Mirrors
Cold Feet
"What about this one?"
"No."
"This one?"
"No."
Penelope Garcia took the red hat off and put on a purple one with green feathers around it. "This one?"
"Do you want to attract birds?"
Garcia sighed. "Come on, Remy. This is a big day. I'm trying to look my best."
"I know that," Remy Laurent agreed. "But you're not supposed to outshine the bride."
Penelope gave her friend a look. "No one is going to outshine Gatsby on her wedding day. Not even my awesome self."
Remy laughed. "Well, let's go. We're going to be late.
Garcia nodded. They were part of the wedding party after all. Today was the day that the "Wonder Twins" of the BAU, Dr. Spencer Reid and Dr. Gatsby Algérnon, finally tie the knot. They've been together for five years and endured countless trials while working with the FBI. They've broken up twice and had two children. And now, they're about to spend the rest of their lives together. Garcia smiled. She was happy that Reid and Gatsby have found each other.
"What are you smiling about?" Remy asked.
"I'm just happy for them," Garcia replied.
"So am I."
"Daddy! Daddy!"
Remy's six-year-old daughter, Olivia Johnson, ran up to the adults in a panic.
"Ollie, what is it?" Remy asked. "You should be getting your brother in the car."
"Uncle Spence is here!" Olivia said.
Remy and Penelope looked at each other before heading downstairs to the hotel lobby. There they saw the young doctor sitting at the bar with a drink and looking at a piece of paper.
"Reid, what are you doing here?" Garcia asked. "You're supposed to be at Virginia Beach."
"I can't do it, Garcia. I can't get married."
"What do you mean you can't get married?" Remy said. "It's simple, say your vows, say I do and boom you're married."
"I didn't write my vows!" Reid exclaimed. "I don't know what to say, I'll ruin the whole thing."
"Okay, calm down, G-man." Penelope soothed. "You're just having cold feet. It happens."
"Not to Gatz."
Suddenly, Garcia's phone rang. When she answered it, there was a woman's voice speaking a blend of panicked French and Spanish.
"I think it's for you," She said, handing it to Remy.
Remy took the phone from Garcia. "Hello? Gatsby, what…okay, okay, calm down I'm coming up there." After hanging up the phone, Remy turned to Penelope. "Gatsby is having a meltdown."
"What happened?" Penelope asked.
"Apparently, the dress is too small and her vows are ruined. She's saying it's a sign."
"It is a sign!" Reid exclaimed.
"Shut up, Spencer. I'm going to talk to Gatsby. Garcia, talk to Reid. This wedding is going to happen. We're not wasting $300 worth of food."
After Remy left, Garcia took a seat next to Reid, who was still looking at the piece of paper.
"What's really going on, Reid?" She asked.
"I can't get married, Penelope." Reid said.
"Why not?"
"Because I'll ruin it."
Garcia paused to analyze Reid's situation. His childhood was not a sunny one. His father left him and his mother was a paranoid schizophrenic. Plus, he was bullied. He never had something or someone to make him feel special. Garcia knew that whenever Reid was around Gatsby, he was a whole different person.
"You're not going to ruin anything, Reid." Garcia soothed. "You love Gatsby to death and she loves you."
"I don't know why she does. I'm a disaster waiting to happen."
"Reid, honey. Just because you're father left you, doesn't mean you're going to leave your kids."
"But what if I get schizophrenia? I'm not going to be there for my kids if my mind isn't right? What if I can't be able to take care of my family? I didn't even think about that when I proposed to Gatsby. What the hell am I doing?"
"Spencer Reid, shut up!" Garcia snapped.
The young agent shut his mouth.
"How could you doubt the love of your life? You two are made for each other. Gatsby is your soul mate."
"I know that, Garcia. Gatsby is my everything. But I can't risk hurting her. She's been hurt too much already."
Penelope sighed. It was like the situation was hopeless: the wedding was going to be canceled, Gatsby's heart shattered to a billion pieces. There has to be something she can do to save the wedding. Then Penelope Garcia had an idea.
