Magnum Opus

"I just don't get why you're doing this. You know you're not going to get the lead role. So why try out for the play?" Korey sighed.

"Because I enjoy doing it." said Victoria.

"But it just wastes time and energy… Things you could be spending on me." said Korey, wiggling his eyebrows.

Victoria shrugged. "I don't think its wasting time or energy. I enjoy it."

Korey's lips straightened into a thin line. "C'mon, Vicky… You can carry a tune, sure. But you're not super talented. So why do the show? Why do you enjoy it so much?"

Victoria shook off the sting of Korey's words. "I have friends there." Truthfully, Victoria needed more friends. She and Spencer hadn't spoken in two weeks. Victoria knew she was being childish. Selfish, even. But Spencer's words had cut her. She and Spencer hadn't spoken in two weeks. She wanted to talk to him. But he had made it clear that he didn't want her anywhere near him. So she was respecting his wishes.

"I'm your friend," said Korey. "C'mon, babe. Don't audition for the show."

"Too late. I already told Mrs. Whitney that I would audition." said Victoria.

Korey sighed. "This is the last show, understand? If you're going to be my wife, then you need to learn to obey your husband and manage your time more wisely."

Victoria pursed her lips and nodded. "Okay." Her phone beeped. "I gotta go. There's a case." She grabbed her go bag and left her house.

…

"V, have you talked to Reid?" said Penelope.

"No," Victoria replied into her phone. "You heard him. He doesn't want to talk to me."

"Parker, you can't push him away. Not right now." said Morgan.

"Yeah," said Penelope's voice. "You guys are extremely close."

"Reid puts up walls when he's upset. He pushes away the people closest to him." said Morgan.

"I've tried him several times, but he's not answering. JJ and I went over to his place… He didn't let us in, but he let us know he's alive." said Penelope.

"Lemme see if I can try something," said Morgan. "Thanks baby girl." He hung up and glanced at Victoria. "Parker, you should talk to him, too."

Victoria pursed her lips. "I'll try."

…...

"Reid, we have a question for the case. Call me when you get this message." said Morgan's voicemail.

Spencer frowned. He had one more message. He decided to listen to it. "Hey," said Victoria's voice. Spencer's eyes filled with tears. "I-I know you probably won't even listen to this message… But… We love you. All of us. I know you're hurting. But don't push us away. You don't have to be alone. You don't have to return my call… But let us know that you're okay. Please? We… I just need to know that you're okay. Bye, Spencer."

Spencer's tears cascaded down his cheeks. His throat swelled until it felt as if he had a thorn lodged in it. He hugged a pillow close to his chest and stifled a sob. He regretted his words to Victoria. He could tell that he'd really hurt her. He'd seen it in her eyes the night Maeve died. He could hear it in her voice in her message. He could tell by the way she'd been the only one out of the team to not contact him. Maybe she was right. Maybe he didn't have to be alone. He reached for his phone.

…

"Parker," said Morgan. Victoria looked up. "I got ahold of Reid."

"Oh," Victoria said, her chest panging. "H-how is he?"

"Not ready to talk about what happened. But he's better." said Morgan.

Victoria pressed her lips together and nodded. "Good."

"Hey," said Morgan. "He didn't mean what he said to you that night."

"I gotta go." said Victoria. She stalked away, blinking back tears. She didn't want to feel jealous. She didn't want to feel hurt that Morgan go through to Reid while she couldn't. How childish and selfish was that? Her best friend was in pain, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Her best friend wanted nothing to do with her. Victoria hurried to the bathroom, feeling sick. Heat prickled her spine and spread over her shoulder blades. She leaned over the sink, breathing deeply. She knew the real reason why she was jealous. The real reason she was hurt. She wasn't a hundred percent sure, but…

Her phone began to ring. Victoria jumped and fumbled to answer it. "H-hello?"

"V? Are you okay?" said Penelope.

Victoria looked at herself in the mirror. She didn't look okay. Her hair, which she usually styled, hung her around her face in its natural wavy state. It didn't look bad, but it was unprofessional. Her eyes were red and rimmed with tears. Dark circles curtained her eyes. Her skin was pale and clammy. Her lips were chapped. And she felt sick and short of breath. "No." she managed.

"What's wrong?" Penelope demanded. "Are you just worried for Reid? Because Morgan and I talked to him an hour ago. He's helping with the case some. I can tell he doesn't want to talk about Maeve and all, and that's totally understandable, but you know he's not shutting himself up in his room or anything, so I'll take it."

