Spencer stopped dead in tracks when he saw her. She was standing, leaning against one of the walls, looking down at her phone, her curls falling around her face as she stared intently at the text or whatever it was she was looking at. What she was wearing was the real breath-taker: a black t-shirt with some text on it and a short, very short skirt. He grinned when he saw it "I heart my nerd." Someone from behind him cleared their throat and Spencer turned to look at them before turning back. She had looked up, saw him and was now smiling. He couldn't help but grin either and before he knew it, she was running towards him and leaping into his arms. He stumbled a bit, but caught her and she laughed.

"I have to admit, I didn't think you'd catch me." She murmured, pressing her forehead against his.

"I had to, all these people are looking at us."

"So you probably kiss me. They might cheer."

"I should." And he kissed her. There no cheers but it didn't matter to either of them anyways. She pulled back and smiled. "I've always wanted to do that."

"I'm glad I could help. Although, next time, a little warning. Bad knee and all."

He set her down and she rolled her eyes, keeping her arms around his neck. "I'm so glad you're here."

He kissed her again. "Me too."

"So you promised me an amazing weekend." Ryan said, looking up at him with a slight grin.

"I did. Good thing it's still Friday."

She smacked his chest. "Spence!"

He smiled and grabbed her hand. "I have a plan, but it starts tomorrow, so we can do whatever you'd like tonight."

"What if I just want to stay in and ravage you."

Spencer looked down here, pretending to consider it. "I..I think we could work something out like that, yeah."

Criminal Minds || Viva Las Vegas

Ryan ran her hand up the man's chest and smiled when he opened his eyes. "Hey you."

"Hey."

She kissed above his heart. "I can't sleep."

Spencer nodded and shifted a little before pulling her closer. "Too much on your mind or.."

She nodded, nuzzling into his neck. "This last case really sucked."

Spencer ran his fingers up her spine. "Nightmares?"

She nodded and sighed. "Every night."

Spencer kissed her shoulder and leaned and grabbed his bag. He fumbled through it before grabbing what he was looking for.

"Michael Bridges. He turned 6 in April. He was kidnaped by a woman who had lost her son and had already killed another boy, Ethan Hayes. But we found him and his mother sends me a letter every few months, telling me how he is and how he's doing. Gideon before he left we can't save everyone, but helping remember the ones you can helps. Every night I look at his picture and I realize that because we do this job, he'll be okay...and it makes me feel a little better."

Ryan took the picture and smiled. "He's a cutie."

"I... guess?"

Ryan handed him the picture back and kissed him. "Thank you."

Spencer kissed her head. "I've had my share of nightmares. I know what's it like to feel like you can't keep going, but it's all worth it. Every bad case and every you lose...if you can save someone...you kind of save yourself."

Ryan moved to look at him. "I think you'll end up going back to the BAU."

Spencer looked at her. "And why's that?"

"It's your heart. It's what you were meant to do. Did you just hear yourself? You need it."

"I need my son."

"You can have your son and do the job you're supposed to do." She rested her head on his chest.

"I'm not telling you to stay here or not go to work at the academy Monday. I'm just saying that in a year or two or five... you're going to go back."

Criminal Minds || Viva Las Vegas

Ryan looked up at the facility before looking at Spencer. "I can't do this. What if she hates me? If she hates me, you're going to dump me. I feel it."

Spencer laughed. "She's not going to hate you."

"Yes she is! I... The last book I read was Shel Silverstein, Spencer! Your mother is a.. was a professor! She read you Tennyson at two! I... she's going to hate me."

Spencer wrapped his arms around her waist. "She is not going to hate you. I love you and she's going to see that I'm smiling and I'm happy and she's going to be happy that I'm happy."

Ryan snorted. "And then she's going to ask me who my favorite author is and I'm going to say that I don't read a lot and she's going to hate me."

"Did you ever read any of the King Arthur stories?"

"Lancelot and all the round table and all that stuff?"

"Mmhmm." He kissed her shoulder.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"My mother loves Thomas Malory who wrote Le Morte d'Arthur about King Arthur. She loved it so much that my middle name is Thomas just for that reason. If she asks, just stick with that."

"But that was in high school, Spencer!"

"I'll help you now come on." He let go of her waist and grabbed her hands, tugging her inside the sanatorium.

Ryan squeezed his hand, looking around the thing. Spencer looked back at her. "Don't look so nervous."

