At long last...I've been a lazy butt.-J

"You've got to get up every morning with a smile on your face
And show the world all the love in your heart
And people gonna treat you better
You're gonna find, yes you will
That you're beautiful as you feel."-Carole King 'Beautiful'

Spencer felt the tension rise the entire drive home after work. When he spoke to Maggie on the phone earlier she had tried to sound encouraged but he knew her voice too well and even when she tried to mask her emotions to him, it didn't work. She was vaguely distant and still sounded scared and maybe a little jumpy. She said she was just tired and maybe would have some tea and take a nap. He turned onto their street and slowly approached the house half expecting to see utter darkness from his home. But there were lights on. From the street it looked as if she was in the library. That meant she was awake and alert and not hiding in their bedroom crying. This might be a good sign. He climbed the porch steps and hoped deeply that things would be alright inside the house. He knew that frenetic Maggie who tried to hide things under activity wasn't healthy but neither was burrowing under the blankets and crying for hours on end Maggie. He opened the door and heard music. Music was always a good sign where his dearest was concerned. But she wasn't singing along and he didn't know what to make of that at all. Slowly he climbed the stairs, thankful that she had left a lamp on in the living room so that he could find his way to the stairs without tripping over furniture or felines. He called to her on his way up hoping that she would hear him and therefore not be startled when he walked in.

"I'm in the library, Spencer."

She sounded so normal. He entered the library and there she sat in one of her favorite cushy chairs reading. She looked up and pushed her glasses back up onto her nose. He rarely saw her in her glasses as she normally had her contacts in but he loved the scholarly look that she projected. He had never focused a great deal of attention to sexual fantasies, not that he hadn't had them, he just didn't dwell. But he knew very well that a common one was the naughty librarian and she was more than sexy enough to pull that look off.

"I'm home sweetie."

"Sorry, I was organizing our books and trying to fit in all the new ones we got at Christmas and I got caught up reading. I meant to have dinner ready."

"Maggie, it's quite alright. You looked more peaceful and relaxed just now than I have seen you in well over a month."

She smiled and the summer sun suddenly lit up the room even though it was still only January. He understood the chemistry of attraction and even affection but he couldn't really comprehend how easily he had linked his own happiness to hers. If she was happy then everything was good in his world and if she was sad, he felt nearly inconsolable.

"So, are you hungry? I can throw something together."

He pondered her for a moment.

"How about we go out?"

"Ugh, do you know how long it would take me to get ready? I'm not wearing any make up and my contacts aren't in and-"

"You are lovely. You don't need make up and I love your glasses."

Her mouth played between a smile and a frown while her brows knitted together. Finally she decided to smile and his heart warmed.

"Okay, let's go."

"Are you sure you're alright? Eating in public might not have been the best move."

"I'm fine, Spencer. I know I'm still jumpy but I need to get okay with being around people. I can't hide in the house forever."

Spencer was watching her watch everyone around them as if studying each person for a sign that they were or weren't going to cause her or anyone else harm. He knew that look and knew that he had been that way many times himself. It was too soon, he was sure of it but there she was smiling at him. She was trying to relax and her eyes sparkled at him.

"So Hotch said he would talk to the other prosecutors?"

"Yeah, there is the local district attorney and then there is the federal prosecutor. He thinks he can work with them to make sure that Mason is locked up in one way or another. It doesn't hurt that he was there to witness everything."

"Dating a fed has its advantages, doesn't it?"

"Well, it certainly gives you some connections you might not otherwise have."

They spent their meal talking about Maggie's upcoming classes for the new semester. She slowly seemed to let her guard down and Spencer started to think that maybe going out was good for her after all. She even steered the conversation toward the wedding.

"I have something I need to tell you about the wedding."

"I told you, anything you want is fine with me."

"Honey, this isn't about color schemes or flowers. I wasn't sure the best time to tell you. I wanted it to be a surprise but I didn't want to actually wait until the wedding or right on top of the wedding to tell you either."

"You're starting to concern me."

"I swear it's not a bad thing. I think it will make you happy."

"So you have me intrigued, please tell me."

"Well, I made some calls and ran a little covert operation. To cut right to it, I've arranged it so that your mother can come to the wedding. It's all settled and she's so excited to get to see her only child wed."

He was stunned and conflicted and felt terrible that he had such apprehensions when Maggie was so happy and had worked so hard to do something for him.

"You don't look happy, Spencer. Was this the wrong thing to do? Are you upset with me?"

"I'm not upset with you, not at all. I'm really touched that you did this, I just worry whenever my mother has to deal with people."

"Your dad had the same concerns but he agreed to stay with her the whole time. He's riding the train here with her so she doesn't have to fly. This will be okay, won't it? I'm sorry."

"Please don't apologize. You didn't do anything wrong. In fact you did what I should have. I spend a lot of time afraid of how my mom will deal with things and I try to shield the one part of my life from the other and that's not right. She's my mother and she loves me and she should be at my wedding. And I do want her there. Thank you."