"My life's a mess, Penelope." Victoria whispered.

"What?" Penelope replied. "What do you mean?"

Victoria leaned against the wall. "I… I'm… I don't know… My life is just fucked." Victoria whimpered. She shook with a sob. "I'm not okay, Penelope."

"Oh God," said Penelope. "Don't cry. Why are you crying? Talk to me, V."

Victoria drew a shuddering, deep breath. "H-how do you k-know when you're in love?"

"Oh," said Penelope. She sounded taken aback. "I don't know, honey. I think it's different for each person. Maybe it's when you have respect and commitment and… I guess friendship… With some romance sprinkled in, I guess? When you want to spend forever with a person? Honey, why are you asking me this?"

"I think I love him," Victoria sobbed.

"Well, you're engaged to him, so I should hope so." said Penelope.

"Not Korey," Victoria wailed. "Spencer."

"Oh," Penelope murmured. "Oh."

Victoria slid onto the floor, shuddering with sobs. Penelope didn't say anything. Victoria wept into her hands, her knees pulled up to her chest. "I gotta go, Garcia." Victoria muttered.

"V…" Penelope protested. Victoria hung up and dissolved into another bout of tears.

The bathroom door opened. "Parker?" said JJ, sounding surprised. She stepped toward Victoria cautiously and crouched before her. "What's wrong?"

Victoria looked up. "I… I don't want to talk about it right now, okay?"

JJ nodded. She pressed her lips together and her eyes were rounded. "Spence is here."

Victoria froze. "H-here?"

"He's helping with the case." said JJ.

Victoria stifled a groan. She got up and rinsed her face off. She grabbed a paper towel and cleaned up the mascara that had run and gathered beneath her eyes. She blew her nose and turned to JJ. "Thanks for letting me know, Jayge."

Victoria left the bathroom and headed to the room where the team was discussing the unsub. She sank into a chair, not even glancing at Spencer. She acted as if she were working, but she could feel the team's eyes on her. She ignored them.

"Morgan, JJ and I will take the residence. Dave and Blake go to the art studio," said Hotch.

"I'm okay." Reid said.

"I know. But it's still good to see you." said Blake. The team scattered.

"You don't need to be here if you're not ready. These things take time." said Hotch.

"How much time?" said Reid.

"It's hard to say." said Hotch. He left, leaving Victoria alone with Reid. He sank into the chair across from her.

"Victoria," he croaked. Victoria looked up from her laptop, but she didn't say anything. Spencer pressed his lips together. "I…" His phone rang. He got up to answer it. He talked to the team for a bit on the phone about Bryan Hughes. Victoria resumed her staring at the screen. Spencer hung up and returned to his chair. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry for snapping at you." he muttered.

Victoria looked up at him. "I'm not mad at you."

"I'm still sorry. I shouldn't have said those things." said Spencer.

Victoria dipped her head. "It's okay," she murmured. "I get yelled at a lot in my line of work."

Spencer pinched his brows together and looked at the table. "It wasn't because of your work, Victoria. I shouldn't have yelled at my best friend."

Victoria shrugged. "It's fine. I know you're hurting. I know you didn't mean it."

Spencer nodded. "Thank you. For understanding."

Victoria pursed her lips. "Don't mention it."

…

"I don't know, I counted five baskets." said JJ, laughing.

"Seven, actually. But I think Ms. Cavanaugh next door took a couple." said Spencer, the corners of his mouth twitching upward slightly.

Morgan chuckled. "Kid, I didn't mean for you to come all the way out here."

"I know," said Spencer. He glanced over at Victoria, who was sitting on the other side of the jet. Her knees were pulled up to her chest and her eyes stared out the window. Spencer looked at Morgan and JJ.

"If you need anything, all you have to do is ask." said Morgan.

"Actually, there is something if you guys don't mind," said Spencer. JJ and Morgan looked at him expectantly. Spencer cleared his throat. "My… I've, uh, let my apartment get a little messy. I could use some help… Cleaning it."

"Sure thing." said Morgan. He squeezed Spencer's shoulder before moving to take a seat across from Victoria.

JJ looked at Spencer, her eyebrows furrowed. "You okay?" Spencer asked.

JJ glanced at him. "Do you know what's wrong with Victoria?"

Spencer's chest ached. "I didn't know anything was wrong."

JJ shrugged. "She's just… She's acting strange."

