When You're Gone

Chapter 4: Proposal

[Gabby's POV]
The minute I got home, I buckled. Despite my telling Ruby that I was all right, I was shaken by Rachel’s untrue assertions that I was screwing Spencer to better my grades. Fortunately, I was not left to ponder my thoughts over the matter. I heard Spencer knock and quickly wiping away my tears, I answer the door. The minute the door closed behind him, he kissed me.
“I am so sorry that happened to you today.” He whispers between gentle kisses. “She won't be coming back. Speaking of which,” his eyes narrowed as he looked at me. “Why'd you suggest that she bed the whole football team?”
"Spencer, Rachel is Alexa Lisbon's younger sister." I said grumpily. His eyes widened in shock. "I overheard Alexa laughing at the fact of what happened to you on the football field as she told Rachel. I remembered that just as I was speaking to Rachel. I know now that was partly responsible for your change. I hate being accused of…” I trail off.
“Screwing me?” Spencer asked. I nodded. He kisses me again. “What happens when we’re in our apartments is our business, no one else's.” I take a deep breath to steady and give myself confidence to ask the  question I've been wanting to since last night.
"Would you..." I was nervous about his answer. 'Just say it, Gabriella...' I told myself. "Would you make love to me?" I ask him.
“Not tonight. I don't have condoms and I think I should take you out a few times before that.” Spencer remarked. “Let's go see a movie.”
--
[Spencer's POV]

We had just gotten back from the theater and were sitting on the couch watching Dr. Who. Gabby leaned into me and I put my arm around her. "What's in that grocery bag?" I asked as a commercial came on.
"Condoms." Gabby admitted readily. "That way you'll be prepared next time and won't have to use a flimsy excuse." I smiled at that. Leave it to Gabby to adopt the boy scouts motto. My unit chief would find that very funny, not that I'd tell him or Rossi.
--
[Gabby POV]
When I arrived at the Criminology classroom the next morning, Spencer was already inside. "Oh man, I'm late aren't I?" I gasped.
"No, I just got here early." Spencer said as he wrote something down. "Need me to go over the lesson again from yesterday?"
"No." I said.
---
[Gabby POV]
A few more months whizzed by and Valentine's day was upcoming. I was sitting with the girls from Spencer's work. Penelope Garcia had practically all but pulled my arm to get me to attend without Spencer's knowledge. As far as he was concerned, I was at Ruby's house having a mandatory girls night.
"So what are your plans for 187 concerning Valentine's Day?" Penelope asked.
“I really don't have any plans. Spencer usually treated holidays as regular days when he was a kid.” I explained.
“Oh no, no, no that won't do.” JJ butts in. “You let him treat it like a regular day and he'll continue to forget it.” All of Spencer's co-workers nodded at that.
“I'm completely at a loss for ideas, then.” I said. “Spencer doesn't drink and the last time we got into it on Star Wars versus Star Trek, we actually watched nothing.”
“How about you pretend to be his secret admirer?” JJ suggested.
“No, he'd know it was me.” I said. “You know I spend at least 24/7 with him.”
“But he doesn't have to. As long as you left the presents while he was asleep or working, he'd never know.” Garcia said. “Just think... your amnesia would give you the cover you needed with him.”
“I'm far more perceptive than you're giving me credit for, Garcia.” I said glaring at her.
“You also don't have an eidetic memory.” Garcia said.
“Do I have to do this?” I asked.
“Yes!” All the women said together.
---
[Gabby POV]
I decided to get Spencer's presents all together but for one of them, I needed one of his sweaters. "Hey, Encyclopedia Brown, can I borrow a sweater? I asked. Truth be told, it was definitely cold.
"Yes." Here he tosses his red sweater to me. I put it on and text Garcia.
G: Since you want me to go through with this, you are getting the Maine Coon stuff sent to you.
P: You're getting Reid A CAT? Bad idea. Animals hate 187, Angel.
G: Did Spencer ever tell you about Jem?
P: Who's Jem?
G: My childhood tortie Maine Coon. He  absolutely loved Spencer. In fact after we moved away, he still expected Spencer to come over. Every time someone knocked at the door, he was there to see if it was Spencer. When it wasn't, he would slink back to his bed.
P: Okay, but how can you be sure the cat will love Spencer? We have the Reid effect for a very good reason.
