Without You

The Explosion

"Derek!"

Derek stopped where he was, looking back to his fiancé. Spencer never used his first name out on the field unless something was serious. 

"Please, don't go in there!" Spencer pleaded, fear glazing over his eyes.

"Spence, there's someone still in there! I have to!" Derek argued, turning away and running inside.

Spencer bolted after Derek, ignoring the rest of the team yelling at him to get back. He knew about the bomb... He knew it was going to go off... But he had to protect Derek.

As he got to the door of the building, however, the bomb went off, sending Spencer flying backwards from the percussive force. The flames barely missed the brunette by mere inches as he hit the ground, instinctively covering his head.

As soon as the explosion died out, he sat up slowly, his ears ringing and his vision blurry for a moment. He felt someone grab him by the shoulder and could hear fuzzy yelling, as if someone was trying to talk to him. Turning his head, he looked to see who had grabbed him. He was soon face to face with Hotch, who held a concerned look on his face as he continued to try and get a response from Spencer.

"Reid!"

Finally, Spencer's ears stopped ringing. He blinked a few times, his vision clearing as well.

"Are you alright?! What the hell were you thinking?!"

"I-I'm alright, Hotch... Where's Derek...?" Spencer stood up slowly, looking at the blown apart doors to the building that had just blown up. Firefighters were already hosing the place down and, within minutes, the flames had all pretty much died out.

"He's not with you?" Hotch followed Spencer's gaze.

"N-No... He ran into the building to get someone... I-I was trying to stop him!"

"Then let's hope he just missed the explosion... C'mon!"

In an instant, the two were sprinting into the smoldering remains of the building, trying to avoid inhaling smoke as much as possible as they searched for any sign of Derek or other people.

Spencer was frantic as he looked around, nervously playing with his ring as he searched every nook and cranny for his lover. "Derek...? Derek, please come out... I-It's safe now!" He called out, his voice shaking with fear.

Nothing.

"Derek Morgan, this isn't funny! You scared the shit out of me, now come out from wherever you're hiding!"

Hotch was off somewhere else, calling for Derek as well. He, too, was afraid that Derek was gone... afraid that Derek had died protecting someone.

"Derek! Derek, where are you?!"

He couldn't be gone, right...?

Spencer felt tears welling up in his eyes as he continued to walk around, using his feet to look for anything small that would help him to identify where Derek had been. He knew Derek too well... He knew Derek wouldn't just run into a building rigged with explosives if there wasn't a way to survive it... He had to be alive!

"Reid, over here!" Hotch called out from the second floor, prompting Spencer to bolt and find the strongest and most intact set of stairs and run up to the second floor, taking the stairs at least two at a time. Hotch calling for him usually was a good thing, so maybe he had found Derek!

Spencer kept his head low as he ran to find Hotch, even going as far as pulling his shirt over his mouth and nose to make sure he was inhaling as little smoke as possible. They needed to leave the building soon, otherwise they would be leaving in stretchers from smoke inhalation. 

"Hotch, did you find anything?" Spencer practically slid to a stop beside his boss, his heart in his throat as he waited for any semblance of good news.

"I think so... In here..." Hotch's voice held a grim tone as he lead Spencer into a side room and gestured at something over on the far side of the room.

Spencer hesitated, his hands shaking, but finally walked over to the object Hotch had gestured to. It was something small and shiny, barely visible in the ashes. Spencer kneeled down and dug it out, looking closely at the object. It was a ring, but who's?

It wasn't until Spencer saw the engraved words on the inside of the band that he knew exactly who's ring it was. Tears brimmed in his eyes as he gripped the ring, shaking his head.

"No... No he can't be... No! It's not true! Tell me it's not true!" Spencer choked out, the tears starting to fall down his cheeks.

"Reid, we need to go." Hotch said suddenly.

"No! I can't believe it! I won't! He's not dead! He's not!"

"Reid!" Hotch grabbed Spencer, starting to pull him away.

The two finally made it outside, Spencer fighting Hotch every step of the way as he sobbed and begged for everything to be a dream.

Once outside, Spencer collapsed, holding the ring to his chest as he cried. The team ran over to see what was wrong with their coworker and friend, flinching when Spencer screamed in agony.

"NO!!"