Two High IQ's Make One Great Romance

"Reid, Reid." Spencer was being shaken from his light sleep. He shot up and wiped the dried tears from his eyes. He wasn't sure how long he'd been asleep on the uncomfortable couch in the waiting room.

Derek was standing above him.
"She's out of surgery. She had a punctured lung, and a shattered ankle among some other things, but she'll be ok."

Spencer leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, continually wiping his face to keep the tears away.

"Ok." Was all he managed to say. He wouldn't feel completely right until he saw her. He looked across the waiting room at the people on the other side. He recognized Piper's boss from her dance studio, but the others were not people he had seen before.
"Her family?"

Derek turned and looked at who Spencer was referring to. "Yeah." He sat next to Spencer who looked like he was about to burst out into tears any second. "It'll be ok. You saved her life, you know."

"Yeah. It doesn't make me feel any better." He ran his fingers through his hair and straightened out his shirt.

"Spencer?" The girl on the other side of the room spoke. He looked up.

"Yes."

"Hi, I'm Piper's best friend, Brianne." She stood up. Spencer held out his hand for her to shake, but she pulled him into a hug instead. "Thanks for uh, saving her life."

"I didn't really do anything." He shrugged.

"You saved my daughter. I owe you my life." Piper's dad rose from his chair and held out his hand for Spencer. He was a tall, thin, dark featured man. Spencer took his hand and shook it.

"I really didn't do anything. It was just my job."

"That girl is my life." Her dad spoke again. Spencer didn't have anything else to say. He was too emotionally drained. From the corner of his eye he saw the team from the BAU entering into the waiting room. There was an eerie silence as everyone from both sides of Piper's life came in contact with each other. Everyone looked around.

"How is she?" Hotch asked. The team had been to the hospital already, but left to go investigate the scene.

"Good. She's recovering now." Derek said.

"You're her boss?" Her Dad spoke up again. Hotch nodded.

"Nice to meet you. I'm her father."

"Yes I know who you are Mr. Aigen. When did you get in?"

"A few minutes ago, actually. I flew out as soon as I heard."

The two continued some light conversation for a bit until a nurse emerged from Piper's room, only a few feet away.

"She'll be waking up in a little bit. You can go in if you like." She spoke directly to her father.
Scott Aigen smiled awkwardly at the group and walked into his daughter's private hospital room.

"Listen, Morgan..." Hotch began, pulling Derek to the side to establish that this was a private conversation.

"We found some photographs next to the body at her apartment. We believe that he was going to torture her before killing her. He was a classic vengeful narcissist, and he had prepared speeches and tactics to make her suffer. There are some things you should see."
Hotch handed a tan folder to Derek and took him to another section of the hospital so he could look them over. There was photo after photo of Derek entering and exiting Piper's apartment. Then, there were the incriminating photos of Derek drunkenly kissing and caressing Piper as they walked into her apartment, and then the photos of him leaving solo with an angered look on his face. There were also pictures of Spencer entering her building at night and leaving with her in the morning. It was interesting, to say the least.

"He clearly had been stalking her for weeks. There's hundreds of pictures." Hotch said, inching around the topic that he wanted to bring up.

"These pictures aren't.. It's not what it looks like."

"They're incriminating, but the investigation is pretty cut and dry, so it's likely that they'll never have to be used. If you want, we can get rid of them as soon as CSI clears the scene."

"What?" Spencer appeared in the room, already eying the photos Derek was holding. Derek immediately closed the folder and tucked it by his side. "What's that?"

Neither one had anything to say. They couldn't hide evidence from Spencer, but this evidence was clearly some that maybe he shouldn't see.
Spencer held out his hands for the folder, knowing Derek had to hand it over.

He was speechless as he flipped through everyone of the photos. Derek's shame was not hidden well.

"Reid, it's not what it looks like."

"No, I think it is. I knew something weird was going on between the two of you, but I never would have guessed this." He threw the papers down on the floor and fled the room, barely able to contain his emotions any longer.

"Morgan, I'm not exactly the person to turn to for relationship advice, but..." Hotch began. Derek held up his hands.

"It's not what it seems."

XXXXXX

There was beeping. That was the only thing I could focus on. I had died, I knew that. Was there beeping in heaven? Was heaven so uncomfortable? I took a deep breath. Knives in my chest. I slowly opened my eyes, letting the bright surrounding lights flood my eyes. After a few seconds they focused and I could see the light yellow walls and pale ceiling of a room. I was in a hospital, alive.

