Title: Effort
Pairing: Lila/Reid
Series Information: 20 of LR DB Section. Following Weakness.
Summary: Lila and Reid go to a meeting.
Author's note: This was really hard to figure out what exactly to write. I had so much that I wanted to focus on in this episode, Elephant's Memory, that could have made great moments with Lila and Reid, but I didn't want this to be six thousand words (Okay, with everything it was like 2500.) either, so I cut out the things that happened in the actual episode, other than the meeting. When it came down to it, I didn't really think that Reid would really call Lila while on this case. I think this case was really personal for him and I think that as soon as he realized this was a bullied kid, he was going to risk his life for him and calling Lila at all would have made him doubt if it was worth it. Was it incredibly stupid thing for him to do? Yes. Was it necessary for his sobriety? I think so and I don't think if he called Lila, he would have been able to... and I don't think he would ever been able to let go that he couldn't save that kid from 3rd Life. I apologize for my rambling author notes. I like to talk *shrugs*.

It takes her two weeks to get him to a meeting and he only agrees to go if she comes with him. He fidgets the whole time while they talk. When it's time to share, she pushes him to talk, but he's not sure. He's not ready, but he does it after someone goes first, squeezing her hand the whole time they talk. She watches as he stands. He wipes his hands on his pants before folding them in front of him before he shoves them in his pockets where they stay.

"Hi, uhm, My name's ahh…. Spencer and I'm…. don't really know what I am… This is my first meeting."

He looks over to her and smiles a little as the group welcomes him. She smiles back, giving him a thumbs up. He nods

"Thanks, Thank you." I guess, well I know that I had a … I had a problem with Dilaudid but I stopped."

Her heart breaks as the proud smile comes over his face. He looks so happy at the fact, so different than the broken look that had been on his face for the last couple weeks as he tried to work through it. He looks to her before he starts again. She smiles at him as he talks about his problem and everything, about the guy who died, who he couldn't save. She knows he wants to talk about Tobias too, but his phone rings. She frowns. Don't pick it up, she pleads silently with him. She breathes out when he silences the call and starts talking again. Her heart breaks as he tells them how he wants to escape. His damn phone rings again and he runs out of the room.

She follows him out, but pauses at the door when someone follows him too. She stays at the door listening to they talk. It's someone important from his job, she infers. She leans against the door, listening to them talk. She smiles to herself when the guy gives him his one year medallion. She straightens when the man walks through the door.

"Thank you." She says softly.

He turns and looks at her. "Excuse me?"

"For… giving him that. He's… he needed it."

The man walks back to her, his eyes moving where he was, before moving back to her. "You're a friend of Spencer's?"

"More than a friend." She says with a nod and a smile.

He nods. "You're the reason he came." He says and it doesn't sound like a question. She doesn't know how to answer.

"I…I'm…He's been afraid to come and share and seeing him up there and Having you…" She trails off, unsure of what she really wants to say. "It was nice."

He smiles a little, a look that seems like it doesn't come often. "You be sure to tell him that if he ever needs anything, he can call."

She nods. "Thank you."

Deal Breaker || Effort

Lila stands, leaning against the side of the truck when Spencer and Emily make their way out to the parking garage. She assumes Emily was going to give him a ride home or that they got into some sort of discuss. From what Spencer had told her, Emily was quite the nerd. They had probably been discussing some sci-fi television show or book. Emily notices her first. She smirks.

"You're lucky I didn't kill your boyfriend."

Lila looks confused, she can't tell if the woman's being figurative or literal. Spencer flushes.

"What happened?"

"He…" Emily looks at Spencer, who's giving her a tight-lipped look. "I.. It was nothing."

Lila doesn't believe her but she doesn't say anything about it until they're in the car.

"So…what happened?" She asks again and he shakes his head, looking out the window.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Spence, I thought we talked about this."

He looks over at her. "You won't get mad?"

Her eyes move to him briefly. "I…."

"I can't tell you until you promise not to get mad."

She bites her tongue as her eyes move back to him. Sometimes he has these moments when he seems so childlike. His eyes are hopeful and sad. "I promise." She finds herself saying.

"I… put myself between the team and a gunman with a automatic rifle and… uh, talked him down."

She pulls over. "You did what?"

He sees the look and explains quickly. "Had I not, he would have raised his weapon to them and Hotch or Morgan would have shot him. He didn't deserve to die."

"And what if you hadn't been able to talk him down. He could have killed you!"

"But I did! He didn't die. He didn't die because I was there."

She glares at him, taking a few breathes. They don't help calm her.

"What in the hell were you thinking, Spence! I agreed to be in this relationship because I figured you wouldn't risk your life more than you had to and now you're putting yourself in danger because… because it's fun?"

"I had to save him, Lila. I couldn't let another kid die."

She opens her mouth before she catches the look on his face. She sighs and looks towards the road.

"You promised you wouldn't get mad." He says softly and she licks her lips, keeping her eyes forward for the moment.

"I'm not mad." She says as she collects her thoughts.

"Your nostrils are flared and your muscles are tense. You can't even look at me."

She tries to relax before she looks at him. She gives him the best smile she can force. "I'm not mad, Spence."

"I had to save him. They would have killed him, Lye. He never had a chance. He was picked on and no one helped him. He didn't have anywhere to turn. He just wanted to protect the girl he loved and get rid of everyone who hurt him. I know what that's like. I know what it's like to feel like there's no one there when you desperately need them to be."

She looks at him. "I'm here, Spence." She says, softly, reaching over to touch his knee.

He nods, taking her hand in his, his thumb moving over the back of it. "Now."

She's unsure of what he means, but stays silent for the moment.

"I… I was 12 when I graduated high school, but it took me two and a half to get through it, due to necessary classes I had to take in order for the school district to let me get an actual degree. I, uh…"

"Parker told me that the kids were pretty mean to you." She interrupts.

He bit his bottom lip, nodding, and Lila felt that maybe that had been a gross understatement. She squeezes his hand.

"That's all in the past, Spence. I'm never going to let that happen to you again, you understand?"

He nods, keeping his eyes down. She takes her hand out of his and leans over the gear shift to kiss him.

"Look at me." She says, before she raises his chin. His eyes are glazed. "You saved that boy and he's going to get a second chance now because of what you did and maybe he'll get the help he needs. But you need to do the same."

He keeps his eyes on hers as he gives her the best smile she figures he can muster. She kisses his forehead before she turns back to steering wheel. She starts up the car again and he clears his throat.

"Can you…. Take me to the community center, actually? I think… they have a Tuesday night meeting too."

She smiles. "I can definitely do that."

He reaches out and grabs her hand and she smiles at him before she merges back onto the road.