September 22nd, 2011
Emily awoke from her sleep due to a soft but persistent knocking on her hotel room door. She was confused as to who it could be. It was her first night back in the US after informing the team that she was in fact still alive and few people knew where she was staying tonight. She glanced at the clock, it was just shy of 2AM. The knocking continued and Emily got out of bed and reached to get her gun out of the hotel safe. She cautiously made her way to the door and looked through the peephole.
"Spencer?" Emily said in surprise as she opened the hotel room door. "What are you doing here? You almost got yourself shot!"
"I… I just had to make sure that my mind wasn't playing tricks on me. I had to make sure that you really were back." Spencer told her shyly. He seemed embarrassed.
"I'm here, Spencer. I promise I'm here. And I have no intention of leaving again anytime soon, okay?"
Emily reached out to him and embraced him in a hug. Physical contact had always come easier with him than it did with any other of the male members of the team. Sure, there was the occasional clap on the back from Morgan but Hotch and Rossi had always been fairly hands off. Spencer had always been different though. A hug after nearly being blown up, a touch of hands during an emotional moment. He was just comforting.
"I'm sorry that I woke you up. I shouldn't have come."
"No, Spencer. It's okay. I'm glad that your here. Come on in."
Spencer walked into her room and sat down in the office chair next to the bed. He looked at her not sure of what to say.
"Where have you been the last 7 months? What have you been doing?"
"Here and there around Europe, never in one place for too long. Tried to lay low. Mostly it was just really lonely. If I could have been here with you, with the rest of the team, trust me I would have been. These last 7 months were the worst of my entire life, if it wasn't for JJ I'm sure I would have gone insane."
"Yeah well the last 7 months haven't been the greatest for us either, Emily. I carried your coffin. I laid flowers on your grave. I grieved you. You were our family, Emily. You could have told us the truth!"
"Spencer, I've seen first hand what Doyle is capable of. I wasn't willing to put any more people at risk than I had to. I wish you could have known, Spencer. I really do. Knowing that you and the rest of the team had to mourn me was a terrible cross to bear. But what would have been worse would be knowing that I had put you and the rest of team at risk."
Spencer looked somewhat guilty but still very much upset.
"Rationally, I know that you're right. It's just hard to believe that part of my brain when the pain from your death is still so raw."
Emily looked at him. He looked so painfully vulnerable. Spencer could pull at her heart strings more than any man she had ever met.
"Come here, Spencer." Emily scooched over on the bed so that there was room for him. Spencer moved from the chair to sit next to Emily propped up on the headboard, legs stretched out in front of them.
"Look, Spencer," Emily placed her hand above his knee. "I know you can't forget about these last 7 months overnight. And I don't expect you too. But I'm back now, and I promise I won't go anywhere again without telling you. But you mean a lot to me and if we could try and move forward from this I would really like that. Do you think we can do that?"
Emily looked up at Spencer, her hand still on his knee. He was staring back at her. Their faces were closer than she expected. He lifted his hand up and gently placed some loose strands of her hair behind her ear brushing her cheek in the process. The small touch sent goosebumps up Emily's arms. Spencers hand made its way into her hair and around the back of her head and stayed there. Emily didn't know what to do. Everything about this felt so right but in the back of her mind she knew she shouldn't. While she was still mulling everything over in her mind Spencer leaned forward and gently placed his lips on her. It was quick and soft. Emily wasn't sure if she had just imagined it or if Spencer really had just kissed her. But before she could think about it she found herself leaning back into him.
Her lips met his. They were soft and full. She felt Spencer slowly part his lips and he took her bottom lip between both of his. His hand travelled from her hair down to her lower back and his other hand cupped the side of her face.
Emily had kissed a few boys in her day, but no first kiss had been as good as this one. There was no awkwardness. No fumbling hands. But Emily's rational mind caught up with them and slowly she pulled away.
"Spencer," Emily sighed. "We shouldn't. You're just emotional from learning I'm still alive and you're trying to assure yourself that I'm really back." Emily tried to talk Spencer down, but in truth, she didn't want to stop. She had always felt something for Spencer, but she had convinced herself it was just a small crush. How much she had missed him while she was away may have proved otherwise.
"Emily, I've spent the last 7 months wishing I would have gathered the courage to do that before Doyle came into our lives. But if this isn't what you want, then I understand, and I promise we can go back to being friends."
Looking into his eyes she could see that he was hopeful. They both knew what they were risking. Their friendship, possibly their careers. But Emily had to admit something felt extremely right with their kiss.
"I want this, but I'm scared Spencer" Emily answered honestly.
"I am too, but I know what it was like thinking I was too late, and I'm not willing to risk feeling like that again. Let's go out this weekend. We can test the waters and see if it still feels as right as it does tonight."
Emily smiled at him. "That sounds like a great idea."
Spencer glanced at the clock. "I almost forgot it was the middle of the night. I should be going, we both have to be at work in a few hours."
Emily walked him to the door. They shared one last passionate kiss before Spencer made his exit.
Neither of them got much sleep that night.