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TEN. THE MUSEUM TRIP

RHEA SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT SOMETHING WOULD RUIN HER DAY. She'd been looking forward to the Smithsonian trip for over a month now, especially since Spencer agreed to chaperone. He'd shown up early in a a shirt and tie with a cardigan over the top, surprisingly eager to get the day started. Katie had practically leapt into his arms when he stepped into the classroom, babbling about how happy she was to see him again. 

The smile on Spencer's face was the biggest she'd seen. 

By midday, everything was going perfectly smooth, with no kids running off or breaking things. They'd made it through the majority of the Air and Space exhibits, with fun facts being thrown around by everyone. The kids were finishing their booklets, she hadn't lost control, and she'd even remembered to pack her own food. 

Currently, she was standing with Alice outside the bathroom, waiting for some of the other girls to come out so that they could all go to lunch. Alice was holding her hand, as she got nervous on field trips. The bright spirit didn't like the crowds of adults - she preferred the confines of the classroom where she could be herself. 

For a moment, Rhea's eyes were caught by Spencer, who was talking enthusiastically to Katie and Louis about the Wright aeroplane suspended above them. Her lips curved into a smile at the sight of the admiration the kids had for the doctor, asking him questions as if he were their tour guide. 

Since he didn't have a case at the moment and he'd finished all his paperwork, there was no trouble in him joining the class. He'd been back at the BAU for a couple of weeks now and was more or less settled in. He and Rhea spoke regularly, as he knew she'd always sit and listen when he needed to talk. Samuel wasn't the biggest fan of the man, as he worried he was taking her help for granted.

But Rhea insisted he'd finally reached the final stage of grief; acceptance. Obviously the hurt wouldn't leave him for a long time, but he had plenty of good distractions to keep him occupied for the time being. Samuel could only sit back and let the friendship continue.

"Miss Reeves," Alice tugged at the woman's sleeve. Rhea looked down at the small girl who was pointing at her pocket. "Your phone is ringing."

Rhea's eyes widened. She hadn't even realised, she was too caught up in staring across the room. Hurriedly, she took out the device and checked the contact. Amy Parson, the social worker in charge of Katie's case. She flipped it open and held it up to her ear. "Amy, hi!"

"Rhea," there was something about Amy's tone of voice, but Rhea didn't let it get her down. "Are you able to talk right now?"

"Uh," Rhea trailed off as the last few kids left the restroom, joining back up with their buddies. She pulled the phone away for a moment and looked up at Samuel, who had volunteered to chaperone (he just wanted to day off, to be honest). "Do you mind taking them to the Wright plane and doing a headcount?"

He nodded and ushered the children away, leaving Rhea by herself. He didn't hesitate to look back in concern, feeling slightly guilty he couldn't sit with her. She walked over to a bench and lowered herself down, a worried feeling settling in her chest. 

"What's up, Amy?" she inquired, trying to maintain a peppy tone. Fake it til you make it, right? "Everything okay?"

"Yes and no," Amy responded. Rhea's knee started bouncing up and down. "I might as well get straight to the point. Katie's been adopted."

Rhea immediately started tearing up. 

Spencer stepped up beside Samuel, who was watching his friend carefully. His arms crossed, his eyes didn't move from her figure, trying to figure out what was going on. The doctor scratched the back of his head, not really sure what to say. "I-Is everything okay?"

Samuel quickly glanced back at the taller man, trying not to show his distaste. "Uh, yeah, don't worry about it."

Spencer caught his tone of voice, but decided it was because he was worried about Rhea. "Is she okay?"

Samuel frowned. "I'll figure it out. Stay with the kids, okay?"

Spencer nodded, though his gaze didn't stray from the woman. He was a profiler after all, and though he wasn't his usual high-functioning self, it was clear something was wrong. 

"Rhea...are you there?"

Wiping her eyes with the back of her sleeve, Rhea cleared her throat. "Yeah, yeah, I'm here. That's...great news, Amy."

"It's a couple from New York, they've been on our waitlist for two years and they've really taken to Katie-" Amy tried to justify her choice. "Look, I know how bad you wanted her, but these two make a lot of money and can afford to give her the life she deserves. We've just chosen to go a different direction"

Ouch. That one cut a little deep. Rhea swallowed. "Thanks for calling, Amy."

