The Funeral

Spencer strolled into the bullpen. The weight in his chest tightened when he caught sight of Victoria's empty desk. He had received her text at three-thirty in the morning, informing him that she had landed safely. She had also sent the funeral and visitation information to him. Spencer forced himself to sit at his desk and stop staring at Victoria's desk.

"How is she?" JJ's voice pulled Spencer from his thoughts. He looked at her.

"She said she's okay. I think she feels better to be with her family."

"I bet," said Tara, shaking her head. "It had to have been tough for her."

"Yeah."

"Conference room, now!" Penelope cried, marching to the conference room. Spencer frowned. He couldn't go off on a case now! He hurried into the room and took his usual seat. The room seemed much emptier without Morgan and Victoria.

"Garcia, what's going on?" Hotch asked, taking his seat.

"Okay, what is the scoop on Victoria?" Garcia demanded of Spencer, ignoring Hotch. Spencer parted his lips to reply, but Garcia just continued. "Because I did some calculating, and we could all take three days off to go be with her. And I really think we should, because I just can't stand the fact knowing she's there grieving and we're here, and I miss her, and I just want to make her cookies and cocoa and smiles and…"

"Garcia," Hotch interrupted gently, "of course we're going to the funeral."

"Oh. Right. Reid, what's the scoop?" Garcia straightened and peered at Spencer.

"The visitation is on Thursday night at five. The funeral is on Friday at eleven."

"I'll tell Derek and Savannah." Garcia promised.

"Have you checked flights?" Rossi asked.

"Yes. There's one on Thursday at ten in the morning."

"All right. Make sure all of your paperwork is done by the end of the day." Hotch instructed. The team nodded and headed back down to work.

The carpet of the chapel muffled Victoria's footsteps. The thick haze of perfume seeped into her nostrils. Her eyes targeted the array of flower arrangements, decorating the entire far wall around the grey coffin. Victoria felt as if a rock weighed her heart down into the acids of her stomach. Her breath thickened like mud in her throat until she struggled to breathe. She placed a hand over her abdomen, wheezing slightly. Victoria noticed several family members at the front of the chapel. Some looked into the open casket, while others stood off and chatted quietly. Victoria hurried to her siblings.

"Hey," sniffled Alice, enveloping Victoria in a hug.

"Hey." Victoria whispered.

"Where's Spencer?"

"He said he'd get here about four-thirty."

Victoria turned to Grace, hugged her sister-in-law and then turned to Brett. Her older brother wrapped her in his arms and then collapsed. Victoria's eyes burned as she felt Brett tremble with a soft sob. She clenched his jacket to keep her knees from buckling. Her eyes squeezed shut and tears leaked through her lashes.

"I can't believe she's gone." Brett croaked.

"Me too," Victoria whispered, holding him. She withdrew and offered him a bittersweet smile. She glanced around, noticing Jason was nowhere in sight. "Where's Jay?"

"He's picking up Seth." Alice murmured.

Victoria nodded. She caught sight of her mother talking to a few of her cousins. She crossed over to her mom, ignoring the casket beside her. Gemma looked up, teary-eyed. "Hey, boo-boo." Gemma murmured, pulling Victoria into a hug. Gemma squeezed Victoria tightly, who closed her eyes, feeling like a child again.

"How are you holding up, Momma?" Victoria asked, pulling back.

Gemma wiped her cheeks with the heel of her hand. "Been better."

"Yeah." Victoria croaked, rubbing her mom's shoulder. She glanced up when Alice approached.

"Have you seen her yet?" Alice's eyes flickered to the casket.

Victoria pursed her lips and shook her head. "Have you?"

"No," Alice whispered. She looked at Victoria, her bottom lip trembling. "Will you come with me?"

Victoria sucked in a sharp breath but nodded. She took Alice's hand and together they stepped toward the casket and peered down at their grandmother. Victoria's first thought was that it wasn't really Nana. She was way too pale. She wasn't smiling. She was too still and bloated with death. She didn't look real.

Victoria reached out to touch Nana's hand. Her fingertips brushed the veiny surface and withdrew quickly. Victoria's eyes burned with tears. She looked at her sister, suddenly feeling as if she stood on a cliff, and had spent too long looking over the edge. Tears streamed down Alice's cheeks.

"She's really gone." Alice whimpered, her face puckering with her grief.

Victoria's own face crumpled and she fell into Alice's arms, weeping.

