A/N: Hello friends. Erm...how do I say this? Well, I've seen my fair share of 'Will abuses JJ' stories out here in fanfiction land. Usually, it's Emily that helps her and there is Femslash. I have nothing against this, of course. But if I had to choose—I would like to see more of those stories that has Spencer involved — I ship Jeid more than Jemily. I'm not one for character bashing—truth to be told I don't actually mind JJ/Will—but I wish to put one story out there where Spencer is the one to notice JJ's change. Now, I know what you're possibly thinking—Sammie, stop giving us depressing stuff to read! Well...sorry lol. I have a couple of one-shots and a story that has humor involved. Don't like the sad stuff? Go check out the humor stories or click away :)

This takes place during Season 3. There are a few changes, like everyone knowing much sooner that Will and JJ are dating.

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds does not belong to me, nor does its characters. That honor belongs to the brilliant man known as Jeff Davis.

Reviews make my heart grow a size...kinda like the Grinch.

He almost didn't see the mark–the subtle signs were laughing at him now.

Spencer understands why. As hyper observant as the young doctor was, he almost didn't catch a glimpse of it. If he wasn't sitting next to her in the conference room, then it wouldn't have caught his eye. Now, he feels that he has to sit next to her in the conference room. To protect her—to help her—since she couldn't be taken care of in her own home. That she was unsafe, how she felt unsafe, and how Spencer longed to take that feeling and fact away from her for good.

He knew that if he almost missed it, then it's almost certain his colleagues didn't notice. JJ's wrist, her delicate and beautiful wrist that casually turned a page in their case file, was marked with a small but mean shade of a blue-ish purple. Spencer didn't miss the way she'd wince slightly in discomfort whenever she kept turning a page. But, he noticed, that she never complained. She kept her head down, focused on her job, and tried to ignore whoever's stares were sent her way, whether it be out of concern, curiosity, or pity.

She should've realized that no one was staring, no one had noticed—except, of course, for the brilliant Dr. Reid. His eyes, his saddened eyes at the sight of her injury, were boring into her. His stare combined all of those things listed before according to JJ—concern, curiosity, and pity. Three things that JJ didn't want—especially pity. In Spencer's opinion, that he'd never say aloud, he would feel ten times more about whatever pain she was in opposed to her teammates. Sure, it sounds awful. It didn't change the fact that he thought it was true. After all, he's been in her shoes. Well, at least somewhat. He knew what he was implying was wrong, but it was inevitable in his opinion.

Although one could argue—it's just a small bruise on her wrist—Spencer didn't care. Abuse was abuse, and he had been ignoring it for far too long now, and he remembered when JJ invited himself over to his apartment. He almost missed that sign, too...

Three Weeks Ago...

It started with a slap.

Spencer felt, it always started with a slap.

JJ and Will have been living together for three weeks now. The first week, she had been so excited about him moving in with her, eager to tell Spencer in person while they weren't at work. She went over to Spencer's apartment and gave him a long hug as she let herself in and told him that she and Will have been living together for about a week. Her vibrant blue eyes made of ice, yet held all the warmth in the world as she explained how well they've been doing.

Although he was giving her eye contact, looking into the eyes of a woman who's strong, gave him confidence, always called him "Spence" and, who would always count on for help. This time, it appeared, that she needed the help, since he saw a red mark on her cheek, that had to be from a slap. Spencer, to this day wonders, if she came here to avoid Will, because he hopes that she understood that her Spence, her best friend, would never hurt her.

It was after JJ stopped speaking when Spencer tried to cup her face gently in his hand—not missing the way she flinched at his touch—to take a look at the red mark on her left cheek, which looked so painful he wouldn't be surprised if it still stung. He lets his hand linger for a second, before he puts it down, looking saddened, angry, and confused rolled up into one.

