10:

He peered around the ivory white room just wishing he could have had something to do. Of course, he had already toyed with a handful of equations and formulae just to kill time- including the algorithm for the ECG, but that was only good for a pathetic five minutes. The rest of the team had left him in the hospital to pack up from the case, and per Hotch's order, he was not permitted to leave the hospice grounds. Once again, as usual, he was Baby Reid. He let out an audible sigh, feeling the tight strain at his neckline. He felt no more than an unsub in the ER: confined and watched as closely as one. Gently, and with caution, his slender fingers traced the coarse netting of the bandage plastered across his neck, almost being able to feel the immense inferno of the speeding bullet on his skin again. He had felt the boiling friction of the near-molten metal manoeuvre itself across the folds of his skin with the tack of the gun. A spike in the incessant beating of the ECG snapped him from his dystopia, and once again, he had used the algorithm to avoid a visit from the nurse. His head sunk deeper into the turbid bleached pillow, just as a familiar vibration arose from beneath it.

Finally, someone was calling the genius.

Being a practiced magician had its quirks: Reid was able to sneak his phone into the room with a simple sleight of hand without the attending nurse noticing. Nonetheless, nobody had even tried calling him over those two excruciatingly mundane days. Frankly, it did disappoint the genius.

Picking it carefully from behind the pillow, he looked around furtively before looking at it. His eyes fell onto the screen, and lit up when they did.

"Uhm- hello?" He answered, trying to conceal his excitement.

"Reid?" The familiar, warm voice replied.

"Is this real? Emily?" He smiled exultantly- the happiest he'd been in the past, albeit hectic, week. He hated the element of surprise seeing that he did get shot, but this was an exception to his philosophy, which reminded him of that one time after Colorado…

"Yeah, I'm so- happy to hear your voice," she spoke eagerly, with an audible sigh of relief. "Well, if you picked up, you're all right. And- Thank God you are." She said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Yeah, I could've died." He joked, his voice coarse from the lack of talking.

"Since when did you become funny?" She asked lightly.

"After I was told two millimetres saved my life." He shook his head, burying his right side into the pillow, careful to avoid aggravating his wound. "How'd you know I'd pick up?"

"Phones aren't allowed in the hospital, right?" She asked.

"Yeah."

"Exactly. That's why I knew you'd pick up, rebel." She smirked on the other line. It was strange, because he felt almost as if he could picture her right there with him, right there next to him. "Bored?" She asked again.

"The phrase 'out-of-my-wits' is a gross understatement. I feel like I've lost half of my IQ already. The ECG is killing me with the beeping. And I thought the bullet was- bad." He chuckled. It really was the happiest he'd been in some time.

The line went cold afterwards, with both barely speaking after the small laugh.

"Reid." Emily said after internal dispute. Her tone had since changed to a more solemn one, and Reid could tell. "Are you okay?" She asked, biting her lip. "Don't you dare tell me you're fine."

The next minute felt like a lifetime, and the silence was imploding. The ECG picked up speed, and Emily could hear it in the background. It was all she needed to know, and it was all it took to anchor her to the phone… Just hearing his heart beat; just knowing he made it-

"I'm not," Reid replied, his voice smaller than ever. "Not really," he continued, finally relaxing his limp body. "Emily, could I talk about it?" He asked.

"Always."

… "So I tell dear Alfie that he can't go through customs with a Glock strapped to his hip even if he is an Interpol agent. He refuses to listen, then he gets arrested, and so I had to drive all the way to Heathrow to bail him out. They weren't convinced that I, an American lady, would run the London Interpol office, and I just-so-happened to have left my ID at the office, so I had to call Jane to bring it over. The whole hoo-ha fiasco took like- four hours to blow over. It was insane." Emily rambled on.

"That does sound crazy, talk about a 'hoo-ha'. That's quite some madness right there, but I think I'll trump you with this whole 'internal corruption' thing. This town is quite a fiasco on its own." Reid smiled, more tired than ever, but for now, he was happy, and he didn't want that to end. "Oh, that said, I- I uh remember two months ago, Garcia and I got letters from the head office saying that we had to complete out physical fitness tests to qualify for the bureau, or our badges would be revoked."

"No way." Emily chortled.

"Oh yeah." He chuckled. "Guess who was behind the entire thing?"

"Don't tell me- it was Morgan, wasn't it?" Emily said, aghast.

