Chapter 28

T + 9 days

Gulfstream 5000

Northwestern US airspace

Emily

"All of a sudden," Ben commented "You seem every much more relaxed."

Emily considered that as she felt the force of take-off push her back into her seat. "We're going home." She finally decided.

He considered her for a moment. "No, it's not just that. We were going home an hour ago, you weren't like this."

"No." She looked around. "It's this plane. We're on the plane, heading back to DC. That means the victims are rescued, the bad guys are caught, everyone is safe, and none of the paperwork has caught up to you yet. This is the most perfect, most pure time and place to relax."

"Ahhhh, I see." Ben nodded. "So if I want to get you relaxed I should charter a plane, fly it around DC a few times?"

She laughed at that. "Okay, that was a horrid line."

"Was it? Was it that bad?" Ben looked at her smile, then past her to where Spencer was stretched out on the couch, nodding his agreement. "You're no help, you know."

Spencer had been folding paper airplanes for the past two days. They thought he was just longing to head home. But the reason became clear when one sailed over the seat backs and landed on the table. You're flirting with my sister. I'm not supposed to help.

"You're supposed to be resting." Emily pointed out. Great, just what I need, little brother help. Not that she would have it any other way. He'd been determined to go home today, even though he still needed help looking after that thing in his neck, even though they'd had to have a nurse come with them. Stay out of his way he's determined, she thought. She turned to look at him and saw that Spencer had snuggled down a little further into the old, familiar couch. Good, she thought as she turned back to Ben. "So, I hear you can cook?"

"Yes, mostly Mediterranean food. I even took a few classes."

"Mmm, Italian? Southern French?" He was nodding. "Spanish? Greek? Middle Eastern?"

"Ah, haven't tried that one."

"Oh, well, then I'll have to take a turn in the kitchen a time or two."

"You cook?" Ben asked.

"I picked up a few things during my Mother's postings."

"Great, we can always sous-chef each other." It was his turn to lean over. "Spence, what are you good for in the kitchen?"

A paper airplane flew back. Eating.

"That gets you dish duty for the duration, you know that, right?" Emily called back to him.

Another airplane. Deal.

They laughed and settled and talked some more. All the little, get-to-know-you chatter that normally would have happened in the first few dates, except their first few days together had been some of the most stressful and difficult of her life. And he had been right there for all of it. He had even gone into the monster's den.

She had already fallen for him

T + 9 Days

BAU Headquarters

Quantico, VA

Spencer

Thankfully, his knee was not bad enough to need crutches. He was going to need some PT for it, but he didn't need crutches.

Using his cane to help he followed Ben and Emily out of the elevator. Emily needed to pick up her other bag, he wanted his back, they needed to pick up some paperwork, and then there was a certain symbolic moment or two that needed to happen.

For starters, Emily stopped and removed her picture from the Wall of Fallen Heroes.

He and Ben followed her into the bullpen and stood there as she walked up to Hotch and Rossi on the catwalk and handed him the picture. "Does this mean you're coming back?" Hotch asked,

"If you have room for me."

"We do. We're shorthanded. When can you start?"

"A couple of weeks, when Genius over there gets that thing out."

Wait, no. She didn't have to stay home for him. He tried to protest, but…well… he still had some paper airplanes left.

"Keep your notes to yourself. It's not going to help." She told him.

"It will take two weeks to process the paperwork." Hotch told them. "I'll contact HR, have it waiting for you."

"Thank you. And also," She held up a set of keys. "Thanks for letting us borrow the plane Dad."

"You know, that's a straight line." Rossi told her.

"Too many choices." Hotch told him as he took the symbolic keys.

"Hey." Morgan said as he came around the desk. "At least you made it this far." Spencer nodded at that. "You know you're going to be out for the next month, right?"

What? No. Two weeks. I get this thing out in two weeks.

"And then it has to heal. A month. Consider it vacation, you deserve it. Oh, and hey." He pointed to the desks in the center of the room. "You got mail."

Spencer headed over to his desk. He did have mail. A manila envelope, postmarked Germany. Inside was a folded piece of plain paper and a thicker piece with another paper laid over it. He settled on his desk and went for the folded one first.

Dear Spencer,

I don't know if it's appropriate for me to be writing to you or not. For all I know this was just another case, just another adventure, and now you're planning to leave it all in your wind wake and move on to the next one. If that's the case, then let this be a most heartfelt thank you. You saved my life and restored my faith in heroes and Knights. I can never adequately express my gratitude, and I will forever be in your debt.

If, however, you felt something there as I did, something beyond our shared captivity, and you'd like to continue our conversation and see where it leads, consider this an invitation to do so.

