Hey Everyone!

Aaaaand we're back for another SUPER DUPER LONG INSTALLMENT OF TTML! I hope you are all still breathing, and still enjoying last chapter and running on the high of Lou and Spencer FINALLY being back together! (and if you're reading this and going WHAT THEY GOT BACK TOGETHER uhh HONEY go back several chapters what are you doing here). But here you are on this fine Saturday (or Sunday if you're from the future aka Australia), I hope you're nice and snuggled and ready for this chapter!

AS ALWAYS! To all who favourite and follow this story, I hope this gives you a bit of solace in this crazy world, and I hope it helps you escape for even the briefest moments!

To my AWESOMESAUCE REVIEWERS! Rubyia, River, OneWhoReadsTooMuch, Guest, Manifest-the-shiver, zikashigaku, LisaPark, fishtrek, Alice-Ann-Wonderland, Hinanui98, bambam411, LoveFiction2020, mercigirl01, gossamermouse101, Duchess of Lantern Waste, and Guest. You guys are always so kind and wonderful and so passionate about the story that it makes me feel bad when I write things that make you guys freak out but like? Sorry not gonna stop ahahhaha! But I am so grateful for your words, always!

BY THE WAY! This time I convince Blue to keep this one long SUPER CHAPTER soooo enjoy the next 12,000 words!

ENJOY!

P.S. Disclaimer - I don't own CM


Spencer could not believe he wasn't dreaming,

It seemed surreal to him, to be sitting on the steps of Elena's Manor, watching multiple police services and forensic specialists weave in and out of the building, pulling weapons upon weapons that Bennett had hoarded into the home. There were bomb specialists clearing out sections of the home, and Spencer was grateful they were there, considering the bomb that had gone off earlier was much closer than he anticipated. He felt numb to the fact that there were multiple people milling about, taking photos of his injuries as well as jotting his statements down as best as they could. In reality, he was floating, considering that the grey cloud that had been tagging along for the past weeks completely vanished from overhead. It was replaced with clear, blue skies and the warmth of sunshine, even though it had still been the early hours of the morning, with the day starting off wet and cold.

His sunshine was standing in front of him.

Ellie was at the bottom of the staircase, sandwiched between Garcia and JJ, (and he also noticed that his Elena was sporting a new hairstyle: two pigtails tied up high and semi-parallel on her head) as the three women were hugging each other tightly. After being seen by the EMTs (more like Spencer carried her straight into an ambulance and "kindly" asked a poor new EMT to assist Elena, to which she apologized profusely for her Doctor's very brunt command), and having the multiple scratches and cuts covered with bandages, the agent and technical analyst went for the gauzed Elena in a bear hug, and refused to let her go.

Her parents had come directly to her, with her father hovering over her, scolding her for a solid minute before Elena's mother had cried tears, throwing herself at both her husband and child. Caroline had gotten her fill of her Rocky, practically twirling her in the air before unceremoniously slapping Lou across the face, then proceeding to bawl her eyes out and bury her face in her shorter friend's shoulder. Elena also had tears in her eyes from all her friends showing her love, especially when Hotch had scooped her up into a tight hug. Hotch didn't show emotion often, but when he did, it felt consuming and precious. He held onto her for much longer than intended before he let the Professor know Emily was stable, and Hotch was on his way to go check on her in person.

It warmed Spencer's heart to see his Ellie run to Morgan after she saw him on the stretcher, being pulled into the ambulance, and from what he could read from her lips, Elena was stating that she was grateful, and promised to shoot a gun on a target when Morgan got better. Spencer watched Morgan smile, reading his lips as Derek told Elena how proud he was of her that she managed to learn all the self defence moves Spencer told him about in such a short amount of time. He comforted the professor by stating that he had taught Emily a lot of the hand-to-hand combat combos and firearm skills, and Emily taught Ellie, to which Elena had excitedly put the pieces together and said that Morgan had inadvertently taught her, and had "triple pinky promised" that she would wait until he was up and about to teach her first-hand how to fire a gun. Morgan's smile radiated well, knowing his little sister was okay.

The only one who hadn't gotten his moment with Elena was Rossi, who Spencer realized was making a spot to sit beside him on the staircase.

"That woman," Dave said, resting his elbows on the stair closer to him, "is what legends are made of."

Spencer smiled. "It was a fact I was well aware of, Rossi."

"I know. I was saying it to remind myself."

The doctor laughed, his eyes not moving from his girlfriend.

He stopped to correct himself.

She's not my girlfriend.

She's my fiancée.

Rossi noticed the kid's smile get slightly wider.

"You talked to her?"

Spencer was confused. "About?"

"That conversation you had before Missus Richardson was reported missing."

He's talking about my proposal.

Trying to act nonchalant, Spencer leaned forward, trying to cover his heart beating out of his chest.

Elena had said she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.

He now had the chance to do so.

She also stated in her letter that she left for him that she did intend to marry Spencer. That confirmed that maybe she was inclined to be wedded. However, Spencer didn't want to rush things. He had just gotten her back, and somewhere to a point that he was comfortable that she wasn't going to leave, not after he told her he loved her.

Spencer didn't realize how powerful those three little words were.

The second they came out of his mouth; it was as if a whole other Elena had come through. She knew that she was loved by him, often showed through his actions (as well as helping her bring down the monster that destroyed her life assisted with her knowledge of his feelings slightly). But the moment he told Ellie he loved her, verbally giving her the confirmation both she and he needed, it unlocked something deep within her. Elena didn't need to hear it, as he never made her feel anything less than she deserved, but it was something that had to be done to nurture their relationship.

Because Spencer needed to say it.

Because he needed to verbalize it.

To solidify that she wasn't going anywhere.

Not like Maeve.

Sweet Maeve, taken away from him before he learned how to genuinely love., with his whole heart. She had always been there for him, thinking about him and his safety until the end. Protecting him from her stalker, knowing how dangerous of a position she was in, and knowing she sacrificed her life for him because of it changed Spencer.

It made him scared to love again.

But meeting Elena?

Growing to know her, to laugh with her, to bond with her…

To be with her…

It caused him to realize that Maeve was just an example of why he should love again.

Because love, if it is true and pure, and it works hard, is worth it.

Even if it's through a telephone.

Even if it's through a scarf.

Even if it's through a book.

He wasn't scared to say he loved her.

Because he wasn't afraid of losing her.

It made sense why he was comfortable waiting. He knew to ask Elena to marry him again, and when he did, he would ask properly this time. Although he had a lot of anger still, it didn't change how he felt about Elena.

The proposal wasn't for him, rather it was for both Elena and him.

They deserved it.

"We'll have that conversation when we have that conversation."

Rossi didn't buy it but didn't push the subject.

He saw the look in the kid's eyes when he looked at his beloved.

"Giovane amour."

"Young love," Spencer translated automatically, this time not afraid of the phrase. He remembered Rossi stating that when Elena and he had began dating. Before, the word terrified him.

But now?

The doctor shook his head to himself.

Rossi's smile couldn't be contained as he stared at the kid.

Look at him bloom.

"Ah, but love doesn't have an age. It has a feeling." The writer gestured to the air with gusto. "Young love is something where it is warm, and passionate, but understanding, and easy."

"It's what I feel for Ellie."

