Nelson's Sparrow
"Wow. This place straight up sucks." Emily said, looking around Victoria's apartment.
"I've stayed in motels in worse condition," Victoria said, shrugging. "Besides, you should've seen this place before I cleaned it up and added my own flair to it."
"I can only imagine," said Emily, her face wrinkling in disgust. "You ready?"
"Yep," Victoria chirped. "I like your shirt, by the way."
Emily glanced down at her crimson top. "Thanks. Online shopping is the best. I like your dress."
"Is it too much?" Victoria asked, looking down at it. The sequin, emerald dress was definitely eye-catching, but Emily had said the place they were going to required more formal attire.
"No, it's great. Let's go. Sarah, Anita and Rhonda are waiting in the car." said Emily.
"Okay," Victoria replied. She grabbed her handbag and hurried out of her apartment with Emily. Two weeks had passed since Victoria's arrival, and Emily's team was really starting to warm up to her. Well, Anita still had her issues, but at least she wasn't being an outright bitch anymore. Rhonda was shy, but after Victoria had promised to help set the raven-haired techie up with Reyes, she opened up. Sarah was still ever so friendly, always happy to help. Victoria was really enjoying herself with Emily's team. All of them, Anita included, were really intriguing people. They'd gone out to dinner every night since Victoria's first sessions with the team. It was a team-building exercise. Victoria had only initially planned on maybe three dinners, but the team was now initiating it themselves. It was becoming a tradition.
Victoria took a selfie with Sarah, Emily, Rhonda and Anita and then sent it to Spencer, just to let him know she was okay. She knew he was probably asleep, but she still wanted to make sure he knew she hadn't forgotten about him. Once they arrived at the club, the girls shuffled inside and looked for Ethan and Reyes. They found them on the other side with a tall table and barstools. "Drinks are on us, ladies!" Ethan announced, passing out shot glasses. His eyes roved over Victoria. "You are looking stunning, m'lady."
Victoria rolled her eyes. She accepted the glass and took a swig of tequila. The alcohol burned her throat and reminded her vaguely of vomit. She gagged and ordered herself a weaker, fruitier drink. "I forgot how much I hate tequila by itself."
"Come on, can't hold your alcohol?" Ethan teased.
"No!" Victoria laughed. She felt herself being ushered onto the dance floor. Ethan rocked his hips and drew her close. Victoria hopped away, giggling as she bumped into Emily. "I think Ethan is trying to dry-hump my leg!" Victoria announced.
"Need me to swat him off?" Emily asked, swaying to the beat.
"No, I can handle it." Victoria replied. She wasn't going to lie, she was flattered that such an attractive guy like Ethan was hitting on her. But she loved Spencer. Victoria rocked to the beat, laughing at her own horrible dancing skills. Her smile faded when she noticed Anita sitting all by herself at the bar. Victoria left the dance floor and sat beside her.
"Go away." Anita muttered.
"Hi! How are you? Goo? I'm great, thanks for asking." Victoria replied sarcastically.
Anita scowled. "I'm not playing your little team building game of party the night away."
"I'm not asking you to," said Victoria, "I just thought you looked a bit lonely over here."
"Well, I'm not, so you can leave." Anita replied.
"I think I'll stay. I'm not really fit for a dance floor, if you know what I mean." Victoria argued.
"What do you want, Parker?" Anita hissed.
Victoria looked at her. "To help," she said. Anita rolled her eyes. "I'm hoping that we can be friends."
"Do you ever give up?" Anita snapped.
"Nope," Victoria chirped.
"Well, you should." sneered Anita. She got up and left the bar, disappearing into the crowd. Victoria sighed, watching her go.
"Two shots of tequila," said a voice. Victoria turned to see Emily slide into Anita's empty seat. "She giving you a hard time?"
"Oh no, we were having a grand old time." Victoria muttered.
Emily swigged her shot and grimaced. "She'll come around."
"I don't know," Victoria grumbled, "she's wounding my ego." She drained her glass. The fiery beverage seared her throat again. Victoria shuddered.
"Do you even have an ego?" Emily teased.
