Disclaimer: Guess what, I own nothing
A/N: Thanks to all who continue to read and send me such interesting reviews. They always make me smile.
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The BAU team and Allie were comfortably ensconced in the back of the hotel's restaurant, set to enjoy a leisurely meal while they waited for results of the forensic work that was pending, confident that it would give them the evidence they needed to make their arrest.
"This is a nice place." Emily remarked on the restaurant's décor. The vast room was carpeted in plush burgundy with gold accents while the round tables were covered with burgundy tablecloths contrasted with gold napkins. The chairs were luxuriously upholstered in a burgundy and gold print. The centerpiece of each table was a gold candle in a hurricane lamp. Muted light emitting from gold sconces on the burgundy walls, finished in trompe l'oeil to resemble Venetian plaster, added to the feeling of warmth and comfort.
"So, how was the luncheon," JJ asked?
Allie answered excitedly, "Oh, it was great. I got to see so many people I haven't seen in a while. My best friend, Chantal, is expecting a baby in another month. She asked me to be its godmother. I'm thrilled," she beamed. "My friend Karen was there with her husband, Craig. They've got a three month old baby, Heather, she's the cutest thing, isn't she honey?"
"Uh hmm," Reid replied, suddenly finding his drink, his napkin and the tablecloth very interesting. His refusal to make eye contact resulted in a collective smirk from the diners. Allie continued to talk about babies and Mark Jeffries' words echoed in Reid's mind. He hoped Mark was wrong but Allie's persistent babble on the subject, made him think otherwise.
Hotch got a faraway look in his eyes and Reid knew he was thinking of Jack and how much he missed his son. Allie's continued prattle about babies wasn't helping so it was a relief when their meals arrived. Talk centered on their meals and food in general and eateries in the Washington area that some hadn't tried yet. Reid was glad at the change in topic.
After the meal, the team headed for their hotel, looking forward to an uneventful evening for once, while Reid and Allie headed for their room. Once they'd entered the room, Allie said, "That was a nice meal."
"Yeah," Reid agreed absently.
"What are you thinking about? You seemed rather distracted at dinner. Is it something to do with the case," Allie asked, sitting beside him on the bed.
"No, it doesn't have anything to do with the case, at least not technically." He was silent for a few moments, then cleared his throat, "I want you to call your father," Reid replied.
"Oh, no," Allie stood up, backing away from him. "I have absolutely nothing to say to him after the stunt he pulled this morning."
"Allie, you can't let something like this come between you and your father." Reid's voice was rising. "He's your family. You have this wonderful family. You have no idea how precious that is until you don't have one. Believe me, I know."
"You have a family," Allie countered.
"Oh sure I do, and how dysfunctional is my family? My mother's in a mental institution. Some days she doesn't even know me. Our relationship will never get better because it's just not possible; it won't overcome her schizophrenia. My father, who left me at ten and tried to kill me at twenty-six, is in prison. Who knows if that relationship can ever be salvaged?"
"You have Evan." Allie countered again.
"Yeah, and Evan is one of the very best parts of my life. I've loved him from the moment I opened that hospital room door and saw his bald little head. It's the first real feeling of family I've had in a long time and I don't ever want to do anything to jeopardize that." Reid stood and closed the distance between them.
"But you, you have something so special. You have the American dream, a family that loves you, your parents, your grandparents, Chelsea and Dylan. Don't let something your Dad said to me ruin that."
"He should be the one to apologize, not me. He had no right to say something like that to you," Allie was adamant.
"Your Dad was just doing his job for his client. He had a piece of information about me and he used it to his advantage and got his client released. Do you think that Hotch, Rossi, Morgan, Prentiss and yeah, even I haven't said and done things we're not proud of in an interrogation to get the result we want. We've all done it because that's the way it works and I think your Dad knows that I understand that. When we arrest Daryl the next time, it'll be different. We'll have more evidence and your Dad can go ahead and file his writ, he won't win. Please, please, talk to your father."
Allie sat on the edge of the bed looking at the phone. "Would it help if I left you alone," Reid asked.
She shook her head and reached for his hand. "Please don't go." Reid nodded and sat down beside her on the bed.
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Joan and Chelsea were cleaning up the dishes after the evening meal. Something had happened at the police station between Lloyd and Spencer, although her husband refused to elaborate, citing attorney/client privilege. He said Allie was very upset with him over it. Lloyd hadn't eaten much and had hardly said a word during dinner which was so unlike him. She thought after the first evening that things were on an even keel with the family and Spencer, and now this. Perhaps she should call one of them.
"I hope this thing with Dad and Spencer doesn't put a damper on the weekend, Mike's coming and with everybody here, we were hoping it would be special." Chelsea reminded Joan of her son-in-law's anticipated arrival.
"Yes, I hope so too. I wonder if I could…" Joan stopped as the phone rang, "Hello."
"Hi Mom," Joan could hear the tears in her daughter's voice.
"Hi honey, are you alright? Your father told us there was an incident at the police station but he couldn't give us details of course."
Allie relayed to her mother what Lloyd Graham had said and she could hear her mother's sharp intake of breath. "Spencer says it's okay, that it's just Dad's job. He wants me to talk to Dad."
"I think that's an excellent idea dear," Joan replied, hoping to convince Allie to communicate with her father. "Why don't we get together at O'Kelly's? We could just sit in the back and talk."
"No, I don't think that's a good idea…" Allie was saying when the phone was wrested from her grasp.
"Hi, Mrs. Graham," Reid said, "What did you have in mind," he asked as Allie tried to take the phone back and mouthed the word "no?" Joan explained as she had to her daughter and Reid replied, "Sounds like a fine idea. We'll meet you there in, oh say, an hour. Fine, okay, bye." Reid hung up the phone as Allie shot daggers at him with her eyes. He smiled, "We have a date with your parents."