Dave had opened his mouth to respond but closed it with a smile.

Smart kid.

"Lou's doing alright, all things considered," David observed, watching the professor slowly peel away from the technical analyst's embrace. Garcia wandered back to her tech so that she could start putting it away.

Reid shrugged. "I'll know more when she's not around everyone."

The older one of the two scoffed.

"Fat chance of getting Lou alone anytime soon."

Spencer internally groaned.

Rossi was right.

Elena was now being watched like a hawk, to no one's surprise, including her own. Even Kate, who had been conscious and given updates by the team, asked to video call with Elena just to ensure there were people by her side, watching her.

There were also the bodyguards.

By her father's wishes (as well as everyone else on the team with an astounding and firm 'yes' from the doctor himself), there two security guards from Charles' personal detail, assigned to watch Ellie (until they were back on the jet, at minimum). Elena gave her statements to officials, to which cleared her of any harm as Noah Bennett was technically on her property, committing several charges of attempted murder and kidnapping, on top of the whole slew of other crimes such as unauthorized possession of multiple firearms and explosive devices, and other crimes Spencer did not want to get into at the moment.

Once she was cleared, she was free to return back to the States (to which Elena and Spencer knew they were dealing with the wrath of the FBI and their futures with the Bureau), and to her, it was a huge relief to have that freedom.

But it didn't stop Elena's father from having two 6'4'' well built bodyguards at her tail, and the Doctor thought that Elena would definitely put up a fight. But the relief on Spencer's face, as well as Charles' face, when the Professor had not only nodded in agreement, and had chosen to speak with them and befriended the two bodyguards, kept him sane. Elena turned around and gave him a look then, one of acknowledgement that yes, she understood why it was done, and no, she didn't have any problem with it, if that meant giving him the reassurance that she wasn't going anywhere.

Elena wasn't going anywhere.

"Speaking of," Rossi said, interrupting his thoughts.

The doctor now noticed his Professor slowly walking up the steps, with JJ following right behind her. The two women were walking with arms linked, both speaking animatedly. The sight of them two warmed Spencer's heart, seeing his friend and his fiancée walking together, reconnecting finally after being torn apart for so long.

"…and he doesn't have a problem with it?"

"Nope. Not Dex," his Professor smiled. "He dragged Henry across my floor for almost an hour, and Henry was the one who had to tell Dexter to stop."

"Who dragged what now?" Rossi asked, confused.

Elena laughed, clarifying for Dave. "Dexter was dragging Henry around with a blanket the last time he was at my place, playing with him. I was just filling JJ in on the adorableness."

"There's no need for filling in on Dexter's cuteness." JJ smiled, sitting on one of the steps on the left side of Rossi. "We shared a nap. He's a wonderful cuddler."

Elena's head shot up, searching the area.

Spencer knew who she was looking for in particular.

"He's right here," Spencer said, shifting his body out of the way to show Elena that Dexter, the good little soldier, was sitting behind the Doctor, almost hiding from his guardian.

Spencer could see Elena's frustration.

Dexter hadn't said 'hello' to her yet, which to anyone else, would realize that it was odd behaviour for a dog to not want to jump with joy after seeing their owner. He was attached to Spencer, almost using him as a shield. It wasn't typical dog behaviour.

But this was Dexter, and he was a different type of dog. He may have been trained, but he was intelligent through other means, and somehow, he knew how his surroundings were.

And he was aware his Mama just up and left him without a goodbye.

The Doctor watched his heart walk past him, dropping a soft hand on Spencer's shoulder, before Ellie crouched in front of her furry companion.

"Hey baby," she said, softly rubbing his head. "Are you mad at me?"

The dog looked up at Ellie without lifting his head. His face might as well have been human with the expression it brought forth. Elena began kneeling further down, until her belly was on the giant stair slab, with her elbows propped to hold her head in her hands. She forced herself to be eyelevel with her furry dog.

"You're not the only one who's mad." She said sadly, her eyes flashing to Spencer's before going back to the dog. "But it's okay for you to be mad, Dex."

She leaned down, giving him a kiss on his snout.

"You can still love me, you know."

Giving him small pets, she waited, knowing something that Spencer didn't. The dog wasn't moving, and while Spencer was quite good at reading Dexter, he was not Elena, and he did not have that connection with the soldier that was sitting behind him.

Another beat went by, and the dog was still not moving. Spencer was about to open his mouth, but soon shut it when he noticed Elena stopped petting the dog, placing her hand back underneath her chin. All she did was stare at him, waiting for the dog to make the next move.

It was less than ten seconds before the dog shot up, slathering his mother with kisses.

"Oh, there's my boy! There's my sweet little smarty pants!"

Ellie's laughs were electric, making everyone around her smile. She sat up, having Dexter continue to give her more and more kisses anywhere he could.

"I missed you. I missed you so much!"

She got him to sit his furry head on her lap, allowing multiple scratches calm the dog down.

"He's so relaxed now," Rossi commented.

"We all are," the professor hummed, watching Dexter's head loll around her lap.

Spencer pulled Elena closer after hearing her words.

"Who would have thought it was Lou's scarf that would bring Noah down?" JJ said off-handed.

It caught the professor.

"What do you mean my scarf?"

Spencer had his bag close to him in that moment, along with his jacket and other personal items. Flipping over the front flap of his messenger bag, he immediately saw the beige pashmina sitting there. He pulled out the item, immediately wrapping the scarf around Elena. She looked at it with confused hands, remembering the comforting feeling of the scarf.

"I know you keep it with you," she whispered, trying to put the pieces together. Spencer listened to her quietly, wrapping the scarf around her neck to keep her warm. Rossi and JJ were shocked at how calm Elena was with Spencer having her scarf, but clearly there was something between them they had no idea but knew that they would never. They accepted it as something that should just be shared with the two geniuses.

"But how did it aid you in finding me?"

Reid pointed to the dog in Elena's lap. She looked down at the dog in disbelief.

"Dexter?" She asked, confused.

"Garcia had located the most general area you would set up, which luckily for us, was a phone call made to a number programmed to Riyadh. We figured we could comfortably set up close to the tower that caught the call. Dexter had your scent from the scarf and picked up on it when the breeze came through."

Spencer leaned down to scratch the head of the good dog.

"He also helped me find the sonic screwdriver. I wouldn't have gone looking for it if he didn't guide me."

Tears pooled in her eyes as Elena pet her dog with love.

"You're such a good boy, do you understand? Mama's gonna take you everywhere. I'm not leaving you behind anymore, you understand? We're going to the grocery store together, we're going to the park together… you know, I could possibly get you certified as a therapy dog and end up taking you to work to help!"

He watched her face break at the thought of the BAU.

"Elena," Spencer brought her back. "Don't think about now."

Taking a deep breath, she nodded, at a loss for words. Her eyes went straight to Dexter as she started petting him methodically. Spencer then noticed she was rotating between three pets on one location before moving to another location to complete another three passes over Dexter's head. He noticed she was trying to distract the feeling of dread creeping up upon her, and he noticed her hand begin to tick the way it used to. It had been a while since he'd seen one of her repetitive three-time ticks, but he knew it was triggered by many things, mostly stressful situations. He knew she dealt with her functions every day and knew that it was a constant journey of working on her anxiety, her compulsion, her life.

But he was there to help.