"Spot on. The douchebag put us through so much trouble, and don't get me started on the pain. My leg was on fire for the whole week." Reid laughed.

"What an idiot!" Emily yelled.

"I know, Garcia didn't talk to him for a whole day. He was practically on his knees afterwards." Reid shut his eyes, the remnants of his last smile still enduring on.

"He deserved it." Emily smiled, biting her lip. And then there was a pause.

"Look, uhm, Emily- I think the team will be here soon," Reid whispered into the phone, sending shivers down Emily's spine. "I'm- I'm getting a little fazed out too."

"Get some rest, Spencer." She nodded, her tone as permeating as ever. "Take care, all right?"

"Yeah. Wouldn't want Garcia to wail into your phone at four in the morning again." He joked, his sleepiness overwhelming his senses.

"You scared the hell out of me." Emily mumbled.

"Did I?" Reid smirked, barely mustering enough energy to process her words.

"You did, and don't you ever do that again," Emily smiled forcibly. "I almost hopped on a plane to punch you."

"That would've been…" Reid paused, his eyelids heavy like dense clouds. "I would really have…" His eyelids drooped downwards, as he began to slur his words. "Really loved that."

She stood in silence, her room dark as usual. She could only imagine it being still daytime in Texas. Still bright and warm, that is. "I would really love to too-" The words fell from her lips. "Goodnight, Spencer."

"Mhmm- Emily." He murmured back. She hung onto the line, a sad small smile forming on the crack of her lips as she heard his voice mutter her name. It was different from earlier, but regardless, it still tugged on her heartstrings. She pulled her phone away from her ear, knowing that she would have remained listening to his breathing otherwise. She restrained herself from doing so, and hurriedly, she dropped the call, and that was that. It was all she could really afford to do.

His eyes fluttered close; the medication and exhaustion creeping its way into his body like venom, until he finally had to succumb to it. His heavy eyelids fell like blankets, and off he drifted into sleep, his phone still loosely clinging onto his pillow.

It was so nice to hear from Emily. The last time they spoke was after the visit to the bar with the rest of the team where Emily finally met Blake after the chaos of the Hastings/JJ case.

His shuteyes let him finally focus, as he began thinking about that one escapade they shared roughly three months ago that day.

"Six hours." Emily responded to Hotch. It only made Reid think about how he could perhaps… ask her out. Not romantically then, although he would have (admittedly) jumped on that train without any further persuasion. For years, he had harboured some form of innocent crush on her- the kind that he never plucked up enough courage to pursue. To him, Emily was perfectly flawed, but he was just- flawed. She would never have fallen for some nerdy, lanky, un-athletic man like he. He just couldn't envision it. Well of course, he never thought that she had already fallen for him… beginning 2010, of course.

Ian Doyle had brought her endless pain, and all she had done was to dwell in that purgatory, until she realised how much Reid cared. For a long time, Emily could only feel the sheer pressure from the team to pretend that nothing else had ever happened, so much so that she needed some form of release. For so long, the only thing that kept her sane and anchored to reality was the fact that Reid didn't want her to feign that nothing had happened. He had been through his own struggle from Hankel, and he gave her consequences. He made her feel alive. He brought her a surreal sense of reality, one that she never expected.

"Emily," He approached her as the rest of the team began to crowd around the pool table on the other side of the room. "You're leaving so soon." He smiled innocently, his statement ending quaintly as a question.

"Yeah, I guess so." She replied with hesitance.

"Uh- thanks for helping us find JJ." He replied with a soft, meek voice.

"Anytime-" She replied, quickly rectifying her comment. "I mean- I hope it doesn't happen again, and- well, I think you know what I mean." She smiled.

"Yeah, I do." His eyes glistened. She looked up at him- he looked the way he always did, with the dishevelled chestnut hair, and cliché sweater thrown over his rigid shoulders. She looked the way she always did to him too- with that beautiful smile that was always biased to the left, and that turquoise V-neck sweater, and perfectly ebony hair, but she seemed happier. They paused, just looking at one another for mere moments, until his eyes fell upon that shiny, metallic object wrapped around her fourth finger. She looked at his gaze, slightly taken aback. "Are you- engaged?" He asked, trying hard to conceal his disappointment.

"No- I'm not." She replied charily.

"Your ring…" he shot her a sad, perplexed smile- his heart racing and viciously throbbing against his chest.

