Yo
So, uh, my name is Nick and I'm a typing sub for Chles cuz the ditz didn't realize that Bunsen burners tend to be a little hot to the touch. So Megs decided that as punishment for accidentally erasing three of the playlists off of her iPod, I'd be replacing Chels. Not fun.
Oh, and something I noticed when I read over Chels's note: She called Meg by her real name, while on the profile thingy it says her name is Louise. Just to clear up any confusion, her name IS Megan, her nickname is Louise. IDK why, so don't ask me.
Meg/Loui wld like you all to kno that she is doin alright. Therapy's goin well- she's cooperating fully. They want to keep her in for a few more days, just to be sure. After that they're probably gonna make her go to weekly sessions. You are all being informed of this because in between classes and the sessions, writing 'ill probably be at a minimum.
Also, 'thank you's go out to Full-Empty-Spirit, cakeface, Kimi2109 and Terra21. Your well wishes were and still are much appreciated.
So without further-a-due: The 'real' 11th chapter of Paradise: Lost and Found (I get the title btw! =D) as written by redblackroses23 and typed comma for comma by her unwilling slave, Nick.
Enjoy.
Briana gently stirred her coffee in the small break room, acutely aware of everything that was going on behind in her in the bullpen. Emily was just getting settled in, tossing her bag in the seat and shrugging off her jacket. Spencer was talking with Garcia- probably about some classic book that was three-thousand pages long and Morgan...
Not there?
"Where the..." Briana whispered to herself, turning around to face her colleagues. Emily was at her desk. Spencer and Garcia were talking and laughing. Hotch was in his office- as was Rossi. and Morgan wasn't anywhere in sight.
Confused, she set her coffee on the counter and stared towards the pen. As she was walking, Emily looked up in her direction and brought her brows together in confusion.
'Why is she con-'
"SONOFABITCH!"
Heart racing and Warp 9, Briana spun around and glared at whoever it was that had the thought to tickle her. The glare, however, didn't seem to work on the cackling Derek Morgan.
She continued to glare at him while threating, "So help me, Morgan, if I had been holding my coffee God himself wouldn't have been able to save you."
"Come on," He urged with a playful smile, "It was just a joke."
"And how hilarious it was. Never do it again." She replied, picking up her coffee and walking out of the room.
Morgan followed.
"I actually wanted to talk to you about something," He called out while chasing after her.
Sometimes being a fast-walker had it's advantages.
"About?" She called back. Focusing her eyes on her office door, she made it clear to him that she was only half-interested in what he had to say.
"Look," He started, having finally caught up to her, "I know I was a jerk and I'm sorry. I'm not going to tell you that I'm not normally like that because- circumstances repeated- I'd probably act the same way. But I will tell you that I am a decent guy and I think you'll see if you just give me a second chance."
Briana sighed before facing him. "Listen Morgan, there are two things that will keep me from giving you a fresh start. 1- I don't believe in second chances. I think you're first impression of person is usually correct. If the second impression is that same, than the impression was more than likely spot on. My first impression of you was a whiny ass. My second impression was a whiny ass. My third was-"
"Let me guess." Morgan interrupted, " 'A whiny ass'?"
"No," She debunked with a feigned smile, "An egotistical ass."
"Cute."
"Not really." She said with an eye roll. "Annoying actually."
"Alright, so that's you're first reason, what's your second?"
"I am in no way interested in you."
"Yeah, you've made that clear." He expressed, exasperated.
"Yup." She confirmed, opening her door and moving into her office.
Again, Morgan followed.
"But I'm not talking about that." He tried, "I saw you Reid last night and I'm happy for you guys, I really am and I hope you guys last. I'm not after a romantic relationship, I just want to be friends."
"Fine."
"Really?"
"Yup."
"Sweet. Hey, we're all going to a local bar tomorrow night, you wanna join?"
"Who's 'we all'?" Briana asked sceptically. Morgan, Garcia and Emily seemed to be the only ones on the team that she could see enjoying a night on the town. With their company, she predicated Emily flirting with some random guy, Morgan chasing tail and Garcia talking about Morgan nonstop. Maybe she was wrong and they'd be good company, but maybe she was right and they'd be awful company and she'd hate every minute of it. Having been the third, fifth and sometimes seventh wheel throughout her entire high-school career, she was not willing to risk it.
