Down On One Knee

Spencer

Clara was sleeping in my desk chair when everything had been sorted out and dealt with. Cat was going to a high security prison and being put on a 24 hour surveillance, Johnathan is awaiting trial but my guess with Hotch dealing with him, he'll end up in prison for a few years.

"She'll pull through Reid, she always does." Emily comes up behind. What does she mean she always does?

"Emily, I know you probably won't tell me but did he..?" She knows what i'm asking, I can't thinking about saying out loud. If he even thought about touching her, he'd be dead. And i'd sleep well at night.

"No, she's fine." Emily gives a quick smile and walks to the elevator. It's so late, I need to wake Clara up and get her home but she looks so peaceful. Derek walks by and stops when he notices something laying out and decides to grab it off my desk.

"Reid, what is this?" He opens it and his eyes widen as he raises one eyebrow at me, Oh shit. I left that sitting out? I hope Clara didn't see it. I grab the box from Derek and shove it back into my pocket.

"You're getting down on one knee?" He looks at me, a giant grin plastered on his face.

"I know, it's early, Clara and I have only been together for 8 or 9 months but I've known I wanted to marry her since I met her. I originally planned on waiting until our one year anniversary but I couldn't wait once the ring came in. I was going to do it tonight, i was impatient. I'll take the events if tonight as a sign to wait though." I ramble on and on and for once in the entire time i've know him, Derek listens.

"I'm happy for you kid," He pats my back."And yes i'll be your best man." He fluffs his imaginary hair which makes us both chuckle and then tells me goodnight as he leaves the office.

I turn my attention back on Clara, who has her mouth wide open. I pull my phone out a take a picture of her, which she'll one day find and kill me for having but it'll be worth it.

"Clara.." I whisper nudging her shoulder trying not to scare her. She jumps anyway and looks around confused.

"You ready to go home?" She nods and stands up, grabbing onto my arm and leaning into my body. She's crashing before we even get out of the parking lot. I don't blame her one bit.

When I pull into the driveway I end up just carrying Clara to our bed, she doesn't wake up at all. As I go to cover her body up I can't help stare at the mark on her leg. I know a lot about her now, things she doesn't want me to know but O had to know.

Emily said that Clara told her everything and that she wouldn't be repeating some of things to us, I get that. But there's one thing Clara left out when talking to Emily. The reason why Clara doesn't drive anyway.

At first she told me it was bad road rage, and then it was anxiety, it was always something. Garcia did some digging earlier on Johnathan Shepherd, there was an accident report from about 10 years ago, Clara was 17 and he was 18. She was the one behind the wheel, went right off the road and into a river. The statement Clara gave was Johnathan took the wheel from her and drove it off the road, the statement he gave was she was have a breakdown and went off the road.

They didn't take her word. Clara doesn't know that I know that, Id prefer to keep it like that. The same way I keep the fact of her father not being sober to myself, she deserves to be happy.

"Mr. Hastings, if you don't mind me asking, why?" I look up at Clara's father when her and her sister leave the room.

"What?" He looks at me with confusion.

"You're not sober, I can see it. You may be more sober than you've been in the past but not completely." He stares at me blanking trying to think of something to say.

"Please, i'm trying to make a mence here. I owe her that." Luke shakes his head and looks at the ground.

"Do you have any idea how special your daughter is? How much she's accomplished on her own?" I stare at him with disbelief, i will never understand how a parent can treat their own kids with so much cruelty. Clara may forgiven him, but I never will.

"I've done things i'm not proud of Spencer, but i'm trying now." Luke stares at me with empathy barely in his eyes, i don't know what he truly wants from this but I feel as if it's more for Harper than for Clara. If he wants to fix his bond with his youngest daughter that's great but he doesn't need to use Clara to do it.

I drape the blanket over her and walk out to the kitchen. The sun will be rising soon and I can't seem to fall asleep. I pick up my phone and click on my mother's name.

"Spencer why are you calling so early?" She mumbles into the phone, she's been up for a while i'm sure, she's watches the sun rise every Saturday morning.

"I just wanted to talk." I tell my mom everything, who is she going to tell? Her doctor? I tell her about the stunt cat pulled, i tell her about the ring, about how Clara had more than likely seen the ring, I tell her how i'm scared. She tells me to man up. I laugh.

