The next few weeks were a blur. It was almost routine. Spencer would come home from a case, she'd make him dinner, they would have sex, and just sit together on the couch. It was becoming the new normal. She lived in bliss, everything was perfect. Her time was split between when Spencer was home and when Spencer was not home. When Spencer was not home, she would mope around until he came home.

JJ went out of her way to come to the apartment and apologize personally for any tension or spite she may have caused by confessing to Spence. Her explanation was that she didn't know that Cherish and Spencer were together, and how could she? They never officially declared exclusivity. She didn't blame JJ, and was happy to accept her apology and relinquish all hard feelings she had for the blonde. After having dinner with her and Henry a few times, she grew to be comfortable in JJ's presence. It was pleasant even. Spencer and JJ seemed to have gone back to normal as he said, even though she did not know what their normal was. She trusted that everything was fine.

Cherish had summoned the courage to go out once a week while Spencer was gone, and usually it was the library. It was a quiet place that she felt comfortable in, and she was proud of herself for stepping out of her comfort zone and making an effort to have a certain quality of life that she hadn't had before. The library had tons of regulars, with whom she had become aquatinted with. It was nice, having people know nothing about her and didn't try to, they just had interesting conversation and went about their separate ways. It was beautiful in her eyes.

In the past few weeks, she had seen Spencer cry for the first time. Derek had left the BAU to be with his son. From what she's heard, Morgan named his son partly after Spencer, and it hurt her love so very much to see him go. She wanted so badly to take his pain away, but she understood that his bond with his team was something she would never be apart of, and something she could never possibly understand. They have been through hell and back together as a unit, and that connected him to his teammates in a profound way that she could only see from the outside. She was okay with that, she respected the life he had outside of her and supported him with her entire heart. She would do anything for him, without hesitation. For the rest of her life, she hoped.

Tonight was a big night. The team was having a celebration about a very high profile case; Spencer said the unsub's name was Scratch? He was dead, after years of taunting and targeting the team, and they were all breathing a sigh of relief. They normally didn't have celebrations at the office, but Emily made an exception to welcome the upcoming weekend. She even extended her hospitality to Cherish, saying the entire team couldn't wait to meet her. It was intimidating at first, a group of such accomplished individuals sharing their work and she was just a woman who stayed in the house all day. Spencer was happy though, to finally introduce her to everyone. She felt bad that Morgan had left, and that he wouldn't be there, but she was excited about his new journey into fatherhood. She would finally meet Emily, the technical analyst Penelope, and the other field agents she couldn't seem to remember.

She was standing in her room, staring at her outfit in the full length mirror. It was the outfit that Spencer liked. The pink dress, the creamy white turtleneck, and the brown tights. She felt excited, admiring her curves in the mirror. Spencer was teaching her to love herself just through his words and tender affection. If someone as perfect as him could love her, she could learn to love herself.

"Are you ready?"

Spencer asked, snapping her from her thoughts.

"Oh, uhm, yes. Do I look alright?"

She blushed.

"You look fantastic. Thank you for coming with me, everyone is excited to see you"

He said, wrapping his arms around her.

He rested his head on her shoulder and watched them in the mirror. He had told her that he's never really had a romantic life besides Maeve, and he didn't get the chance to do this with her. She felt bad that he never got that chance with Maeve, from his stories she was a lovely woman. She was happy to step in and take care of Spencer for her, in any way she could.

"I'll call a cab"

He said, kissing her cheek and walking out of her room.

She gave herself one last look in the mirror, smoothing out her hair and trying to calm her racing heart. It wasn't a big deal, just a few drinks with the country's most badass heroes. That didn't help. She rolled her eyes at herself and grabbed her dark brown cardigan in case it was cold outside, and walked out of her room after Spencer. She found him throwing on a navy blue cardigan and buttoning it up. He always wore cardigans or vests, she loved his sense of style.

