Lies - Criminal Minds || Spencer Reid Fanfiction

9. Surprise

"There is no surprise more magical than the surprise of being loved." ~ Charles Morgan

The Father

I'd faced down some pretty frightening things in all my years. But this, was probably one of the most challenging things I'd ever had to do.

I scanned my badge and entered the building; my heart thudding in my chest. I gripped my go-bag tighter as I approached the reception desk.

"I'm looking for the BAU." I explained and here the receptionist told me to go to the twelfth floor. That was funny; the BAU being so high up in comparison to Quantico.

I took the elevator; the blood rushing to my ears as I took deep breaths and prepared myself for what I was about to do.

I stepped out of the elevator into a small marbled foyer. Beyond this there was a screen of frosted glass, and to my right a set of clear-glass double doors.

Pushing inside I was met with an almost-similar bullpen except far smaller than Quantico with only six desks, each separate from each other with an almost-path leading up to a set of stairs and a large, frosted-glass office.

I didn't have to read the plaque on the door to know whose office that belonged to.

The desks were empty of any agents as I travelled through them and up the stairs to the glass office where the large, double-sized clear glass door was lying open.

I knocked twice as I watched her writing vigorously at her large glass desk, her glasses pushed up on her nose and her lips pursed.

"Come on in." She said in an accent so close to her mother's it still sent shivers down my spine at times.

"Hello sweetheart." I said, entering her office and pulling her door closed behind me.

"Dad?!" She gasped as she removed her glasses and leapt to her feet. "What're you doing here?" She asked in surprise.

Subtly, I swept my gaze over the clear-glass cabinets lining the entire wall behind her desk. Each shelf held a certificate and a photo-frame; photos of my team back in Quantico; photos of both Melanie and I; photos of Melanie and our family; photos of Melanie and Spencer even.

I was surprised. I'd always assumed that here, in New York, Melanie was so detached and cold about everything and everyone that she needn't bother to commemorate anyone in any way whatsoever.

"I came to apologise," I explained, looking back at those blue eyes. "I thought that a simple apology on the phone wasn't good enough, and I wanted to make sure that you would really forgive me."

"So you came all the way to New York?" She asked in surprise.

"Yes," I nodded. I sighed as I set my bag down on the small white sofa in the corner to my left next to the wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling window.

"Melanie you are my daughter and I love you very much," I said sincerely, approaching her desk slowly.

"You were right, I should never have interfered with you and Spencer. Whatever does, or does not distract you is none of my business and I shouldn't have said anything.

"I only done so because I love you, and I worry about you all the time. I can't be here to protect you, so I try to do as much as I can, as best as I can. And sometimes, I overcompensate, and sometimes, in all the wrong ways." She looked into my eyes tearfully.

"Dad," She said in a broken voice before laughing and shaking her head.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten so angry, you were right," She hurried around her desk and threw her strong arms around me.