G: ...I asked to borrow one of Spencer's sweaters.
P: ... you little s***. Apparently, Garcia didn't think I should have asked Spencer for a sweater?! By now, I had remembered what Garcia termed the Reid effect and that was the reason that I had even asked for it in the first place. I laugh and put my phone away, taking care to make sure that the phone was set to the Home screen.
"I'm going back to my apartment. I'll see you tomorrow morning for Criminology."
"No, stay the night." He gave me the puppy eyes.
"I have mandatory girls night with Ruby. I lied. Well it wouldn't be a lie if I called her and had her pick me up...
“Okay but tomorrow, please.” Spencer requested with a pout.
--
[Gabby POV]
I take off Spencer's sweater and fold it neatly. Then I call Ruby, who is delighted to pick me up and take me to the pet store and the mall to pick up presents for Spencer. I got everything for the new cat. We drove to Garcia's house, dropped the cat stuff off and then went to the mall.
But the bookstore was off limits for the time being...since I saw Spencer in the window looking at books.
---
[Spencer POV]
I walked into a bookshop, hoping to find a couple of books for Gabby. She, I recalled, was completely into fairytale stories even as a kid. She'd even sneaked her mother’s romance novels when she was younger.
Her mother loved time-travel romances and Gabby still enjoyed the ones she'd read. I felt ridiculous going into  the romance section, however but I reminded myself that this would work.
I found the five hundred kingdoms box set by Mercedes Lackey and decided to get that for her.
For nostalgic reasons, I went into the juvenile fiction section and found Fifteen by Beverly Cleary. When we were kids, we did a recording of Fifteen so that we could pretend we were older. Taking a copy and putting it in my basket, I smiled. Then my eyes lit on a copy of Andrew Lang's Fairy Books. Grabbing that, I went to the young adult section. There I found the Twilight Saga. Here was another gift that would confuse her. I'd never read Twilight but knew it was on her reading bucket list from snooping in her desk drawer in her apartment. There, I now had four gifts taken care of.
--
[Gabby's POV]
I remembered the breeder who had given us Jem in the first place when she needed a new stud for her business. I decided to pay her a visit.
"Mrs. Smith!" I called out, wearing Spencer's sweater.
"Gabby!" Mrs. Smith smiled at me. "I'm sorry about Jem." She said sincerely.
"Thank you. How are you and Princess doing?" The funny thing was I'd named her and the cat refused to be called anything but Princess.
"She's doing well, still attached to the name you gave her at 20." Mrs. Smith shook her head, laughing. "I've never seen the like." I laugh too. "I'm glad you've come, Gabby." She takes a deep breath. "I'm getting out of the breeding business and I have one more kitten from Princess's latest litter. She's been difficult to find a home for."
"Usually Maine Coons aren't so picky." I said, confused. Mrs. Smith nodded in agreement. We entered the house where Princess was snuggled with the kitten. Princess got out of bed and headbutted Spencer's sweater, right in my stomach. This was the way she normally greeted me when I came over to visit.
The kitten, curious, toddled over on her four paws and I didn't miss the subtle way she nudged the kitten toward me. With encouragement from Princess, the kitten climbed up on my lap, found a section of sweater big enough to hold her and sat like a very small but happy, purring loaf of bread. I grinned. "Well I'll be." Mrs. Smith said. "It looks like you haven't lost your touch, Gabby."
"Actually, it's more like the Reid effect is finally broken." I said, laughing. "Animals with the exception of Jem, Princess and now this kitten hate my boyfriend. How much do you want for her?"
"Nothing. Just give her a good home." Mrs. Smith replied.
"No, that's not fair. Purebred Maine Coon kittens run over $1000, Mrs. Smith." I protest. Mrs. Smith smiled at me.
"Okay, since you insist, $300 and we'll call it even."
"Okay," I agree. "$300 it is." I hand her the cash while Princess looked at me with satisfaction.
"I take it that she's a Valentine's day gift for your boyfriend?" I nodded. Mrs. Smith took a long length of red velvet ribbon and fashioned it into a Marie from the Aristocatsesque collar. She gently picked up the kitten who chirped her displeasure at being taken off Spencer's sweater and slipped the collar over her head. It was a little big but that was intended for the comfort of the kitten.