"I'm meeting your mother. It's nerve-wracking. I think I might be going cr-"

Her eyes widened at what she was about to say and Spencer chuckled. "Calm down."

"Says the man who will never have to meet my parents." Ryan muttered and grabbed onto his arm. "She's going to hate me."

"She's-"

"Dr. Reid!" Ryan and Spencer turned to see a nurse. He smiled.

"Tara, hi."

Tara looked at the woman before giving the man a brief hug. Ryan narrowed her eyes at the woman before looking at Spencer.

"Tara, this is my girlfriend, Ryan. Ryan, this is my mother's favorite nurse."

Tara smiled at the woman. "Nice to meet you. Diana might be a little aggravated today. The doctor is changing her medications and we haven't found the right combination of the new drugs just yet."

Ryan looked at him. "We should wait then, Spence. She's already going to hate me."

"Is she..." Spencer trailed off, hoping the nurse would understand where he was going.

"She's a little paranoid. I wouldn't mention work or anything, but she's not overly aggressive. She'll probably do good from a visit with you."

Spencer looked at Ryan. "She's fine, see. It'll be okay."

Tara smiled at her. "She'll like you. She'll see him smiling and like you."

"That's what I said. Come on, Ryan. Thank you, Tara."

Ryan gave the lady a look before following the man into the recreation room. She knew which woman was his mother as soon as she saw the woman reading near the window. She looked at Spencer who gave her a comforting smile before kissing her temple.

"It's going to be okay." He murmured near her ear before walking up to the older woman.

"Mom," He addressed her and Diana looked up and smiled.

Spencer!" She stood and hugged the man. Her eyes narrowed as she saw the girl looking at them. "There's a woman following you. She could be from-"

Spencer looked to see Ryan biting her lip. "No, Mom. This is Ryan. You remember, I mentioned her? She's... my girlfriend."

Diana looked over the woman. "Your girlfriend, right."

Ryan smiled and walked up to the two. "Hi, Mrs. Reid, I'm.."

"Ryan, my son's girlfriend. Yes, yes. I know." She said, looking over the woman.

"She's a bit short, don't you think, Spencer? You're so tall and.."

Spencer smiled. "She's 5'2, Mom."

Diana nodded before sitting down, motioning them to sit as well. Ryan gave Spencer a look.

"Told you she wouldn't like me. I'm too short." She muttered into his ear.

Spencer laughed and covered it with a cough when his mother gave him a look.

"So Ryan...Ryan, a unique name for a female."

"Actually, Ryan is a pretty common name for woman, ranking 1229 out of 4276."

Diana gave him a look and Spencer smiled, bashfully. Ryan grinned at him before looking back at Diana.

"I was going to be named Tamara but my uncle died right before my birth and I became his namesake."

Diana nodded. "How honorable."

"Very. I am proud of my name."

Diana nodded. "And what do you do for a living?"

"I, uh..." She remembered how Tara told them that it would be best not to mention work.

"Oh, Mom! I got a new job. I'm teaching now."

Diana's eyes lit up. "A professor? That's wonderful, Spencer."

Spencer nodded. "It's going to be interesting at the very least."

"You'll be a wonderful teacher, Spencer."

"Yes, he will. I think he should wear his glasses everyday."

"Oh, no. Those awful things! I tell him every year to get new ones, but he doesn't listen. Those frames are horrid."

Ryan grinned as Spencer frowned. "I like my glasses. And wasn't it you who told me that I should be who I am. Express my creativity."

"Yes, but you look darling with your long hair. You've had those same frames since you were 10 years old, Spencer."

Spencer pouted. "They were Dad's. You never complained when he wore them."

Diana just shook her head, opening her book again and Ryan kissed his cheek.

"I like them. I think you look very smart in them."

Diana looked at them and smiled. "He is very smart."

"The smartest." Ryan nodded, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I like you. You're not afraid to show affection. It's a good quality. Spencer needs a lot of affection. I'm afraid to say he didn't get a lot as a child."

Spencer looked at his hands and Ryan grabbed one. "I have to admit, I enjoy it as well. I... I love your son, very much."

Diana smiled. "Good, good. Although, if you hurt him, I will find you and -"

"Mom!"

Ryan's eyes widened and her grip on his hand tightened. Diana just smiled and Ryan gulped.

"She's just teasing."

Diana turned back to her book an amused glint in her eye.