RUNAWAY
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT...!

❝ NOT GOING ANYWHERE , SEASON EIGHT ❞

WHEN Jennie flew back to Quantico to spend a couple days at home for her birthday, the word quickly got out about the recent loss of Spencer's girlfriend, Maeve.

From the night he watched her die, Spencer Reid locked himself in his apartment, adamantly refusing interacting with anyone, despite the team's attempts.

Not even when JJ and Penelope stood outside his door one morning, sighing as they were met with silence after ringing his doorbell.

"Is he ever going to be okay?" Penelope asked, softly, with concern.

JJ paused for a brief moment, before nodding, "Eventually. And he knows we're all here for him, no matter what. Come on."

Penelope sighed, as the two began to walk down the stairs of the apartment complex, beginning to head their way to work, "Okay."

After the two left, there was a nearly two minute duration, in which Spencer Reid was left alone, with no one on the outside of his apartment. He sat on the ground, his back to door, allowing his thoughts and mind to race. However, soon enough, he could hear footsteps come up the stairs again.

"Oh, Garcia left another basket. Nuts. Cute." Jennie observed, looking at the numerous gifts beneath, before pushing it to the side so she could sit on the floor. She sat against the door, right where she assumed Spencer was on the opposite side.

Jennie arrived in Quantico three days prior, on Saturday. She landed at 5pm, she found out about the tragic news about Maeve at 7pm, and drove to Spencer's house at 7:15pm. That first day, she spent the night outside Spencer's apartment, and refused to leave until 4pm on Sunday. Most of the time spent was spent in silence, or a bit of sniffling that Jennie could hear on the other side of the door.

But despite the lack of communication, Jennie needed Spencer to know that someone was present. And that whenever he would finally feel like talking, she would be right there.

"I went home, slept, took a shower, and went to that coffee shop on third. I brought you a croissant if you want it." Jennie told the man, setting down the wrapped baked good next to her.

She took out her own treat she bought for herself, a strawberry frosted donut. There was a bit of silence in the room, as she took a bite, staring off into space.

As she swallowed, she noticed her fingers fidgeting a bit with her donut.

The silence was confusing. Not comfortable, yet not awkward. It more-so felt like it was building up to something.

Jennie cleared her throat.

"I'm applying for this position in Texas." Jennie broke the silence. She immediately felt a shift of energy, as if she could feel Spencer's surprise to the sudden revelation, even though he remained quiet, "Just to get some experience. It's a big change, but i'm excited."

She ripped off a notably small part of the donut, placing it in her mouth. A bit of a anxious tactic.

"I'm nervous. But excited." She began to ramble, "I think. I don't know. I mean, I should be, right? Everything I've been working towards is finally coming together. I should be stoked. I am stoked. But..I guess I'm just scared I'll mess it up. And everything I've done, all that I've sacrificed...it would have been for nothing."

Silence.

She sighed, before muttering.

"But yeah...I'm excited."

—

JENNIE continued to sit on the floor, her back against the wall next to Spencer's door, fighting the urge not to fall asleep.

That was before she could hear Spencer get up, his footsteps approaching the middle of the room. She could hear him pick up something, before a muffled version of Derek Morgan's voice aired through the room.

"Hey, Reid. It's Derek. Listen, I got a work question for you. The Unsub's exsanguinating victims and removing their eyelids antemortem. Does that mean anything to you? Hit me back."

There was a small pause, before Jennie realized she was listening to Spencer's voice for the first time all weekend.

"Have the cornea or pupils been harmed in any way?"

"No, no. Blake said it looked like a very sharp instrument was used."

"If he's taking care not to damage the eyes, then line of sight is probably what's important to him."

"So, this guy wants them to see what he's doing." Derek paused, "Hey, Reid. How are you?"

"I gotta go."

Spencer hung up the phone, another pause airing before Jennie sighed.

"I hope to be as smart as you one day." She spoke up, "I don't know if I've ever told you this, but— I've always looked up to you. Ever since I was little."

Another silence filled the room, while Jennie looked down at her hands. Another anxious tactic.

