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A/n thanks to all who have read and reviewed. I'm way behind on my email and will answer you all in the next few days. Have a great weekend and stay safe out there.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Max asked Spencer as they turned away from the food truck with their coffees.

It was a blustery winter day with blue sky, a brilliant golden sun, and a few gray-white clouds far overhead. The wind tossed their hair around and teased pink into their hands as they slowly walked to one of the wooden tables in the park.

"About Kat?"

"Yes," she said.

Part of her wanted to hear the story from his point of view, and part of her wanted him to say no, that it was time to leave it in the past.

"All of it?"

"Garcia told me about what happened in Mexico."

Spencer sighed and looked at his coffee cup instead of maintaining eye contact. "Garcia told you what she heard from the team. I'm not so sure what happened. I used to think I knew, but then Kat worms her way back into my life, and she said –"

"I hope you still don't believe anything she said to you, Spencer. After her lies in your apartment, I'd say you have to take anything she's ever told you with a huge grain of salt."

"I guess I know that, but – alright. Let me tell you the story from the beginning."

Max sipped her coffee and listened intently as Spencer laid out everything for her, from the dirty dozen down to their last goodbye.

"So," she began after he stopped talking and took a huge gulp of his cooling coffee. "The takeaway is that you outsmarted her once, and she overreacted by plotting revenge of operatic proportions against you."

Spencer stared at her for a moment then smirked, "Precisely."

"So, she never had real feelings, for you, just a sense of over-inflated ego."

"Yes."

Max nodded and drank down the last of her coffee. "Then, how do you feel now that you've witnessed her execution – which by the way, I wish you hadn't – and you know she's gone forever."

"The truth?"

"Always."

"I feel sad for the person she could've been had her father not murdered her mother and abandoned her. She was intelligent, charismatic and beautiful. On the other side of the coin, she was psychopathic and utterly incapable of human emotion. As much as it saddens me that her potential as a contributing member of society was curtailed, I'm glad she's gone.

"I get the impression you'll miss the challenge she presents."

Spencer blew out a breath and met her eyes. "In some ways, yes, but for the most part, I'm celebrating inside. She's gone and the most important fact is that she can't hurt you, your family, or my mother ever again."

"I agree wholeheartedly."

"So, what is the next step," Spencer wondered. "I know what my therapist would say, but I want to hear it from you."

Max smirked at him. "Are you sure you want to hear what I think?"

"Yes," Spencer rolled his hands to encourage her opinions.

"I think that we should attempt another nighttime date and get our minds off a psycho woman and her obsession with you."

Spencer smiled an endearing and crooked smile that made her heart flutter a little. "I thought you'd never ask."

"Good."

"What did you have in mind?"

"My father has never given up trying to convince my sisters and me that old, black and white films are better than modern cinema. For a long time, I made him think I didn't like them, but eventually, he figured out that I love old creature features."

Spencer's eyes lit up and she grinned at him. "Seriously."

She loved his habit of squeaking when excited. "Yes. Dad called me last night and said that "Tarantula" is playing at the Globe for the next week. He wanted me to go with him, but I said I wanted to take you."

"Maybe you should – "

Max held up a hand. "He pretended to be hurt, but I know my dad and he likes you, Spencer. He thinks my dating a genius FBI agent is the coolest." She laughed.

"I'm surprised considering it was my fault Kat dragged him into – "

"No," Max interrupted. "Remember she's the one that overreacted when you bested her the first time. She's the one that my family blames. Believe it and let it go."

"You're right," he admitted. "I'll try."

"Anyway, dad is over the moon that you're into old films. Don't be surprised if they're the main topic of conversation the next time you talk to him."

Spencer smirked at her and she rolled her eyes. "I look forward to it."

"Come on, let's take a nice long walk and enjoy the sunshine. "It's supposed to rain tomorrow night."

"Wait," Spencer stopped. "When are we going to the movies?"

"Are you okay with a weeknight?"

"Sure, but why?"

"Because there are fewer people and we can make out in the back row."

Spencer choked on his coffee. "I thought you wanted to watch the movie," he squeaked.

"I do, and when the good parts happen, we'll watch."

"I hope so because I love ghost stories and scary movies."

"Really," Max said. "That's good to know."

"So, what day this week," Spencer prompted her.

"Why not tomorrow night? "

"I'll have to check my calendar." Spencer teased.

Max sighed and smacked him on the chest. "Funny. You're still on medical leave, you don't have a busy calendar."

"True," he admitted dolefully and sighed.

Max took his hand. "I'm glad you don't because I get to spend all the time, I want with you."

"Until you start your new job," he reminded her.

"Yes, but then we'll have more nighttime dates. You good with that."

"Yep."

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It was raining the proverbial cats and dogs when Max knocked on Spencer's door. She held a dripping umbrella and wore a huge smile. "Hey," she greeted after he kissed her.

"Hey."

"You ready to go."

"I am," he said.

She studied him and thought he looked much more relaxed since the previous day. He wore his usual suit, jacket, and tie, but there was something about his face and the way he held himself that spoke of new happiness in his life.

"You look great," she said.

"Thanks, so do you."

"Thank you." She glanced at the clock on his wall. "We better go, or we'll miss the beginning."

"Let's go."

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When they exited the theater two hours later, the rain had ended. The pavement shone under the streetlights and the air smelled richly of ozone. Cool air caressed their faces as they walked slowly toward Spencer's old Volvo parked down the street and around the corner of the theater.

"Did you like it," Max asked him.

"Sure, the parts we watched," he said and jerked away when she tried to smack his shoulder.

"You started it," she reminded him. "I was minding my business when you kissed me."

"I've never made out in a theater and I wanted a new experience."

Max shook her head and drank the last of her giant cup of cherry coke. She tossed in a nearby trash can and said. "Thanks for the snacks, by the way."

"You're welcome. You can't watch a movie without popcorn."

"True. So, what did you think of the parts you noticed?"

"The science behind the doctor's formula is weak. In the fifties, it was assumed that radiation could make animals or insects grow to monster proportions, or turn humans into mutants. Radiation kills, it doesn't mutate."

Max rolled her eyes as they reached the car and climbed inside. "I know that, but putting the improbable science aside, what did you think?"

Reid turned to her and grinned. "I loved it. The special effects were well done for the period. I was impressed that they were able to film an actual tarantula with a miniaturized set. I hate spiders and can't imagine approaching near enough to film one."

Max shuddered. "Yeah, I agree. Spiders are creepy."

"They do a tremendous service to the world," Spencer pulled into traffic and became devil's advocate at the same time. "They kill insects. Without spiders, the world would be overrun with mosquitoes, flies, and a multitude of other pests."

"Okay, that's fair," Max said. "Still, they give me the chills."

"They can make beautiful webs," Spencer continued.

"Yeah, but I like to see them from a good long-distance," Max replied.

"Did you notice Clint Eastwood," Spencer asked.

"Yeah, I think that was his first movie role. You couldn't see his face, but everyone recognizes his voice."

They were quiet until Spencer pulled up in front of Max's apartment. "You want to come up for a while," Max asked.

"I thought your rule was no men in your place for safety reasons."

Max studied him as they sat in the darkness of his car. "That was my hard and fast rule, but I want you to understand how much I trust you."

"You don't have to prove it to me by inviting me into your space."

"I know, but I thought we could have a cup of coffee and talk. That's all."

"Then I agree. Lead on."