Prison had changed Spencer. From the dorky, shy genius, to somebody who had been put through something he never deserved to experience, something broke inside of him.

It was the most difficult period of your relationship — only getting to see him through weekly visitations for three months straight, seeing him show up to each and every one with a new bruise, darker eye bags… watching him fall apart right in front of you.

And eventually, things got better. The cracks still shone on the edges of each day, but it was better.

Almost a year later, you got pregnant. It wasn’t planned, but the two of you had discussed having a family before prison happened, and you knew it was something you both wanted — and something new shifted in him. His healing sped up, his pain seemed to take a backseat as he put all of his focus into caring for the woman he loved and the child she was carrying for them.

It was so amazing, seeing him learn to open himself up to a future he thought would’ve been taken from him too soon.

You decided to stay in the field for a couple months before going on leave. Spencer was unsure of it, but he knew you wanted this. Plus you could be around him if you stayed working in the field.

But one day, on a case, you get shoved. An unsub pushes past you in an attempt to escape the warehouse the team was searching, slamming you into the wall.

And when you woke up, you were in the hospital — you’d suffered a blackout, your head pounding as you came to.

It didn’t take long for Spencer’s hands to be on you. “{{user}}? Are you awake?” he chokes out, one hand on your stomach as the other cups your cheek. The baby was okay and you would be too, but the situation had terrified Spencer more than anything had in a while.

As you come to, you manage to nod, eyes blearily focusing onto him — seeing the panic, the heartbreak.

Your eyes travel down to his hand on your stomach, and you see the discolored bruises on his knuckles… they weren’t there before.