Title: You Get Me
Author: Trista Groulx aka dustytiger
Rating: T (same as the shows to be safe)
Disclaimer: Heartbreakingly I still do not own NCIS nor Criminal minds, they each belong to their creators, writers, actors and actresses all of whom make the show happen. I'm also poor so don't sue, you'd likely end up with lots of feathers if you do.
Summary: After the end of the "Hitman" plotline (CM) Reid goes home, but why was he so eager? Here's a possible scenario.
Notes: After watching "Entropy" a little plot bunny jumped into my head. This is a stand alone as I'm already working on an Abby/Reid multi-chapter fic. The title come from a Michelle Branch song. I can see these two as a couple, so I hope you can as well. Things get a little philosophical around the middle so be ready.

Spencer Reid went up to his apartment, exhausted. He had tried to prepare himself for what the evening was going to bring, but nothing had readied him for what had happened. He unlocked the door smiling despite himself when he got inside seeing there were candles lit. He hadn't had the chance to come home to find someone waiting for him before; it was a nice change. He hadn't expected to see her that night after what he'd told her about the case he was working, but he was happy she had. He smiled seeing her curled up under a quilt. He flipped on the light in the bedroom, so not to wake her abruptly. He went around the room began to blow out the candles.

"You worry too much Spencer," she told him sleepily, smelling the unmistakable aroma of wicks tapering away.

"Do you want me to tell you the statistics on candles accidentally burning down houses?" he asked her.

"I may not have an eidetic memory, but I know them, and they're container candles which are far less likely to tip over and we don't have any curious pets."

"It's not my home I worry about, it's you."

Abby Scuito could only smile at him, she knew he wasn't lying to her. He could make her heart flutter like no one else she had ever known. She sat up so he could join her on the couch. When he joined her she curled right up to him, he sighed quietly. Sometimes it amazed her that he was the same man who had recoiled away from a hand shake the first time they had met. These quiet moments she got to share with him were special.

"I worry about you too," she reminded him. "What happened tonight?"

"We got them," he replied.

"That isn't what I asked."

He hated it when she did that, somehow she always knew when he was avoiding something. He knew he should talk about everything that had just transpired, even though it was over. She wouldn't let him leave anything half answered. As much as he appreciated having someone who cared about him. It was still hard for him to talk about such personal things. He was used to living in his own head and his friends and co-workers understanding that he would tell them what he needed to when he needed to. She always pushed him, which was one of the reasons he loved her.

"It was stressful," he admitted, avoiding look into her eyes. "I had to admit to everything that happened with my mother in front of everyone."

She squeezed his hand. "Spencer, they're your family too. They'll support you when you need them."

"I know, Abby, I haven't accepted it myself, everyone knows now, it feels too real."

She hugged him tightly. "Unfortunately nothing will change the diagnosis."

"I know that logically. She's going to forget about me," he whispered, tears began falling down his cheeks. "It's likely she may never truly know you. There isn't anything I can do to change it or to help her. She struggles so much already. I fear she'll hurt herself, or worse."

"You know that there will be a time where she'll have to go, Spencer, even if she chooses to it her own way. It doesn't make it easy or okay, but it's just a part of life. Why is it so hard for you to believe that she will be in a better place once she goes?"

"Abby, you're a scientist, there is nothing to validate the hypothesis."

"Stop making it clinical Spencer. Just try to see that there are reasons why things happen which we can't always explain and maybe death is one of those things we can't understand but isn't the end."

"I can't just decide to believe in an afterlife, or heaven or anything else."

"Why not? Isn't better to think that once all of this is done your mother and anyone else you love will be in a better place, where she won't be sick, where you can see her again when your time comes?"

"Abby," he sighed. "Please."

"No, Spencer I need you to listen to this. You've never told me you're an atheist, you read books that are spiritual in nature so I have to believe you're more likely to be agnostic. I'm not asking you to find Jesus or to come to church with me every week. I'm just asking you to consider the possibility of something you can't see and you can't research from every angle that comes after what we know. I can't tell you for sure that it exists no one can, but isn't the remote chance of there being something more seem much more peaceful than believing everything just stops. Maybe memories are what keep people we love alive in some way, maybe we go somewhere else or somehow one of the many beliefs about the afterlife are true. I miss my parents every day, but if I just thought it all ended the moment they were gone I don't think I would be here today."

"That does sound more appealing, all I can do is try."

She kissed his cheek softly. "Good. I bet you're exhausted after what you went through."

"I am. I never want to do anything like that again. I don't think I would have had the strength to let my other secret come out, although I think Morgan is upset I didn't stay longer."

"I guess it wouldn't be terrible if everyone knew about this."

"Thank you for saying that, but there is something nice about not having to share this with anyone other than the person who matters most in the relationship."

She ran her fingers along his cheek. "It sure feels less scary when I don't have to hear everyone's opinions on the matter. Eventually we'll have to tell them, and they will probably feel hurt that we didn't trust them from the start."

"This has nothing to do with trust. We simply agreed to take some time to ensure that we had made a solid foundation for our relationship before having to hear other opinions. We are very different people, but I want to believe we're making this work."

"I think we are, even if I'm nervous about what a bunch of profilers will have to say about the way I dress."

"You don't need to worry about that. The people who care about us will understand our own unique reasons for needing to take this route. I think they'll understand you."

"Logically I know you're right, but it will hurt them."

"You're right," he agreed, nodding. "We can't turn back time now. Besides, it's not like we can lie when we tell them the truth, claiming this is new to us as well. They'd see right through that. We'll make them understand why we did what we did. We both work jobs that make relationship complicated. We agreed we would keep quiet until we knew we had a future together."

"Spencer, don't you think we both know that by now?"

"I suppose we do."

"So why aren't we telling them?"

"I-," he sighed not knowing what to tell her.

"As nice as it is to have our own little world here together, the longer we keep things a secret them more hurt they'll all be."

"Do you think we're ready to tell them?"

"I want to be ready," she told him surly.

"I do as well, although I must admit I'm nervous."

"I am too." She kissed him softly.

"We'll make it happen."

"Good," she agreed kissing him again a little deeper and suggestively.

"Abby, I honestly don't have any energy left tonight. I am still not sure I'm going to make it into the bedroom."

"All right honey," she assured him standing up, then offering her hand.

He smiled and took her as he stood up. He knew it was likely mind over matter that holding her hand had helped him, but at that moment it didn't matter. He stripped down to his boxers and climbed into the bed. He almost immediately fell asleep. Abby meanwhile laid next to him for a long while, deep in thought, knowing that things were about to change for them.

She was nervously excited about telling everyone the truth. He made her happy, and she could honestly tell anyone who asked that this was one of the best relationships she had been in. She was sure the people she cared about would understand why they had kept things quiet at first. She curled in closer to him and allowed herself to drift to sleep as well.

They could only hope that their friends would see how happy they were together. Outwardly they looked like opposites but that had never mattered to them. All that mattered was the connection they felt when they were together. It was reassuring to have someone to come home to after long days at work. Neither of them had ever been in a relationship with anyone who could so fully understand the devotion they each had to the job.

The End
Notes: I know I'm skipping out on them telling everyone, but I really wanted this to be a stand alone fic. I really hope you enjoyed it please let me know. Thank you in advance for any support on this fic friends, heart. –Trista