1 | TREPIDATION. [SPENCER REID]

SEVENTEEN.

forewarning: this chapter contains extremely vague season 10 spoilers. you may have already heard about it, but i am just warning you to continue at you own risk. continue !

SEVENTEEN ; PLAYING WITH SPIRITS.

A sigh left the lips of a drained Quinn Carson, her eyes falling closed and head aching. A novel that Spencer had given her was placed open on her stomach, her torso acting as a bookmark as she laid on the couch in her apartment.

The girl had been feverish all day, coming down with a nasty case of the flu the night before. This was the first time she had been sick in years and she was not happy about being able to remember how it felt.

She had called in sick that morning, Hotch informing her that the team had a potential case that he recommended staying home from. Quinn wondered whether or not this case was connected to The Horsemen, but by the somberness in her boss's voice, she could tell that it was rather personal. With a 'good luck' from Quinn and a 'get well soon' from Hotch, the two hung up and Quinn quickly fell back to sleep.

Weeks had passed from her large panic attack and small spat with Spencer, and things had been going well for the brunette. Hotch had informed her that Kyle was to be put on trial (three weeks from today), for his downgrade of accessory to murder, hopefully gaining him less time in prison. The emails from Lawrence became less frequent. As unnerving as they were, she began to ignore them. It became easier as she found friends in her team. They had all warmed to her, often asking for tips for their interrogations when necessary. Kate Callahan had gotten quite good, if Quinn did say so herself.

A small smile came to her lips as she laid on her couch. She had almost forgotten what it was like to have people who she truly enjoyed being around.

She opened her eyes and her gaze fell on the empty coffee cup from the evening before. It had become a weekly occurrence for her and Spencer to leave after work to get a cup of coffee from Ralph's store. They often closed the shop, Ralph occasionally joining in on their conversations. Quinn grew to adore the man. He was brilliant; he loved literature and music, and had a peaked interest in conspiracy theories, the girl learning to enjoy them as well. He always insisted they take home extra pastries so he wouldn't have to throw them away.

Quinn grew to adore Spencer Reid as well. Five and a half months (Five months and nineteen days according to the genius) had passed since they had first met and the two continued to grow closer each day. The team caught onto their blossoming friendship, often teasing the two by telling them to stop 'flirting', resulting in both the doctor and the girl blushing heavily.

It was one in the morning and although Quinn was exhausted, she couldn't seem to fall back to sleep. She had been switching between snoozing, watching television and attempting to eat without the food coming back up. She shifted her position, grabbing her phone from beside her and sliding it open.