Holding out his hand, he waited for his Professor to notice. When she did, she took his hand, allowing his hand to encapsulate hers, and in an instant, he softly tapped three times with his middle finger into her palm.

The tears that had been pooled in her eyes fell from her face.

"We'll leave you two," JJ said, getting up after noticing the emotional state her friend was in.

Rossi gave a pat on Elena's back, to which the professor smiled warmly at the author.

"We're gonna talk later, kiddo." Dave said to her. Ellie nodded in agreement, watching both agents move from their sitting spots to head down to the vans.

The two geniuses turned to each other, finally enjoying some peace with each other.

She leaned forward, allowing Spencer's chest to catch her head. He smiled, wrapping his arm around Elena as they embraced. Although there were multiple people milling about, they felt in their own bubble, enjoying their time and energy together, finally.

"Just us now." Ellie mumbled.

Spencer rubbed her arm lovingly.

"Took long enough." He whispered, dropping a soft kiss on the top of her head.

"Finally."

"You have really grown."

Their eyes snapped to Elena's mother, Antoinette, who approached the two individuals sitting on the steps. While Spencer was slightly frustrated that he was interrupted with time alone with Elena yet again, he wasn't ungrateful for the interruption, not when he saw Elena's face. The CEO had looked a bit better, with an EMT walking right behind her as he was holding a bag of fluids that was clearly attached to Antoinette. The professor smiled, knowing how her mother most likely convinced the EMT that she could walk.

And Mom says I get my stubbornness from Dad.

"That back there was definitely not the Elena Lou I remember." The CEO said as she motioned herself to sit. She waved the EMT off, who had hung her fluids bag near her before leaving.

The professor was grateful her mother wasn't pushing herself.

"Then again," Toni said, smiling. "I do remember I don't have the mental capacity of my daughter or my husband. It would take me a moment to recall my brave Little Lou who fought the imaginary monsters within the halls of the Manor. You were so magnificent in your quests."

The smile had dropped slightly.

"I hadn't realize that you would have to fight real monsters within those halls, darling."

Her daughter took it in stride, shrugging.

"I would have fought anyone and anything to get you back, Mom. It was worth it." She reached out of Spencer's embrace slightly to hold her mother's hand. "Plus, you know I practice tasks relentlessly until I've perfected them. It makes sense that I was successful in defeating monsters and going on adventure quests, I have been doing it my whole life."

"Oh," Antoinette chuckled to herself, grabbing her daughter's face between both her hands.

"What did I do right to have a child like you?"

"You stopped with one," Elena mumbled, laughing slightly.

Her mother gasped, giving Elena a playful tap on the cheek. "Goodness gracious, Elena Lou."

"I'm kidding," she said, going back into Spencer's embrace. "Thanks, Mom."

"Thank you, my sweet girl." The elder Richardson said, as her daughter's dog found his way into Antoinette's hands.

"And aren't you a wonderful boy?"

The bark that came from Dexter confirmed her question.

"Good."

"Toni."

A breathless Theodore Charles Joseph Richardson came barrelling towards his wife.

"Where the hell do you get off, just running away from me?"

"Me? Running off like a thief in the night?" Toni gently detaching the fluid bag from the IV in her hand. "This is behaviour I portray?"

Charles went to open his mouth but had shut it immediately.

Spencer made a mental note to save that sentence on Elena if she were to make such a comment as well. However, it was if she was reading his mind because Elena turned, giving him a cocked eyebrow, and a mischievous, all-knowing grin.

He chuckled, pulling her closer.

"Toni, we have to get you to the hospital. We've been putting it off for long enough." Charles said, helping her stand, holding her IV bag as well.

"Of course, look at the state I'm in." Antoinette said plainly. "What? Did you think we should go play Rum?"

"With that attitude, yes. You might actually win."

Ignoring his wife for the moment, Charles turned to his daughter.

"Lou, do you promise me that you'll stay with the guards?"

Spencer felt Elena tense slightly within his arms. Her father was outright asking her for a promise, and she knew her father was doing it on purpose. He felt her resolve, her body relaxing, knowing that the guilt of leaving everyone, and yet having everyone be quite nice to her even while being so angry with her made Elena feel more inclined to agree with everyone and what they were asking of her.

Which is why Spencer felt his anger slip away bit by bit.

How could he be angry with her when she felt this guilty? Yes, his emotions were valid, and he knew he was still upset with up and leaving and it was something he knew they would have to work on. But she wanted to work on it, she wanted to help rectify her mistake, so how could Spencer make that harder for her?

Although Elena was still able to make her own decisions, he felt he needed to protect her from everyone else's anger.

"She has already promised, twice now." Spencer commented, looking at the Ambassador.

Charles' attention didn't deviate from Lou.

"I was asking my daughter, Doctor Reid."

Spencer huffed in frustration. He thought he was making headway with Elena's father, considering Spencer did help save her (realistically, Spencer unknowingly distracted Noah so Ellie could save herself, but Spencer was going to count his assist as a win), but when he brought Elena back to her parents, he could see the look on her father's face. Her mother? Forever grateful, and the doctor knew that he was adored by Antoinette. But Ellie's father? There was motive behind his eyes, as if he were afraid his daughter would be consumed by another man yet again.

Not that Spencer didn't understand the Ambassador, but it was frustrating to him to know he had done everything he possibly could to ensure Charles that Elena was safe with him.

Somehow, there was something else Spencer was missing about how Charles felt about him.

He intended to find out soon.

"Your daughter," Elena said, standing from her position, pulling Spencer along with her, "is right here, and I have already promised this twice. Now, to make it thrice, I promise that I will stay with the guards."

"Do you also promise to not slip away from them?"

"I promise to not slip away from them."

"And do you also promise to not put yourself in a dangerous position such as this?"

Spencer waited for Elena to respond, but he looked down to see she was formulating something in her head.

No.

She's not.

She figured out that Charles was formulating something in his head.

Spencer turned to Charles, who apparently seemed to be hiding something, as the hard shell he carried slightly faltered.

"Define dangerous position," Ellie asked in a monotone voice.

The Ambassador huffed.

"Working for the BAU, for one."

Elena, who moments ago had been riddled with anxiety at the thought of her current employment status, laughed.

"Dad… of all things, you're still on me for the job?"

She laughed again, realizing that her father had no idea of her suspension. Elena kept on laughing, to which her parents looked confused and concerned, turning to the doctor for more insight as to why their daughter was cackling away.

Spencer eased their concerns by telling them the gravity of their employment.

"Elena was suspended from work a week and a half ago. I, also, face impeding suspension… and there is a possibility for termination."

"The both of you?" Charles' tone was astonished.

"For what?" Antoinette asked, the small woman looking quite enraged and defensive.

For a moment, he saw his Ellie in her mother, realizing how much he had yet to learn about his professor. Spencer thought the fire Elena had came from her father, but watching her mother now, who was more upset than her husband…

He was excited to start learning everything he could from his Professor.

"Noah's bullshit— sorry, his nonsense to separate us." Ellie said, finally, answering her mother's question. "We are not allowed to be together and work together."

"Why?" Oddly came from Charles. "You're both professionals! And there are relationships within the Bureau."

"Yes, I agree. However, it's because we're…" Spencer began, but he stopped himself.