The funeral home worker gestured inside a chapel. Spencer entered, his teammates following with solemn steps. "I feel like we're intruding." Garcia whispered beside him.

His eyes scanned the chapel for Victoria. He spotted her by the coffin, sobbing onto Alice's shoulder, who cried on Victoria's. He glanced at the team and realized they had seen Victoria, too.

"Oh, V…" whined Garcia, jutting her bottom lip out. Her eyes grew misty. Spencer led the way down the aisle.

Gemma noticed him and enveloped him in a hug. "Spencer… Thank you for coming."

"Of course," Spencer replied, squeezing Gemma's shoulder. "This is the BAU."

Gemma wiped underneath her eyes and offered a smile. Spencer left the team to introduce themselves and walked over to Victoria. She looked at him over Alice's shoulder, her face blotchy and soaked with tears. She withdrew from Alice and fell into his waiting arms. He cradled her to him, stroking her hair. Tears prickled his eyes as he felt her body shake with sobs. Alice patted Spencer's arm and trekked to greet the BAU. Victoria eventually pulled away and wiped her face.

"Sorry." she muttered thickly.

Spencer frowned. "Don't be." He stepped aside, giving Victoria a better view of the BAU team. Victoria looked at him, eyes wide, and then looked back at the team. Her mouth fell open and she stumbled toward them.

"You all came?" she whispered.

"Of course we did!" Penelope replied, hugging Victoria.

"C'mon, kiddo. You really think we would let you go through this alone?" Rossi teased, kissing Victoria's cheek.

Victoria let out a soft chuckle. "How silly of me."

Spencer slipped his arm around her waist. He kissed her hairline. He turned when someone tapped his shoulder. Jason offered a slight twitch of his lips in greeting. Victoria turned toward Jason, who caged her in one of his rare, awkward hugs. Spencer's face fell when Victoria broke down again. Spencer exchanged a glance with the team, who all wore equal concerned expressions.

Alice's laugh shattered the grief momentarily. Spencer looked at her, bewildered. Alice gestured to the TV screen hanging on the wall. A slideshow of pictures of Daphne with her family members played, and the current picture showed a much younger Daphne, though still grey-haired, with her arms around two young girls. The younger of the two had long, straight hair and crooked teeth. The older girl had long, wavy hair and braces. A pair of crooked glasses were perched on her nose.

"Which one's you?" Morgan asked Victoria.

Victoria gestured to the girl with glasses and braces. "The sexy one."

Gemma stood at the podium. "If everyone will take their seats, we'll go ahead and get started."

Victoria grimaced. "Ugh, I'm gonna look like KISS up there." She signaled the Rock N' Roll sign with her fingers and stuck her tongue out in a last attempt at humor. Spencer let out a small laugh.

"Are you talking?" Tara asked, sitting in the pew behind Victoria and her siblings.

"All of us except Jason are," Brett murmured, gesturing to the siblings.

Gemma cleared her throat, her voice echoing throughout the chapel. "Um… I'm doing the eulogy tomorrow, so tonight my kids are going to talk about their grandmother. After that, we'll say a prayer and then dinner will be served at Brett's house." She left the podium, keeping her head down. She took a seat. Brett leaned over and kissed her cheek before standing. He paused briefly before the casket, then turned to the podium, his face straining against his grief. He adjusted the microphone to fit his height and cleared his throat.

"Thank you all for coming," he croaked. Spencer glanced around at the crowded chapel. Many people stood along the edges, and every pew held its capacity of people. Daphne Parker had been quite loved. Brett rubbed a hand over his face. "My siblings and I knew we were doing this beforehand, and we discussed that we weren't just going to stand up here and ramble about how great of a person Nana was. Nana loved telling stories, so that's what we're gonna do. Our family has always loved entertaining, and it started with Nana. When she was a kid up to her teen years, she showed cows. She won several awards for having the best-looking cows. When my grandma was sixteen years old, she showed one particular cow. Well, it was a bull, actually. And it was the meanest creature on this damn planet. It was enormous and aggressive, and Nana's dad had wanted to put it down. No one would deal with it. But Nana, she… She was a feisty thing, y'all. I think people forget that. When she was sixteen she weighed ninety pounds, so she was tiny. And fast. And she would get in that bull's stall and dash up to and pinch its nostrils. And that thing would kneel. My ninety-pound grandmother could get a bull to kneel before her," Brett paused to chuckle along with the congregation. Spencer felt a smile stretch across his face. Brett sighed. "She met my grandfather at that show. And he bet his friend one dollar that by the end of the event, he'd get a kiss from her. When it came time, my grandpa stole a kiss from Nana, and she smacked him so hard that he cried." Brett chuckled along with the congregation. His face crumpled and he looked at the ceiling, trying to hold back his tears. "I'm really going to miss her." he whimpered.