"J-JJ?" Spencer stammered, his voice trying not to break when he sees JJ's eyes grow sad. "What happened?" Something—a flicker of change in JJ's eyes from hopelessness down to something darker. A haunted look in her eyes, a traumatized look, making her eyes now represent the definition of ice—blue and cold. Her lips, her thin and beautiful pink lips form into a frown—an angry one. She doesn't answer him. Instead she gets up from Spencer's couch in a fury, trying to stalk out of the apartment and leave, trying to be unaware that Spencer was following behind her.

Once, they got outside, Spencer tried to catch her and call after her, "JJ—"

She ignored him.

Spencer wasn't going to let her get away. "JJ—"

She walked faster.

Thankfully, Spencer took advantage of his long legs and tapped her on the shoulder, "JJ, please—"

"Spence, stop it," JJ seethed at him lowly, spinning around with full force to face him. He stared at her with worry, her red mark was what was standing out the most when it came to her beautiful, but delicate face. And sadly, Spencer wished that red mark didn't exist in the first place, since her face had so many exquisite features that he'd much rather focus on. And now, JJ was angry at him; for noticing, for caring.

"Stop what?" Spencer asks, sounding so horrified and scared—for her. JJ doesn't speak for a moment, her face is less angry, it changes into a look of a frightened animal—a baby deer with wide innocent blue eyes that wanted to escape into the forest—a new life.

She says it, almost inaudible, but it was a low whisper, "Stop being you."

"I can't help it," Spencer said, confused.

"Yes, you can," JJ started off, her eyes darting around madly outside, as if her attacker were going to hurt her any second. "You think you understand what's going on, but you don't."

Spencer stepped closer to her, his eyes showing the true definition of vulnerability—something he knew was going through her mind. "Well, explain it to me, JJ, because all I know is my friend is hurting, and when I see her in pain, I want to make it stop." Because it makes me in pain to see you hurt, is what he wanted to add in, but this wasn't about him right now. It was about JJ. When she tries to quickly walk away from him, Spencer pulls out the big guns.

"Will hit you, didn't he?"

JJ stopped dead in her tracks.

She doesn't say anything.

Her body is shaking.

Spencer realized that got her to stop, so he repeated it again. But this time, his eyes were shining with anger, and he couldn't keep it out of his voice. "Didn't he?"

JJ whipped her body around to face Spencer at a long distance, glaring at him with tears tracked down her face, her eyes were so red with fury and frustration that the ice usually in her eyes would melt. Her next words, that escaped those gorgeous pink lips of hers, would haunt him forever.

"Go to hell, Spencer." She walked away from him, leaving Spencer alone, pondering with the logic of the situation at hand. Why would this happen? How could this happen? To JJ? He was a profiler, after all. He had to figure this out. It was after five minutes of tense thinking, that Spencer came to the fatal conclusion.

There was no logic.

Going back to today, with that now-obvious bruise on JJ's wrist, Spencer had every right now to imply what he implied. Go back to three weeks ago when JJ didn't even bother to deny his question, even though he damn well knew the answer. JJ hated him for it, Spencer knew for a fact. He knew it, and she knew it. Yet, he confronted her about it and asked that awful and humiliating question, like the answer actually mattered.

Hotch finished talking about the case with the team. JJ didn't contribute any information today, nor did Spencer rattle off any statistics, he was too busy trying to figure her out. He was too busy trying to figure out on how to help her. JJ was busy trying to ignore the worried glances from Spencer, and trying to forget about the way Will grabbed her wrist and twisted it last night.

As everyone got up from the conference room, Spencer tapped JJ on the shoulder, "JJ—"

"Not now, Spence, I'm fine," she quickly rushed out of the room before he could pester her with any more question. Spencer stayed behind in the room for a minute.

"Not now, Spence, I'm fine."

Her voice rang in his head, repeating that same phrase over and over like a mantra that just couldn't escape his thoughts. She had said that every single day ever since Spencer confronted her about Will. Every single day, he has tried to reach out to her. And every day, she says the same thing, and the same way: distant, cold, sad, and untrusting.

"Not now, Spence, I'm fine."

Except that JJ wasn't.

A/N: Yes, before you ask, I borrowed some dialogue from 10x11.

Please review, I value all the opinions of my readers and I can use some good insight on this.