Lies - Criminal Minds || Spencer Reid Fanfiction

11. Realisation

"That's the problem with drinking, I thought, as I poured myself a drink. If something bad happens you drink in an attempt to forget; if something good happens you drink in order to celebrate; and if nothing happens you drink to make something happen." ~ Charles Bukowski

The Daughter

"I just thought I'd stop by and see if you were okay before we leave. Spencer said something about you both staying behind until tomorrow?" My dad asked, entering my hotel room without asking.

I smirked and rubbed at my forehead, nodding as I followed him into the room.

"That's right, he volunteered to stay behind with me."

"How sweet." I frowned at his sour tone and narrowed my eyes.

"You're the one that's insisted on the pair of us making up. This is the first step at burying the hatchet, dad." There was a pause as we both looked at each other.

"Yeah. Okay. How's your shoulder?" He asked eventually. 

I sighed and shook my head, deciding to just forget it. My headache wasn't improving much and the last thing I needed was another argument with my dad.

"Painful." I admitted bluntly.

"Did they give you any pain-killers?"

"Yeah some. They're not helping though."

"Maybe due to the fact you're drinking with them," He said, looking pointedly at the glass of whiskey on the table. "I didn't know you drank whiskey." He said bluntly.

"Is this going to turn into a lecture? Because if so, you have to tell me now so I can drink more whiskey first." I said, scrambling off the edge of the bed to reach the whiskey glass on the table.

"Melanie I'm only short with you because I can see what you're doing."

"What's that dad?" I sighed in defeat, sipping my whiskey and trying not to gag.

"The last thing I want is this to turn into an argument."

"Who's arguing? I don't have the energy to argue."

"And that's exactly my point Melanie," He smirked but without humour, putting himself closest to the door for an easy escape as soon as possible. 

"You're running yourself so dry that you can't see how terrible this night is going to turn out. When you get back to New York it'll be the exact same as it's been all month; you'll be exhausted and distracted and too thoughtful to put yourself in the field because you'll be worrying over what the Hell happened with Spencer."

"There it is! The elephant in the room," I groaned. I pinched my nose and then hissed at the pain I felt. I shook my head and turned my heavy eyes onto my dad. 

"Dad, I love you. Very much. And I respect you and your judgement. But please. I need to do this. I need to get over Spencer and maybe by meeting on neutral ground and sorting through things, we can do that." He shrugged his shoulders in defeat. Evidently, I hadn't sold him on the whole 'I'm alright' thing.

"Take it easy Mel, be careful." He said, reaching forward and pressing a light kiss to my forehead.

"Have a safe flight." I said with a thick voice, watching as he waved halfheartedly and left the hotel room.

What was I doing?

Even my dad was getting tired of the shenanigans between Spencer and I. At this rate, I was going to drive him into early retirement in the Bahamas.

I laughed aloud at the thought of my dad, Supervisory Special Agent Aaron Hotchner kicking back on a sun lounger with a cocktail; no avenging Unsubs or desperate agents whirling around him.