Strange Encounter - a Criminal Minds fic

Chapter 26

Amelia rolled over and hit the alarm button on her phone. It was Friday, five days since Spencer had went back to DC. 

She swung her legs over the side of her bed and sat there, stretching and checking her phone. She had started back to work that Monday. One downside of working from home, recouping from traumatic events doesn't buy you as much time off as it used to.

She glanced at some emails she'd have to answer, then clicked through her texts. She had one from her dad, who had been staying at her grandparents, just saying good morning. The other..

3:41 AM
Spencer: This case feels like it's never gonna get solved. I'm ready to pull my hair out. Hope your first week back to work has been going well, though.

She read and re-read the message. They hadn't gotten to talk much since he left, he had gotten pulled into a case almost immediately. Amelia was embarrassed to admit how much she missed him, and was thankful to her job for the distraction. She replied, letting him know it was going okay and that she hoped they got a lead soon. 

Putting her phone down, she stared to get ready for the day, showering and pouring herself some coffee while she pet Swoop who hovered on the table. 

Several hours, and dozens of meetings and emails later, Amelia shut her laptop and leaned back in her chair. She stretched her arms above her head but jumped when her phone started to ring. Scared it was her manager she timidly glanced at the screen but froze when she saw the name pop up.

"Spencer?"

They hadn't talked on the phone before, and Amelia was worried something was wrong.

She heard him clear his throat on the other end. "Hey, Lee."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I'm okay, just wanted to hear your voice."

She smiled, happy that he couldn't see her cheesy grin. 

"Well, hello hello. How's it going over there in..."

"Chicago. But, not great.. the case involves Derek's family and it's just.. not adding up." She could hear the exhaustion in his voice, and heard bustling in the background.

"Where are you now?"

"At the police station with JJ and Hotch, trying to make sense of this. I just had to take a step away."

Amelia twirled her hair around her finger. She always felt like she never said the right thing when people were stressed. 

"I'm sorry you guys are stuck. How's Derek doing?" She winced as she asked. Of course he wasn't okay, his family was in the cross fire of the BAU. She knew first hand that couldn't be good.

"As good as can be expected. He's worried, but he isn't going to stop till he figures this out." She heard him let out a sigh. "But anyway, distract me? How's work going?"

So she filled him in on her boring desk job, said how exhausting it's been playing catch up from being out the previous two weeks and how her days were filled with budget meetings and emails. 

"It's kept me busy though, which is good. I pretty much work, eat, sleep, repeat."

"I'm glad you're keeping busy, Lee. I uh, I miss you."

She stood up in her kitchen and did a little happy dance, feeling so lucky that this beautiful man was saying this to her. 

"I miss you too, Spence." She heard a commotion in the background.