Author's Notes: Sorry to keep you guys waiting. Here's the sixth chapter of Change for the Better. Enjoy!


Chapter Six: Christmas

"I have to say. This is the best Christmas Eve I've had in DC," Annette said following a special Italian lunch she, Belinda, Anya, and Carly helped Rossi prepare at his mansion following two hours of Christmas shopping.

"Agreed," Anya said as they lounged in a couple chairs set up in the backyard. "Ooh. I got a food baby kicking. That chicken parmesan was so damn good."

"The old man said to appreciate any dish that recommends the wearing of a bib."

"That's very true. With Italian, you always have to wear a bib.

"So, what was bugging you the evening we were gathered in the conference room?"

Annette looked at her.

"You've been picking up on my profiling skills."

"Not only that, but how tight you hugged me that evening also gave it away."

Annette breathed out a sigh before she spoke.

"The UnSub was a family man that was traumatized by the hit and run death of his youngest child. As a result, he snapped, killed his family, and killed five more people afterwards.

"After we got him, I was so scared that I was ready to run, shut down and push everyone around me away again. Spencer coaxed me into not pushing him away, and not only did I manage to do that, I also didn't run."

Anya was silent for a brief moment as she placed a hand on Annette's shoulder.

"You really have come a long way since the two of you reunited, and I'm so proud of you. My beloved, older sister has been reborn from the ashes as a stronger, better person than the person she was at sixteen. It's one hell of an accomplishment to be proud of as we approach Christmas and the new year."

"Are you guys sticking around for New Year's Eve or are you heading back to Albuquerque after Christmas?"

"We're going back to Albuquerque the day after Christmas," Anya replied. "Since we have Layla, we didn't want to take any chances dealing with drunken idiots of any kind."

"I don't blame you. Plus, I know none of you wouldn't want to miss the fireworks show back home."

"I'll make sure to catch some of them on video for you."

"I appreciate it."

"Are you and Spencer going to do anything?"

"I'm not sure yet," Annette replied with a gulp, to which Anya took notice.

"Sis, what is it? There's something you're antsy about, and it has something to do with Spencer."

Annette took a deep breath.

"It does, and it's probably the most sensitive topic I could ever talk about with my dearest, darling, younger sister."

"I'm all ears, Annette Renee. Shoot."


From inside the mansion, Spencer was eyeballing Annette as she and Anya lounged out in the yard, enjoying each other's company and talking. If anything, they were catching up and possibly sharing each other's secrets, as a pair of true, blood sisters would.

"I was wondering why you were staring out into the yard."

The sound of Belinda's voice snapped him out of his trance.

"What can I say? She's beautiful."

Belinda chuckled and smiled.

"I just wonder what kind of secrets she's sharing with Anya right now."

"Ah, yes. There's probably quite a few things about her that either you'll find out down the line or you won't find out at all. If anyone would know, it would be Anya.

"Toni Morrison said a sister can be seen as someone who is both ourselves and very much not ourselves. A special kind of double."

"I just hope she grows to trust me enough to share even just a few of her secrets with me."

"And she will," Belinda assured. "I can see how strong your relationship has gotten as the two of you approach your one-year anniversary, and I'm sure she'll come around in due time."

She smiled and rubbed his shoulder.

"So, how about you come into the kitchen and help me make one of her favorite foods?"


"Wow. Now, I understand what you meant by sensitive," Anya said, crossing her arms over her chest as a chilly breeze began to blow.

"Yeah," Annette said with a nod, her cheeks hot and possibly flushed. Her heart was racing wildly in the confines of her chest.

"If only you could see your face right now. Your cheeks are rosy pink."

"I believe it."

"Back on topic, the fact that you want to be intimate with him tells me how much you love and adore him."

"Yeah," Annette said with a nod. "He feels the same way about me, but I've had to turn him down twice because we still had cases on the mind."

"Do you have an idea of when you want to give it a try?" Anya asked.

"Maybe New Year's Eve," Annette replied. "I imagined the thought of us entering our first new year together as a couple being as close as we could possibly be. I guess I want him to know how much I love him and how much he means to me, but just like our first kiss, I wanted it to be at a time when we're not thinking about work.

"Tell me, is it a crazy idea?"

A moment of pause caused Annette to gulp, her palms growing sweaty against the winter chill.

