Strange Encounter - a Criminal Minds fic

Chapter 48

Amelia paced the length of her apartment, not able to focus on packing. Spencer was due within the next hour, and she had to gather her thoughts in order to explain everything to him calmly. She had jot a few things down in a notebook, a timeline of the flowers and calls and her conversation with Christopher. As she continued pacing the doorbell rang and she froze. It was too early to be Spencer, and he would've texted. She grabbed her switchblade from her purse and made her way downstairs to the front door.

Peering through the window she let out a long exhale and opened the door.

"Hi, can I help you?"

A UPS driver stood there with a box in her hands.

"Yep, just need a signature. Apartment 2?"

"That's me" Amelia said, signing the tablet the woman held out to her. "Thanks!"

She took the box back upstairs. She grabbed a pair of scissors from the top of a pile of boxes and opened it, digging through the tissue paper. She pulled out a series of framed photos, unsure of what she was looking at. Once she was able to place the images she dropped them as if they were on fire.

Several 8x10 colored photos were encased in new, metal frames. The photos, though.. they were what scared her. One was of her, Spencer, and Miranda at the bonfire a few weeks prior, close enough to make out the stray chocolate on her chin from a s'more she had eaten. Another was of her dad, helping her abuela wash dishes taken from somewhere inside the house. Yet another was of a small blonde boy, sitting in a high chair with a blonde woman.. Amelia's stomach fell, realizing it was Henry and JJ. They went on, all photos of her loved ones and members of the BAU, all taken in close proximity or from inside their houses.

At the bottom of the box was a different frame, golden, with a photo of Spencer. He laid on his back, one arm thrown over his face as he slept. The alarm clock on his nightstand read 3:24 AM. Whoever took the photo held a switchblade right above his heart, hovering centimeters away from his skin. Amelia felt something on the back of the frame and turned it over, finding a sticky note.

"This was too easy. Better run." was scrawled in neat handwriting.

In that moment, Amelia knew what she had to do.

♡

Amelia had quickly drove to her storage unit and deposited the box of photos. As she pulled up back outside of her apartment she saw Spencer getting out of his car. She took a deep breath and held it, knowing she had to keep it together for his sake.

"Lee!" He called, not realizing she had seen him.

She didn't say a word, just wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest, breathing in his smell. The soft flannel of his shirt rubbed against her cheek, and he smelled of peppermint tea and cologne.

"I missed you too, baby" he chuckled as he hugged her back.

"Hi" she whispered as she looked up at him. "Let's head in."

Inside, they got to work disassembling furniture to load onto the moving truck the next day. As Spencer picked up a trash bag to take outside he heard clattering.

"What's in here?"

"Oh, Swoop knocked my dishes over" Amelia said, rolling her eyes.

Spencer rubbed the top of the cat's head, speaking in a baby voice. "Nooo, not my Swoops, he would never."

Amelia watch the scene, her heart tugging at the sight. She quickly turned around and busied herself with labeling boxes.

The rest of the night went by in a pattern of pack, label, stack, repeat. By 11 pm they'd had the entire apartment packed, cleaned, and ready to load the next morning. Spencer straightened up the mattress on the floor of the living room while Amelia showered. He glanced around the apartment, surprised that he found himself feeling nostalgic. He'd slept next to Amelia for the first time in this living room, on the couch. They'd eaten more cheesesteaks in here than in his whole life put together. He knew if he was feeling this way, she must be feeling even more emotional. He touched his hand to his pocket, feeling the small rectangular box.

Amelia walked in then, dressed in clean sweatpants and Spencer's old FBI training academy sweatshirt. She threw herself onto the mattress and let out a breath.

"Thank god that's over with" she muttered.

Spencer laid down on his stomach next to her, and looked down at her. "How you feelin?"

He saw her clench her jaw before answering.

"Oh, you know, not great but, uh, excited. It's just.. hard. Leaving home" she choked on her words, tears forming in her eyes. Spencer pulled her into his chest, and she buried her face in his shirt.

She grabbed fistfuls of it, scared to let go. She was losing so much more than her home, and it was starting to break her. Spencer held her as she cried, the sense of unease returning to his stomach. 'She's just emotional about leaving Philly' he told himself.

As her breathing slowed down a little while later, Spencer reached his hand into his pocket.

"I got you something."

He held out a small blue box to Amelia. She took it wordlessly and held it without opening it.

"Spence, I.."

"Just open it."

She did, and tears once again made their way down her face. It was a gold chain with an oval pendant, with lines etched into it. She thought recognized it, and Spencer confirmed it.

"It's, uh, a linear grid map of your neighborhood. I know how much you love this place, and-"

Amelia stared taking it out of the box, and held it out for him to put on her. As he grabbed it she saw an engraving on the back and reached out to steady the pendant to read it.

"Always, S" she read outloud. Spencer blushed, and bit his lip.

"I, uh-"

"Can you.." She lifted her hair, allowing him access to clasp it on her neck. She turned back around to face him, her fingertips gently brushing the pendant.

"I love it, and I love you. I also have something.." She got up and dug in a nearby box, pulling out a bag and handed it to him.

"I'm not the one moving, babe" he chuckled. She gave him a small smile.

"Just open it, you brat."

He pried the lid off of the box and looked inside, his heart swelling. It was a two-photo frame, a dark brown wood that reminded him of his bookshelves. He realized that was intentional. The two photos, though, were what was so special. It was the photos Amelia's aunt Denise had taken on Thanksgiving, but the top one was the instant right before they posed. They both looked at each other, faces inches apart, sharing a small smile. The lower photo showed Spencer with his arm around her, pulling her close as she laughed and he gave a toothy grin.

"Lee.. I forgot about these. I love them, so much."

"I did too actually until she gave me a framed one last week to take with me. I asked her to send me the files so I could have them, and thought you'd like them too."

"It's incredible. Thank you."

They set cleaning up the boxes and tissue paper and settled into bed. Amelia tried falling asleep, tossing and turning, but dreaded what tomorrow would bring. Sensing her restlessness Spencer turned to face her and met her eyes.

"What's going on in that head of yours?" He asked softly.

She looked into her favorite pair of hazel eyes, wanting to tell him everything. She almost did, too. Instead, she pressed her lips against his with an urgency he'd never felt. She gripped his hair as if he was going to escape, hearing his soft groan as she climbed on top of him swiftly. She lost herself in him, one more time, wanting the dark night to stretch on forever.