Sorry this took me a little longer, guys. I got-stuck. Just, stuck. I could've written this, oh, two days ago if I'd just made myself sit here. Instead, I ended up spending almost all day today on an outline for another story. I had to write it down, though! It just, gripped me. Alghlashgasglhsg. Anyways, rant done. On to the story! Oh, and a quick thanks to my reviewers. You're wonderful, m'dears! Seeing your reviews really, really inspires me :)

When the BAU team and Remy arrived at their hotel for the night, Jean and Logan were waiting for them. Though the case was done with, Aaron had obtained permission for the team to stay the night and leave tomorrow, something that everyone was appreciative of. As he told Spencer when he let everyone know about the plans, "We need time to talk about some things and I thought it would be smarter to do it here and get it done with. It can wait until morning, though. Right now, I think we all deserve to relax."

That was definitely a good plan. Remy had been no further than a half foot from Spencer ever since he'd gotten back into the SUV and he was constantly keeping appraised of his emotions and general wellbeing, and he knew just how badly Spencer needed to relax. On the outside he was showing the world the calm and collected agent face; inside, he'd become this twist of emotions and none of them were good. It seemed like everything that he'd seen today was finally catching up with him. No one else noticed it, though. Spencer's mask was just too seamless. Remy knew that Spencer would try and head off to his room as soon as they got to the hotel. He'd seclude himself off while he dealt with this. Though he hadn't known Spencer long, he'd already figured out that this was how the man dealt with his troubles. He shut himself away from others and worked through it all on his own. Well, the hell if he was going to get away with that now. Remy was going to take care of the man whether he liked it or not. He just wasn't going to be able to come right out and say that's what he was doing. Spencer had already shown that he was stubborn when it came to his own care. But when it came to others…

Remy had absolutely no shame about using that. He bided his time, waiting until they were at the hotel and the reintroductions had been made—"You guys remember Jean and Logan? Jean, Logan, this is the rest of my team…"—before he made his move. The other BAU members were starting to drift off towards their rooms when Remy lightly snagged Spencer's arm. He watched concerned brown eyes turn immediately back to him and he prepared himself to play on the concern he saw there. "Y' got a minute, cher?"

"Of course." Spencer turned briefly back to the others, who had stopped to watch and to wait for him, and he looked over to Derek, the person he'd been assigned to share a room with. "I'll catch up with you after a bit, Morgan." Then he turned back to Remy and the concern was back in his eyes. "Is everything okay?"

It still left Remy just slightly stunned when Spencer reacted to things like this. Especially since he could feel that Spencer's concern was genuine. He really did want to know if everything was okay and he actually cared about the answer. Even though it was that very caring that Remy was trying to use to his advantage here, it still amazed him. How on earth had Spencer made it in a job like this, a job that had to regularly rip his guts out, when he just cared so damn much about everyone? Remy pushed his questions away as something to think about later. Right now, it was time to try and get this man somewhere that he could take care of him properly, without Spencer ever being any the wiser. "Remy's fine. Just a little twitchy still, y'know?" That wasn't a lie. No reason to mention that he was twitchy because he could feel how fragile Spencer was inside. "Was t'inking maybe y' might come hang out fo' a little bit, watch a movie or somet'ing?"

He could actually see the thoughts run across Spencer's face. There was no hesitation in his answer, though. "Sure; that sounds fine."

"Great." Remy beamed at him and shifted the hold he had on Spencer's arm until his hand was curved in the crook of the man's elbow almost like Spencer was formally escorting him somewhere. He felt a small hint of humor flash through Spencer at that.

Ten minutes later Jean was off in her room, after having quickly checked the two men over to make sure there was no serious train on them after the day's events, and Logan was taking a quick shower while Remy cruised the phone book for some food delivery places. "What're y' in de mood fo', mon ami?"

"Hm?" Spencer turned away from the window he'd been staring out of and blinked slightly distant eyes at Remy.

"I asked what sounds good fo' dinner."

"Oh. Nothing, thank you. I'm not all that hungry."

Remy looked up from the phone book, trying to keep too much of his concern from showing. "Y' should eat somet'ing."

The way Spencer's expression softened and his cheeks heated a little, plus the warmth and slight embarrassment Remy could feel from him, said clearer than words that Remy hadn't hidden his concern as well as he'd thought. Spencer didn't call him on it, though. "I just don't have much of an appetite right now, that's all. I'll make up for it at breakfast in the morning."

One look at Spencer told him that this wasn't worth pushing. Remy knew how to choose his battles. This wasn't one he'd win. That was fine. He'd make sure Spencer really did make up for it come morning time.

