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a/n this is a small series of scenes in Spencer/Max life in the month between Reid's hospital visit in "And in the End," and Garcia's party. Please enjoy.

Spencer was in the middle of reading book number two for the day when someone knocked on his door. His head jerked up in surprise. It was hours before lunch, so it couldn't be the delivery guy. He jumped to his feet when the knock sounded again and hurried to the door.

"Max," he greeted, happily

"Hey. I hope you don't mind my dropping in unannounced." She questioned.

"No, come in."

She accepted his invitation and walked into the apartment. She wore her favorite grey jacket over a pink top, jeans, and sneakers. Her wavy, golden-brown hair framed her face.

Her happy smile made him feel tingly, so he bent down for a kiss. "Hello," he said and lightly touched a lock of her soft and pleasantly scented hair.

"Hello," she answered and put a hand on his chest. "Guess what?"

"You got it!"

"Yes!" She turned in a delighted circle, then reached for him, and yanked him down for another, much longer kiss.

"Wow," he said breathlessly. "That was outstanding."

She smirked at him. "I can't believe it. There were so many candidates and I'm sure that some of them were –"

Spencer reached out and put two fingers to her lips. "Don't say they were better qualified because if that were the case, you wouldn't be telling me you got the job, right."

"You're right," Max conceded. "They picked me," she said, and he nearly laughed at the wonder in her voice.

"Of course, they did. I had no doubt at all."

Max studied him carefully. "You truly didn't, did you. You're pretty amazing, Dr. Reid."

"So are you, Ms. Brenner."

"Ah, don't call me that, it makes me feel old."

Spencer laughed and caressed her cheek with one finger. "Alright, no more Ms. Brenner. Now, what shall we do to celebrate?"

Max appeared a little stunned. "I hadn't thought about it."

"Well, I have. Do you trust me?"

"Yes," she said without hesitation.

"Then we'll stop for food on the way out of town."

"Out of town. Where are we going?" Max said and planted her feet when he tried to tug her forward.

"You said you trusted me."

Max took in his golden-brown eyes and sighed. His eyes had drawn her in from the very first moment they met. It was the total guilelessness in their depths that had made her trust him. It was the hint of pain and sorrow that always clouded them, which made her want to see him smile. Well, he smiled now, and she sighed.

"Yes, I trust you."

"Good." Spencer tugged her forward and she let him lead her from his apartment and out into the grey, winter day.

An hour later, they arrived at a small, weathered cabin on the edge of the forest. "Wow," Max said.

"I know this is weird since we've only known each other for twenty-three days and three hours, but I thought you might like a walk in the forest and then we can eat or eat and then walk. I don't expect anything other than spending time with you so – "

"I get it," Max interrupted, then laughed. "Let's eat first and then you can tell me about this cabin in the woods."

He'd thought he was ready to enter Gideon's escape from the world, but the memory of his last trip here struck him like a fist. The interior was the same, except for all signs of murder that were sanitized. It appeared that Stephen had restored it to the way Gideon loved it, with photographs and drawings of birds on the walls, the same furniture, and rugs on the floor, and the same round table in the kitchen.

"Hey, you okay," Max interrupted his thoughts.

"Yeah, I think so. I haven't been up here for years and it took me by surprise."

"Come on, let's eat and maybe if you tell me about this place, you'll feel better."

Spencer nodded but was unsure if Max were right about feeling better. He led her inside and then to Gideon's kitchen, where he'd loved to cook. It suddenly struck him to wonder if Rossi and Gideon had ever cooked for one another and if so, had they competed or cooperated. He smiled at the thought.

"See, you're feeling better already."

"Yeah," he agreed and went to the table.

Spencer told her about Gideon as they removed fragrant food from bags, they'd carried in. He had a huge meatball sub, and Max had a chicken salad sub with a small Caesar salad on the side. Spencer handed her a large cup of cherry coke and sat at the round, wooden table.

"It's because of Gideon that I'm a profiler. I went to a lecture he gave at UVA and peppered him with questions. Instead of annoying him, he offered to mentor me. I was years younger than the required age of a profiler, nor did I have the seven years' experience as an agent that is a requirement to join the BAU. He believed in me and the rest is history."

Max studied him as she chewed a bite of her salad. "This is his place."

"It was," Spencer said, and his voice rose a bit. "Um, he was murdered here six years ago."

