This was written by special request from jmdernier who wanted a different take on Spencer and my OC Nicole's relationship. Nicole is from my previous stories It Was Just A Fantasy, It Was Just Revenge and It Was Just Another Day On The Job. This is a story that can stand alone since the plot is quite different from the other stories. I hope you like it jmdernier! Sorry it took so long to get going on writing it!

I do not own Criminal Minds.

Chapter 1

As the unusually quiet day drew to a close at the BAU Spencer began to wrap up what he was working on so he could get home. Derek and Emily were chatting across their desks about their own pending evening activities. Spencer tried intentionally to ignore the conversation knowing that he would once again get asked to join the group and he would once again have to come with an excuse not to go.

"Who's up for dinner?" Penelope asked coming out of her office.

"Are you cooking it?" Emily asked.

"No. I thought we could all go out for dinner." She answered sheepishly.

"What about all those cooking lessons that Rossi was giving you?" Derek asked surprised.

"He got just a tad irritated with me by all the substitutions I kept making to all of his dishes so he told me to forget it."

"You sinned against authentic Italian cooking? Shame on you Garcia." Emily teased.

"I was only trying to make it a bit healthier and it offended him." She pouted.

Both of the listening agents began to laugh.

"Are you in pretty boy?" Derek asked.

Spencer was still pretending to ignore the conversation focusing on his work.

"Hey Reid!" Derek said again tossing a wadded up piece of paper at his head.

"What?" Spencer said in irritated manner.

"We're all going out to eat. Are you in?"

"No." He said hoping they would drop the subject.

"Why not? You never go anywhere with us." Penelope pleaded.

"That's not true. I tried to go with you to the Doctor Who convention and you were the one who put a stop to that. I went to JJ's wedding."

"What else do you have to do tonight?" Derek pressed as Penelope scowled at Spencer.

"I want to do some reading and get to bed early." He said and then quickly began to pack up his things to leave.

"Suit yourself kid." Derek said in defeat.

"I will." Spencer smiled getting up from his chair. "See you tomorrow." He said quickly exiting.

"Do you think he has a girlfriend none of us know about?" Emily asked suspiciously.

"Does he look like a guy who's getting any to you?" Derek countered.

Emily laughed as Penelope's mind began to turn.

Spencer hurried into his apartment tossed his messenger bag down and went to pull his laptop out of its hiding place and boot it up. He still had thirty minutes before it was time but he wanted to be ready.

He hurried and changed out of his work clothes and grabbed something to drink and settled down on the couch and pulled up the internet. The others had no idea that he even owned a laptop or ever spent any time on the net. Some things were just better left a secret. He pulled up his email to check before it was time for Skype. Only one person had his email address and low and behold there was a message waiting for him.

'Sorry Spencer but I have to bail on our date tonight. I got sent out on an assignment. I hope to be able to do tomorrow night same time as long as you aren't away on a case. I miss you. Love, N'

Spencer sighed completely disappointed. They hadn't been able to make their Skype dates regularly and he was missing his sweetheart. To pacify himself he went back to read some of the old emails she had sent. As he was reading through them his mind began to drift back to the first time he saw her.

Flashback...

Young Spencer stood watching out the window of his bedroom at the activity occurring across the street from his house. His mother was in the midst of one of her schizophrenic episodes and he knew that he needed to stay out of her sight so he retreated to his bedroom and locked himself in until she came back to her senses. Fortunately today he had something to keep him entertained other than reading the same books over again for the hundredth time.

A new family was moving into the neighborhood. He watched as the movers unloaded the truck and hauled the furnishings inside of the house. The mother was supervising and guiding the men as to where each item went inside as the father was doing his best to wrangle the two young girls and one little boy who were running around and getting in the way.

It was getting into the late afternoon and Spencer was still watching the new family out of his window. The moving truck was all unloaded and had pulled away. The two girls were still scurrying around excitedly. The oldest had dark hair that was up in a ponytail that bounced around her head as she skipped. The younger of the two had blonde hair that hung down stringy around her shoulders. Her smile was radiating as she followed skipping behind her sister. He was so taken with the blonde girl he continued to watch her with utter fascination until her parents came out and scooted both girls inside the house.

It was beginning to get dark and Spencer went and laid down on his bed. His mother hadn't calmed down yet so he closed his eyes wondering if he would even get to learn the cute little girls name across the street.

The next morning Spencer woke to hear silence from the rest of the house. His mother must of finally collapsed into a deep sleep after her episode. He climbed off his bed and opened the door and went downstairs to see her sound asleep on the couch. He crept past her and into the kitchen to get himself something to eat and carried it back up to his room.

After eating he changed his clothes and noticed that the cute little blonde was back outside with her sister and brother playing in the yard. He grabbed a book and went back downstairs and went outside to sit on the porch and pretend to read so he could get a closer look at his new neighbor.

After settling down on the steps he opened his book and began to study the happy frolicking that was going on across from him. The giggles echoed around as the girls chased each other around. He wanted so badly to go over and introduce himself but figured they would probably just tease him so he stayed put. The time passed quickly and it was soon time for lunch because the girls' mother called them in.

"Denise, Nicole, Ryan lunch is ready."

Both girls moaned and went inside with their brother in tow. Spencer got up and made his way back inside to check on his mother smiling to himself wondering if the blonde's name was Denise or Nicole.

