Thanks for reading and reviewing!

Words: 1,405

"Spencer, I'm fine,"

"No, you're not," Reid tells Devyn bluntly. But his face softens and he sits on the couch next to her. "I'm sorry. But...you need to talk about this. I can't just sit by and watch you dig yourself into a deeper hole." He's afraid it'll turn into a grave soon enough.

"What do you want me to say?" Devyn whispers her question, eyes staring down at her hands.

"What've you been writing in that?" Spencer gestures towards her journal lying on the coffee table. He could easily just read it but he would never without her permission. "It doesn't matter what you say or where you start. But you can't hold this in anymore. I'm begging you to please talk to me."

"I don't understand," Devyn admits with a small shake of her head.

"Don't understand what?"

"How he could...do what he did," Her words are slow, her eyes distant. Spencer purses his lips and shifts closer to her, taking her hand in his.

"Devyn, your- Elias..." Closing his eyes, Spencer sighs. He hates to say this but it's the truth and she needs to hear it. "Elias was a psychopath. His brain, it...it wasn't normal. He didn't think like us. He was incapable of feeling emotions like we do. It's not that he didn't love you, it's that he couldn't."

"That doesn't make me feel any better," A tear follows Devyn's words. The young woman sniffs and wipes her face.

"Yeah, I didn't think it would," Spencer mumbles and pulls her into his side.

"He told me I was like him," Devyn mumbles, her head resting under Spencer's chin.

"You're not," He's quick to assure her, his hand running up and down her arm comfortingly.

"Aren't I in some way?" She wonders aloud. "I mean, I'm happy he's dead. What kind of a person is happy their dad is dead? Doesn't strike me as normal."

"Nothing about what's happened is normal," Spencer moves his hand from Devyn's arm up to her hair. He places a kiss to the top of her head before sighing. "I'm happy he's dead too. What you're feeling, it's completely reasonable."

Devyn is silent for a moment. She glances down at her head and forces herself to speak. "I'd understand if you-...if you changed your mind."

"About what?" Spencer questions while sitting up a little straight, turning his head to look down at her.

"Being with me," It's not her talking, not really. Spencer knows that. It's everything that's happened recently. The weight of it pressures those insecurities she's worked so hard to bury over the years back to the surface. But he won't let them take control.

"You see this?" Lifting her left hand, Spencer points to the ring resting on her finger. "That means forever. I knew that the moment I gave it to you. And I know we haven't said our 'I do's yet, but...before I even bought this ring, I knew that no matter what, I would stand by your side. For better, or for worse. I don't, and never will regret making that decision."

"You're a helpless romantic, you know that?" Sitting up, Devyn twists to face Spencer and moves to straddle his lap. She cups the back of his neck before bringing her lips down onto his. "And you're so good. Sometimes I think you're too good for me."

"Funny," Spencer mumbles, his hand coming up to push a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I think the same about you."

"We'll just have to agree to disagree then," Devyn says before connecting their lips once more.

Spencer returns the kiss feverishly, only pulling away enough to quickly mutter, "I think I can do that."

Time passes. At the start, Spencer is always the one to prompt Devyn into talking. But little by little, she starts doing it on her own. Coming to him instead of the other way around. She talks for longer, about more. She shows the emotions inside of her instead of bottling them up. Spencer couldn't be more proud.

She stops flinching whenever he lifts a hand. That had broken his heart the most. His fiancée being scared of his touch. He knew that wasn't what it was though. She wasn't scared of him. It wasn't his touch she didn't want. He knew that because she'd always seek him out for comfort on her own. She didn't have a problem if she was the one initiating contact.

But now his fingers brush over her own. His hand grasps onto her own, cup her cheeks, run through her hair. And she never moves away from him, only towards him. She leans into his warmth, accepting the touch and the comfort he offers.

They both heal and inevitably both go back to work. Spencer is hesitant to leave her but he always will be. Devyn insists they get back to normal. She's better, he knows, he sees it in the way her smile reaches her eyes more and more each day. That doesn't mean he won't always worry about her.

It takes a bit, but Devyn starts planning the wedding. It won't be a big affair, neither she nor Spencer want that. The only people Devyn have are Richard, himself, and the team. Spencer only has his mother besides them, as well. He's trying to heal his relationship with his father but he's not sure they're at the 'come to my wedding' stage just yet. He'll send an invite to Gideon's cabin but who knows if the man will even receive it.

Currently, the couple is out separately. Morgan is with Spencer, both trying on tuxes while the girls are with Devyn, helping her pick out a dress.

There was a time Devyn hadn't even wanted to have a wedding. She'd brought it up to Spencer about just going to the courthouse. The ceremony wouldn't mean much to her as long as he's the one she's marrying. That's what matters. But she'd changed her mind after really thinking about it.

Devyn's never been the girliest person, but she'd be lying if she said she didn't want to get a dress. Do her hair, makeup. Feel beautiful. Have a day with her future husband to celebrate their life together with their closest friends and family. She wants to dance, have fun. She wants those memories.

It takes Devyn much less time than she thought to find a dress. After the first couple, she thought she never would. But then she tried on another and just knows.

But despite the short venture, Devyn is exhausted by the time she returns home. She smiles in greeting to Alex and Matthew. Though the fish know no difference. Turning around, Devyn has to stop herself from falling onto the couch when she notices the fluffy animal lying on the pillows.

"Have you been there all day?" She asks the cat, only earning herself a glance in response. "Right," Carefully sitting on the furniture, Devyn leans back against the cushions and closes her eyes.

"Hey, babe," Devyn calls out when she hears the door open behind her but she doesn't move. She doesn't even open her eyes, not until she feels Spencer sitting next to her. "How was it?"

"I'm sure I enjoyed myself about as much as you did," He sighs, moving his arm around her before pulling her closer. The unnamed cat stands then and crawls his way into both their laps. "He's spoiled."

"He's not even ours," Devyn grumbling but she scratches behind the animal's ears, listing to him pure.

"I think we have shared custody at this point," Spencer chuckles, turning his head to hide his smile in Devyn's hair.

"You're cleaning the litter box."

"Why just me? I think we should rotate days,"

"Hmm, we'll discuss it," Patting his chest, Devyn turns into him more and closes her eyes once again.

1. I love that nameless cat.
2. I know I've really glossed over Devyn's recovery. At the time of writing this I was ready to get done and start posting and figured I could come back to it in those one-shots.
3. I know you guys miss Richard! I do too! You'll be seeing him in the next chapter!
4. The wedding is soon! I'm so excited for you guys to see that. I really love how it all turns out! And I'm super excited for those one-shots. If you have any particular scene you want to see, just let me know.

Thanks for reading! Reviews are welcomed and encouraged! They're like, payment lol. Knowing that people enjoy my writing, it's what makes me want to write. Until next time, friends!

'-'