"Is it because of what I said?" Spencer asked.

"I don't think so," said JJ. She leaned forward. "I found her crying in the bathroom today. And now she's over there, not talking or reading or listening to music… She's just staring…"

"I apologized to her today," said Spencer. "She said she understood."

"I don't think it's about what you said." said JJ. "I'm just worried about her."

"Do you think she'd help clean my apartment?" Spencer asked.

"Ask her." said JJ with a small smile.

One corner of Spencer's mouth stretched into a slight, awkward smile. He stood and crossed over to Victoria. "Hey," he muttered. Morgan got up and went over to JJ. Spencer sank into Morgan's empty seat.

Victoria tore her gaze away from the window. "Hey." She sounded exhausted.

Spencer looked at her hands. Her fingernails were bitten down to the nubs. He frowned. He'd never seen Victoria bite her fingernails before. Maybe it was a habit when she was upset? He looked up at her face. "I need help cleaning my apartment… And I could use your help. Would you… Would you like to… Help?" Spencer asked. He felt silly for asking his friends to clean his apartment.

Victoria cracked a tiny smile. "Okay. I'll be there." She looked back out the window. Spencer pursed his lips into a gawky smile and leaned back and closed his eyes.

…

Victoria handed a stack of books to Garcia. She wiped down the surfaces of Spencer's kitchen and furniture. She folded the blankets that were out and rearranged the pillows. She stacked some more books onto shelves. Morgan and JJ helped with the book stacking. Garcia took down the crime scene photos from the last case. Spencer organized his books and put away his chess set. Morgan hugged Spencer before leaving. Garcia opened the curtains and then pulled Spencer into a tight hug. She then hugged Victoria.

"Come over and we'll talk." Garcia whispered.

Victoria nodded, tears stinging her eyes. JJ released Spencer from her embrace and then left. Victoria turned to Spencer. She wrapped her arms around Spencer's waist gingerly. Spencer, to her surprise, enfolded her in his arms with vehemence. He buried his face in the crook of her neck. She tightened her hold on him, fighting the tears burning her eyes. She was the first to let go. She pulled back and sniffled slightly. She hid her face from Spencer.

His eyes were round with sorrow and guilt. "I-I'm ready." he muttered.

Victoria frowned. "For what?" she croaked.

"Counseling." said Spencer.

Victoria dipped her head. "Okay. I'll see you as soon as possible. Goodbye, Spence." She turned and left Spencer's apartment before the tears could spill over.

She drove to Garcia's apartment. She climbed the stairs and knocked on Penelope's door. It swung open. Penelope widened her eyes. "Hey," she greeted. "Come in."

Victoria entered the apartment and sat on the couch. "Thank you."

"Of course," said Penelope. "I know it's only afternoon, but… You look like you need a glass of wine."

Victoria chuckled. "Sure."

Penelope scurried to her kitchen and poured two glasses of Biscotti. She returned with the sweet wine and handed a glass to Victoria. "So," said Penelope. "Tell me what's going on."

Victoria sighed. "I… I'm not sure if I love him or not. It's weird. Because he's my best friend, you know? And I thought being in love was supposed to be… I don't know. Butterflies in the stomach, sparks, fireworks… But I don't have that with Spence. I have it with Korey."

"So why do you think you love Reid?" said Penelope, sipping her wine.

Victoria blew out a breath. "Because it's real."

Penelope smiled. "So ditch Korey and go after Reid!"

Victoria shook her head. "Spencer obviously doesn't feel the same way."

"He could," pointed out Penelope. "Give him time. The two of you have grown together. We've all watched you guys grow closer and closer. You're best friends, so why not?"

"But… I'm… I'm not her," Victoria said thickly. Her eyes filled with tears. She took a large swig of wine. "I'm not smart enough to be with Spencer. She truly understood him, you know?"

Penelope tilted her head. "Maybe," she allowed. "She understood what it's like to be the smartest person in the room. And we don't know everything they talked about. But I think you understand him, too. Victoria, I don't think you realize how much the two of you smile when you're together. Anyone watching can see that the two of you don't have to be the same. You're… You're different, yes. But I think that those differences balance you guys out. You have enough similarities to not be enemies, but the two of you really complement each other. And don't say that you're not enough, missy. We talked about that. You think Reid cares about your IQ? He's not an asshole like some guys."

Victoria swallowed the lump in her throat. "He's not," she said, smiling. Her smile faded. "But he still loves Maeve. I can't offer him what she gave him."