Two weeks had passed and Spencer still hadn't got to meet the cute blonde girl. He just continued to watch her from his porch and window wishing she could be his friend. It was early in the afternoon on a Saturday as Spencer settled down on the steps with his book. He was listening to the neighborhood children out playing together somewhere down the street assuming his muse was down there playing with them since she wasn't in her own yard. Sighing to himself he opened his book and really began to read. His fingers trailed down the pages as he drank in the words flipping pages quickly. Being so engrossed in the story he didn't realize he had an audience.

"Are you really reading that book?" A confused voice asked from the sidewalk.

Spencer looked up to see the blonde standing in front of him waiting for an answer. His throat tightened and words didn't seem to want to form as he took a closer look at her. She had the most enormous green eyes he had ever seen.

"Uh yes I am." He finally managed to choke out.

"I've never seen anyone read like that before. What's the name of the book?"

"Gulliver's Travels."

"How old are you?"

"Nine."

"That sounds like a boring book."

"It's not."

"I'm Nicole Jamison. What's your name?"

"Spencer Reid."

"How come your not playing with the rest of us?"

"You ask a lot of questions."

"I know. My dad says that I'm quizzical."

"He's right."

Nicole climbed up the steps and sat down next to Spencer. His heart began to beat fast. Was she really reaching out to him or was she just sent here to do something mean to him. Even though she seemed friendly he was still cautious.

"I'm nine too. How come I've not seen you at school?" Nicole continued to prob.

"I go to the junior high school. I'm accelerated."

"Wow! So you are some kind of genius?"

"I guess so."

"How cool! It must be fun to hang out with the older kids."

"Not really. They all pick on me."

"Why?"

"Because I'm different."

"That sucks. I don't know why people have to be so mean."

"I wish I knew the answer to that too."

"I think you're cool. Maybe you can read that book to me sometime?" Nicole smiled at her new friend.

"I can do that." Spencer smiled back.

He studied her smile. It was warm and genuine. She was missing a tooth and the ones that were already grown in were crooked. She was defiantly going to need braces at some point.

The two chatted on about many different subjects and the time passed quickly. Spencer found himself actually opening up to Nicole and that he really liked her. She giggled as he told her about some of the things he was interested in.

"Spencer please don't take this as mean but you are such a freak." Nicole teased playfully.

"Thanks. From you I take that as a compliment." Spencer grinned back.

"Nicole it's five thirty. Mom said we needed to be home by then." A voice interrupted.

"Ok." Nicole sighed. "Spencer this is my sister Denise."

"Hi." Denise said.

"Hi."

"I'll see you later." Nicole said getting up from the steps and leaving with her sister.

"Bye."

The butterflies were dancing in Spencer's stomach as he watched his new friend walk back across the street. For the first time he truly felt like he might have a real friend.

The days turned into weeks and weeks into months. Spencer and Nicole became very close and the two spent most of their free time together hanging out in the tree house that Nicole's dad had built for the kids. Sometimes they talked and sometimes Spencer would read one of his books to Nicole. Whatever they did they had fun.

Nicole was always there to listen when Spencer needed to talk. He confided in her about his mother's illness and she was never judgmental.

Spencer would tutor Nicole if she was having trouble with her school work. It wasn't long before she was excelling in every subject and her parents couldn't be prouder. They were a bit unsure of having their daughter hanging out with Spencer at first but soon took to him as Nicole had.

The years passed and the inseparable pair found themselves at the age of twelve and the summer was winding down and Spencer was in high school and Nicole would be starting junior high. He hated the idea that he was not in school with kids his own age but it was too late to do anything about that now.

Nicole was beginning to fill out and getting her female figure and had a mouth full of metal just as Spencer had predicted the day he met her. He was also going through changes that he wished he had a father around to discuss them with but being a genius he just read about them instead.

He knew that his feelings about Nicole were different than just friendship but he didn't have any idea how to express them so he just kept things as they were.

Spencer checked the time and slid off his bed and made his way downstairs and outside to wait for Nicole. He had something special to share with her tonight. He waited until he saw her coming around from the side of her house and walked over to meet her.

"What are we doing Spencer?" Nicole whispered.

"You'll see." He whispered back with a smile and motioned for her to follow him.

The pair made their way to the open space out behind their subdivision where they had a clear view of the night sky. Spencer spread out the blanket and sat down. Nicole smiled and sat down next to him.

"Now are you going to tell me what we're doing?" She asked.

Spencer laid down on his back and motioned up to the sky. "There's a meteor shower tonight. I though it would be fun to watch together."

Nicole laid down next to him. "I just hope my parents don't notice I snuck out of the house to do this."

"If they do it'll be worth the consequences." Spencer insisted.

They watched in silence when the first bright light streaked across the sky. Nicole gasped in amazement. Soon more followed.

"This is so beautiful Spencer." She said. "You know what you should do when you see a shooting star right?"

"No. What's that?"

"Make a wish."

"I don't make wishes."

"Why not?"

"They never come true."

"Well tonight I declare that they will. There goes one. Close your eyes and wish like you never have before."

Spencer did just as Nicole said. He knew just what he wanted and he wished with all of his might.

"Do you want to know my wish?" He asked.

"No! If you tell it won't come true." Nicole said abruptly.

"You don't really believe that do you?"

"With all my heart."

"So I guess you won't tell me your wish then hugh?"

"Not a chance freak." She said reaching over and taking a hold of Spencer's hand.

"Fine metal mouth." He teased.

His heart danced at her touch and he held on tight to her as they watched more shooting stars blaze across the sky. Spencer secretly made the same wish again after each one hoping it really would come true.