Since it was just he and Logan eating, Remy just went ahead and ordered a couple large pizzas, enough to satisfy both of them. Logan could eat at least a whole large on his own when the mood struck. "Dere, foods on de way." He said as he hung up the phone. Turning, he flashed a smile to Spencer. "Let's cruise pay-per-view and see what dey got b'fore Logan gets back out here, oui?"

Spencer smiled a little at that. Pushing off from the window, he made his way over to the bed where Remy had just thrown himself down. "I take it you and Logan have different tastes in movies?"

Remy settled back against the pillows he'd stacked at the headboard and he grinned. "Oui. Remy actually has taste in movies."

There was only a small hesitance before Spencer seated himself on the bed beside Remy. He didn't sit down as close as they'd been when watching M*A*S*H in Remy's bed, but he didn't sit on the edge like Remy had been half afraid he would. Tipping his head, Spencer smiled almost shyly. "I'll defer to your judgment on a movie, then."

"Good choice, mon ami. Good choice."

Before hitting the pay-per-view, Remy cruised through the local cable channels first. He kept up a running commentary as he went channel to channel. It seemed to be relaxing Spencer a little. He stopped sitting so stiffly on the bed. By the time Remy finally settled on a martial arts movie that he knew both he and Logan would like, one that was just starting on one of the local channels, Spencer had moved in a bit closer and was even leaning back against the pillows. Their hips were just a bare inch from touching one another.

Though Remy knew Spencer was still jumpy about touch, he also knew that he wouldn't get used to it without practice, and he wouldn't ask for it even if he needed it. Right now, there was no doubt he needed something. Even if he hadn't been able to feel the need echoing out of Spencer, he still would've known. He was getting better about reading the man's body language as they got to know one another. The subtle way that Spencer had curved towards him wasn't something he would've noticed when they first met. Now, he saw it and recognized it for what it was. Spencer was wanting to touch and was restraining himself from doing it. In the back of his mind, Remy wondered just what the hell had happened to this man to make him so damn shy about touching. But, like always when that thought came to him, he pushed it back to think about later.

Remy tossed the remote onto the nightstand between the two queen beds and then sat back against the pillows, lifting one arm and casually dropping it around Spencer's shoulders as he did. Of course Spencer jumped when he did it. Wide eyes snuck a quick look up at Remy through his bangs. However, he didn't pull away. Maybe he figured that it was something Remy needed, or that it was just casual and silly to protest over. Or maybe he just knew he needed the touch and was smart enough not to protest now that he had it. Who knew? Who cared? Point was, he didn't shrug Remy's touch off, and the both of them were relaxing just a bit at the contact. They'd both been trying to minimize touching today while around the others and it had taken a bit of a toll on them.

Remy kept his eyes on the TV and tried to let himself get lost in the start of the movie. Neither of them said a word, simply sitting together and watching the movie. Right now, he knew that words weren't what Spencer needed. They wouldn't help undo that knot that was inside of him. They wouldn't help strengthen all those fragile places inside that Remy could sense. No, the best thing he could do right now was give Spencer support and strength, silently.

It seemed to be just the right thing to do. Five minutes into the movie, Spencer started to lean towards him slightly until he was resting against him instead of beside him. Five minutes after that and the weight against Remy's side grew a little heavier and the bundle of emotions that was Spencer in his mind grew a little fuzzier. Spencer was falling asleep. Ten minutes later when Logan came out of the bathroom, dressed in a pair of sweats and with a towel around his shoulders, Spencer had turned completely towards Remy and was curled up against his side, his head down to pillow on Remy's chest and one arm thrown across Remy's waist.

Logan arched one eyebrow in surprise. "Looks like you got yourself a leech there, Gumbo."

That was putting it mildly. Asleep, Spencer didn't have the reservations he did while awake. Remy had already learned that. His mind wasn't telling him not to touch or that he should keep a distance or whatever else it told him that had him so shy about accepting even a hand in his. Asleep, his body reached out for what it needed and latched on. Proof to point, one of Spencer's legs slid up and over, dropping down between Remy's legs and pinning his one to the bed. He looked down at the man plastered to his side and smiled. With one hand, he lightly stroked over Spencer's hair. "He needs de contact right now an Remy don't mind none."

"He okay?"

"He will be." Remy answered. He kept stroking at Spencer's hair, finding the gesture soothing. "He's hurtin' a whole hell of a lot more dan he's showing."

Logan sat down on the other bed and absently dried his hair while he looked at the sleeping man against Remy. "The case that bad? We didn't catch a whole lot, stuck back the way we were."

"Bad enough. Mais I t'ink it's more his shields. Dey been getting pounded de whole day, bad enough to give me a headache."

