"When it comes to life, we spin our own yarn. And where we end up is really in fact where we always intended to be." Julia Glass

A/N: I don't own any of the Criminal Minds characters, plot, etc. all belong to CBS

Jade POV

When the jet landed in DC that evening, and the team assembled in the bullpen of the BAU, Hotch, or more realistically the order actually came from Cruz, placed Spencer and I on medical leave for at least the next week. Full medical leave, not even to come in for desk work, due to the 'severity' of our multiple fractures and my mild concussion. He reiterated that fact several times, making sure Spencer and I did not grab a single file or folder from our desks before he ascended to his office to start the mountain of paperwork waiting for him. The whole team, aside from Hotch, is slow moving and groggy, as mentally exhausted as I feel from this grueling case, not to mention they were invariably anxious and concerned the whole time. No one escaped the grueling and torturous aspect of this case.

As team members are wishing Spencer and I a speedy recovery, Spencer and I shift somewhat uncomfortably and ungainly on our crutches, before they move on to their own paperwork before they can go home. One by one, I am hugged and squeezed by my teammates, even Garcia stops by for a quick "get better soon my babies!" before she heads home.

Just as I am about to grab my keys and head for the car park, Spencer turns to me, offering "Jade, uh, if it wouldn't be terribly inconvenient to you, or horribly uncomfortable, you could stay with me this week while we recover, if you like."

Before answering, I turn to see if the one person who hadn't offered well wishes or a comforting hug was around, waiting his turn. I happen to notice the door to Rossi's office snick shut and I let out a sigh, "oh Spencer, I don't think that is necessary. We don't need two people hopping about your place keeping your neighbors awake at all hours. I'll come hang out a bit, but I really do have to study for my finals in a few weeks. This leave will be a blessing in disguise." I tell my very dear friend.

"And you don't think I can help you study? I can give you tips or help you practice any speeches you need to give."

"Like I said, I will come hang out and you are welcome to help me study at my apartment but I do not think it is warranted for you to watch me around the clock." I reply, noticing some small hurt enter his eyes, so I continue, grabbing his uninjured right hand with my own, "I'll see you tomorrow morning around 10:30. Okay?"

"Sounds great, Jade. Have a great nights rest." Spencer agrees, eyes brightening as he grabs his bus pass out of his top desk drawer and heads to the front door while I head to the back entrance to the car park. Before I open the door, I look at my friends working hard on their reports, focused entirely on this job. Is this what I want forever? Yes. Of course, if they will have me I will be honored to work with the BAU. The contentment settles deep in my chest and I push the door to the back stairwell open, go bag slung over my shoulder, heading home.

At home, in my favorite comfy pj's and well fed on my favorite comfort food, wings and mac n cheese, I call JJ and apologize for likely interrupting her and Will's sweet reunion. She tells me to not worry about that at all and to call anytime. What is it I needed? I unload on her about some more anonymous guy drama. I talk and realize there is no way for said male to be anyone but a man on the team due to telling her other things before this case we literally just returned from. Oh well. I'm sure she would end up guessing anyway, she is a phenomenal profiler after all.

She kindly offers to supply wine and ice cream at her place. I manage to drive over, and we gossip, cry and complain about men until Will drawls from their bedroom "I can hear you! You can sleep out there tonight, wifey!" He mostly teases JJ. "I like the couch better anyway! You don't hog the blankets out here!" She jokes back, laughing and smiling. Their marriage is so pure and honest, I hope to one day achieve such a level of comfort with a partner, spouse, soulmate.

Around midnight or a little after, I feel much better about myself and the situation with the nameless men, and head home. JJ asks for many details but never pressed me for their names, and I thank her for that. Perhaps she didn't want to know the specifics in case it is a work related drama and she has deniability later. I park outside my apartment building in my normal spot and make my way carefully inside. Crutches are so much harder to manage than I remembered from childhood. I take a long hot shower as well as my normal weekly pampering routine for my hair and cuticles and am about to crawl in bed when my phone buzzes. Its 2:02 am by this point and Rossi is calling me. Exhausted and not interested, I let the call go to voicemail. I am not conscious long enough to know if he left me a message.

