Ahh, here it is. Be kind :P As I've warned, the case part of things is hard for me to write!
By the time Spencer and Emily made it back to the station, things were abuzz with information about their 'witness'. Sure enough, the picture of their Unsub seemed to match up with the witness's description of 'Trigger', especially now that they added in the scar that Spencer mentioned. Spencer and Emily came in to the conference room as Aaron was giving Penelope information to run through her databases and also having her get started on searching through footage outside the club to try and see if they could match it to their mystery man. What this meant for Spencer was that he was delayed in getting a chance to touch the Unsub's necklace. While the team wasn't averse to using his powers to help them, regular police work came first. Things that they could use as tangible proof. Some days Spencer wanted to protest that. He was more than willing to offer himself up to help save someone. But today he actually let out a little sigh of relief when Aaron discreetly told him to take a seat and relax while they waited to see what needed to be done.
Derek, bless him, came over once Spencer was seated and brought him a cup of coffee and a blueberry muffin. Things to help wake him back up and hopefully reenergize him.
Someone came in and called out to Aaron, drawing their Unit Chief out of the room. That left the rest of the BAU team sitting around the table. They all pulled folders towards themselves and set about reviewing any information they had. They were bound and determined to do everything they could to catch this killer today. His spree had gone on for too long.
Spencer sat back in his chair and turned to face the victimology board. Now that they knew that the Unsub was going after beauty, it was easy to see. Even the earlier victims, the prostitutes, were pretty in a way. They were all people that the Unsub would've perceived as people who put their looks proudly out there. Prostitutes flaunted their looks as a part of their job. It was how they drew customers in. And each one of the victims from the clubs had all been reported to be happy, outgoing people. The kind who were happy to be dancing in the middle of a crowded room and who seemed to enjoy the looks it got them. Spencer's eyes drifted to Remy's picture, as they inevitably did, and he smiled slightly. Yeah, that described Remy. He loved being out in a crowd, loved dancing, and loved making himself the center of attention. He definitely loved to be admired, the little peacock. Too many years of being told his looks were his only true worth had left him with a bit of a twisted self-image. He had a hard time believing that anyone could actually care about him for who he was. Too many people had just wanted a quick roll in the hay with that beautiful body. When morning rolled around, they wanted nothing to do with him anymore.
Their loss, Spencer thought. The outside was gorgeous, of that there was no doubt, but it didn't hold a candle to the man on the inside. Remy's heart and soul were the most beautiful aspect of the man.
"So you know that guy, hm?"
Jordan's voice cut into Spencer's thoughts. He jerked a little and looked at her, finding her and the others watching him. He flushed slightly at the realization that he'd basically been caught out staring at a picture of Remy like some love-struck teenager. He cleared his throat, shooting a quick glare to Derek, who was chuckling lowly at him. Then he looked back at Jordan. She was still watching him, smiling slightly. "Um, yeah. Yes. I've known Remy for quite a few years." Spencer said.
"How did you two meet?"
Now that brought a smile to Spencer's lips. It was his turn to chuckle now while he looked at Remy's picture once more. That devil-may-care smile tugged at his heart the same as it always did. To Spencer's surprise, he found himself relaxing a little, actually wanting to tell his friends about this, even just a little. It felt good to think of telling them something positive about Remy. To talk about Remy at all to them, really. For too long he'd kept that part of his heart secret and sheltered. "Actually, he hit me with his car." Spencer grinned.
"What?" Emily asked with a laugh.
Derek shook his head, chuckling again, and David let out a laugh. "Only you, Reid."
Jordan just looked shocked. "He hit you with his car? How on earth did that lead to being friends?"
"Well, he pretty much stayed with me at the hospital for the day they kept me and we just kind of connected. Remy's just," Pausing, Spencer shrugged his shoulder. "He's fun and easy to be around. He's got a way of making you feel comfortable around him. He never minded my awkwardness or my rambling or anything like that. Sometimes he'd encourage a ramble, just because he could." A memory flashed through Spencer's mind and he let out a low chuckle. "He did it deliberately one afternoon, just to see how long he could keep me talking with minimal input from him."
"How long did you go?" Emily asked. There was good humor dancing in her eyes and a smile tugging at her lips.