"Seriously," she looked around as if ready to spot a body at any moment.

"Sorry," Spencer apologized. "I shouldn't have sprung that on you."

"It's okay," Max said. "I should be used to strangeness in your life."

Spencer chuckled, then choked on his sub. Max reached over and smacked him hard on the back. "You okay?"

"I'm fine, it's just that you're right about the strangeness in my life. I tell you that my personal life isn't that exciting and yet – here we are."

"This isn't that kind of exciting and strange, I can handle," Max informed him after a bite of her salad.

"I'm glad."

"Go on," Max gestured with one hand. "Tell me what happened to Gideon."

"He was killed by a man he'd once tried to capture over forty years ago but could never find until five years ago. Then we were called in and found him with his latest victim. Rossi had to kill him in self-defense."

"So, I take it he left you this place?"

"No, it belongs to his son, Steven. He let me keep the key Gideon gave me years ago. I haven't been up here since the funeral."

Max reached out and touched his hand as he crunched a potato chip. "You didn't have to bring me here?"

"I wanted to," Spencer said and he smiled for her. "I wanna make new memories."

"Okay, so tell me more about him."

Spencer told her about playing chess, about Gideon buying him tickets to a football game so he could ask out JJ, he told her about how he was like a father to him, and that he loved studying birds. Spencer told her about his failed marriage, and about his reconciliation with Steven. He told her about his love of Charlie Chaplin films, and about his book of survivors. He told her about Frank Briekoft and Sarah. He told her about the note Gideon left for him and how he never had the chance to say goodbye or thank him for all he'd done as a father figure.

Max finished her lunch by the time Spencer went quiet. She waited for him to swallow the last of his sandwich, then she said. "I'm so sorry."

He gave her a sad smile. "I didn't bring you up here to depress you."

"I know that, and I'm not. I'm glad to know more about the important people in your life."

"Thank you."

"Now," she stood. "Let's go for the walk and you can tell me all about your date with JJ."

Spencer rolled his eyes at her tone, then laughed when he realized that she was teasing him. "Nothing happened, in fact, Garcia came along at JJ request because she didn't realize I thought it was a date."

Max stopped as they walked out of the cabin. "Wait, she didn't think it was a date. What did she think?"

Spencer shrugged. "Just two friends going to a football game."

"Hm," Max said as they began their walk. "I suppose I should be grateful that she didn't realize the opportunity she passed up with you."

Spencer decided that he'd wait to tell Max about JJ's confession a year ago because it still rankled, and he didn't trust himself to speak calmly about it.

"I'm not sure she –"

"Don't say you're not an amazing man, Spencer. You are and I won't let you run yourself down. You hear me?"

"Yes," he said solemnly and made her laugh.

"Come on, it's beautiful here and I want to take some pictures so I can sketch later."

"Then lead on," Spencer said and followed along a well-worn path.

CMCMCMCMCM

Spencer walked Max to her car when they returned back to DC, three hours later. "Thank you, for a beautiful day," she said.

"You're welcome."

"Maybe someday in the future, we can go back and spend the night."

Spencer swallowed hard and looked at the ground instead of her eyes. One of her hands reached out and lifted his chin. "If you want to, that is."

"I do," he blurted out. "It's just that you said we should take things slow."

"That's why I said someday in the future, right."

"Yeah," he nodded and then stepped in to kiss her. "Thank you for sharing the cabin with me. I needed to talk to someone outside of the BAU about Gideon."

Max nodded and squeezed his hand. "I'm glad you shared your memories of him with me. I know he meant a lot to you. I wish I could've met him."

"Me too," Spencer said softly.

"Well, I think I better go," Max said and shivered slightly. "It looks like rain."

"Bye," Spencer said and sighed when she kissed him.

"Bye."

He watched her drive away until her car was out of sight. Rain began to pelt down just as he opened the door to his building. He hurried up the stairs and into his apartment. He put on a pot of coffee to brew and then made his way back to his bedroom. He opened his closet door and took out a box. Inside, were several keepsakes, including the note he'd memorized nearly thirteen years ago. He stared at it, then took it and ripped it into tiny shreds of paper he dropped into a small wastebasket in his bathroom.

"Goodbye, Gideon," he said and went back to the kitchen, where a fresh cup of coffee waited to be drunk.