The next morning I check my phone and see that Rossi had called while I was over at JJ's as well, around 9pm, not just 2:02am. Shortly after the 1st call he texted me saying he and Morgan were going to be at one of the bars not far from the bureau and invited me along. I didn't bother listening to the voicemails.

I spent most of my week off putting the extra time to good use. I do indeed utilize the magnificent mind of Spencer Reid to help me study most days, and most nights I either drank wine or went to the gym and hit the bag until I didn't feel. Didn't feel the ache in my healing fingers, didn't feel the draw to Spencer, didn't feel like returning Rossi's calls and text message. Why is this grumpy man getting into my head so much? We had a gentle, friendly if not borderline flirtatious banter going, but never anything as personal or serious as going to the bar together after a case, even if Morgan was also there since he is such a flirt, he probably never leaves a bar alone. Never calling each other after last call. For sure. He certainly seems oblivious to how he has such a reputation in the BAU and in the FBI as a whole, but it does not take a profiler to see he has a way of worming his way into the minds of women who are the least suspecting.

Thursday is much the same as the rest of the week. It is getting late, nearly the time when Spencer normally returns home. After studying today he stayed to chat and I was desperately attempting to talk Spencer into getting his first Bachelor of Science degree, in either neuroscience, neurochemistry, or biochemistry. All of these degrees will help his career at the BAU and would help round out his education.

"Come on, Spencer, you don't want to neglect one aspect of your education. You may have a record number of Bachelor of the Arts degrees for your age but without a Bachelor of Science to balance it out you will fall behind Blake and I." I tease, sitting next to him on the couch, smiling over to him.

"You know I far surpass both of you in many ways, but you are so grounded in ways I will never be. However, many great people achieve great success and renown without any BS degree. Madeleine Albright and Associate Justice Clarence Thomas for example." He states the facts and then cracks a smile at me as well. We have such an easy friendship, I can hardly believe we spend an entire day together, the week itself has flown by.

"Oooh, two people in the last century!" I tease, smiling and laughing easily. We really and truly have gotten so close this past week. Part of me gets sad when we will likely be cleared to return to work on Monday.

The team had a fairly straightforward case this week in Virginia, and JJ had text me earlier, letting us know the team solved the case and they were driving home to get some good rest in bed ASAP. I let her know, Spencer and I were thinking about them and cannot wait until we are medically cleared to return to the team. My doorbell rings unexpectedly around 8:30pm, I get up off the couch to answer it, going up on my toes to look through the peep hole. Sighing, I open the door and Dave smiles at me, looking me over, smiling broader when he sees I am in an over-sized tee shirt and seemingly nothing else. That is, until he peers over my shoulder and spies Reid on the couch in a white undershirt and pj pants. The smile fades and he develops into his alpha male bravado personality. "Just checking in on our newest team member." He straightens his collar and then slides his hands into his pockets before he turns to address Reid "seems like you have her covered." His voice rough and not anywhere near the friendly voice I have come to recognize. The smooth posture does not fit the rough voice he forces out.
I turn, looking over at Spencer Reid, and he has never looked more confused. Mouth agape and at a complete loss of words for once.

I step back from the door and explain to Dave we're just studying.

Finally finding his voice, Spencer continues, going in way more depth than necessary, explaining to a clearly annoyed Rossi "I was helping her study Schramm's Model of Communication and its implications in the greater realm of interpersonal communication."

"The implications are clear. You two have more brains that this old man ever did. Than most people ever dream of." Rossi grits out, his temper flaring briefly for some reason.

"Never too late to learn" I say, smiling wide as I open the door and invite him inside, sweeping my arm open equally wide. "We were about to order pizza."

Rossi looks me up and down one more time, then leaves without comment or looking back.

I close the door, unsure what just happened or why, and head back to the couch. Spencer looks at me, nervous, wringing his hands in his lap and wetting his lower lip with his tongue, looking more nervous than I have ever seen him.