Cheeks flushing, Spencer nonetheless smiled at them. "Two hours and fifty seven minutes. Then someone knocked on the front door and we had to cut off."
The whole room was echoing with laughter when the door opened and Aaron came walking in. One look at his face had that laughter cutting off. The serious looking man turned his gaze to Jordan first. "The Captain is having a bit of trouble with the media out front. I need you to go out there and give him a hand on how to help calm them down before they get too out of control."
"I'm on it." Jordan said quickly.
Aaron waited until she'd left and then he shut the door firmly behind her, one finger pressing down on the lock. That was all he needed to do to let the others know what was going on. Everyone caught the clue quickly and moved into action. Spencer shifted around in his chair and made his body more comfortable and a little more stable. Emily and Derek went to the windows and twisted the blinds shut so that the room was private. David grabbed the evidence bag that they needed and brought it around the table to where Spencer was sitting. It was kind of funny, really, how easily they all moved. How automatic it had become. Spencer looked at his friends and felt that same amazement and appreciation that he always did in moments like this. These people didn't just accept that he had powers; they embraced it. They didn't just use him for those abilities. They'd all taken the time to understand as best as they could how it worked for him and what could happen and ways to help. He was damn lucky in having them for friends and he knew it.
He cradled the evidence bag in his hand once David handed it to him. Such a small thing, this necklace. Nothing that important about it. A cross, like countless other people wore. It seemed strange to think that this cross had hung around the neck of someone who could do the things this Unsub could do.
There was no time to put this off. Who knew how long they'd have before someone knocked at the door? Spencer steeled himself in preparation for what might be coming even as he knew that nothing could prepare him for the feel of touching that sick mind he'd felt in bits and pieces so far. This item was personal to the Unsub. That meant that whatever connection Spencer could make, whatever visions he'd get, would be much stronger than the ones he'd gotten off the notes. The more personal the item, the stronger his connection was. He drew in one last deep breath and then opened the bag and tipped it into his palm. Then he opened up his shields and he let himself feel.
The metal was cool against his skin. Metal chain, metal cross. But he could feel the heat from where it had once brushed skin. Chest. It had hung on his chest. It had felt so cool the day that PopPop gave it to him. Wore this my whole life, boy. It's yours now. PopPop had died not much later and the young boy had grieved for his loss. Grieved for the only person in the world who had understood him. The only one who hadn't given him pain.
Spencer shuddered and bowed his head down, hair coming to shelter his face. His hand curled around the necklace and he pushed deeper, harder, reaching for more. Pushing past the childhood memories that pulsed out at him.
Nothing was jumping out at him. Spencer tried not to grimace with the disappointment. He'd been hoping for something, anything. Not these past memories. He lifted his head and looked to his friends, who were circled around him, and he opened his mouth to speak.
A blast of intense satisfaction and excitement rocked through Spencer and cut his words off before they left his mouth. Followed quickly on its heels was a dark pleasure that soon encompassed everything else. Spencer pushed past his own sickness and embraced the emotions, letting the connection in him, and he closed his eyes while opening his mind to the vision. Between one breath and the next, the tingle hit the base of his skull and he was gone.
The vision only held him for a brief moment. Just that moment and then his eyes were snapping back open once more. Instead of the usual exhaustion that would've come after such a strong vision, Spencer's whole body was lit with adrenaline. His eyes snapped open and all his muscles went taunt. Spencer battled back fear and anger and tried to force himself out of the vision and back into the present moment. Panicking would do no good right now. Now was time to be calm; controlled. He needed to keep a level head. Spencer let that conviction fill him and firm his voice. "Nicholas Barnes." Spencer dropped the necklace on the table and pushed up to his feet. "His name is Nicholas Barnes."
Within ten minutes the BAU team as well as the local cops and a SWAT team were on their way out. How it was that Aaron managed to take what Spencer gave him and turn it into something that not only convinced others, but was done in a legal fashion, Spencer would never know. He was never quite together enough after a vision to pay enough attention. It was just another of those ways that he was blessed by the friends he had. All he knew was that they were on their way and, one way or another, this was going to be over today. On their way there, they contacted Penelope and had her get them everything she could on Nicholas Barnes. It was with her that they matched the sketch with the man's picture and confirmed what Spencer knew. Nicholas was their Unsub. She gave them his home address and his work address. The man was a bar owner. Half the team went towards the house while the other half headed towards the bar. Aaron, David and Jordan were with the team going to the house. Derek, Emily and Spencer were going to the bar.
