Lies - Criminal Minds || Spencer Reid Fanfiction

22. Love

"Sometimes when you sacrifice something precious, you're not really losing it. You're just passing it on to someone else." ~ Mitch Albom

The Daughter

My heart was thudding in my chest as I climbed out of my car and hurried to the front door. It felt like years since I'd last been in DC when in reality it was only a fortnight.

"Mel!" Penelope squealed as she yanked the door open. "Beth! Your soon-to-be-daughter-in-law has arrived!" She called, yanking me in for a hug before dragging me inside the house and shoving me towards the living room. 

"What's taken you so long? Everyone's been worried!" Penelope demanded as everyone in the living room squealed.

"Sorry, sorry, my flight was delayed cause I had to take the later one, work." I rolled my eyes but in reality, I'd thrown up so many times before boarding the plane and my hands were still shaking. 

I hated DC.

"Melanie!" Beth squealed as I entered the living room which had been turned into a sort of dressing room. 

There was a table with a mirror on it and Beth was perched on a stool in front as a hairdresser worked on her hair and a beautician manicured her nails. I grinned. 

"Glad to see my wedding present has arrived." I winked at the three stylists in the room; the make-up artist now sitting in the arm-chair with a glass of pink champagne. 

"Come here this instant you beautiful woman!" Beth demanded and I grinned, hurrying over to her and lightly pressing a kiss to her cheek. 

"I've missed you, how have you been? You look stressed. Have you slept? Are you sick?" I looked to the other women in the room and chuckled along with them before Beth blushed and patted my hand with a dry-manicured one.

"Sorry, too many questions." She smiled bashfully and I shook my head.

"I'm fine, Beth, really. Work's just... stressing me out." I shrugged and Penelope narrowed her eyes at me as she passed me a glass of champagne. 

Smiling at her in thanks I gulped back half of it as JJ and Emily headed out of the room to get changed into their dresses.

"What's the clock?" I asked and Savannah quickly checked the mantle. 

"Ninety minutes!" She announced giddily and my stomach dropped.

"Mel you haven't even got your makeup on yet!" Penelope gasped.

"It's fine, it doesn't take me long." I insisted.

"No, no, no, you're not doing any half-assed effort, it's your soon-to-be-mom's wedding day," Penelope looked between Beth, myself and the make-up artist Tanya I'd known from way back. 

"I've got it handled." She said, setting her empty flute on the side table.

"Wait," I held up a finger. "Let me shower first, do my hair."

"Melanie I swear to God," Beth said in a humorous tone. "If you make me late for my own wedding, as Maid of Honour, so help me God the first thing I'm doing as your new mom is grounding you for the next month!" 

I laughed my way out of the living room and jogged upstairs; Emily and JJ's voices coming from my dad and Beth's bedroom.

"I don't know..." JJ was saying.

"JJ c'mon what happened was bad, sure, but surely there's a way around it for the two of them? It's been a long time now."

"Exactly Emily. They've both moved on. Are you really going to ask me if there's a chance they'll get together every time Melanie comes back to DC?"