DISCLAIMER:

I DO NOT OWN CRIMINAL MINDS! Nor do I own any other copy-righted things mentioned.

Reid nervously approached the bedside. He looked at the woman in the bed. She looked…broken. Her eyes cast an empty glance, but the heart monitor was still beeping. He tentatively touched her hand and said, "Clarice?"

She looked at him, her hazel eyes locking with his. Tears welled in her eyes and she whispered, "Spencer? Spence is that you?"

He nodded nervously. She tried to curl her fingers around his but couldn't. Most of her hair, which had been a dark brown, was singed off. She looked something short of a corpse. It made Reid nervous. He was just meeting her…he couldn't lose her already.

"How's Perdita?"

"Dita's fine. She's a lovely little girl," Spencer said. "She's with a friend of mine…she's coloring with her new friend Jack too."

"Jack?"

"My boss's son…but sometimes I actually do feel like 'Uncle Spence'," Reid chuckled.

Clarice gave him a weak smile before she gave him a serious look.

"I need…you…to promise me something Spence."

"What?"

"If I don't make it…take Perdita. It's not fair that I grew up never knowing my brother, so at least she deserves to know her uncle."

Spencer looked over Clarice. The burns were bad. He knew that not everyone who received burns died from them, but she looked so frail. Reid nodded and said, "I'll take her."

Clarice smiled and closed her eyes. She fell fast asleep, feeling content with the fact she had Reid. She was content that her child wouldn't fall into her ex's hands, but would go to her brother, whom she instinctively trusted. He was with the FBI after all! The guy couldn't be bad news.

Spencer gently stroked her hand and said, "Good bye little sister…when you wake up, I probably won't be here."

He walked out of the room, tears threatening to leak out of his eyes. Emily touched his shoulder and said, "Are you ready?"

Reid nodded and looked to Sean. He took something out of his pocket and gave it to Sean.

"Give this to Clair….Dita drew it," he said turning away.

Emily followed after Reid, who was trying his damnedest not to cry. Sean unfolded the piece of paper. There was Clarice, him, her…and Reid. Underneath it, it said my family. It read: Mommy, Daddy, Me, and Uncle Spencey, my big happy family.

Sean almost cried too. How he wished it were the truth…oh how he did.

Author's Note:

I apologize for the long break and the short chapter, but I'm working on a couple other stories, while trying to juggle school and family time in here. So please be patient (I'm such a hypocrite.) Any suggestions for the story are welcomed…I like constructive criticism.