Healing the Past

A Kiss

Chapter 9

When I got home I immediately called Garcia.

“Talk to me.”

“Hey Pen, bad time?”

“Nope. Hoping it was a call that would give me something to do.”

“So the team’s back then?”

“Yep. The sicko went three hours locked in a small room with Prentiss. According to the rest of the team it was almost as scary as watching you in action.”

“I would have paid big bucks to see that.”

“I know it. So how are things going with that guy, Spike?”

“You ready for a long story?”

“Don’t leave a thing out.”

I told her everything that happened yesterday. Saving Lance, spacing out at the bar, the conversation with Spike at my place. When I was done she started in on me.

“T, the guy obviously likes you, and you like him. Just go out with him already.”

“I’ve known him for three days. And it’s kind of against the rules to date someone on your team.”

“Thunder you and I both know that you only follow the rules when you feel that they keep you from being you. And it sounds like you really like this guy.”

I was about to continue arguing when I heard someone knocking at the door. “Gotta go someone’s knocking.”

“I predict it is your soon to be boyfriend. Call me later with the results.”

“You really annoy me sometimes. Later.”

I hung up and opened the door. Score one for Garcia, it was Spike.

“Hey, just wondering if you wanted to go get something to eat.”

Wow. Did he just ask me out? I started thinking about what Garcia said. I mentally shook my head. I can’t risk a job I worked so hard for by falling for one of my team mates.

“If you don’t want to you don’t have to...”

I cut him off. “It’s fine. Where do you want to go?”

Twenty minutes later we were in a booth at a diner with some very good-looking bacon cheese-burgers.

“So, Spike any particular reason you asked me here?” I asked.

He shrugged. “Still worried about you I guess.”

“I went the whole day without any danger today. That’s saying a lot when it comes to me.”

“Yeah, you did. But stuff like yesterday doesn’t just go away, it stays with you.”

“I know that. I also know how to cope.”

“And there’s how you acted after your first call.”

“I really don’t want to talk about that.”

“Which means you probably need to. You can trust me Thunder; I won’t tell anyone anything if you don’t want me to.”

I sighed. Most of my past was common knowledge at BAU. So why was I so unwilling to tell Spike? Maybe because if he could get me to about up about part of my past he could get me to tell everything. I took a bite out of my burger. On the other hand if I throw him a bone he might back off. I swallowed my mind made up.

“My dad walked out on my mom, my brother, and me. I had to look out for all of us. Add that to the fact that I was the smartest kid in my class, with a big interest in murder, in a Las Vegas public high school. Well, I grew up pretty fast.”

I waited for the sympathy, the apology even like he could have fixed it. Instead he just reached over and squeezed my hand, looking me in the eyes. I could see it, he wanted to say sorry, but he knew it wouldn’t help, that he understood pain and wanted to help me. I gave a small smile.

“See,” he said. “Talking makes it better.”

“I suppose it does.”

He grinned and asked for the check. He stopped me when I reached for my wallet. Wow, may be this was a date.

When we got back to my apartment we stood outside my door, and I asked something that’s been bothering me from the beginning.

“Spike, why are you being so nice to me?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean your best friend dies, and I’m the one who came to fill the space on the team. That gives you pretty good grounds to hate me.”

“Yeah, I miss Lew and I wish he never died. But it’s not your fault that it happened. Honestly I’m glad someone as good as you filled the spot.”

I didn’t know what to say to that. Then he did the last thing I expected. He leaned in and kissed me. I was a little shocked, and then I kissed him back. As he wrapped his arms around my waist I reliazed that for the first time in years I felt completely safe.

When we pulled apart he smiled and said, “I’ve been wanting to do that since I met you. See you tomorrow.” Then he turned and left.

I stood there like an idiot for a good five minutes before I went inside. I fired off a e-mail to Garcia and went to bed.