Traded Mistakes

Chapter Seven:

5:25 AM

I had been in the bathroom for about twenty minutes leaning against the cool linoleum of the wall. I had thrown up of course but I hadn't exactly strong enough to get up yet and go back to the room where Spencer was. I was surprised he hadn't followed me in here. He knew that I hadn't been feeling well since we went to bed.

I had been feeling more naseauated and my body was overheated but I refused to take anything for it or let him take me to the emergency room. I just thought it was pass. Obviously that wasn't going to happen. We were supposed to be leaving in the next four hours to get to Philadelphia, where my mom was living.

I kept having these few flashes of memories flash through my mind as I sat here. They had to do with my father. More importantly the events that led up to his death. He had been killed in front of me and I was still dealing with it.

"Nati?" He was in the hallway. I couldnt' see him but I knew that he was there. "Are you okay? Do I need to take you to the hospital?" He was now crouching in front of me touching my face. I flinched away from him, his hands were cold.

I should have leaned against his hand but I was afraid I would actually tip over into him. That would just give him a reason to actually take me the hospital. "Just help me up." I said quietly as I looked at him.

Spencer slowly lifted me up to my feet and tucked me into his side as he began to walk out of the bathroom. We walked into the living room and he let me lay down on the couch. I closed my eyes for a few minutes. "I still think I should at least call the doctor to see if this is normal."

"We can call her when there is a guarantee that she's at the office and when we're well on our way to see my mother."

"You still plan to go even though you're not feeling well."

"You can drive, Reid." I groaned as I covered my face with my hands. This was going to be a long day. "I'm sure she'd understand if you called her and told her how you were feeling, Nati." Reid muttered as he swept my hair out of my face.

I shook my head slowly. "No, she'd be disappointed. I haven't gone to see her in a few years. I really need to now."

"Why do you necessarily need to?"

I sighed as I thought about a little bit longer about what I was about to tell him. I didn't need another reason for him to show symphathy towards me.

"She's dying, Spencer. She has stage four breast cancer." I looked up at him only to see that his expression was neutral. I didn't know what he was going to say.

"Get some more sleep. I'll make sure we get out of here in time." I felt him press a kiss to my forehead before he started moving back towards the rooms in the back.

10: 45 AM

All our bags were in the car-my car and I was just waiting for Spencer to get in the driver's side. He was going through the house one more time to make sure we had everything that we were supposed to have before getting on the road. I sat there for at least three more minutes before I saw him walking out in his casual clothes.

It was like how I felt when I saw him in his pajamas. Except this time he was wearing jeans, his converse and a t-shirt. He had a pair of shades covering his eyes from the sun and a weary look on his face as he slid into my car.

"I don't get why we can't take my car. It's perfectly capable of getting us to Pennyslvania and back without injury."

"And you think my car won't? Spencer, it's not that big of a deal. I'm just more comfortable resting in my own car while you drive. I'm much more comfortable in it."

"I'm comfortable in my car too." He sighed but shifted the gears from park to drive, beginning to ease the car out of the driveway. I was already getting a headache from arguing over something so trivial.

I reached over to the center console and began messing with the GPS. I saw the map he had in his lap but I didn't want to get in a wreck while he tried looking at it while driving. "Use the GPS." I muttered quietly once I got the address in the system. The directions popped up along with the option to use the voice over.

Spencer reached over and turned the option to 'no, thanks'. I just shrugged before he tossed the map to the back off the car and gave me a small smile. "Just this one time, I like my maps."

"I know." I giggled. "We have to compromise a little bit, Doctor." The smile stayed on his lips as we got on the highway. I knew it would take a couple hours before we were close the destination.

"Rest." He muttered as he saw me trying to figure out what I could do. "I'll wake you when we get there." I just nodded before giving him a quick kiss on the cheek and then turning to face the window and closing my eyes hoping to get some sleep.

5:15 PM

A young girl's laughter was heard in the dark streets of Pennsylvania as she walked alongside her father. They had just got out of a late movie. It was an action flick that both she and her father had been dying to see. This had been the only night and time that they could see it because of his work. He was a mechanic who did specialty orders at any given order.

The girl couldn't be more than twelve years old and she was quite cute in her shorts and printed t-shirts. She was standing close to her father as they walked along the sidewalk.

Her father stopped once the felt a pain in his side. He stopped as he looked up and saw the pistol just a few feet away from where his daughter was standing. He waited a moment before pushing the young girl from by him to the wall away. "Go. Run." He muttered as he clutched his side.

Damn. A bullet was deep inside of his side. He couldn't be to sure where exactly it was but he wasn't going to try to pull it out at the moment. He had to make sure these scum didn't get his daughter. "Pops, why don't you just let her come with us and we'll get you the help you need." One of the thugs muttered as he took a step out of the shadows.

"No way in hell." The father muttered as he lurched out in front of the guy and began to pound his face in. He knew that he could at least get to one of them before the other would try to come after him. "Nati, get out of here! Now!" He muttered as he continued to smash the guy's head into the cement.

The girl couldn't move though, she was too scared. She didn't want to leave her father. No when he was hurt like this. "I can't." She cried as she began to run towards him but she felt something hot graze her stomach. She screamed as she doubled over and held the wound. Why was this happening? She thought as she watched the scene in front of her.

They were hurting her dad. More than that she knew, they were killing him. But why?

For her? Why her? Nati didn't know. She didn't think she was anyone special. Just daddy's little girl.

"Hey!" Someone else came into her fading out vision. It was more than one person...she noticed. It was a group of...police officers. Once came over to her and started to ask her questions. "Are you okay, sweetheart?"

"Save him..." She slurred out as she continued to look over at her dad. The men were on the ground. There was more blood. "Save my daddy."