"Piper." My Dad's face came into view and I was immediately relieved.

"Hi Daddy." I smiled. Smiling hurt. I brought a weak hand to my face and felt the large bump forming under my eye.

"Sweetie, how are you feeling?"

"Like shit. I've never been in so much pain. Breaking my collar bone in eighth grade was nothing compared to this." I whispered. My voice was shaky. My dad smiled at me and stroked my hair gently.

"I can imagine."
We were quiet for the next few seconds, I was just happy to be with my Dad. My mind was not completely focused yet.

"Is he... dead?" I asked. My Dad nodded.

"Your friend Spencer shot him."
Spencer! Where was he? How was he? Did they struggle? The beeping on the machine next to me increased steadily.

"Easy baby, don't get worked up. Spencer is fine, everyone is fine." He whispered again.
A nurse walked into the room. "How are you feeling?"

"Pain." Was all I said. The knives were continually puncturing my chest. It was pain I had never felt before.

"That's to be expected. You have a partially collapsed lung, but it will heal itself in the next few weeks. You'll get used to it. Here," She injected a clear liquid into the tube connected to my arm, "this will make you feel better. But you'll be sleepy."

Immediately my eyes dropped.
"Tell Spencer I said thanks." I mumbled to my Dad. "And tell him I'm sorry."
I fell asleep quickly.

XXXXXX

"Where's that Spencer boy?" Mr. Aigen asked as he shut Piper's door behind me.

"He ran off a few minutes ago, I'm not sure where he went." JJ answered him. She had rushed to the hospital after she came for a visit at the BAU and everyone had told her what happened.

"Piper wanted me to thank him and say she was sorry."

"Sorry for what?" Garcia spoke up.

"I don't know. Probably putting him in that sort of situation. I think she'd like to talk to him when she wakes up." Mr. Aigen opened up the door again and walked inside to get situated in his daughters room, where he would be spending the majority of his time for the next few days.

XXXXXX

I felt my hands being pulled when I woke up. I looked down to see Brianne on one side of me, Penelope on the other. They were painting my nails.

"What are you doing?" I asked. They both looked up with smiles plastered on their faces.

"When I was in the hospital, no one let me put make-up on or do my nails, and I thought you'd enjoy looking good while you were here." Penelope said as she looked towards Brianne and then back at me. I smiled, it hurt.

"Thanks guys. Did you put any make-up on me?" I asked with a laugh hiding behind my words.

"Of course we did." Brianne held up a mirror and I looked in. I was horrified. The entire left side of my face was purple. There was a giant bump formed underneath my eye. A bandage wrapped around my head a few times where I suspected there were some stitches. But alas, I was wearing make-up.

"Oh God..." I brought my hand up to my face again, feeling around the purple parts.

"You probably think it's worse than it really is. It's just colored weird, is all." Penelope said as she took away the mirror. I started tearing up.

"It's really bad.." The memories of what had happened began hitting me like a tidal wave. I covered my mouth with my hand and looked desperately at my friends. They understood the message and held out a garbage can which I immediately violently vomited into.

"I can't believe that someone would.... what did I do to deserve this?" I looked down at my body in my weakened state. I moved the hospital gown around to see my entire body, not caring that there were people in the room. My ankle was shattered, there was a giant bandage around my chest and torso, and I couldn't even start to count the bruises on my skin.

"You didn't deserve this. You know that some people are psychotic. Sometimes... bad things just happen for no reason." Penelope tried to reason. I used the bed remote to raise the bed. I saw my Dad sleeping on a couch in the corner. I sighed and let myself calm down before speaking again.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"Almost six." Brianne answered.

"You guys don't have to stay." I said. They looked at me apologetically.

"Sweetness, we're staying. Your poor dad was up for twenty four hours straight, and someone has to keep you company." Penelope shrugged and continued to paint my nails.
I wanted to cry, but for the sake of my friends I would hold it in until I was alone.

"Where's Spencer? Is he ok?" I asked them. They looked at each other and then looked back down at my hands. "Guys..."

"Reid is... for lack of a better term- missing. He um... ran off early this morning." Penelope said to my hand. I sat up again, straining my injuries.

"Why?" I asked. Before either one had a change to answer, Derek walked in the room.

