Cold Coffee

Donna Green stood in the kitchen, a bottle of wine in her right hand. She stared at Spencer then at Ryder, a smirk playing at her lips. Her graying hair was obviously unwashed and unkempt. Her clothes looked as though she had bought them at a yard sale, seeing as they were way too small and smelled of mildew.

She sat the bottle on the counter after she took another long swig of it. Ryder stood her ground, glaring at the woman that birthed her. Donna crossed her arms over her chest and snapped, “Well, hello to you too.”

“What are you doing here?” Ryder asked again.

Shrugging her shoulders, Donna circled the kitchen, looking in cabinets and the refrigerator. She would occasionally take something out and either set it on the counter or put it back.

“I got a call from a Penelope Garcia early this morning,” She said glaring back at Ryder, “She said that you had agreed to go undercover for the FBI and got yourself kidnapped,” She paused to turn from the cabinets to stare at her, “Since when do you play nicely with cops?”

Ryder gritted her teeth. Her hands formed fists as she stepped closer to her mom. She couldn’t say that. Not in front of Spencer at least. He didn’t know about her past. And she wasn’t planning on telling him any time soon. She was stopped as she began to talk again.

She stared at Spencer and asked him, “How much are you paying her?”

Ryder’s whole heart dropped into the pit of her stomach. She looked down at the ground, avoiding anyone’s eyes. Spencer looked at Ryder, confused, then over at Donna who was wearing a proud smirk.

“What do you mean?” Spencer asked.

She faked a gasp as she put her hand over her chest, “You mean, she never told you? Oh this is too good!”

Donna erupted in laughter. It bounced and echoed off the walls in the kitchen. Ever laugh banged into Ryder’s head, letting the guilt raise from the forgotten corners of her brain.

“After her dad died, she decided that she was going to go out and party every night. Soon, she didn’t have any money to buy her alcohol so she started giving herself up for some extra cash. Little whore didn’t get it from me,” Donna said this while she gathered up the food she had taken from Ryder’s cabinets.

“Go!” Ryder screamed, causing everyone in the room to jump, “Put down my food and get out!”

Donna scuffed then set the food down on the counters in a sloppy mess. She left the house, making sure to slam the door. Ryder stared at the spot where her mother once stood, feeling the embarrassment sink in. She was ashamed of herself and her past.

“Ryder,” Spencer tried, but Ryder just shook her head and walked off to the living room.

The room was a mess. In the short time that her mother was there, she somehow managed to dirty up the couch, table, and floor. Rory was also staying with Garcia, which she was grateful for considering her mom hated animals.

She began picking up the crud and throwing it away. Her mom went to her house and ate her food that she paid for. She sighed as she cleaned the living room, putting it back in order. As she was putting the cushions back together, Spencer caught her shoulder in his hand. She looked at him, tears brimming her eyes.

“It’s okay,” He spoke softly.

She shook her head, “No it’s not. She revealed my past and it wasn’t something that I wanted you to know about.”

Ryder sat on the couch, putting her head in her hands. Spencer slowly sat beside her, not knowing what to say or do.

“When did you stop?” He asked.

Ryder shrugged, “Two years ago? I don’t know. Just because I stopped doesn’t make me a good person.”

He lifted his hand and set it on her back. He rubbed her skin, his hand going in a circular motion. She began to calm down, her stiff body becoming loose and relaxed.

“It makes you a better person,” He counter after some time.

She looked at him, springing up from her seat. She threw her hands in the air and asked, “How could it possibly make me a better person? I’ve never been with a guy that actually cares about me and I probably never will!”

Spencer had gotten to his feet also. He studied her body language. The first day he saw her, he knew that there was some secret involved, but he never knew it was something this deep. He stepped closer to her but kept his distance.

“I care about you,” He said confidently.

Ryder looked at him, her tears coming to a stop. Her breathing slowed. Her heart skipped a beat. They stood there, staring at each other. It was driving them both insane. After all, silence is a scary sound.

With a her fist filled with his tie, Ryder pulled him down to her level. Her lips danced against his, almost as if she was afraid he would disappear somehow. Spencer’s head spun as he wrapped his arms around her waist. He clutched the back of her shirt in his hands, holding tightly onto her.

