Chapter twenty-three
Ponce de Leon Co-op
4514 Connecticut Ave NW
Washington, DC
Spencer
When they got to his place Garcia had to park and hand over the keys so he could get his bag out of the trunk. When he closed the lid Susanna was standing next to the car, facing him. "Are you okay?"
She nodded. "I just…I don't…how to…will I…?"
He took a wild guess. "…ever see me again?" She nodded, looking almost close to tears. He tried to keep it light. "You mean other than tomorrow at work?"
She managed a smile and relaxed a trifle. "You know what I mean."
"I was hoping you'd let me show you the city, you know, and curry and tapas and dinosaurs…and, um…" Her smile was growing as she relaxed further. "…I'll have to look at that list again. I'll warn you now; Africa is going to take a bit."
Now he had her laughing. "That's all right; we can start with the neighborhood."
"Deal, let's get through the next day or two and then we'll figure out when, okay?"
She nodded, much happier than before. "May I hug you?"
Spencer froze. Almost instantly he felt Diane Turner's hand on his skin. "Yes." He said.
Her embrace was gentle and tentative and slow. He felt like he was being held by butterfly wings, like he was holding the most fragile glass. He just had to breathe... "You too?" She murmured.
Before he had a chance to ask what she meant she was stepping back. "You'll be all right tonight. Garcia is great." He told her.
"I know." She replied. "Henry told me. Good night Spencer."
"Good night."
Text from:Reid, S
Text to: Garcia,P
Did you make it home?
Text from: TheQueen
Text to: JuniorG
Yep. Safe and sound
Text from:Reid, S
Text to: Garcia,P
Doors and windows locked?
Text from: TheQueen
Text to: JuniorG
Yep
Text from:Reid, S
Text to: Garcia,P
Security system set?
Text from: TheQueen
Text to: JuniorG
Reid, she's fine. She's in the shower, I'm heating up soup and making up the couch and then we're going to eat and talk about tomorrow and get a good night's sleep. I know she's new to the city but I've lived in cities All My Life and I know how to take care of my space. You will see her tomorrow. Good night.
Text from:Reid, S
Text to: Garcia,P
You know she sleeps to the radio, right?
Text from: TheQueen
Text to: JuniorG
She's not a puppy, Reid! Go to bed!
BAU Headquarters
FBI building
Quantico, VA
The next day was Thursday. JJ was taking the rest of the week off to spend time with her family. Hotch stopped Spencer on the way in. "How's Susanna?"
"I don't know. She's with Garcia."
"If you need to take some time to help her settle safely…"
Spencer relaxed a little. He had been concerned… "I might take tomorrow if she needs it."
Hotch nodded. "Better an ounce of prevention now."
Text from:Reid, S
Text to: Garcia,P
Everything OK?
Text from: TheQueen
Text to: JuniorG
Yep! Just picked up a cane and a slate. Next is clothing, shoes, hats, and a phone, lunch and then we're there. Tonight we go meet Cheryl and see the house. No ID paperwork yet so tomorrow is ID, bank, room stuff and moving in.
Text from:Reid, S
Text to: Garcia,P
May I go with you tonight?
Text from: TheQueen
Text to: JuniorG
Susanna says yes.
Spencer, Blake and Morgan were sifting through the evidence coming in from all the houses where the boys had been, evidence about the Black Knights. And Rossi was… "He's what?" Blake asked.
"Playing that video game," Morgan replied. "They found a copy in the Holman house."
"And Rossi is playing it?" The two men nodded. Blake was astonished. "I would have thought Garcia…"
"No." Spencer told her. "Rossi is our first-person shooter expert."
"Wow."
Text from:Reid, S
Text to: Garcia,P
Everything OK?
Text from: TheQueen
Text to: JuniorG
Yes Dad. We're ahead of schedule. Stopping for a haircut.
Text from:Reid, S
Text to: Garcia,P
You?
Text from: TheQueen
Text to: JuniorG
Her.
Spencer stood there blinking at his phone. "What?" Morgan asked him. "You know my baby girl is careful, the first sign of something hinky and she'll call in the cavalry."
"Actually at the moment it's Garcia I'm afraid of."
Morgan came, looked over his shoulder. "What do you care what your 'friend' looks like, so long as she's comfortable?"
"I don't! I just…I…" But her hair was so beautiful; it was this waterfall of white floss. He'd never had a chance to see if it was as warm and soft as it looked…
"Uh huh," Morgan shook his head. "Give it up, Reid. It's okay to be attracted to someone."
"You shouldn't be attracted to someone for their looks." Spencer protested. "It's better to be attracted to their mind and their heart."
"And after all this you're not?" Spencer was silent. "Uh huh."
"We both have a lot on our plate right now."
"She does." Morgan agreed. "I'm not saying don't go slow here."
"Good."
"I'm just saying it's okay to heal."
Text from: TheQueen
Text to: JuniorG
Can I program your number into her phone?
Text from:Reid, S
Text to: Garcia,P
Please do.
Spencer's phone rang. "Hey JJ. Everything OK?"
"Yeah, everything's fine." JJ had that quiet, thoughtful sound in her voice. "I just…have I been acting like a jerk to Susanna?"
"Um, you're asking the wrong person."
"It's just that every time I look at her I remember that cult and how they took Henry and all the rest and I just…I know she helped him but I just…"
"JJ, give yourself time. It's okay."
"It doesn't feel okay."
"I think it will."
Text from: TheQueen
Text to: JuniorG
Come downstairs, we need your help at the visitor's desk.
Spencer got downstairs just as Susanna was climbing out of Esther's front seat. Even from the lobby he could tell that some of her confidence had returned. "Nice hat." He called to her. It was a wool thing with a huge brim, shading her skin from her natural enemy, the sun.
She turned toward his voice. "Spencer?" She asked with a smile. "Penelope said it goes with this coat, a princess coat, whatever that means."
"I have no idea. Want some help getting inside?"
"Please. Penelope was going to go park, she said the lot was icy."
Once inside she peeled out of the black coat and her hat. Spencer found himself blinking. "You look really nice." He murmured.
"Thank you." She was wearing a two-part dress, like the cult uniform she was so used to, and the skirt was long and slightly full, but there the resemblance ended. This dress was brown corduroy, probably as comfortable as his favorite pants, over a simple turtleneck and tall boots. "Penelope said I don't look twelve anymore."
She didn't. She looked her age now, in her twenties, mature but somehow utterly…womanly to him, somehow. "But you don't feel like you're in your underwear?"
"Not at all," she chuckled. "Pastor Goodwin always preached that if you went out in the world you either had to dress like a man or like a prostitute, because you couldn't dress modestly like we always did, it wouldn't be available or allowed." She laughed a little. "I shouldn't be surprised to find another lie."
"It looks like you did all right."
"Oh, Esther's trunk is full of more than all right. I even decided to be daring and try a couple of skirts." She said the last in a whisper.
"That's daring?"
"It is in my world. My old world."
"I thought you were getting a haircut." Her hair still hung down her back to her waist, thank goodness. It was tied back with a crisp, brown ribbon that looked utterly charming. He repressed the urge to play with the ribbon.
"I did. They trimmed a little off the bottom and they cut bangs." That's what was different; there was a thick fringe of hair just over her eyes. "Now it's out of my face."
"And it looks really good."
Now it was her turn to blink. "Did you think I was going to cut it all off?"
"Well I…uh…no, I…"
"I would never!"
"Well, uh…good to know."