"It's just something I wear." She replied, shaking it off.

"Why?" He asked instantaneously. "I mean- you're not married-"

"I don't know." She responded with a barely audible sigh. "It just throws the guys off a little."

"It does." He said, tearing his gaze away from the ring.

"I just- I'm not sure I'm ready for you know- another guy." She said with a broken smile. "It hasn't worked out for me in awhile."

"Yeah?" He cringed, the light in his eyes fading quickly.

"Yeah." She nodded with a look of disbelief- and hurt. Her expression said so much to him. But above all- it felt like it was her way of saying 'no' before it even began.

Reid stood there for several minutes, just looking at her. And finally, he looked back at the team, all being perfectly occupied with pool, giving him the most feasible chance of sneaking Emily away.

"Hey," he smiled sincerely at her, setting his drink down on the barstool. She looked at him, raising her eyebrows. "I know a place nearby," he cleared his throat. "Would you maybe- like to get out of here?" He smiled nervously, beads of perspiration beginning to form on the crack of his hairline as he waited in trepidation for a response.

In lieu of an answer, she set her drink down as well, and yanked her coat from the nearby barstool. She pulled him towards the door, making sure beforehand that nobody saw them. He smiled through his teeth, secretly exultant at her initiative.

"All right," she smiled, shutting the door to the bar behind her. "Where to, Doctor Reid?"

"You'll see. I'll drive." He smirked. This time, he'd have the element of surprise in store for her.

Reid was still driving that old, spluttering Volvo when she was with him. She never hated it though. Instead, she loved it because it was so unique. He had always been special to her, and she had never meant it as a euphemism. The pair didn't speak much in the car, just relishing in the comfort that they brought one another. She wasn't worried about anything at that moment, almost forgetting the fact that DC was no longer her home. She watched as the cars whisked past theirs, meandering through the narrowing streets that all just seemed to converge at one point. She watched as the yellow streetlights zipped and dimmed, zipped and dimmed. Unbeknownst to her, Reid was stealing discreet glances at her stunning facade as those same lights gave it a pallor that accentuated nothing but her beauty.

The car stuttered to a stop as it pulled into a small, cool patch of wet grass. She stepped out of the car, as he opened the door for her. The latch of the door seemed more stubborn than he remembered it to be. Pulling his thick, coffee-coloured sweater off his shoulders, he cloaked it over hers, much to her surprise. He had always been a gentleman.

"Is this a park?" She asked as she made out the copse of trees in the distance, and looked around at the sudden abundance of shrubbery.

"Widewater Park." He smiled, climbing on the bonnet of his squeaky car. He lent his hand to her, and helped her onto it, as they lay on the flat chapeau, where the windscreen formed the perfect inclination to gaze up at the sky. They gawked at the marvelous glistening Cimmerian sky. "This is where I come every month to stargaze. It sounds like a pretty dumb thing for a grown man to be doing alone, but well, I can relax here and- right now is actually the best time to be here. The best part is that you can come anytime and- it'll all be different. It's silly, but I like to see it as a reminder that life keeps going on no matter what."

"This is the best time. And it isn't dumb at all. What's the point of reading a book you already know the ending to, right? Change is kind of good." She replied under her breath as it was snatched from her- the sight before her eyes was quite the quixotic beguile. The stars shone with an impeccable marigold tint; so visible and pronounced, away from the usual light pollution from the raucous city. But most of all, she loved how Reid was so mirthful about it all- just the thought of it left her horripilate; her goose bumps soothed by the soft fabric of his sweater.

"You see that one?" He pointed up to a crystalline pattern on the edge of the horizon, where the magnificent Potomac kissed the crack of the far sky. She nodded, leaning further next to him. He tensed at her touch, but never in the awkward way. His muscles relaxed almost immediately- something that he never really felt with anyone else. "That's uh- that's the Regulus constellation. It kind of looks like a long clothes hanger, doesn't it?"

"Does it? I can't tell." She giggled, her eyes squinting at the crooked image.

"Maybe this'll help-" he replied with a whisper, bringing his left palm to cover her brow. "Do you see it now?" He asked.

"I do." she replied, gazing in awe at the scale of the stars etched onto the puce sky.