She took out a small compact mirror from her extremely large purse and gave it to Reid.
"Look in the mirror," She told him. "Tell me what you see."
Reid looked confused. "I see my reflection."
"Now close your eyes."
"Is there a point to this?"
"Don't worry, this is going somewhere. Just close your eyes."
Reid sighed as he closed his eyes. He didn't know what Garcia was going with this. But then again, it was Penelope Garcia. He didn't question it. So he closed his eyes.
"Now use that awesome eidetic memory of yours, and go back to you and Gatsby's sweet moments together."
Reid thought back to the times he and Gatsby had. Some were good, some were bad. Others really stuck out in his mind.
The time when they first met:
"I need a 12-letter word for 'cynical'"
"Misanthropic."
Reid turned around to see a young girl wearing a black Hello Kitty T-Shirt, denim mini-skirt, pink leggings and Nikes. She was reading a Love Poetry Book.
"Excuse me?" Reid asked.
"You wanted a 12-letter word," Gatsby said. "I gave you one."
Their first date:
"What's wrong, Spency?" Gatsby asked.
Reid stared down at his plate. "Nothing, Gatz. I just…it's just that…"
"Spencer, it's a date. Not an interrogation."
"But this is our first date. I want to make a first impression with you."
Gatsby smiled and took Reid's hand in hers: "You don't have to impress me. You already have stolen my heart."
Reid smiled. "You've stolen mine."
The day when he became a father:
Reid rushed to the emergency room in a panic. He looked around for a nurse or a doctor to tell him what's going on.
"Is there a doctor here?" He called. "I need to speak to someone."
A nurse came in just in time to see the young doctor nearly go into frenzy.
"Sir, calm down." She said. "Is there anything I can help you with?"
"My name is Dr. Spencer Reid, I'm with the FBI. My partner arrived here in labor…"
"Was her name Dr. Gatsby Algérnon?"
"Yes, it is! How is she? Were there any complications?"
"Relax, Dr. Reid," the nurse said. "Dr. Algérnon is fine and so are the babies."
Reid sighed in relief. The nurse seemed to pick up with the young doctor's emotions.
"Are you the father?" She asked.
Reid nodded. "Yes."
"Well, you're the proud father of twin girls."
The nurse led Reid to the room where Gatsby was. He saw his girlfriend sleeping peacefully, utterly exhausted from delivery. He eyed the two bundles of joy that were now his. They were caramel complexion and small enough to fit into his hand. Reid picked one baby up and held her. The child opened her eyes and looked at her father. Tears of joy sprang down Reid's eyes.
"Spencer," Gatsby moaned, waking up.
Reid looked to see Gatsby sit up on her bed.
"She looks exactly like you."
"I'm so glad you're okay," Reid breathed. "When I couldn't get a hold of you…"
"I know, I know. How're the others?"
"They're still trying to get Flynn. Hotch let me go to see you."
Gatsby smiled. "So, you're still sticking to our names or you chosen something else?"
"No, Isadora and Minerva are beautiful. I'm just stuck with the middle names."
Gatsby thought for a moment. "Isadora Hayley and Minerva Harper Reid."
Reid smiled as he looked at his daughters. "I like it."
Garcia saw the calmness in Reid's face and she knew that she struck a cord.
"Open your eyes, Spencer." She said. "What do you see now?"
When Reid opened his eyes, he looked at the Garcia's mirror again. He saw something different. Something special. It was like he was staring at his better half.
"Gatsby," He said. "I'm staring at Gatsby."
Suddenly, every doubt that was in Reid's mind was dissolved in an instant. All Spencer Reid wanted to do was marry the woman he loved.
"Where's Gatsby?" He asked.
"She's in her room with Remy, panicking like you." Garcia replied.
Reid pushed his drink aside and rushed upstairs to Gatsby's room. Garcia followed shortly after, smiling to herself.
"I'm looking right at the other half of me...it's like your my mirror, my mirror staring back at me."
-Justin Timberlake