Victoria laughed. "Touche."
"How's Reid?" Emily queried.
"Sleeping," Victoria replied, "but he's doing well. It feels really weird, being away from the team."
"You're telling me," said Emily.
"Do you ever regret leaving?" Victoria asked.
Emily was quiet for a long time. "No," she decided, "but I do miss them."
"I feel disconnected." Victoria muttered.
"I understand. And I know Anita's difficult." Emily said, shaking her head.
"She's a hard shell to crack," Victoria allowed, "but so was Morgan. And Rossi. And Hotch. And Spence. And JJ. None of them were quite as rude, but they were all difficult in their own right."
"You'll get it." Emily assured Victoria. She patted Victoria on the back and headed back to the dance floor. Victoria smiled and joined her. After several songs of dancing (which was really just a bunch of jumping up and down), Victoria headed out to call a cab. She was extremely tired and her bed was calling her name. She exited the club and dialed the taxi service. After getting off the phone with the service, she received a text from Spencer. She looked at it.
You look beautiful.
Victoria smiled, though it was somewhat bittersweet. She texted back a thank you and waited for the cab to show up. "Hey." said a voice.
Victoria turned, her eyebrows shooting up at Anita. "Hey."
Anita had her hands in her coat pockets. "Why have you not given up on me? I've been such a bitch to you."
Victoria shrugged. "You're going through a lot right now."
"That shouldn't excuse my actions." Anita retorted.
Victoria narrowed her eyes. "I've learned a lot over the years. And something that I've learned is to always look for the good in people, no matter how much of the bad I see. A little bit of kindness goes a long way."
Anita looked at the ground. "Who taught you that?"
"A very good friend of mine named Penelope." Victoria said, smiling.
"One of your BAU friends?" Anita asked.
"Yeah." Victoria said. She felt a pang of homesickness.
"You miss them?" Anita queried.
"Yeah," Victoria said.
Anita poked her cheek with her tongue. "Look, I get that you don't have to be here. Anyone else could've taken the job, but Prentiss requested you, and you came. I… I realize that must've been hard to do."
"What made you realize this? Did Emily talk to you?" Victoria asked suspiciously.
"No," said Anita, hesitating. She worked her jaw. "I overheard your conversation with her."
"How?" Victoria demanded.
"What can I say, I'm good at my job." Anita said, extending her arms slightly.
Victoria chuckled. "Yeah, you are."
Anita sighed. "Look, I'm willing to give this a try if you are willing to not treat me like a trauma victim."
"I can do that." Victoria said. Anita dipped her head.
"Somebody call the police! It's illegal to look that good!" cried a man. Victoria and Anita glanced at him as he swaggered over, bringing his drunken stench with him.
"Go somewhere people actually want you." Anita snapped.
The man grinned toothily and turned to Victoria. "They say kissing's the language of love. Wanna have a conversation?" He leaned down, his mouth hanging open.
Victoria pushed him back. "No thanks, I have a boyfriend."
"And I have a pet goldfish." said the man.
"What the hell are you on about?" Anita snarled.
"Well, I thought we were talking about things that don't matter." said the man.
"Very clever," Victoria scoffed, "but back off before you hurt yourself."
"I'm just looking for some fun," said the man, grabbing Victoria by the waist.
"I said back the fuck off!" Victoria yelled, shoving the man back.
He held up his hands. "Whoa, I don't want any trouble. Maybe your friend and I could have at it instead. I won't disappoint."
Anita marched up to him. She reached down and grabbed the man's sensitives roughly. He let out a whimper. "You've already been a huge disappointment. Now get out of here before I yank off your peaches!"
The man scampered off, cursing Victoria and Anita. Victoria turned to Anita, grinning. "That was awesome."
Anita smirked. "Remind me to get you enrolled in Ethan's self-defense class. You could use it."
"Okay." Victoria said, blinking spastically. Her cab pulled up. Victoria clambered inside. She waved farewell to Anita, who headed back into the club with her head down.