"It actually means 'heart of the lion'," he smiled, glancing at her stunning facial features as she looked up to the sky. He had always loved her smile, and her slight retroussé. "Kind of like you." He continued with a murmur, his eyes barely leaving hers as she looked at him. He lowered his hand with a chuckle, and she touched it with hers- her desire to just stay there with him growing and scorching from within.

"Sometimes, I think you're braver than me, Spencer." Emily's thumb brushed his, sending intense chills down his spine. "You just don't give yourself enough credit." He looked at her with exasperation, and her eyes widened in trepidation. "I'm sorry- did I say something wrong?" She stammered.

"No-" a smile began to form on the side of his lips, and then all at once. "I just- well, you've never really called me anything apart from 'Reid'."

"Then I should call you that more often." She laughed, resting her head on the crook of his shoulder. "If that's all right with you."

"That's more than all right with me." He replied, his right cheek brushing her faultless raven hair as her head met his neck. "That's- great with me." He smiled, and she could feel him smiling. She could feel his touch, so close and so real.

"Well- continue, mister guide-to-the-galaxy." She said with sarcasm.

"Right… That one over there is the Alphard constellation…" He continued, raising his hand up to the stars that perforated the stretched puce sky again.

The jet was deathly quiet as Reid began to stir awake. They had just taken off from Texas, but it was strange how moments ago his rest was undisturbed, and now, as an eerie silence descended onto the stable flight, he couldn't seem to sleep at all. Lying on the elongated sofa that Garcia insisted he slept on, he looked out of the window across, his eyelids no longer heavy from the heavy dosage of medication. His mind was a blank, the past few days turning foggy in his amygdala. The sky was mauve, just like that night with Emily- and it was cliché, but it she was the only thing he really thought about anyway. Reid was oblivious about Blake's ominous behavior as she sat in front of the same window, looking out of it in deep mentation as well.

…"Hello?" She asked. "Spencer?" She directed the car over slowly into the driveway. "Are you all right?" She continued with growing terror.

"She left." He replied ambiguously.

"Who left?"

"Alex left. She quit."

"What happened?" Emily cringed in a rictus of horror.

"She decided to move on." He took a seat in his armchair, remembering the conversation he shared with Blake just moments earlier. He had hovered on the thought of whether or not to call Emily. Again, he didn't feel like she needed yet another problem, but somehow, she was the only plausible solution in his mind.

Emily paused, exiting the taxi. She looked up at the building that towered over her, and scanned it.

"Give me a minute." She replied hastily, quacking making her way to the stairs in the heart of the rustic, bucolically styled tower.

"Emily-" he sighed. "I don't-" he wasn't sure about how he felt at all, as if all his emotions had decided to stir up into a homogenous mix. "Please don't hang up." It was all he managed to gather.

"I'm not going to." She smiled to herself, as her finger trailed the tenant index until it landed on the oh-so-familiar name. Her eyes lingered on the name, before her head told her to keep going. Gaiting up the stairs, she finally made it to the second floor with her heart in her mouth.

"I just need someone to talk to. I know I'm a pain, and I know I shouldn't be troubling you, but I just-"

"Don't." She shook her head, her knuckles wincing into a firm bolus. She knocked on the door, at first with withdrawal, and then she let it go. "You should- you should really get the door."

His eyes widened, as he turned to face the door. He lowered his phone from the base of his ear, as he made his way slowly to the sturdy mahogany frame. Slowly, he turned the doorknob with his heart throbbing against his chest. She greeted him with that same warm smile, lowering her phone as she did. He didn't say anything- but his eyes had already screamed it all. Emily knew she was some form of relief for that pain; happiness for his sadness; but she swore she saw a glimmer of something more in those striking eyes. He didn't say anything, as he reached out to pull her in. His slender arms wrapped themselves around her waist, as she clung onto his upper back. He never realised how much he needed that. He never realised how much he really needed her.

"I'm not sure how I feel," he mumbled, just clinging onto her touch. "But I'm so, so happy that you're here." He sighed.

She replied with a smile, as she parted from him. She just looked at him. She just needed to see that glimmer in his eyes to assure her that she was meant to be there. In that second, she felt like she knew.

He glimpsed at her, holding the rigid door open. She stepped through, snapping out of her thoughts. She took a seat on his elongated tanned leather sofa, just as he gestured. He sat upright; facing the same windows he stared out of earlier, just watching Blake's shadow blend into the taxi's, until they both were out of sight. His eyes didn't leave those windows, and her eyes never left his.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I do." He replied, his eyes shifting around. "Well, she left her badge in my bag… In the same compartment as the one Maeve's book had been in."

