A/N: I'm sorry for keeping you waiting for an update, but I've been really busy all week. This is the epilogue, and then this story is finished. It's been great writing it, and hearing your kind review. Anywho, on with the show :) Please review.

Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds, only my original characters.


Keep Holding on

Epilogue

--3 years later--

Reid's ribs hurt. He wouldn't admit it to Hotch though, it would only make the older agent feel guilty. Guilty was what Reid should be feeling. He had just killed someone. His talk with Gideon floated in and out of his mind.

"Reid,"

Reid looked up when he he heard Elle's voice. "What?"

"You okay? You're awfully quiet,"

"I'm just tired," Reid defended himself, and looked down when Elle's eyes met his. He wasn't a good liar, and he knew it.

"You can sleep when you come home. Buckle up,"

Reid fastened his safety belt, and looked out the window as the ground came faster and faster. Ignoring the throbbing pain in his ribs, he clenched his teeth and tried to think about something else.

"Man, I'm beat," Morgan half chuckled as he walked through the airport.

"Me too, I'm gonna sleep like a baby," Elle replied, throwing her long hair over her shoulder.

"Uh, Spence," JJ said, and when Reid looked at her, she pointed towards the exit. Reid followed her gaze, and frowned when he saw who JJ was looking at.

"Anna?"

She looked distressed, and was looking around as if she was looking for someone. She was wearing a lacy camisole and flared jeans over a pair of vans, and a fedora was perched on her red hair. When she saw Reid her eyes got wide.

"Spencer!" she exclaimed, and then started to run towards him. When she reached him, she jumped up, wrapping her legs around his torso and her arms around his neck. "God, you scared me so much."

Reid felt like he would pass out from the pain in his ribs, and gently stroked her back. "Uh, Anna, do you mind, my ribs hurt,"

Anna immediately got down, and looked worried at him. "I'm so sorry. Do they hurt a lot?"

"I can live with it," Reid replied.

"What exactly happened to you?" she asked, carefully tracing her fingers over his black eye.

"I'm afraid that's my fault," came a voice behind them, and Anna turned around.

"Your fault? I don't understand," she frowned, and her expression turned from confusion, to shock when Hotch told her the story. "Hotch, how could you do that?"

"It's okay Anna, I understood what his plan was," Reid said, putting a hand on her shoulder, but she just shook it off. She had never been afraid to stand up to Hotch before, and she wasn't about to start now.

"I did what I had to do," Hotch replied, and Anna sighed.

"You're the boss Hotch. Now, are you done playing kick the Reid so that I can take my boyfriend home?"

"I have to write reports," Reid told his girlfriend. "So I won't be back until later."

"Reid, go home," Hotch said, and the younger agent looked surprised at his boss. "You can do the reports tomorrow."

"Thanks Hotch," Reid said, slightly flustered when Anna took his hand.

"Bye y'all," she smiled, and the young couple walked towards the exit.

"So, we're we going now?" Reid asked when they came out to Anna's old Ford.

"Well, we do have a date tonight; so how about dinner and a movie? Or more like a movie and dinner," Anna suggested, unlocking the car and getting in.

"Sounds good," Reid replied, and Anna smiled at him before starting the engine.

--

"You're such a girl," came the teasing voice three hours later as Reid and Anna left the movie theater.

"Shut up," Anna said, discreetly brushing away tears from the corners of her eyes. "I can't help it; the look on the Phantom's face when Christine gives back the engagement ring was so sad,"

"Well you weren't the only one who thought that," Reid said, looking around him where almost only females with red-rimmed eyes left the movie auditorium.

"Aww, come on Spence. You loved the movie, admit it!"

"I loved the music, that's all," Reid laughed, and Anna wrapped an arm around his waist.

"Yeah right, and Christine's cleavage," she chuckled.

"Off course, I'm a guy aren't I?" Reid teased, and Anna looked up at him.

"Jerk," she said playfully, smacking his arm and walking away from him.

Reid laughed and came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I love your cleavage the most," he kissed her cheek, and she smiled.

"You better. Now let's buy something to eat; I'm hungry,"

"Your wish is my command," Reid said, and gave a small bow.

--

"It's not gonna get any better than this, is there?" Anna said softly as she bit into a fried shrimp, not really expecting an answer. They were sitting on Reid's balcony, eating Chinese food. "How's your ribs by the way, any better?" she asked, concern in her voice.

"Yeah, they're a bit better," Reid replied and took a sip of his wine.

"So how are you feeling, really I mean?" she asked, looking at him before reaching out and brushing back a piece of hair from his face.

"It's just bruises, they'll heal," Reid said, his eyes not meeting hers. He knew that's not what she meant.

Anna leaned forwards and took his wine glass from him, placing it on the table before taking his hands in hers. "That's not what I meant and you know it. Come on baby, talk to me."

"I just," he swallowed. "I don't really know how I feel. I should be guilty; I mean, I killed someone. But I'm not,"

"You don't have to feel guilty; you did what you had to do to make sure that everyone got out of that ER alive,"

"Everyone except Dowd,"

Anna stood up and placed herself in Reid's lap, wrapping her arms around him and leaning her head on his shoulder. "I'm here for you. If you wanna talk, or not talk; I'm here for you,"

"I know," Reid replied low and kissed the top of her head. She snuggled up to him more, and closed her eyes when she started to fell sleepy. Reid started to stroke her hair, and continued to stroke her hair until her breath turned steady and rhythmical, a sign that she was asleep.

Putting one arm around her back and the other under her knees, Reid stood up and walked inside, holding the sleepy Anna in his arms like a baby. He gently kicked the balcony door shut behind them, and then walked to their bedroom. He lay her down on the bed and undressed her before putting her warm body into her nightgown. Then he undressed and lay down next to her, snuggling up to her.

"Mmh, love you," she mumbled in her sleep and buried her nose in his chest.

"Love you too," he replied and closed his eyes, letting sleep slowly take him in. Life was definitely good.

THE END


A/N: I have written about 4 chapters on a sequel to my story 'In the arms of the angel', if you're interested in reading it, please say so in a review, cuz' I might not post it if the interest isn't high.