Spencer didn't even notice at first that he'd pulled his necklace out and was holding the ring. Then he looked down and saw the long chain leading to his fist. He clenched his hand just a little tighter so that he could feel the ring actually pressing into his palm. They'd catch this Unsub and Remy would be safe again. This guy wouldn't be hunting him anymore. He'd be safe and this would be over. And then…then they would talk. Then, maybe, they would finally have that dinner date they'd talked about before.
They were halfway to their destination, heading to a club that the man worked at, when that tingling hit Spencer again. He had a brief moment to give thanks that he wasn't the one driving the car. Then he shuddered as the vision slid over him.
"Well look who just wandered in here." Nicholas looked so pleased with himself. His grin stretched wide. "I didn't even have to find you. You found me."
He wasn't afraid. A sneer curled his lips and he looked the man over from head to toe. This was the guy who wanted to kill him? Remy gave a snort of derision. "Y'r de big bad everyone's huntin' fo'? Y' don't seem so scary t' me."
The guy's grin grew a little. "That's not the tune you were whistling that night."
"Y' jumped me like some coward in de dark. Waited till I was alone and drunk and den y' attacked. Dat aint so tough. Any weakling can do dat." Remy grinned as the guy looked furious. It felt damn good to taunt him. Damn good! "I aint alone dis time, homme, and it aint de middle of de night. Y' still t'ink y' can stand up against me? Or y' gon' run like de coward we both know y' are?"
Fury and hate twisted the man's features. The nice guy faded away to show the monster that lived just underneath the surface. "You're just like the rest of them. You think you're so much better than everyone else. You think just cause you're good looking, you can act any way you want, treat people any way you want. You think you're so special just because you're beautiful. But really, you're not. You're just as disgusting on the inside as they all are!"
Remy lifted one hand and laid it over his heart. "Aw, cher. Y' flatter a boy, talkin' like dat."
A sudden pressure hit Remy, the same as it had that night. Stronger, even. Dieu, it was strong! He'd thought his shields were strong enough. Thought that they would hold. But damn, this man was strong! Fast, too. He cleared the distance between them in no time at all and Remy found a hand fisted in his shirt and he was flying into one of the tables and crashing down to the floor, unable to do anything to save himself. Nicholas was stalking towards him. "Your friends can't help you. You think you were all smarter than me? Stronger than me? I have them all! They're mine now, and they won't stop me."
Fils de putain! Remy gathered all of his strength and threw it to his shields, fighting to shove them up against the mental touch before it was too late.
Spencer jolted out of his vision with a sharp gasp. He didn't give anyone time to ask him what was going on. He immediately sat forward in his seat and looked to Morgan, who was driving them. "We need to get to the bar, now! He's got Remy!"
"What?" Emily demanded. She was turned in her seat, gaping at him. Derek pressed on the gas.
"He's got Remy." Spencer repeated. His hands were clenched into fists and the need to get there, now, was pulsing through every inch of him. Hurry, hurry, hurry his mind was chanting over and over at him. He had to get to Remy. He had to get there before the man could do what he was planning on doing.
"How on earth did Remy find him? And why would he go after him?"
"He put the word out with some of his contacts in the city." Spencer's voice went slightly distant and his eyes took on that glazed look that told those who knew him that he was sifting through what he'd gathered in his vision, tapping into the thoughts, the emotions and the images and sorting out the important information. "Someone called him and told him where to find him at. So he took some friends to go and handle this, because he believes they're better equipped to handle a mutant." And through it all clearly ran the thought that, if he handled this, Spencer would be safe. The man wasn't the least bit concerned for his own safety, damn him. He was more concerned about Spencer's safety even though he wasn't the one at risk here. The urgency in Spencer grew a little stronger and he felt an echo of pain that he knew wasn't his. "Faster, Morgan."
