A/N: It's time to bring this story to an end. (sighs and wipes eyes) I still can't believe it! I'm sorry it took me some time to post this but I've been insanely busy lately. (winces)
BUT, first… Thank you so much for all those reviews! (GLOMPS) You guys sure know how to inspire an author.
Awkay… (takes a breath) I'm always nervous when it comes to finishing a story so I'm just jumping right in. I REALLY hope you'll enjoy the final bit!
Outro
Four Years Later
It was fortunate that Derek didn't expect miracles on Spencer's recovery. That he was prepared for the long road ahead of the genius. In a way it was a good thing that he was suspended the entire time while his actions before and during his confrontation with Ellie Spicer were examined.
He was there for Spencer when the younger man was finally discharged from the hospital.
He was there when Spencer found out that the infection his cut off finger caused was so bad that he'd never, ever play violin again.
He was there when Spencer couldn't sleep for an entire week. During night number eight they finally had a talk that resulted to the brunet believing that he wasn't losing his mind even if he needed therapy.
He was there when Spencer came home from his first therapy session and started hyperventilating as the revived memories got too much.
He was also there when Spencer was finally ready to take their relationship to the next level. This time they were careful not to take things backwards. Their first official date took them to a tiny restaurant Derek had never tried before. As they spent the night in a hospital, recovering from a food poisoning, they told each other 'I love you' for the first time. It was also decided that Spencer wouldn't go into his own apartment from the hospital.
That night was now over three years into past. And a while ago Derek had reached the conclusion that as satisfied as he was with their current life, it was time to move forward.
It was now two weeks, nine hours and seventeen minutes from when he'd finally found the perfect ring. A beautiful, white gold ring that had some leaves engraved to it. Since then he'd been gathering the courage for tonight.
It looked like he wasn't the only one of them nervous. He watched with a tiny smile how Spencer tapped his foot while finishing a phone call with William. "Yeah, I will. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Bye." In a moment the brunet hung up, looking towards him. There was a great deal of nervousness in the younger man's eyes. "Dad told me to say 'hi'."
Dad, not William, Derek observed. He smiled. "Right back at him." He then offered his partner a hand. "Ready to go?"
Spencer nodded, looking even more nervous than before, and took his hand without any hesitation. "Yeah, let's go before we'll lose the reservation."
Trying to chase away the somersaults in his own stomach, Derek leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Spencer's forehead. He loved the way the other man leaned closer to him. "Just so you know… You look really hot in a tuxedo", he whispered to his lover's ear.
Spencer looked even better with the blush that appeared to his usually pale cheeks.
During the first half of the drive Derek was too nervous to say pretty much a word. He barely even noticed the red light before it was too late.
He was brought out of his thoughts by Spencer's slightly unsteady voice. "I… was supposed to wait until the restaurant, but…" The man trailed off.
Flashes of how nervous his companion had been all day speeding through his head, Derek frowned and focused on the younger man. Spencer appeared even paler than usual. "Hey, what's wrong?" His voice was laced by worry but he didn't even notice.
Spencer swallowed laboriously, finally looking back at him. "There's… something I need to tell you."
The traffic light changed from red to green ten times before the vehicle moved.
Aaron Hotchner was infamous from how early he was at work every single day. That morning he appeared even earlier than usual. When the team appeared to work Erin Strauss was with him in his office. "I just went through a war to make this happen. You'd better be sure about this", she stated, observing the group settling in.
Aaron nodded. He was well aware of the possible complications, of the risks. But he stood firmly behind his decision. "I am."
The two of them watched how Derek walked in with a clearly troubled look on his face, how Emily approached the man with a frown and obviously asked what was wrong.
Deciding that Derek wasn't the one who needed to make this revelation, Aaron exchanged a one more glance with Erin before they walked out of his office and made their way to the team. They frowned at the look on his face, especially once noticing that Erin was with him. They'd grown used to the thought that her presence rarely promised anything good.
