Chapter 59

They went home that night, let the dogs out, turned on the tree and the other lights, and Laura moved into the kitchen. "You don't have to cook." Spencer said. "We can order take out."

Laura stopped and slumped onto a stool. "I don't want to be afraid." She said. "I want a place where I don't have to be afraid."

"You don't have to be afraid here." Spencer replied. "The security system is set for everything but the back door and we'll turn that on when we're done with the dogs for the night. And there are two agents sitting outside watching the house, if anything happens they'll come in and help."

"I know; I'm just…"

"I know." He said, pulling her in. "I know. Does feeling safe mean you have to cook?"

"No."

"Pizza it is. We'll order some for the guys too."

"CIA?"

The next day they all landed back at DC Metro, including the team, who had closed the case the night before, and Strauss. Now Spencer stood there blinking at her, clearly the last to know.

"Garcia was able to trace the ID back to a batch created for the CIA." Hotch repeated patiently. "Apparently the man following you is a new agent, just out of training."

"I thought the CIA wasn't supposed to work inside the US." Morgan said.

"They're not." Dave replied.

"Um," Blake got everyone's attention. "This may not be professional."

"What do you mean?" Strauss asked.

In response Blake stepped to the conference room door. For security sake Laura had been left out of the conversation until now, but Blake invited her in. "The man following you was a CIA operative."

"CIA?" Laura asked. But it was a rhetorical question. Spencer had never seen her that instantly furious before. She pulled out her phone and dialed. "Hi Dad!" She said in a voice that got the fight off to a rousing start.

"I'll go cut him loose." Will said with a sigh.

"I'll go inform the Director." Strauss said.

"I'm going to get my dog and get some sleep." Morgan added. Nods of agreement went around. He turned to look at Spencer. "Tell me how the fight turns out."

"I will." This should be interesting, Spencer thought. He went to refill his coffee and wait.

Thirty minutes later her father arrived at the station. "Let me explain." Andrew Patterson said to open.

"Explain what?!" Laura replied, still in fighting mode. "How you terrified us? How you decided to break Federal law to spy on me? What were you thinking Dad?"

"I was worried…"

"Then why didn't you just pick up the phone and call me? We could have had lunch today."

"You haven't been acting yourself, sweetheart. Running off with some guy…."

He watched her anger turn to ice. "Dad, I was kidnapped. I was locked in some freak's basement for months on end."

Her father plowed on ahead… "…coming home and having some church service thing…"

"I buried my daughter." She bit out at him, "Your granddaughter. Karen isn't here, Dad, could you at least let go of her lies long enough to understand that! I named her Margaret, you know, after Grandma Mags."

As Spencer watched Mr. Patterson quietly crumbled. He pivoted and sat heavily into a nearby chair. "I'm sorry, I just…"

Laura sighed and softened. "I know."

"She's just so…"

"She's mentally ill, Dad. It's not going to go away and she's not going to get help."

"I just can't…"

"I know. But I can't be her scapegoat any longer. That's why I've made a life out here. I want to stay in contact with you, if I can but I can't be around her. Especially not now."

"I know." Andrew took a deep breath. "I'm sorry you had to go through that all alone."

"I wasn't alone. Spencer was with me."

"Who?"

Laura smiled. "The 'guy' I ran off with, Maggie's father." She took her father's hand and pulled him over to Spencer. "Andrew Patterson, Dr. Spencer Reid."

Mr. Patterson looked at him, blinking. "Not the Dr. Reid who wrote…"

"Mmm-hmm."

"And the…"

"Mmm-hmmm."

"And the formula for…"

"Mmm-hmm." Spencer had some vague idea that he ought to ask permission to marry Mr. Patterson's daughter or something. But after everything that had happened he simply did not see the need.

"Well, I um…" Mr. Patterson looked down at his daughter. "I had no idea. I thought…"

"You believed Karen's lies because it's the only way to protect yourself." Laura nodded. "I do understand Dad."

"Are you two getting married then?"

Spencer watched Laura's defensive walls go up. "If we do I can't have Karen there." She said. "I won't. She'll ruin everything."

Her father nodded. "I'm sure we can work around that." He said before patting her hand. "Clearly I have a great deal to make up for here. If you two are willing, I think I'd like to say good-by to my granddaughter."

After a visit to Maggie's grave, always a peaceful pilgrimage for him and Laura, Spencer ended up having dinner with his future wife and future-father-in-law. He listened to the gentle stories; saw the number of times Laura had to correct her father when he confused reality with Karen's broken way of seeing the world. And he saw the kind of pain that a Narcissist can inflict and the kind of resilience it took to survive it. And through their memories he learned more about Laura's long gone but still much loved mother.

In the end Mr. Patterson turned at the curb where they were catching taxis back to Dave's and to his hotel. "I know you haven't asked for it." He said, looking at the two of them, "I suppose it's beyond that now, but you do have my blessing."

Laura blinked at him a long moment. "Wow." She said, stepping in to hug him hard. "Thanks Dad. I love you."

"I love you too sweetheart." He looked over at Spencer and offered his hand. "Take care of her, hard head that she is."

"I will, sir." He accepted the hand and the gesture offered.

Once in the taxi Laura settled against him. "This doesn't mean he's entirely back in my life." She warned him. "He can't be, not with Karen there."

"Yeah, but at least he's not entirely out of it either." Spencer said as he held her close.

"Yeah."