It took so much for Spencer to not simply barge in when they arrived at the bar. He had to do this right. The only thing that kept him in control was that his friends weren't going to waste any time. SWAT was right behind them and they'd provide them with backup when they arrived. Emily and Derek both agreed with Spencer that they couldn't wait. They knew as well as he did just how much risk Remy was in right now. Every moment put him in more and more danger. The trio quickly plotted out what they needed to do and then they moved. Spencer went in the front door, the only one of them they were positive had been able to resist Nicholas so far, and he was the one that Nicholas had called out. They hoped to distract him while Emily and Derek slipped in the side. If they were lucky, they could subdue the man. If not, hopefully his friends were in a strategic enough place to help if it came to it.
Spencer took just one moment to take a deep breath and center himself. Now more than ever he needed to keep himself calm and in control. His very heart depended on it.
What he found when he walked into the bar was enough to test that control. Years of practice were the only thing that kept it in place. Inside, though, he let out a soft mental whimper. This was like a repeat of that first night. The night he'd seen Remy for the first time in years. The Cajun was lying on the ground in the middle of the bar and the Unsub, Nicholas, was crouching over him. Only this time, there were no shadows to hide anything. This time, Spencer could clearly see the man's fist clenched in Remy's shirt; see the knife held up in the other hand. He could see as Nicholas spun at the sound of his footsteps. When those eyes locked on him, Spencer saw the madness there. The same madness he'd seen in his first vision and in the vision he'd had with Kylie.
Just as he had that night, Spencer lifted his gun and pointed it straight at Nicholas. "FBI! Drop the weapon, Nicholas!"
Nicholas grinned even wider. "Well isn't this just perfect?" He asked with a laugh. "You made it, agent! Everything is just perfect now!"
In his earpiece, Spencer heard Derek's voice. "Reid, we found some people outside. They're not moving. I think they might be the kid's backup. We've got them as secure as we can and we're moving to the side entrance now."
Hearing that reminder of backup helped Spencer strengthen himself even more. He chanced a quick look down at Remy. The man was lying totally still. He was bruised and there was blood on his jawline from what looked like a small cut, but he was otherwise okay. He was glaring hotly at Nicholas, so Spencer figured he couldn't be hurt that badly. Just held in place by the man's power.
Spencer took all of that in with just a look. Then his eyes focused once more on Nicholas. "Drop the weapon and step away from him, Nicholas."
"Like hell. This is perfect." Nicholas grinned down at Remy and then back up to Spencer. "Everything is perfect now. I've got you and him both. The one that got away and the one that saved him. And now I can fix this. I can do what I was supposed to and you can watch and see the truth. I'll show you what he really is inside and you'll know I'm right. He deserves to die."
Off to the side, Spencer saw as Derek and Emily slipped in, setting themselves up a safe distance away. Neither one came too close, able to see just how precarious this scene was. Any wrong move and that knife that was over Remy could plunge in. They had to keep that from happening.
Memories of what he'd seen flashed through Spencer's mind, those flashes of childhood that he'd glimpsed while holding that necklace. He let those guide his words and prayed that he wasn't making a big mistake. "It's not his fault, Nicholas. He's not the one that hurt you." Spencer took a small step forward, his gun never wavering. He kept his voice steady and tried to lower it to project as much understanding as possible. "I know how your mother treated you. I know that she hurt you and belittled you, all because you weren't as perfect as she thought you should be. She ridiculed you because you weren't beautiful like her, didn't she? Made you feel like you were worthless because of it."
Nicholas' hand tightened in Remy's shirt. "I wasn't the ugly one. She was ugly on the inside, only no one else could see it!"
"They all saw the outside, didn't they?" Spencer took another small step forward. "No one saw what she was like inside. She as cruel and angry and she took it out on you. But, Nicholas, that doesn't mean that every beautiful person is the same. Some people are beautiful both outside and in."
"No!" He shouted. The hand holding the knife shook slightly and Spencer held his breath, not wanting to have to fire but knowing he would if he had to. Nicholas steadied his hand and glared down at Remy briefly before looking back up at Spencer. "You're letting his looks trick you! He's not that pretty inside. You'll see. Inside, he's just as evil as she was! As they all were!"