He realized he was talking about marrying Elena… in front of her parents.

It gave him a nervousness he was not aware of.

He felt his heart sigh, Ellie's head finding his chest yet again.

"Because we're not married," she finished, sadly.

Even though it was sad, Spencer felt it odd he was happy she said that they weren't married in a sad manner.

That meant she was saddened at the thought of being not married.

That meant she wanted to be married.

But it seemed Spencer and Elena were the only ones that wanted them to marry.

"No."

Charles and Antoinette had both said 'no' at the same time.

Elena's head lifted off of his chest.

He could practically feel her shock and pain.

"Not happening," Charles' booming voice was raising.

"Not yet, at least," her mother clarified, possibly to ease the pain on her Elena Lou's face. "You've known each other for barely six months, yes? Clearly, you both share something that is pure and deep, and I see it, and I do approve of you both being together."

The reassurance calmed Spencer.

But only for so long.

"However, it's too soon. I don't condone the rapid pace you both insist on running through."

"Mother Dear, I don't know if you noticed, but you almost died. I almost died!" Her hand reached out to grab Spencer's hand after her last statement, knowing how much the thought of her death would have destroyed Spencer.

It didn't stop Ellie from getting animated.

"Wouldn't that regard us to value life more? To want to live our lives to the fullest?"

"Yes," her mother agreed. "But to also think rationally. To get married just so you both could have a job? After risking your lives in this manner?"

"If we plan on being married anyway, why wait?" Elena said.

Spencer said something similar to Elena when he was trying to reason with her about his logic of being married, on that phone call when he had asked her to marry him. It was another point in his favour, knowing that his Professor wanted to spend her life with him as his wife.

He tried to hide his smile.

The Ambassador noticed.

"It's him." Charles said, pointing his finger at Spencer.

"He's convinced Lou to marry him."

Spencer was going to defend himself, but his Ellie stepped right in.

"Dad, you really think Spencer could convince me to do anything?" She challenged her father. "Spencer couldn't convince me to stay with him and fight Noah by his side. You really think that he could convince me to spend the rest of my life with him?"

Elena put a hand on her doctor's chest, reassuring him. Her eyes still on her father's form.

"There was no need for convincing. This is a decision I am making. If you genuinely want to know the truth, if Spencer had his way, we'd already be married right now." The knowledge of that information caused the eyes of Ambassador Richardson to widen. "But the fact that we're not married now should tell you that Spencer isn't pushing this. He isn't pushing us faster than the pace we want to be going at."

She turned away from her parents, looking at the Manor. Spencer could see her eyes going straight to the tower, a sad look on her face.

"You know how I think. You know how I reason. Grandmama's not here to tell you to go to the lake to talk to me, Dad. You can't just stand at the bottom of the tower anymore and listen to me play. You have to go up the staircase and realize I never played as the princess with the flowy locks and damsel demeanour in the castle. I was—"

"The dragon."

He watched a small smile finally ghost Ellie's face, her eyes still on the window of the old tower.

Another thing Spencer learned about her, which in truth he already knew, was how strong she was when she was younger, and how she knew how strong she was going to be.

"You know then. Trust me enough to know that I know what I'm doing and trust me enough to know that when I don't know what I'm doing, I always ask for help."

Elena corrected herself at the sound of Spencer clearing his throat.

"Apologies. I'm learning how to ask for help properly, and not in a secretive manner that could potentially destroy any trust and integrity within relationships."

Antoinette sighed, turning to her husband. Charles had a frustrated look on his face, but looking at his wife, they stared at each other for a moment before Charles nodded in agreement to their silent conversation.

"Okay," the Ambassador said.

Spencer was shocked.

"Okay…?" The doctor drawled to which his Ellie giggled.

Charles finally looked in Spencer's direction.

"I am in agreement with the both of you."

That small victory felt as if it was the biggest win of Spencer's life.

"But make sure it's your decision, Lou-bear."

Elena shook her head.

"No, Dad. It's going to be our decision."

Oddly enough, her father smiled, turning to Elena's mother, who also shared the same smile.

It took Spencer a moment, but he realized what the Ambassador and CEO had done.

That was a test.

The whole thing was a test.

"Did you just…" Elena started, before her jaw dropped, figuring out her parents' motives as well.

"Ambassador, Missus Richardson," Spencer clarified. "Are you stating—"

"That you have our blessing?" Antoinette said, wrapping herself up in the jacket her husband offered. "I thought it was obvious Doctor Reid."

"Truly," Charles muttered behind his wife.

"What?" Ellie asked, confusion on her face.

She wasn't used to not knowing what her parents were thinking.

"You guys are okay with me marrying Spencer? Really? No catches? No 'Lou, I don't like the kid' or 'be rational, darling'? Nothing? You're okay with us being together?"

"Darling," her mother said, looking down at her daughter, sitting next to her cœur.

"I knew you two would intend to spend the rest of each other's lives with one another."

Spencer was shocked and confused, mirroring Elena's emotions as well.

"How?" His Professor whispered.

"Because of how you both made each other better by just being in each other's lives."

The CEO continued, not missing a beat.

"I've seen how you've changed my Elena Lou, young man. I've had therapists and behaviour specialists and the most extensive resources to help my sweet girl have a handle on her overcrowded brain. Imagine me, having this brilliant child, using that giant supercomputer non-stop, on full blast, and having absolutely nothing to help calm her brain, not being able to soothe the worries that no nine-year-old should comprehend. I would watch Elena burn out time after time, sometimes not being able to catch up with her own train of thoughts. Even after that monster came and left, she still carried all those worries, doing much better at managing, but still struggling."

"But now, Lou, we don't see you crumbling underneath your anxiety and your compulsion," Charles interjected. "You've remembered how important you are, and you're taking care of yourself to be a better someone."

"And don't think I'm not aware of a change in you, Doctor Reid." Antoinette said with an eyebrow raised. "I know my Elena Lou, I know the powerhouse she always was and will be, she's my daughter after all… and if I know her, I know that she has shook you to your core, if not more. However, I intend to learn more about you before making my assumptions. But I'm certain you both can now enjoy one another as the best versions of yourselves."

Spencer could only nod in agreement, at a loss for words.

Antoinette was right.

"Well, considering this is how Elena and you were prior to that mongrel causing a fuckup."

The doctor watched his life partner slow blink in disbelief. She turned her head to face her mother.

"I beg the biggest pardon of my life, Mother Dear, did the word 'fuck' just come out of your mouth?"

"No, Darling. I said 'fuckup'. And here I thought you had an eidetic memory."

Moving to kiss her daughter's forehead, the elder woman fussed with her daughter's hair.

"Be good, sweet girl. Thank you again for being my saviour."

Ellie smiled.

"You know you saved me too, right?"

Toni was confused.

"When you used to bake your sugar cookies."

"You've lost me," Antoinette admitted.

"You mostly did it just for fun, but I remember you purposefully asking me to help with the cookies when I was in a fit or having a ticking attack. It was the best distraction for me, baking all those cookies when I was anxious."

Spencer watched as Elena tucked a hair behind her ear out of nervousness. The scar on her face was out, not hidden. A stark contrast from the first time he met Elena.

"It was my therapy, Mom. Well, my favourite type of therapy. It was the only thing I didn't have to use my brain for, and still don't. To this day, making those sugar cookies make my heart heal, and always remind me of you, and how much you were there for me when I wasn't even there for myself."