The pit of Ryder’s stomach was doing flips as she pulled away. Their foreheads were pressed together, catching their breath. Spencer pulled back the strands that had fallen into her face. Her hands stayed resting on his chest, her eyes still closed shut.

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that,” She whispered to him.

Spencer chuckled and said, “I think I do.”

She laughed softly, feeling giggly all of the sudden. Spencer started to go in for another kiss, but the front door opened. They jumped away from each other as Collin, Rory, and Garcia stepped inside. Ryder crotched down and picked up Rory, who was wagging his tail and happily licking her face.

“Ryder, what happened to your face?” Collin asked as he set his bags on the ground behind the couch.

She gave him a mischievous smile and said, “I got into a fist fight. But don’t worry; I won.”

Collin laughed and flopped down on the couch. Ryder passed Rory off to Spencer and went over to Garcia. She hugged the blonde tightly.

“Thanks, Garcia. I owe you one,” She said to her.

Garcia pulled back and smiled while she said, “I’m just happy you’re safe.”

After she had left, Ryder went back to the couch and sat between Spencer and Collin. Rory was already fast asleep in his doggy bed near the t.v. An awkward silence filled the room. Collin was so oblivious to it though. He was talking about his stay with Garcia and funny stories about Rory almost chewing on Garcia’s shoes.

Collin stood up after a while and declared that he was gonna go check the mail then take a shower. He exited the house, leaving Ryder and Spencer alone.

Ryder scooted over away from him a bit so she could face him and cross her legs. She had her hands in her lap and stared at him. Spencer’s eyes stayed with hers. A smile slowly crept up onto her face as Spencer leaned over and placed his lips upon hers. It wasn’t a long kiss like before. It was just a quick peck.

“Does this make us an item?” She asked, her lips still hovering his.

Spencer’s whole face heated up and looked red. He nodded, sure that if he said something, it would be complete gibberish. Ryder smiled and kissed him again, her hands going up his shoulders, holding him there. The sound of the door slamming shut made them jump apart.

Collin was standing there by the door, his arms crossed over his chest, the mail in his hands, and a large smirk on his face. He stared at the couple, his smirk only growing.

“It’s about time,” He mumbled as he sat in the chair by the couch.

Ryder blushed, avoiding her brother’s eyes. She stared at the rug on the floor, finding it all too fascinating at that moment. She peeked up, looking through her fringe, at Collin. He was still staring at her, that large smirk still on his face.

Collin, proud of himself completely, stood up and waved them off as he walked to his room. A small laugh was heard before the soft click of the door shutting. Spencer, his eyes fixed upon the table, could feel his burning face begin to cool.

Ryder laughed awkwardly down at her lap then looked up at Spencer. She leaned over and planted her lips on his cheek. She stood up, stretching her arms far up above her head. She walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator door.

“Do you want something to eat?” She asked.

Spencer called back, “No. I should be going and let you get some rest.”

Ryder practically ran back to the living room. She skidded to a stop and saw Spencer standing by the door, a smug smile on his face. Ryder wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. She hid her face in his chest, taking in his scent.

“Thanks for saving my life, I guess,” She said, a small laugh exiting her lips.

He pressed his lips against her forehead as he said, “Alright. I gotta go now. I’ll see you later.”

“Call me later, okay?”

He nodded, put his sunglasses on his face, and exited the house. Ryder sighed happily, feeling completely satisfied and overjoyed with happiness. She twirled around the room, giggling to herself and pick up her phone.
She immediately dialed Garcia, telling her all about it. They bother squealed and laughed like teenaged girls in high school. They were on the phone for a good while. Garcia even started planning their wedding and picked out baby names.

“Don’t tell anyone yet!” Ryder exclaimed, “I don’t know if he wants to tell them or what.”

“My lips are sealed!” Garcia reassured.

Ryder said her goodbye, still not sure that Garcia would keep it a secret like she asked. But she wasn’t going to spend all night worrying about it.

The next few days, Ryder woke up with a grin on her face. The sun seemed brighter, the birds seemed to sing at her window, and the air seemed fresher. She didn’t realize that she could feel so much better just knowing that her and Spencer were in the same boat riding along the river of sweet a bliss.

