Spencer Reid was tired. He was tired because he'd just come home from working a 4 day case. He was physically tired. He was emotionally tired. He was tired of hiding the truth. He remembered when he thought she was gone forever, dead. He had been devastated. He'd actually told JJ how he'd felt about her. To his knowledge, she hadn't betrayed his secret. Today, however, he would be the one to let it out. Again, he was tired of hiding the truth. He had to tell her. It didn't matter the outcome, he would let her know how he felt about her before he closed his eyes and went to sleep tonight. He was sitting in his car in the parking lot outside her apartment. Should he call first? Should he just go up? Get it over with, rip it off like a band aid, right? He got out of the car and stepped into the chilly February evening air. While riding the elevator up, he very nearly changed his mind about the whole thing. But he doesn't. He steps out of the elevator and walks the few feet to her door, knocking gently. She answers the door, already dressed in her pajamas, a glass of red wine in her hand. He takes in the sight of her, her medium length dark hair pulled back, her slender body covered in a long sleeved purple t-shirt. She has on purple fleece pants to match. Man, he thinks, she's always so beautiful.
"Reid? What are you doing here? Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, Emily…I, um, I wanted to talk to you."
"Okay…come in, I guess," she stands aside to let him in.
"When you were dead," he starts, but can't find the words to finish.
"I've been expecting this. You're angry, I know, and I am so sorry for putting you through that, Spencer. I can't apologize enough. But you understand it was necessary."
"I do and that's not why I'm here. Emily I need to do this and I've needed to do it for a while but it was hard doing it in my head and now that I'm here right in front of you it's impossible but I'm in love with you and you need to know that and now you do so I'm going to go home and go to sleep."
He starts to walk away, to head back to the door, but she speaks, stopping him dead in his tracks.
"I love you, too, Spencer."
"What?" Did he hear that right?
"God I thought I was going to explode having to hold it in. But it's out there now. I love you. And if I heard you correctly, you love me."
"It does feel better saying, doesn't it?"
"Yeah. Yeah it does," she walks up to him and wraps her arms around him, pulling him into a hug. He strokes her back gently with his hand. She lifts her face and he softly presses his lips to hers.
"I love you, Emily Prentiss," he whispers.
"I love you, too, Spencer Reid."
3 years laterEmily stands back from the mirror, examining herself. She had never thought of herself as the white wedding type, but she looked pretty damn amazing. Her dress was off white and trimmed in a light purple. Her hair was pulled up off of her bare shoulders. Small, jeweled butterflies rested across the top of her head. JJ came in the room, dressed in her lilac bridesmaid's dress.
"It's almost time, Emily. Are you ready?"
Emily takes a deep breath. Is she ready? "Yes. Yes I am."
She picks up her bouquet and walks out of the room. From her spot just inside the patio doors, she can see Spencer and Derek standing with the minister. Her groom and his best man, waiting for her. Rossi meets her and takes her arm.
"You ready for this?"
"Why does everyone keep asking me that? Of course I am."
The music starts and JJ starts walking down the aisle that suddenly seems miles long. Then it's their turn. David guides her down the aisle at a slow pace, just like they had rehearsed. He's standing at the end. Her love, her heart, her life.
"Who gives this woman to this man for marriage?" The minister asks.
"She gives herself with the blessing of her family and friends," David answers. He kisses Emily's cheek and places her hand in Spencer's. He takes his seat next to Hotch, wiping a tear away.