"The whole team, surprisingly."
"Surprisingly?"
"Yeah," He told her, "It's a rare occasion, so I suggest you don't miss it."
Briana chuckled. "I'll think about it. But I make no promises."
"Good enough!" Morgan semi-shouted with a smile.
"Alright," she smiled, "I suggest you go to work now."
"Why?"
She nodded over by the glass doors, where a very PMS-y looking Strauss stood.
"Shit," he whispered, "Alright, I'll talk to you later."
"Later." She called, walking into her office and closing the door.
Around lunch time, there was a knock on Briana's door.
"Come in." She called from her spot in front of an open file.
Timid and shy, Spencer slowly opened her office door and stepped in.
"Hey."
"Hey," She smiled, setting her pen down and giving her...boyfriend?...her full attention.
"I saw you and Morgan talking this morning."
"Oh yeah," She waved off, "He was apologizing for being an ass and invited me to go out with the team tomorrow night to some bar."
"Are you going?" He asked.
She gave it a quick thought before replying. "I don't really know yet. Are you?"
"I don't think so." He shrugged, "It's not really my thing."
"Alright," She accepted, "So do you wanna do anything else tomorrow?" She asked him, hoping she didn't come off as nervous as she really was.
It didn't really help her nerves when he looked at her in shock.
"What?" She asked, and she could've sworn her voice wavered a bit. Please let that have been my imagination.
"You're not going with the team?"
Oh, thank God.
"No," She replied simply, relieved that he wasn't appalled at her asking him out again, "Not if you're not. I don't know anyone else on the team well enough to feel comfortable around them."
"But how do you expect to get closer to them if you don't interact?"
"I don't. I never expected to get close to any of you. It was pure coincidence that we live in the same building. If we hadn't, I doubt we would have gone out together so fast, if at all." She told him truthfully while gauging his reaction. She was well aware that what she said could be offensive, but it was the truth. And she refused to censor the truth.
"But still..." he finally tried.
"No 'but's. I barely have fun going out with my best friends, why would I enjoy going out with a bunch of people I hardly know?"
"Because they make it fun."
"Then why don't you go?"
Silence.
Gotchya.
"Exactly." She said triumphantly, going back to her files.
...
"Fine." He said after a few minutes of silence.
"Fine?"
"I'll go if you go."
Bitch! She screeched in her mind, but kept a straight outer face.
She knew what he was doing. He was challenging her. Fine, he wants to play that game, fine. Just fine. She'll play the game with him, fine!
"Fine." she said steadily.
"Fine." He smiled.
"Fine." She repeated, a little louder.
Spencer chuckled and started to leave her office. "Fine."
"Fine!"
The door shut behind him.
-Spencer's POV-
She strode through the bullpen, confidence surrounding her as per usual.
And Morgan following her around as per usual.
Spencer chuckled to himself when Briana sped up.
Her hair bounced on her shoulders, the blood-red tendrils standing out against the black, striped vest and candy red top. She walked faster than most, but never looked to be in a hurry. She just seemed, otherworldly. Filled with grace and purpose at all times, she always seems to have this...angelic air about her. Like, regardless of how busy or stressed she was, some part of her was at peace.
Flashback
"What the fuck, you little dickwad!" Briana cursed at a pickup truck that had cut her off. She flipped the truck off, causing what little control Spencer had on his laughter to be lost.
"What?" She asked over his laughter, "The guy's a bitch!"
End Flashback
Even in her moment of classic road rage, Spencer couldn't help but think that she was still in some form of peace. Maybe he was just imagining it.
"Hey Reid." Emily called from her desk. He turned to her and raised his eyebrows in question.
"You going tomorrow?"
He quickly looked to Briana's office door.
"She's going."
Spencer's ears perked up.
"Really?"
She smirked. "No idea. Maybe you could talk her into it."
He looked back up into the office and sighed. They were at work, meaning they probably shouldn't do anything couply. But no one knew they were a couple. He doesn't even know if they are, so would it be okay to talk about non-work related things at work? Well, why not? He used to do it all the time with JJ.