"I'm sorry it didn't work out-"

Rhea hung up, forcing herself back on her feet and rushing into the restroom, locking herself in the first stall. There, she breathed heavily, her shoulders rising and falling quickly. She had never really been a crier, so when the first few tears started to fall, she raced to grab toilet paper and dab under her eyes. She felt like she was going to be sick. 

At least she knew she wouldn't be bothered. Samuel was far too nervous when it came to breaking the rules to walk in and check on her. But, that didn't stop him ringing her cellphone constantly until she picked up. 

She choked out another breath as she finally chose to answer, though she could barely get words out. "What's wrong?!"

She wiped her nose and sniffled. "K-Katie.."

Samuel understood straight away. "I'll get the kids sorted for lunch. Do you want me to call Louisa?"

She shook her head despite him not being able to see her. "No, no, it's fine. I'm fine."

"Don't lie," he sighed softly. She could picture him running his hands through his overgrown curly hair. "Rhea, I think you should go home."

"I can't," she protested, her voice hoarse. She inhaled sharply, feeling her throat closing up. "What about Spencer-"

"Rhea, it's not about him right now," he cut her off. "This is about you. Look, I'll make sure the kids are under supervision with the parents and we can grab a coffee."

Rhea looked down at her lap, the fabric of her jeans catching the last couple of tears. "Okay."

"I'll see you in a few minutes," the man assured her before he ended the call. 

Dropping her phone in her bag, she ran her hands down her face. Perhaps she'd gotten her hopes up too high. Did she really think she'd be able to adopt Katie? She lived on a teacher's salary in the country's capital city. She didn't have any kids of her own, and she wasn't in a relationship with a second income. That put her at the very bottom of the list, and it sucked.

She stood up and stepped out of the stall, washing her hands to focus on something other than her thoughts. As long as Katie would be safe. But what if her new parents were somehow worse than the fosters? What if they didn't understand her? What if they sent her back?

It was the protective spirit within her that wanted to shield the little girl from everything bad in the world. 

She told Samuel this as they sat down at they sat in the cafe, awaiting their coffee order. Spencer had seen her emerge red-faced from the bathrooms, but when he saw Samuel rush over, he chose not to involve himself. 

So, he watched as Rhea was pulled into Samuel's arms. Seeing her as the one in pain came as a shock, as he'd really only experienced the tough, empathetic side. He felt rather useless to be truthful, as it felt like she knew him so much better than he did her. 

"She's gonna be okay," Samuel assured Rhea, maintaining eye contact so that she didn't zone out. She had a tendency to overthink. "Maybe this wasn't meant to be. That doesn't mean you can't still keep in contact when she goes."

"I know," Rhea sighed, shifting her gaze glumly to her hot chocolate. The marshmallows were starting to break apart in the warm liquid. She played with her spoon, circling it around the porcelain rim of the cup. "I just wish that maybe I could've helped her more."

"Rhea," Samuel squeezed her hand. "You've been the maternal figure she's needed since she started school. You've done more for her than you'll ever know. Regardless of whether or not you get to raise her, you're going to be a huge inspiration as she grows up."

Rhea blinked back her tears and returned her gaze to the man before her. "But-"

"No buts," he shook his head. "You're great at what you do. Katie's going to be fine, alright?"

Rhea's eyes fell past Samuel's shoulder to see Spencer watching from across the large hall. It wasn't like he could hear them, but he was naturally curious to find out what was going on. She managed a soft smile, which made him realise he'd been caught. So, he threw her an awkward waved before he quickly turned around and went back to his conversation with Katie and Louis. 

Samuel reached out and rested his hand on her shoulder. "Rhea, she's gonna be okay."

Dipping her head, a single tear fell into her hot chocolate. 

Samuel groaned, having seen it drop. "Your drink's gonna taste salty now."

Rhea couldn't help but laugh. 

★☆

ach fuck I HATE BUILDING THE RELATIONSHIPSHDFJAHF I WANT TENSION

I just wanna get to the angst cause spencer and rhea can't exactly pull a daisy/hotch with this storyline 

but omg daisy/hotch happened chapter ten as well so????

 :///