Awake

A steady beeping pulled Victoria out of her dreamless slumber. Her eyes cracked open and she peeked through her lashes. Several faces swam into view. Emily's face exploded with relief. "You're awake!" she gasped.

"About damn time," muttered Anita, though her face reflected Emily's relief.

"Hello, beautiful," greeted Ethan.

Victoria smiled. She cleared her throat to rid it of misuse buildup. "Hey." she croaked.

"I have to say, well done," said Reyes. "We got them."

Victoria grinned. "How's Sarah?"

"Still asleep. She was in worse shape." said Anita.

Victoria nodded. She pushed herself up into a sitting position, wincing as she pulled on her wounds. "How long have I been out?"

"Only a few hours." said Emily.

Victoria grimaced. "Does Spence know?"

Emily pursed her lips. "I haven't told him yet. But protocol…"

"I know," Victoria sighed. "He's gonna be pissed."

"He should be proud," said Anita. "You did well."

"Only because you guys gave me a few last minute tips." argued Victoria.

Ethan shook his head. "Are you sure you don't want to specialize as an undercover agent? You're a natural."

Victoria rolled her eyes. "Flattery will get you nowhere."

"It was worth a shot." Ethan winked.

Victoria smirked. She glanced at Emily. "So, what now?"

Emily shrugged. "Well, your time with us is over. You just need to send in the last bit of paperwork and then you can go home."

Victoria glanced at Anita, Reyes, Rhonda and Ethan. They all wore mixed expressions. Rhonda's eyes were misty. Reyes pursed his lips and shoved his hands into his pockets. Ethan looked down at his hands. Anita wore no expression, though Victoria could tell from the cluck of Anita's tongue that the darker woman was miffed. Victoria met Emily's gaze. "When Sarah's up to it, dinner's on me." Victoria said.

"The fuck it is," said Ethan, "you and Sarah deserve a free dinner. It's on me."

Victoria breathed a laugh. "You're right. Sarah and I do deserve it, don't we?"

Emily smiled. "It's a date. I'll be right back. I've gotta tell Reid."

Victoria grimaced. "I'm not ready to talk to him yet."

"You're still unconscious," Emily said, winking. She stepped out, dialing Spencer's number.

Victoria looked at her new friends. "Is there any food?"

Spencer's phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID. Emily Prentiss. His stomach twisted into a knot. He inhaled sharply and answered. "Hello?"

"Reid," said Emily.

"Emily," Spencer returned. "How's Victoria?"

"We got her out. She's fine. A little beat up, but she can come home in a few days." Emily replied.

Spencer exhaled, feeling a little more relaxed. "Is she awake?"

"Er… No." Emily said.

Spencer frowned. She was lying. "Emily…"

"She's not ready to talk yet, Reid." Emily muttered.

Spencer swallowed the lump in his throat. "Is she mad at me?"

"No," said Emily, "she's just not ready to talk. She saw a lot, Reid. And you weren't exactly supportive. I know you were worried, but you've gotta give Victoria some credit. She's not inexperienced."

"I know," Spencer sighed, his voice catching slightly, "but she's not trained for going undercover."

"That was the point. I agree, it was reckless. But we were running out of time for Sarah. Victoria's fine. But she's recovering. She's going to need you, Reid." Emily said.

Spencer nodded. "I know. Thank you for telling me, Emily."

"Of course." said Emily.

"Will you tell her that I'm not mad at her?" Spencer muttered.

"Sure," said Emily. "I'll make her talk to you as soon as I think she feels up to it. She just doesn't need a lot of emotional stress right now."

"I understand." Spencer sighed. He said goodbye to Emily and set down his phone. He rubbed his face with his hands. His last case had been rough. Kate's niece had been kidnapped. They'd managed to rescue her, but the stress of having a team member's child on the line… It hadn't been pleasant. Spencer walked out of Victoria's bedroom and entered the living room. Alice looked up.

"Any news on Victoria?" she demanded.

Spencer managed a smile. "She's okay."

Victoria stood in front of airport security, facing Anita, Emily and Ethan. "Thank you again for everything." Emily said, embracing Victoria.

"Of course," said Victoria.

"Keep me updated on the team." Emily added.

"I will," Victoria promised. She turned to Ethan. "Bye, Casanova."

Ethan managed a smile. "Don't be a stranger, beautiful." He pulled Victoria close. She smiled when they broke apart. Victoria stood in front of Anita, whose lips were stretched downward in a frown.

"I don't do sappy goodbyes." Anita snapped.

"You're still gonna miss me." Victoria teased.

Anita rolled her eyes. "I'd punch if you weren't already recovering from being someone else's punching bag."

"Thanks," said Victoria with an amused smile. The two women stared at each other for a few seconds.

"If you need anything…" Anita trailed off.

"Same goes for you." Victoria returned, not needing Anita to finish her suggestion.

Anita pursed her lips into a grim smile. "You're gonna miss your flight. See you 'round, blondie."