Penelope frowned. "Maybe what Maeve had for him isn't what he needs. I don't think you realize how important you are to him."

Victoria shook her head, the tears threatening to spill over again. "I'm… I'm not. This is my last year with you guys. I'm expendable to the team. You guys don't need me and you never have."

"Victoria Parker, you stop talking like that right now. You are not useless. You are not nothing to us. You are part of our family! You keep us together. You're the wise caretaker we go to when we need help!" said Penelope, her cheeks flaming.

"What happens when the caretaker can no longer care for herself?" Victoria murmured.

"Then we will help you, just like you have helped us. Listen to me, Victoria. You'll be okay. We're your family. You're our family. And I will take care of my babies. And you are one my babies, Victoria. You're not broken and you never will be, if I can help it." said Penelope.

Victoria managed to smile. "Thank you, Penelope." But you're too late.

…

Spencer looked over at Victoria. Her head was resting on her hand as she stared at her laptop screen. Her hair fell around her tired face in waves. Dark circles were covered roughly with makeup. She only wore mascara on her eyes, which was unusual. No lip color tinted her chapped mouth. She looked as if she'd cried herself to sleep. Spencer knew what that looked like. He'd done that for seven weeks after Maeve's death. He'd spent an hour once a week in counseling with Victoria. Five months of counseling, and he finally felt human. He was no longer dreaming of Maeve. He no longer brooded over what could've been. He no longer relived that image of Maeve lying in a pool of her own blood. And all he'd had to do was talk. He'd opened up to Victoria about Maeve, and how it had made him feel to be Maeve's boyfriend, even if for a short time. He still missed her. God, how he wished things could've been different. But… He could smile. He could laugh. He didn't feel guilty for being alive, or for having fun. Maeve wouldn't have wanted him to do that.

But the more Spencer seemed to regain life, the more Victoria seemed to lose it. She looked drained and exhausted. Her shoulders were slumped. She'd lost weight. She barely smiled. She kept her arms crossed when she stood. She looked… frail. But she didn't talk about what was bothering her. And Spencer hadn't asked her. Ever since Maeve, their friendship didn't seem quite the same. There was something delicate about it now. Spencer constantly felt like he was walking on eggshells. Garcia seemed to be growing frustrated with him as well. Why, he had no idea. And Morgan seemed just as bewildered about as Spencer was. But still, Spencer hadn't asked.

The case they'd been working on had wrapped up earlier that day. They were set to fly back to Quantico the next morning. Spencer inhaled and sank into the chair beside Victoria. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, why?" Victoria croaked in a dead voice.

"You don't sound or look okay." Spencer murmured.

Victoria huffed. "I'm fine."

Spencer detected the lie. "Victoria." he urged.

Victoria looked up at him. Spencer's chest flashed with sharp pain at the darkness in Victoria's eyes. "I don't want to talk about it. Not here. Not now, okay?" she snapped.

Spencer pressed his lips together but nodded. "Okay." he croaked. But Victoria's tone had stung. He got up and dialed Garcia's number.

"Speak, oh fortunate one!" she cried.

"Garcia," said Spencer. "What's wrong with Victoria? I know you know."

Garcia was quiet for a long time. "I can't tell you. Why don't you ask her?"

"I have," said Spencer, puffing out a heated breath. "She won't tell me."

"I promised her I wouldn't tell." said Penelope.

"She's really hurting… And I don't know how to fix it." said Spencer. He felt helpless. How could he help Victoria if no one would tell him what was wrong? "Is it Korey?"

Garcia was quiet. "That's part of it," she said. "But Victoria hasn't told me anything about Korey. But… Reid, I think he's abusing her."

"Abusing her how?" Spencer said, swallowing the lump in his throat.

"Well… She's been really insecure lately. Several months ago, Korey got onto her about her weight." said Garcia.

"What?" Spencer hissed. "When was this, Garcia?"

"Uh… The day Maeve was kidnapped." replied Garcia.

Spencer widened his eyes. "He's emotionally abusing her, isn't he?"

"Yeah, I think so," said Garcia. "Reid, she's been over at my house every weekend crying her eyes out. She feels worthless, and I don't know how to help her. I've tried telling her she's not, but it's not working. Reid, she needs to hear it from you. She needs to dump Korey, but… Either she's scared or she believes she deserves this."

"Nobody deserves this." said Spencer, looking over at Victoria, who had buried her face in her hands.