"Aw," Penelope sniffled, tears in her eyes. Spencer watched Brett return to the front pew. Victoria stood up. "Oh boy." Penelope blubbered, eyeing the tear streaks on Victoria's face.

"Um," Victoria mumbled, staring at her hands for several seconds. Spencer's heart clenched for her. Victoria looked up, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears. "My Nana was an advocator for dreamers. She helped Brett get through medical school and funded Alice's bakery. She bought Jason's first guitar, and when my Pawpy decided he no longer wanted to farm and wanted to start his own business, she helped run it. When… When I was in college, my Pawpy passed away. I was really close with him, so being away at school, away from all the family, was extremely difficult for me. I-I was on the verge of quitting school, but Nana, even heartbroken after losing the man she loved, called me to encourage me. I finished school, and I had a few job openings, some in Shreveport with my family. But the one I really wanted was in Quantico, Virginia, over a thousand miles away from my family. I told Nana about the job before I told anyone else in my family. It would be the riskier job, since the field was more competitive. There was no guarantee I'd get it or even like it. But it meant moving to a new city, where I didn't know anyone, and away from my family. I interviewed for the job, and after a few agonizing weeks, I got it. But by that point, I didn't know if I wanted it anymore. The idea of moving so far away seemed much less appealing, and my mom and siblings didn't want me to leave. Nana knew how upset I was and invited me to dinner. And she told me to go to Quantico. She encouraged me to take the job as a counselor for the FBI, and promised that my family would always be there for me. She said that I didn't know what would happen. If I didn't like it, I could always come back. But I might love it, and I might meet people there who loved me just as much as she did." Victoria's eyes met Spencer's. His eyes prickled. Victoria managed a tiny smile before facing the congregation again. "She was right. I wouldn't be the person I am today if she hadn't encouraged me to take the job. Nana… Nana is indescribable. If I could be even a shred like her, I'd be a far better person than I am. Thank you." Victoria bowed her head, hiding her grief as she took her seat. Spencer leaned forward and squeezed her shoulder. She placed a hand over his.

Alice took the podium. "I'll try to keep this short, because I'm not gonna keep it together. Nana loved people. She really did. And food. She really loved food. Her favorite thing in this world was to have people at her house, laughing and enjoying a good meal. So I can remember a lot of family gatherings growing up, all because Nana insisted we have these experiences. One year, she had everybody over for Christmas. We all stayed the night, so that on Christmas morning, we could open our presents at Nana and Pawpy's house in Coushatta. And Nana went around, taking down everyone's breakfast order and cooked it all herself. Because that's the kind of person she was. She didn't want anyone to be left out, or left behind. She was your biggest cheerleader but also called you out on your shit –pardon my French," Alice gave a watery laugh. She wiped her eyes. "Nana would hate this. I mean, no one really likes funerals, but the fact we're all uncomfortable right now would drive her crazy. So, on that note, I hope you guys enjoy dinner at Brett's house." Alice hopped away from the podium, the light in her eyes fading as she rejoined her siblings. Gemma announced Brett's address and the chapel cleared of people. Spencer got up to hug Victoria, who buried her face in his chest as he stroked her hair. She pulled away, her eyes wet.

"Are you okay to drive?" he murmured.

Victoria nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay."

Spencer nodded. "I'll meet you at Brett's."

Victoria dipped her head. She looked at the team. "Thank you all for coming."

"Of course." JJ replied.

"We all wanted to be here for you." Penelope added, giving Victoria a soft hug. Spencer kissed Victoria's cheek and led the rest of the team outside.

Victoria sighed as she sank into a chair in the living room. The rest of the congregation had left, but Victoria's team lingered with Victoria's siblings and mom. Alice plopped into an armchair, rubbing her belly. "Guess who called me?" she asked Victoria.

"Who?"

"Dad." Alice replied.

Victoria straightened. "He called me, too."

Penelope looked at Victoria. "No way."

Victoria nodded. "Two hours after I got the news."

