New Beginnings

Twenty Three

You stared down at the body in front of you, blood and glass everywhere.

"He's dead?"

You felt incredible woozy and shaky all of a sudden, reaching your hand to the back of your head and feeling warm fluid leaking from it.

"I'm gonna be sick."

Leaning over away from the body, you vomited adding to the mess of bodily fluids that was already covering the floor.

"Rossi, get the paramedics in now," you heard Derek call, seconds before you passed out.

...

When you woke up again, you were in a hospital bed, a drip and various wires attached to your arm, and monitors bleeping beside you. One of your hands was wrapped in a thick white bandage. There was an immense pain on your head and your lower back felt like you'd been in a fight with a tiger.

"Hotch, she's awake," Penelope rushed to the door.

The Agent hurried in, followed swiftly by a nurse who proceeded to check the machines, before shining a very bright penlight in your eyes and giving you instructions to follow it. After about five minutes she declared that everything seemed okay but that you were going to be very sore for a few days. She injected something into your drip, advising Agent Hotchner that the meds would kick in shortly.

"Spencer?" you croaked out looking at the older Agent. Your throat burned from where Cane had held you.

"He's okay. He's in another room down the hall. You've been out for a few hours."

You nodded, tears filling your eyes. "What happened?"

"What, you mean after you took off by yourself, not informing any of your team and putting yourself and Spencer in mortal danger?"

You could hear that he was struggling to keep the anger out of his voice, and that caused the tears to overspill running down your face like a river.

"I'm sorry," you struggled out.

Hotch nodded his expression softening, "I know you are, and I know why you did it. It's just..... I nearly lost two members of my team today, Y/N. Two very valued members who I consider friends as well as colleagues."

He reached out, squeezing your hand gently and wiped your tears from your face with a tissue.

"Don't ever do that again, okay?"

You nodded at him sadly. He left the room again to go and find Spencer, and Penelope sat back down pulling her chair close to yours.

"Don't try to talk okay, your larynx is bruised. You scared the shit outta me, Y/N. Scared it out of us all." Tears were rolling down her face.

She went on to tell you how she'd woken up to find you missing, panicking. Realising her phone and car keys were gone, along with your bag and gun she awoke the rest of the team.

They'd managed to trace your movements as far as the gym but then lost you when Cane had made you switch vehicles and turn off your phones.

"Thank god you thought to take my cell with you Y/N. We'd never have found you otherwise."

The door to the hospital room swung open again, Derek wheeling Spencer in.

"Hey Kitten. Someone here wants to see you. You owe me a new pair of shoes by the way, you kinda vommed all over my others."

He winked at you grinning and pushing Spencer over to your bed, leaning down and giving you a tentative hug before placing his hand on Garcia's shoulder.

"Come on baby girl. Let's leave these two love birds alone."

She gave you a gentle hug too, doing the same to Spencer before following Morgan out of the room.

You turned to him taking in the man you'd risked your life for. The gash on his head had been stitched and patched up, and an ugly bruise had formed under his eye. His bottom lip was swollen and cracked, some of the outer layer of skin missing from where you'd pulled the duct tape off. His own wrists were bandaged as well, he must have cut himself trying to get free.

Your brow furrowed at him in concern.

"Are you okay?" your voice no louder than a whisper.

"Am I okay? Y/N I'm fine.... It's you I'm worried about. When you passed out when Morgan and the team arrived, I thought I'd lost you. You were bleeding pretty heavily from your head and your back where you vest didn't meet your pants. Morgan had to pretty much pull that glass out of your hand too."

Little snippets were coming back to you; you being thrown against the wall smashing into the window panes and Cane repeatedly smashing your head against the floor. It's no wonder your head was throbbing.

"I'm so angry with you for coming alone. When he lunged at you I thought..... "

He trailed off his own eyes glazing over, "I thought I was going to watch you die."

He reached out taking your hand, the one that wasn't bandaged up to your elbow.

"I couldn't not come Spencer," you choked out, your chest and throat on fire. "I couldn't let him kill you. Please don't be mad at me."

"I can't help it. I love you so much Y/N. You're everything to me. If you'd have died, my life wouldn't have been worth living anymore." He pressed your hand to his swollen mouth, kissing it gently wincing in pain as he did.

"That's how I feel about you Spencer. That's why I couldn't not do what he asked."

You could feel your eyes starting to droop, the emotional conversation and the pain meds taking their toll on you.

"Don't ever do any thing like that again Y/N. Do not put yourself in danger for me."

You nodded at him, knowing that was a promise you'd break in a heartbeat if he ever was in danger again.

"Get some more sleep. I love you."

"I love you too Spencer. Don't leave me... Please."

"I won't, I'll be right here for you. Always."