[A.N: MILD SPOILER The oneshot I wrote, 'Finally', explains how Spencer and Maggie meet and start dating. These can be read separately, but just if you want an explanation it's there. Reviews are encouraged and appreciated! K I'll go now *disappears dramatically*]
Disclaimer: Do not own Criminal Minds but I DO own Maggie Taylor ^^
Reid couldn't remember the last time he'd been this happy. He really couldn't. A few instances crossed his mind: when his mother read to him or vise versa; watching old Charlie Chaplin clips with Gideon and the team; specific cases where they had saved the last potential victim. But they didn't even come close to the past few months.
It was like something was rekindled deep in his soul, a flame that had never really been lit. It brought the color back to his face and the shine in his eyes. He smiled more often and was more susceptible to laughter. His headaches came less often now (thank God) and he wasn't tempted to use Dilaudid as much now, because now he didn't want to escape. He didn't want to leave this world that had become so perfect with her in it. Spencer had honestly and truly never felt this right in his whole life. And now, in the dimly lit Italian restaurant he had been convinced to go to, he stared across the table at the woman responsible for fueling this flame.
Maggie sat laughing at something her boyfriend had said and took a sip of her wine. Her dark brown hair was back in light curls, away from her face, and shining like silk under the lights of the room. Deep chocolate brown eyes looked over at Spencer, soft and warm, before returning to the plate of spaghetti in front of her. She didn't dress extravagantly, as Spencer had told her she needn't dress up for him. For three years he had thought she was beautiful the way she was— in a café uniform. No amount of makeup or jewelry was going to change that. Not ever.
Spencer had been trying to find a word to describe her; the best thing that had ever happened to him. Beautiful or pretty didn't cut it. Neither did gorgeous or radiant. What words could explain the light she displayed in the darkest night? Or the immediate feeling of joy Spencer got when he thought about her? It took several hours when the genius had finally got around to thinking about it, but he finally came up with something that the human mind could understand; celestial. And even that word didn't cover it.
Maggie looked up from her spaghetti to find Spencer staring at her, with his chin in his palm and an enchanted expression on his face. When she made eye contact with him he didn't look away like he would do three months ago. He just kept looking with those adorable puppy-dog eyes. She giggled and asked, "What?"
He seemed to realize what he was doing and looked down at his lap, removing his elbow from the table and placing his hands on his knees. He cleared his throat and smiled. "Sorry," he said. "I was just…"
When he stopped Maggie laughed and asked, "What is it? I don't have anything on my face do I?" She brought her napkin up to make sure.
"No no no," Spencer said with a smile. "There's nothing on your face. I was just…" he paused to look at her again, taking in every little detail of her perfect facial figure, glad his eidetic memory would imprint it on his mind forever and always. "Have I told you you're beautiful?" he almost whispered.
She smiled and looked at her lap, her cheeks flushing a light shade of red. "No, actually, you haven't." She stopped there, not saying 'thank you' so she could hear him say it directly. She'd been waiting for this.
He frowned and looked at her. "Really? You're not messing with me, are you?"
Maggie smiled more. "Noo, I'm not messing with you. I think I would have remembered you telling me that. And you definitely would, Mr. Eidetic Memory," she teased.
His eyes were locked on her again. He only gave a small laugh before saying, loud enough only for her ears to hear, "Then here it is. You are so… so beautiful… Margret Taylor." His voice faltered only slightly saying her name. Spencer felt he needed to say more, but what else was there? He was too afraid he would ruin their night by going off on a long tangent about the definition of rapturous and how it was an understatement to the effect she had on him. But the look on Maggie's face told him he didn't need to say another word. Sincerity had flooded his words. She really was beautiful.
She looked back at him from across the table, speechless. That was much better than she ever thought it would be, because she could tell he meant it. She mouthed the words 'thank you' before closing her eyes and tightening her lips at the sound of her buzzing phone.
"Sorry…" she said sincerely as she reached into her purse on the floor, drawing out her phone and reading the text. "Oh my gosh…"
"What?" Spencer asked
Maggie couldn't look him in the eye. "Spencer, I am so sorry! My mom's been in an accident. My brother's at the hospital waiting for tests results. It's not looking good… Spencer, I… I have to…" and she trailed off, guilt clouding her expression.
There was no doubt that Spencer was disappointed. He didn't even want to come to this restaurant, but knowing Maggie liked Italian he sucked it up. But now that he was here, with her, he never wanted to leave! He silently cursed whoever had gotten Maggie's mom in that wreck, knowing it was their fault that she had to leave sooner than planned. Nevertheless he brushed it off. "No no no, I understand! Do you need a ride to the hospital?"
They both stood, revealing Spencer's trademark cardigan and Maggie's ravishing red dress, reaching to her mid-calves, and simple black flats. "No it's okay, thank you though." She walked over to Spencer and looked at him with a look of absolute regret. She hugged him quickly, leaving Spencer unsure of what to do or where to put his hands, so he settled with her shoulders. Maggie pulled away and, apologizing one more time, hurried out the door to her car.
Spencer watched her go longingly and then settled back down. He breathed in and sighed deeply, hoping that Maggie didn't make up the news about her mom just to get away from him. He tried to block out the statistics that constantly raced through his mind: the probability of relationships lasting more than 3 months; the odds of a girl walking out on her date after an awkward moment; how many dates out of ten ended up like this. The doctor rubbed his eyes and tried to stay positive.