"Oh, Elena Lou."

Spencer pulled away from Elena's embrace as her mother swarmed her daughter with love. The two women began crying, Antoinette pulling her precious Elena Lucille into her arms. The doctor watched the two women hold each other. He took a moment to turn to the Ambassador, who was skillfully wiping a tear from his eye, watching his family be together.

"Thank you," Charles said to Spencer.

"For…?"

Reid almost kicked himself for his response.

Thankfully, the Ambassador laughed.

"For this," he gestured to his wife and his daughter. "You changed the trajectory of my daughter's life and future. In turn, you prolonged my time with my wife, and kept me out of jail for murder."

"That's a pretty good reason for gratitude."

"A thank you is not sufficient."

"But it's more than appreciated," Reid said confidently.

Smiling at Spencer, Charles stuck his hand out, to which Reid accepted the firm shake.

"Hospital?" Antoinette asked, appearing in front with the IV bag, and walking into her husband's open embrace.

"Hospital." Charles confirmed, wrapping his wife in his jacket, taking the medical supplies.

"Lou," Elena's father called out to her, allowing the professor to turn her head. "We'll catch up with you as your mother and I fly out. Caroline's asleep in our car; we'll take her with us on the Jet. Zion's… well, actually, I haven't seen Zion."

"He probably left already," the professor said back to him. "Itching to get out before more policing agencies show up."

Her father hummed in agreement. "He does hate crowds of cops."

She nodded as Ellie silently walked up to her dad, wrapping her arms around his torse.

"Thank you, Daddy." Spencer heard her whisper.

"For what, Lou?"

"For letting me go back to get Zion." She sighed, pulling away. "For listening to everything, For…"

His Elena sighed, her eyes shining brighter than Spencer had ever seen.

"For reminding me of who I used to be, and who I wanted to become."

There was a conversation Spencer missed between the two, and he knew it was important, however he kept his thoughts to himself.

He watched the Ambassador smile, using his index finger to tap on Elena's nose playfully.

"Remember: pigtails." Charles whispered.

The professor nodded in response.

"Pigtails and kneecaps."

A giant laugh came out from Charles.

"That's my Lou-bear," her father said, using his knuckles to give a squeeze to his daughter's cheek.

Charles then turned to Spencer, giving the doctor a nod before waving a tight farewell.

"Spencer."

His mouth dropped open in surprise, hearing the Ambassador refer to him by his first name.

He turned to Elena in disbelief, who also tried to lower her eyebrows at the surprise of her father being so casual with her fiancé. Watching her mother and her father turn their backs and began walking to their town car, the two geniuses turned to each other, pure and unadulterated happiness coursing through them. Both of them cheered in delight, with Spencer waving his arms in a semi circle up and down, while Elena had a stationary running motion with invisible maracas shaking erratically. They were both ecstatic that they had received the approval for their future from her parents (not that they needed their approval to continue with their relationship, but it was very pleasant to be welcomed by Elena's parents).

Spencer picked up Elena as he bubbled with excitement.

"He didn't call me Reid!"

"He first-named you!"

"There was even affection in his tone," Spencer whispered in disbelief.

"I know!" Elena agreed.

The smile was wide on his face.

"They're okay with us being married," he said with disbelief.

The same disbelief was on the professor's face.

"There's nothing stopping us."

"No," Spencer said, this time speaking to her softly, pulling her closer to him.

"Nothing's stopping us," he repeated her words.

He had kisses from her before. He knew how Elena's lips felt, how her lips caused him to feel in a way where he was absolutely entranced by her, wanting to be enveloped by her essence, her aura. But that moment they kissed, with both of them having the knowledge that it was going to be the beginning of the rest of their lives that they both intended to share. It fulfilled them both on a deeper level, one in which caused Spencer to make a mental note of the moment he was in right now.

Spencer pulled away for a moment.

"I love you," he whispered to her.

Her eyes glistened with tears.

"I love you," she said, the relief of hearing those three little words felt wonderfully large.

Her lips found his again, only this time more urgent.

The doctor was in the dead centre of chaos. He was between multiple agents milling about, multiple police cars parked astray, a plethora of lights and alarms and sensors and monitors and lions and tigers and bears (oh my!) would have caused him to be thoroughly thrown off, but having his sunshine near him, around him, glowing in front of him… it was something that had his full attention, and not even the sun itself could have him pull away rom the warmth Ellie provided.

This is why he flew across the world to get her back. This is why he risked his job, his entire career, his life, his health, just so that he could make sure that she was safe, and the best part, was that she was okay, and she was in his arms. He would have flown across the universe to do it all over again if that meant she stayed with him. He used to be so bitter with the world, not being able to hold Maeve in his arms. He was filled with loneliness and distain, knowing that he was robbed from having the affection he so desperately wanted.

But it wasn't robbery.

It was a lesson the universe wanted him to learn.

It was a moment to learn how important it was to have someone who care about him and to have the favour returned. To share the same sentiments, to learn from one another, to grow alongside one another. To have those luxuries on top of being able to hold that person, to physically feel their energy that mirrors the energy that he had… it was something to comprehend, to appreciate. He was glad he had the opportunity to do so.

He got to spend the rest of his life with Ellie.

He got to have a future with her.

He got to have everything he thought he never would.

It was almost unbelievable.

Elena's hands found the middle of his back, her palms pushing in, causing him to be closer to her.

He couldn't help but smile into the kiss.

How appropriate that he wanted her with the same ferocity that she wanted him.

"Aren't you two adorable?"

Spencer pulled away harshly.

Not because he wanted to.

But the sound of the voice in that moment cause him to snap.

His blood ran cold.

All the warmth he had beforehand vanished.

His eyes ran across the driveway, to which the voice had shouted from.

The voice that belong to the monster that started everything.

"So precious," Noah Bennett said from the back of the armoured ambulance. The entire back of the vehicle was caged, and Bennett was sitting in the stretcher, with multiple straps keeping him locked in (as well as the leg and arm shackles chaining him to the metal). The restraints did not stop him, however, from his tirade of verbal slew he clearly wished to draw upon Elena and Spencer.

"Don't stop on my account!" He yelled, a sick laugh escaping his lips again.

Instinctively, Spencer tucked Elena behind him, shielding Noah from being able to see his Professor.

"Spencer, are you serious?" Elena asked in disbelief, forcing him to turn around and face her. "He's arrested. In a cage. He can't hurt me."

"I don't want him to even look at you," Spencer spewed out with venom.

Dexter's head appeared in Spencer's hand in that moment, to which Spencer realized that the dog must have been in tune with his emotions and went to provide comfort. He didn't realize how much the dog cared for him until he remembered how often the dog was there for him.

"Hey," she said, her tone turning to a soothing sound. Elena's hands also found one of Dexter's ears. "I'm safe. He can't get me. It's okay."

She held his cheek softly with her free hand.

"It's just us. Nothing's stopping us."

Breathing slowly, he allowed himself to calm down slightly.

Nothing's stopping us.

Nothing's stopping us.

Nothing's stopping us.

"Aww! She's tamed the beast!"

Spencer's fist closed automatically. He turned and began walking in Bennett's direction.

