Note: I do not own 'Criminal Minds' but my own characters...I'll admit that I'm not as smart as Reid so he won't be spouting off trivia left, right, or center...Enjoy...
Spenser Reid had just finished a case with his team at the Behavioral Analysis Unit for the F.B.I. They had just gotten back to Virginia and Reid didn't want to stay at home. He felt like he needed to be around people. He dropped off his bag at home and walked down the block to a little bar. He grabbed a stool at the bar.
"What ya want?" the bartender asked.
Reid normally doesn't drink so he was at a loss of what he wanted. Maybe this was a bad idea, maybe he should have gone to the coffee shop or the bookstore.
"Maybe the nerd wants a glass of milk," a man who was sitting a few stools down from Reid said.
"Maybe a Shirley Temple," said another man.
"Maybe you all should shut it. Mike, give him a Miller and I'll have the usual."
"Did you know that the process of brewing beer began in the 19th century?" Reid spouted off before he looked up.
The one who rescued him from the ridicule had a smile on her lips, almost as if she was trying to stifle her laughter. She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and took the stool next to him. The light picked up the several tones of brown in her hair but it was her eyes that seemed to cry out to him. They weren't green or blue, almost like an aqua.
"It may have started in the 19th century but the beer has been improved and has become the most popular alcohol in the country."
The bartender handed over a bottle of Miller beer to Reid and a glass filled with dark liquid to the girl. She held up her glass to him in a salute and took a long drink. Her entire body seemed to relax at that moment, as if the liquor was her savior.
"What brings you into a bar like this and at this time of day?" she asked.
"Just needed to be out. What about you? You seem quite familiar here."
"That's because I am. I got off work early and would rather be anywhere than at home so I stopped in here."
Silence reigned for a few moments while Reid contemplated on what to say next. He tried the beer that she ordered for him and decided that it was decent. His hair fell into his eyes and he tucked it behind his ear. He tended to do this out of nervous habit.
"I'm Anne Marie."
"Reid. Thank you for the suggestion."
"Don't mention it. Next time don't sit down at the bar unless you know what you want. Otherwise, the drunks will stare and probably heckle you."
He wasn't sure who started it but the conversation began to flow between the two of them. He spouted off facts that he had read from one book or another and she would turn the conversation around to focus on the fact. They would debate the validity behind it and Anne Marie often tried to make Reid think what it would be like if it wasn't right.
"What if everyone had that power? Only a select few had the power to tap into it but if the entire world could access the Force, imagine the chaos. Imagine one neighbor using it against his neighbor because his grass is greener. "
It did make Reid wonder what life would be like if he had the Force. What would he do with the powers? He was more of a Star Trek fan but did enjoy the Star Wars franchise.
Anne Marie had drunk through 2 glasses while Reid was still nursing his first bottle when the door banged open. Her eyes scanned the room and settled on the man in the doorway. Her body tensed waiting for what was surely coming next.
"Anne Marie!" the man bellowed.
"Shit," she muttered as she dug money out of her pocket and handed it to the bartender.
"Is everything alright?" Reid asked.
"No. My stepfather is drunk and angry," she replied looking at her watch. "We've been talking for 5 hours. I should have been home hours ago. I need to get him out of here. Thanks for the conversation, Reid. Enjoy the Miller."
Reid watched as Anne Marie approached the man at the door. He grabbed her upper arm and shook her slightly. He was yelling at her but kept it quiet enough so the others couldn't overhear. He pulled her towards the door and she looked back once more before she was dragged out sight.
He wanted to go after her but what could he do. Her stepfather had at least 30 pounds on him and the man was angry that she wasn't home on time. There's no law against that so Reid couldn't arrest him. He turned back around, finished off the last of the warm beer, and paid before heading home.