"She needs to hear it from you, Reid." said Garcia.

"Me? Why?" Spencer replied.

"You're her best friend! Your opinion matters to her, Reid. And you and I both know that Korey's gotta go. Please, talk to her." said Garcia.

"I'll try." said Spencer. He hung up. He licked his lips. What could he possibly say to her? How could he show her that she was worth something? She meant the world to him. He had literally cried in her arms during their earlier counseling sessions.

At the hotel, Spencer paced his room. He couldn't think of what he was going to say to Victoria. His mind had been racing for something, anything to say to her. Normally, he didn't have a problem with coming up with something to say. But he didn't know how to keep his friend from hurting. He put his face in his hands. He got to his feet and left his hotel room. He strode down the hall to Victoria's room. He knocked on the door. After a few seconds, it opened. Victoria widened her eyes when she saw him.

"Spence," she said. She opened the door wider. "Come in."

Spencer obeyed and shut the door. Victoria sat on her bed. Spencer sat on the edge and faced her. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Victoria sighed. "Spence, I'm fine. I'm just worried about you."

"Victoria, we used to tell each other everything. Now, you lie to me and I feel like I have to watch what I say or I'll hurt you. Tell me what's going on." Spencer retorted.

"Nothing's wrong! I'm just stressed." said Victoria, her eyes flickering around the room. Anywhere but Spencer's face.

"It's been five and a half months since Maeve's death. It usually takes about half the amount of time spent with someone to move on from them. Maeve and I corresponded for ten months, but we only actually dated for six. I'm recovering, Victoria. I've been recovering. I miss her, yeah. And she'll always have a special place in my heart, but I'm not consumed with grief anymore. Right now, my best friend is hurting and she won't even tell me why." Spencer snapped.

Victoria stared at Spencer for a long time. "It's stupid."

"Victoria," Spencer barked.

Victoria rolled her eyes. "I'm not happy with myself, okay? I'm supposed to be a writer, and I haven't published anything because I'm too scared to do it! I feel insecure about my body. I'm tired of looking in the mirror and seeing someone I hate!"

Spencer blinked. "Y-you hate yourself?"

Victoria shrugged. "A bit, yeah."

"Why?" Spencer asked. How could she hate herself?

"Spence, there are just some things you don't understand, okay?" Victoria said.

"Then help me understand." Spencer snapped.

"Please, Spencer," said Victoria. Her eyes welled with tears. Spencer's lips parted. How had he not noticed her? She looked broken. "Stop. I-I can't do this, okay? Please, go." Victoria sobbed.

Spencer widened his eyes. He got up. What could he say? "Korey's the one telling you these things, isn't he?"

Victoria's face blanched. "You don't understand." she whispered.

"I'm right, aren't I?" Spencer prompted.

"There's more to it than that." Victoria admitted.

Spencer wrung his hands. "Victoria, why are you with him?"

"Who else would want to be with me, Spencer?" Victoria snarled.

Spencer stared at her. Me. "You once told me that any girl would be lucky to have me. Well, any guy would be lucky to have you. And Korey doesn't see that. He should, though. Why can't you see that?"

Tears slid down Victoria's cheeks. She pressed her hands together in a prayer-like position. "Please, go." she whispered.

Spencer turned away from her and stormed out of her hotel room. His own eyes prickled with hot tears. He rubbed his face. "Whoa, Reid. What's wrong?" Morgan stood a few doors down, about to slide his card into his hotel room door.

Spencer looked at him. "I…" He wasn't sure if he wanted to talk about it. He sighed. "C-can we talk?"

Morgan raised his eyebrows. "Uh, sure." He opened his room door. Spencer strode inside and began pacing. "Reid, slow down. What's goin' on, man?"

Spencer paused and looked at Morgan. "I think Victoria's being abused by Korey."

Morgan blinked. "What makes you think that?"

"Have you not noticed her behavior?" Spencer questioned.

"She's been like that ever since Maeve's death." Morgan replied.

Spencer clenched his jaw and looked at the floor, feeling the familiar ache in his chest. But it was duller than it had been. He met Morgan's gaze. "She's lost weight. She wears long sleeves to work. She doesn't fix her hair anymore. She wears very little makeup. She's got dark circles under eyes and her lips are chapped. She keeps her head down and disappears into the bathroom to cry frequently. She's withdrawn herself from the team as much as she can. Garcia agrees with me."

Morgan inhaled. "All right," he allowed. "I've noticed that. But that's not proof."

