Chapter 2: Group therapy

After his meeting with the Deputy director of the FBI, Spencer decided to not stress out and enjoy this free time.

He had not taken any vacations since... Well never and he discovered that he needed them.

He spent some days with his mother until they both decided to move her to house where they can take good care of her.

She had some good days so he was able to talk about it with her.

They took some days searching for places. She could go, check it out and said if she likes it or not.

Diane rejected every place until they walked in Brookfield. While they explained to Spencer their plans and their activities, some nurses took Diane on a tour checking everywhere.

After an hour, son and mother made a decision, that place will be her home. He went to his apartment to get her clothes and other things she would need and went back to Brookfield where he handed the box to a nurse.

"Don't worry doctor Reid. We will take good care of your mother" she smiled at him with a warm smile.

"Oh before I go, I need to ask you to do something for me... I'm an FBI agent and I had a really bad experience last week so. I want to make sure that only three people can come to pick my mom up. They are Penelope Garcia, Jennifer Jareau and of course myself" he handed her the pictures of them and the woman added to the file.

"Ok doctor Reid now your mother is safer" he smiled and waved at his mother and she waved back then he left with a smile.

He could not take care of her when he started his job again. So he was relieved that they found a good place for her and that she liked it.

Some days passed and he had to go to the first day of therapy. He was nervous because he knew that those therapy were his only way to return with his friends, his family.

He walked in the consulting room and there was a woman with brown skin and black curly hair. She smiled at him "can I help you sir?"

"Yes I'm here to see doctor Smith, I'm Spencer Reid"

She checked her agenda and nodded "yeah you are here. She will see you in the auditorium" he raised his eyebrows "she will explain you later. Go there" he nodded and leave in the direction she told him to.

He was confused but it must be a new technique he never heard of. He walked in and saw some other people in there. He approached to a group and asked them "excuse me, are you here for Dr. Smith?"

They nodded "yeah. She did this kind of group reunion when she had five new patients. So you must be a new one" he nodded "welcome man. I'm Steve and it's my last session with the doctor. I'm a SWAT"

"Nice to meet you. I'm Spencer, I'm an FBI agent"

"Awesome" he smiled "I started a year ago. I had a deep depression due to a mayor explosion I was leading my team at the moment and they all died that day. I was the only survivor"

"Oh that's terrible"

"Oh yeah but I came here and was able to get back to be myself" he smiled "I'm sure whatever happened to you, you will get through it"

"Thank you" he smiled at the man in front of him. Their eyes went to the door when they heard footsteps. There was a pretty woman with dirty blonde hair, big brown eyes wearing black jeans, white shirt and converse.

She walked in with two more people. A woman and a man. They asked to them what was this about, Steve explained the same and told them the same story he told to Spencer, then after some more minutes the doctor walked in.

She was tall, even without high heels, her olive skin and brown eyes matched perfectly with her dress.

"Welcome everyone. I would like to thank you all for your patience. I was stock in the traffic. Thank you for coming. As Steve or other of my older patients must explained to you. I like to do group therapy once in a while. I used to work for support groups and I think the experience of talk about your problems with a group of people helps you relax and to socialize with others without talking about your problems" she said looking around at each one of them.

There were ten people. Five women and five men "first I want you to say your name and something you like and other that you dislike" she continued "for example I'm Elizabeth and I like to read and I don't like lies" she smiled at them "who's next?"

They all look at each other still uncomfortable so the more social, Steve, decided to break the ice "ok I'm Steve and I like videogames and I don't like rainy days" he smiled which made the others to laugh.

Then others started to talk. The doctor wrote each name and the information they said. Spencer noticed that and known she was analysing each of them.

He felt naked just by the thought of someone profiled him just like he did with others like a second nature. But of course it was her job to understand her patients.

Then it was his turn "I'm Spencer and I like to do magic tricks and I don't like injustices" they all nodded and even a few of them clapped.

