Chapter Four
"Okay, I'm going to do it" I say gripping the edges of my steering wheel, head leaning forward and resting on the horn
"You've said that four times already" Ethan pipes up. The two of us had been sitting in the south parking lot of the FBI Headquarters for approximately twenty minutes.
"I think I'm actually going to do it this time" I say, but sit still. Thirty seconds pass and I sit upright, making Ethan jump. "I'm going to do it" I take my seatbelt off and open the car door.
"I'm doing it" I repeat as I step out of the car and swing my messenger bag over my shoulder.
"You're doing it!" Ethan calls from the passenger's seat
"I'M DOING IT" I shout as I shut the driver's side door. I hear the muffled sound of Ethan screaming "YOU'RE DOING IT". Just as the door meets its hinges, I see the dark haired doctor waltz out of the building.
"I'M NOT DOING IT" I shout as I immediately jump back into the car.
"Why not?!" Ethan counters, confused.
"He's right there!" I point shakily and Ethan sighs. "I can't just run up to the guy in the middle of the parking lot and tell him that I'm his sister that he didn't know existed" I rattle out frantically. "Tomorrow, I'll do it tomorrow" I sigh and put my seatbelt back on.
"Are you actually going to do it tomorrow or will it be just like today?" Ethan questions while take my mom's car out of park.
"I'll do it, I swear" I reply as I back out of the parking spot.
"If you say so" he responds and we're back on our thirty minute journey home.
I drop Ethan off and arrive back at my house at 6:42pm.
"Mom! I'm home" I shout into the air and kick off my shoes. Penny comes running down the stairs and weaves in and out of my legs. "Hello sweet girl" I coo and scratch her chin.
"Mom?" I repeat, making my way into the living room, where my mother is sleeping soundly on the couch. I pick up her legs and sit under them, placing them back on my lap. She stirs and lets out a gentle groan. I turn on the television and scroll through the TV guide, settling on the original 'X-Men' film, keeping the promise I made to my mother the night before.
"I don't think I can do it" I say to Ethan in the FBI's parking lot.
"Lia, you have to. I will personally kick you out of this car" he replies, and I am fully aware that he is not joking. I do not respond.
"Alright" Ethan throws his hand up and takes off his seatbelt. "Out!" he screams continues to collide his foot with my right arm.
"Ow!" I shout as he pounds. "Jeez I'm going!" I finally agree to get out of the car, and I do. Ethan locks the doors immediately. I flash him the finger and he returns it.
I center myself and take a deep breath. "Alright Lia, now is the time" I mumble to myself before making my way up the concrete ramp and into the building. In front of me is a man behind a desk and partition. I approach.
"Hi, would you be able to connect me to an agent?" I ask in an octave higher than usual.
"What agent are you looking for?" the burly man replies
"Supervisory Special Agent Doctor Spencer Reid, of the Behavioral Analysis Unit" I say, "what a mouthful" I think to myself.
"Get on the last elevator down this hallway, and go to the seventh floor. That should bring you to the BAU's bull pen" he replies in a friendly tone. "They should just be getting in" he adds.
"Great, thank you" I smile and follow his exact instructions.
I'm on the elevator and we just passed the sixth floor, and the knot in my stomach turns to stone. Then the little number '7' lights up and the doors open. I step out of the giant metal box and am met with a set of glass doors, which I pass through. Then another.
And there I am. In the middle of the Behavioral Analysis Unit's bull pen. I go up to the nearest person I can find and ask a red headed woman-
"Do you know where I could find Doctor Spencer Reid?"
She looks me up and down before telling me that the team had just gotten back from a case, and are on their way up. She shows me his desk and tells me to wait there. I don't feel comfortable sitting down in his seat, so I just stand, tapping my hand against my thigh incessantly. My nerves grow as seconds tick by and it feels like I was to throw up and cry at the same time.
