Author's Notes: It has been a week since the completion of Annette and Anya's Penance, and I'm sure you guys have been eagerly waiting for this one after how Annette and Anya's Penance ended. Well, you shall wait no longer, as I present to you the first chapter of Part Nine! Brace yourselves for the bumpy ride of angst in this story!
Chapter One: Road Trip
A journey is a person in itself. No two are alike.
-John Steinbeck
Annette breathed out a sigh as she stared at her nineteen fifty-six Cadillac, packed, gassed up, and ready to go to DC. After flying back to Albuquerque from Cleveland, she took a few days to allow herself to recuperate before she started packing. As she sat in one chair on the porch, she felt the urge to cry creeping up on her. Albuquerque was her home; she spent twenty-five years bathing under the sun and being surrounded by the desert and mountain landscape. Now, she was going to be leaving it soon, as she traveled across the country to the greenery and shrubs of DC.
The move also meant she would live with Spencer full time. She thought her living with him during her temporary stay would make things easier, but it only added to her growing anxiety. She wondered if he was as nervous as she was as he prepared for her to travel out there and live with him. The thought of seeing him daily, especially waking up to him every morning, was an enticing thought, but what if things between them fell apart or he became bored with her?
"Spencer won't tire of you, Annette."
Anya's voice cut through the quiet the evening offered, and she turned to look at her as she took a seat in the chair beside her.
"The house definitely won't feel the same without you," she said, staring at the Cadillac. "However, this isn't really goodbye. You'll be back here before you know it."
"I know I accepted the position, Anya, but I am so scared I'll chicken out and change my mind," Annette said.
Anya reached out and grabbed her hand, squeezing it.
"Annette, this is a promotion for you and it will finally resolve the long-distance situation with Spencer. You two will work and live together, which means seeing each other daily.
"And as I just said, he won't tire of you. I think you have been the best thing that has ever happened to him."
Her words hit the nail on the head. Since their reunion just barely a year ago, they've never been able to stay away from each other. Considering it took them six years since their first meeting to reunite, she swore not to let him out of his sight ever again, and she was sure he made the same vow, too.
"And he's been the best thing that ever happened to me. I've never felt this way before, and for a man, of all things. Out of all the men in the world, it had to be him."
"And I'm sure you wouldn't have it any other way, Annette," Anya said with a chuckle, to which Annette shook her head and smiled.
"Can you survive the last two and a half months of your college career without me?"
"I got this, Annette. Don't worry about me," Anya replied. "With the extra classes I took last semester, plus helping you solve the murder case in Cleveland, I can graduate in May."
"I'm proud of you. You've come a long way, sweetheart, and you're going to be great when you finally get into forensics," Annette said.
Anya nodded.
"I hope so."
"Speaking of college, any idea what you're going to do for your spring break vacation?" Annette asked. "I got that week off."
"A couple friends of mine want me to join them for the Spring Break bash in South Padre, an island off the southern coast of Texas," Anya replied. "Would you like to join us?"
"Yeah," Annette replied with a nod. "I've never been to South Padre before, and I've heard there are good places and sightseeing spots on the island as well.
"This also gives me the chance to play guard and keep the alpha frat boys off your back."
Anya couldn't help but laugh as she imagined Annette kicking the crap out of several said boys twice her size.
"Just a few more weeks and I'll be twenty-one," she announced. "I find it hard to believe I'll finally be of legal age to drink."
"And I won't be there to celebrate with you," Annette said, a hint of bitterness in her tone.
"We'll figure something out. I promise," Anya said. "I said I wanted you to be happy, and that is still what I want for my birthday this year. As long as you're happy, that's good enough for me."
Annette nodded, smiling at her as she squeezed her hand.
The sound of the front door opening interrupted the moment, and they looked to see Belinda emerging from inside the house.
"Dinner's ready, girls," she announced, and then she looked at the U-Haul truck.
"My. I still find it hard to believe you'll be moving to DC, Annette. My oldest one is flying from the nest for the next chapter in both her professional and personal career."
"This doesn't mean goodbye, Mom. I may move across the country, but it doesn't mean I won't be back.
"Plus, I know you, Dad, and Anya will come see me in DC again sometime."
"Of course we will, honey. Come on inside and eat before your dinner gets cold."
Annette was lying awake in her room, staring absentmindedly at the ceiling. It was just after midnight, and she could not fall asleep thanks to her mind racing with so many thoughts. If it was midnight here in Albuquerque, it would be just after two in the morning in DC. While it was late, she needed to talk to Spencer and hear his voice. Otherwise, it would be an insomniac episode tonight.
She grabbed her phone off the nearby side table and dialed Spencer's number, getting an answer after the second ring.
"Hello? Annette?"
He answered in a groggy tone, signaling she woke him up.
"Did I wake you up? I am so sorry, Spencer."
"It's okay. I don't care how late it is. If you need to talk, I'm here."
