could find who would happily take my place and would cost you far less."
"Are y' trying to talk me outta dis, Spencer?" Remy's eyebrows went up in amused surprise.
"No, no, of course not."
"It doesn't really matter why I chose y'. I've got m' reasons fo' it. De point is, y' are m' choice, Spencer Reid, and I aint planning on changing m' mind. Are y'?"
Immediately Spencer sat up straighter. "Absolutely not."
The expression on Remy's face smoothed out. "So what does de rest of it matter, den? We're here. Dat's what's important. De rest is just details."
Oh, they were going to have one interesting marriage, Spencer could tell that already. You can do it, Spencer told himself. For Mom, you can do it.
The next few hours were a whirlwind of activity. There was a meeting with Remy's lawyer, during which Remy put down on paper the promises that he'd made to Spencer about Diana's care. There were clauses in there, of course. Such as the one that stated that Spencer and Remy had to be married a minimum of five years before the trust for Diana would be transferred solely to Spencer. A smart thing to put in, really. Spencer really hadn't expected anything less. Nor could he blame Remy for it. It was a way for the Cajun to cover himself on the off chance that Spencer was only in this for the money. He didn't know Spencer well enough to just trust him. That kind of trust took time to build.
Once they were done with the lawyer, their minister showed up. McCray was a big, cheerful man with a beer belly, a mile wide grin, and a friendliness that somehow magically put Spencer at ease. Twinkling brown eyes peeked out beyond shaggy black hair and he hadn't stopped smiling once since he came into the room. If he thought it strange that Remy was marrying someone seemingly out of nowhere in his office, he said nothing of it. He was all big boisterous laughs and happy hugs for the two of them.
Spencer felt like his head was spinning. It felt like no time at all before he found himself standing with Remy in front of Pastor McCray and, oh God, this was his wedding! He was getting married! They'd moved to a room near Remy's office—the Diamond Room, Remy called it—and they were standing here facing one another, hands clasped between them, and Timothy was standing to the side as their witness, and Spencer was really doing this. He was really standing here marrying this man that, until today, he'd never met. It was insane!
Before they'd moved into the Diamond Room, Remy had briefly caught Spencer outside the door, away from McCray's eyes. "Are y' ready fo' dis, Spencer?" he had asked, eyes more serious than Spencer had seen them so far. "De minute we step in dere, de act starts. I need y' t'be very sure y'r ready fo' dis."
What else could Spencer say here? What else could he do? "I'm ready."
And now the two of them were standing here together as Pastor McCray began this sham of a ceremony. Despite the fact that it was just them and Timothy, the Pastor seemed to want to give them a somewhat proper ceremony. The words that were supposed to bind together two in love rang in Spencer's ears as the man's warm voice filled the room. "Dearly beloved, we have gathered here today with Remy and Spencer to give thanks for the gift of their marriage and to share in the joy of their wedding, Marriage is a way of life, given by God, so that partners may provide each other companionship, help, comfort, joy and most of all love."
This was really happening. Spencer couldn't believe it. Here he was, on his wedding day. He'd spent so much of his life convinced that he would be alone. To be here, getting married, it was huge. It was amazing. And it was utterly terrifying. He had to fight to keep his fears from showing on his face.
The Pastor smiled at them. "Remy, Spencer, we honor and rejoice with you now as we witness your vows to love each other and to come together as one into the blessed estate of marriage."
Whatever he said next was lost a little on Spencer as the young genius looked over at the man that was going to be his husband. Remy was standing proud and tall without a hint of worry written anywhere on him. Spencer watched him through slightly lowered lashes. He'd be lying if he tried to say that he wasn't pleased with how his soon-to-be husband looked. The man sort of hit all of Spencer's personal preferences in a man. Taller than him, strong without being too muscled, a good set of arms and shoulders, that slight hint of a five o'clock shadow—all of those were things that he'd always enjoyed when simply looking at a man. Spencer was self-aware enough to admit that he looked for someone who was strong. Someone who was strong enough to make him feel safe, even for a little while. As he looked at Remy he had a feeling this man could do exactly that.
He was abruptly snapped back into the moment when he heard the Pastor say "Do you, Remy, take Spencer as your husband, promising to tenderly care for him, to respect his individuality, to cherish him as he is, and to faithfully love him continually?"
There was absolutely no hesitation on Remy's part. He stared at Spencer and firmly said, "I do."
Pastor McCray turned to Spencer next. "And do you, Spencer, take Remy to be your husband, promising to tenderly care for him, to respect his individuality, to cherish him as he is, and to faithfully love him continually?"