"How does he even know?" Jason muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Facebook is my guess," Victoria sighed. She looked at Alice. "Did you answer?"

Alice rolled her eyes. "As if I needed to deal with his bullshit." She frowned. "You don't think he'll come to the funeral, do you?"

"Please," snorted Brett, "if he showed up, Nana would crawl out of that coffin, spit in his face and die again. He knows better than to show up."

"He did show up to my graduation unannounced." Victoria pointed out.

"Really?" JJ said, glancing at Victoria, who nodded.

"Most awkward conversation I've ever had." she remarked.

"This is different. He won't show." Brett insisted.

"Yeah," Alice said, "Nana hated him."

A moment of silence lapsed over them. Then, Derek cleared his throat. "So, who's the oldest?"

"I am," said Brett, "then Victoria, then Alice, then Jason."

"I loved your stories about Nana. She seemed like she was really great. I only met her once, but I thought she was wonderful." said Penelope, smiling sweetly.

"You met her at a terrible time," Brett shook his head. "She was toughened by chemo."

"She was always tough," Victoria argued.

"She had to be, to put up with all of you." said Gemma, setting down her wine glass.

"Did you guys fight a lot?" Tara asked.

Victoria scrunched her lips in thought. "No," she allowed, "but we were bad."

"I can't imagine you being a bad kid." Hotch said, grinning.

Victoria smiled. "I can remember two fights with Brett, and they were horrible."

"One was when Pawpy and Nana still lived on the farm. What, were we like ten and eight?" Brett said.

"Something like that."

"We had driven out in the pasture to pick up a calf for its shots. Pawpy put the calf in the bed of the truck and Victoria and I held it while he drove back toward the house." Brett began.

"But momma cow did not like us taking her baby and chased after the truck," chimed in Victoria, "and put her hooves on the truck bed. Scared the hell out of Brett and me and we let go of the calf."

"Oh no…" Tara groaned.

"Calf broke its two front legs." Brett confirmed. "Pawpy stopped the truck, took out his gun and shot the calf right in front of us. Told us we had killed it and got back in the truck. Victoria and I of course started fighting over whose fault it had been."

"I'd never seen Pawpy so angry." Victoria shook her head, remembering the look in her grandfather's eyes when he saw the calf wailing and mewling on the ground with its two front legs bent at awkward angles. "Brett and I started punching, biting and kicking each other. When I say he pulled out a ponytail full of hair, I'm only exaggerating a little bit." Victoria winced, rubbing the spot on her head where Brett had ripped out a handful of hair.

"You pushed me out of a moving truck!" Brett argued.

"I did," Victoria agreed proudly.

"She isn't even sorry." Brett pouted, though he smirked.

"We weren't going that fast."

"Still hurt."

"Maybe that's because you're a wimp."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

Victoria laughed and shook her head. Gemma's chuckles subsided after several moments. "Well," she said, standing, "we've got a long day tomorrow. I'm going to bed."

Victoria hugged her mom goodnight. Soon, the team left for their hotel. But Spencer stayed with Victoria at Gemma's house once they left Brett's. They crawled in bed and laid in silence. Tears burned Victoria's eyes. "Spence?" she whimpered.

"Yeah?" Spencer's voice replied, coated with sleep.

"I'm sorry to wake you…" Victoria broke off as a sob fluttered out of her throat. Spencer's arms immediately snaked around her and pulled her closer to him. She cried into his shirt until her throat ached, her eyes hurt and her head throbbed. She wept until she was too tired to weep anymore and sleep coaxed her into static dreams.

Spencer hardly listened to the pastor's prayers. His eyes were on Victoria the whole time. She stared ahead at the coffin, which was closed and stationed next to an open grave. Flowers adorned the sleek surface of the casket. Victoria held a lily in her hands and her eyes stared glassily at the grave of her grandmother. When the pastor finished his prayer, Gemma, Brett, Victoria, Alice and Jason took turns laying their lilies on the casket. Daphne Parker already had a tombstone, since she shared it with Frederick Parker, Victoria's grandfather. A death date waited to be etched into the stone next to Daphne's birthday. Spencer turned his attention from the stone back to Victoria, who stared at the grave with silent tears sliding down her cheeks.

Spencer walked over to her and slipped his hand into hers, gazing at the grave until Victoria was ready to leave.

Sorry for the really sad chapter on Christmas and the New Year… Nothing like a little bit of angst to get in the holiday spirit, ya know? Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed. Please review!