A/N: I have been sort of MIA in the Criminal Minds scene lately, I've been "obsessed" with other things. Buuut...yesterday I got a sort of revelation, and a new story idea. Please tell me what you think of this, the next chapter will be up when I get some feedback. This takes place in the beginning of episode 4x07 "Memoriam"

Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds, only my original characters.

Never not need you
Chapter 1

"I want to spend some time with my mom,"

The lie came easily. Spencer wasn't normally good at lying, but it seemed like he might actually get away with this one. When the rest of the team went to the airport, Spencer went to the police station. He needed to find out about Riley Jenkins, it was eating him up inside.

After picking up what he needed and getting back into his rental car, he pulled out his cell phone. Dialing the familiar numbers, he waited for the line to be picked up. When it did, he smiled.

"Hey, it's me. Are you free?"

After a short conversation, Spencer hung up the phone and made his way to his rental car. Pressing in the address he'd been given in the GPS, he started to drive.

--

She watched as a bead of sweat made its way from the clerk's forehead and down to his neck. She wrinkled her nose in disgust, and handed over her money.

"Have a nice day," he leered, and she gave a curt nod.

"You too," her voice was raspy, as if she'd been up all night screaming at the top of her lungs. She grabbed the water bottle from the counter and left, trying to ignore the feeling of the man's eyes glued on her backside as she put the water in her messenger bag.

When she came out to the sidewalk she fished out a zippo lighter and a half squished cigarette pack from her denim skirt pocket, and lit up a smoke before tucking the pack back into her pocket. The end of the cigarette burnt a bright red before turning ash grey, smoke ringed out from between her pink lips and she sighed. Her head turned to the right as a voice was heard, and her green eyes lit up.

"That's another six minutes of your life you'll never get back,"

She threw her cigarette on the ground and stepped on it, smiling as she looked up on her friend. "Well, what's the point of trying too hard? We're all going to die anyway,"

Laughter was his response, and his arms wrapped themselves around her. She hugged him back, leaning her forehead against his chest. It had been too long since she'd been able to be close to him. He leaned his chin on the top of her head, breathing in the scent of her shampoo. She smelled like smoke and mango, he noticed.

"It's been a while Spence," she smiled up at him as she pulled away.

Spencer met her smile with an equal one. "That it has Celia. You look good, despite trying to give yourself cancer,"

"It's my last package, I swear. So, how've you been?"

He shrugged. "Been better, been worse. How about you?"

"I've been great, really. I got a new booking yesterday,"

Celia started to talk about her new booking, and Spencer couldn't help but to smile at her excited manner. She used her hands as she talked, describing things, and one slender hand came up every now and then to brush away her brown bangs from her eyes.

"Where are you staying by the way?" she asked when she had finished talking, and reached down into her messenger bag.

"Fountain View." He cleared his throat. "Do you want to come with me? I was heading back there before I called you,"

Celia smiled. "I just need to get back to my apartment first. Smile."

Spencer hadn't noticed that she had picked up a large black camera, and that she was now adjusting the focus, preparing to take his picture.

"Celia, no pictures!" he laughed, and she lowered the camera.

"Please," she pouted, giving him a puppy-eyed look.

"Fine, take your damn pictures," he mock-scolded, and stood still as she took numerous pictures of him. The final one she took of the two of them, both grinning into the camera.

This had been a normal occurrence when they had grown up, in the suburbs of Las Vegas. Celia had gotten a camera from her dad when she turned 14, and she had been taking pictures of whatever she could ever since.

"Are you done?" Spencer asked, raising an eyebrow at his friend.

"Yep, I'm done," Celia responded, smiling up at the young genius.

--

The two friends chattered on the way over to Celia's apartment, catching up on what had been going on in their lives since they saw each other last time. Spencer drove towards the address Celia had given him, noticing that the apartment buildings around him started to look nicer and more luxurious.

They walked the two flights of stairs up to her floor, and Celia dug through her bag for her key. She opened the door to her apartment, and Spencer admitted that he was impressed.

It was a bit on the small side, but with big windows that let the sun in. Spencer could see the disarray that she normally surrounded herself with through the open door to her bedroom, and chuckled slightly. She never changed.

"Nice place you got here," he called out as he walked through the apartment, looking around. Her furniture looked out of place in the apartment, which was painted in light colours.

"Thanks, I got a real nice price for it too,"

Spencer knew about as much about interior design as Morgan did about quantum physics, but he did know that Celia wasn't likely to have picked out the colours in the apartment. She had always favoured darker, richer colours.

The only artwork she had on the walls were photographs, mostly black and white nature shots. When Spencer looked closer, he found out what he had been guessing; the photographs were originals.

Spencer was busy looking through Celia's book collection, and didn't notice that she had come in to the living room. The click of a camera made him aware that he was no longer alone, and he smiled at her.

"You ready to go?"

She nodded. "Yep, I'm ready to go,"

Spencer walked behind her, lost in his thoughts. He had known her for 15 years, but their visits had been scarce lately. For the longest time he had also been in love with her, but different things in their lives had prevented them from starting a relationship. But now, maybe that could change, he thought as she grabbed his hand and pulled him through the lobby.

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