She looked around the apartment she was standing in. Hundreds of books were scattered about, as if someone had gone mad, looking for something they just couldn't find. And maybe he did. The team worked together, tidying, organizing, and slowing bringing life back into Spencer's grieving place. After all these years, he had found someone, perhaps the someone; and their first meeting, he watched her killed before his eyes. He had spent days in his apartment, away from the team. She went daily, occasionally running into Garcia who had dropped off enough fruit and nut baskets for a small army, having done her research about nuts being able to help supply some happy-making chemical in your brain or another. She sat on the other side of the locked door, speaking quietly to Spencer who she could occasionally hear, just barely, moving on the other side.
Inside the apartment, Spencer listened to the words spoken by the woman on the other side of the door. Each time, he had thought he was out of tears, and each time, her voice unlocked a fresh torrent. He grieved. He grieved Maeve deeply. While he had never been able to spend time with her in person, he felt in love with her brain, and thought that she felt the same. Grieving Maeve made him rehash all of his life choices, which then led him too, to grieve the life he had once imagined with J.J. Grieving this in the wake of all that had had him overwhelmed him with guilt. What kind of person, would be thinking about their crush on their married friend, after seeing his girlfriend shot to death in front of him? It was a whirlwind, of emotions, a tsunami, and he felt as though he would never be able to catch his breath again.
After the team finished, and the house was righted, with the scent of a vanilla candle, compliments of Garcia, floating through the air, the team said their goodbyes. J.J. Was the last team member to be standing between the living room and kitchen with Reid. "I guess you should be going, I know you have people waiting for you at home. I can't thank you enough for all of your help.". She met eyes and saw the sadness, threatening to overcome him at any moment, and so she said "Will's at work, and there's a sitter at the house. Would you mind if I stayed a bit?". For the first time in weeks, she saw a shy smile being to tug at the corners of his mouth. "Movie night?" He asked, and she kicked off her shoes and padded over to the couch. They ordered a pizza, and watched some corny sci-if movie, which J.J. Had to admit, actually wasn't bad. They'd opened a bottle of wine, that had come with one of Garcia's many baskets, and finished off not only the bottle, but a whole pizza. The disc turned over, and began to play the sequel on the double-sided DVD. J.J. Let out a small groan and leaned over dramatically, resting her head on her friend's shoulder ever so slightly. "I'm stuffed!" She complained. "Hey I warned you against that sixth piece of pizza" Spencer quipped, poking her slightly in the ribs. "I should go home soon, but I need to let some of this digest before I can drive!" J.J. Said laughingly. "Well" Spencer announced proudly "It would seem you have another one hour and fifty-seven minutes to let this happen. Now pay attention or you'll miss the beginning of the plot". J.J. Chuckled and turned her eyes to the T.V. Before long, Spencer felt her breathing change, and heard a quiet snore. He reached for the blanket on the back of the couch, attempting to be careful not to disturb the sleeping beauty who's head was still on his shoulder. As he reached, she shifted slightly. He froze, afraid he had woken her. But she simply let out a small sigh, and snuggled closer into his side, now resting her head on his chest. Little did Spencer know, that J.J. Did wake up. She woke up long enough to realize that she had fallen asleep on him, and she decided that just this once, she would let herself. They'd all been through so much lately, and albeit perhaps selfish, she just wanted to breath in his sent, and feel the rise of his chest underneath her. "Just a few moments" she told herself, before she felt the blanket pulled on top of her, and quickly faded back into a peaceful sleep. Spencer leaned back further into the corner of the couch, allowing his arm to go around J.J., his hand resting on her waist. He looked at the woman curled up on his couch, curled up to him, and for a moment, everything faded away. He closed his eye himself, telling himself he would wake her up after the movie, but wanting to soak up every moment of this he could. That was his last thought before he, too, fell asleep.
When he woke, he was confused to find the sunlight coming through his living room blinds. He sat up stiffly and stretched, spying a note on his coffee table. In a messy handwriting he immediately recognized, it read:
"Spence, you looked so peaceful I couldn't wake you. Sleep well, I'll see you at work"
J.J. Had woken in the middle of the night to a car alarm going off in the street. She checked her phone, 2 missed calls from Will and 5 texts. Below, a text from Emily, "Will called worried that you never came home. Told him we got caught up at Spencer's and you probably stayed to hang out and fell asleep. Text me and let me know you're safe." She quickly typed out replies to them both and hit send. She quietly put her shoes on and let herself out of the apartment. She felt cold, and a little bit empty. She always felt like she was leaving a piece of herself behind when leaving Spencer, and tonight was a little worse than usual. She got into her car, and turned the ignition.
I've been sleepwalking Been wandering all night Tryna take what's lost and broke and make it right I've been sleepwalking, too close to the fire But it's the only place that I can hold you tight In this burning house, flames are getting bigger now In this burning house, I can hold on to you somehow In this burning house, I don't wanna wake up