Spencer slipped forward another step. He kept his calm and shook his head at the man. "No, Nicholas, he's not. That man you've got there? His name is Remy and I know him. I've known him since I was fifteen years old. He's not what you think he is. If anything, he's even more beautiful on the inside than he is on the outside. He's not evil."
"No! It's lies, all lies!"
"No, Nicholas. I promise you, it's not. He's not like your mother." Abruptly switching tracks, Spencer said "Look at me, Nicholas. Really look at me. Do you think I'm beautiful?"
That question threw the man off for a moment. "What?"
"Do you think I'm beautiful? Am I one of those beautiful people that you're after?"
"No." Nicholas looked him over from head to toe and gave a head shake. "You're like me. We're the imperfect people in the world. That's why you should see how right I am! People like him," the knife pressed just a little closer to Remy and Spencer held his breath. But Nicholas didn't press it in, just held it there as he continued to rant. "they hurt people like us. Mock us!"
"Not all of them. Not him. Do you know what he tells me, Nicholas? Do you know what Remy always said to me when he looked at me? He told me I was the most beautiful person he'd ever known. That my imperfections were what made me perfect to him." Spencer saw his words strike Nicholas, shocking him, and he pressed that advantage. "He never put me down for being different or for being not as beautiful as him. Not everyone with good looks is bad on the inside, Nicholas. What your mother did to you, it was wrong. But these people shouldn't have to pay for it. Remy shouldn't have to pay." Spencer lowered his voice and shifted one last step forward. "You don't need to do this. Just hand me the knife and we can all walk out of here, Nicholas. All you have to do is step away from him and hand me the knife."
Nicholas sat as if frozen, his knife just hovering over Remy. Indecision flashed across his face. Then, his body relaxed slightly. He shifted his weight and Spencer was sure he was about to push up to his feet. The whole room seemed to be holding its breath. Then something shifted on the man's face and Spencer knew what was going to happen. Nicholas looked up at him and said one single word. "No." Then he lashed out with his mind, trying to incapacitate, and he flashed out with the knife, lifting it and preparing to plunge it down. Spencer reacted off of an instinct that had been created and trained by his time at the Bureau. Even as he threw his energy into defending his mind, his finger squeezed the trigger. The loud report of his gun echoed through the bar and Nicholas went flying to the side.
The pressure on Spencer's mind as Nicholas hit the ground. Derek and Emily were racing forward, their guns still free, and Spencer kept his at the ready as he stepped forward and quickly kicked the knife away from where it had dropped while placing himself between Remy and the Unsub. He held steady and looked down at the man on the ground and knew, even as Derek bent to check him, that he was already gone. Spencer's bullet had gone true, straight to his chest. He waited until Derek gave him a nod and then he was quickly holstering his gun and spinning around. He dropped down to one knee at Remy's side and reached out to cup that bruised face. "Are you okay?" His hands ran over him, searching for any signs of injury, anything at all.
Remy caught his hands and used them to yank himself upwards. He used his other hand to hook the back of Spencer's neck and then he yanked him in for a kiss that was hard and fast and carried just a small taste of blood to it from a split in Remy's lip. Just as quickly as he'd launched up, the Cajun released him, pulling back to stare up in his eyes. Spencer realized that the sunglasses were gone and he lost himself staring down into those glowing depths. "Y' saved m' ass, cher." Remy purred the words out in a voice husky with gratitude and something else that sounded like…was that pride? It couldn't be. He didn't waste time thinking about it. Remy was kneading at the back of his neck and smiling at him in that damn sexy way of his. Spencer somehow found it in him to smile, despite everything. To the complete shock of his friends, he reached up and took Remy's hand off his neck, giving it a squeeze, and he teased "It's a nice ass. I'd hate to see something happen to it."
The doors to the bar burst open and SWAT and the local officers came in just as Remy threw his head back and laughed.
As much as he wanted to, there was no way for Spencer to stay with Remy. Too much work had to be done. Statements had to be given, paramedics had to look at Remy and document his injuries, and the body had to be taken care of. The crime scene was abuzz with activity. Spencer spent quite a bit of time talking with countless people there only to end up back at the station just to do the same thing all over again. Any time an agent fired discharged their weapon, questions had to be answered. Killing the suspect just upped those questions even more. But with Emily and Derek both there as witnesses, there was no real worry on Spencer's part. Everything was done by the book.