He felt both of Elena's hands grab his one forearm and hold him back, all her body weight countering his momentum.

"No, nope. Okay, what we're not going to do is just storm off and cold-cock the douchebag."

"The cage would make it difficult for contact."

"Point made; however, we're going to exercise our voice of reason with this one."

Spencer tried to shrug off Elena. "I wasn't going to hurt him."

"Yet. You forgot the word 'yet' in that sentence."

"Elena—"

"Don't say my name in that tone of voice. You know I'm right. You're going to walk up to him whether I have a say in this or not."

Spencer went to open his mouth, but he knew better. He watched as his fiancée rolled her eyes, letting go of him.

"Spencer, we're going to have the rest of our lives together, are we not?"

She waited for him to nod before proceeding.

"If five minutes with him is going to give you the peace of mind you need to spend the rest of you life with me, then so be it."

He sighed, fully relieved she knew where his head was at.

"Would it make you feel better if you went to talk to him while I was a safe distance from him?"

"I don't want you near him," he said automatically.

The forcefulness in his tone caused her to shoot her head back slightly

"You really want me safe, huh?" She whispered.

"You have no idea how much," Spencer said, a realness to his tone as he looked directly at Elena. "Not after you willingly went after him. Not again, El. Please. I… I can't even take him even having eyes on you right now."

His Ellie gave him a bittersweet smile, her hand finding his cheek before she leaned up a placed a kiss on the opposite cheek.

"I won't go near him."

Before Spencer could ask, Elena had responded.

"I promise you; I won't go near him."

He wasn't going to hold his hand out overtly, not with Bennett watching their every move. He didn't want Sir Bennett having any more information than he needs. But when he felt Elena walk forward slightly, with her holding his hand in a loose way, softly intertwining their pinky fingers, made Spencer feel much more reassured.

"Thank you, Ellie."

She leaned up to kiss his cheek again.

"Always."

"Lovebirds!"

Spencer's mood instantly turned sour again.

"Go talk to him. I know you've been wanting to ask him if he thought I would kill him."

He was still shocked at how well she knew him. He knew he shouldn't be shocked, but he was. Spencer could only exhale loudly, he couldn't form the words he needed.

However, Elena got the message.

"I'll make sure I'm safe then. Would you be comfortable if I went back into the Manor? I'll be bringing Dex too if that makes you feel better."

It made Spencer hesitate a little. While the Manor was cleared from floor to ceiling if any booby traps and bombs and any other personnel of any kind, he still didn't like the idea of his Elena all alone in the big home. He reminded himself then that she had two of her father's bodyguards accompanying her (he spotted them from the corner of his eye keeping a safe distance). While that bit of information did comfort Spencer, he was still unsettled by the idea of her not having a familiar face to be accompanying her.

It was then he remembered that Rossi wanted to speak with Elena still.

"Ask Rossi as well. I think he'd take advantage of the time talking to you."

The professor followed the doctor's line of sight, stopping when she found Agent Rossi.

"You think he'd say yes?" She asked, knowing what the answer was.

"Absolutely."

She smiled. "Alright then. I'll give him a mini tour in the meantime. He did want to chat with me after all."

"Where are you planning to go?" Spencer asked, knowing that half of the Manor was shut down due to several rooms being crime scenes. "There aren't many spots in the home that aren't accompanied."

"I was headed to the tower," she said softly. "I remember there were some old books from my Grandmama that I kept up there, and I want to bring them back."

It still left Spencer uneasy. He remembered the map of the home, and the tower was on the North side, right above the water. Elena had mentioned one time the waters being so rough, she felt the sprinkle of drops hit her from the splash of the waves hitting the bricks of the Manor. He had come across the entrance of the door when he was racing to get to Ellie and noticed how really deep the tower was in the Manor. It was extremely far from the front entrance, where he was located currently.

He didn't want Elena that far from him.

She placed her hand on his chest, over his heart, knowing that it would reassure him.

"The tower is one of the three places in the entire manor that can be heard from the entire home. It's how the acoustics work in the home, Mother said one time. The other two are located in the front foyer and the library… It's how I was able to hear Noah from a safe distance when I was coming into the Manor. With the way the tower is positioned through the hallways, you can hear anyone entering the tower before they actually get to the tower. If you keep the tower doors open at the entrance, you'll be able to hear everything from the front foyer."

She gave him the reassurance he was looking for.

He may not have been able to see Elena, but he would still be able to hear her.

It was enough for him.

Spencer nodded, his body language showing that he was meaning business now, preparing to speak to Bennett one on one.

It didn't stop his Ellie from pulling him down to her level to share a kiss.

"Please be safe," she said to him.

He gave her a levelled look.

"Elena, you hopped on a plane with no regard for your own life to put yourself in the line of fire against a deadly assassin."

Spencer cocked his eyebrow at Elena's caught face.

"You want to be the one talking about safety?"

"My concern is still valid," she mumbled.

He smiled back at her; the teasing thoroughly gone.

"Yes, it is valid. And yes, I will be safe."

Elena mirrored his smile, grabbing his hand once again to give a soft squeeze.

She let go of his hand, and Spencer felt like his world no longer had a gravitational pull to the ground. Rather, it was his Professor he was drawn to. He stopped himself from taking a step forward to follow her. He didn't want to leave her side again, not after what the team had to do to bring her back into his arms. It unnerved him to no end, to view his desire as a basic need in that moment.

But it was something he would have to get used to. He was in a job that constantly had him across the country half of the week. He was going to be away from Elena regardless if that was something he wanted or not. Or… was he? His job now hung in the balance, not certain that he would still be an agent of the BAU. He may or may not still be an agent after all of this.

But was that necessarily a bad thing?

That meant he would have more days of the week with her. He could have entire months with her, being by her side, enjoying her company. The thought wasn't unpleasant, but he also knew it was unrealistic. Spencer felt that way because he didn't want her to leave his sight, desperate to hold onto her. But he also didn't want Elena in Bennett's sight. Coming back to reality, he chose the lesser evil, making sure his heart was safe with someone his truly trusted in that moment. He had to talk to Bennett, but he had to make sure that Ellie was okay.

He took a breath before tuning his ears to the conversation ahead of him.

"Uncle Dave," he heard his sweet professor ask, walking up to the agent who was standing beside JJ. "You said you wanted to talk?"

The elder man's eyebrows rose. "Oh, yes. I did want to talk."

Watching as JJ rolled her eyes at the two English fanatics, David looped his arm around Elena's shoulder, walking into the Manor with her.

"It's about time for my round of scolding, huh?" His professor asked.

"Well it's not scolding if you already know the lesson. It'll be more of a beratement."

"That's the same thing."

"One definition entails an emotion being conveyed through text or physical cues. The other specifies a verbal expression of emotions. I'm sure you of all people, Professor, can appreciate the distinction…"

That was the downside of losing the job.

He would lose his family.

Not entirely, as the team wouldn't let him go that easy if he had lost his job. He wouldn't have the luxury of seeing his teammates everyday or being able to have their backs every single time they needed him, regardless if it were for a case or not. As much as this was a job, this was his life, and he couldn't deny that his life was better with both his team and his professor. His eyes found Elena's and Rossi's forms walking beside one another, Rossi's arm around Elena's shoulders, while Ellie had rested her hand on his upper back. Watching as Elena's scarf bounced around in the wind as it was locked around her neck, Spencer was filled with the overwhelming sense that his two worlds were colliding into one, and to Spencer, it was the greatest problem resolved.

