Disclaimer: I own nothing, everything belongs to their rightful owners.
AN: Just a little something, set sometime in season 6, after Sean told Emily that Doyle escaped from prison.
Starting With A Dream
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It's silent on the jet on their way back from Los Angeles. Everyone's fallen asleep on their seats as soon as the jet took off into the sky. The whole team too exhausted to do anything else but close their eyes.
Everyone except for Spencer.
And Emily.
Spencer still wonders if she had a specific reason to sit down beside him tonight. Sure, she'd been sitting with him more than once over the years, but today it seems different. Something is bothering her and not just since their latest case.
From time to time, he tears his gaze away from the pages of his book and risks a quick glance at her.
She's paler than usual, the dark circles under her eyes proof that she hasn't slept in a while. She looks exhausted, worse than the rest of their team. Her hands gripping the armrests of her seat as if to keep herself from falling.
Something had changed.
He's seen her unsteady movements today, has spotted something unsettling in her dark eyes. Something that makes him wonder what's haunting her.
She seems distracted, always on edge. Always ready to run.
But whatever it is, it hasn't stopped her from taking down the unsub all by herself.
Of course not.
She's still Emily Prentiss.
Spencer looks back at her, watches her push a strand of her dark hair out of her face with much more force than necessary. Notices with one look that she's picking her nails again.
"Are you okay?" The words are out of his mouth before he can stop himself.
She turns around. Her dark eyes finding his. And for a heartbeat the darkness seems to have swallowed her.
She looks lost, almost like a little girl.
Scared.
"Sure," she tells him. Nods, as if to assure herself that she is. "I'm just tired."
That's probably the understatement of the year, Spencer thinks. But of course she has to play it down.
"What are you reading?" she changes the subject, by bending over to take a look at the book in his hands. "Edgar Allan Poe?" She raises her brows.
Spencer feels himself blush.
"It makes me calm."
"Calm? Edgar Allan Poe?" Emily laughs softly. "I must have read it wrong then."
Spencer watches her shift on her seat again. Watches her rub her eyes, pinch the bridge of her nose. She seems even more restless than before, unable to keep still and he wonders if she's on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
When he spots the tears in the corners of her eyes he knows he has to do something.
"I could read you a story."
Emily looks startled and Spencer scolds himself for saying something stupid.
She's not a child for god's sake.
He's about to take it back, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment, when he realizes she's smiling.
"I would love that."
Before he can say anything even more stupid, Spencer flips his book back to the start and starts reading. Not too loud to wake the others, but loud enough for Emily to listen.
He watches her out of the corner of his eye as she settles down on her seat, sliding a little closer to him. The sweet scent of vanilla filling his nose as she moves closer.
He's halfway down the page when she stops shifting. Another half later and he spots her eyes grow heavy.
He hasn't even finished the first tale when her eyes fall shut. Another page and her head has come to a rest against his shoulder. Her breathing and her expression at ease.
She looks peaceful and Spencer can't help but smile. Glad everyone else is asleep, glad no one's there to see him staring down at her sleeping form. Brushing a strand of hair away with his thumb.
To his own surprise the feeling of her warm body against his, doesn't make him uncomfortable. If anything it makes him feel safe enough to close his own eyes.
He puts down his book and feels his head come to a rest against hers, while he keeps reciting Poe in his mind. Whispers the lyrics of Annabel Lee, as he allows the sweet scent of vanilla to lull him to sleep.
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When it grows silent, David Rossi opens his eyes for the first time since he got on the plane. Finds his two colleagues across from him on their seats. Emily's head resting against Spencer's shoulder. Spencer's head resting on top of hers.
The two of them asleep.
Looking completely peaceful.
And even though Dave's sure that this is just the calm before the storm, he's glad to know they got one moment to hold on to.
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Disclaimer: I own nothing, Everything belongs to their rightful owners.
AN: Thank you to everyone who takes the time to read and/or review my stories, that really means the world to me! And of course a big thank you goes to the amazing clairebare for beta reading!