As Neighbors Do

by thisisanomdeplume

In which Spencer Reid and the girl from the park actually have a plot, and Malcom Bright from Prodigal Son has a crossover. "It's like you become more you, but now it's ok. Because the person chose to take all that on. All that weird stuff, whatever is wrong or bad or hiding in you. Suddenly it's all right. You don't feel like such a freak any more."-Suzanne Warren

6. Recovery

re·cov·er·y
noun
a return to a normal state of health, mind, or strength.

Saturday Evening

Spencer's phone notifies him to a photo message from Max.

He opens his phone to reveal a picture of the sunset from her living room and the following text...

Max: Since you liked the sunrise so much, thought you might want to see it at sunset.

Spencer: Wow!

Spencer: Are you still recovering at home?

Max: Yes *weary emoji*

Spencer: Yikes! oh yeah, I thought about how you could make it up to me for babysitting *laughing emoji*

Max: yeah?

Spencer: I'd like to borrow that new Vince Helding book I saw at your place, I just finished the first one over my dinner break.

Max: sure, but—- weren't you just reading War and Peace this morning?

Spencer: I read fast ?

Max: Well, ok, I can definitely get it to you when you get back!

Spencer: sweet, I'll let you know. So are you feeling any better?

Max: Yeah, almost. After tomorrow I should be good to go on Monday. *weary emoji*

"What's got you smiling, Spence?" Luke Alvez asks as he and Emily Prentiss walk into the break room of the police station they are assisting.

Their hands were full of the team's dinner orders.

Spencer looks up from his phone at the question, not noticing they had come in before

"Oh my neighbor sent me a picture of the sunset," he says, turning his phone to show them, "her side has the better view."

"Dang!" Luke exclaims, sitting a fast food bag on the table and leaning forward to get a better look.

"Not the neighbor with the really unfriendly chihuahua...?" Emily shudders, adding more bags to the table.

"No, uh... the one across the hall from me."

Spencer's, eyes fall back to his phone as he turns it to face him again. A smile plays on his lips, then he says...

"She's lived there a while... petite, brown hair, dark brown eyes with really really tiny golden flecks in them..." he trails off, still looking at his phone and typing.

Luke and Emily glance at each other with eye brows raised and smirks, but Spencer doesn't notice.

"A sunset is the nights fiery kiss to the night." -Crystal Woods