˗ˏˋ ✰𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑༄ 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 ✰ 'ˎ˗
≪ 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 4 𝗲𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲 8 ≫
༻✧𓆩🩰📔☁️𓆪✧༺
❝ 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐚 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞❞

THE NEXT MORNING, BRIAR AND SPENCER WALKED into the casino where they said they would meet up with the rest of the team. Briar already knew not to mention Spencer's new findings and he was grateful for a friend who could read his mind.

"There they are," Derek said in his usual teasing tone. "Did you two have a long night?"

Briar shook her head at his sexual insinuation while Spencer looked at him in oblivious confusion.

"Derek Morgan, I have grown to adore you these past few weeks of working with you, but I will not hesitate to kick your ass," Briar mumbled tiredly. The agents stifled their laughs and a mixture of Emily's groans from her hungover state.

"Rose and I are actually going to stay here for a couple of days."

It took a second for the team to figure out who 'Rose' was, but they nodded their heads when Spencer looked in the direction of Briar.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, it's just that Spence and I haven't seen his mom in a really long time and we thought we should stay for a bit," Briar told her teammates, earning wary stares from them.

Everyone seemed to be hesitant, noticing the nervous fidgeting Spencer was doing. It was hard to read Briar, but they knew something was up, although they decided to go along with it anyway.

"Okay, take a few days. Do what you need to do," Rossi assured the pair.

Spencer and Briar smiled and were on their way out of the casino when they heard Derek's voice speak up once again.

"Make sure to use protection, kids!" Derek yelled, earning weird stares from people passing by. Briar didn't turn around when she flipped him off and Spencer whipped his head toward Derek, his eyes wide and cheeks flushed.

༻✧𓆩♡𓆪✧༺

"I'm telling you, Spence, I can go on about how you should upgrade that little piece of the past and get the new iPhone," Briar rambled, pointing to Spencer's outdated phone. "Quote me on this, in the future, tap-screen phones are going to take over the world. You don't want to miss out."

Briar was attempting to convince Spencer to upgrade his older phone to the new iPhone that had just been released. While Spencer had his own special talents of his profound memory of knowledge, Briar was a genius when it came to modern-day technology such as laptops and smartphones.

Walking back to their hotel room after leaving the police station, Spencer listened to every word Briar was saying, yet he knew her words wouldn't change his mind about getting a new phone. The the only reason he didn't interrupt her was that he loved hearing her voice and her rambles. It was music to his ears.

"Thanks, darling, but as long as my phone works and still calls, I'm good."

Briar continued to babble about the statistics and features of the new phone, but when Spencer put his arm out in front of her in a protective manner, prompting the agent to stop and freeze.

Briar noticed the hotel door was unlocked and partially open. Slowly and steadily, she drew out her gun, cautiously treading her to the room. Spencer wanted to stay in front of her just in case there was an intruder in the room, but Briar already beat him to it when she stormed in, gun tightly embraced as she stared straight ahead to see a relaxed Rossi and Derek, eating popcorn while watching the television.

"You idiots," Briar reprimanded the men. "I could've shot you!" She put her gun away back in her holster and shooed Derek to scoot over so she could sit on the armrest of his chair, grabbing a handful of popcorn for herself.

"What are you guys doing here?" Briar asked, her mind finally recognizing that Rossi and Derek practically broke into her and Spencer's hotel room.

"What does it look like we're doing?" Derek pointed at the TV.

"Uh, breaking into Rose and I's room and watching Days of Our Lives?"

"Actually, it's The Young and Restless, not Days of Our Lives," Briar corrected Spencer.

The doctor was all about math, science, and history, while Briar was all about arts, films, and technology.

The iconic duo.

Derek and Rossi started to interrogate Briar and Spencer, stating the obvious of how they weren't actually there to see Spencer's mom, but they continued to deny them.

"Riley Jenkins?" Briar stiffened at the name and she stared into Spencer's eyes, him staring back at her with the same reaction.

"No, it's not actually why we're here," Spencer argued.

"Reid. Onodera," Derek murmured in a scolding tone. "Come on, kids, who do you think you're talking to?"

"A person who broke into our hotel room and ate my popcorn?" Briar rhetorically asked with sarcasm laced in her voice. Derek snorted a small laugh before turning his attention back to the box filled with files.

Briar continued to stay silent as Rossi and Derek offered to help with the case of Riley Jenkins, knowing it was Spencer's decision whether or not he wanted their help. When she saw that Spencer gave in and let them in the case, she released a breath she didn't even know she was holding.

"So what can you tell us about the suspect?"

"Truth is I don't know anything about him. He's my father."

༻✧𓆩♡𓆪✧༺

"Are you okay, Spence?"

Briar walked beside Spencer as they walked into the law firm where his dad worked at. She put a comforting hand on his back, his breathing slowly becoming steady at her touch.

"Yeah. No—yeah—I'm going to go to the bathroom." Walking away quickly from his teammates, Spencer sped off down the hallway, leaving a concerned Rossi, Briar, and Derek staring off after him.

"I've never seen him like this before. Have you?" Derek directed the question to Briar and she imperceptibly nodded and shook her head at once.

"Maybe only a couple of times, but never this bad."

"Seventeen years is a long time to go between visits," Rossi murmured.