"You're not over her, are you?" Emily sighed.

"I don't know if I am." He replied. "All I feel is guilt. Maybe if I weren't in the bureau, then John Curtis might not have led to Maeve's death. Maybe Alex wouldn't have been kidnapped; maybe she wouldn't have left. Maybe if I weren't in the bureau, Gideon would still be around; maybe Elle would've stayed. And the thing with Maeve- what if I never truly loved her, and she still died because of me? What if- maybe it wasn't real?" His posture had changed; he slumped by his back, and he had folded his fingers together.

"You know, you're not wrong," she said, much to his surprise. "I'm not going to sugar-coat it. To be honest, you might be very right." She took his hands in hers. "But if you hadn't joined the bureau, maybe everyone wouldn't have realised what they were missing. Maeve's death wasn't your fault. Putting it harshly, it might have been inevitable. You couldn't control John Curtis, or Maeve's stalker. Gideon left because he had his own issues, and you helped him see them. Elle left because she couldn't handle the trauma of the job. It took a toll on her. It takes a chunk of everyone, some bigger than others. And Blake left because- well, I don't know why she did, but if you think about it, I'm sure the reason why out of everyone else, she chose to tell you is because you helped her realise something- somehow. You can't keep blaming yourself for all of it, no matter how hard it is not to." She gave his palms a small squeeze. "You're not wrong. But surely there must be things you don't regret- things that you've gained from joining?"

"Are you trying reverse psychology on me again?" He smirked in disbelief.

"Oh come on, humour me. Answer the question… and honestly." She laughed.

"All right- Gideon was a great mentor; Morgan became my best friend, and so did JJ, and Garcia; well- now the team is like my family, which is- more than I could have asked for. I love being here, though it's weird to think that I like looking at the work of serial killers on a daily basis, so I won't say that. So to say the least, I've met some very important people, and done some pretty important things." He let out a laugh, as she looked on with sympathy. "But honestly," he turned around; looking at Emily with the gaze he had always wanted her to decipher. She looked at him- into those same cool coal eyes that always were so genuine, as his lips finally parted to reveal the ultimate truth. "I met you, Emily, and that's one of the best things that has ever happened to me." She looked at him aghast, because what could she have said? She knew she had always had those feelings for him, but it was terrifying that those days of just fantasising would need to come to an end. She wasn't sure if she wanted it to be real, but she was horrified by the thought that that might've been the only chance she would ever get to have with him.

Her eyes met his in a deadlock, as he struggled to say more. Nothing else escaped from his lips. The silence was deafening, and the tension even more so. She kept looking at him: just checking if the stupid 'micro-expressions' thing he loved going on about could tell her what he really meant. But in the end, she just became lost in the labyrinth of his refulgent eyes, so lost that she couldn't care less about what he meant at all, platonic, or more than that.

His hand still in hers, he jolted slightly as she jerked them towards her. Pulling him by his loosened crooked tie, she lost all ability to think rationally, as she pressed her lips against his. He couldn't have said that he'd never dreamed of it: because truth was, he always had. Tearing their hands apart, she broke into a frenzy, as his lips crashed onto hers, returning every earth-shattering tug with another. He brought her into an amorous, quixotic kiss, as his hands trailed up her arms, and then to her wrists, as her palms held onto his pronounced cheeks. The vigorous, passionate kiss eased itself into something that said so much more as their breaths slowed down. He moaned so gently that the tremors felt so surreal against her subtly arched lips. She slowed down too, gaining some form of composure, and catching her breath from the lingering taste of his lips. He held her close, feeling her hot breath against his, smelting together to become something inexplicable. Her nose brushed his, and they stayed there, with her hands anchored perfectly against his cheeks, and their eyes closed, bodies both reeling from the sudden surge of longed-for contact.

"Emily-" He managed to croak, as he felt her skin tremble. "I-" he continued, his lips grazing hers lips.

"I need to breathe," She responded, letting her fingers slip off his toned cheeks. "I need to go."

"Emily-" He said desperately, as he watched her pull away. Angst and anxiety were ridden all over her pale face, and all he could do was to stand by and watch as she picked up her bag, and made her way to the door. "Emily, wait!" He continued, standing up. He stood dumbfounded, as her steps became quicker, until the door slammed close again, and there was simply nothing to see anymore. He ran his fingers through his hair, just unsure of what to do, or where to go. He looked out the window, and let out a suppressed, agonising yell.

