Sincerity - Criminal Minds || Spencer Reid Fanfiction

29. Peace

"Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding." ― Albert Einstein

The Fighter

There was an odd taste to the air. It was thick, like Groundhog Day, the anxiety potent and tangible.

Tilly had been gone a matter of hours and already I missed her presence; the smell of her hair and the sound of her giggle. I wanted to hold her close one last time, before we entered into whatever the hell it was we were about to enter into.

I knew she'd be safe with Beth, but it still didn't stop the worry.

We'd sent Jack to be with them. Not with Naomi, not left behind at the house, but away from it all. They'd gone back to the safe-house in Canada, and for the time being, that's where the three of them would remain.

We had no idea how long this 'fight', 'battle', 'war', whatever the fuck it was, we had no idea how long it was going to last. We didn't know what the repercussions were, and we could only hope that with Jack, Tilly and Beth being over the border, their safety would be guaranteed.

"Are you thinking about her too?" Spencer asked, approaching me from behind whilst watching me in the mirror in front of us, a hand on my right shoulder.

I sighed and smiled up at him in the mirror, reaching with my left hand to cover his with my own.

"How did you know?" I asked quietly and he smiled emotionally.

"I get the same look on my face, too." I smiled up at him and leaned back into his body, tilting my head back against his chest and allowing my eyes to close.

We had no idea what we were letting ourselves in for. We had a long ride ahead of us to DC, not to mention a long fight with the Presidential security. And that was before we even considered the Cell.

"Hey," Spencer nudged me forwards and spun me around to face him, taking me by surprise as he held my face with confident hands, meeting my eyes seriously.

"We're going to get through this," He told me defiantly. "Look at how far we've come, everything we've been through to get to this point," I nodded and dropped my gaze but his large thumbs swept my lips, making me giggle and look into his eyes again.

"I'm being serious," He said. "You think I'd let us come this far, after almost losing you, just for us to fail?" He smiled and I mirrored it, looking into his eyes emotionally.

We were silent for a long time as we looked into each other's souls.

"I love you." I choked in a rough voice.

He pulled me closer and planted a firm kiss on my lips.

"I love you more, Melly."

The Protector

Dear God, was I terrified.

I held her in my arms, her familiar smell and frail bones so delicate against my body.

I was petrified.

Of failing? Well that was a given, of course I was petrified of failing. But I was even more terrified of losing her.

I knew what she was like in the heat of the moment. She dived straight into danger in order to protect those around her. She was a fighter, but she was also a protector.

I squeezed her tighter and heard her suck a sharp intake of breath through her thin lungs and I chuckled, loosening my grip.

"I can feel the anxiety rolling off you," She commented, pulling out of my embrace to search my face with worried eyes, the self-concern slipping away to replace that defiant protection I was so familiar with seeing these days.