You held on tight to me
'Cause nothing's as it seems
Spinning out of control

Taylor Swift - Wonderland


Behind him, Kate was still straightening her clothes.

Spencer resisted the wild urge to slam the door in his visitor's face; instead, he took a chance and walked out into the hallway with them.

"Morgan, Rossi, what are you doing here?" He asked, shutting the door behind him.

They'd been too startled to react, but now Morgan frowned.

"Why are you shutting us out?"

"It's a huge mess in there," Spencer said, knowing that his face was red and his eyes were wide. "I don't want to let you see it."

"We can handle mess," Rossi said. "Listen, we thought you might be a bit bummed."

"About what?" Spencer asked.

"About Kate bein' fired," Morgan said. "And we were going to see her too, but we don't have her new phone number."

"Yeah, she forgot to give it to anyone," Rossi said. "Listen, JJ and Garcia are on their way over with pizza. Let us in. We'll make a party of it. And Morgan and I can help you clean up before they get here. Oh, and you have Kate's new number, right?"

"Um," Spencer said. "I guess I do."

"We'll clean everything up before they come over," Morgan said. "By the way, do you know why Kate was fired? Hotch didn't say anything, just that she wouldn't be accompanying us on this case. And we were going to ask him, but he was more than on edge this past case."

"If Hotch didn't say anything..." Spencer trailed off, not certain where he was going with this. "Okay. Anyway. Um, just a minute, okay?"

He slipped back into the apartment, barely opening the door to squeeze through it. Kate was standing there, in the middle of...

"You made a mess?" Spencer asked, staring.

"I eavesdropped and thought it might be warranted," Kate said. "Listen, I can slip out through the fire escape and return in twenty minutes, okay? Our secret is safe."

"Does it have to be a secret?" Spencer asked. "I wouldn't mind breaking it open."

She just looked at him. "You have no idea how glad I am to here you say that," she whispered, her eyes filling with tears. "But not yet. It's too soon."

"I understand," he said, and she climbed out of the window.

Spencer walked back over to the door and let Rossi and Morgan in.

"Whoa, what happened here?" Rossi asked. "It's like a tornado swept through here."

"I was cleaning my whole apartment top to bottom when the call about the case came in," Spencer explained, smoothing his hair from his eyes. "And I had to leave things like this."

He momentarily wondered when he'd become such a good liar, then dismissed the thought.

It wasn't going to stay a secret forever.

And, he realized as he looked at his teammates, he certainly wasn't the first of his friends to keep secrets.

This secret was, at least, far less explosive.

Or so he thought.


"I'm bringing six different kinds of pizza," Garcia enthused over the phone. "Jayje and I will be there in five minutes."

"Okay, sounds good," Spencer replied.

"Who's there already?" JJ asked, breaking in.

"Rossi and Morgan," Spencer said.

"And have you called Kate yet?" Garcia asked.

"I did," Spencer said. "What about Hotch?"

JJ was silent for a moment. "Spence, we're doing this because Hotch is being a jerk and no one knows why."

Spencer felt something uneasy deep in his gut. "Guys, that's not right. We shouldn't be excluding him."

"He's excluding himself," Garcia said. "Besides, he had something with Jack tonight."

"I'll see you soon," Spencer said, and hung up the phone. Before he could stop himself, he dialed another number.

"Reid? What is it?"

"Hotch, we're having an impromptu pizza party," Spencer said slowly. "Why don't you come over? Who knows, maybe Kate and I will make an announcement."

"Why do they think she's gone?" Hotch asked. "I'm okay with playing the bad guy for longer than this, Reid. If you and Kate want to keep things quiet..."

"It's time," Spencer said. "I don't want to do it like this. Can you...will you come over?"

His boss's silence filled the line.

"Are you actually doing something with Jack tonight?" Spencer asked.

"No, I'm not," Hotch said. "I told JJ that, and..."

"Come over," Spencer said. "No protests."

"I'll be there in ten minutes," Hotch promised.

Spencer hung up the phone and texted Kate. You have to come soon.

She called him back. "Chance?"

"Lily," he breathed. "It is time. We have to say. I convinced Hotch to come over too."

"Okay," she agreed. "Just give me five minutes, and I'll be there in two."