Disclaimer: I do not and unfortunately never will own Criminal Minds.
A/N: Thank you to all who brighten my day with your reviews.
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Reid and Allie entered O'Kelly's, a piano lounge located in a quiet area of Lancaster. There were few people in the establishment even though it was a Friday evening. They chose a table near the back, farthest away from the piano to make it easier to carry on a conversation. Allie had changed from her slacks and blouse into a navy skirt with a tunic top in navy and white stripes. Reid wore his usual cords, a gold shirt accented with a brown tie and a brown jacket. He'd decided to leave his glock in the hotel room safe, thinking the Grahams might take offense if he came to the meeting armed.
Reid surveyed the room. The pianist, a bald black man, tickling the ivories of a baby grand, commanded the front of the room. There was a tiny dance floor, with most of the room being taken up by small round tables encircled with either two or four chairs. A bar was situated near the back. It was oak with metal railing and matching metal barstools upholstered in teal green as were the chairs. The lighting was dim and the music was soft, consisting mostly of old standards and some jazz. It Had To Be You was the current offering. A waitress appeared and the couple ordered drinks.
"I really don't know why I let you talk me into this," Allie said for the third time since Reid had hung up the phone after speaking to Joan Graham.
"Because," Reid responded, pausing as the waitress returned with their drinks, "You really want to make up with your Dad but you feel if you give in too easily, you're being disloyal to me. So you think if you complain about it you won't be seen as a traitor to me which is totally unnecessary. I would never doubt your steadfastness."
Allie looked nonplussed. "How come you're so obtuse about some things but this you see right through?"
"I study human behavior after all, I'm a profiler," Reid reminded her. He looked up and said, "Oh here are your parents." Reid stood as Joan and Lloyd Graham approached the table.
"Hi Spencer," Joan greeted the young profiler. "It's nice to see you again."
"You too Mrs. Graham, Mr. Graham," he nodded at Allie's father. Joan Graham was fashionably attired in slacks contrasted with a cream silk blouse with a high collar that wound snugly around her neck. It was topped with a short matching green jacket and complimented her auburn hair beautifully. Lloyd had traded the suit he'd worn in the morning for a pair of grey pants, a grey shirt undone at the neck and a black blazer.
Joan bent and kissed Allie on the cheek, "Hi darling." Lloyd Graham held the chair as his wife sat beside their daughter then took the chair next to her. Once they were sitting, Reid resumed his seat. Drinks were ordered again. No one spoke for a few awkward moments until Joan inquired, "How was the luncheon?"
"It was good," Allie replied quietly.
"Were there a lot of people there," Joan tried again.
"Yeah," Allie responded.
Reid could not believe he was actually wishing Allie would start babbling on about babies, the nuclear holocaust, global warming, the life cycle of the glow worm, anything to get her talking. He took a sip of his brandy. Knowing he would likely be sorry, he finally he bit the bullet and said, "Chantal Jeffries asked Allie to be her baby's godmother." If that didn't start some kind of dialogue, nothing would.
"Oh honey, that's wonderful. You must be so excited and honored. How is Chantal doing," Joan asked, looking thankfully at Reid.
"She's great Mom," her eyes brightened and she faced her mother. "Yeah, it's really special when someone chooses you for something like that. I'm so excited. Only one month to go. I can't wait for the baby to come." Joan was about to say something, realizing that Allie hadn't acknowledged her father yet when her daughter continued. "Karen Ross was there and she had her baby, Heather. Oh Mom, she was so cute. I held her for the longest time. She's just a little angel."
Joan couldn't help but notice how excited her daughter was about the subject of babies. She also noticed that Spencer appeared to be turning rather green. Perhaps it was just the lighting, she thought. Allie had come up for air and the table was silent for a few moments when Joan looked at Reid and said, "Spencer do you dance?"
Reid was taken aback by the question, "Not well," he said slowly, looking at Allie's mother who raised her eyebrows meaningfully. Reid's eyes suddenly opened wide, "But I…I really would like to uh get better, uh, Mrs. Graham would you like to…" Joan was up and had grabbed his hand before he could finish and they headed to the dance floor leaving father and daughter alone.
By the time Joan pulled Reid onto the dance floor, his heart was pounding so hard, he was sure it could be heard above the music. His sweating hands tingled and he wondered if his trembling legs would hold him. At first he resisted being so close to Allie's mother and she looked at him strangely for a moment. Reid realized she had no way of knowing that he did not readily touch others or allow them to invade his prized personal space. But Joan intuitively took his one hand and put her other on his shoulder whispering, "It's okay Spencer." He slowly put his arm around her back and squeaked out an apology for his shortcomings as a dancer. Joan assured him this was fine and he suddenly had the urge burst out laughing when the pianist started to play, What I Did For Love!
Lloyd looked at his daughter sitting across the table from him. Her hands were fidgeting with her glass, her napkin and the rings on her fingers. Her eyes never left the dance floor and her concern for Spencer was obvious. "Honey, he's okay. Your mother won't bite."
"I know that but he's been so hurt in his life. He doesn't trust easily and he doesn't like to touch people or be crowded. That will be very hard for him," she motioned to the dance floor with her head. "Maybe I should…"
"Maybe you should leave him alone and give him a little credit," Lloyd said sharply and Allie's head swung around to glare at her father.
"How dare you say that to me? I love him. I'm very proud of him. How can you say I don't give him credit," Allie countered her voice rising. "You're the one that tried to belittle him."
"I never tried to belittle him and he knows that. Do you think for one minute that I thought that the man you told me about, the man who'd been through so much, would be hurt by what I said. He told you himself, in the big scheme of things, considering all that's happened to him in his life, this was nothing. Actually, I was quite impressed with him. He wanted to hold Daryl for the seventy-two hours. He wanted me to file my writ. I could see it in his eyes but the decision wasn't his to make and Agent Hotchner gave in. Why, because he was upset over what I said to Spencer. He tried to hide it but it was written all over his face and in the way he clenched his hands into fists. I've read witnesses and juries most of my life. Reading Agent Hotchner wasn't that difficult. You see honey, it wasn't Spencer that I got to, it was Agent Hotchner and likely all the others in the observation room." A look at his daughter told him he was right. "Everyone, including you, seems to want to protect him and Agent Hotchner may have made a rash decision because of it, especially when it's obvious to me that Spencer doesn't want that. You would think a group of profilers would be able to see that."
Allie's look softened, "He's the one that wanted me to talk to you. He said you were just doing your job."
Lloyd Graham took his daughter's hand, "Princess, he's a good man and don't think for one moment that I don't realize that, okay?" He picked up her hand and raised it to his lips.
Joan tapped Reid on the shoulder and pointed to the table. "Does that mean that you don't have to pretend to like dancing with me anymore," he asked, favoring Joan with his twinkling eyes and his radiant smile and she suddenly knew how he had so captured her daughter's heart.
"Yeah," Joan smiled enthusiastically, pulling Reid back to the table.