"Well, he's resting now. Sounds like the best thing for him."

The two men settled in to watch their movie and quiet fell over the room. The peace was broken once for the arrival of their pizzas. Remy tossed Logan his wallet and the older man paid for the food before bringing it in and setting a box on the nightstand between them. Remy ate one handed, his other hand running idly through Spencer's hair. It was a nice, peaceful way to unwind at the end of the day. Good movie, good friends, good food. Remy felt Spencer sigh and nuzzle in a little and he couldn't help but smile down at him. His expression softened with the affection that filled him. He didn't even think about it as he bent down and pressed a soft kiss to the crown of Spencer's head. Then he laid his cheek over that spot and, content, he tuned back in to the movie.

Once again, Spencer woke up draped over top of a solid warmth that was starting to become very familiar to him. This is beginning to become a habit, he thought to himself. I think it's one I could get used to. That surprised him. Still mostly asleep, he turned that thought over a few times in his mind. This had to be some benefit of the bond. Maybe he was beginning to recognize Remy on a subconscious level. Their bond allowed him to sense just how close they were to one another. It would make sense that he was learning to recognize it even in his sleep. The action was starting to become instinctive. Or maybe it had something to do with knowing that Remy had been there when he'd fallen asleep. That first night when Remy had climbed into his bed, he'd done it once Spencer was asleep, so Spencer hadn't known until he woke up.

Interesting. He might have to ask Remy if he was willing to help him test this. He could have Remy slip in at night, on an unplanned night so that Spencer wouldn't be prepared for it, and they could see how Spencer reacted in the morning. Of course, they'd have to make sure that Spencer's gun wasn't anywhere nearby.

"Y' know…" Remy's drawled out, his voice husky from sleep. "After dat first night, I keep expecting y' t' react badly again, mais instead y'r snuggly."

Those words were so in tune with Spencer's thought that he had to lift his head enough that he could open his eyes and look up at Remy's face. He wasn't surprised to find those demon eyes watching him. "Are you reading my mind?"

That sure shocked him. Remy's eyebrows shot up and his eyes went from half open to fully open in just a single blink. "Quoi? Non! Aint no telepat', me." His expression changed and comprehension lit his eyes. "Y' was t'inking bout de same t'ing, eh?"

The shock had been too strong to be anything but genuine. Eased by that, Spencer relaxed once more. He turned himself a little and folded his arms over Remy's chest and rested his chin on them. It let him look up at him while still being comfortable. "I was."

"And what'd y' come up wit', den?"

"It obviously has to be another thing we can attribute to our bond."

"Y' don't t'ink dat it's just y' getting comfortable with Remy?"

Spencer shook his head. "No. Well, not just that. I am getting comfortable with you and that probably has a small bearing on it. However, it's not just that, because I've been comfortable around my team for years now, and even more so around Morgan, and I've never let any of them get close to me while I sleep. They all know to wake me up by calling out to me ever since the time that Morgan tried to shake me awake and I gave him a black eye and almost broke his nose."

Laughter bubbled up from Remy and made his chest shake under Spencer. "Seriously?"

"Mm hm. My shields weren't even up that strong at the time, either, so I should've been able to sense that it was him, but it took a bit for it to really sink in who it was. With you, though, I know it's you before I even open my eyes. I think that the information I gain from our bond is now registering at a subconscious level, not just a conscious one. My mind is recognizing your presence without me even being aware of it."

Remy looked a little pleased by that. Seeing that set Spencer's mind to thinking again. He was a little more awake and more alert now and other thoughts were starting to make their way in. Things that he'd been wondering about for days now and just hadn't brought himself to talk about. Here, lying like this, with this relaxed and comfortable feel to the morning, it didn't seem strange to bring them up. Spencer tipped his head so his cheek was resting on his hands instead of his chin. It also allowed his messy hair to slightly shelter his face. "You seem pleased by the fact that I recognize your presence and relax around you."

"Oui." Remy said simply.

"Are you really, I mean…are you really as okay with all of this as you seem? You haven't panicked about this, haven't yelled or cursed or anything like that. You just seem to take this all as it comes and you treat it like it's the most normal thing in the world."

This time Remy didn't answer right away. He laid there quietly and stared at Spencer for long enough that Spencer had to fight not to fidget. Just when he would've given in and started to move around or babble, Remy finally spoke. "It aint dat it's any easier fo' me, or dat I t'ink it's just normal. I'm scared sometimes too, cher. Scared and angry at dis t'ing dat's taken over our lives. I worry, just like y' do, about what it's gonna mean fo' us. Are we ever gonna be able to be apart at all? How are we gonna live like dis? Am I gonna be able to go on missions again? Are we gonna be able to have relationships when we're tied toget'er so tightly? I worry about all dat."