I finally go fall asleep around 6 am. When i wake up it's around noon and Clara is also still sleeping, i don't think i've slept in this late in a long time. I turn over to admire her sleeping face, she's has stitches right on her hairline, some other cuts are scattered throughout her face too. Emily's right, she'll be okay, but it's something she shouldn't have had to go through.

She opens one eyes and stares at me, kind of creeps me out.

"Okay, please stop." I put my hand up to cover her face and she laughs, sitting up in bed.

"Holy fuzznuts." Clara grabs her head and I want to ask her what's wrong, I really do, but the fact she just said fuzznuts prevents me from doing so, I laugh at her instead.

"What did you just say?" I continue to laugh so does Clara, still holding head. In my fit of laughter I reach over and grab medicine off the nightstand to hand to her.

I know she's in pain, she's gotta be but yet she smiles. I love her smile.

"Thanks," She throws the pills in the back of her mouth and grabs a water, I think that has been sitting on what has been deemed Clara's nightstand, for about a week.

"How are you feeling?" I ask as Clara climbs on top of me to sit on my lap in a hug.

"Fine," She mumbled into my neck as I trace circles on her back. She sits up to stare at me, messing with my already messy hair.

I know she saw it, Clara is the nosiest person I know. I have no doubt in my mind she saw that box and didn't open it.

"You saw it didn't you?" I look at her with my eyes squinting a bit due to the afternoon glare coming in from the window.

She looks away and shakes her head. Yep, she saw it.

"Saw what?" Clara tries to lie, sometimes I think she forgets who her boyfriend is.

"Saw what, Spencer? I didn't see anything? What are you talking about?" She stands up from the bed and I just stare at her and shake my head now.

"Nothing," She stops in front of the mirror and stares at herself. I get out of bed and stand behind her, placing my head in the crook of her neck, planting light kisses on it.

"Why don't you shower, and I'll go make breakfast? Well, I suppose lunch." I remember the time and she smiles at me through our reflections.

"Brunch." She corrects me.

Right, brunch. I think to myself as my eyes land back on her hand shaped bruise. Clara must notice my gaze because she turns around a places her hands on either side of my face, pushing her lips to mine in a gentle manner.

"It's okay, Spence." She pressed her lips together in a fine line and forces a smile.

When I finally check my phone there's about a million messages from Emily, most of them along the lines of:

ARE YOU GUYS ALIVE??????

The first one she sent was asking if Clara was awake, then it was if her phone was charged, then it was if she was alive, then if i was alive.

Cat smashed Clara's phone. That's on today's list of to-dos. I send Emily a quick text:

Clara needs a phone, we'll get one today. You think you can get the team to help with some boxes later?

I knew they would help because it only takes them two hours to show up to my apartment with boxes from Clara's old place.

She was just coming out of the bathroom by then, it only took her an hour to finally get it, claiming she needed to eat first and then watch an episode of The Walking Dead, which is her newest obsession. She cries every time someone's dies, i'll never hear the end of it.

"Thank again guys," I turn to them all and no problems and head nods are returned back.

"How about I make us all dinner tonight? JJ are you in for a store run?" Rossi asks before anyone even agrees, not that anyone would disagree.

Penelope is helping Clara unpack some boxes and I would like to say Emily is helping too but she's not, she's sitting at Clara's vanity going through all her makeup.

"Do we really need this?" I pull out a ceramic cat and set it on the counter. Clara picks it up and places it next to the microwave.

"Yes, his name is buttons and we need him." She glares at me and Emily raises her wine glass in the air.

"You need him, Reid." She taunts and takes a sip. Rossi and JJ come through the door with two bags and Rossi instantly puts us all to work. He orders Hotch to chop pieces of celery and me to chop onions. Derek is on the meatball prep and JJ is in charge of keeping the wine away from Emily, who is about to pour herself another glass.

"You're cut off until dinner." JJ takes her glasses and replaces it with a bottle of water. Clara laughs as she does so.

"Do you ever smile?" Clara turns to Hotch and he gives her a puzzled stare.

"Hotch is allergic to rainbows and smiles." Garcia grins next to her and we all laugh, Clara goes on to try and make Hotch smile and even though we can all tell he wants to he's proving a point now.

This is finally home.

———————AN: Here it is before you all bite my head off for that cliffhanger 😖😖😖