Chapter Text
Epilogue
JJ peered through the window as she drove through the narrow streets of Georgetown. She knew they had been busy, it had been one case after another for months on end, but how had she managed to go six months without seeing Spence's new house?
While she sat at a red light she remembered his wedding. They had been concerned at first because it had been in England, but somehow Cali's employer had managed to cobble together enough airline miles and discounts and who knew what to allow them to all go out there. It was too bad Henry would be too young to remember, they had stayed on the grounds of an actual castle, moat and turrets and everything. And the wedding was in this adorable little country church that had to be hundreds of years old. Really it had just been perfect. The only odd thing had been the way Morgan and the other groomsman had been acting, but surely that was just her imagination.
Turn here, turn there, all the way at the end of this street, just at the end of this stone wall. They were renting a guest house from Cali's employer now, saved on the commute and probably more than they could afford to rent otherwise. It was a darling little house, two-story and stone, with a little porch that brought it out past the fence line. JJ parked at the dead end and made her way back to the door, carefully shielding her prize from the rain under her coat and umbrella. Ten minutes here and she'd be heading home to collect Will, and then it was a long, romantic week-end in Jamaica. Thank god Henry's Godfather was willing to babysit.
"Hey JJ. Sorry about this." Spence stepped back to let her in.
"No, it's all right. It happens." JJ slipped past him and looked about. A small mudroom led to a small back hall with stairs leading up. What must have been an office was latched, the better to keep Henry out of case files. Past that was a tidy, complete kitchen with a built-in booth of a table, and then a small, sunken living room complete with a wood-stove for heat. It was all very warm and cozy. She grinned a hello at Cali, there in the kitchen stirring some soup, but it was the fellow at the booth with the crayons who caught her eyes. "Found him." She pulled a forgotten Paddington Bear out from under her rain coat and pulled her son into her arms.
"So how was the presentation in Cincinati?" Anderson asked.
Morgan was sitting on the steps leading up to the third floor of her house. One of the interesting things about old houses, a lot of times you could hear through the heat registers. From here he could listen to every word of the conversation. He knew Henry was staying with Reid and Cali for a few days, knew that Reid had headed over here after Henry was tucked into bed. He knew that 99.99 percent of his friend's life was much the same as it had always been. It was in these quiet, evening meetings over desert and tea that things were different, and he was curious.
"Horrendous. I didn't hold the audience, I kept losing my place." He could hear the frustration in his friend's voice. "You know, I've never been a good lecturer. It's just not me."
So far the discussion had ranged over the case in San Francisco, about how had he not gone wrong and how interesting it had been and have I done enough with my life. Anderson had been receptive and encouraging in turn, getting him to see that the work he did truly did matter and that he had turned out well because of his Mom and his essential good character. Much like Gideon might have once upon a time.
"I don't see why not. Come by over the week-end and we'll work on it. Chris has presented papers before, I'm sure he'll have some advice. I want you to present that at the Academy next year if the FBI let's you go."
"Yes, Trainer. I'll put in for the time off. Any idea where it's going to be?"
"Vancouver this time."
Morgan's head turned at the creek of the stairs, the touch on his shoulder. "Eavesdropping is rude." Chris pointed out, quietly.
Morgan shrugged. "I needed to make sure he was okay."
"I know." Chris nodded. "Come upstairs."
Morgan did.
Later that night Spencer lay in bed watching the rain come past the windows. Cali was warm and real, sleeping quietly, draped over him where she had landed after love.
How had this marvelous thing happened to him?
They had waited until after their wedding, a good eight months. Waited, letting want and need grow slowly, carefully, until by the time they came together again it had been as amazing as the first time. No, more, given that they were free and unafraid.
Yes, in the end he truly loved her.
Somehow out of all of that he had not only found love, but a world where he was safe and understood. And if he was not wholly a part of that now it was because he chose the FBI, and the friends who also loved him. He straddled two worlds now, was comfortable in both for having the other, and was completely content.
He was home.