"I do." Spencer made sure his own voice was just as firm as Remy's.
"May we please have the rings?"
Spencer only had one split second of panic—he hadn't thought at all about having rings!—before Timothy stepped up and held out two rings in the palm of his hand. Both were simple gold bands with small diamonds inlaid in them. Remy took one and gestured, smiling, for Spencer to take the other. Watching them, a smile warmed Pastor McCray's face. "Perfect. Now, these rings are a symbol of eternity and the unbroken circle of love. Remember that love freely given has no beginning and no end, no giver and no receiver, for each is the giver and each is the receiver. Today you have chosen to exchange rings, as a sign of your love for each other and a seal of the promises you make this day. Remy, as you place the ring on his finger, repeat after me."
Remy smiled at Spencer and spoke in a firm, clear voice as he repeated Pastor McCray's words, slipping the cool band onto Spencer's finger. "I, Remy, take y', Spencer, to be m' husband, m' partner and life mate. I promise to laugh with y' in times of happiness and to strengthen y' in times of need. Through de best and de worst, I will trust y', honor y', an be faithful to y'. Today I commit myself to y' fo' de rest of m' life."
It was Spencer's turn now and it took just a second for him to get his voice to come out. When it did, he was surprised that it was just as steady as Remy's, without a single quaver to it. His hand was also steady as he slid Remy's ring onto his finger. "I, Spencer, take you, Remy, to be my husband, my partner and my life mate. I promise to laugh with you in times of happiness and to strengthen you in times of need. Through the best and the worst, I will trust you, honor you and be faithful to you. Today I commit myself to you for the rest of my life."
"As you begin your marriage, here are a few words to encourage you: Remember being a groom is only for a day but being a husband is a life time commitment." McCray said. He looked at them both as if making sure his words were sinking in. "Let your love be stronger than your anger. Learn the wisdom of compromise, for it is better to bend than to break. A marriage without compromise is guaranteed conflict. Believe the best of your beloved rather than the worst. Confide in your partner and ask for help when you need it. Remember that true friendship is the basis for any lasting Relationship. Give your spouse the same courtesies and kindness you bestow on your friends." Reaching out, he curled his hand over theirs. "May life grant you patience, tolerance and understanding. And now, as you enter the greatest journey of your life, in as much as you all have agreed to enter the marriage relationship, having exchanged vows with sincere and devoted hearts, and have given and received rings as tokens of your love, it is now my honor and privilege to pronounce you husband and husband. You may kiss your spouse."
Spencer was amazed that no one could hear the pounding of his heart as he looked up into his new husband's face. The way that Remy smiled at him said that he knew, even if he couldn't hear it. He let go of Spencer's hands to bring his own surprisingly gentle ones up to cup and cradle Spencer's face between them like he was something so precious. Then an impish grin flashed over Remy's face and Spencer swore he could almost see the mental shrug the man gave before he yanked Spencer in.
The kiss was no sweet, typical peck on the lips that you see at a wedding, nor some loving little thing like other couples did. Remy pulled him in and kissed him like he meant it, with all the edge and promise that he could. The kiss seared through Spencer's blood and stole his breath until he was dizzy from it all. His body slumped forward without his permission, practically melting into Remy. Any of his shyness, his nerves, all of it was forgotten in that moment under Remy's talented kiss. All he could do was press up into it and give back everything that he could with open abandon. He forgot they were at their wedding, forgot they had an audience—one of who was a Pastor!—and just gave himself over to the sensations that Remy built in him.
When the Cajun finally drew them apart, his hands still gentle on Spencer's face even as they firmly pulled him back, Spencer was pressed up against him completely and was gasping softly in an effort to catch his breath. Yet all he wanted to do was lean back in and kiss him again and again. No one had ever kissed him like that before. No one had ever made him feel like that before.
A bit of heat flashed in Remy's eyes. "Well." He murmured lowly, brushing his lips over Spencer's. "Aint y' a surprise. Got a bit of passion hidden under all dat, cher?"
Spencer was saved from having to answer by a robotic voice loudly declaring "Danger, Will Robinson! Danger!"
For one split second Spencer stayed frozen against Remy. It took a moment for his brain to kick back into gear and recognize why he was hearing that voice and what it meant. When he did, the panic kicked in and he knew it had to show on his face because Remy's smile wiped away. Spencer didn't waste any time staying there watching him, though. He yanked back from Remy's hold and scrambled to grab his cell phone from his pocket. He got it out and quickly thumbed open the alert that sat on there, silencing it as the robotic voice was repeating its message. One look at what was there and he was letting out a stream of curses in Latin that had those around him looking in surprise. Spencer didn't care about them. In a flash he spun on his heel and was darting towards the door.