Quickly, she made her way down the stairs, and she slowed down when she was sure that Reid hadn't come after her. Meandering through the building, she haphazardly approached the street outside in search for another taxi. She knew Van Ness was an unpopulous area, but she never anticipated anything like that at all. Looking up at the night sky, she merely searched for some sort of signal. The sky was rust-brown, entirely different from that night at Widewater. The clouds were running with the howling wind, and the brewing storm mixed treacherously with the humidity in the air, giving an almost eerie vibe to the area. Emily stood on the moist lawn, ensuring that she wouldn't be able to see Reid. Otherwise, she knew he'd make her stay. Otherwise, she knew she would stay. Pacing rambunctiously, she bobbed to and fro, just eyeing the street, until she decided she wouldn't stay any longer. Following the concrete trail, she folded her arms across her chest, soothing her goose bumps that were conjured by the cold. Out of nowhere, perfect beads of precipitation began to pelt down from the stiff sky above, interrupting the stillness of the environment.

"Fuck. You've got to be kidding me." She mumbled to herself, as she raced towards the nearby bus stop to seek refuge. As she did, it was as if the rain began to summon its wrath to deter her- the crystalline beads began to rapidly patter down. She made it to the shelter, looking as disheveled as ever with her locks of hazel hair becoming wet jet-black tendrils, and her dress nothing less than skin-tight from the gushes of water. It was dark, cold, and the peaceful neighbourhood became immersed within the riotous ramble of the rain.

Finally, though, Emily was at some kind of peace, with the storm acting as a screen to protect her from anything else, ironically. She leaned against the billboard, and she watched the scarce cars and people scurry by. Taking deep breaths, she steered herself away from thinking about Reid, because the sheer thought of him would have just pulled her down a spiral of reality- the fact that their friendship could've been over because she couldn't refrain herself. But frankly, when she kissed him, the feeling was nothing like she ever felt before. It felt so real, but yet, surreal, and she could still feel herself staggering from the contact with his soft lips, warmth, and his lively arms on hers. She closed her eyes, and sighed, livider and sadder by the minute.

Reid ran, oh he did. He wasn't going to lose Emily again; he had let her go twice, and he wasn't willing to play Russian roulette that the third time would be his charm. He was more of a poker guy, if anything at all. With his corduroy jacket thrown over both shoulders, he shielded himself from the weather, as he ran, eyes only for her. Her and her beautiful emerald dress; her and her shining brown eyes; her and her enchanting smile- his eyes only cared for Emily. Visibility was limited, but oh, he was certain of where she would have gone. Approaching the rusty shell of a bus stop, his eyes fell onto the familiar wavy crystal olive dress, and at that moment, he let go, bolting forward with all his might. "Emily!" He yelled, his voice becoming muffled by the thunderous rain.

She looked around in response to her name, and in turn, she looked at him again. Trying to usher herself away, she turned her cheek to him, as he then ambled towards the shelter, the rain eviscerating everything else in his path.

"Emily," He said, as she tore away. He propped his drenched coat onto the bench, and tried to reach for her hand. Futile, he held her back by the forearms, as she tried to tear free. And then he spoke. "I want you, Emily! I want you- I need you! I don't know why you're running away from this! Tell me why- please." He said with exasperation, as she stopped struggling.

"Look at me, Spencer! I'm what- ten years older than you; I'm not like Maeve at all. I don't even have an IQ of over 160. I'm not ridiculously thin with voluptuous curves or anything- I'm fucking terrified of saying anything, because if I do, it becomes real, and I've lived in a place where I couldn't tell what was reality, and it was so painful… so, so painful. And here you are, Spencer, you're confused, because I'm sure if we go with it, you'd be sick of me in a matter of weeks! I'm not the girl guys dream of- I'm the kind they have a fling with and throw away right after, and boy have I tried to get away from that and I don't want to be sucked back in again! And I- I can't do that anymore! Shit- I've told myself that you wouldn't do that, but how the hell would I really know? I've said that about every guy I've dated in the past four years or something, and look where that bloody got me. I can't keep doing this, and you deserve better than someone with this much baggage, Spencer!" She yelled, tears welling and spinning in her pinkish orbs. Without another word, he rushed forward, his palms reaching upwards swiftly to cup her cheeks, and his lips placing a tender kiss on hers. He kissed her, yes, but he kissed her with so much more than just love. She struggled at first, but lust took the front saddle, as she grabbed onto him, returning the passionate kiss.