"Just a little bit, but then again, love is crazy in its own right, Annette," Anya replied. "If you both feel that way about each other, what's truly stopping you besides the UnSubs and their bad timing?"

Annette looked at her, and Anya saw the answer in her eyes without her having to say a word. When Annette nodded, Anya took a hold of her hand and squeezed it; her way of reminding her that everything would eventually work out in the end.

"Now, let's get back inside before we both catch a cold and give Rossi a reason to kick both of our asses."


A sudden cry from the living room broke the moment of tranquility as Rossi and Spencer were gathered around the dining table with the Lennoxes following dinner. They all looked to see Nick and Carly tending to Layla.

"Uh-oh. Is she having one of her fits again, Carly?" Belinda asked.

"She is," Carly replied with a sigh.

"Want some of the wine?" Rossi teased.

"I might want a glass fairly soon," Carly replied with a chuckle.

"Make that two," Nick announced.

Annette mused for a moment before hopping off the stool she was sitting on and making her way towards them with Anya following suit.

"May I? There's something that I want to try."

She held her hands out, and Carly nodded, carefully setting her in her arms. Once Annette secured her, she gently patted her back and began to sway her body from side to side. When Layla refused to calm down, Annette took a deep breath, and began to sing softly into her small ear.

"How long will this take? How much can I go through? My heart, my soul aches. I don't know what to do."

Anya sang the next five words alongside her.

"I bend, but don't break, and somehow I'll get through, 'cause I have you.

"And if I had to crawl, well, you'd crawl too. I stumble and I fall. Carry me through. The wonder of it all is you see me through."

Layla eventually stopped crying, and Annette smiled as she continued to sway her body.

"Good song to sing," Anya pointed out.

"She has a gift. I didn't know that about her," Rossi said to Ben and Belinda, causing them to smile.

Spencer was in awe of her as he watched her coo and cradle Layla; just a few verses of a song that he didn't recognize in a gentle, siren-like voice, and she could calm anyone down if she wanted to.

"Well, I think I'm going to turn in a little early tonight," Annette announced as she handed a sleeping Layla back to Carly. "This was a wonderful Christmas Eve, and I'm looking forward to spending Christmas with all of you. See you all in the morning."

With that statement, Annette hugged everyone, and she offered her hand to Spencer, which he took. She then led him upstairs to the guest room they were staying in.

"Do you think we'll get a little bundle of grandbaby joy this year?" Ben asked in a teasing tone, causing Belinda to smack him in the arm.

"As much as I would love to be a grandmother, I would like Annette to enjoy her youth while she still can," Belinda replied.

"Belinda, honey, you know this job could make her miss that opportunity," Ben countered.

"I know."

"She still has time," Rossi interjected. "Plus, Belinda is right. At twenty-five, Annette is still fairly young, and I think Reid is helping her realize that she can have a life outside of the Bureau.

"Hell, it's because of her that he finally has a life outside of those sea of books of his."

"He's the best thing that ever happened to her," Anya said. "Annette came back from the ashes as a stronger and better person thanks to him."

"I can tell that they truly love each other," Carly said as she rocked Layla, while Nick helped prepare a bottle of formula. "Even when the odds are stacked against each other, they'll find a way to pull through."

"The case we worked on back in Vegas is definite proof of that," Rossi pointed out. "Well, I'm up for another round of wine if you're all in."

"Top me off, David," Ben announced, holding up his empty glass.


"You're so beautiful it should almost be illegal," Spencer said as he eyeballed Annette lying down on the king-sized bed with the blanket and duvet pulled back. She was in a loose, gray, graphic T-shirt and a pair of coffee-themed pajama pants.

"If it is illegal for me to be as beautiful as you declare me to be, then why don't you cuff me?" Annette asked in a teasing tone, which made him gulp out of both anxiety and excitement as he proceeded to lay down next to her.

"I think my version of cuffing you would be to just keep you in bed with me."

Annette chuckled.

"Excited for our first Christmas together as a couple?"

"I am," he replied with a smile.

"Me too. This Christmas Eve has been wonderful, and I'm looking forward to tomorrow."

A shiver tore through her spine thanks to the chill of the evening, and he got closer to her, pulling both the blanket and the duvet over the both of them.

"It took me a while to decide what to get you. I had to quadruple check your bookshelves just to make sure I didn't get a duplicate."