"You don't show it."

"Je sais." Shifting around a little, Remy tucked one hand behind his head, elevating him just enough that he could better see Spencer. His other hand came down and deliberately brushed Spencer's hair back from his face. He ended up resting that hand alongside Spencer's head so he could toy with his hair a little as he spoke, something that Spencer was already coming to realize was a habit Remy liked to indulge in. He loved putting his hands in Spencer's hair. "De life I grew up in weren't de best, Penny. Between some bad t'ings in m' early years and den de years on de streets, t'ings were bad. Dey got better when I was ten and Jean-Luc adopted me, mais even den dey wasn't perfect. A lesson I learned early on was dat shit was gonna happen and dere weren't not'ing I could do about it. I can't control de shit dat decides to come m' way. What I can control is how I react to it. I could curse like y' said, or be pissed, or t'row a tantrum wort'y of a bébé. Mais, pourquoi? It aint gonna change it. Y' just gotta learn to roll wit' de punches."

Spencer was both impressed by Remy's words and saddened by them. He'd figured out from little things that he'd watched or things he'd heard that Remy hadn't had it easy when he was younger. He hadn't figured he would with those eyes of his. But to hear it said bluntly like that made his heart ache a little. However, he wasn't stupid enough to let it show for too long, or to offer any words of sorrow. Remy would only see those as pity and Spencer knew the man well enough at least to know that he'd loathe any form of pity.

Instead, he met honesty with honesty. Best that they both knew what they were getting into here. "I learned at a young age that giving up any form of control was like handwriting an invitation to be hurt. This whole thing, it scares me because it takes away that control without giving me a choice in the matter. I feel like I'm constantly waiting for the next blow, knowing all the while that I'm not going to be able to stop it."

This time it was Remy who was aching. Spencer could feel it in the man. To his immense gratitude, Remy said nothing. He just continued to fiddle with Spencer's hair and watch him with that same, steady gaze. That gave Spencer the time to gather his strength and say something very important; something that he felt Remy needed to know and have a chance to respond to before anyone else. But Spencer couldn't actually look at him as he said it. His eyes dropped down, fixing on the shirt right below him. "I'm going to go talk with the team before we all gather for breakfast. I need to…to tell them that I'm not coming back. I need to arrange my resignation."

That broke Remy's silence and drew two soft words from him. "Oh, cher." That was all. Just those two words. They were enough, though.

Spencer licked dry lips and pushed back the grief that was trying to well up. "I was already starting to think this way, but yesterday's events really brought it home for me."

"What're y' talking about?"

A sigh slid from Spencer. Time for a little more of this blunt honesty they had going on this morning. "Remy, as much as you didn't want me in there without you, I didn't want to be in there without you even more." He finally lifted his eyes off of Remy's shirt and back up to his face. "It makes absolutely no sense. I had my team there, people I've trusted my life to time and time again without hesitation, and yet all I wanted was you at my back. It wasn't a practical, logical decision. It wasn't a tactical one. It was a deep rooted need, almost an instinct, and something tells me that that's never going to chance. Maybe we'll learn to be able to be farther apart. Maybe we'll even learn to be in separate states at some point, who knows? But I have a feeling we'll never get rid of that need for one another. It seems to have been burned into us with the rest of the bond."

There was no chance for Remy to reply. All of a sudden the hotel room door opened and Logan came strolling in carrying a tray with cups of coffee on it. "Rise and shine, brats. I come bearing coffee."

Spencer fought back the urge to sigh as he pushed himself up off of Remy. Their quiet, lazy time was over. Time to sit up and face the day, no matter how little he wanted to. The urge was there to ignore everything. To just lie back down against Remy's chest and pull the blanket over his head like a child. But Spencer hadn't indulged in that kind of behavior since he was six years old; he wasn't going to start again now. With a strength he'd learned at far too young an age, he forced himself to put aside what he wanted to do and instead turned his attention to what he needed to do. There was a lot to get done today. Best to get it started.

Telling the team went about as well as Spencer had imagined it would. He'd known that they wouldn't react well to his quitting. Just how upset they were, though, actually made him feel just slightly good, as bad as that sounded. A part of him had been hurting quite a bit inside at how easily his team had just sent him off with the X-Men before. He'd been half-afraid that they'd react the same way now and just hug him and wave goodbye. So when they all broke into instant protests, talking almost overtop one another as they tried to figure out ways to help him stay, it took away a little bit of the ache and healed over one of those broken spots.