…
Spencer pulled up to the cabin and shut off the engine to his car. He stared at the old place, not ready to get out of the car. He closed his eyes for a moment longer than necessary before getting out. He headed inside to find the team gathered round a body, which was covered with a sheet. Everyone stared at it with similar expressions of shock and sorrow. Spencer's lip trembled as he fought back the urge to cry.
Garcia and Morgan entered the house, too. There was a moment of silence. "Is… Are you sure?" Garcia whispered.
Spencer looked at Hotch, hoping that he was wrong. But Hotch inclined his head slightly. "It's Gideon." he confirmed.
Spencer felt his eyes fill with tears. Not wanting the team to see him cry, he turned and stormed out of the cabin.
…
Victoria closed her eyes and waited for Ethan to attack. She opened them when she felt Ethan try and wrap his arm around her neck. She grabbed his arm with both hands and bucked her hips out. Ethan's balance teetered. Victoria dropped to one knee, yanking on Ethan's arm as she did so. Ethan's body rolled over hers and he landed flat on his back, sprawled on the floor. He grinned. "Well done, love. You have successfully mastered the art of the judo-flip." he said.
Victoria smiled, pleased with herself. She reached down to help Ethan stand. "Thanks again for teaching me."
"Not a problem," said Ethan. "Every woman should know how to defend herself. We live in a shitty world."
"It's not all bad," Victoria said, taking a gulp of water. Ethan grinned.
"It's not," he agreed. "Go shower because you stink."
"So charming," Victoria teased. She grabbed her things and headed for the locker room. She showered quickly and then got dressed. She did her makeup and headed for the elevator. Ethan had been teaching her self-defense every day for the past week and a half. Victoria was glad it was starting to pay off. Victoria walked into the bullpen, passing Anita's desk as she did so.
"Hey, Parker. Are we still on for girl's night tonight?" Anita asked.
"Of course," said Victoria. The two were by no means close friends, but they had managed to become acquainted with one another, making a habit of hanging out when they could. Victoria kind of liked Anita's spunk, when it wasn't directed at her. Victoria headed for her office, but Emily waved Victoria over. Frowning, Victoria changed course and strode over to Emily's office.
"Something's come up." Emily announced grimly, sitting at her desk.
Victoria frowned and took a seat across from Emily. "What's up?"
"Hotch called today," Emily said. Victoria felt her heart sink.
"What's wrong? Are they okay?" she demanded.
"No one's hurt," Emily assured Victoria. "Well… Gideon was murdered. They're working the case now."
Victoria felt her jaw drop. Spencer was probably devastated… "Oh, no."
"Hotch said that they need you to come back in for a week or two, just to make sure they're okay." Emily said.
Victoria blinked. "Can I do that?"
Emily chuckled. "You're not a prisoner, Victoria. Of course you can."
"When can I leave?" Victoria asked.
"Whenever you want. I've arranged everything for you." Emily said.
"Thanks," Victoria said. "Let's do girl's night tonight, but I want to leave tomorrow."
"Sounds good to me." Emily replied.
Victoria tried calling Spencer several times, but he wouldn't pick up. So, she called Penelope, who answered on the first ring. "You've heard." Penelope cried.
"Yeah, I heard," said Victoria. "How are you?"
"I'm okay," said Penelope. "I'm here with JJ. Let me put you on speaker."
"Hey, Parker." JJ greeted.
"Hey," Victoria replied. "You guys okay?"
"Yeah. It's weird. We're sitting in his house and… It's just weird." said JJ.
"We're also eating his mint chocolate chip ice cream because we haven't eaten in a freakishly long time." said Penelope.
Victoria chuckled. "Save me some. I could use some ice cream. Sounds like you guys are okay, then. What about Spence?"
"Well… He's… Being Spence. You know how he is with loss." JJ said.
"Yeah," Victoria sighed. "Listen, give everyone my love, but I've gotta go."
"Okay. Love you." Penelope said.
"Love you, V." JJ added.
"Love you guys, too." Victoria said. She hung up and sighed. Of course Spencer was withdrawing. That was just how he coped with loss. Unfortunately, it made things difficult for the people who loved him. Victoria spent the rest of the day typing up reports and checking her phone every ten seconds to see if Spencer had contacted her. He never did.