Spencer stopped by regularly. When he could, of course. With his stressful job, it was hard to be there for her all the time. But he made sure that he did have time for her.

The team at the BAU were all happy for the young genius. Derek thought it was good that he finally got a girl and hoped that maybe he would loosen up a bit. It did work, to an extent. Really, he only loosened up when he was around Ryder. He was a whole different person when Ryder was in the picture.

One late night, Ryder walked into the BAU office from the elevator. Almost all the lights were out. But one light was still on in the conference room. A boom of laughter caught her ear as Ryder neared the room. She lifted her fist and lightly knocked on the open door. All eyes zoomed in on the petite girl in the doorway. Spencer immediately stood up, his eyes lighting up just as fast.

“Sorry to interrupt, guys,” She apologized as Spencer started to gather his things.

JJ smiled at her as she stood and hugged her while saying, “Don’t worry about it. We were just about to leave anyways.”

Spencer told the group goodbye then linked his fingers with Ryder’s. After getting out of the building, they walked out to Ryder’s car. She let Spencer drive, not really wanting to drive anymore.

“Where’s Collin?” Spencer asked as they sat down on the couch in the living room.

Ryder pulled a blanket over both of their legs, “He’s over at a friend’s house.”

He nodded, his cheeks heating as soon as Ryder cuddled up under his arm. Her nostrils were filled with his sweet scent that smelled like his cologne mixed with sugary coffee. She closed her eyes, a smile forming as she took in the smell and the warmth of his body. She always felt so safe when she was around him. Maybe it was because he was a FBI agent.

The movie they were watching, was completely boring. They both were starting to doze off from the poor quality. Just as Ryder’s breathing evened out, Spencer’s phone began to buzz on the table in front of her. She sat up, grabbing his phone, not wanting him to wake up because of a phone call. Morgan’s name was displayed on the front screen.

“Hey, Derek,” She answered, standing and going into the kitchen.

“Hey, sweet heart,” He greeted, “Where’s Pretty Boy?”

She smiled at the nicknames he used and looked back into the living room, “He’s asleep right. I didn’t want to wake him. He looks too adorable.”

Derek chuckled then said, “Well, I hate to be the barer of bad news, but we’ve got to head over to Annapolis in the morning. New case.”

Ryder sighed, then nodded. She hung up the phone after saying goodbye to him and walked back into the living room where Spencer had adjusted more to a comfortable position. She sat down beside him and pushed his hair back then dipped her head back to press her lips to his forehead. Spencer jerked away, then opened his eyes to see a smiling Ryder.

“How long was I asleep?” He asked somewhat groggy.

She shook her head while saying, “Only a few minutes. Derek called you. Said that you going to Annapolis in the morning for a new case.”

Spencer nodded, rubbing his face with his hands. He sighed softly, then started to gather his things up. Ryder’s eyebrows knitted together. She stood up, blocking him from the front door.

“You’re leaving?” She asked.

He nodded, his hand forming around the doorknob beside her hip. “I need to pack,” He said.

Ryder bit her bottom lip anxiously. She knew what she wanted to ask him. She knew what she wanted him to do. But she was having troubles forming the words.

“You could stay,” She whispered so quietly, looking down at his blue tie, “Tonight, I mean.”

Spencer’s hand fell to his side, feeling his whole face burning. So many thoughts ran through his head; thoughts that didn’t even relate to the conversation ran through. He opened his mouth the say something, anything. But nothing escaped his lips.

Ryder took the silence as his answer. She looked away from him to the floor. She nodded her head, feeling completely idiotic. What she said seemed wrong and too straightforward.

“Sorry,” She whispered again, pushing some of her hair behind her ear.

Again, Spencer didn’t say anything. He couldn’t say anything. Ryder moved away from the front door, giving him full access for usage. Spencer’s eyes followed her body, watching her wrap her arms around his waist.

“I’ll call you later,” He said sheepishly, opening the door.

She nodded, “Bye.”

Spencer hesitated, letting his eyes linger upon her face. Then he walked out of the house and into the night.