A Lot Going On

Criminal Minds Fanfiction

Spoilers for Proof

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Criminal Minds, or the characters within.

What do they know? Spencer Reid thought angrily as he walked away from Jennifer Jareau, his steps heavy. He had tried; he really had tried, to keep things amicable between the two of them. Under normal circumstances, he'd have been able to accept the fact that JJ had lied to him, in order to save their friend. He could have, would have accepted it, as a fact of their lives.

These, he regretted more than anything, were not normal circumstances.

"Hey, pretty boy, hold up," Derek Morgan said, drawing his steps to a halt.

"What do you want, Derek," Spence asked, his voice tired.

"Look, I get where you're coming from, Reid. You're pissed that Emily's been alive the entire time, and you feel betrayed. But taking your anger out on JJ, not cool man."

"Please just leave me alone," Reid asked, intending to step away from his friend, and co-worker.

"Oh no, we're not done, kid. JJ's out there, crying her eyes out, because of this mess, Reid. The woman you swore never too hurt, you remember."

"Of course I remember," Spencer said.

"Look, Reid… it's not an ideal situation we're in, right now. For ten weeks, we fought tooth and nail to find Ian Doyle to avenge Emily, and in that time, she was living a life away from all this. That's on her, JJ was following orders, doing her part to make sure our friend was safe. Sure, she could have told you, but all Doyle would've had to do is shoot you full of Dilaudid, and Emily's secret is blown. I know you're smart enough to know that, Reid. So, what's going on?"

Spencer's hands clenched, and he was so focused on his thoughts he didn't hear the rest of the team walk up behind him.

"I… my mom died last week, Derek. She went into a psychotic episode and used a pair of scissors to cut her wrist. By the time the nurse found her, she'd lost too much blood… I was scheduled to fly out the day we found out about Emily, but with everything that's gone on, I wasn't able too. They had her funeral today…"

There was a stifled sob behind him, and Spencer turned on his heel, his eyes wide in shock. Derek was looking at him, his eyes understanding. Emily's face was contorted in an agonized look, as Spencer's anger had started to make more since to her.

JJ didn't hesitate. Stepping forward, the blond-haired woman pulled her best friend down in a hug.

"Why didn't you say something, Reid," Hotch asked, his face unusually emotional.

"I've been so busy, that at times it was easy to lose focus, to convince myself that it wasn't, didn't happen. I was planning on telling you this morning, Hotch, and then we got the case, and that took priority… mom knew that, she'd want me to do my job."

"Oh Spence," JJ said anguished, "you should have told us."

"Just accept my apologies, in advance and for earlier, if I'm not one-hundred percent right now."

"After this case is over," Hotch said, "we'll get you to Vegas, Reid."

"Yeah, I'll call Will, and let him know that I'm going with you, alright… and Spence, I'm sorry."