By the time Spencer made it back to his hotel, it was dark outside. The team had one more night here before they were going to leave tomorrow and that meant that Spencer had a lot of thinking to do. Now that the case was done with, there were personal things that couldn't be ignored anymore. First on the list was calling Remy to make sure he really and truly was okay. Second, well, second, they needed to talk. Their conversation couldn't be put off anymore. It was time. Spencer wished that thought didn't fill him full of butterflies.
He should've figured that he wouldn't have to hunt down his Cajun, though. If he'd been thinking clearly, he would've known exactly where to find the man. But it still surprised him when he walked into his hotel room and yet again found Remy sitting on his bed. This time he set his bag down on the table after shutting the door and he shook his head at the man. "This is getting to become a habit for you, Remy. Do you have a fondness for breaking into the apartments and hotel rooms of everyone you know, or is it just me?"
Remy flashed him a smirk. "What can I say? Y'r just special, bébé."
That sent a small thrill through Spencer. He squashed it down. No point in getting his hopes up, here. To cover his nerves, he turned away from the man and occupied himself with the process of unhooking his gun from his belt and setting it by his bag. "How'd you check out with the medics? Anything serious?"
"Non, cher. Just some bruises. I've had worse from wrestlin' wit' m' friends. How about y'? How're y' doin'?"
"Oh, just fine." Hands free again, Spencer twined them together, trying not to wring them as he was known to do when nervous. He made himself turn around and face Remy. As was normal, his nerves had him rambling. "There was a ton of paperwork to take care of, of course, and countless questions. Any time a weapon is discharged it brings up questions. But with Morgan and Emily both there, there's no question as to the necessity of my actions, so I don't foresee any problems. It was a completely justified shoot."
Remy nodded his agreement, not the least bit perturbed by how quickly the words had tumbled from Spencer. He treated it as if it were normal. "Oui, it was. Y' did what y' had t' do, Spencer." He paused and suddenly Spencer's nerves went a little higher. He saw the way Remy sat up a little straighter, his spine firming, and he knew he was about to hear something serious. Was he ready for this? Oh, God, he didn't know. Not that he had any choice. Remy reached up and took his sunglasses off and his eyes fixed right on Spencer. "Seein' y' out dere like dat, doin' y'r job, it got me t'inking. I got some t'ings I need t' say t' y' and I need y' t' listen t' me, Spencer. Can y' do dat?"
Oh, man. Spencer nodded his head. He couldn't have spoken in that moment to save his life. A knot had formed in his throat that blocked off his voice. It almost blocked off his very breath. He clenched his hands and shoved them down in his pockets to try and keep them from fiddling. This was it. This was there moment. What was going to happen now?
"I know dat y'r an agent, Spencer." Remy started out slowly, his voice dropping down to that serious tone that told Spencer he was picking his words very carefully, trying to get them right. "I watched y' from de start and I know y' know dat. Logically, I've known dis whole time dat y'r an agent. I don't t'ink I really realized it until today, though. Not until I saw y' in dere talkin' to dat homme, talkin' him down. And when I looked up at y', I realized just how much y've grown up on me dese past years. How many t'ings have changed."
Pain sliced at Spencer's insides. No. This was it, then. Remy was going to walk away. The changes in Spencer were going to be too much and he was going to walk away. Spencer felt the pain start deep down in his heart.
Remy wasn't done yet, though. "Y' aint de only one dat's changed, though. I've changed too. I aint de same person I was back den. I've…made somet'in of m'self. T'ings are better'n dey used to be, mais dey aint perfect. I've just traded one dangerous situation fo' another. Just, dis time, I'm on de right side. De good side. Dere are still countless people out dere dat would kill me if dey had de chance. People dat aint gonna be afraid to use m' weaknesses against me."
Why was he still going? If he was going to end this, why didn't he just do it? Spencer wanted to ask but he just stood and watched, unable to say a word. A tiny part of him hoped that he was wrong. Either way, whatever was going on here, it was going to make or break them, and right now Spencer wasn't sure which.