He wouldn't have to choose between the team and Elena, not when she was already a part of the family.

Which is why he needed to make sure Ellie kept her job. It was something that brought her joy. It just made sense to have Elena work in the BAU, with her own team, at her own desk, being able to assist Spencer and the rest of the team with as much info as she could, as she always did, as she always wanted to do.

He could still hear their mumbled voices, albeit unclear, Elena being correct in her information to Spencer about the acoustics of the Manor. Dexter had been right behind his mother, his soft wagging tail leaving a temporary signal for Spencer to watch. The dog stopped suddenly, turning around to look at Spencer for a moment. The doctor smiled, watching as the good little dog turned his head to look at the two bodyguards walking up to the Manor. The dog stared at the two foreign men until he heard Elena call his name, running off into the Manor.

From what he could deduce, she passed the dining room the shade of mint, making her way to the North side. He watched as the two bodyguards assigned to Elena from her father's team enter the front door to the large home, keeping a respectable distance. While Spencer was pushing the worry of Elena's safety and wellbeing far out of his head (there were three people accompanying her, two of which being quite large in stature), he focused on the ambulance that was carrying the monster he hated the most.

Taking his steps down the stairs, he walked directly to Noah, making a beeline for him.

The menace himself smiled proudly in his stretcher.

"Oh, you've made time for me. How darling of you."

"This will be the last time you ever speak to me, so enjoy it."

Noah Bennett dramatically furrowed his eyebrow.

"Whatever do you mean, Agent Reid? The last time? You're so certain of this?"

"I am." Spencer said defiantly.

"Not wanting to give me the satisfaction of besting you in wit?" Bennett challenged.

"No. I don't want to see your face anymore."

Bennett barked in laughter, the motion causing him to cough up blood.

The bandage on his shoulder began to bleed.

Spencer would have been lying if he said it wasn't pleasing to see the monster act a bit more human.

It made Bennett less untouchable.

"What a shock… you can make me laugh. That was genuinely funny, all jokes aside." Noah wiped the blood off his mouth, the ghost of the smile still there, the rattling of the shackles on his arms still evidently there. "And understandable too. If you had tried to kill Lou as well, I probably would be reacting the same way."

Bennett tipped his head, correcting his own thoughts. "Then again, I probably would not want to see your face due to the fact that you beat me to the punch, pun intended."

Spencer was raging, but he had to contain his emotions.

"You are quite easily tipped with anger. Not normally I assume."

Noah began profiling Reid, something that was an overt power move.

"But the anger only erupts when your family is being threatened. And evidently, you are enraged when someone goes near your Ellie."

That ticked Spencer.

The monster smirked. "And there it is. The taught jaw, the strain from preventing a clenched hand… my word, Doctor Reid, you are a profiler in nature, do know when you are being read."

It made him angry, but Spencer had to admit Noah was right.

The spy was getting under his skin and getting under it easily.

"Tell me something," Spencer said to ease his anger.

"Ooh, a conversation? I've been dying to have a one-on-one with you. Apparently the drug formula administered by Lucille herself has made my tongue looser than I intended."

Noah got as comfortable as he could with multiple restraints and wounds hurting him.

"However, I would like a favour in return."

"You really think you're open to favours?"

Bennett cocked an eyebrow. "I'm not the one sending my girlfriend away while I have a one on one conversation with her previous partner. You're in a position for looking for information, and I apparently have that information."

Right again, damn it, Spencer thought angrily.

Noah chuckled at the sight of Spencer's face, continuing.

"If I answer one of your questions, you must answer mine. Fair trade?"

Spencer didn't like the sound of that.

Noah's idea of fair wasn't always equal, as Elena had pointed out.

But he had to take that risk.

"Did you truly believe Elena was going to kill you tonight?"

By the look of Noah's eyebrows raising, he knew the question caught the assassin by surprise.

"Did I?" He looked away for a moment, staring at the sky turning into a grayer light, taking the question into consideration.

"At one point, yes I did believe so. For many years, this is what I believed."

"Until?"

"Until she made it clear that she wouldn't."

Spencer was confused.

"When?"

Noah had mirrored Spencer's confusion.

"What do you mean 'when'?"

"When did Elena tell you she wouldn't kill you?"

"Well, she didn't tell me, Doctor Reid. It was when she did this."

Noah began moving his arms as best as he could to expose his forearm that was bandaged up. The doctor could see that Bennett was able to reach but was dealing with great difficulty to do so. The assassin offered his bandages to the agent.

"Take it off."

"Why?"

"So I can show you what you precious Elena did."

The gate between the two men reminded the doctor why the gated door was there.

"You can reach," the doctor bit out.

Noah huffed, nodding in agreement before reaching again. Spencer could see it was causing him a great deal of pain to move his body, but he had enough drugs through his system to abate him as much as possible. The spy slowly peeled off the bandaged taped to his forearm, showing a deep stabbing wound that was stitched up on both the inside and outside of his forearm. It was a through and through, but it was too wide and too narrow to be a gun.

It was a stab wound.

"The idea excited me, that Lou finally decided to pick up a dangerous weapon."

Spencer was stunned, not aware that Elena had inflicted serious damage towards Noah.

"It was my fault, really," Noah said absentmindedly, as if he were talking about mismatching couch décor, "that Interpol friend of yours was remarkably close to my blade. It was instinct , but I should have known how Lou was."

"And how was… Lou?" Spencer asked, his voice deadpanned, hating the sound of Elena's known nickname coming from his mouth.

But Noah, however, loved it.

"Lou, as you just so have mentioned, has always been the same. Maybe different versions of her, to which I've always been wonderfully and also terribly surprised with. Moody Lou, Overtly Excited Lou, Eating Too Many Cookies Lou… But she truly is correct when she stated I underestimated her."

Noah sloppily taped up his wound again, speaking with more focus.

"Elena Lucille Richardson has always been the fastest learner I know. I was drawn to her from the moment I met her, because in an instant, she took one look at me, educated herself upon my presence, and found herself allured by my grandeur. Granted, I absolutely did hunt her down and placed myself in front of her in a manner to which she couldn't refuse. But she learned quickly it was a façade. I, however, had already had my control over her at that point. It was only a matter of time before Lou learned how to get out from underneath my control."

It freaked Spencer out hearing those words.

"You knew that Elena would escape from your control?"

Noah shrugged, the smile on his face from remembering his past thoughts.

"That's how I wanted her. Captured and eventually released. Again, and again. She was the most interesting plaything I've ever come across. Lucille has always been better prey than any of my targets I've been assigned to."

Spencer's anger bubbled in that moment, and he couldn't control his punch that rattled the gate separating the two men.

Noah laughed.

"Doctor Reid, you can't be that easy to manipulate. You were the one who asked for this conversation."

"No. You did."

"I did?" Noah asked, dumbfounded.

Spencer, this time, refused to stay calm.

He was going to let his greatest weapon come out to play.

"You wanted to speak to me from the moment Elena's parents were away from the Manor. You have had eyes on us for hours, silently sitting back here, choosing the exact moment Elena and I were finally alone together to choose to speak towards me to grab my attention. Knowing how protective I am over Elena, you knew I would send her off, away from you, so you could have a moment with me, to entice me to get angry."

