Strange Encounter - a Criminal Minds fic

Chapter 42

The next morning was spent running around the neighborhood for Amelia. She was missing ingredients for her pumpkin bread, so she had to run to the market. She wanted to bring wine, so she ran to the liquor store. She realized she had forgotten her laptop charger at her aunts, so she had to run there too.

When she finally had a chance to breathe, she realized it was already two o'clock. She let out a long exhale, and shot a text to Spencer. Her phone dinged shortly after.

Amelia: hi babe. what time r u arriving?
Spencer: ETA is 3:30. That okay?
Amelia: perfect, can't wait. 

Amelia threw her phone on the bed and rushed to get in the shower. After drying off, she slipped into her favorite comfy jeans that had a bit of stretch so she wasn't uncomfortable after dinner, and picked out her favorite sweater. It was an old men's sweater she got from a thrift store and everyone hated it, but she absolutely loved it. It epitomized fall for her, being a little over sized and warm, brown with dark orange and navy green stripped patterns. She put on some copper eyeshadow to match the sweater and pulled her hair up into a high messy bun, leaving a few curls framing her face. 

As she was putting everything together that she needed to bring she heard her phone go off with a text from Spencer, saying her was downstairs. 

She bolted down the stairs and swung the door open, immediately breaking into a grin seeing her boyfriend standing there. She didn't even have the time to hug him, as they were running behind. He looked at her and felt his chest grow warm, not realizing how much he had missed her. She wore the sweater she had worn the first time she came to DC, and with her hair pulled up he couldn't take his eyes off of her.

"Follow!" She hollered over her shoulder, running back up the stairs. Spencer grinned, not minding being bossed around. 

"Okay I need to bring that bag over there if you could help carry it, oh and this box, and I think-" she turned to look at him and realized his hands were full. 

"You can throw your bag in my room but Spence, you didn't need to get me flowers" she said as he handed over the vase.

"Oh uh, actually, they're not from me. They were on the porch when I got here" he said.

Amelia's eyebrows knit together, looking for the card amongst the blooms. Finding it she pulled it free and held it up. 

"It's just, my name. Doesn't say who they're from" she shrugged. She set them on the counter and went about packing the rest of what she needed. 

"Don't you think that's odd? Who'd be getting you flowers and not signing them?"

"You're just jealous cause I have a secret admirer" she teased, leaning up to give him a quick kiss. She lingered for a moment, wishing they had just a few more minutes to spare..

"Anyway, they're probably from my mom. She does that sometimes, sends me random things. Thinks it'll mend everything." She said it so matter of fact, Spencer didn't feel it warranted a response. Instead, he picked up the bags she had gestured to when he had arrived. 

"Alright, what else do you need me to carry, ma'am?" He joked. 

♡

Amelia walked into the dining room at her abuelos and leaned on the doorway. She quickly snuck out her phone and snapped a picture of the room so she could save this moment forever. About a dozen members of her family sat around the table. Edgar and Spencer sat next to one another, cracking up over a story her Tio Chase was telling about how Edgar had thought he was batman as a kid and jumped off of the roof. Her grandparents sat at the opposite end catching up with her great aunt and uncle, exchanging 'remember when's' of their time in Mexico. 

Introducing Spencer to her family had went even better than she could've hoped. Her abuela found him charming, and when he kept eating everything she'd loaded on to his plate and then allowing her to give him more, she'd went up to Amelia and told her he was a keeper. Her aunt Denise had given him the tough guy routine, but couldn't hold up the act long as she discovered how charming he could be. He'd also brought Mexican red wine that was hard to find in the states, winning over all of the adults. When Amelia asked where he'd gotten it he had just shrugged and said "Penelope".

When Edgar saw Amelia snapping a picture, he yelled at her and made her come join them. She settled into the chair next to Spencer and grabbed his hand under the table, giving him a smile. Almost all of her favorite people were in the same room and she couldn't have been happier. 

"Say cheese!" Denise shouted at them, pointing a camera. 

Amelia just laughed as Spencer put his arm around her, pulling her into him. She glanced at him quickly and he met her with the sweetest smile, and they both looked back to her aunt and posed.  A few hours later, Amelia reached over and squeezed Spencer's shoulder.

"I have a surprise" she whispered, standing up and clearing her throat. 

"So, since everyone's together, I thought this would be a good time to tell you guys. But, uh, I'm moving to DC in a few weeks!" Thankfully her aunt and dad knew so they just clapped, and everyone else seemed surprised but congratulated her all the same. Looking at Spencer's wide eyes were worth the wait, and she wanted to talk to him so badly but knew she had to deal with her family first. 

She went over to her abuelos and kneeled between their chairs.

"I'm gonna miss you guys. Who's gonna feed me every Sunday?" She joked. 

"Lélé.." Her abuelo said softly. He'd always been a man of few words, and even more so since his dementia started. "We are so proud of the mujer you have become. And that man of yours? He realizes it, I can tell. Make sure he treats you right, cariña." 

Amelia teared up, leaning in to give him a hug. 

"Thank you, Buelo. Te quiero."

"Yo también te amo mucho, Amelia."

Turning around again she met Spencer's eyes. 

"Outside?" She mouthed to him, gesturing to the back deck.

Once out back, she wrapped her arms around herself and leaned on the railing. She took a deep breath, loving the cold fall air.

Spencer stood in front of her, putting a hand on either side of her on the railing. 

"So you're really moving to DC?" His grin was unmistakable even in the dark. She smelled her dads whiskey on his breath, and laughed. 

"You should've told my dad no, that's some strong whiskey."

Spencer shrugged, leaning down and kissing her cheek, then under her ear. Looking back at her, he asked again.

"Lee.. DC?"

She couldn't help but laugh again. "Yes baby, I'm moving to DC."

He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her up, hooting and hollering like a kid who had just gotten a puppy for Christmas. Amelia's face hurt from smiling, she had never seen him act like that before. She looked into his eyes and couldn't help but know she had made the right decision. 

While she had told everyone she was only moving because Miranda had asked her too, she couldn't dismiss the fact that being near Spencer had a lot to do with it. Even if they saw each other the same amount, just being able to have their homes be so close to one another would make her feel better.

She didn't know what DC had in store for her, but she was ready to find out.

a/n

I'm bshook at 5k, ily guys thank u 🥺💛

I'm going on a (safe and socially distant!) vacation tomorrow until Monday BUT I have the rest of the book ready to post. 👀👀