This relationship had gone on for three months. It was not going to end now.
So, with another sigh and a glance at the empty seat across from him, Spencer decided to call it a successful 3rd date. "Check please."
On arriving home Spencer got literally no sleep. The date shouldn't have bothered him that much, but it did. It was probably the little voice in the back of his head that kept nagging him with things like, "You were right three months ago; it was too good to be true." Spencer dismissed it temporarily with a few books but it always came back, mocking him with negative comments about how someone as pretty as Maggie would never love a freak like him.
The agent's lack of sleep showed the next day at work. He had managed to squeeze in a few hours between 1 and 6, but it definitely was not enough. The fall breeze filtered through his system and woke him up slightly while he walked to work, but he was still dazed when he stepped into the elevator at the building.
There was a—strange—air about the office this morning. Spencer couldn't place its point of origin, though. Among walking into the bullpen, he saw Morgan and Emily sorting through paperwork as usual. Derek, leaning back in his chair, held a small black stress ball in his hand that he subconsciously flexed his fingers around as he read a file. Emily leaned over a cup of coffee and watched the young doctor walk into the bullpen, looking as fatigued and unhappy to be there as she did.
"Hey, doc," she greeted as he set his messenger bag down on his desk. "Late night?"
Derek looked up at her and held out a wondering hand. "Hey! That's my saying!" He threw the ball at her head playfully.
Emily caught it easily and threw it back, hitting her colleague square in the face. "Well, then, you should've beat me to it, otherwise it's fair game! I waited a whole 5 seconds for you to do it but, alas…"
Spencer smiled softly and muttered a quick 'yeah' to Emily's question before heading over to the coffee machine. He, to Derek's relief, was not aware of the comment the dark agent whispered to the Italian across the aisle; "Why don't I think he means what I want him to mean?"
After a while, the three heard JJ's bitter-sweet calling; "Got a case guys. Conference room in 5." The team's media liaison walked briskly to the conference room with a handful of files resting on her hips, sending a chorus of sighs from the three sitting at their desks.
Rossi was already at the round table, staring at the far wall with a dazed expression on his face. Morgan entered and took a seat at the table followed by Emily and Reid, who had brought his 32 ounce cup of sugar with a side of coffee along. Penelope and Hotch joined the group not long after, both lacking the sense of deadness the other members shared.
"Alright, peeps, we're staying local this time around. Oh, and I must post a 'viewer's digression is advised' notice on this one, because it certainly made me want to lose it," Penelope warned, passing out the tablets in her normal bubbly mood. "And if you aren't quite awake yet, you will be quite soon."
JJ pressed a button on the remote and the screen at the front of the room changed. A picture of a young couple flashed up on the screen, a tall brunette man holding a blonde woman's waist from behind. Both were smiling widely in a garden backdrop. "This is Daniel and Angela Barmetski. She was reported missing two weeks ago after never coming home from walking her dog. When she went missing, the husband received multiple untraceable phone calls, basically playing a game where the supposed UnSub called Daniel to sites and left vague clues about his wife's whereabouts. And this—" Penelope turned around in her chair when JJ clicked another button. "—is Daniel and Angela after he agreed to meet the UnSub in exchange for his wife."
There was an uncomfortable stirring around the room. Derek put the side of his face in his hand while Rossi rubbed his temple. "They were found in their second home yesterday, lying on the living room carpet."
"Multiple cuts to all the main arteries in the legs and arms, a slash to the throat, bruises on the bottom on their feet, restraint markings on the ankles and wrists, stab wounds to the abdomen—" Reid observed.
"Okay! We can see, Captain Obvious! I have seen quite enough already, I don't need it read to me!" Penelope interrupted.
"Extensive overkill," Morgan inputted. "He obviously wanted them both to suffer."
"No signs of sexual assault on either, no forced entry, the neighbors say they neither heard nor saw anything," Emily said, reading from the case file.
"If there's just one killing, why do they want us?" Rossi inquired.
"Because," JJ continued, clicking another button. "Another woman has been reported missing. This is…"
She never got to finish. All six heads turned when a cup of coffee spilled across the table. Reid had shot up from his seat and was gazing at the image on the screen, completely unaware of the spilled beverage and the twelve eyes trained on him.
"What is it, kid?" Morgan asked.
Spencer just stood with his mouth open, blinking rapidly then rubbing his eyes, unwilling to believe that what he was seeing was true. It was a joke. It was a mistake. It was just another headache coming on that messed with his vision.
"Reid." The sound of Hotch's voice shook him awake long enough to hear what he was being asked. "What's wrong?"
"Do you know her?" Morgan asked.
"Kn-know her?" Reid stuttered. "I'm dating her!"
All Penelope registered from that was, "Reid has a girlfriend? How long?" which earned a look from Rossi.
But Reid didn't care. All he worried about was that his legs were about to give out from under him. His mouth went dry. He couldn't think straight. As he gazed upon the brunette on the screen, her happy brown eyes staring back at him, Spencer found himself back at the restaurant, telling the woman he found he loved that she was beautiful, then watching her walk away. The only word that escaped his lips was
"Maggie."
WOAH cliffhanger. So how'd I dooo? Please tell me how I did and I'm open to suggestions about where this story can go. Leave a review or PM me and I will mention your penname at the beginning if I use your idea :D K thanks bye.