"Victoria has been feeling insecure about herself. She just told me she hates herself. Does that sound like the Victoria we know?" Spencer continued.

"No, but she could've been hiding those feelings," said Morgan.

"She practically admitted it to me just now." Spencer added.

Morgan pressed his lips together. "Okay, that… That changes things."

"You've said you think Korey is suspicious and I agreed. He's a jealous narcissist, Morgan. I went over to Victoria's house once to hang out with her brothers and Korey threatened to beat me up if he ever found out that Victoria and I were sleeping together. We're not, of course. Korey is hurting her emotionally. I bet if we asked Victoria to roll up her shirt sleeves, she'd have bruises on her arms." Spencer said, shaking his hands.

Morgan raised a hand, palm forward. "Calm down, Reid. What was Victoria's reaction to your accusations of Korey?"

Spencer frowned and recalled how Victoria'd looked at him with a distinct jerk of her head and how her face had drained of color. "She looked terrified," he muttered. "And surprised that I'd guessed. She didn't try to deny it, either," Spencer continued, staring at the floor. Who else would want to be with me, Spencer? …Me. "I think she believes she deserves this."

Morgan frowned. "Why?"

"She said, 'Who else would want to be with me, Spencer?' She thinks that Korey is her only choice." said Spencer.

Morgan tilted his head. "Is he?"

Spencer frowned. His face jerked into spasm before composing. "Maeve and I talked for ten months. But I knew Victoria first. Not much longer than Maeve, only by a few months. And… She became my best friend. And then Maeve… I felt like she understood me, you know? She could say geeky jokes and I would understand and vice versa… I fell in love with Maeve pretty quickly. But I was also kind of conflicted about it." Spencer blew out a heavy breath. He hadn't told anyone this.

"Why did you feel conflicted, man?" Morgan murmured.

"Because I constantly felt like I was cheating on Victoria, even though we weren't and aren't together." Spencer admitted.

Morgan drew back, his eyebrows shooting up. "You love her, don't you?"

"I don't know," Spencer whimpered. He sank into a chair. "With Victoria, it's different than it was with Maeve. I guess it was sort of… exciting with Maeve. There was a lot of mystery. I didn't know what she looked like until… Well, you know that. I never knew what she was going to say. She kept me on my toes. But with Victoria… It's subtle. I feel… She's home. I can relax with her. When I yelled at her after Maeve's death, it was because… I felt like I'd been cheating on Maeve with her, too. And I didn't want to feel okay because it was my fault Maeve died and I knew Victoria would make me feel better and I didn't want that so I pushed her away and…"

"Reid, Reid, Reid, whoa," said Morgan, holding up his hands. "What happened to Maeve was not your fault. What happened is in the past, man. You're better now. If you think you love Victoria… Go for it. Don't give up, man. I think you're right about Korey. Save her from him, Reid."

Spencer blinked back tears. "I don't know how," he said. "She doesn't want me to."

"Don't give up. She'll come around. Don't feel guilty about Maeve. It wasn't your fault. You really think she felt that way?" Morgan said.

Spencer tried to blink the tears back, but one escaped. "No," he muttered. He looked up at Morgan. "I don't want Victoria to get hurt."

"Neither do I, kid. So don't let it happen." Morgan replied.

Spencer looked at his hands. Don't let it happen. Don't let it happen. Don't let it happen. "I won't."

…

Victoria waited in the parking lot at Quantico for Korey to pick her up. Her car was currently at the shop, hence the waiting. She watched for the bright headlights of Korey's black Cadillac. She sensed someone walking toward her. She didn't have to look to know it was Spencer.

"Hey," Spencer murmured.

"Hi," Victoria replied.

"I'm sorry." Spencer said.

Victoria looked at him. "For what?"

"For what I said last night." said Spencer.

Victoria lowered her gaze. "You were being honest. You have nothing to apologize for." She turned away. She could see a black Cadillac pulling up.

"I could've said it better," said Spencer.

"It's fine, Spencer." said Victoria, without looking at him. She started to walk toward Korey's car.

Spencer caught her by the elbow. Victoria looked at him. "I… I'm sorry."

Victoria softened. "It's okay. You were honest. That's more than Korey gives me."

Spencer looked pained. "So leave him."

Victoria pursed her lips. "I can't."

"Can't or won't?" Spencer shot back.

Victoria closed her eyes. "Please, don't do this."