"You can do it Lia, you can do it" I repeat to myself over and over again, but it doesn't seem to be doing any good. Just as I think about running back through those glass doors, they open and six agents flow in, including the exact person I am looking for. A tall, rather handsome dark man follows two of the three agents from the Georgetown lecture, along with a yellow haired petite woman with a stack of manila folders. Leading the pack is a dark haired straight faced man, presumably their team leader, and Spencer trailed behind the pack. They all exchange puzzled looks as they see the
"Um, can we help you with anything?" A blonde haired woman asks. My eyes widen and I freeze.
"Y-yeah, I uh, I need to talk to Dr. Reid" I croak nervously. All agents look at him and back again.
"I'm sorry, but who are you?" he asks as his team members disperse skeptically to their own desks.
"I-I'm Lia," I stutter, "um, Lia Reid" I choke out and his expression turns a combination of confused and concern.
"I'm uh- i'm your sister" I stutter and go searching for the documents in my bag.
"I found a copy of your birth certificate in my basement," I whip out the paper, "h-here's mine- see? They were both signed by William Reid" I force out of me, "And I read somewhere that you have an eidetic memory? Well, s-so do I" I admitted and he picks his face up out of the papers and makes eye contact with me. His eyes are a dark brown, not exactly as dark as mine. Our bone structure is identical, they shape of our eyes the same. We both look each other up and down. We have a similar build, though I harbor more muscle in my legs and arms.
"I'd understand if you'd want to run a DNA-" I begin saying but Spencer cuts me off.
"There's no need" he says while looking down at the documents again. "You're 15?" he asks, eyes narrow, tone curious.
"Yeah, for 6 months now" I reply, "But I'm a senior in high school" I tell him; I can feel the eyes of his team members burning into my back. There's a silence and my stomach starts to churn. "I tried finding an email address I could contact you at, but I didn't have any luck so I thought I would come here" I explain nervously, quietly taking deep breaths.
"I don't mean to overwhelm you, I can come back another time; I know you just got in" I rattle on nervously. Just as I'm about to walk away-
"Wait-" Spencer pipes up. "Here, sit" he offers and pulls a second chair up to his desk.
"Oh, thank you" I reply and pop a squat. Spencer is still examining the documents, although I know the content is already imprinted in his brain.
"You said you found this copy in your basement?" he asks again.
"Yeah, it was in a box of my dad's stuff from when he left when I was seven" I confess, eyes directed at the floor. Splashed by a sudden wave of nausea and the overwhelming feeling that I need to leave- get out as soon as possible.
"I-I'm sorry- this was a mistake" I say as I grab a pen, "I should really go home, here's my phone number. I'm sorry if I inconvenienced you" I continue and rocket out of the bull pen, Spencer standing up and shouting "wait!" after me.
I run out of the building and make a bee line for the car. I knock incessantly on the window until Ethan unlocks the door.
"How'd it go?" he asks as I'm lightly panting.
"I met him" I say, "I met him but I freaked out and ran" I come clean and start the car.
"Lia, no. Get back in there" he asserts and takes the keys out of the ignition.
"Give me my keys back!" I shout, irritated.
"We are not leaving here until you do it" he replies and I sink into my seat. Suddenly he looked out the window and and his expression flashed with confusion. "Wait, Lia isn't that him?" he says and my blood runs cold.
He followed me out.
"Shit" I mutter and dip below eyesight. Then of course, Ethan hops out of the car.
"She's over here!" he shouts with his hands around his mouth. Spencer looks at him skeptically.
"Lia, she's in the drivers seat" he blabs and I feel like throwing up the entire contents of my stomach, yet again.
"You fucking suck" I mutter and bash my fist on the steering wheel. Next thing I know-
"Hey" he greets awkwardly,, waving his hand from outside the car.
"Hey" I reply, face beet red.
"I'm sorry if I scared you away" he apologizes, eyes squinting at the suns rays.
"It's okay, I scared myself away" I say back, cracking a small smile.
"Do you drink coffee?" he asks,
"Y-yeah, why?" I stutter.
"Why don't you come back upstairs? I think we have uh- a lot to go over" he offers and i quickly reply "Sure" as I slip out of the car. I give Ethan a death glare and he gets back into the Volvo, and Spencer and I take a silent, awkward trip back up the BAU bullpen.