Disclaimer: See chapter 1
A/N: Happy Thanksgiving to all the American readers out there
-------------------------------
Gary Meeks moved the oak coffee table to the side to get more room to work on wiring the bay window. A white envelope that was on the table fell to the floor, its contents spilling onto the shiny hardwood surface. "Oh damn," Gary cursed. As he stooped to pick up the letter and some photographs, Reid entered the room. "Oh Dr. Reid, I just moved the coffee table and these pictures fell all over the floor. Maybe you should put them somewhere out of the way." He handed the pictures to Reid.
"Uh, yeah, I'll do that," Reid replied and took the stack of pictures into the bedroom setting them on the mahogany dresser next to Allie's jewel box. Allie could do what she wanted with them later. He was turning away when the top picture caught his eye. He turned back and picked it up. He and his father were sitting over the chessboard in his father's study. He remembered the moment. He had been seven at the time and had just taken his Dad's queen when his mother, trying out a new camera, snapped the picture. There was so much about his life with his father that he'd forgotten, mostly the good times, all he seemed to remember now was his father's good bye and his letter. But there had been times like this, lots of them. He suddenly realized tears were meandering down his face. He quickly wiped them away with a swipe of his hand, put the picture back on the pile and left the room, only to return a few moments later to pick up the photograph once again, running his fingertips over the images housed therein. He looked around the room, as if checking to see if anyone was watching, and put the picture in the back pocket of his jeans.
-----------------------
"Is that all you're having Allie?" Garcia asked as they were discussing their orders before their waitress arrived. Joanna sat cooing softly in her carrier. "You usually have a bigger appetite than that."
"I know, but I'm trying to be more careful. I ate something spicy one night and I guess it affected my breast milk and upset Joanna."
"Oh yeah, Reid told us about that," Emily recalled, "but surely you can have more than salad and cottage cheese. Not everything on the menu is spicy."
"I know, but look at me, I must have gained twenty pounds with Joanna that has to come off. How am I going to fit into all that stuff you guys gave me at the lingerie shower," Allie replied, laughing unconvincingly.
"Allie," JJ said, "you're not worried about it are you, your weight I mean. You're not afraid you won't be attractive to Reid anymore?"
"How can I not be? This," she pointed to her abdomen, "is not what he married."
"Allie, Spencer Reid loves you." Emily told her. "You don't see him at the end of the workday or when we land from a case. His eyes light up because he knows he gets to go home to you. It's still that way. His eyes light up every day at quitting time."
"I know that he loves me but I'm afraid he won't desire me anymore."
"Are you kidding, that man desired you when you were pregnant out to here," JJ put her hands far out in front of her, "didn't he?"
"Yeah he did…a lot, but I…" she looked down at her lap. "I did something that really upset him and he was so angry with me." She launched into the tale of exchanging letters with her father-in-law. "I've never seen him that angry before. He said some pretty harsh things to me and then stormed out. I only wanted to help. I never meant to hurt him."
"So that's what's got you on this slim down kick," Emily commented. "You think if he gets angry at you and you don't have the body beautiful, he'll, what…leave? You're not giving him much credit."
"I know, it's just that you didn't see how angry he was. It was like he hated me."
"Reid's dad has always been a very touchy subject with him. I wanted to slap the guy silly when I first met him. How hard must it be for Reid? I'm sure he wants to forget the guy even exists but he can't and I think that bothers him; that with all that's happened his father can still get to him. No matter what, there will always be an emotional tie between them and it's probably even harder now that there's Evan as well," Garcia interjected.
----------------------
"Felicia, I'm glad I caught you," Lloyd Graham said into the receiver. "Yes, I'm well aware that it's Saturday. I need you to look up a case for me. The trial took place in 2003 in Chicago, US v. Mendez, homicide in commission of a felony and attempted homicide of a federal agent." He listened for a few moments. "I want the transcripts and copies of all discovery. I also want anything you can get me on the DA, the PD and the presiding judge." He listened again while Felicia spoke. "Because you're the best paralegal in Ohio and I pay you very good money. Let me know as soon as you've got all the information together."
Spencer must have thought Chico had been railroaded as well or he wouldn't have started buying plane tickets for his grandmother. But how would Spencer feel about his taking the case at the request of William Reid. Would he feel that Lloyd was playing into his father's hands somehow. Well, Lloyd thought, as he'd told William, if Spencer didn't want him to take the case, he wouldn't although, he had to admit to himself, it intrigued him. If he didn't take the case, Justin De Vries was an excellent attorney who did pro bono cases all the time. He'd be happy to take it on. It was time to call Spencer and find out.
-----------------------
Andy Cummings was demonstrating the motion detector lights they'd just installed when Reid's cell rang. He looked at the call display and excused himself, "Hi Dad."
"Spencer, how are you this afternoon?" Lloyd asked.
"If you mean have I gotten over the other night, I'm working on it. I'm having a new security system installed in case Allie's letters fall into the wrong hands at Leavenworth," Reid explained.
Lloyd hadn't considered that eventuality but now that Spencer mentioned it, it was entirely possible. He smiled slightly, even though Spencer was angry with Allie, his first thought was to protect his family. Lloyd was proud of him. "How is Allie," her father wanted to know.
"She's fine. She and Joanna have gone out to lunch with the girls."
"The reason I'm calling," Lloyd thought it best to dive right in, "is because I received a phone call today about reviewing Chico Mendez's case."
There was silence on the line for a moment. "Mendez wants you to mount an appeal of his conviction?" Reid queried.
"No," Lloyd replied, "not exactly. In fact I get the feeling he doesn't even know anything about it."
"Well then who contacted you, his grandmother?"
"No," Lloyd was silent for a time as he held his breath. "It was your father."