Her heart sinking, Victoria packed up her things. She could use a girls' night in. She headed to her apartment and got ready, slipping on her favorite jeans, UGG boots and Ravenclaw hoodie. Then, she waited for Sarah to pick her up. Sarah showed, blaring her indie music and singing at the top of her lungs. Victoria braved a smile as she climbed into the car. Sarah drove to Anita's apartment, which was incredibly nice. It had a modern feel to it, with white leather couches and a rectangular, white ottoman.
"Wine?" Emily called. Victoria glanced toward the kitchen, where Emily sat at a tall table with a wine bottle, a full glass and three empty ones.
"Pizza's almost ready." said Anita from the kitchen. She was doubled over, peeking into the oven.
"No rush," Victoria assured her. "And yes to the wine."
"So," chirped Sarah to Rhonda as she accepted a glass of wine from Emily, "I hear you and Reyes are going out now?"
Rhonda blushed. "Y-yeah, we are."
"That's great! It's about time." said Sarah.
"I had to remind them fraternization policies, but my opinion is that if they liked each other before and handled the field professionally, they can do it as a couple." said Emily.
"Sarah, are you dating anyone?" Victoria asked, taking a sip of Moscato.
"Oh, no. I'm taking a break from that whole dating thing." said Sarah.
"I hear ya," said Emily, raising her glass. She leaned toward the kitchen. "What about you, Anita?"
"Just a second," Anita snapped, pulling the pizza from the oven. She set the pizza on the stovetop. She walked over and poured herself a glass of wine. "I've been seeing someone."
"Really?" Victoria demanded.
Anita scowled. "Don't act like it's such a big surprise, Parker."
"Well, you're just so welcoming, I find it hard to believe this hasn't happened sooner." Victoria retorted scathingly.
"Ha, ha," Anita drawled. "He's French and amazing in bed. That's all I'm saying."
"Are you guys exclusive?" Sarah asked.
"Not yet," said Anita. "We haven't reached that point. I think the only person here who is in a serious relationship is Parker."
Victoria bit her lip. "I don't know if we're serious."
"You haven't talked about it?" Sarah demanded.
"Well, we've said we see a future together, yeah. But he's not going out and getting a ring anytime soon. We haven't even been together a year yet." said Victoria.
"But you've known each forever," said Emily, "and you were close before you started dating. I honestly thought you two were in a secret relationship until you told me about Korey."
Victoria grimaced. "I'd rather forget about him."
"Who?" Rhonda piped up innocently.
"My ex," Victoria stated.
"Her abusive, tried-to-kill-her-and-tortured-her ex." Anita clarified.
"Whoa." Rhonda said.
"Yeah." Victoria muttered. She stared into her wine glass, her thoughts drifting to Spencer. Why couldn't he just call her back? Surely he wasn't that busy with the case… Victoria knew Spencer too well to know it wasn't just the case. Spencer was avoiding talking to her because he was grieving, and that's just what he did. But she wished it wasn't. She felt helpless, especially with an entire ocean in between them.
"Victoria? Are you okay?" asked Sarah.
Victoria jerked out of her trance. "Yeah, I'm good."
"Liar," accused Anita.
Victoria sighed. "I'm going back to America tomorrow because my team there just suffered a loss."
"You're leaving?" Anita demanded, her eyes wide.
"For a week or two," said Victoria. "But my team just lost someone close to them and they need me."
"It's more than that," insisted Emily. "What's eating at you?"
Victoria traced the rim of her glass. "It's Spencer," she admitted finally. "He withdraws when he's grieving. I understand that that's just how he copes, but he pushes me away and with me being here and him being there… Distance is the last thing we need right now."
"Good thing you're going back, then," said Anita. "It'll help with that distance a bit."
"Maybe he's just waiting to talk to you in person." suggested Sarah.
Victoria shook her head. "He doesn't know I'm coming. The only person who does is the unit chief, Aaron Hotchner."
"Well, when you see Spencer again, hit him upside the head. Relationships are about both parties. It's a two-way street. It'll never work if you don't talk to each other." said Anita.
