"I work for the BAU." Spencer replied simply.
"And what is that?" A cousin asked.
"It's the behaviour analysis unit, for the FBI."
Silence. Lilith's family was yet again dumbfounded.
"A fed? Lilith, you will never cease to impress me. You found yourself a good one, it seems." Marthe laughed as she playfully winked to her niece, making the young woman blush from the remark.
The rest of the evening was spent bombarding Spencer with questions about his job, his cases and his everyday life. Although Lilith was a bit annoyed by her family's lack of tact, Spencer did not mind it in the least. He felt integrated.
"Thank you, mrs. Pa- I mean, Isabelle. The dinner was excellent."
"It was a pleasure to be introduced to you!" The woman turned to her daughter. "By the way, Lilith. Mark should be here tomorrow, so I expect you'll make sure to welcome him while I'm out shopping."
Lilith visibly tensed at the mention of the name, which caught Spencer's eye.
"Of course, maman."
Later that evening, as the two had rejoined the room, Spencer asked the dreaded question, the one that had been running around his mind.
"Who's Mark?"
"Oh, just a family friend. Don't worry."
"Well I am worrying, considering how you reacted back then. He can't just be 'a family friend'."
"Damn you and your profiler talents. Why do you even care?" She sighed, and grabbed a book. She laid down, her back facing him. As much as she adored Spencer, she didn't know if she wanted him to see her like this.
The doctor sat down on the edge of the bed.
"You can tell me, you know. Unless you don't want to. Then, I won't pressure you. But you looked so sad when she mentioned him, it feels like I need to know. I don't want you to be sad." Spencer admitted.
Lilith looked away. "Remember when I told you about my depression, after Angela died?"
He nodded. He couldn't ever forget.
"At the beginning, Mark was my therapist. He was a family friend, so he accepted to take care of me after the incident." She took a deep breath. "Mark was married, but I fell in love with him, still. Maybe it was because of my vulnerable state. But yes, we ended up having an affair. It's not something I'm happy about. I was so fragile and desperate, I'd actually believe it when he'd say he'd leave his wife. To him, it was just a game. In the end, I broke it off, and I think it's one of the best decisions I've ever made."
Spencer was astonished by her story, and he started to feel a strong feeling of hatred for the man. How could Mark exploit such a kind soul as Lilith's? How could he dare still show his face around her family, knowing what he'd done?
"I firmly thought it was romantic, and I loved him deeply. Now that I think back, he was probably using me for...you know." Her face showed a sad expression.
Spencer couldn't believe it. His hands were balling up into fists, and he couldn't explain the anger he was feeling within him himself.
"We should probably go to sleep." Lilith said, her voice a little more feeble than usual.
"Yeah, you're right."
Spencer got up on his feet.
"So... what are the sleeping arrangements?" The doctor asked.
"Oh, uhm... I'll admit I didn't really think it through..." Lilith said, her hand on her forehead. She was a little embarrassed, as the only thing in their room was a king sized bed.
"Well, that's alright. I'll take a few extra covers and lie down." The doctor replied, not wanting to make Lilith feel uncomfortable.
"Are you sure? I mean I invited you, so I can take the floor."
"A hundred percent sure." He smiled at the young woman. "You probably want to change right? I'll go put on my pyjamas in the bathroom."
"Yeah, thanks."
The doctor got up, holding his change of clothes in his arms, and entered the little bathroom. It was a soft baby blue, and there was a large mirror above the sink. After having slipped into his soft cotton shirt and trousers, Spencer took a look at himself in the glass. He ruffled his hair, brushed his teeth, and sprayed some cologne on his neck. The man took a deep breath, and made his way out of the bathroom.
As he pushed their room's door, he heard a tiny squeal. It was a bit too late, and Spencer caught a glimpse of Lilith in her underwear. Her face quickly turned red. She looked incredibly embarrassed.
"Oh my god! I'm so sorry!" Spencer quickly shut the door, mortified by the incident. His heart was beating faster. The doctor desperately tried to shake his head to erase the images of Lilith. He couldn't help but think about the flush of her cheeks. Spencer tried to hit his forehead, wanting to get rid of these thoughts as well as the uneasy feeling in his chest.
Lilith opened the door, this time dressed.
"I'm so sorry, Lilith, I thought you'd already changed and I-"
"Hey, Doc. It's alright." She grinned awkwardly at his embarrassment. "Come in."
The doctor entered the room, silent.
"Anyways, it's not the first time you've seen a girl in your underwear, right?" She asked rhetorically as she took a seat on the bed, wanting to break the silence. The doctor remained speechless. Lilith was confused.
"Wait... is it?"
"N-no. But... it is worth mentioning that I wasn't fully aware the couple of times I have." The doctor looked away.
"Can I ask a private question? You don't have to answer."
"Go ahead."
"Are you a virgin?" She asked, no judgement in her voice.
"No. But I would have preferred to be one."
"Why?" Lilith asked, her curiosity taking her.
"Because I lost it to a girl while I was drunk at a party. I'd rather have lost it to someone that I actually like." Spencer looked straight into Lilith's eyes. Her heart skipped a beat.
"Oh, I see. Yeah, I wished I hadn't lost it to Mark, either."
"Mark?"
"Yeah. He's one of the very few guys I've been with."
Spencer felt even more hatred than he thought would be possible.
"Mark's an asshole."
The girl laughed, as she hardly ever heard the agent swear. Spencer smiled. He loved hearing her laugh.
"True." She replied between two small snorts. "Thank you for making me feel better. And coming here in general." She took his hand, and gave him a little smile.
"You're welcome." He returned her smile. "We should probably sleep now."
"Yeah... I don't want Aunt Marthe to see the light and wonder what we're doing up so late." They laughed.
Spencer laid down on the floor next to Lilith, as she slipped into the covers of her king sized bed.
"Good night, Doc."
"Good night, Lilith."
A few hours later, Spencer woke up, completely panicked. He had heard a scream. As he jumped unto his feet, he saw Lilith, heavily panting, tears streaming down her cheeks. She could barely breathe.
"Sp- Spencer..." She managed to choke out.
He quickly jumped unto her bed, and held her in his arms. He instinctively grabbed the ventoline in the bedside table, and gave it to her. After having a couple of puffs of the medication, Lilith started to relax.
"I'm so sorry, Spencer."
"Shh... it's alright." He stroked her hair. "Tell me what happened."
"I- this hasn't happened in such a long time... I get nightmares, sometimes. Because of the car accident. Then I can't breathe very well so I have to take some ventoline. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you. I just... never thought it would happen again after such a long time. I guess it's just stress."
Spencer understood immediately. The prospect of seeing Mark had probably made her extremely nervous, and triggered one of her anxiety fuelled dreams.
"Don't be sorry. I'm here now."
Spencer held her in her arms for the rest of the night. Lilith hadn't slept that well in a long time.