~SPENCER POV~

The dinner progressed better than I would have ever imagined. It was full of all of us laughing and catching up. I couldn't help but thank Bexley for talking me into this. Missing this opportunity would have been a mistake that I would have regretted later and I had a feeling she knew this somehow.

As we made our way out of the diner after paying the check, I couldn't but feel a bit of weight lifted off of my shoulders. I looked over at my father and saw the peace that I felt reflected in his eyes. When I looked at Bexley, I couldn't help but be grateful but I also couldn't help but feel sorry for her. I knew that despite how this court case went, she would carry her father's murder with her for the rest of her life.

I just hoped that I could make it bearable to live with. I would help her in any way that I could and any way that she would let me help her. I thought of the ring that I'd tucked away in my drawer in the hotel room and desperately wanted to see her wearing but I knew that now wasn't the right time.

I knew that if I proposed to her now, she would say that it was because I was worried that court case wouldn't go well and it wouldn't matter how much I argued with her. I let that clear my mind and pulled my phone out of my pocket before taking a calming breath.

"It's time to meet mom." I told her and she smiled sweetly at me. I could tell that she was nervous but running away was a last minute option for her. It always had been and despite the circumstances, I was glad that she'd run away to Quantico.

She wrapped her arms around my neck and let out a shaky breath. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be but if we don't get there soon; I'm probably going to change my mind."

"Two parents in one night is kind of rough, Spencer." William chided gently and I was thankful for the teasing because I felt her loosen up a little.

She turned around with a stubborn look on her face. "Are you saying I can't handle it?"

Her tone was teasing and my father smiled. He looked up at me and then back again at her and said "Don't let that one go. She is exactly what you need."

"I don't plan on it." I said and she maneuvered out of my embrace.

She extended a hand to William and smiled kindly. "It was nice meeting you."

He took her hand and shook it once before saying "Welcome to the family, Ms. Kirrier."

I couldn't help but think of her name when her name changed and smiled because I knew that it would take her some time to get used to it. My father walked over and gave me a quick hug and I found myself okay with the gesture.

"Don't be a stranger, Spencer." He said and I laughed at the irony of it.

I pulled back from the hug and said "Same to you."

As soon as he was out of sight, I leaned down and kissed Bexley, savoring the taste of her mouth against mine before pulling back. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." She grinned and wrapped her arms around my neck before kissing me again.

I couldn't help but truly lean into the kiss and I couldn't bring myself to care that we were just outside of a restaurant or that people could see us. All I cared about was the feel of her lips on mine, an addiction that put the one from many years ago to shame.

I laughed against her mouth and she pulled back to look at me confused. "I'm almost tempted to take you back to the hotel room and wait another day to meet my mom."

"Too late." She said with a laugh and grabbed my hand so that I could lead her to the psychiatric ward my mother was currently staying in.

~BEXLEY POV~

As we walked into the room where all of the patients were sitting around, one woman in particular caught my eye. She was sitting alone and playing chess, her eyes ever focused on the game. I felt my stomach do a backflip and squeezed Spencer's hand, unsure of what to do and suddenly feeling very self-conscious.

"She's going to love you." He said and kissed my cheek softly. I was glad that at least one of us thought this.

We walked over and she must have heard our footsteps because she turned around to look at us. I didn't realize until that moment that I'd let Spencer's hand go and was even keeping a little bit of distance between us.

"I was hoping you would come by soon." she said and hugged him. As he returned her embrace, I couldn't help but see a childlike smile spread across his face.

I smiled at the gesture and when Diana glanced over Spencer's shoulder, I smiled a bit brighter. I knew that I looked cool and collected because I'd taught myself to look that way even when my father was near. It wasn't an easy habit to break and it more often than not betrayed what I felt on the inside.

"This must be the girl you told me about in your letter. It's nice to finally meet you." She said but made no move to approach me, something I was grateful for.

Spencer gave a sheepish smile and said "Yes, it is. This is my mother, Diana. To put it simply, this is my reason for breathing, Bexley."

I blushed lightly and extended a hand to her. "It's nice to meet you."

She smiled and shook my hand. I could feel her eyes looking for something in my own but backing down had never been one of my specialties. I kept my eyes level with hers and she seemed to approve of this because she smiled brighter.

"It's nice to meet you. So tell me about yourself." She said and gestured for us to take a seat on the couch that was next to the chess board. She turned her chair to face us and listened intently as I spoke.

"What would you like to know?" I asked and became instantly nervous.

She thought for a moment before deciding on an answer. "Tell me about your family and your schooling."

I immediately felt the urge to throw up because neither answer was good. Her son had gone to college several times, had an IQ of 187, and was in the B.A.U. I hadn't realized until that moment how stupid I looked next to him.

He squeezed my hand and brought me back to reality. The reality was that he didn't care what was in my head but what was in my heart. That was something I could live with and I would just hope that his mom would come to terms with that.

"I don't know very much about my mom, my father is gone, I have no sibling, and my grandmother is gone as well. I didn't get to finish school because of issues at home. However, I love music and spend a good majority of my time with my nose in a book." I noticed that my voice held confidence and I was thankful for that.

She didn't look too pleased at that point but I didn't let it bother me too much. "What was your favorite subject in school?"

"History." I said honestly and was wondering where this was going.

She smiled then and looked to Spencer. "She may be nice to have around after all."

I smiled as relief spread through my body. I had never thought I would care so much about someone's approval but I wasn't going to change myself for anyone. Diana's smile was so similar to Spencer's that I couldn't help but smile myself.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to be a part of the Reid family.

***There is another chapter. I hope everyone is still enjoying reading and I am sorry that it is taking me so long to update. R&R and thank you for reading.