"Dere aint a whole lot dat I can offer y', cher." Remy said honestly and simply. "I got a wife dat loves me and who would kill me if I ever went back home and an ex-girlfriend at de mansion who never loved me and dat used me as much as I used her. I got more enemies dan anyone realizes. I aint de same pup I was. I'm older, ornerier, more set in m' ways. I flirt like it's goin' outta style, my mouth runs away wit' me and gets me int' a hell of a lot of trouble, and I'm told I can be a pretty big pain in de ass. Scotty says I got more energy dan a herd of monkeys on speed."
A surprised chuckle slipped from Spencer. That was a pretty entertaining and accurate description of a hyper Remy.
Remy smiled slightly and pushed up from the bed. He stood there, watching Spencer, not coming towards him but not backing down. He was standing his ground for whatever he had to say next. "I'm all dose t'ings, Spencer. Y' know dat, y' know de core of me, better'n anyone. M' habits aint gotten better over de years. I still smoke too much, drink too much, and get int' trouble. I'm still a possessive, overprotective homme and I'll probably drive y' absolutely batty fo' tryin' to keep y' outta trouble an fo' fightin' with folks I t'ink are getting a lil too friendly with y', cause y' don't never seem to notice it."
With each passing word, Spencer felt lighter and lighter inside. That tiny kernel of hope was starting to grow. "You're really selling yourself well here, Cricket." He found himself teasing.
"Aint I just?" Chuckling, Remy shook his head. He lifted one hand and ran it nervously through his hair. "I guess what I'm sayin' is dis—I'm all dose t'ings, Spencer. But I'm also someone dat loves y' more dan life itself. Y' said y've lived a life with me and without me and y' know which one y' prefer. I done de same t'ing. I know what life's like without y' in it. Fo' years now, I convinced myself I was fine. Dat it was better dis way. I lied so much to myself until I almost started to believe dat I was fine. All it took was dat one look at y'r eyes in dat dirty alley fo' me to realize just much I'd been lying to m'self. I felt more alive in dat one moment, more happy, dan I've felt since de day I walked out de door."
Spencer's fear was fading away, only to be replaced by a joy that was growing bigger and bigger with every word. His couldn't stop smiling. Laughter bubbled up his throat. "Are we having a 'chick moment'?" He asked teasingly. Remy had always called moments like these in the movies 'chick moments'. Back then, he'd always insisted that guys didn't have moments like this. They didn't make grand speeches to announce their feelings.
Husky laughter rang in the air. Remy's whole face was lit with his love and good humor. "We are. An I aint done yet, so y' just suck it on up and deal with it, Spencer."
"By all means." He gestured between them with one hand. "Please, continue."
"Merci." Remy straightened his jacket collar, lifting his chin slightly. When Spencer snickered at him, he lost it and he laughed as well. "Bon Dieu. Fo'get dis shit." With that, Remy took one step forward and closed the distance between them. He grabbed Spencer with one arm around his waist and yanked him in close. "Je t'aime, Spencer Reid. I aint never stopped lovin' y'. Share y'r life with me. It won't be easy but I can promise it won't never be dull."
When Remy had jerked him forward he'd caught himself on Remy's shoulders, bracing there. Now he tipped his head back and grinned up at him. "You make such an appealing offer."
"What can I say? I'm unique." Remy tipped his head down and grinned. "What do y' say, Spencer?"
"I say it's about time." With that, Spencer reached up and pulled Remy down for a kiss.
Annnnnd...whew. that was a HARD chapter to write. I still don't like most of it, except for the end. BUT, it's what you get. I hope you guys like it!
And everyone, just so you don't worry-this isn't the end. :)
Reviews:
DeputyDog: Thanks! I thought Logan giving a verbal butt kicking was more realistic than more supportive hand holding. Glad to see it was liked :)
4: Yay! SO very glad to hear the powers bit went over well. I hope you liked what I did with this chapter here and his powers. And as for some of your other questions, well...just wait and see ;)
IntoTheWilds: Go Logan, right? He's fantastic for giving someone a what-for. Love it! I'm glad you liked the chap!
Queen Apolline: Thank you!