Warning: Very vague references to self-harm.

Note: For those of you wanting to see a physical pay-off between Spencer and Derek, there will be one eventually. If you can't wait that long, I've posted a sweet and smutty one-shot called "Sunday" under the M rating. Enjoy!

Her name was Dr. Genevieve Monroe, and Derek liked her on sight. She was a petite blond woman in her mid-forties with a slight resemblance to JJ, a firm handshake, and a warm smile. The best thing about her was that she had been able to fit Spencer in for an appointment less than 24 hours after they had called.

The waiting room of her private practice was small and as comfortable as one could expect. Derek made himself at home with a cup of coffee, an ESPN magazine, and a muted TV playing a generic sitcom while he waited for the young man's appointment to be over. He couldn't help but feel nervous, his eyes darting over to the doorway every few minutes, waiting for Spencer to emerge.

Right before Spencer had disappeared with the doctor, he had hesitated and looked to Derek as though he wished the older man was coming with him. Derek was glad he hadn't asked – he wasn't sure what the doctor's policy was, but if he was allowed in he wasn't sure he would have had the strength to say no, and he knew that this was something important for Spencer to do on his own.

They must have been in her office for over an hour, at least a couple soundless sitcoms worth of time, when the two of them walked back into the waiting room, Spencer with a stoic expression on his face and Dr. Monroe with the same warm, reassuring smile. "My assistant will call you to make your next appointment," she said, stopping to shake Spencer's hand. Derek walked over to them and she shook his hand as well, looking him right in the eye. "Thank you both for coming." Derek realized she knew that it had been him who had encouraged Spencer to make the appointment.

As they walked out of the office Derek put a hand on Spencer's shoulder and squeezed lightly. "Everything go okay?" he asked.

Spencer shrugged. "Depends on you definition of okay, I guess," he replied.

They climbed into the car and Spencer immediately leaned his head against the window, the exact same position he had taken up the night when Derek had first confronted him. "Do you want to get something to eat?" Derek asked, determined to get Spencer out of the house for more than just a doctor's appointment.

"No thanks, home is fine."

Derek kept his disappointment to himself as they pulled out of the parking lot. Spencer offered no more information about his session with Dr. Monroe, and Derek didn't push him. When they were about halfway back to Spencer's apartment, Derek's phone rang. He snapped it open and the first thing he heard was JJ's voice say, "I'm really sorry."

"JJ?" Derek saw Spencer quickly turn to face him out of the corner of his eye.

"Is everything okay?" she asked.

"Yeah…everything's fine."

"Good. Look, I know it's bad timing but a huge case in Miami just came up and Hotch really needs you back."

Derek felt pin prickles of dread creep down his throat, but said, "When do we leave?"

"Tonight," JJ said, then sighed. "Like I said, I'm really sorry. I know you don't want to leave Spence alone right now."

"What's going on, we got a case?" Derek eyed the young man who was now sitting up anxiously.

"Was that Spencer?" JJ asked. "Tell him not to worry. Hotch wants to give him more time."

"I don't think that's going to go over so well," Derek said evenly.

"Well then tell him staying home is a direct order…because it is."

Derek sighed. "What time is the flight, JJ?"

"8 pm."

"I'll be there." He hung up.

He could feel Spencer's eyes boring into him so hard his skin almost twitched. "What's going on?" the young man asked.

Derek didn't move his eyes from the road. "Hotch requested me for a case in Miami. I have to leave tonight."

A long moment of silence. "Just you?"

Derek nodded, feeling very uncomfortable. "JJ says he wants you to take some more time off."

"Don't I get any say in that?" his voice was icy.

"You can fight Hotch on it if you want to, but you know it won't do any good. He's not going to let you come." His eyes flicked over to take in Spencer's stony expression. "And I suppose it won't make a difference to you to say I agree with him."

"You guys both need to stop treating me like I can't take care of myself."

"Prove that you can take care of yourself and we'll stop treating you like you can't." He immediately felt that he had been too harsh with the kid and wanted to take it back, but he couldn't. It was out there.

Spencer sat back in his seat and folded his arms across his chest. "I think you should drop me off and go," he said quietly.

"The flight's not until tonight. I don't have to leave right away."

"I'm sure you still have some packing to do. And you'll need to stop at your neighbor's to check in on Clooney."

"It won't take that long."

"I'm asking you not to come home with me."

They were pulling into Spencer's lot, and everything was starting to seem like de ja vu all over again. "Aren't you the one who asked me to go with you to your appointment?"

"And you did. So thank you."

"And didn't we just have this conversation and I told you I wasn't going to leave you alone?"

"You are leaving me alone. You're going to Miami."

Derek pulled into a parking space so fast it threw Spencer back in his seat. He killed the engine and immediately turned on the younger agent. "That's work, and I don't want to go. I want to stay here with you, and if you can't realize that you aren't the genius you pretend to be."

"You can do whatever you want to, Derek. I'm not going to stop you." Spencer's eyes were hard. "I'm tired of you taking care of me and I'm tired of being a burden."

Derek's jaw dropped. "You're not a burden, I never said that!"

"You didn't have to." Spencer turned and got out of the car before Derek could stop him. "I'm going to take care of myself this time," he said. "Good luck in Miami."

Derek leaned across the seat, feeling anxiety clutching his gut. "Please be careful pretty boy," he pleaded.

"I'm back on my meds and I'm going to keep seeing Dr. Monroe. I'll be okay."

"I'm going to come see you as soon as I get back," Derek vowed.

Spencer nodded. "I need some time alone anyway. I have a lot of thinking to do."

"Just remember that Garcia is staying here and if you need someone she'll be over in a heartbeat."

"Thanks for lining up a sitter."

Derek wanted to throttle him. "Spencer, I care about you. I want you to be okay. Please understand that. It's all I want, pretty boy. You know I'm not going to walk away from you."

Spencer nodded. "So you said."

"It's true."

Spencer paused and stared at Derek, his lips suddenly quirking into a bitter grin. "You want to know how my appointment went today?"

"You know I do."

"Dr. Monroe wants me to consider checking myself in to a facility in West Virginia. Still so sure you don't want to walk away?"

Derek's mouth went dry. "Spencer, I can cancel on Miami."

"Don't. People need you."

"You need me."

"It's my decision."

Derek nodded. "I know. I know it is." He sighed. "I'll be back in a few days and we can talk about it then," he promised.

Spencer merely nodded.

"Take care of yourself kid, and call me if you need anything."

The younger man shut the car door and turned to leave without another word. Derek watched his retreating form as he walked into the front door of his apartment building and wanted to scream. Just another wrench thrown into everything else. And now he was being called away to Miami.

He turned the car engine back on and reluctantly backed out of the parking spot. Maybe, if nothing else, this would prove to Spencer that he would come back to him.

TBC