"We will." The officer promised as he tugged on his walkie talkie that was on his shoulder and called in for an ambulance. The officer knew that there was a possibility that his words were just words but he had to keep the young girl awake long enough that she would be taken care of. He didn't know what he would do if he didn't save one of them tonight. He had a daughter at home himself.

The girl eyes were starting to close but she tried her best to stay awake as she watched the officers talking to her father. Trying to make sure he was okay. The girl knew in her bloody gut that he couldn't be.

"Nati?"

"Nati?" The girl had faded out...

I was startled as I looked around me and saw that Spencer was crouched down in front of me and I was gasping for air. "Yeah?" I asked as I inhaled and exhaled, trying to catch my breath.

"Are you okay?"

I looked at him. He looked really scared at the moment. I just nodded. "Just a bad dream." I promised him as I found myself clutching my stomach like I had back then. That night that I watched my father die in front of me.

It was more than that though that was the day that I almost die as well. The day that I realized that I wanted to be like the men who had saved me. The police officers. I ended up doing something on the force but obviously that didn't last too long.

"Are you sure that's all it was? Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not yet." I gulped down the saliva that was building in my throat. I looked around trying to look away from his face, really only trying to figure out where we were now. We were at a gas station. "I have to go to the bathroom." I said quietly as I unbuckled myself from the seat. Spencer helped out of the car and we walked into the store and he directed me in the direction of the bathroom.

It wasn't the best but it would have to do. I need to relieve myself and fresh up a bit. I was burning up. I used the bathroom quickly before walking over to the sink and splashing my face with some water. It was lukewarm but it woke me up a little bit. I dried my face and hands with one of the cheap napkins that were stacked on the sink before walking out of the bathroom.

Spencer was standing right there when I got out. He opened his mouth to say something else but changed his mind and just reached out for my hand. I quietly took it as we gathered a few bottles of water and a small bag of pretzels because I wanted something salty to snack on during the last hour of our drive.

Spencer paid since I hadn't even brought my wallet in and we walked back out and got into the car. "Is it really bad? The dream you had?" Spencer said after a few minutes of silent driving. I had looked over at the GPS and saw that we were in Pennsylvania now, but we weren't in Philly just yet.

"Unfortunately, yes. It's something difficult for me to talk about with anyone. Don't take it too personally, Spence. But I will tell you about it sometime. Or maybe my mom might tell you before I get the chance. She's good at spilling things especially when she knows that it'll take me awhile to. Actually you may already think I have told you."

"This is probably one of the best times for me to explain certain things you should probably expect of her to do or say just so you're not too shocked by any of it."

I saw him nod, which meant that I continue. "Since you know she's dying and doesn't really have much time left or maybe she does. Her doctor's expectation of her lifeline was way less than what she's lived through, who knows she may be here for the birth. Um, with that being said she'll be a bit more excited about the fact that I'm having your child than necessary. And she may also hint at marriage." I was quite surprised that he hadn't shown any sign of uneasy of that, yet.

"That's something I would expect of her knowing the circumstances." He said after a few moments of silence. "It's more than likely when it comes to grandkids and marriage that a parent will want them or push their child to do it when they know that there is a chance that they won't be there to see it."

"Oh you're going all nerdy on me, Dr. Reid." I laughed. I saw him roll his eyes but there was a hidden smile on his face. It was more of a shadow of one, but I could see it. "But you're right. She might be emotional about it too. She never thought she'd see the day when I told her or when Meredith told her that I was either engaged or having a child. So she will at least get one half of her not exactly wish."

Spencer didn't say much he just reached over and squeezed my hand. I guess that meant that he would be okay with any and all that would happen while we were there. I didn't know if I would be though.

7:29 PM

I had nearly forgotten how much I loved my mother's house. She had refused to live in a hospital while she was going through all of this, but she had someone that watched out for her everyday. I was grateful for that. As Spencer parked the car in the driveway I slipped on my shoes and began to get out of the car.

Spencer was right there when I got there. I nearly cursed his long legs before shutting the car door and reaching up to take off his shades and putting them on my face. He gave me a fake glare before I latched myself onto his arm and we walked around the front of the car and to the front door.

I was surprised she hadn't been standing there yet. She usually sensed when someone was about to knock on the door. I had spoke too soon. When Spencer reached out for the knocker the door opened to reveal my mother. She was beaming.

Oh god. I sighed before beginning to unlatch myself from Spencer's arm but she had already pulled us together towards her so she could give us the welcome hug. It was a huge hug. "Mom...no air...let go." I choked as she let us go.

This was going to be one hell of a weekend. I just hoped Spencer was ready for all of this. I sure as hell was having second thoughts about it. She welcomed us in and I took the shades off and handed them back to Spencer.

My mom had already waltzed away from us. I pulled Spencer down to my face so that I could talk to him eye to eye. I really hated being so short. "I hope you're ready for all this. Lots of questions are about to be thrown, almost like a boomerang. So yeah, beware of those. She's like a school girl when it comes to these things."

"Not a problem." Spencer smiled before looking to the side and pressing his mouth against mine quickly. It caught me by surprise but I kissed him back quickly.

"Awe how sweet. Trying to sneak in a few kisses before I came and got you." I was blushing once he pulled back. He acted like he hadn't even been caught doing that. I knew that he had done it on purpose.

I just laughed nervously before she gestured for us to follow her.

If he kept this up this trip might be a bit entertaining.

It would be up to him entirely, how ever.

A/N: yo c:

I'm not sure if I put this in the last chapter's AN but I have the links for characters' pictures up on my profile.

I would be sitting here forever if I didn't stop this chapter now. Maybe that last part was a little OOC of Spencer but I needed to find a cute way to end this. I hope you like.

Reviews would be nice, yeah?

:3

-daisherz365