"I can't wait to find out," Spencer whispered. "I just want to say that you were amazing when you sang Layla to sleep. Your voice is just so mesmerizing."

"Thanks. Singing is one of my hidden talents. Only a select few people outside of my family know about it, and as you found out, the old man didn't even know."

"I wonder what else I don't know about you."

"A woman's heart is a deep ocean of secrets, Spencer. That's something I learned from the movie, Titanic."

He recognized the movie; another Leonardo DiCaprio movie that came out a year after Romeo and Juliet. They initiated a fictional love story with the sinking of the ship, and it was one hell of a success back then. Even after all these years, it was still a big hit.

"What is it about you and Leo DiCaprio movies?"

"Probably because a young Leo DiCaprio reminds me so much of you," Annette replied. "The main difference is I got a better package deal with you."

She didn't miss the intrigued expression on his face as he rubbed the tip of his nose against hers.

"Really? If we watched the movie for New Year's Eve, would you be swooning more over me or him?"

"I can imagine you in his place and me in Kate Winslet's place," Annette replied.

She felt her cheeks heat up when she recalled a particular scene in the movie, and she bit her lower lip.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing big. I was recalling a particular, sensual scene in the movie."

"Would you still want to watch it with me for New Year's Eve?"

"Yes. Of course. I wouldn't pass that up for the world, especially if it's with you. Could we get Indian food to go along with it?"

"Ooh. You know I wouldn't pass up good Indian food with you."

"Then it's a date."

Eventually, exhaustion was beginning to catch up to her thanks to their busy day from earlier, and she felt her eyelids beginning to grow heavy.

"Looks like someone is sleepy."

Annette nodded and she let out a small groan.

"Get some sleep. We have an early day tomorrow."

He planted a gentle kiss on her brow, and she allowed herself to fall asleep. His heart was racing at how close she was in combination with his growing desire for her. Thanks to the holidays, neither of them had a case to fret over. However, as time passed, his feelings only grew stronger, and he could only hope he could last one more week, especially when she was becoming more and more alluring by the second.

She turned over so that she was on her back, turning her face away from him. When he buried his head near the crook of her shoulder, Spencer felt her racing pulse, realizing that she was feeling what he was feeling. His breathing was heavy as he took in her familiar scent, and as he wrapped his arm around her waist and got comfortable, he let the fantasies play in his mind as he drifted off to sleep.


It was a bright and clear Christmas morning. Presents were exchanged following a homemade breakfast by the Lennox women. Nick and Carly were given new sets of baby clothes for Layla (the dresses courtesy of Annette); Ben received a toolkit he was eyeing for quite some time; Belinda received a new dress, a pair of wedges and a couple new jewelry pieces; Anya received some gift cards and a new set of books to read, and Rossi received some new wine and scotch whiskey bottles to add to his already growing collection.

"I think that leaves Romeo and Juliet," Nick announced.

Annette handed Spencer a Christmas-themed bag with tissue paper poking out from up top.

"Merry Christmas, babe."

He pulled the tissue paper and pulled out a book, which happened to be The Mystery of Cloomber by Arthur Conan Doyle.

"My purchasing the Sherlock Holmes series during the fireworks festival happened to trigger a light bulb."

"I don't have this one, and I don't even recall reading this one yet. Thanks, Annette."

"You're welcome."

"Guess it's my turn."

He pulled out a square box with a ribbon tied up top, and Annette pulled the lid off fairly easily. When she looked inside, she covered her mouth in surprise when she saw that it was a sterling silver snake chain bracelet with a charm that read, I Love You in the middle of two identical heart charms.

"Spencer…"

"Want me to put it on for you?"

"Yeah."

He pulled the bracelet out of the box, and she held her right wrist out for him. He unclasped the bracelet and wrapped it around her petite wrist, and he saw that it fit perfectly.

"It's beautiful. Thank you. You didn't have to do that. Getting my family, Nick, Carly and Layla out here was the best present you could have given me."

"I know, but I wanted to get you something.. I thought it would suit you perfectly when I saw it.

"Merry Christmas, love."

She leaned forward and kissed him.

"This has been the best Christmas with you that I could ever ask for."


End Notes: Aww...so much fluff galore! It's not going to stop there, as there's going to be more in the next chapter, which will be out in a day or so! Check back! The song that Annette sings to coo Layla is called Crawl (Carry Me Through) by the band, Superchick.