"What's… going on?" Emily was the brave one to ask.
Aaron tried not to look towards Derek, instead focused on David who gave him a nod of encouragement. He took a breath before looking at the whole team. "As you all now, we'll be one agent down when Dave retires in two weeks. I've finally chosen with Strauss who will fill in that position. He'll start today, so he'll be able to get a full briefing before he's an official, active member of the team."
JJ raised one eyebrow. None of them had expected the successor to be found this fast. "So… Who is he?"
Aaron felt a quite uncharacteristic smile tugging the corners of his lips. "You've already met him, actually. Strauss has approved with my choice after interviewing him carefully and considering the possible risks. He has special talents both Strauss and I consider useful. He also has a unique perspective to our UnSubs due to a personal connection he had with one of the most dangerous serial killers we've faced."
Emily's eyes widened, as did JJ's. "No way…!" the brunette sputtered.
But sure enough, a very familiar person entered the room with slow, hesitant steps.
Spencer gave them a slightly awkward smile. "Uh… Hi."
For a long moment Emily could only stare at the genius. "When the heck did you get academy training?" she finally asked.
Spencer responded with a tiny, awkward grin. "I… had four years?" was the best the brunet got.
Penelope and JJ seemed to know exactly what to do. Before Spencer had the slightest chance to see it coming the women had given him long, crushing hugs.
"Oh, sweetie, if anyone has to fill Rossi's shoes I'm glad it's you", Penelope declared with utmost sincerity.
JJ, on the other hand, flashed the young man a smile. "Welcome to the family, Spence."
Spencer returned the smile with a equally bright one. "Thanks."
Aaron's face softened while he watched Spencer being welcomed, but his expression faltered slightly when his eyes spotted Derek. There was a look of worry and anxiety on the dark skinned man's face. The eyes that met his briefly held a hint of accusation.
Aaron knew that accepting Spencer to the team broke several protocols, including fraternization rules. But he also knew that it was the best possible decision he could've made.
He could only hope and pray that one day Derek would understand that as well.
As soon as the worst chaos settled Spencer sneaked away from the others. It hadn't slipped from his attention that Derek had left the room almost as soon as he'd been announced as the newest teammember. He knew that it was high time they had a proper talk.
It wasn't all that hard to find Derek from the building's rooftop. He frowned with a great deal of distaste upon discovering that the other was smoking. "I thought you were over that habit by now", he mused out loud.
Derek's eyes were far from pleasant as they turned towards him. "Are you honestly giving me a lecture? Now?"
Spencer winced. Apparently there was even more repairing to do than he'd imagined. "Derek…"
Derek wasn't ready to listen. The man's eyes narrowed. "You… You go and hide something like that from me. You should've told me!"
Spencer sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I tried to", he pointed out honestly. "But… There never seemed to be a good time. Something always got in the way – your job, my mom's episodes…" He chewed his lower lip, which was a nervous habit he hadn't had since childhood. "Besides, it began long before we got together." Like that would've been a proper excuse.
Derek's eyes widened slightly. "What?"
Spencer chewed his lip again, wondering if it was really a good idea to reveal this. "Hotch and dad… They had a talk with me in Vegas, back then ages ago. They told me that I'd done a good job on those clues the Reaper left. They told me that I had a lot of good qualities – that I had potential, even though I'd never even held a gun." He breathed in and out, loudly. "You have no idea how scared I was. I wanted to tell you and mom, but…" He trailed off, the following words stinging like acid.
Little by little the look in Derek's expression softened, the flames of wrath dying from the man's eyes. "I'll forgive you, Spencer. Just this once. But don't ever keep secrets like this from me again, got that?"
"I won't", Spencer swore, his chest feeling just a little bit less tight.
Derek nodded. This time naked terror was loudly visible in the man's eyes. "And just so you know… If you ever get into a trouble I'm getting you a leash and a micro chip."