"Do you remember my 18th birthday?" The girl asked, her voice evidently softer, "It was right after Haley passed away, and... you came to see me."

She continued to pick at her nails.

"And I did one of the worst things a person could ever do." Jennie sighed, "I yelled at you. For no good reason, I yelled at you."

The girl could feel her eyes moisten. Not exactly in preparation to cry, but just due to the fact of her recalling one of the difficult stages in her life.

"I don't really know why I'm bringing this up...It's just— that whole thing—" Jennie began to stammer, before pausing, "This is gonna sound really stupid, but...you are the one person I've always trusted to never leave me. And— I took that trust, and stupidly took advantage of it."

The girl swallowed the lump that was building in her throat.

"I yelled at you, because I knew you were the one person I could do that to, without having a follow-up fear of you leaving."

Another moment of silence. Another shift in energy.

Jennie then cleared her throat.

"I'm just saying," She continued once more, "If you need to yell...I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

Jennie sat there, waiting for some form of response, or indication that she wasn't just talking to the wall. A cough, a shuffle of movement, a shift of energy— anything.

Something that said Spencer was listening.

She sighed, almost accepting her defeat, before hearing the door lock begin to twist.

—

"What's up, kid?" Derek brought the phone to his ear, answering Spencer's call.

"If it's about art, then it's clear the disposal sites are scattered around the Mission District area. I had Anderson bring over some of the files."

"Alright, let me patch in Garcia."

"Garcia," Spencer continued once Penelope was on the line, "You should pull a list of all the art galleries in San Francisco."

"Reid, I was just...How are you?" She asked.

"Better. Thanks for asking. And thanks for the baskets. You know nuts have magnesium, which help produce—"

The blonde grinned, "Serotonin. Yeah, I know."

ONCE Spencer ended the phone call with Derek and Penelope, he stayed sat on his couch.

That was before Jennie walked into the living room, coming out of Spencer Reid's kitchen, carefully placing the bowl of ramen she heated up for him onto the coffee table in front of him.

"Careful, it's hot."

The corners of Spencer's mouth curved upward a bit, as he muttered, "Thanks."

"You know, you only have instant noodles and oatmeal in your kitchen." She made the lighthearted observation, taking a seat on the circular ottoman nearby, "I was sitting outside that door all weekend, you could've asked me to do a grocery run."

The man chuckled softly, shaking his head, before breaking apart the wooden chopsticks near him.

A genuine smile formed on Jennie's lips, watching Spencer use the utensils correctly, knowing how he previously would have trouble with it.

"You figured out how to use chopsticks." She spoke, proudly.

He nodded, "I've had a lot of time on my hands."

At the response, Jennie's smile faltered a bit, her eyes softening. Her eyes then moved to the phone next to him.

"You don't have to keep answering those, you know." Jennie told the man, referring to the work calls from the team.

"I know." Spencer's moved his chopsticks to obtain a portion of his food, "You don't know to be here, you know."

Jennie chuckled, "I know."

A silence aired through the room. The same silence that had been present all weekend. Not awkward, not comfortable— just there. The silence that simply existed between the two. An allowance for the two to sit with their thoughts for a moment.

After Spencer ate the small portion, he set the chopsticks on top of the bowl. Jennie could tell he was building up to say something, yet stayed silent for an extended moment.

"You don't have to stay. You can go if you want."

Jennie only chuckled, shaking her head "Not a chance."

"It's your birthday tomorrow. You shouldn't waste your weekend home here."

"Alright— for one, I hate birthdays. You and I both know that. And two, " The girl continued, "You're ridiculous if you think I'm gonna leaving you."

Jennie watched as a small smile formed on Spencer's mouth, allowing the one on hers to widen.

"I never realized how stubborn you were." Spencer joked, lightheartedly.

Jennie laughed.

"Says you."

Spencer laughed too. And there they were, two people, who's trust was so immense for one another. Two people, who had gone from hell and back, but somehow always found solace in each other's presence.

Two people, finding a foreign type of peace just for a moment, as they sat in front of each other, in Spencer Reid's living room.