"Is there a problem here?" Korey's voice sent Victoria's heart racing. She opened her eyes. Spencer let go of her arm. It dropped to her side.

"Hi Korey," said Spencer. His voice cracked slightly. Victoria glanced at him. Her lashes were wet with tears she'd held back.

"Dr. Reid," Korey returned coldly. He turned to Victoria. "You ready?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

"Hey, guys," called Morgan. "The rest of us are going out for drinks. Wanna come?"

"Sure," said Spencer.

"I don't know, I kind of just want to go home." said Victoria.

"Let's go for a drink." Korey urged.

Victoria looked at him, trembling. His hard blue eyes stared back. Victoria drew a quivering breath and braved a smile. "Sure. Why not?" she said, turning to look at Morgan.

"Great. We're going to The Stage." said Morgan.

Victoria dipped her head. "Okay." She slid into Korey's car.

"What did Dr. Reid want?" Korey asked, hopping into the driver's seat.

For me to break up with you. "Just making sure I'm okay." Victoria responded monotonously.

"Why wouldn't you be?" Korey asked, steering the car down the street.

Victoria shrugged. "I've just been stressed at work. There's a guy replicating cases we've solved, so we're all just a little on edge."

"You've been staying late at work once a week," said Korey. "Is it because of this guy replicating the crimes?"

"No," said Victoria. She wasn't going to lie. "A team member watched someone they love die right in front of them. I've been counseling them."

"It's Dr. Reid, isn't it?" said Korey.

"Yeah," said Victoria. Korey pulled up to the club. Victoria moved to grab her purse.

"Don't get out of the car just yet," said Korey. Victoria stiffened. She pulled away from her purse. "You love him, don't you?"

Victoria looked at Korey, her eyes wide. "N-no," she lied.

"Don't fucking lie to me," Korey seethed. Victoria just stared at him. "If you break up with me for that skinny ass motherfucker, I will beat the ever living fuck out of him." Korey got out of the car. Victoria let out a long, shivering breath. She panted, trying to let the anxiety attack drift away. She gasped for breath for a while longer and then got out of the car.

…

Spencer made his way over to Victoria, who was standing in the corner. They'd been there for about an hour and Victoria had retreated to the corner about twenty minutes ago. Korey was off dancing. Spencer scowled when he saw some girl grinding on Korey. "Hey." Spencer greeted Victoria.

She smiled at him. "Hey," she replied. She sounded tired.

"Not having fun?" Spencer asked, grinning.

Victoria chuckled. "I'm more of a stay-at-home-and-watch-Netflix kind of girl."

"I know," Spencer chortled. His humor faded. "Are you okay? I know I've been asking that a lot, but… I'm worried about you."

Victoria pursed her lips. "No, I'm not." Her eyes welled with tears. Spencer widened his eyes.

"Why are you still with him? He's hurting you and I hate seeing you like this." he muttered.

Victoria inhaled, staring up at the ceiling, holding back her tears. "There are moments where I see a different side to him. Moments where it feels magical. Moments where… It makes it all worth it."

Spencer shook his head. "Victoria, that isn't realistic. You're very smart. But this… This isn't smart of you. You're going to get hurt. You're already hurting."

Victoria looked at the floor. "You don't know everything, Spencer."

"I never said I did." Spencer protested.

"You didn't have to," Victoria snapped, looking up. "Just leave it alone, okay? This is my relationship. Stop meddling in it!" Spencer opened his mouth to retort, but he was interrupted by Korey shimmying over and promptly squeezing Victoria's rear. She wheeled around, her cheeks flaming and her eyes flashing. "Don't you ever fucking do that again!" she snarled. Spencer's eyes stretched open in unison with Korey's. Victoria seemed surprised at herself. She took a moment to compose herself. "I'm going home. I'll call a cab." she said. With that, she left the club.

Korey watched her go. "She's such a fucking buzzkill."

"Shouldn't you go and make sure she's okay?" Spencer responded coolly.

Korey rolled his eyes and waved a dismissive hand. "I don't want to deal with that cunt right now."

Spencer watched Korey return to the dance floor. He grinned and grinded on the girl and nipped at her ear. Some of the other team members noticed and made faces. But Spencer backed out of the club and went after Victoria. It wasn't enough for Korey to belittle Victoria, no, he had to cheat on her too? Spencer pursed his lips and looked around outside. Victoria was sitting on the curb, sobbing. Spencer gazed at her with rounded eyes and parted lips. He shuffled over to her and sank down beside her.