He had to wait for their questions and suggestions to die down before he could finally get a word in edgewise. "I'm sorry, guys." He said, silencing them all. Five sets of eyes locked on him and he shuffled a little in his seat. They'd all gathered in Aaron's room to do this, at Spencer's request. He'd taken one of the chairs against the wall to grant himself a little distance from the others and their emotions. It hadn't helped. Even here, he was feeling it pretty strongly. He added a little more strength to his shields. "I'm sorry." He repeated. "However, this is the only logical response. No one has been able to figure out a way to break this bond without destroying either one of us and I can't work while it's there."

"Why not?" Ashley asked. "You did great yesterday."

Spencer shook his head at her. "No I didn't, not really. Besides, that was entirely different. Remy was here, each step of the way. We never went too far apart from one another. We can't be too far apart. That seems to be a part of things. We've been practicing at separating and so far we've managed to increase that distance just the slightest bit. However, if we get too far apart, I start getting physical symptoms much like withdrawal. The further apart, the worse it gets. Eventually, my shields start to weaken and then fall."

"Seriously?" Derek asked, surprised.

"But you two separated before." Emily pointed out. "Back when you left the hospital, Reid. We went to the hotel while he stayed with his friends. You didn't seem to have any problems then except some agitation."

He hadn't thought of that. Spencer blinked a few times in surprise as that little fact settled over him. How had he forgotten that? It didn't make any sense. He pondered it for a moment before filing it away for later. "I don't know. I don't know why it was different then compared to now. Maybe things were still too new. Maybe this bond hadn't, I don't know, settled in yet. I don't have all the answers, guys. Honestly, right now, I barely have any. The more answers we get, the more questions we seem to find."

"But quitting seems like such a drastic measure, Reid." Dave pointed out.

He didn't get a chance to respond. Aaron held up a hand, silencing the group and calling attention to himself. He looked right to Spencer, for the moment ignoring the others like they weren't even there. "I agree with Dave here, Reid. Quitting is a drastic measure. For all you know, two months down the road you two could figure this whole thing out and you could return back to work. Only, if you quit, that job won't be there anymore."

"I don't see any other way, Hotch." Didn't they understand that he didn't want to do this?

"Why don't I process you on extended leave for the next two months?" Aaron suggested, surprising him. "At the end of those two months, we'll meet again and reevaluate the situation. If at that time you still feeling that quitting is the best option, I'll support you in it. I want you to have time to work on this, Reid. There's no need to make any hasty decisions."

Hasty? They thought this was hasty? Spencer had been thinking about this nonstop ever since it had all started. He'd thought about it until his head throbbed and his heart ached. This wasn't some hasty decision. Spencer had thought about what Aaron had said, about how this might change in a couple months. But no evidence supported that. Everything he saw, everything he felt, was telling him that this was permanent. Two days, two months, two years; no amount of time would matter. This was his life now. At best, they could learn to control it, to live with it, but he felt deep down inside that they would never learn how to take it away. And he had to admit to himself that even if they did learn how to break the bond, he might not do it. He and Remy both seemed to have negative reactions to even just talking about breaking it. If it came down to it, he honestly couldn't say that his instincts wouldn't take over and get him and his partner far away and safe. This bond wasn't just something that was in him. It had become part of him. As vital as the air he breathed.

But there was no way he could explain that to them. He would never be able to get his friends to understand it. Looking from face to face, all he saw was love. Love from friends that had become like family. And inside, Spencer felt his heart break a little more. He was about to lose the closest family he'd ever had. Oh, not intentionally. They'd all claim that they'd stay in contact. They'd make plans to get together now and then. But life would separate them. They were profilers, busy people who were rarely ever home. He was going to be in New York with Remy, doing who-knows-what. Their lives just weren't going to mesh. Despite best intentions, they would all start to drift away. Six months from now, they'd maybe exchange phone calls here and there. Then it would regress to just cards at the holidays. It was just the way of life, even amongst family.

Spencer held all of that grief down inside and refused to let it show in his eyes. There was no need to foist his pain off on them. No call to make them hurt the way that he did. He forced his voice as normal as he could make it. "Okay, Hotch. That sounds great."

He'd give them their two months. Let them hold on to hope for a little while longer. Those two months apart would start the separation, anyways. It would make it a little easier when they finally realized that they had to let go. For them, things would progress naturally. They'd hurt for a little while but work would take up their time and keep them busy and soon, they'd move on. There was no need for them to hurt right now. Let this be one of the last things he did for them.

As they all smiled, relieved that he was giving them this time, Spencer made his own lips curve. Inside, he cried.