a/n: Hullo. Thank you for all the follows, reviews, and favorites! :) I always enjoy feedback, so when you review it really makes me want to sing and dance in circles all over my room. So keep 'em coming! Here's chapter 10!

The rest of them team with the exception of Spencer and JJ were back in the bullpen. Hotch had just exited his office to give them some alone time, and his subordinates were already pestering him with questions.

"Hotch, what's going—"

"Prentiss," Hotch interrupted calmly, holding a hand up. "We have to find a way to deal with this situation."

"Reid just punched him!" Garcia exclaimed, sounding horrified.

"Yeah he did!" Morgan said with a proud grin. "Not bad, didn't think he had it in him." The rest of the team stared at Morgan in disapproval. "What? The kid stood up for JJ, good for him!"

"It's not good, Morgan," Rossi said. "It is good, but it isn't, because—"

"Agent Hotchner," Hotch turned around, knowing that voice all too well as if on cue. He was met face to face with an angry Erin Strauss. "My office, please." Hotch leveled a glare with Morgan as to say you-see-why? He brushed past his team and sat down across from Erin Strauss.

She didn't bother with formalities. "Aaron, you're unit chief of your team, I trusted you with that, did I make the right decision?"

"You did," he said simply.

"Then why the hell is one of your agents attacking—"

"Forgive me Strauss," Aaron interrupted, slightly annoyed. "But this man randomly waltzed into our bullpen and started to berate one of my agents if you didn't hear." He took a deep breath, knowing that this was far from over. "My agent was in an abusive relationship with this man. He was the one who started to shout at her and call her derogatory names. She had been given time off along with Agent Reid in order to get help with the situation. She was making a way to recovery, and this evil man stopped it. So if you think about suspending Agent Reid for protecting his colleague and friend because of defense, that makes you the monster too."

The glare Hotch was giving her would make serial killers wet themselves in fright. Strauss was silent for a long time, absorbing the information that she was told. Truthfully, she knew about the relationship JJ and Spencer had together, the rumors were unavoidable. To think that JJ was in an horrible relationship with some man and Spencer was just defending her, it was awful situation for the woman to be in.

"...I didn't see anything," she finally mumbled. Hotch's glare melted away, clearly surprised at how kind she was being. She sighed and shook her head. "We just have to make sure that everyone else sees it that way." She got up from her desk and shouted to catch everyone's attention.

"Agents!" Everyone looked in her direction. "No one saw anything, right?" She pressed it, emphasizing on purpose so they'd take the hint. Thankfully, they understood.

"No, ma'am," Morgan said with seriousness, trying to prevent the anger at Will from seeping into his voice. "Didn't see a thing."

"What fight?" Emily chimed in, pretending to look confused.

Rossi smirked at his boss. "No problem, Erin." Strauss rolled her eyes at the use of her first name by Rossi.

Hotch turned the other cheek as well. "I didn't see a thing."

0-0-0-0-0

Spencer didn't want to leave JJ's side. She had just begun to calm down, her panic attack was coming to an end as she leaned into Spencer for a much needed hug. They didn't speak for a while until Spencer finally gathered the courage to. "JJ, why didn't you tell me he texted you and called you?"

"I didn't want you to find out," JJ said in a broken voice. "I didn't want him to come near you, and I... "

"JJ, I could've helped you, you know that. You should've told me, and I would've done something." Like she did for him...

"He's, uh, like a drug addict. Only fire's his drug, and each time an addict needs a fix, they need more of the drug to get off. So his crimes will most likely get much worse. It would be almost impossible for him to quit without help..." JJ saw the way Spencer's eyes were filled with regret once he said that. Truth to be told, she had never seen the doctor's eyes show so much trauma and darkness that was so unlike him.

After the case was over and they got back to Virginia, JJ made her way to Spencer's desk. "Spence...are you okay?"

The answer was too quick, she wasn't a profiler and she knew something was wrong. "Yeah, I'm fine. What makes you say that?" JJ sighed as Spencer was avoiding her eyes, but she wasn't going to budge.

"When you guys gave the profile," she answered, not missing the way his eyes grew sad. "You said, 'It would be almost impossible for him to quit without help'." She paused, looking for any reaction of some sort. "Is there anything you want to tell me, Spence?" A sigh is what she got in return, and he looked up with her with haunted eyes.

"...I'm struggling," he finally says, looking close to the brink of tears. "I need help. Please help me." His voice was pleading, the look of vulnerability in him made him look like a lost child. "JJ, please help me." JJ took everything she had not to react out of pure surprise to what he was saying. All of them, not just her, had read between the lines of what was going on with their resident genius. She knew that Tobias was addicted to drugs, and it's unfortunate that such brilliant young man like him would be forced into it.

Except now, he can't stop.

JJ felt the tears well up in her eyes. "Spence...why didn't you tell me?" She asked, pulling the genius into a hug. "I could've done something, I should've done something. I knew something was wrong, why didn't you say anything?"

"I...I thought I could handle it on my own," Spencer said honestly, leaning into JJ's embrace. "I should be able to handle this on my own...but I couldn't."

"Honey, no," JJ said, with a shake of her head as Spencer cried into her shoulder. "I promise, you'll never be alone. This isn't something that you can handle on your own. I'm glad you're asking me for help."

"It's taking over me," Spencer admitted, leaning his head against her tiredly. JJ knew he was referring to the drug. "It's so bad that I don't know if I could stop."

"You'll get through it, Spence," JJ murmured into his hair. "I'll help you every step of the way. I'll be right by your side."

"Th-thanks JJ," Spencer stammered, consumed by anxiety and fear, as well as sadness. "Why couldn't we be best friends sooner?"

