The months leading up to the wedding went by in a blur of flowers, caterers, and lists. Before she knew it Lisa was standing in front of the mirror in her childhood bedroom, draped in white running her hands down the soft silk of her dress, smoothing down imaginary wrinkles.
Her mother was in the hall on the phone with the limo company checking for the fifth time that it would be on time. While Rose still wasn't happy with Spencer's job choice, she had accepted that he wasn't going anywhere. George was downstairs having a celebratory drink with the rest of the bride's maids. Lisa had snuck up stairs to calm herself.
She breathed slowly in and out, this was it, in less than 2 hours she would be Mrs. Spencer Reid. Spencer had been called away on work a few days ago and for a while it had seemed as though the wedding would have to be postponed, but thankfully Spencer had called late the night before to let her know that they were on their way to the airport, and that he would be there waiting on the other end of the aisle for her.
Adjusting the snowflake necklace that she flat out refused to ever take off she took another deep breath and went back down with the rest of her half of the wedding party.
Her father had a glass of champagne waiting for her when she reached the bottom of the stairs, and she took it happily, a smile stretched from one end of her face to the other. Everyone immediately began to coo over her, telling her how beautiful she was, and how lucky she was. Rachel stood at her side giving her some last minute marriage advice. Everyone was smiling and laughing when the doorbell rang.
"That must be the limo." Rose said as she went to answer the door. Everyone started to rush around gathering the things they needed. Lisa picked up her bouquet from its spot on the coffee table and steeled her nerves, her smile never leaving her face.
"Lisa," Rose put her hand on her daughter's shoulder, the happy smile on her face completely gone.
Lisa tilted her head, "What is it?"
Rose opened and closed her mouth, the gestured to the door. Instead of a limo driver, as she expected she saw Aaron Hotchner standing in the doorway.
Smile still in place Lisa walked up to Aaron. No one else had noticed him, they were still getting things together.
"Agent Hotchner, what a surprise, I thought you'd be helping Spencer get ready." Lisa said.
Aaron couldn't meet her eyes.
"Agent Hotchner?" Lisa asked her smile wavering. She searched his face and noticed the tears in his eyes.
"Lisa, I…I'm sorry…"
"No," she wouldn't let him say what his face was telling her.
He didn't say anything more but he held out Spencer's badge.
She wouldn't take it.
"He was on his way to the plane." She tried to tell him.
"We were leaving the police station. The Unsub over powered one of the officers, and took his gun."
"No." Lisa told him tears starting to fall from her eyes, causing her mascara to run.
"He didn't make it to the hospital."
The bouquet fell from Lisa's hands and one hand shot to her stomach as the other went to her mouth, muffling the cry she let out. Slowly Lisa walked, wobbling, over to the nearest seat and collapsed, sobbing freely, ignoring the comforting hands that rubbed her back and held her as she cried harder than she ever had in her life.
Lisa stood silently as the pastor spoke over the casket that held Spencer's still body. She hadn't been able to breathe since the moment Aaron Hotchner had informed her of what happened. She didn't move as each person in attendance placed a flower on his coffin and offered her condolences. She was holding his badge tightly in her hands, it was all she had left of him.
She still stood there clutching the badge as they lowered the coffin and covered it, still praying for Spencer to show up at any minute and let her know that it was all a lie. But he never came, and when it hit her that he never would she fell to her knees and cried as her heart was torn apart again and again.
