~BEXLEY POV~

I followed Spencer to Hotch's office and closed the door behind me as he let down the blinds. I wasn't looking forward to this discussion but I had promised Spencer that I would give him a real chance. This meant letting him in every deep and dark corner.

I sat on the opposite side of the desk and he sat in the seat next to me, keeping a bit of distance while being close at the same time. He waited patiently as I took a deep, shaky breath before starting the story.

"The day started off normal. I was going to see my grandmother after I'd woken up that morning. My dad was gone and I'd assumed that he'd gone off to some other woman's home, to get his drugs, or to some party. I always snuck out of the house when he was gone because it was the only time I ever really got to see her. She was the only one who ever knew about the abuse and desperately wanted to do something about it."

I paused and watched his expressions carefully but saw that he was fully exposed so I could see the hurt in his eyes as he listened. I leaned back in the chair and started again, wishing in that moment that I could run from this situation.

"Every time I came over, we would read Romeo & Juliet. She had bought the soundtrack shortly after my grandfather died because she loved A Time for Us or at least the instrumental. She said it reminded her of true love, which made her think of him."

I stopped to smile at the memory of them dancing to the song when I was five years old. I shook the memory from my mind, knowing that I had to focus on the day I lost her before the happier times.

"When I came in, I saw her lying on the floor with her eyes closed. I tried to feel a pulse and I was too busy trying to see if she was still alive to hear the door close behind me. I was brought back to reality by the familiar feeling of a boot meeting my ribs."

I stopped to look at Spencer and saw that his eyes had changed from sympathetic to angry. I saw that he was digging his nails into his forearms to keep from saying anything. I reached across the desk and grabbed his hand, letting my fingers tangled with his for the sake of comfort. To me or him, I wasn't sure.

"He kicked me again while I lay on the floor and said that she'd threatened to put him back in jail because she wouldn't deal with me being abused. She said she knew where the drugs were that he took and that she would make sure he never hurt me again. He leaned down and punched me in the face, blackening my eyes. I don't remember how many times he hit me or where exactly his boot and fist made contact. He said that if I ever told anyone the truth, he'd make me watch as he killed them. He left after that and the police arrived not long after. I don't remember exactly where he hit me or where he'd kicked me or how long it took for the cops to show up. All I remember is her being dead and when the police showed up, they tried to move me and they said something about my body being covered with bruises and asking me questions. I said I didn't know anything not because of my father's threat, but the fact that I'd called before and it hadn't done any good. He abused me another six years before I ran away and came here. Now, he's looking for me and when he finds me, he's going to kill me because he won't wait a year to get the money."

I finished the story and he gripped my hands as he looked deep into my eyes. "He's not going to hurt you. I'm not going to let that bastard hurt you any more than he already has."

I felt a small, sad smile spread across my face before looking down at the ground. "It's not me I'm worried about."

I squeezed his hand lightly and thought about Eleanor, the B.A.U. team, and the person whose hand I held. I didn't want to lose any of them but I knew that I'd done the one thing I swore I wouldn't do. The one thing I was trying to avoid by leaving the first chance I got was now pointless.

As I held Spencer's hand I knew that I was falling more for him each moment I was around him and if I lost him, I would lose my reason to breathe. He was everything to me and I was going to lose him one way or another.

My phone rang then and I knew that it was Sam calling. I was late for my shift and so I dropped Spencer's hands from mine and gave him a reassuring smile.

I wanted to be angry with him for putting me through the hell of falling for him and then having to lose him. I wanted to blame him for my mother coming back into my life and with her, the painful memories that were to be uncovered. I wanted to hate him for making me tell him about what happened to the one person who ever loved me. But I only had a little more time with him before my father caught up with me or I had to leave. So I wasn't going to spend the little time I had with him arguing. Instead, I would make the best of it so I would remember the last time I heard him laugh before my life came crashing down… again.

"I've got to go while I still have a job. I can come by tonight if you want." I told him as I stood up from the opposite side of the desk, releasing his hands in the process.

He simply nodded and I walked out of the room to head to the small music store that I'd come to love so much.

~SPENCER POV~

It had been three hours since Bexley had told me about how she'd lost her grandmother and every detail of what she'd told me had played in my mind since she walked out of that office building.

I sat at home in front of the small piano that I hadn't sat at since my case with Sammy, waiting for her to come home. I heard her footsteps coming up the stairs of the apartment complex and I heard her open the door to my apartment.

"Hey." She said and I smiled at her before gesturing her over.

She looked at me confused before sitting next to me on the piano bench that JJ had bought to go with the keyboard, despite the fact that it was horribly mismatched. It wound up being one of my favorite things in my entire apartment oddly enough.

"I've been working on something for you since you left the office." I told her and she gave me a disapproving look. "Relax, it didn't cost a penny."

I looked at her and took a deep breath before saying "I wanted to apologize for putting you through telling me about your grandmother today. I decided that this would be a lot better than an actual apology though, so I hope you like it."

She waited patiently and after an encouraging look from her, I began to play the notes that I'd read from the sheet music a long time ago. I'd practiced on it since I got home and silently prayed that I hadn't forgotten anything.

A few minutes later, I looked up from the keys and saw tears in her eyes. I didn't know whether or not to say anything, so I chose to simply stay quiet until at last she smiled.

"I always wanted to hear this melody played in person. Why would you take the time to do this for me?" she asked and I felt my heart race a little. The answer was something short, terrifying, simple, and life changing all in one.

"I love you." Three words were all it took and her eyes grew wide in fear. It was a fear that I had never truly seen before. They were words that I'd never been able to say before and saying them now, I knew for certain that saying them to anyone else would have been wrong.

I began to feel nervous and wished that she would have said anything. I would have preferred anything to the calm yet frightened look she gave me. Then, finally, she wrapped her arms around my neck and our lips met in the most intoxicating kiss I'd ever experienced.

***There's the next chapter everyone. I hope you are all still enjoying the story and wanted to say thank you so much for the reviews on the last chapter. I hope there are many more in the future. Have a great day and don't forget to R&R.