--
[Spencer POV]
I decided to go into a jewelry shop next as I planned to ask her if she would give me the honor and privilege of being my wife. Gabby said she had to go out of town today. With it being Thursday, I don't think it's a good idea. She has a quiz tomorrow, not that she won't ace it like she always does. A diamond-lined white and yellow gold crown-shaped engagement ring with a matching wedding band caught my eye. I decide to purchase it.
After getting Rossi's permission to ask Gabby to marry me, I headed home. She wasn't there, so I knocked on her door. "Hey." Gabby said tiredly as she opened the door.
"Are you okay?" I asked out of alarm.
"Just peachy." She mumbled. I recognized the comment as one she made whenever her sleep has been interrupted. However, she stepped aside as if it were an invitation to come inside.
I took the invitation at face value. "Don't push yourself." I said quietly as I entered her apartment.
"I'm not," she said in return. She shut the door. "I'm going back to bed."
"Okay, I'll do some lesson planning in the meantime." I replied, opening the door and leaving for my apartment.
--
[Gabby POV]
I left the first present with a note on Spencer's doorstep before going to English. I was nervous.
I needn’t have worried. When I got to criminology, Spencer was wearing my present, a watch.
“You know I might have to get jealous.” Spencer said looking up at me. I narrow my eyes at him.
“Why?” I asked. He nodded to my seat where there was a wrapped gift waiting. “Aww, there's no need to be jealous, Spence.” I added. I missed the smirk on his face as I sat down and opened the present which turned out to be Andrew Lang's Fairy Book collection.
--
[Spencer POV]
On the last day I gave Gabby a note to meet her secret admirer at the park. She was carrying a white box, which was really strange. She walked over to me. “Had a feeling it was you after I received the necklace.” She says with a warm smile and hands me the box. I look at her with a puzzled expression, then opened the box. Nestled on top of my red sweater was a tiny Maine Coon tortie kitten.
"I think you've lost a sweater." She said laughing. "She hasn't slept without it since I brought her home."
'Good thing it isn't my favorite sweater." I said laughing.
"You know how you said Jem was a rare cat? Well, this is his granddaughter." Gabby said. "I went to the same breeder. She gave my parents Jem when she wanted another. She still has Jem's daughter, Princess and since she was the runt, she gave her to me as she's getting out of the breeding business."
"Have you named her yet?" I asked as I stroked the kitten. She shook her head. "How about Jemima, that way if we slip up and call her Jem it won't confuse us?" Gabby nodded in agreement.
"I actually prefer Jemma." Gabby replied. I nodded.
"Okay." I agreed. I still had one more surprise for her, well two, technically. “Let's get Jemma home.”
Once we got to my apartment, Gemma was happy to be out of the box and I was happy to have Gabby home with me.
I pulled her in to snuggle with me. "Why did I call you Encyclopedia Brown?" She asked. I smiled.
"Closest thing you could come to calling me Mr. Know it all." I said, hugging her. She laughed.
“I must have been an absolute terror as a child.” She says.
“Actually, Encyclopedia Brown was an insult at first.” Her head snaps up in alarm at my words. “You were mad at me, your mother was listening - she didn't tolerate swearing or name calling, so you picked it off of one of your cousin's books that he left there. I think it became an actual endearment for me when you were 9 and I was 12.”
“Are you sure?”
“I can't be certain because that memory hasn't come back yet for you. She nods thoughtfully. "When you were ten," I started hysterically laughing, "you said at Halloween that you were going as my wife."
Gabby snorted in laughter. "I didn't!"
"You did! You chased me around your house holding your mother's engagement ring. I didn't find it funny until just now, as a matter of fact.”
“I sound like a shrew.” She muttered into my chest.
“Yes, but you're my shrew.” I casually agreed.
“Jerk.” She mumbles into my chest. I pull the ring box out of my pocket.
“Gabs, I need you to sit up.” I told her.
“Too bad Encyclopedia Brown, I'm comfy.” She murmurs. Somehow, while we were talking,  she had managed to sit on my lap. “But fine…”she said, moving to the part of the couch I wasn't using.
I knelt down on one knee and took her hand. “Gabriella Anne Chambers, I love you. I always have. Will you give me the honor of being Mrs. Reid for the rest of our lives?” she blinked and I fiercely hoped that her answer would be positive.
“…Yes!” she says, knocking me to the floor.