Then it was turn of the woman he saw arriving some minutes after him "I'm Maxine but please call me Max" he could see how the doctor took notes, he knew what she saw. When someone hated their own name it's because they did not accept it "I like art like painting or the photography and I don't like when people are mean to others" the doctor took notes ones again.

After Max, there heard one more person and it was the end of the activity. The doctor stood up with a smile "ok perfect. Thank you all for sharing a little part of you. I like to call this the ice breaker. I have more activities like this and it's a good way to know you more" she said "I took notes about everything you just said. And believe it or not, this tell me a lot about you" she smiled at them "now I want you to sit with someone of the opposite sex. And have a conversation. You pick the topic. I will pass by and listen to you. I won't interrupt you just will listen"

They all look at each others but started to make couples after a few seconds. Spencer and Max ended up together.

"Ok now start a normal conversation with the other. You can start with what they said before" she moved her hands like saying go on "begins*

Then the room filled with whispers of the people talking. Spencer and Max looked at each other.

Neither of them know how to begin, until Spencer took the lead "so umm... Art?"

"Yeah I started with art classes after school when I broke my leg playing soccer" he made a face of pain "it's ok. It wasn't that bad and I loved that my teammates signed the cast"

"I once had to use a cast but was because of my work"

"Yeah, thought so, you don't look like an athletic guy" she smirked and he laughed softly.

"True I'm not, in fact I almost died training for a physical test" they both laughed and the doctor smiles taking notes.

"So back to the art. I started to feel great drawing so I asked my parents to let me take courses of art on the weekends when I didn't have games. I loved so much that I ended studying Art history"

"That's amazing. And do you work in a museum?"

She frowned and looked down "no. I'm teaching art to kids from first to third graders"

"Oh but still it's amazing to share your knowledge to small kids"

"Really? Because I don't see pretty amazing teaching kids learning how to do a turkey with their hands"

"Well I actually think it's amazing because the world needs good teachers" she laughed and for some reason he just wanted to hear it more.

"Ok enough about me... Now it's your turn mister" she said teasing him "tell me about the magic"

He laughed "well I'm from Vegas. The Disneyland for grown-ups. But I used to walk around The Strip and watched street magic. I was bullied at school so I decided to learn magic tricks to see if I can, at least, distract them and have time to run" she laughed gently.

"So you learned magic to run away from the bullied boys" he nodded "that's actually very clever" she smiled, he looked just like a boy who was bullied in school. He looked nerdy but a handsome one.

She was surprised by that thought. She just ended a bad relationship and now she was checking out a man she just met.

But the thing is, she did not feel guilty about it. She liked it and she was crossing her finger they could keep talking after this.

Suddenly the doctor took her out of her thoughts "how did you feel?" Some of them said 'great', 'it was fun' and more. She just nodded and smiled "good. I hope you ended having a new friend here. This just teach you that you are capable of having conversations with someone else about anything and you didn't have panic attacks or your mind went to horrible thoughts. You just enjoyed the moment" she could see the surprise in their eyes "but if you still need more sessions with me, you can make an appointment but if this was enough then congratulations. You didn't need me" she smiled and clapped her hands.

They all followed her clapping their hands "this session ends now, congratulations" they started to stand up.

"Spencer..." Said Max a little nervous "I really enjoyed this conversation" she said as they walked in the elevator and pressed the button to the parking lot.

"Me too. And I don't know if you... Umm I don't know... Want to... Um" she laughed gently.

"Yes I want to" she said "I think I need to see a magic trick" she smirked and held his hand to write her phone number on it "call me, ok?" He nodded and then the door opened and she walked to her car leaving Spencer smiling like an idiot.

He never imagined that he could meet someone so beautiful and funny in a group therapy.

OOooOOooOO

I have to confess that I had no idea how to write their first meeting. I thought about trapping them in an elevator and force them to talk in there.

But this Tuesday I was taking a shower, and I started to act some dialogues and I was like 'OMG!!! A group therapy!!!' and I just needed to write it.

Maybe this doesn't exist, maybe it does, I don't know but it's a good way to cross their paths.

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