He made it all the way to the elevator before not only Remy caught up with him, but Timothy as well. Spencer was jamming his fingers against the buttons to try and get the damn thing to open and take him down when Remy suddenly reached around him and hit a quick code to unlock the elevator. "We had it locked so no one could disturb us fo' dis." He explained. The doors opened and Remy nudged him in, both him and Timothy following after. As soon as they were inside Remy was looking down at Spencer and demanding "What de hell is going on, Spencer?"
Spencer's hands trembled as he tried to call up the necessary program on his phone. "Someone's in my house." He told them, jabbing a button with his thumb harder than he should have. The webcam feature that he'd installed in Charlie finally popped up and Spencer let out another stream of Latin curses. No, no, no!
The elevator doors opened and Spencer once more shot forward, moving before anyone could say or do anything. He was across the floor and out the doors in a flash. He didn't care about the two following him until Remy's hand closed over his arm. He spun with a snarl, ready to yank his hand away, only to have Remy yank him towards the side of the building. "M' car's over here."
There was no time for Spencer to do more than give a sharp nod of thanks and follow quickly after his husband. With Timothy in the lead, the three men made their way over to a big black SUV parked in the back parking lot. Spencer scrambled into the backseat while Remy and Timothy took the front, Timothy in the driver's seat. Spencer didn't care about how they got there so long as they got him there. He slammed the door shut behind him and then looked down at his phone again. A pained sound tore past his lips. There on the screen, through the camera in Charlie's eyes, he could clearly see his mother curled up tight inside her bathtub, arms up over her head. She was shaking and crying out in a full on panic. The last image he'd seen had been as Diana had been hurrying to the bathroom, after having slammed her bedroom door shut against three men that Spencer didn't recognize. There were men in the house—in his house!—with his mother who very obviously wasn't having one of her better moments.
His hands clenched down on his phone and he had to fight not to hurl it across the car. Lifting his eyes he found Remy looking back at him. "They're in my house." Spencer said, throat tight with emotion. "In my house."
"Is y'r Mama safe?"
The fact that Remy asked that first, before anything else, raised him up a couple notches in Spencer's books. He let out a breath that shook a little too much and gave a small nod. "For now. She's barricaded herself in the bathroom. I put a deadbolt on there years ago," specifically for situations like this, "and I'm the only one that has the key. It should hold, for now."
"Do y' know how many dere are? Or who dey are?"
It only took a moment on his phone to minimize the running cam that showed the bathroom, making it a small box in the bottom corner, and bring up the previous footage. As soon as he had a clear shot of the man that had been chasing her, he held his phone out to Remy. The Cajun twisted in his seat to get a better look. One look at the phone had him growling. "De fuckers. Dat's de Campbell brothers all right. Little fuckin' connards." He looked up from Spencer's phone and fixed his eyes back on Spencer. "When we get dere, y' let Timothy and me go in first, y' hear? Dealing with assholes like dis is part of Timothy's job."
Spencer didn't pay any attention to what Remy was saying. He pulled his phone back in and brought the image of his mother up to full size. She was still in the tub, curled up tight, and every so often she would flinch hard. Charlie, by his best guess, had to be sitting on the edge of the tub. Spencer didn't have audio engaged; if he did, he imagined he would not only hear the goons, but he'd hear whatever song Charlie was playing to soothe his mother down.
It took Timothy no time at all to get to Spencer's place. As soon as he parked the car at the curb, Spencer had his door open and was racing up towards the open front door, completely ignoring the shouting and cursing behind him. Protecting his mother was one of the most ingrained things in Spencer and nothing was going to get in the way of that. He moved quickly into his house and took off for where he knew his mother was at. When he reached her bedroom, he didn't even flinch at being met with men with guns. He didn't get the chance to say or do anything, though. Timothy had moved quickly and caught up with Spencer right as they reached the room. His hand clamped firmly on Spencer's shoulder and yanked him back so that he could step between him and the guns. Remy's hands were there to catch Spencer before Timothy's yank could knock him back too far. But then he, too, moved Spencer behind him, though he kept one hand on his arm, giving him a squeeze that was probably meant to be supportive or comforting. Nothing could be comforting at the moment, not when he could hear his mother crying out inside that little bathroom.
