A/n thank you all for your support of this foray into the extreme AU for me. I appreciate all feedback and the efforts of my wonderful beta, REIDFANATIC

EPILOGUE

Spencer was halfway through the stack of books Maeve had brought for him when someone tapped on his open hospital room door.

He glanced up, then stared in surprise at Agent David Rossi. "Hi," he squeaked, unable to think of anything clever to say.

He flicked his eyes to the stack of library books, half of which were Agent Rossi's profiling books.

"I wanted to stop by before we left and see how you are."

"Um, thanks, I'm fine."

At least he'd been able to get the words out without squeaking. He put the book aside on the little table that arched over his bed.

They were silent for a moment until Spencer said, "Um, you can sit if you like."

"Thanks."

More silence passed and then Spencer sighed. "I'm glad you came, I wanted to say thank you for saving my life."

"You're welcome."

"How did you find me?"

"Garcia," Rossi said with a grin. "We figured that if Dr. Telly used aliases from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle once, he might do it again. Also, we found an off shore account in Sutton's name. From what we were able to get from Dr. Telly, he met Detective Sutton during a moving violation, if you can believe it."

Spencer only shook his head. "He knew all along it was Brian and he tried to pin it on me."

Rossi frowned. "He was good. We didn't see the signs of a dirty cop, only one with tunnel vision."

"You had Ms. Garcia look into him."

"Not soon enough."

"Tell her I said thank you, too."

Rossi sat back in his chair. "Will do."

"You didn't come here just to tell me goodbye," Spencer said as his eyes drifted again to Rossi's profiling books.

Rossi regarded him curiously, but Spencer saw that it wasn't about the case this time. "My oldest friend is Jason Gideon. We started the BAU together. I was wondering why you were muttering his name when we first encountered you in the psych ward."

Spencer felt his heart give a huge leap in his chest. "I'm not sure," he evaded.

"I know you were under hypnosis, but your subconscious must have realized we could help you."

Spencer looked at the book he'd been reading instead of meeting Rossi's eyes. "You know I went to a seminar and heard Agent Gideon speak."

"Yes."

"He pulled me aside afterward and told me he was very impressed with the questions I'd asked and my level of interest. He asked me if I wanted to join the FBI with the goal of becoming a criminal profiler."

Rossi waited as Spencer fidgeted with the cover of the book for several long moments. "I wanted to say yes, but I hesitated. He asked me what was wrong and the next thing I know we're sitting in an off campus diner having dinner and drinking coffee. I told him about my mother and about my childhood. I opened up to a complete stranger just like that. I've never done that before," he told the older man as if revealing a huge secret.

"Jason has a way of getting people to spill their secrets with a minimum of effort," Rossi agreed.

"I told him I'd love to join the FBI, but that my mother wasn't doing well, and I felt I had to stay close to home."

"He told you to stay, didn't he?"

"Yes, he said he'd made many mistakes in his personal life, let the job overshadow everything including his family. He didn't want me to make those mistakes and that I mustn't let a career get in the way of my personal life."

"Jason was right. I've been married and divorced three times because of this job, but it's who I am. I can't stop now."

"I think I understand."

"It is too bad," said Rossi and his eyes began to sparkle. "We have an opening on our team. You'd make a fine addition."

Spencer held up one hand. "No. I have no intention of chasing men like Brian for the rest of my life."

"That's not the only reason," Rossi prompted.

"I can't leave my mother. She needs me and I have a fiancé that'd kill me if I decided to move to Quantico."

They spoke for a while about inconsequential things until Rossi looked at his watch. "I have to go. The Bureau jet waits for no man."

"Um, Agent Rossi…"

"Call me David, please."

"David, would you autograph a couple of your books for me."

"Of course."

CMCMCMCMCMCM

He was dozing in his bed, when Maeve came in. The pain medication for his cracked ribs and Taser burn were working nicely, but he wasn't quite asleep.

"Hey," she bent down and kissed him on the forehead.

"Hi," he smiled for her and it made her tingle from her head to her toes.

"Agent Rossi was here," he said drowsily. "He signed my books."

"Really."

"He wanted me to join the BAU."

Her heart jumped into her throat until she saw that he had no intention of leaving. "I told him no. I said I had to get married."

"Good answer, Dr. Reid."

"Love you, Dr. Donovan."

"Love you, too. Go to sleep and dream of distant shores, and things no one has seen."

"No," he said sleepily. "I'm gonna dream of you."

THE END