Summary: Short little one shot on how "Zugzwang" should've happened. Reid gets to be happy for once! Yay! Probably going to write a sequel/follow up story type thing, but I didn't want to add on to the end of this because I felt satisfied with the ending :)
Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds, and if I did I'm sure you all know that the evil and cruel end of that episode wouldn't have happened.
Warning: Spoilers for "Zugzwang" (obviously).
Spencer Reid has never been more terrified in his life than in this moment now. When Tobias Hankel kidnapped him, or when he contracted anthrax, or any of the numerous hostage situations he'd been in, he'd been concerned and yes, a little bit scared, but never like this. And he's not scared for his own life, that doesn't matter as much as hers. Maeve. Beautiful Maeve, who he'd dreamed about seeing in person ever since they had their first conversation. And now they've met, but this is definitely not what he had in mind for a first date.
Dianne's ranting again about how the two of them never noticed her or acknowledged her genius, but he's only half listening because he's more concerned about how to get Maeve out of here alive. Negotiating obviously isn't working, and as the unsub raises the gun to her own head, he yells out for her to wait, but it's too late.
The ear-splitting sound of a bullet leaving the barrel of a gun rings through the air, and he closes his eyes because he can't bear to see Maeve lying there in a pool of her own blood. At least, that's what he expects he'd see. Except that a single word rings through the air, his name, and his eyes snap open because that's her voice. Her amazing, beautiful voice he thought he'd never hear again.
Maeve is standing there, blood spattered on her face and clothes, looking shocked, but she's okay. She's okay. He breathes a sigh of relief. The gun that went off wasn't Dianne's, it was one of the team's but he didn't see who's. The unsub is dead, shot through the head, and even though he knows that he should feel bad, because he could've helped her in some way, he doesn't. She was the one who put Maeve through hell, and for once he doesn't feel sorry for the unsub's death.
He turns his attention back to his girlfriend, and he secretly rejoices the fact that he can say that now, even if it's in his own head. My girlfriend, he thinks and a smile spreads across his face of its own free will.
"Maeve," he breathes, and crosses the room to engulf her in a tight hug. He buries his head in her shoulder and tries to hold back the tears threatening to spill over. She hugs him back equally as tight and rubs his back, murmuring reassurances in his ear.
"It's okay, I'm okay, Spencer," she says, slowly rocking back and forth with him.
"I thought I lost you," he chokes out.
"But you didn't. I'm here and I'm okay. And," she pauses, pulling back so she can look into his eyes, "I love you,"
"I love you too," he says without hesitation, and it's as though a weight's been lifted off his chest. He's crying, but they're tears of joy, and he doesn't really care because his heart is soaring and he thinks he's probably the happiest man on earth right now.