Two Minds & All the Places They Have Been

Chapter Two / Back to the Start


"Ooh, look, it's the boy genius."

"You think you're so much better than us, don't you?"

"Please, just give it back!" Spencer Reid, age 7, cried, trying to reach his favorite book, which was held up in the air by Jace Brown and Carl Rogers. They were the biggest bullies in his grade, and Spencer was their favorite victim. When he was reading his mother's book underneath the shade of a big oak tree, they took it from him and now won't give it back.

Jace took it from Carl, and the cover ripped off. Spencer's face crumpled as the two boys laughed, dropping the torn book in the dirt. Spencer hardly noticed as a girl, wearing a torn, painted tutu and cowboy boots, stomped up to the two laughing boys.

"Hey! Why'd you do that?" the girl said, with a twang of a fake British accent. The boys' laughter faltered just slightly as Spencer looked up from his destroyed book and stared in shock as nine-year-old Zyla Zone came and defended him against his tormentors.

"Oh come on, Zyla, it's just Reid-" Carl was interrupted as Zyla promptly punched him in the nose, sending him to his knees as blood spilled on his chin.

"Hey-!" Zyla sent a kick in Jace's privates as the angry eleven-year-old ran her way, and he fell in a clump beside Carl, who had started to cry. Both quickly got up and ran off, screeching.

Spencer looked at the scene in shock, wondering if Zyla was going to come his way next. They didn't really go off on a good start when they first met a couple years ago, and a rivalry of "who was the best student?" had begun. She has hardly looked his way, and now she just beat up two bullies?

Zyla picked up his torn book, dusting off the dirt. "I'm sure I can fix it at my house with some tape. Would you like me to?"

Spencer didn't answer her at first. He took in her appearance again. She was always a little strange, which was weird coming from him, but right now she looked very troubling. Her tutu was obviously once a very pretty pale blue, and was torn what looked like deliberately and painted black, which was all over her hands. Her old cowboy boots were once a bright red, but was now muddy and had splotches of different colored paint on it, including the black that was everywhere else. Her shirt was not hers, as it was a men's t-shirt supporting some kind of rock band Spencer didn't know. Her bright blonde hair was up in high pigtails.

Zyla watched Spencer analyze her; clever even at ages 7 and 9. She crossed her arms defiantly. "Whatcha starin' at?" she demanded, her fake British accent easier to hear.

"Why do you talk like that?" Spencer asked curiously, taking the torn book from her and holding it close to him protectively.

"My mom watches a lot of TV. I like the way they talk. By the way, a thank you might be in order." she said, turning and trudging down the hill where the oak tree was back down to the sidewalk. They were on the outside of the downtown area, a neighborhood they both lived in.

"Well, thank you." Spencer mumbled, looking down at his book. Zyla grinned at him, a big toothy one, and he couldn't help a small smile on his face. "I can fix this at home. There's no need for you to mend it for me."

Zyla studied him for a second over her shoulder before stopping in front of his house and turning to him.

"See ya around, Spencer." she said before turning and walking off. Spencer stared after her, a question boggling his mind.

"Hey, Zyla?"

"What?" she yelled, turning and stopping again.

"Why did you stop them? I thought you didn't like me." Spencer said, squinting at her.

"I don't like bullies," she said simply. She then grinned at him again. "Bye, boy genius."


Spencer Reid, age 26 in the present day, smiled a little to himself as he told his colleagues about his best friend. He looked out the window in the empty train car, watching lights fly by.

"After that day, we learned that we had a lot in common and we quickly became friends. She once said that it was only because no one else would be our friends," he smiled a little at that, remembering her quirked smile. "We were best friends and were really close until college. In high school, we would always meet up in the library, if Zyla didn't get in trouble that day. She liked to think that it was her job to protect people, so whenever she saw someone getting bullied or being picked on she went over there and 'straightened them out', as she would say. I never did understand why she absolutely did not want to become an FBI agent."