He turned off all the lights in the apartment, and took her hands in his. They locked the door and walked out to the cab waiting for them at the curb. They got in and sat in silence the entire car ride. She admired the city lights painting the night sky. She never got the chance to see the lights like that. She never been outside at night since she moved here, the world was scary. The cab dropped them off at their headquarters, and she was in awe at the beautiful building standing tall against the night sky. She always imagined what his office looked like, but she wasn't even close. The building was huge, and it was obvious the architecture was meticulously planned before they even built it. Spencer grabbed her hand and walked her inside, showing security his badge and getting a visitor sticker for her. He courted her through the lobby and they got on the elevator. Most of everything was dark, it was after hours so most of the building had the lights off. When the elevator doors open, she was bathed in startling white light. Spencer smiled at her.

"Yeah it doesn't get easier, they use really bright lights here"

He chuckled.

As they were walking to wherever his office was, she saw a tall dark haired woman waiting for them. She was... beautiful. In every sense of the word. When the woman laid eyes on her, a strong sense of pride beamed across her face. She immediately walked over, shaking her head.

"Wow, you are beautiful. Reid did a good job"

She said, wrapping her arms around her for a hug.

This shocked Cherish, but she gladly took the embrace. She never expected anyone to treat her so familiar seeing as they've never met, it eased her mind a bit.

"I'm Emily, I'm not sure if Reid has told you about anyone but I'm the captain here"

She smiled warmly.

This gorgeous woman was Emily?

"Hello Emily. I'm Cherish, I'm so excited to finally meet you. Spencer always talks about you and the others"

She said.

"All good things I hope. Follow me, the party is just about to begin, as usual we are waiting on the doctor"

Emily joked, leading them to an office.

It was huge, and there was people all talking amongst themselves and laughing. It was a bit overwhelming, but Spencer squeezed her hand to reassure her. She smiled and he led her to the drinks. She happily accepted the champagne glass he offered to her, she was going to need a few drinks to loosen up. As she was taking a drink, Spencer started talking to Emily. She noticed that they were immediately deep in conversation, and she didn't want to get involved and possibly drag them down to her pace so she decided to scan the room. She spotted JJ sitting at a desk, looking into her drinking glass. She took another drink and mustered up the courage to walk over and stroke up conversation.

"Hey, JJ. You look gloomy, figured you would need some company"

She said, leaning in the desk next to JJ.

"Thank you, it's just hard you know? I'm doing the best I can, but I just have those days"

She smiled, looking up at her.

"You mean with Spencer? He was excited to see you tonight, go talk to him"

She encouraged.

"Not just with Spence, with everything. I don't know what I was thinking, he's the Godfather to Henry. Will is insecure about Spencer now and I don't blame him. I could never apologize enough"

JJ said, tears filling her eyes.

"JJ, you don't have anything to apologize for. You can't control your feelings, and those feelings were real."

Cherish said.

"Do you really think so? We are professionals, I was the furthest thing from it..."

"Spencer was happy that things could go back to normal when you apologized. He still loves you very much"

"I don't deserve it. I'm so glad he does though, you have no idea.."

"Go talk to him. I know he was excited to see you tonight"

"...thank you. You really are perfect for him, you know that right?"

"Thank you, I try"

JJ gave her a hug, she clutched her hard trying to stifle back her tears. Cherish returned the embrace she gave her an encouraging push over to Spencer who was still talking with Emily. As she walked the blonde walk away, Rossi came over and stood next to her with two drinks in his hands.

"JJ is going through a lot right now, your support has worked wonders for her. Thank you for your patience"

He said, offering her another glass.

She graciously accepted his offer, and smiled at him.

"I know that I can never understand the bond you all have, and I never want to impose. All I can do is try to keep it from falling apart. Spence loves everyone here dearly, it would break my heart if something happened"

She explained, sipping from her glass.

"You're right about that, we've all been through a lot. We are happy to invite you to the little family here"

Rossi said, patting her shoulder.

Rossi was a warm man. His presence was pleasant. He excused himself and joined the conversation with JJ and Spencer. She saw Emily approaching her, and decided to finish off her glass and set it behind her on the desk.

"How are you feeling?"

The dark haired beauty asked.

"I'm feeling good, I'm so glad JJ and Spencer are okay"

Cherish said.

