Spencer had never slept in complete darkness. He'd always maintained the same Enterprise night light since childhood, not The Enterprise-D from The Next Generation but the ship from The Original Series. It glowed white in one corner of his room like a trusted beacon of friendship.

JJ didn't have a night light in her room. She had blackout curtains on her windows because she'd said she couldn't sleep with light in the room. He'd never thought this might be an issue for them, but he hadn't thought that far ahead in their relationship until tonight.

They'd returned from Ozona, Texas, and had gone out for a late meal after paperwork. Spencer wanted to go home, but JJ dragged him out because he needed something to take his mind off Elle.

"I'm fine," he'd insisted.

"No, you're not. None of us are okay, Spence."

"I'll go if you tell me why you're afraid of the woods," he countered.

JJ had stopped in her tracks, and irritation in her stare almost made him say, "I'm sorry," but then she snapped. "Not funny."

"I wasn't trying to be funny. You tell me your secret, and I'll tell you mine."

She blew out an annoyed breath. "Fine, but we're going to dinner and then to my place, got it."

"Okay."

Spencer had been to her place twice but never stayed the night. After their meal, she ensured they went to bed instead of discussing their fears. They'd had sex before, but always at his place.

"God," JJ breathed when Spencer rolled away from her. "That was spectacular."

"Much better than our first time," he agreed as he stared into the darkness around them.

"Oh yeah, we're getting better and better," JJ laughed. "Also, you're not freaking out in total darkness. What's up with that?"

"Not sure, to be honest. I guess I care more about you than my environment."

"Good," she giggled.

"I get it," he tugged her onto his chest. "But, one good experience doesn't wipe out trauma."

"Tell me."

"You sure you want to talk about this after sex?"

"I'm sure, Spence."

"I'm not sure I am. It's not something I've told anyone outside of my mom and the Las Vegas Police."

JJ squeezed him tight, and for the first time, he felt like someone truly cared about him. "I was twelve. It was my first day in high school. I had no chance against the boys in my class. They grabbed me as soon as school was over, and I stepped off the school grounds to walk to the bus stop. They threw me into the back of a car and drove me to an abandoned flour mill outside of town. They tied me up, blindfolded me, and left me there.

"Jesus, Spence! I'm so sorry I – "

"I escaped because I love magic. I knew how to get out of restraints, and once I calmed down, it was easy. It was night by the time I started for the highway. You don't understand the kind of darkness I experienced. I was far enough from the city that there was no light pollution, and it was a new moon."

"Babe," JJ whispered, and he heard the tears in her voice.

"Even if you let your eyes adjust, you can't see. I don't know how I made it to the highway. It must have been the starlight, or – I don't know. I was lucky because a patrol car found me near dawn after I'd fallen more times than I could count. I was dehydrated and almost unconscious."

"Did you – "

"No, I refused to give the cops names. I knew what would happen to me if I did. Returning to school after spending a week recovering was like hell."

"I'm sorry I teased you in front of Morgan, Spence. I didn't – "

"Don't," he kissed her forehead. "Now you know why I carry my messenger bag everywhere. There's a flashlight and extra batteries inside. I'm thinking about getting one of those rechargeable lights!"

"It's not funny," JJ complained.

"Hey," Spencer stroked her arm. "It's alright. One day, I'll overcome my fears, and then I'll have to work on my dread of germs."

JJ laughed and lightly smacked his chest. "Stop it!"

"I needed to make you laugh."

"None of that was funny. I can't believe you had to deal with those – jerks."

"it's over," Spencer said.

"Now I feel stupid," JJ said.

"Why?"

"Because the reason I'm afraid of the woods is because Roz told me about the Boogeyman that lived in the woods near our farm. I was six, and I believed every word of it. I should know better, right."

"JJ, childhood traumas are the strongest. It's no wonder you're afraid."

"Yeah, well, I need to get over it already, don't you think?"

"I do if you're ready. If you're not, you do more harm than good."

JJ sighed and kissed him. "I hate that you know everything."

"I don't know everything," he squeaked, and JJ laughed. "Almost everything."

"I didn't know –" Spencer whispered something in her ear that made her laugh. "Until you showed me the last time we went to my place."

"I showed you because I didn't know your true nature, smarty pants."

Spencer rolled her over and began to tickle her torso. JJ laughed so hard she could barely speak. "S-stop it!"

"Are we done sharing childhood traumas," Spencer asked after another languid kiss.

"Yep."

"Good, because I have my second wind, Jennifer."

"Oh, you only call me that when you want –" She slid her hand down to meet her favorite playmate.

"God," he breathed as she warmed her hand on hot flesh.

"It's still dark, you know," she teased.

"Don't care."

"See, all better!"