Why couldn't we be best friends sooner?

That was a good question. But right now, Spencer wondered more about why JJ didn't tell him about the calls and messages. That was his main concern and the mystery question as of right now. Spencer damn well would've done something about it. Hell, he had wanted to do something for a long time.

"I'll kill him," Spencer seethed lowly, looking distant and facing away from JJ. "I won't even need a gun. I'll use my bare hands—"

"Spence!" JJ warned, sounding mortified. She grabbed his hands in hopes of startling him, by making him face her. "I won't let you become a murderer because of him! I don't like it when you talk that way!"

Guilt flooded through him. Spencer held her hands in his now, using his thumbs to rub her hands in circles in hopes of it being a soothing gesture. "I'm sorry, JJ...It's that, I hate this guy, and I just don't like the way he's treating you. You're worth more than that."

JJ smiled at him through her tears. "Spence, you didn't have to do this. But you did. I'm so glad that you're here with me."

Spencer's heart skipped a beat. "Who wouldn't do this for you?" He asked softly, more to himself than to her. Whatever JJ was going to say was cut off by Strauss opening the door.

She gazed down at Spencer and said, "My office, please." Spencer nodded and looked back at JJ, who had fear written all over her beautifully delicate face. "I'll be okay." He gave her hand one last squeeze before following Strauss into her office for whatever punishment he was going to get thrown at to him.

"Sit down," Strauss ordered, taking her own seat across from him. Spencer did so.

"I did what I had to do," Spencer suddenly blurted out, the fire in his eyes that he didn't even know he could contain. He took a deep breath, looking so serious and so firm that Strauss was surprised into silence. "I wouldn't let her be pushed around by him, not anymore. Not to her!" He thundered, losing control of his emotions entirely. "If you're going to suspend me or whatever, I want you to know that it was entirely worth it. I wanted him to feel the pain she went through. So yes, I fought him. I wasn't going to stop. I wanted to hear him cry." Spencer held his angry and passionate tears back, he wasn't going to cry in front of his superior, no matter how badly he wanted to let it out. "I wasn't going to stand for it anymore. I'd do anything for her to be happy again, I'd do anything to see her smile, and that rat bastard ruined her. So, there! So just tell me what my sentence is."

Spencer finally leaned back into his chair, his eyes red in fury and of repressing his tears. The sound that was only heard was Spencer's heavy breathing after that long rant. His eyes went down to the floor, his cheeks flushing red. Strauss was taken aback for the second time today in a matter of thirty minutes. She leaned slightly forward, with her hands folded. "...I don't have the slightest clue of what you're talking about, Dr. Reid."

Spencer looked up, his brows furrowed in confusion. "But Ma'am, I—"

"There was a fight?" Strauss asked, appearing to look oblivious. "Dr. Reid, I'm afraid you must be mistaken." It took Spencer a little while for him to take the hint.

He grinned slightly. "Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry." Spencer got up and turned to leave, since he thought he saw Strauss give him a cue.

"Dr. Reid?" Spencer turned back around to see Strauss...smiling? He sat back down, clearly confused. Strauss held up her smile as she said, "You care for Agent Jareau, don't you?" Spencer felt butterflies swarm in his stomach as he was caught off by that question. He felt his heart beat rapidly at the mention of Jennifer's last name, a strange sensation overwhelming his entire body.

"She's my best friend," Spencer informed.

Strauss shook her head knowingly. "It doesn't take a profiler to notice the way you feel about her." Spencer looked at her at the inference she was making.

"I...I have no idea what you're talking about," he dismissed, although he knew exactly what she was implying. He just didn't want to hear it.

"You're in love with her," Strauss exposed. "You're in love with your best friend." Spencer almost gasped aloud, ridiculous that his boss was interfering in the gossip that went on at the BAU.

Spencer blushed wildly. "Like I said, JJ is my best friend."

"You're not denying that you love her," Strauss pointed out. "I see the way you look at her, Dr. Reid. And by hearing you talk about her just now, that only confirms my suspicions."

"I'm...I'm not," Spencer said, trying to deny it forcefully. At the sudden shock, he walked out of Strauss' office without saying another word. His mind went back to that same conversation Emily had with that annoying agents about guys and girls being best friends. Emily was right, and that stupid agent was wrong! Guys and girls can be best friends! Not everything is like a stupid 80s movie! But speaking of his best friend, he should let her know that he's not in trouble.

He went back inside of Hotch's office, thankful that JJ was still there. Her worried eyes melted their way into his heart, which was laced with unfamiliarity. She ran up to him and hugged him tightly. "Spence, what happened?"

Spencer hugged her back. "Strauss said she didn't see anything. I'm getting off scot free."

JJ's hug, if possible, got even more tighter. "I'm glad you didn't get in trouble."

He found himself not wanting to let go of JJ's warm embrace. The smell of her hair was entrancing enough that he wished he was engrossed in it forever. He loved it that she was comfortable with resting her head in the crook of his neck. What he didn't like, was the fact that JJ didn't feel comfortable in her own shoes. That it took tender moments like this—that he cherished of course—for her to realize that she was safe and sound.

Spencer hated it when he accidentally scared her by threatening Will—but he just couldn't help it. Will made JJ upset, and that made Spencer upset. He'll do anything to see her soft pink lips form into one of the most beautiful smiles he'd seen in his life, he was sure it'd cure cancer with a single glance of it. Ever since Will started to abuse JJ, her mesmerizing blue eyes were no longer filled with life and energy, but was replaced with sadness, fear, worry, and all sorts of negative emotions that Spencer wished he could take away.

Spencer's eyes popped out of his head in realization.

He, Dr. Spencer Reid, was in love with his best friend, Jennifer Jareau.