"Me too. I offered JJ to take a few days off to have the chance to clear her head, and I think she's going to take it. I know it was weeks ago but i can see her still struggling. Thank you for your patience"

"Rossi said that too, don't thank me, I just want Spencer happy. I know a life without JJ, or any of you, is a miserable life in Spencer's eyes"

"JJ said that you were perfect for him, I think she was right. Just know that you are a part of this family, if there is anything you ever need, we are here for you"

"Thank you, that means a lot"

"If Reid ever screws up, you tell me and I will break his knees"

"I give you full permission to do that"

Spencer chuckled, coming up out of nowhere.

They all laughed, and Emily embraced her again.

"Uh oh, looks who's here"

Emily said, letting Cherish go and looking behind her.

Confused, Cherish turned around and saw a beautiful woman with a vibrant dress on and curly blonde hair pulled halfway back with a very exaggerated hair pin. She was staring wide eyed, frozen to the spot. It didn't take her long to bound her way over to them and pull Cherish into a soul crushed bear hug. This made her giggle.

"She's here. She's here oh my is she's finally here!"

The woman exclaimed, cradling Cherish's face in her hands.

"Garcia, this is Cherish. Cherish, this is our tech analyst Penelope Garcia"

Emily smiled.

"Penelope, I've heard so much about you. I'm excited to finally meet you"

Cherish said.

Garcia was in complete awe. "Reid said you were beautiful but he was so wrong. So so wrong. You are beyond beautiful, like if God himself created you with pure sugar and spice and everything nice. Yours and Reid's babies are going to be unstoppable!"

This caused Spencer to choke on his drink, and Emily laughed. Cherish giggled and happily accepted the compliment. Garcia was so vibrant and full of energy, it was lovely. So so lovely.

"I honestly can't wait to see that. Can you imagine little Spencer's running around? The world wouldn't be able to keep up"

Emily joked.

"Absolutely. And their Auntie Penelope would tell them all about their perfect Daddy and shower them with hugs and kisses until they get sick of me!"

Garcia said excitedly.

The conversation was light, and easy to be a part of. Garcia was a lovely woman that filled the entire room with a light that she had never seen before. The party was a success. Everyone was in a great mood, and she felt completely welcomed. She met the entire team, and was so happy she got the chance to. They were warm, beautiful people who all cared greatly about her love, and was happy to have her around.

Luke slipped some flirty comments in a joking way, earning a aggressive hand slap to the arm from Garcia in a protective manner. The chemistry everyone had with each other was exhilarating. They all blended so well together even though they were all very different. She drank enough to get a little tipsy, which made her more open and fun in her opinion, but she didn't drink much. It was making her feel a little sick, so she drank water for the rest of the party. Normally alcohol didn't make her feel such a way, but she hasn't drank in weeks so it must have been hitting her a bit harder.

They stayed until a little past midnight, but Spencer could see her uneasiness and tried to call a cab, but she begged him to allow them to walk home. Their apartment wasn't far and she was positive the fresh air would make her feel better, and it did. As soon as she stepped outside into the city air, she breathed a sigh of relief. Her face was flushed by the alcohol and she clutched Spencer's arm smiling like a fool. They began walking home on the sidewalk of the busy street, and she took the time to admire the sounds and smells of the city in the night. They joked, they laughed, and enjoyed the night skyline. It was chilly, but not cold.

She was glad she wore a cardigan.

"I can't wait to get you home."

Spencer said, squeezing her hand.

She tried to hide her blush, but failed. He leaned in and growled in her ear, nibbling on her ear lobe. She could not believe his bravery! How cheeky!

"Spencer! We are in public!"

She giggled.

"What I'm thinking should not be public. I'm afraid we are going to have to handle this business behind closed doors"

He smiled devilishly.

She gasped, if she wasn't tipsy she would be a hot mess. His words still have the same effect on her they always did, and she loved it. She loved being driven insane by the gorgeous man.

"Spencer I want ice cream!"

She whined playfully.

"I'll get you ice cream as soon as I'm done with you."

He murmured in her ear.

Her mind was blown by how incredibly far he's come. He was a gentle man, a sweet soul, but as soon as she appealed to his animalistic side, he was a greedy, selfish monster that she loved just as much as his softer side. She gives herself completely to him almost on-demand. He was spoiled by her, and she didn't care. He deserved it.