"Who the hell are you?" One of the men facing them demanded. The other two stayed silent, keeping their guns steady on them.
Stepping up beside Timothy, Remy looked over the men and arched an eyebrow at them, seemingly unbothered by the weapons directed his way. "M' name is Remy LeBeau, an I t'ink I'm de one dat should be askin' questions here. Like who de hell y' are and what y' t'ink y'r doing here." His voice was low and smooth, firm in a way that Spencer hadn't heard before. It was a voice of one who was used to being in charge and who knew the power he wielded, and who wasn't afraid to use it.
The man who had spoken first snorted at them now and glared right at Remy. "Stay out of this, buddy. This is no business of yours. This is between us and de old broad—you just mind your own business. You and your friends just turn around and get on out of here."
One of the other guys made a low hissing sound and stepped up beside his friend, gripping his arm, but Spencer didn't care about whatever they were saying to each other. His mother let out another cry and Spencer's whole body vibrated with the need to go to her. The only thing that kept him from moving forward was the hold that Remy still had on his arm. The Cajun stayed cool and composed as he looked over the men in front of them. "See, now, dat's where y'r wrong, mec. Dis is very much m' business. Dat's m' mother-in-law y've got in dere, and y've done terrified her. Now, dat would be bad enough, mais when she's upset, m' husband gets upset, and when he gets upset—well, let's just say I don't like seeing him unhappy. So!" He flashed them a grin. "Dis is how it's gonna go. Y' t'ree numbskulls are gonna lower y'r guns and den we're gonna go in de living room and discuss dis like civilized folks while m' husband goes in dere and calms his Mama down."
"And if we say no?" One of the guys asked.
The smile that Remy wore sent shivers down Spencer's spine. "Den Timothy and I will very happily remove y' and y' can scurry back to y'r boss wit' y'r tails between y'r legs an explain to him how y' managed to piss off de Prince and get blacklisted by de T'ieves all in one move, hm?"
Later on, Spencer would be amused and a little impressed at how quickly everyone moved out of the way after that.
As soon as the way was clear he darted forward and pulled the key out of his pocket to unlock the bathroom door. The cry that his mother gave when he hurried into the room ripped at his heart and made his eyes burn with the tears he refused to share. Damn them. Damn them! Spencer didn't bother to shut the door all the way behind him. He took a few steps towards her and looked to Charlie, who was balancing on the side of the tub near her. "Charlie, CS12."
The shortened command was obeyed instantly. The panels on Charlie's back lit up with the low blue, yellow, grey combination that they'd discovered to be so soothing for Diana when she was truly stressed. At the same time he started to play soft lullabies. Brahms Lullaby came first, soft and low in the small room. Spencer hummed along with it as he carefully came forward and knelt down beside the tub. The last thing she needed was to look up and see someone towering over her. He put himself down low and made sure his head was below hers, resting against the tub's edge, when he started to speak to her in a quiet voice, beginning the calming-down process that he'd done so many times in his life.
Spencer had no idea how long it took them. But by the time Remy appeared in the door to check on them, Spencer had managed to administer the emergency sedative from the bathroom draw and Diana was half asleep in his arms. Charlie had crept over to them and was in Diana's lap, his lights softer than before, soothing, and 'You Are My Sunshine' was playing now. From his spot seated on the side of the tub, Spencer looked across the room at his husband and met his eyes, never once breaking in his own soothing murmurs. He didn't flinch away, didn't try to hide what he was doing or what was going on. There was nothing for him to be ashamed of here. His chin lifted a little as pride with pride.
There was open sadness on Remy's face, but his lips curved up ever so slightly at Spencer's show of pride, and he gave him a small nod. Then, almost silent, he backed out and left them there.
Spencer watched the door for a moment and wondered to himself what that had been about. Then, as he felt his mother slump a little more against him, he shook his head and put it out of his mind. There'd be time to focus on it later. Right now, he had to deal with what was actually important. Later he could try and figure out the man who, so far, hadn't reacted to anything the way that Spencer had expected him to.
The story cuts off here, which may feel abrupt, je sais. Mais, the next is a one shot story that'll be their wedding night, and after that is the 'meet the parents' between Spencer and Jean-Luc…and a few extras. Je suis désolé if you guys aren't entirely pleased with this being broken up into chunks and made into a series. It just works easier for me. It's easier to work on things, less pressure, if it's broken up like this.
So, let me know what y' thought of this story! Even if it's just a short blurb to snip at me for making this so short, don't be afraid to let me know!