He confesses, "ever since I woke up in that broom-closet torture chamber, I've been crushing on you. Well that is when I realized it. I realize, if you are not healed from that trauma, if you don't see me like that, if you aren't able to be in a relationship at this point, but I need to tell you." Concern deep in his eyes, his cheeks flushing red as he looks into my eyes, waiting for my response.

I sit back beside him on the couch, pulling my right knee under me and facing him. I lean slightly toward him, making eye contact and he closes the distance, kissing me softly as both our eyes flutter closed. We kiss for several minutes, softly. Gently, I thread a hand into his curls, my other open palm resting on his chest. His hands both gently cupping my cheeks and hold me close. I never noticed how soft and tender his touch is until I was breathing him in, aware of every delicate movement. After a few minutes we part, breathing heavy, and look at each other grinning. Spencer is an amazing kisser, I would have never guessed.

"Spence, you are amazing! I have never had a better, sweeter first kiss." I reveal, untangling my hand and placing it on his knee.

"Jade, that is the first kiss I've had in 3 years. I was afraid I had forgotten how."

"Its like riding a bike, silly, you never forget." I reply, grinning up to him, noticing the flush in his cheeks, his eyes trained onto my mouth.

"Silly?" He questions before placing a quick peck on the tip of my nose.

"Silly. Sure fits you tonight."

Reid ended up spending the night. On my couch.

He wakes before me and by the time I stir, stretch and get out of bed, he is in the kitchenette with my favorite vanilla latte, banana pancakes and sliced berries. "How did you know my coffee order?" I say groggily as I sip on the heavenly warm beverage.

He smiles at me, genuine and warm. "Eidetic memory" he says simply while popping a small strawberry into his mouth. We eat the rest of breakfast in comfortable silence occasionally glancing at each other and smiling like fools.

"So what now?" I ask Spencer as I clear the plates and cups from the table.

"I think, for now, its best to keep this between us. I've been badly hurt before...I can't have that happen again." Spencer says slowly, carefully.

"Spence..." I begin, unsure of what to say. "Spence..." I repeat.

"NO! Not like you'd hurt me. That being with someone, being attached to someone is vulnerable. I also can't have you hurt because someone sees you with me."

"I don't think you have that many stalkers out there." I reply, JJ and Garcia had filled me in on the whole Maeve story and how hurt and broken he was afterwards.
"Statistically, it is quite unlikely, but I seem to be going against all the odds these days. You mean a lot to me, Jade. I haven't cared about someone like this in a long time. I haven't been able to be 100% myself with a beautiful woman and not scare her away before. I haven't been interested in a woman before, that Morgan wouldn't tease me endlessly for pining over. I haven't heard my mother sound so proud of me. Ever. I don't want any of this to end, but I also do not want to pressure you into anything. You have gone through some very major trauma and I can understand if you are not ready."
I take in a deep breath before I answer, "I understand, Spencer, and I am ready to start seeing where a relationship with you can go." I lean in for a few more minutes of sweet and tender kissing before he has to return home.

"Wait, you told your mom about me, Spencer?" I ask as he is walking for the door, "Don't think you can look all cute and walk away from this one!"

"Of course I told my mom about you, Jade. I tell her about everything in my life, especially the most important things. I've been thinking about you for a while now, and she is so proud of the way things are going. She says I sound so happy when I talk about you, or after we have a good conversation at work, she can tell. Before I even mention it, she can tell."

"That is so sweet. I am sure she is a lovely woman and I cannot wait to meet the wonderful woman responsible for you, Spencer Reid." I smile and offer a little wave as he walks out the door and down the hall to the buildings front door.

Slowly, I shut the door, step forward and lean my forehead against the wooden slats on the door. I stare at the wood grain and think about my life this last week and don't know what I am getting myself into. Where this is going or if it is smart.

Hopefully no one gets hurt.

"You can chain me, you can torture me, you can even destroy this body but you will never imprison my mind. " Mahatma Gandhi