"Aw okay. Let's get home, it's getting late anyway"

She said, resting her head on his arm.

"I promise we will go get ice cream tomorrow, I'll take you out. My treat"

He smiled.

A date? With THE Spencer Reid? She could almost faint. Her heart soared and she could almost dance with glee. Spencer noticed the elevation in her mood and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. The drinks had him feeling good she bet, seeing him being so carefree and loose. It honestly was a beautiful night, with a beautiful person.

They arrived at their apartment in a mess of laughter and tipsy jokes. They stumbled through the door, giggling like school children. He led her to her bedroom and closed the door behind them. He pinned her against the door, his eyes drinking her in. She was already excited to fall victim to the predator that was Spencer. She was powerless to his touch.

He wasted no time, pulling off her cardigan while capturing her lips with his. Even being tipsy, he wasn't sloppy. His attention and focus was sharp, and she was the subject of it.

"I can't wait to hear my name on your lips"

He smiled, biting her lip.

It made her weak in the knees. He unzipped her dress and shoved it down her legs onto the floor and allowing her to pull his cardigan off. He pulled her turtleneck off and ripped his button up open, popping buttons off. His tie was the only thing that remained on the upper half of his body, and she took advantage of that and gripped the tie in her hands and pulled him closer. His surprised chuckle sent a shiver down her spine. She took control and led him to the bed by the tie, falling on the bed and pulling him on top of her. She giggled, loving the look of surprise on his face. He pulled her tights off, leaving her with only her underwear and bra left.

He sat up as far she could let him with the tie around his neck, and looked at her. She could see the thoughts going through his head, the lust and need he had. He found himself back on top of her and biting her neck, ushering a soft gasp from her. He got to work, kissing all over her body, carefully maneuvering around the tie that limited him from straying too far. Cherish was in bliss, completely at his disposal.

She started feeling light-headed, and she chalked it up to be that she had a little too much to drink, even though she didn't really drink much. She tried to ignore it and focus on Spencer but it quickly turned to nausea and she quickly jumped up, pushing Spencer off of her and running to the bathroom. She began vomiting horrendously. She heard Spencer run after her and he was watching in concern from the door.

"What do I need to do? What do you need?"

He asked.

He was no longer tipsy. He was completely alert and focused on her, which made her feel bad. She didn't want that type of attention from him. She couldn't even answer him, she could barely even get a breath. She vomited again, groaning in pain. She felt her stomach acid burning her throat.

"I'll get you some water. You might have drank too much"

He said, darting out of the bathroom.

She nodded and flushed the toilet, grabbing the hand towel from the sink and cleaning her face. The nausea was strong, making her dizzy. She groaned as she tried to stand up. Spencer came in and handed her a glass of water, and she graciously accepted it. She quickly drank it and it made her feel worse. She immediately turned back to the toilet to vomit again. Spencer sat on his knees and rubbed her back, muttering sweet nothings in her ear in an attempt to make her feel better. She knew he was uncomfortable, being a huge germaphobe, so his presence made her feel better and loved.

"Th-thank you Spence"

She said breathlessly, cleaning her face again.

"Are you okay?"

He asked.

"Yeah, I-I'm fine. It just hit all of a sudden"

She said, exhaling sharply.

She flushed the toilet again and sat back against the bathtub, trying to catch her breath. She was light-headed and dizzy, fighting off rolls of nausea that kept hitting her. Spencer helped her up, and led her to her bed. He fumbled through her dresser drawers, and pulled out an oversized t-shirt. He helped her put it on, and laid her down in the bed. He sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing her back. It soothed her, and helped fight off tue intensity of the nausea.

"Are you okay?"

He asked softly.

"I'm okay, I think some sleep will make me feel better"

She said, trying to reassure him.

"Let's get some sleep then. I'm going to sleep in here tonight to keep an eye on you"

He said, pulling the tie off.

She was sad to see the tie go, they were having fun a few minutes ago. He settled into bed behind her, spooning her to make her more comfortable. She was so comfortable, she was asleep in minutes