"Okay, and yeah. That is why I'm calling. I need to talk."
"Okay. I'm listening, sweetheart."
"I'm scared, Spencer. I'm terrified about all of this," Annette confessed. "The move, what's coming along with the said move, and what it all means for me, and for us.
"I'm also fearful you'll get bored with me down the line."
"Hey, hey. Shh," he cooed, using the soft tone he always reserved for her whenever she felt antsy. "Everything's going to be okay. The team and I will be with you every step of the way, and I won't tire of you as our relationship continues. From the moment I heard you recite Mad Girl's Love Song the day we first met, you had my heart, even though it took six years for me to realize that."
Annette chuckled, tears forming behind her eyes, and she wiped them away.
"It took me that same amount of time to realize you captured my heart. I've never forgotten how you didn't laugh at me that day, and I didn't really think about it until the day we reunited."
"I love you, Annette, and that will not change. Not now. Not ever."
He spoke the words she desperately wanted to hear, and she could feel her chest easing from the tension plaguing her.
"And I love you, Spencer. I belong at your side, and I will never stray from you, even if another man attempts to charm me."
"Get some sleep, baby. You've got a long trip ahead of you, and you need your rest if you're going to get here safely," Spencer said. "Be prepared when you arrive. The team has plans for a celebration."
Annette chuckled.
"If there wasn't a celebration in mind, something's wrong."
"I'll see you when you get here. I love you."
"I love you too."
She ended the call, a small smile forming on her lips as she set her phone back down on the side table and prepared to go to sleep.
Annette felt the reality of moving crashing down on her like a tidal wave as she drove the Cadillac and entered Interstate Forty, heading east towards DC. The plan was to drive for the entire day, with the usual stops for gas, snacks and bathroom breaks, spend the night at a hotel, and head straight to DC.
Anya rode with her in the passenger's seat of the Cadillac, while Ben drove the Mustang, with Belinda riding with him. The three of them would spend the night in DC and then return to Albuquerque in the Mustang.
As Annette gripped the steering wheel tightly with one hand, Anya reached out to hold her free hand.
"Everything's going to be okay," she said. "This is the beginning of a new chapter in your personal and professional life, and it's all going to work out."
Annette squeezed her hand and nodded, keeping her eyes on the road as she drove.
After a twelve-hour drive, the Lennoxs reached Little Rock, Arkansas, and they decided this would be their stop for the night. They checked into the Embassy Suites Hilton Hotel, and by the time she and Anya entered their suite, Annette practically plopped down on one of the two queen-sized beds in the room.
"This is my only complaint about moving across the country. The long drive," she said. "Feels like it's been longer than twelve hours."
"That's moving for you," Anya said. "On the bright side, we're halfway through the journey. Just another twelve hours and we'll be in DC."
Annette nodded, breathing out a sigh as she stared at the ceiling.
"What are you thinking about?" Anya asked, joining Annette as she sat on the edge of the bed.
"I find it hard to believe I'm moving to DC," Annette replied. "I never thought I'd be joining a team at any point in my FBI career, and now, look at me. A desk will be there for me at my assigned bullpen in Quantico."
"And the said team comprises our BAU father and your boyfriend," Anya said, making Annette chuckle. "So, how do you feel about the fact you'll be living with Spencer full time?"
"Nervous, but also excited," Annette replied. "The fact we'll be living together permanently is a big step in our relationship."
"Even though you've lived together before?" Anya asked.
"That was different," Annette replied. "That was all to get my feet wet working with a team during my temporary stay."
"But you still lived with him," Anya pointed out. "Even though it was temporary back then, you shared the same roof when you lived with him in his apartment."
"I know, but still…"
"The only difference is that it's permanent now. You'll wake up to Spencer's face daily as opposed to twice a week on the weekends."
Annette couldn't help the smile forming on the corner of her lips.
"Are you still concerned the arrangement won't work out?"
Annette was silent, but the silence spoke the answer for Anya.
"If there's one thing I'm sure of, it's that you and Spencer are perfect for each other," Anya assured. "There will always be hurdles to jump in a relationship. What's important is that the two of you will overcome those hurdles together, and I know you will.
"I know, because I know you, okay?"
Annette stayed silent as she shared a look with her. Seeing the look in her eyes as her words slowly sank in, Annette felt a sense of ease as the trembling in her body subsided. Anya reached out to hold her hand, and Annette gave it a squeeze, giving her a smile.
"It's all going to work out, Annette. Spencer loves you, and it's clear how much you love him. Don't let the demon that is your fear hold you back."
Annette was quick to sit up and hug her tightly, to which Anya reciprocated as she smiled.
"For you, Mom, Dad, the old man, Spencer, and the team, I won't run. I swear it."
End Notes: Aww...poor Annette, dealing with the emotional toll that is moving to a new place and having to adapt to change in the process. Check back in a few days for the next chapter!