I would love to say write to me here at the hospital, more than you could know, but I don't know how long I'll be here. By the time you get this I should have had the surgery needed to be able to return to the States, and as soon as I've healed to everyone's satisfaction we plan to do so. I've been joined here by my brother, Stephen, and he's making all the arrangements. Granted that means I don't know when I'll be returning, so perhaps it's best you write me there, if you choose. While I won't receive it right away, better it be safely waiting there for me than to cross in transit. According to Stephen we will be returning to our family home in New York City. As much as I might prefer DC according to his research the specialists I need are in NYC. And besides, as much as I would love to see you again, I'd rather you not see me like this.

I miss you.

Anyway, if you do not decide to write, or if it is against policy or some such business consider the enclosed nothing more than a thank-you gift, inadequate but heartfelt. If you do decide to write I will perhaps tell you the where and whys of it in a future letter.

Either way, thank you.

Sara

Spencer sighed, set it aside, and pulled the picture out. It was a garden, a cloister, filled with what looked to be lavender and roses and other plants he couldn't identify all done in colored pencil, gentle and rich. Sitting along the side, looking over the garden was a couple, their faces done without detail. But the man was tall and slender in dark pants, a light shirt, vest, tie, and the woman in the blue dress had copper red curls. They looked to be talking companionably on a warm, summer day. And just at the edge, where a wall ought to be, the cloister was open to the sea and the Statue of Liberty in the distance.

"Oh wow." Emily said, peeking over his shoulder. "Is that the Cloisters?"

Spencer blinked at her in confusion and went for his notepad. It's a cloister. She set it in New York for some reason.

"No, is it The Cloisters?" At his confusion she continued. "Part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art? You've never been?" When he shook his head she smiled. "You should let her take you sometime."

When she lets me see her, he thought. But at least we have this. I think… What's the department policy on staying in contact with a victim?

Morgan reached over, took the note, balled it up, and made two points in the trash basket. "Now you let that stop you with Lila and you let that stop you with Austin. You are not going to let that stop you here. You have done more than your fair share for your country and for the Bureau. You get a pass on policy."

Now normally Spencer would argue with that. In fact he had, both with Lila and Austin, for weeks on end. But this time…. he nodded his agreement. This was more important than policy. And that was made ever more clear as he re-read the letter, somehow both letter and picture spoke sadness to him.

But she would be going home before a letter could reach her.

On the other hand….

Emily and Ben found him there, had brought down his bag, thankfully. He felt better with it on, more grounded. "So, I'm thinking Chinese take-out after we head by your place and gather up some clothes. We'll get you soup." She said. "Anything else?"

What's a good thing to send a girl in a hospital bed?

"Oh, a teddy bear." Emily said. "Something to cuddle."

"Did you have something to cuddle while you were in the hospital?" Ben asked her.

"No. And I missed my cat."

If we would have known you would have had a room full. A teddy bear? No, Spencer thought, something else. Give me ten minutes; I need to borrow a computer. Where is Sergio anyway?

"I sent him to a no-kill shelter." Emily sighed. "I didn't know what else to do with him on short notice without raising a lot of questions."

"Can you get him back?" Ben asked.

"I suppose, if he hasn't found a new family. I need to get a place first."

Spencer quickly found what he was looking for online, and it would ship overnight. He pulled up the in-house text system. Garcia, can you find the address to send packages for patients at the University of Frankfurt Medical Center?

I can and I see your page up. She texted back. Just go before you catch something and I'll take care of it.

Thank you. He pulled his bag on and re-joined Ben and Emily. Done

"Good. Anything else?" Emily asked.

Can we stop at a stationary store on the way?

T + 10 days

University of Frankfurt Medical Center

Frankfurt, Germany

Sara

Her eyes fluttered open at last. Instantly she wished they hadn't. It should hurt more, Sara thought, but even though it doesn't really hurt I feel so utterly wrong. I feel horrible.

A familiar face swam into view. Good morning Ladybug. Everything went just fine

Cut open like a Christmas turkey. Like I no longer belong in polite society. Embarrassed. Foul. He doesn't want to hear any of those things. He's so happy about this because it's all getting fixed. She couldn't reply, not without risking slipping a tube, so she just nodded.

Does anything hurt? She shook her head. Good. Stephen smiled and nodded to the doctors. She watched his lips move for a while and then gave it up and looked away. I wish I was back in the cage, she thought, I wish I was back at Pieter's and I could wake up and open my eyes and see Spencer over there. I think he could have just stopped feeding us or stopped pumping in air and just let us go and it would have been better. I just hope Spencer isn't going through anything like this. I don't think I could endure knowing he felt like this too.

Hey Ladybug. Stephen swam into view again. This came for you. She watched as he put something down where she could hold it without moving much.

It was a unicorn.

It was a stuffed unicorn, all white plush fur and iridescent horn and hooves and the softest, most appealing expression. It also had a silvery necklace complete with iridescent stars and a nametag.

Percival, it said.

Oh.

Oh.

Sara gingerly reached out and pulled the silly, lovely thing to her even as she felt her eyes filling with tears. I was wrong, she thought, it's better out here. I hope this means he meant it after all.

She held her unicorn close as the nurse touched a button and the drugs carried her away.