A/N: Sorry for the short chapter, I'll make sure the next one is longer!

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds (don't I wish!)

Chapter 12

As soon as the plane taxied to a stop Spencer had his bag in hand and was out the hatch. Rossi turned with a sardonic head shake to Hotch, "Think the kid has somewhere to go?"

Spencer made it over to Amelia's apartment in record time. After she buzzed him in, he bounded up the steps to her door. He took a deep breath and knocked.

"SPENCE!" Amelia didn't even give him a chance to say a word back before she wrapped him in a hug and began kissing him.

Melissa walked into the living room took one look at her friend and started giggling, "Let the poor man in the door Amy!"

Amelia let Spencer go but refused to be embarrassed. She grabbed his hand and led him to the kitchen table where she had laid out some sandwich ingredients and homemade soup. "Aren't you staying for lunch Melissa?" Amelia inquired.

"Nope, I've got to stop at the library before my next class. Then I'm heading over to Penelope's for dinner with her, Kevin and Derek."

Amelia rolled her eyes, "Have fun, and try to keep your meddling to a minimum." Melissa just winked and headed out the door.

"I swear they are like dogs with a bone." Amelia groaned with exasperation as she flopped into one of the chairs.

"You get used to it eventually." Spencer answered back, he was too happy with how things were going to let their mutual friends' interference bother him. "I know you are working tonight, but I can make up for our missed tutoring session tomorrow. I'm free all day."

"That would be great, thank you. I'm working the morning shift before class, but I will be home all evening after 4pm. We can make an evening of it with dinner and a movie if you like." Amelia responded.

"Sounds like a plan."

The two finished off their lunch and cleaned up while chatting back and forth about nothing in particular. They eventually settled on the couch with Amelia's head on Spencer's lap again as some classical music played in the background. Spencer idly twirled a strand of her hair oh his finger while he enjoyed the comfortable silence.

"Spence, what's it like being out on a case." Amelia asked a little hesitantly.

Spencer thought about it for a moment before he replied, "It differs case to case really, but there is always an underlying sense of determination and pressure. We have to be single mindedly committed to catching the UnSub and unraveling their motive. For me, it just feels right. I'm glad that I can put my brain to use helping people out here in the real world, even if it can be dangerous occasionally. When I was growing up I never thought about doing anything else. At one point, after a really bad case I thought about going into research or teaching in a University, but then I realized that I was still where I needed to be." Spencer's mind flashed back to Tobias Henkel and the Reaper and he took a deep breath, "Things can get bad, but we're a family and we help each other through as much as we can."

Amelia turned that over in her mind for a minute before asking another question, "I know that you guys can work some really horrific cases, how do you separate that from your home life? I mean, how do you stay cheerful when you know how awful the world can be? I don't mean to pry, but I'm just trying to figure this all out…figure you out. I want to know how I can be there for you."

"I asked Hotch a similar question once. He told me that I the only way to really manage was to focus on your relationships 100% when you are home, and to focus on the case 100% when you are in the field. I'm still new to all this, so I'm trying to do the best I can." He leaned down for a kiss, "All I need is to come home and know your smiling face will be here for me." Spencer glanced at his watch, "I hate break this up, but you are going to be late if we don't leave now. Come on, I'll drop you off at work."

Amelia grimaced and headed to her bedroom to change.