The rare times when Spencer would mention his father in the past, Briar would hear nothing but short and clipped sentences of how he wasn't there for him and left at a young age.

A man walked out from his office and took in the appearance of the agents, studying them with confidence that made Briar want to welcome her fist with his face. Seeing Spencer so hurt about his father leaving made the urge to punch him even more desirable.

Of course, her fantasy deranged thoughts were interrupted by Rossi introducing them to the lawyer.

"I'm agent Rossi, this is agent Morgan and agent Onodera."

"This wouldn't be about the city council investigation would it?"

"No, this is more of a personal matter. It concerns your son," Briar stated with the utmost respect she could muster, a hint of malice laced in it too.

"My son? Did something happen?"

Briar wanted to desperately say something sarcastic, but before she got the chance to, Spencer appeared by her side, his shoulder lightly brushing against hers.

"That's what we're trying to figure out." Spencer eyed his father up and down, taking in his state. "Hello, Dad."

Taking the conversation in a more secluded room, Briar took a seat next to Spencer who stood tall, his tense posture not fooling anyone.

"Wow, you don't look like me anymore. You used to, everyone said so." William attempted to make conversation and Briar snorted louder than intended.

"Thank God," Briar sarcastically muttered, a laugh coming out from Morgan's mouth, but he covered it up with a cough. Briar could see the tiniest sliver of amusement dancing in Spencer's eyes too.

William ignored her comment and stared at his son as he explained the reason why they were in town. Briar could easily sense that Spencer kept a calm facade, yet he was internally fuming with scalding anger.

"You remember Riley Jenkins?" Spencer asked his father.

"Of course."

"I've been having dreams about him for a really long time. But when we came back here for this case, it jogged something and the dream changed. I saw his killer and he was you." Spencer's voice was eerily calm, yet it held a tinge of bitter animosity.

"Interesting dream," William drawled calmly.

"Yes, it certainly is, and guess what, William? You fit part of that profile?" Briar had a sarcastic smile edging her lips, a mocked surprised laugh filling the air.

That's when William turned in her direction and stood on his feet, walking closer to Briar. Instinctively, Spencer stepped next to his best friend, blocking his father from walking any closer to her.

William quickly noticed the way his son defended Briar. He turned his attention away from Spencer and onto Briar.

"Have we ever met? Did I do something to you because your attitude is not appropriate in my office," William remarked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Briar could practically see the fire blazing on Spencer's head. She knew he would say anything to defend her, but she spoke before Spencer could even open his mouth.

"Actually, William, I think my attitude is quite appropriate for this occasion. This wonderful man over here," Briar pointed at Spencer whose focus was solely concentrated on her, " is the most impressive and precious person I have ever met. When he vented to me all those years ago about what he did wrong to not have a father, I promised myself I would certainly rip the man a new one. So sorry if my 'attitude' is not appropriate, considering you're right in front of me."

The silence was deafening. The looks on Rossi and Morgan's faces were eternally priceless and she would've loved to snap a picture if not under the circumstances. Spencer's face was entangled with devotion and reverence for the girl.

From that moment on, William didn't look at Briar again.

༻✧𓆩♡𓆪✧༺

After getting an envelope filled with a case file on a pedophile that appeared in the hotel room, Briar and Spencer agreed to let the rest of the team in on this investigation now. Penelope looked into Williams's file to find out that he had googled Spencer, eventhough that didn't make up for anything.

Currently, Spencer was sitting at a slot machine, easily outsmarting it with statistics.

"Wow, looks like you got a loose one," a pretty blonde woman in a sheer plum dress who sat by Spencer, leaned over to look at his slot machine.

"No such thing. These machines run on random number generators. No brains, no bias. Best odds in the house, though."

"Really? I thought that craps had the best odds."

"Normally, video poker odds are slightly worse at .7 percent in your favor. But if you employ optimal strategy and always drop with a royal flush, you can push those odds to two percent," Spencer rambled the statistics.

The woman looked at Spencer with a flirty smile. "Smart and handsome. What do you say? How about we get out of here?"

Spencer noticed the seductive tone in her voice and his eyes widened, him becoming completely flustered. Needing to get out of this situation quickly, the discombobulated doctor blurted the first thing he could think of.

"I'm married."

As if on perfect cue, Briar walked up to Spencer.

"Sunshine, you ready to go?" Her eyes darted to the woman and the startled look in Spencer's eyes. A sudden unknown emotion rushed through Briar's veins.

The blonde woman looked at analyzed Briar, her eyes raking in her figure. She turned back to Spencer and nodded her head in approval with a smirk. As the woman walked away from the pair, Briar's inquisitive eyes landed on Spencer who refused to meet her eyes.

"What was that about?"

"Nothing!" Spencer's voice rose another octave which confirmed her suspicions. "Uh, I-I mean it was nothing. Okay, let's go now."

Spencer was on his feet in a matter of seconds and Briar stood there, dumbfounded at what just happened.

༻✧𓆩♡𓆪✧༺

𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐔𝐈𝐋𝐃 𝐀 𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄 | 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚

okay, so this chapter was originally around 5000 words and i decided to split it up because i wasn't sure if it was too long for you all😭

but another question is do you want smut in this book? i'm curious if you all actually like it or not.