Stay

When Hermione Granger walked into her best friend's apartment in Van Ness, her heart broke into small pieces for him. When she had received the simple text message (Can you come? I need you…), she had been shopping for houses in Quantico. She had dropped everything to get to him and would do it over and over again. It was one of the things that had driven Hermione to leave England: to be closer to Spencer. A small sob came from the man on the couch. Hermione instantly began moving toward him.

"Spencer?" She called softly as she walked toward him. Hermione's eyes filled with tears as he turned and looked at her. His eyes were haunted and filled with so much pain. His cheeks and eyes were red from his rubbing the tears away. She pulled him into her arms. The heat from his tears turned cold as they soaked through her shirt. His arms instantly came around her. He clung to her like a life-size teddy bear. Tears fell from Hermione's eyes at his pain.

"She's dead," he whimpered brokenly, "she's dead and I…" Hermione tightened her arms around him. "I was right there…I didn't….do anything." It was easy for the young woman to put together. Maeve, the woman Spencer had talked to her so much about, was dead. Maeve, the woman Hermione so envied for being brave enough to confess her love to Spencer, was dead. Hermione didn't tell him that there wasn't anything he could have done.

"I'm sorry," she whispered as her tears made a trail down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Spencer." The words Spencer had told her, the tone of his voice when he spoke of her rose up into her mind. A pained sob escaped her lips. It had hurt her so bad, but she had gotten through it by knowing that Spencer was happy. Now, he was broken and that happiness for him died. The pain she had disguised so well now rose to the surface with a vengeance.

"Stay," he croaked through his tears. Hermione could feel her t-shirt straining underneath Spencer's curled fists. Hermione fought to calm herself down enough to answer. "Stay here. I don't want to be alone." He whimpered. Hermione pressed a clumsy kiss to the top of his head.

"I'll stay."

Ten Months Later:

"Maeve would want you to move on," Derek told Spencer as they watched Hermione dance around JJ's living room with small Henry. In just a few short months, Hermione Granger had been fully welcomed in the BAU family. Since Maeve's death, Hermione had been a constant fixture at Spencer's apartment. She made sure that he was fed and made sure that he went to work on time. Anyone that loved their youngest agent that much was alright with them and it was very clear to everyone at the BAU, but Spencer Reid, that Hermione loved him.

"What?" Spencer laughed. "What made you think of that?"

"Come on, man," Derek said, jerking his head toward the woman that had Henry standing on her feet. "I see the way you look at her." Spencer refused to give comment to Derek's observation. Derek was readying to press the issue when a familiar chuckle drew their attention away from the possible conversation to JJ. She pointed toward Hermione and Henry. The two men looked toward her. Derek chuckled at the sight of Henry being swung around in a small circle on Hermione's hip. Spencer smiled softly. Small giggles filled the air from both the adult and child.

"Why isn't she a mom again?" JJ wondered aloud. Derek glanced over at her then returned his gaze to Spencer.

"Maybe there's someone she's waiting for," Derek said, looking closely at his best friend. JJ looked over at them and raised her eyebrows. Spencer shifted away from him slightly. "It's been ten months since Maeve's death, Spencer," he whispered. Understanding filled JJ's face.

"We dated for ten months," he returned stubbornly, but the seed had been planted.

Four Month Later:

"Hermione," Spencer called softly from the archway of the small library he had in his apartment. Hermione set her book aside and turned in her chair to see him. Spencer smiled awkwardly at her and shifted onto his left foot. "Can I talk to you?"

"Of course," Hermione answered. She furrowed her eyebrows softly as he walked into the room. "Are you alright?" Hermione asked. Spencer nodded; he opened his mouth to answer, but he quickly shut it again. "Spencer, you're worrying me," Hermione mumbled as he kneeled in front of her. Spencer furrowed his eyebrows. The reality was if he didn't ask her now, he wouldn't get the chance too. Hermione was going to leave for England in a few weeks. With that thought in mind, Spencer drew in a deep breath and drew on what confidence he had.

"Hermione," Spencer sighed, "I want to thank you for taking care of me and staying with me." Hermione smiled softly.

"Is that what's all this about?" Hermione asked with a small laugh. "You never have to-"

"I want to ask you to stay a little longer," Spencer interrupted. Hermione's words stopped on her tongue. Her brown eyes widened. "I want you to stay because I can't be without you. For the past year and two months, you've been living here with me. I want you to stay." He repeated. He swallowed. Hermione leaned forward slightly in her chair. In her mind, she begged him to say those three little words that would make her stay. "I love you. I want you to stay." A blinding smile drifted onto her lips. She fell into his arms. His eyes widened as his arms folded around her waist. She pushed back against his shoulders and pressed her lips to his in a sweet, quick kiss. Spencer stared at her with a small, unsure smile as she pulled back.

"I love you too," Hermione told him. He smiled a little wider. Spencer cupped both of her hands in his own. Their fingers twined softly together. Spencer placed his forehead on hers and looked into her brown eyes.

"So, will you stay?" Spencer pressed. The hope shining in his brown eyes made Hermione's heart both skip and hurt. He was so nervous and unsure about them. He was so afraid. Hermione smiled softly.

"I'll stay."

Three Years Later:

"She died," Hermione heard her husband say. The curly headed woman walked toward her two year old daughter's room and leaned against the archway of her bedroom.

"But the hero found love again, wight?" She asked. Spencer smiled softly at his young daughter.

"About two years after her death, he married the woman who had been there for him since they were children," Spencer told her. Both parents smiled as she began to clap and cheer.

"Happily ever after?" she asked her father. Spencer smiled as he caught sight of his wife through the mirror over his daughter's bed.

"Something like that," Spencer answered, glancing over his shoulder at his wife. Hermione smiled gently at him. Spencer patted the young girl's leg. "Alright, Maeve, time for bed."

"Awe, but daddy!"

"No buts, little lady," Spencer reinforced. A small chuckle escaped Hermione's lips as she noticed that Spencer wouldn't look into Maeve's eyes. If he did, she would once again end up in their bed instead of her own. Spencer flicked off the light and kissed his daughter on the forehead. Hermione stepped back as he walked toward her. He shut the door behind him and then took his wife into his arms. He kissed her lips softly.

"Something like that?" She muttered against his lips.

"Yeah, after all, our story is far from over…" Spencer told her. Hermione smiled softly.

"Very far from over," Hermione told him. She pulled something from her back pocket. She held it up for him to see. She watched in amusement as he took in the small blue screen's message: pregnant.

(A/N: Just a ONE-SHOT that might soothe my guilty feelings at shipping Hermione/Spencer when Maeve and Spencer cared for one another so much.)