"I know. And he knows. It's just…" Victoria trailed off.
"Easier said than done." Anita guessed.
"Yeah." Victoria muttered.
"So, tell us about your Spencer," said Sarah. "You're the only one willing to share. We all know Reyes and Em and I are both single. What's Spencer like?"
"Well… He's smart." Victoria said lamely.
Emily laughed. "Yeah, an IQ of 187 smart."
"Whoa," said Rhonda.
"Isn't that a little intimidating?" Anita asked.
Victoria raised an eyebrow. "Saying I'm not smart?"
"No," said Anita, "but you're not IQ of 187 smart."
"Thanks," Victoria muttered. But, she appreciated Anita's honesty. "Yeah, it's intimidating sometimes. Especially since his last girlfriend was just as smart as he is."
"Why didn't they work out?" Rhonda queried.
"She… got shot right in front of him." Victoria admitted.
"Holy shit." said Sarah, shaking her head.
"So you're second choice?" Anita surmised.
"What?" Victoria demanded.
"You're his second choice." Anita repeated.
"Anita," hissed Sarah.
"What? I'm just asking." Anita replied.
Victoria considered giving a sharp retort, but decided against it. "Sometimes I feel that way."
"You are not a second choice, trust me," said Emily. "I saw the two of you together before I even heard of Maeve, back when you two were just friends. And trust me, there was something there."
"Well, thank you." Victoria muttered.
There was a moment of awkward silence. "So, scary movie night?" Anita chirped, lifting up a copy of The Shining.
…
Spencer stared at the elevator wall. His heart felt heavy in his chest, as if an anchor had wrapped around it. They had solved Gideon's murder, but that didn't make Spencer feel any better. Gideon was still dead. Sure, they hadn't talked in years. But there had been something comforting in the fact that Gideon had been alive and out there. It was hard enough not having Victoria around, but now… He needed her more than ever, and she wasn't around. He had ignored her calls. He knew it wasn't her fault, but he was frustrated that she had accepted the job in London. Why couldn't she have just stayed with him? Plus, he wasn't ready to talk about Gideon.
The elevator dinged with the announcement of their arrival at their designated floor. Spencer and the team filtered off silently. "Spence." JJ murmured.
Spencer glanced at her, but JJ was staring ahead. Following JJ's gaze, Spencer's eyes landed on someone he hadn't thought he'd see in a long time: Victoria. Spencer felt his lips part in shock. Without even thinking, he rushed into Victoria's arms, burying his face in her neck. "I'm so sorry." Victoria whispered, rubbing his back.
Spencer blinked back tears as he pulled away. Victoria gazed up at him sadly and then took his hand. She turned to the rest of the team. "When did you get in?" Garcia asked, hugging Victoria.
"A few hours ago." Victoria replied.
"You've just been here?" Kate demanded.
"Yeah, I wanted to be here when you guys got back." Victoria said. She was passed through the arms of each team member.
"I thought you have another three weeks?" JJ asked.
"I'm here to counsel," Victoria said.
"I thought we might need some uplifting around here after the recent events." said Hotch.
Garcia turned to Victoria, her jaw hanging open. Spencer felt his lips cracking with a smile. "So, you're staying here?" Garcia demanded.
"Just for the time being," said Victoria. "I have a job to finish in London. But they recently got a case that's pretty big, so they've given me two weeks here. Then I go back."
"Two weeks, two days, two hours, I'll take it!" Garcia cried.
Victoria smiled. She looked dead on her feet. Spencer figured she was jetlagged. "I'll take you home." he said.
"Thanks," Victoria yawned.
"Anyone up for breakfast tomorrow?" Garcia asked.
"Sure," said JJ.
"Woman, you read my mind about pancakes." chorused Morgan.
The rest of the team agreed. Spencer took Victoria by the hand and led her to the elevator. Once the doors shut, Victoria rested her head on Spencer's arm. Despite his aching chest, Spencer felt a smile toy with his lips. She had come home.
…
So she's back for a little while… And then she'll finish her job in London and then she's back for good and I'll start Season 11! Updates might slow again. Thanks for everyone's support.