Finally Spencer managed to smile. He took Derek's hand, held on tight. "I can't promise you anything, Derek. You know life isn't that simple. But I do know that you're the most important person to me in this world. So…" He took a breath. "As long as you want to hold on to us… We'll take each day we've got together. How does that sound?"
Very slowly Derek melted into a smile of his own and nodded. The man wrapped one arm around him and pulled him close, as though never wanting to let go. "Hmm."
Feeling more calm than he had in ages Spencer leaned his head against his lover's forehead, letting his eyes close halfway. Neither of them noticed the torrential rain.
The world felt whole once more.
"Well…", Spencer breathed out after the silence had lasted for good fifteen minutes. He shivered slightly from cold and something else entirely. "Now that that's been talked through…" He licked his lips, very pleased when Derek pulled him even closer. "What are you going to do with that ring you've been hiding around?"
Derek only smiled.
Ellie Spicer hated Paris. There were, however, certain things in there that weren't completely unpleasant.
She didn't shiver or fight back, didn't even open her eyes, when she felt a hand on her naked body, along with burning hot lips searching through every single inch of her. She didn't resist even when the hand and lips focused on the numerous scars on her torso, paying particular attention to the four years old gunshot wounds.
They were her battle scars. Marks of the price she'd paid to leave the ghosts of past to rest.
The man beside her knew every single one of the marks on her body, including the story behind the tattoo she'd gotten as soon as she'd been strong enough after getting shot. The man didn't know Derek's name but he did know that the series of numbers were from the badge of someone who had a great role in her past.
Sometimes Ellie amused herself with wondering if Derek guessed that she still had his badge. That whenever the hunger became too much she looked at it, imagining, planning. Like a recovering drug addict eyeing a syringe. She craved, hellishly.
But she had new priorities, now.
Her hand followed instinctively as he caressed the clearly visible bulge of her stomach. "He's kicking like a champion tonight", he commented.
She arched an eyebrow, turning towards him and letting herself drown into his eyes. "'He'?"
Ian Doyle smiled and gave her a kiss. She consented gladly when his body soon asked for something much more.
The first time they shared a bed was half an hour after they first saw each other. The found each other during the hottest of summers on the edge of a crowded market place in Mexico. She'd been running away from the voices whispering inside her head. He'd been doing the same thing. She'd never wanted anyone else since.
To this day she wasn't sure if they were one another's heaven or hell. She didn't even care. She only felt truly alive with him. It didn't matter that she knew he'd done things she couldn't imagine even in her worst nightmares. They'd seen each other at their best and worst. They'd kill and die for each other. That was more than enough.
"I think we should get married."
Those words stunned Ellie for the longest moment. She looked at him with an arched eyebrow. "I thought you didn't believe in official commitments."
Doyle shrugged. "I want Declan to have a family when he's born." He kissed her stomach with utmost affection and the unborn child inside her replied with a furious kick. "But first… There are some old friends I need to visit."
End.
A/N: Gosh… I can't believe that it's over! (chokes a little)
One story became wrapped up, and another seems to stir. Our favorite couple is finally together AND Reid's right where he belongs. (grins)
PLEASE, let me know your thoughts on this finishing piece! You can't even imagine how much it'd mean to me. (gives puppy's eyes)
THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart, for sticking with this story! It's been a long ride and several times I've felt like giving up. It's you and your love that kept this alive. So THANK YOU! (GLOMPS) You guys are truly the best, ya know?
I'm off to new challenges now. Once again, thank you! I really hope I'll keep seeing ya guys around.
Take care!
ilsa: Aww! (hugs and offers tissues) I'm somewhat flattered to hear I've managed to make you feel, though.
'Hope you'll enjoy the final bit!
Gigantic thank yous for the review!
Nicolethecrazyone: Hooray! 'Glad to hear you think so. (beams)
I really, truly hope you'll enjoy the final bit as well.
Huge thank yous for the review!