He and JJ would goof off all the time and they rarely got in trouble.
In fact, there was this one time-
"Reid?"
He snapped out of his daze at Emily's voice.
He looked form her face and back to the door. As he starred at it, a strange sense of guilt washed over, and he didn't know why.
"I'll go talk to her at lunch."
-Still Spencer's POV-
He walked towards her office- the guilt returning, hitting him like a god-damned lighting bolt. Howeverm he was at the door before he had time to contemplate it.
He knocked and a muffled 'Come in' rang through.
The guilt still with him, he gingerly opened the door and greeted her.
"Hey." She responded, and he was awestruck. She turned to him, her white skin glowing against her beautiful crimson hair. Her eyes- a light blue right now- danced with curiosity.
Feeling like an idiot just standing there, he realized he had to say something. Now.
"I saw you and Morgan talking this morning."
"Oh, yeah." She blew off. "He was apologizing for being an ass and invited me to go out with the team tomorrow night to some bar."
It was then that he remembered his purpose for being here.
"Are you going?"
There were a few moments of silent contemplation before she said, "I don't really know yet. Are you?"
"I don't think so." He shrugged, "It's not really my thing."
"Alright," She accepted, "So do you wanna do anything else tomorrow?" She asked him. He could tell she was scared. Her voice was an octave or two higher than normal and it cracked slightly half way through the question. He thought it was adorable.
"What?" Her questioned brought him back to reality, and he instantly felt horrible. There was small quiver in her voice, the kind you hear before someone starts crying. And just the thought of her crying angered him. And the thought of making her cry? Well, that was just too much.
He recovered quickly.
"You're not going with the team?"
"No," She replied simply,her voice regaining it's natural confidence. Good. That's better. "Not if you're not. I don't know anyone else on the team well enough to feel comfortable around them."
That threw him.
"But how do you expect to get closer to them if you don't interact?"
"I don't. I never expected to get close to any of you. It was pure coincidence that we live in the same building. If we hadn't, I doubt we would have gone out together so fast, if at all."
Okay, he understood that. Hell, he had to agree.
"But still..." he finally tried.
"No 'but's. I barely have fun going out with my best friends, why would I enjoy going out with a bunch of people I hardly know?"
"Because they make it fun." He attempted. It was the truth. Sort of. Sometimes they make it fun, and sometimes it's hell. Morgan would sometimes hang out with him, and sometimes ditch him. Emily would occasionally talk Star Trek with him, and occasionally go grind some random guy on the dance floor. Garcia was fine, but eventually she'd leave him to go home to Kevin. Hotch and Rossi really weren't any fun. Before, the only time he would go out with them is if JJ went with. She'd usually stay with him if everyone else ditched him. That's why he liked her so much. She's always there for him-
"Then why don't you go?"
Briana's question interrupted his thoughts, and brought on that awful guilty feeling again.
He didn't really have a response. Not one that would make her want to go out with them.
"Exactly." She said triumphantly, going back to her files.
Damnit. He had to think of something. He wanted her to get closer to the team, but he just couldn't come up with a way to convince her to-
Wait one second.
He had an idea.
"Fine."
"Fine?" She asked?
"I'll go if you go."
Rage flashed through her eyes and he had to repress a laugh.
"Fine." she said steadily.
"Fine." He smiled.
"Fine." She repeated, a little louder.
Spencer chuckled and started to leave her office. "Fine."
"Fine!"
He laughed when the door shut behind him.
I was actually s'pose to have this done about a week ago, but I'm lazy. IDK when the next chappy of the other story will be up, but hopefully I wont have to be the one to type it.
So, just a reminder. I am Nick, filling in for Chels, who is typing for Meg/Loui/redblackroses23 while she is hospitalized and undergoing therapy.
Meg is very grateful for evry1's kind words and well-wishes and she apologizes for the inconvenience. I personally think that's BS, cuz if anyone here is so self-centered that you'd rather have an innocent person suffer in their personal hell just so you can read some story, then you can choke on my dick and die, cuz the world dont need ya.
But for those of you actually concerned about her, thank you and she is doin ok right now. She's being a good girl and bein honest with the psychiatrist and doctors and everything and she hopes to be up and runnin soon.
