A/N: This chapter is probably one of my favorite chapters I've ever written. I hadn't planned on it ending this way, but this ending is way better than what I had originally planned. Enjoy! Read and review!
Chapter 5
"A Break of Tradition"
Five days later marked the worst and best day for Spencer. He had been grouchy all day and feeling sick to his stomach. He spent all day trying to swallow his frustrations instead of letting it all out on JJ.
"Spence, do you want something to eat?" JJ called from the kitchen.
"No, thanks," he answered from where he was lying on the couch.
"You sure?" she questioned again.
Sighing exasperatedly, he answered, "Yes."
When she didn't reply, he knew she had sensed annoyance in his voice. He figured apologizing would be his best bet. As soon as he walked in the kitchen, however, he immediately turned around and practically ran to the nearest bathroom.
JJ saw how sick he looked and followed him as he rushed to the bathroom. She knelt beside him and rubbed his back as he violently emptied his stomach of all its contents.
When he was finally done being sick, JJ instructed him saying, "Brush your teeth and rinse your mouth out really well. You don't want any of the leftover taste making you sick again."
She stood by him the whole time, and Spencer began to feel his frustrations melt away. He knew he shouldn't be frustrated with her. All she wanted to do was take care of him and make him feel better.
"I think I'm just going to take a nap," he told her after brushing his teeth, "I don't really have the energy to do much else."
As she tucked him into the bed, she kissed his forehead and said, "Spence, you're running a fairly high fever."
"I can't help it. I'm always going to be hot as long as you're around," he flirted nonchalantly trying to fall asleep.
She giggled and said, "Seriously, Spence. We need to get you cooled down."
Before he had time to realize she had left his side and sit back up, she was returning to his side with two damp washcloths in hand. She placed one on the back of his neck. She then began pressing the other to his forehead, cheeks, and neck trying to cool him down.
As she pressed the washcloth to his cheek again, he grabbed her hand and held it there looking her deeply in the eyes. As he did, she saw something different in his eyes.
"What is it, Spence?" she asked.
"I don't know what I'd do without you. I love you, Jennifer, I really do," he replied quietly.
She smiled, gently kissed his lips, and said, "I love you, too, Spence. Now get some sleep."
A few hours later when the sun had already gone down, Reid woke up from his nap in a cold sweat and extremely grouchy.
When he walked into the living room, JJ asked, "Hey, Spence. Are you feeling any better?"
"No," he answered shortly.
She sensed his anger, assumed it was just because of the withdrawal, and gently asked, "What's wrong?"
"Gee, I don't know, JJ. Maybe it's the fact that I'm constantly in pain because of all this. I'm always sick, cramping up, or dealing with migraines," he snapped.
Trying to keep her voice from cracking, JJ asked, "What can I do to help?"
"Nothing. There's nothing you can do anymore. I can deal with it myself. I don't need you!" he shouted.
Unable to hide how badly his words hurt her, she left the room in tears. She knew it was just the withdrawal talking, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt her.
As soon as the words left his mouth, he instantly regretted it. He quickly followed her down the hallway to the guest bedroom she had locked herself in. He knew he probably should have given her some space for a little while, but he didn't want to make things worse by not apologizing immediately.
He knocked on the door and said, "JJ, please let me in."
She could tell he was just as upset as she was by the way his voice cracked, so she let him in.
"I need to apologize," she said as soon as she opened the door.
"You don't have to do that," JJ responded wiping tears away from her eyes as she sat back down on the bed.
He followed her and sat down beside her on the bed. He wanted to put his arm around her, hold her close, and comfort her, but he couldn't really tell how she would react to that.
"I didn't mean any of what I said, Jennifer," he said staring down at his hands in his lap, "One of the side effects of going through withdrawal is crankiness and irritability. I wasn't thinking clearly. I'll never stop apologizing for what I've done and how I've hurt you."
Before he even had time to process what he was going to say next, JJ had pushed him back onto the bed, pinned his wrists above his head, and straddled his waist.
"JJ, wha…" he began to ask.
She immediately cut him off by kissing him forcefully.
"Promise me you didn't mean it?" JJ said with angry tears still in her eyes.
"Of course, I promise. I didn't mean it, I swear. I love you and will always need you, Jennifer," he said.
"Good answer," she said.
She bent down and kissed him again, only more gently this time. After a couple of minutes, she sat back up and climbed off his lap to sit beside him.
"I knew you didn't mean it, but I just couldn't help but feel hurt," JJ said.
"I understand, Jennifer. I really do. It's all my fault. I'm sorry," he apologized.
"Spencer, this whole situation has made me realize so much. I love you, Spence, with all that I am. I need you just as much as you have needed me this week. I know it's not exactly traditional for me to ask you this, but I'm not wasting this second chance we're lucky to have. Spencer Reid, when all of this is over and our lives are back to normal routines, will you marry me?" JJ asked him with a new kind of tears in her eyes.
"Seriously?" Spencer whispered to which JJ only nodded.
"Of course, I'll marry you Jennifer," Reid said unable to keep himself from smiling.
This time, he pinned her to the bed not hesitating to kiss her.
"It wasn't really traditional at all for you to ask me," he laughed tracing her cheekbones with his fingertips when he broke apart the kiss, "I'm keeping with the tradition of getting you a ring though."
"Deal," she laughed pulling him back down for another kiss.