Bennett, finally, was stunned to silence.

"You have been profiling me."

"I never stopped."

"Impressive," Bennett said, smirking.

"I want to know why you know she wouldn't kill you, before—"

He stopped himself, but the shocking smile on Bennett's face gave information to the assassin that Spencer didn't want him to know.

Bennett knew what Spencer was going to say.

Before Elena figures it out first.

"Before your precious Professor realizes that I wanted you away from here, oh, now I got it. You noticed it too? How she's faster at picking things up?"

"Bennett, answer my question."

Noah was ignoring Spencer.

Or so Spencer thought.

"Isn't it odd that she was able to launch a throwing knife directly into my forearm, missing any vital arteries, and also maintaining some mobility within my hand?"

Spencer took a moment to consider the question.

The wound was clean, and oddly, very precise.

"Isn't it even odder, that she was faster than me when she was launching the knife?"

It hit Spencer, noticing that while his Elena was not as co-ordinated as he thought, she had outdrawn an assassin whose favourite form of violence was stabbing individuals inconspicuously. Even with Emily training Elena, there was no way for his Professor to be that good that quick.

So how did Elena get the upper hand that quickly?

"What's the oddest concern, however, is the fact that she was so quick, and so accurate to stop me from stabbing Prentiss while Lou was across from me. But the way she chose to stop me, however—"

"—Was to disarm you."

The stab wound on Noah's arm was the clearest form of evidence to prove that Elena didn't want Noah dead.

She had the skill, opportunity, and time do end his life.

She could have aimed for his chest.

Elena chose not to.

She had a kill shot, and she didn't take it.

Noah frustrated Spencer, knowing that the question that had been bothering him this entire time could have been solved with just examining Noah's report on his injuries.

Bennett figured out Elena faster than he did.

The thought frustrated Spencer.

"Why," Spencer insisted. "Why did you bring me to you?"

"Well, that's technically two questions. However, isn't it obvious? I brought you here to ask you a question. It is my turn after all."

Bennett settled again in his stretcher, clearly trying to gain some comfort.

"Now, as you're aware, our precious Lou has a habit of running off to her own devices to protect the one she loves, putting herself in apparently disastrous positions. I, myself, also have a habit of putting myself in disastrous positions, which is what drew me to Lou in the beginning. We had been both lone individuals, intelligent without regard, on opposite sides of the spectrum. It was quite easy to understand why Lou wanted to work alone initially, so that no one would get hurt."

"Where's the question, Bennett?" Spencer insisted.

The spy was rambling on purpose.

Spencer was deducing why.

"It's coming. Now, as I've just been made aware, Lou is no longer working alone. Not the little girl she once was, conquering her quests, no. Even with the car accident she hadn't been completing it by herself," Noah talking about the car accident made Spencer make a mental note of that information he did not have, "she always had a back-up plan, and always had people assisting her with that back-up plan."

"Working alone will get you nowhere, that you should have learned," Spencer said off-handily.

However, it was his choice of words that drew Noah's attention.

Suddenly, Bennett disengaged from the conversation, turning his head away from Spencer. The smile still ghosting his face haunted Spencer, and his change of behaviour dictated that Bennett finally achieved the end result to what he had planned.

Spencer's anxiety levels rose.

Why is Bennett so calm all of a sudden?

"Bennett," Reid said, grabbing his attention.

"You're right," Noah said softly.

It confused Spencer. He was right, about what?

Noah turned away from the doctor, the hidden smile now beaming on his face.

"It was a lesson I should have learned." He sighed, looking at the Manor. Spencer followed his line of sight.

Noah's eyes were directly on the Tower.

"Well, it was a lesson I should have learned earlier."

It was as if time had stood still.

Bennett's choice of words unnerved Spencer.

A lesson he should have learned earlier?

To which meant he had learned the lesson already.

The genius' mind went into overdrive.

He learned not to work alone.

And…

Spencer's brain triggered in that moment, remembering Noah's words back in the Manor when he was taunting the team, after Derek disconnected his comms.

"…Now, if I've learned anything from Lucille, it is always have a backup plan to your backup plan…"

Spencer's heart dropped.

Without looking away from the window of the Tower, Noah spoke again.

"My question is… did Lou ever mention the name Sydney Judeau?"

Spencer took a step back, in complete shock.

The agent investigating Elena's and I's suspension from OPR.

She works with Bennett.

Bennett has people in the FBI.

Bennett's not alone.

Noah played Spencer.

Bennett forced himself to be a distraction to Spencer, to gain his attention.

Bennet knew that Spencer would keep Elena away.

Bennett required enough time from Spencer to separate him from his professor.

Because Spencer made an assumption he shouldn't have.

The whole team thought the same thing.

They all assumed Noah Bennett was working alone.

Bennett knew exactly where Elena was headed.

As predictable as Noah was, Elena was just as so, especially if her guard was down.

Ellie stuck to her routine like it was clockwork.

That's why Noah was looking at the tower.

Elena told Spencer it was the one spot she felt the safest.

Exactly where she was headed in that moment.

Noah played him.

Noah played him.

Spencer didn't hesitate.

He didn't care that Noah was watching him.

He didn't know how much time he had left.

"Elena!" He shouted at the tower's window, knowing that it was so far, but hoping she could hear him.

"Ellie!"

There was no response.

Spencer remembered she wasn't the only one in the tower.

"Rossi!"

Upon seeing the empty window, he grew more desperate.

"Elena!"

With no response, he turned to Bennett.

"What did you do?" Spencer screeched.

Noah smiled, choosing to remain silent.

"Bennett!"

The assassin began humming to himself, and Spencer almost pulled the gated ambulance door from its spot. He felt like was going to attack Bennett, to rip him limb from limb in that moment. His hands slammed against the metal angrily, his palms stinging.

He froze in place when he heard what Noah was humming.

Bennett saw Reid's response, and proceeded to sing out loud with an outlandish smile.

"Because, because, because, because, because, because."

He twirled his good hand in the air, the index finger dancing about.

"Because of the wonderful things he does!"

Noah made trumpet sounds with his mouth dramatically.

"We're off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz…"

Spencer bolted from his spot, heading straight towards the manner.

He could feel his heart in his chest, thrashing about erratically, in sheer panic.

Not again.

Not again.

Not Elena.

No.

Running up the steps, he could hear JJ's and Garcia's concerned shouts behind him.

Just as Spencer got to the top of the steps, right at the front door, is where his feet froze in place.

He heard it.

Through the acoustics.

Knowing that it came from the same spot Elena's voice had been when she entered the tower.

He heard the sound of faint ticking.

Similar to the sound he heard in the grand dining room when he first came face to face with Bennett.

The faint ticking right before the bomb went off.

Spencer knew Ellie would hear him if he shouted from where he was.

He was out of time.

But he still had to try.

"Elena!"

There was silence

He went to shout again.

"El—"

"Spencer!"

He heard her.

He couldn't see her.

But he heard her.

He didn't know from where.

But he heard his heart.

"El—"

The last thing he saw, before the sheer power of the blast forced him unconscious, was the window to the tower erupting in an orange haze.


You thought I was done?

xoxo N.