"Victoria…" he muttered.

Victoria sniffled. "W-when I was thirteen, my p-parents split up," she said. "My dad h-had cheated on my mom. B-but he showed that h-he was m-more of a monster than we could've imagined," Victoria put her face in her hands. "H-he turned to me. M-my dad molested me."

Spencer gaped at her. "You never told me that."

Victoria laughed bitterly. "It's not something I can just bring up," she said. "It was never… He never… He grabbed my ass a lot and 'accidentally' walked in on me changing or showering… It never got to the point where it escalated to more. That's why… That's why I snapped at Korey just now."

Spencer moved to put an arm around Victoria's shoulders. He hesitated, then decided she needed him more than he feared her rejection. He pulled her close. "I'm so sorry." he murmured.

"It's not your fault." Victoria whispered.

"Let me drive you home." Spencer said. He felt Victoria nod against his shoulder. He helped her to her feet and led her to the car. They were silent the whole drive to Victoria's house. She'd been molested? Korey was willing to cheat on her and break her spirit. She hated herself. Victoria was breaking, right before his eyes. And there was nothing he could do about it. He felt so helpless. How was he supposed to make her see that she didn't deserve what Korey was putting her through?

He glanced at her. She was staring out the window into the darkness. He did love her. It wasn't supposed to have been that way, but it was. He didn't love her the same way he loved Maeve, and that was okay. He felt that his love for Victoria… Well, it wouldn't burn out too quickly. He loved her and all her jagged, broken pieces of her soul. She'd been right in front of him the whole time he'd been loving a girl whose face he'd never seen. He didn't regret loving Maeve. He didn't regret it at all. But he regretted not realizing that Victoria had been right before his eyes all along. He pulled into Victoria's driveway. He walked her to the door. But he was in no hurry to leave.

"Thank you." Victoria croaked. She stared at Spencer's tie. She seemed to be refusing to meet his eyes.

"Has Korey hit you?" Spencer demanded.

"No." Victoria muttered.

"Not yet," Spencer sighed.

Victoria looked up at him. "We need to stay away from each other."

Spencer widened his eyes. No. No, no, no. "What?"

"Korey… He doesn't want us near each other so much." Victoria muttered.

Spencer's eyes burned. "You're staying with him?"

Victoria shrugged. "I guess."

"Victoria, he's abusive. He pressures you into sex. He has torn you apart and I'm pretty sure he's cheating on you, too! Those feelings you have for him? They're not going to last! It's all just fantasy! You're playing a deadly game by being so naïve!" Spencer yelled.

Victoria closed her eyes. Spencer watched her cheeks glisten as tears slid down to her chin. "There's more to it."

"Victoria, please, tell me. Let me help you. Maeve wouldn't let me help her… And…" Spencer swallowed and blinked back tears. "Please, let me help you."

Victoria opened her eyes. "Spencer Reid, drop it!" she shouted.

Spencer pursed his lips. "He's horrible to you ninety percent of the time. And then he does something good, and all of that horribleness vanishes. The good is all you see, because he's beaten you down so much you don't know how twisted and poisonous your relationship is. You were once able to see that. What changed?"

"You just don't understand!" Victoria seethed.
"Why? Because my girlfriend was killed right in front of me?" Spencer retorted. Victoria didn't answer. "You're mistaking lust and infatuation and fear for love. It's immature and it's going to get you hurt."

Victoria crossed her arms. "Just stop! Stop it! There's more to it!"

"Then explain it to me! Because it seems pretty simple to me!" Spencer snapped.

"I can't." Victoria insisted, her voice trembling.

Spencer huffed. "Fine. Stay with him," he barked. Victoria flinched. "But you're right. We need to stay away from each other. I can't watch you do this to yourself."

"What do you mean?" Victoria whispered.

"Just… Stay away from me, all right? You're torturing yourself. I've tried to stop you and you won't let me. So just… keep your distance. Goodbye, Victoria." Spencer's voice broke on Victoria's name. He turned away, his whole body shivering. He got into his car. He looked into his rearview mirror, watching Victoria shrink as he drove away.

…

Guest: Thanks for the review!

cassari: Haha, thank you! I'm glad you love it!

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Thank you guys so much for the reviews! They really do encourage me to write more, getting your feedback. Let's me know what I'm doing right/wrong. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I stayed up till the wee hours writing it when I should be doing my English homework… Lol hooray for procrastination. Let me know what you guys thought! Sorry for the language. _