"I love you, Emily Prentiss." He muttered against her pink lips, as she parted slightly. "I don't know how many guys have said that to you, and frankly, I don't care. I dreamt of you for so long, I wasn't sure what was reality. Dilaudid? Hell, I only wanted it to run away from the pain of being without you- the pain of hurting you. I didn't relapse in the hospital because you called, and reminded me of whom I could be. In your eyes, I was a guy who was so much more than I really was. I won't throw you away- ever. You never have to try with me, and I will never leave you- not unless you want me to. I've waited for what- five years? I'm not pretending any longer. Yes, you're not Maeve, and that's perfect, because I didn't know what love was then. And if this feeling I have, isn't love, then please tell me what it is. Please show me what this is." He sighed, quivering from the release. "I love you, Emily Prentiss, from the moment I met you; the moment you talked about chess on the plane with Gideon. I despised you at first because you replaced Elle, but I realised that nobody ever replaces someone else. You're so special to me, and I love you. I loved you before Dilaudid; I loved you long after Dilaudid; I loved you when I almost went back to Dilaudid; I loved you when you came back, but I was so pissed at everything else, I didn't get a chance to tell you until I thought it was too late, and I regret that. I know what it's like to live in a world where fantasy is reality, and I don't want to do that anymore. I want you. I loved you when you left for London; and out of everything else, I still love you, and I hope you love me too- lanky, puny, odd-as-ever, Spencer Reid... And Emily, you're a book I never want to finish."

She looked at him, her mind tuning everything but him off. As he spoke, the words finally began to sink in- perhaps, she thought, he was the one. "I do. I love you." She replied, her eyes breaming with joy- her veins seeping adrenaline everywhere.

"But I need to tell you-" She smiled, as his fingers twined amidst hers. "I don't love you because I need you. I need you because I love you, and for so long, I've been denying it, and I promise, I won't do that to you ever again. Heck, I'm not ever doing that again."

"I won't promise you," he said after a pause, much to her astonishment. "I already stopped denying it the moment you came back, because I knew it was real." He smiled, as he watched those mesmerising hazel eyes light up in the midst of the darkness. His thoughts faded away, as he got lost in her. Alas, it was quiet amongst the turbid storm. "Everything happens for a reason," Reid muttered. "And I'm glad I found mine."

Bonus ending:

His embrace was the warmest she ever had. Or perhaps it was because she was shivering, not just from the howling wind, but her release. Her confession. He could feel her shuddering, the skin on her arms against the bristles of the fabric on his. "I kind of- don't want this night to end." She mumbled.

"Me neither, Emily." Reid smiled, giving her a tender peck on the peak of her head. "But it technically is eleven now." he smirked.

"Shut up with the technicalities, would you." Emily snorted, punching him lightly in the chest. Her fist melted into an open palm, resting gently on it. She could feel his heartbeat, like a hummingbird, just fluttering. "Just let me have this moment."

"Emily, I promise you, there'll be more to come, if you'll let me." Reid bit his lip, listening to the patter of the rain. She didn't reply. She looked at him, and then she kissed him unlike any way she had kissed anyone before. He was always such a nerd. Best part was… so was Emily.

Author's Note: Ta-daaa! That's it! Ten First Dates! You know, I think you'll see a little pattern if you look at the ending dialogues on the first chapter versus this one. This is the end of the series, but I doubt it'll be the last Reid/Prentiss one I'd write. I might come up with a sequel for this… or I might not. After all, every ending is also a new beginning, we just don't know it at the time.

Also, I wrote this chapter because I wanted something post-Maeve. I love Blake, and I wanted to make sure every BAU member had a part in this series. I hope I can check that off the list, and I hope you enjoyed reading all of this as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Thank you all for your patience. It's my birthday today, and I was reminded that I hadn't posted this whilst I was turning this series into an eBook for my iPhone. It sounds egotistic, but it's a keepsake, since I have never really worked as hard on a writing piece as I have on this series. Thank you for reading, and you know- there is always a chance of a sequel. We'll just wait and see.

- Rachel.