Victoria hugged Anita, who stiffened slightly before patting Victoria's back awkwardly. Victoria had never been much of a hugger, but she knew Anita needed it. With a last wave to her friends, Victoria headed toward airport security.

Spencer waited for Victoria by baggage claim. "Do you see her?" asked Alice, looking around anxiously.

"Not yet," said Spencer.

"She's taking forever." groaned Jason.

"Chill your dick, man. Flights take forever." said Seth.

"Language, you two." scolded Alice.

"I didn't say anything!" Jason protested.

"I could feel you about to say something." Alice chided.

"Whatever." Jason muttered.

Spencer's lips twisted in amusement at Victoria's siblings. He caught sight of her. She descended a flight of stairs, wincing slightly. Her hair hung around her face in their natural waves. Her face was clean of makeup. She wore a Slytherin T-shirt and jeans with black Converses. Her eyes were blank of her dorky glasses. Spencer frowned. Victoria didn't wear contacts. So where were her glasses?

Spencer waved, but Victoria didn't see him. She squinted, looking around. "Oh, shit. She doesn't have her glasses." said Jason.

"She can't see us." sniggered Seth.

"V!" cried Alice, rushing forward.

Victoria, once Alice was close enough, grinned in delight at the sight of her sister. The two embraced, squealing. Spencer allowed Victoria to have a moment with her sibling. Even the autistic Jason hugged her. Spencer stepped forward, his hands in his pockets. He felt a bit awkward, standing in front of her. They hadn't talked since their fight. Victoria had never called him after waking up in the hospital. Spencer met Victoria's gaze. Any traces of anger he had melted at the sight of her busted lip and the shadow of a black eye around her right eye. To Spencer's surprise, Victoria jumped into his arms, throwing her arms around his neck.

Spencer laughed and staggered back slightly. He wove his arms around her waist, holding her close. "I love you." he murmured.

"I love you, too," whispered Victoria. "I'm sorry I didn't call you… I just… I wanted to talk in person."

"You could've let me know you were okay." Spencer pouted.

"I know. I'm sorry. I'm an asshole." Victoria cracked a smile.

Spencer returned it. "Let's get you home."

Victoria sank down onto her couch. Alice had drifted off to bed early, as she had an early flight the next day. Jason and Seth were both playing video games in Victoria's art studio. Spencer handed Victoria a glass of white wine and sat beside her. "So… What happened in there?" Spencer murmured.

With a deep breath, Victoria filled him in. She skimmed over the parts where she'd been beaten. "The dickheads broke my glasses in half, too! Now I can't see shit. I have to get new ones." Victoria finished.

Spencer didn't laugh. Victoria stole a glance at him. He was staring at his hands. He interlaced his finger, leaning on his knees. "Can I see where he whipped you?"

Victoria tensed. What if he thought it was ugly? But if anyone deserved to see it, he did. Victoria stood and pulled her shirt over her head, keeping her back to Spencer. She heard his intake of breath. She flinched when she felt his fingers brush her skin gently. "I'm sorry I didn't listen to you." she murmured.

"I'm sorry I didn't support you," Spencer replied. "I know how it feels to be underestimated. I should've… I was just worried."

Victoria allowed her shirt to fall back around her, covering her new scars. She turned and buried her face in Spencer's chest. "It's okay. I get worried about you, too."

Spencer hugged her. "I know. Our jobs make it hard for us to not get worried. At least you have the less dangerous one."

Victoria bit her lip. She still hadn't told Spencer about Hotch's offer. "Yeah."

"Parker, did you get new glasses?" Hotch asked.

Victoria smiled. "Yeah, I did." It was her fifth day back home. She had returned to work the day previous, but had made an appointment with Hotch to discuss his proposal.

"They look nice," said Hotch. "Have a seat."

"Thank you." Victoria sat down across from Hotch.

"Did you consider my offer?" Hotch asked.

"I did," said Victoria. "But I still have some reservations about it."

"I think you have what it takes. You proved yourself through your time with this team and with Interpol. Now that Kate's left the team, we're going to need to fill that space. And JJ's on maternity leave, too." Hotch said.

Victoria pursed her lips. "I understand, sir. But I like being the counselor to the team, too. I don't want to give that up."

Hotch frowned thoughtfully. "Maybe you don't have to," he said. "You could take the classes to be a profiler and we could hire you as a part time worker. The other half of your time could be spent being our personal counselor. You wouldn't need to send reports to anyone but myself and occasionally Cruz. I could request you as our personal counselor. But I really think you should consider being a profiler, too."

"You really want me on this team." Victoria teased.

Hotch cracked a small smile. "I've seen how far this team has come with your help. The things we see and do on a daily basis… We need someone to turn to. And your skills as a counselor come in handy when trying to profile an unsub. We could use your creativity and compassion, Parker. That is, if you want to be a permanent member of this team."

Victoria frowned. "I do. When can I start?"

So… Victoria's gonna join the team permanently! Next chapter will be fluffy, and then I will start Season 11! But I need to go back and re-watch episodes that I've recorded. Updates will definitely slow down so that I can catch up with Season 11. What did you guys think?