Prentiss and Morgan, who had been listening and watching carefully to their friend, looked on with knowing smiles and shared glances. The way Reid talked and felt about this girl; they knew that she was special.

"What happened at college?" Prentiss asked, referring to what he mentioned earlier. Spencer sighed heartily at that, looking from the window to his friends and wringing his hands.

"I graduated a year before Zyla, though I'm younger than her. We were seperated for a little while, but we still kept in touch. We wrote letters constantly. She looked after my mom for me while I was gone.

"On the night she graduated high school, I surprised her by coming. After the ceremony had ended, I took her up to our favorite place. In Las Vegas, there isn't much greenery around but Zy and I found a small field a ways out of the city that was usually lush green around that time of year. We use to try to stay out there for hours because no one would've really come looking for us, but I usually had to go home early because of my mom." Spencer explained, his eyes looking misted-over, lost in thought.

"Why would no one come look for her? What happened to her family?" Morgan asked, barely glancing when the conductor said that they were five minutes out of New York City.

"Her dad was in the Navy, he was a general. He died in battle when she was ten, and after he died her mom couldn't handle it. She kept moving from job to job, and was getting on drugs and alcohol to cope. Most of the time Zyla had to feed and take care of herself, as well as try to keep her mother out of rehab."

Spencer quieted then, looking at his hands. "That night, I kissed her and told her that I loved her. I didn't really know why I decided to spill that right then and there, but it felt right, like I had to. Except that past year she had gotten together with Andrew Trump-"

He stopped talking when the train screeched to a stop, the long ride officially over. The trio was silent as they carried their bags over their shoulders as they got a cab into the city and to the hospital. Morgan and Prentiss were mulling over all the information they had been given, trying to put together the puzzle of their friend's past. Spencer was getting exceedingly more anxious as they neared close to the hospital. His hands were fidgeting with each other and on the way through the doors, Prentiss took them.

"She's going to be fine, Reid." she told him softly, and for some reason, that statement from Prentiss helped immensely.

When he got to the door, he had to stop. His heart hammered in his chest, and his breath faltered. She looked incredibly small; Zyla always seemed so big for her personality. Her skin was pale, and her face was in a subconscious grimace. Her hair was knotted, her fingernails down to the skin. Her hands and face were scattered with scrapes and bruises. Her fingers and legs twitched, and her eyelids fluttered. A nasal tube was hooked on her ears, her breathing quiet and irregular. A heart monitor gave singular beeps, showing her erratic beats.

Spencer couldn't move from the doorway, frozen in place. His throat became dry and he blinked consistently. He completely forgot about Morgan and Prentiss' presence until there was a soft hand on his arm.

"We'll be out here, okay?" she said to him, and he nodded. He gathered up the courage to walk through the door, setting his bag down without taking his eyes off her. He sat uncertainty in the chair next to the bed, and stared down at her. Hesitantly, he took her hand tenderly, reveling in her warm, soft skin. His heart could've beat out of his chest.

He checked her face for any signs of response, but she was still. A small flame of distress flickered, but he quickly extinguished it. Spencer held her hand tightly with his, and stood up slightly to lean forward and give her a lingering kiss to her forehead. He rested his on top of hers, wishing that she could wake up and be okay.

From outside, Morgan and Prentiss watched through the door as their friend struggled, holding the hand of the girl he loves. Both of their hearts went out to them. They gave each other a tired glance.

"Poor kid never gets a break, does he?" Morgan muttered. Prentiss sighed, agreeing. It seems that Spencer Reid always picked the short stick.

However, as she studied the scene closer, she decided that maybe, just maybe, the universe gave him a chance of happiness.

The universe gave him her.


A/N: I'm sorry that took longer to update! I'm trying to write as much as possible, but a lot is going on now-a-days.

I would love to know how you guys think of the story so far! I gave you some more information about Spencer and Zyla's past, but more is coming, just you wait.

Hoping to have the next chapter out a little sooner than this one. Thank you all for being so patient!