"There's my little girl." He smiled weakly at me. I could see the pity in his eyes.

"Hey Derek. Where's Spencer?" I asked. He was really the person I wanted to see the most. After believing that I was going to die and that he was going to die as well, I needed to see him in person. And I needed some questions answered.

"Listen guys, can you give us a minute?" Derek asked the girls at my sides. They left. My Dad stirred on his couch. He rose slowly and smiled at me.

"Hey sleepy."

"Dad, can you give Derek and me a few minutes?" I asked him. He raised his eyebrows at me, but left the room.

"Derek, I'm going to need some answers here. Where is Spencer?"
He pulled up a chair and took my hand in his. He rubbed small circles in my palm.

"Before anything, I need to ask you some questions. Is that ok?"
I nodded with disappointment. "Sure, I guess."

"What happened?"

"Way to be subtle Derek..." I said with sarcasm, but prepared myself to explain. "I uh.." I struggled to remember. "I heard knocking and I ignored it at first, but finally answered the door. He shoved me to the ground. He tied me up and told me that I was the reason that his brother was dead. He beat me up, and I passed out. I don't know for how long." I stopped to keep my composure.

"Take your time." He rubbed my hand.

"It's fine. When I woke up... I tried to escape, but he caught me. He kicked me around a little more...and then he told me that when he was done with me he was going to kill Spencer too. Then uh.... really the last thing I remember is Spencer running in. Then everything goes black." I was really struggling with my sanity. Voicing everything made my head spin.

"Did anything really stick out?"

"Derek, I was beaten half to death. Everything was pretty strange."

"Do you think anyone else was involved?"

"No." I shook my head and closed my eyes.

"Good. You did good Piper. It's over now, take it easy." Derek kissed my forehead. It stung.

"Where is he? Why hasn't he come to see me?" I asked. His eyes were sympathetic as he already understood what I was talking about.

"We don't know. He saw something." Derek's voice turned much more serious. "Do you remember seeing pictures that the unsub had printed out?"

I tried to remember, but everything was a little hazy. "I don't know."

"He had printed hundreds of pictures of you entering and leaving your apartment. We believe he was planning on showing Spencer pictures of you and I together..."

Oh no. Pictures of Derek and I together. "Where there pictures of us from... that one night?"

"Yes. Reid thought they were evidence and took a look at them. We haven't seen him since."
I shut my eyes and rested my head back on the pillow. So Spencer knew. Everyone knew. Our secret was out, and when I needed Spencer most, he was no where to be found. But it was my fault. Everything was my fault. Trying not to cry was not even an option anymore.

"It's ok. He'll be here, I promise." He started rubbing my back as he pulled me into a hug.

"Ow!" I screamed through my tears. Derek immediately retracted.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Do you want me to leave?"

"I want you to find him." I said, trying to calm myself.

"Ok. I promise I'll find him." He kissed my forehead gently and left the room, holding the door open for others to walk in.
Hotch, Rossi, Emily, and JJ surrounded my bed.

"How are you feeling?" Hotch asked.

"How do I look?" I answered sharply. He didn't answer. They all gave me sympathetic looks.

"If Derek already questioned you, then everything seems to be in order. I just wanted to let you know how things are going." Hotch said with seriousness in his voice. He patted my arm and walked swiftly from the room.

"He's upset because he feels like he let this happen." JJ explained. I looked at her soft brown eyes and managed a smile.

"It's no ones fault... except maybe mine." I shrugged, but stopped when the pain in my chest got too sharp.

"No, no. It's not your fault. No one could have guessed that there was a twin brother completely off the map." Emily started stroking my hair.
There was a silence in the room. I looked around at my co-workers and felt emotional. Rossi saw my eyes as they flickered and gave my hand a light squeeze.

"So did you guys... uh.. see the pictures?" I asked. There was now an even more awkward air in the room.

"Yeah we did. Derek explained, though. He told us it was all a mistake and that nothing really happened." Emily said.

"Nothing did happen." I was stern. "Nothing at all. But um... Spencer doesn't know that. Has anyone spoken to him?" I asked. They all looked at each other. "Right. Well I really want to get to sleep now."

"Alright. We love you. Sleep well and we'll come see you tomorrow." JJ gave me a hug, followed by Emily and Rossi. I smiled at them, but I was secretly screaming inside. More than anything I wanted Spencer by my side.