Disclaimer: see my profile
A/n This one shot is fairly AU in that Will and Henry aren't in the picture. Besides that little detail, this follows cannon up through Performer.
She parked her car in her usual spot and looked up at the apartment building waiting for her. She drew a hand through her hair and winced. The back of her head throbbed and ached like a bad tooth. She put her forehead down on the cold steering wheel and indulged in a few tears to cool her burning eyes.
How could she have been so stupid? Hadn't she learned anything after what happened to Spence in Georgia?
She lifted her head from the steering wheel and looked out into the darkness that surrounded the car and her apartment building.
You're alive because she had to be convinced to kill you.
She sighed, shook her head, and winced at the vice-like pain in her head. She carefully rubbed the good sized bump on the back of her head and got out of her car.
The apartment seemed quiet and empty after the chaos of that old, dilapidated house. How could anyone live in such an awful mess?
She left her purse and go bag on the couch, and headed for the shower. Maybe a long hot soak in water would help the raging headache.
"It's your own fault!" She told herself sternly.
She stood staring into the mirror for a long time. Why hadn't she noticed the pieces of Reid's profile right in front of her? It nearly got her killed.
She sighed again and pulled off her blouse. Hindsight is twenty-twenty everyone always said. She was alive, so nothing else mattered.
---
She made a cup of steaming mint tea after her shower. She decided to shut off the lights and go back to her bedroom. Maybe if she sat in the dark long enough, she'd feel a little bit like sleeping.
The wind had sprung up while she'd been in the shower. Her apartment was located on the northeast corner of the building so the wind made a mournful moaning sound that did nothing for her mood or the headache that pounded spikes into her brain.
She switched on the lamp atop her bedside table and nearly dropped her cup of hot tea when the buzzer announced a visitor at her door.
"Damn it!" She cursed as hot liquid splashed over her right hand.
She considered not answering the buzzer. Whoever it was could just go away. She'd be lousy company and it was after eleven o'clock at night, which made it a very rude visitor. In fact, she was getting really annoyed as the buzzer sounded again. She stalked out into the living room to the front door.
"What?" She yelled through the speaker, wincing as her voice jacked up her headache.
"Can I come in?"
She took one-step back in surprise. What the hell was he doing here?"
The buzzer buzzed again.
"Okay… Don't shove your finger through the intercom." She snapped while activating the lock release for the outside door.
She paced the living room while waiting for him to come to her door. He'd never just showed up on her doorstep. She whirled around and stared at the door. What was taking him so long? Even though she was waiting for it, when the doorbell sounded, she jumped in surprise.
"Why are you here?" She asked as he swung in on his crutches.
Strange how you forgot someone was less than physically fit when that person had been hobbling along for so long. Her conscience spoke up and chastised her for her impatience.
He hobbled to the couch and sat down with a slight wince and a groan.
"I'm sorry I yelled at you." She said, taking a seat next to him.
He looked over at her and she shrank back from the anger in his eyes.
"Spence?"
"Don't call me that," he snapped at her. "How could you just go in that house? They could've killed you."
"There's the pot calling the kettle black, Spencer Reid."
He shook off his jacket and threw it on the arm of the couch. "This isn't about me. It's about you."
"It's late… I don't want to do this now."
She stood up and waited.
"I'm not leaving."
"Why do you do that?"
"Why do I do what?"
"Why do you let people at work, walk all over you and then come here and put your foot down?"
"This isn't about me. For your information, no one walks all over me. I just let them think they do."
JJ laughed humorously. "Was that supposed to be funny Spence?"
"No… It's supposed to be the truth. Now, why did you walk into that house when you knew what we were looking for in the profile?"
"I don't know Spencer."
"What do you mean, you don't know."
His calm and even tone infuriated her. It reminded her of the psychologist she'd had to see after the incident in Georgia.
"I said I don't know. I thought I was going to talk to a witness."
"History repeats itself," he said bitterly.
She stared at him and dropped back into her seat. "I didn't stop to think about what happened to you in Georgia. I didn't think it could happen again, I guess."
"I couldn't stand it if anything happened to you JJ."
She looked down at her hands. "Spence…"
"I should go. It was wrong for me to come here. You were doing your job. It's not my place to come down on you for it." He heaved himself to his feet. "See you at work tomorrow."
"Spence…"
He looked at her with the innocent eyes of a child and her heart squeezed painfully in her chest. "I'm sorry."
"Why are you apologizing?" He asked, bewildered at the tears in her voice.
"I didn't see what was right in front of me at that house. Maybe I'm losing it."
"You're not losing it JJ. We all have times we don't see what's right in front of us."
She shivered. "Yeah… I seem to be having that problem a lot lately."
"Maybe you just need a rest." He suggested.
"Yeah, maybe I need a rest." She agreed.
His brown eyes held her gaze for a minute. He looked away, pink in the cheeks when she smiled at him. "I'll see you later." He said.
"Good night Spence."
She watched him hobble out her door. She realized after the door shut behind him, that her headache had all but disappeared. Weird…
Her tea had turned ice cold on the night table. She took the cup back to the kitchen and poured out the water.
Tomorrow, she'd thank Spence for coming to see her. She'd be sure to tell him that she'd never miss what was right in front of her again!