Spencer had iterated it on multiple occasions, but couldn't help but do it one more time:

Jennie Hotchner was a good friend.

—

THE FOLLOWING DAY, Jennie finally spent the morning in her own home, laying on the couch. She was curled into the corner, with a blanket draped over her, as cartoons played on the TV in front of her.

Although waiting outside Spencer's door didn't burden her, she was happy to be relaxing on a couch instead of the hard wooden floor.

As she laid there, Jennie also had her phone pressed against her ear, smiling as she heard the voice on the other line.

"I have to get back to studying, but happy birthday, Jennie." Grayson spoke, "Let me know when you get my package. I wanna see your reaction."

"I told you not to get me a gift." Jennie sighed, shaking her head, but the smile still remained on her lips.

"And when you met me, you also told me that we weren't going to be friends." Grayson began to tease, "How did that work out for you?"

Jennie was silent, allowing the cheeky grin on her boyfriend's face to widen, as he let out a laugh. Even through the phone, he could sense blush spreading onto the girl's face.

Before either one of them could say anything, the doorbell to Jennie's house rang.

"Someone at your door?" Grayson questioned.

"Yeah." Jennie sighed, stretching out her arms as a yawn escaped her mouth, "I don't want to get up."

"Are you going to force Jack to answer the door for you again, even though you're only a couple feet away from it?"

"Okay, that was one time." Jennie reminded him, "And I cant, he's out picking up a cake with my dad."

"Aw, cute." Grayson chuckled, "Send me pictures. I have to go. I love you Jennie."

"Love you too." She smiled, "Bye."

As the girl hung up the phone, she let a yawn escape once more, before being startled by the doorbell ringing again.

She groaned quietly, pushing the blanket off her body, and getting up. She walked over to the door, looking through the peephole. To her surprise, it wasn't a mailman, or a kid trying to sell Girl Scout Cookies.

"Spencer?" Jennie opened the door, "Spencer, sorry, I didn't know it was you waiting outside the door."

The man only chuckled, shaking his head, "You stood outside mine, averaging around 9 hours per day. Waiting 48 seconds was the least I could do."

Jennie only stared at the man for a moment, as she did most times whenever he said such detailed statements, "Yeah...sure."

"Happy birthday." He told her, with a soft smile, extending his hand to give her a rectangular shaped gift, wrapped with beige-colored paper.

"Does no one listen when I say no gifts?" She joked, as she motioned him to come in. She closed the door behind him, before sitting on the arm of the couch, looking up at the man, "This is really sweet, Spencer. I appreciate it...How are you feeling?"

"Okay." He nodded, "Thank you. For everything."

"Yeah." She smiled, "Just returning the favor."

The man paused for a moment, his hands stuffed into his pockets. He watched as Jennie stood up, walking over to the dining room table to place the gift on it.

"So..." He began again, "Texas?"

Jennie laughed a bit when the man brought up her choice of work, that she revealed to him the previous day, "Yeah. Crazy, right?"

"Yeah." He nodded, "Soon you'll be graduating, and...becoming an agent. It's all happening so fast."

"I know. I'm trying to just think one step at a time." Jennie chuckled, in an exasperated manner, "I'm already stressing about what I'm gonna write for my graduation speech. And, if I were to focus on something like applying to the academy...I think the mere thought would make my head implode."

Spencer let out a laugh, a very genuine one at that, which made Jennie happy.

He paused for a bit, evidently having something to say, as he shook his head.

"I just can't believe you're 20 already."

At the comment, Jennie's softened eyes began to trail. It ended up landing on the kitchen counter, seeing a framed picture of her when she was 14, holding newborn baby Jack.

Something about the image, mixed with it being her 20th birthday, made her heart tug a bit.

"Yeah. Me neither."

—

AUTHOR'S NOTE |

yk i had to make a manip of my favorite bffs 👯‍♂️

OUR GIRL IS 20 GUYS. i can no longer call her a "teen" in my chapters. this is such a bittersweet feeling 🥲🥲

word count.
2411.