Spencer Reid One-Shots

A promise broken

SUMMARY:
Spencer and Y/N hate breaking the promises that they make to each other, but sometimes, promises have no choice but to be broken.

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Y/N
When you and Spencer got married 1 year ago, you made a promise to each other: when in the field, let someone else take the lead. It didn't matter who was or wasn't in the field, anyone else - Derek or Emily for example - could take the lead.

The promise had held up so far. If either of you were in the field, you both stood back and let someone else take the lead. Derek and Emily didn't mind. Derek loved kicking down doors while Spencer stood behind him for support. Emily loved being the one to shout 'FBI, PUT YOUR HANDS UP' as she aimed her gun at the unsubs, while you watched her back.

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You and the team had found out who the unsub was. Her name was Tahlia Butler, and she had been killing men who had assaulted girls. Normal people (stupidly) had access to a site listing every man and woman who had been arrested for inappropriate behaviour toward girls and boys in each city.

Garcia had finally given you and Spencer her home and work addresses. You, Derek, JJ and Spencer got into one SUV, while Rossi, Emily and Hotch got into the other. Everyone needed to go, as Tahlia showed signs of being extremely aggressive, and you profiled that she'd do something spur of the moment if she was cornered.

As Derek drove, you started to think about Tahlia. Her name sounded familiar, yet you had racked your brain for hours with no idea why her name sounded so familiar to you. Clearly everyone else felt the same way, because the first thing Emily asked when you found out her name was why her name sounded so familiar.

You called Garcia, asking her to get any and all information in Tahlia, hoping that by getting Garcia to do a deep dive, you'd figure out why her name was so familiar.

By the time you, Derek, JJ and Spencer got to Tahlia's home, Garcia called you back.

"4 years ago, we took a case right here in Nashville, Tennessee. We found and apprehended a man named Samuel Connor, who was killing the men he believed to be involved in his daughter's assault. She killed herself a few days after the attack, and even though her death was a suicide, he felt like justice hadn't been served, as the men involved were never punished. One of his victims was a man named Daniel Butler." Garcia explained.

"That's right. He was accused of assaulting another young girl who had been friends with Samuel's daughter, but was proven innocent. Samuel - even with undeniable evidence - believed that Daniel was one of the men involved with his daughter's assault and went after him." Derek realised.

"And it was my fault that he got killed. I tried reasoning with Samuel, hoping he'd let Daniel go and unfortunately, Samuel couldn't be convinced. I did speak to his wife, but she - understandably - was angry at me." Spencer explained.

"So Tahlia Butler is his widow, getting revenge for the murder of her husband." Emily exhaled.

"Just a heads up, Samuel was released from prison 2 months ago, which means Tahlia might've found her next victim." Garcia ended the call just as the first SUV were mere minutes away from the house.

"Alright, Derek, I want you and JJ to take the lead at Tahlia's home. The last thing we need is for her to see Spencer and freak out." Hotch instructed as the first SUV pulled up to the house, you and the others immediately exiting the vehicle.

Spencer followed JJ to the back door, while you followed Derek.

"Be ready for anything." Derek warned as you followed behind him, simply making sure neither of you were ambushed.

A thorough search of the house ended with nothing but a recorded conversation and a dead body. In the basement of the house rested Samuel Connor, his dead body rotting while a rancid smell filled the confined - and windowless - room. You thought that she was here. You all did. But when you pressed a button on the recorder, all of the screaming and yelling for help abruptly ended and the room fell into silence.

"Where's Spencer?" You asked as you eyed JJ and Derek, who immediately widened their eyes. You all had been so focused on the body in the middle of the basement that you hadn't realised that your husband was nowhere to be seen.

"Spencer!" You yelled as you ran back up the stairs.

Every moment that you didn't hear him call out, you panicked. You ran into every room, making sure he hadn't been held somewhere. When the house turned up empty, you ran outside and circled the entire house, hoping to find him.

That's when you found him. Tahlia was right in the middle of tying Spencer to a nearby tree, ready to do God-knows what.

"Tahlia Butler, FBI. Put the gun down and put your hands were I can see them." You demanded, your gun aimed at her head.

"He took my husband from me." Tahlia hissed as she continued to face Spencer.

"Samuel's dead now, Tahlia. You know that." You insisted. You watched as she turned around.

"I'm not talking about Samuel. I'm talking about Dr. Reid. It's his fault that my husband is dead." Tahlia yanked Spencer from the tree and held the gun to his head. She might've been shorter than him, but she kept the gun steady.

"Dr. Reid did everything he could to save your husband, Tahlia. He tried, but Samuel couldn't be convinced." You exhaled.

"Dr. Reid didn't do everything to save Daniel! He could've shot Samuel or done literally anything else. But no. He chose to talk." Tahlia scoffed.

"Samuel was never your true target, was he?" You realised.

"Dr. Reid is the reason my husband is dead, and in order to get him back here, I needed to get his attention." Tahlia nodded.

"How about this. You let Dr. Reid go, and take me instead?" You offered.

"Y/N, don't." Spencer glared at you.

"Why would I kill you, when the man I want dead is right in my grasp?" Tahlia asked, confused.

"Daniel, your husband, was taken from you. The best way to make Dr. Reid suffer is to take the thing his loves most from him. That would be me." You exhaled, putting your gun in your holster.

Tahlia took a moment to think. She clearly hadn't yet seen the gold wedding band on your left ring finger, or the gold wedding band on Spencer's left ring finger.

"I'm his wife, so take me instead." You offered, showing her your ring.

"Throw your gun away." Tahlia demanded.

"Y/N, stop. Don't do this!" Spencer insisted.

"Shut up or I kill both of you." Tahlia threatened, her finger dangerously close to the trigger. You did what she asked, removing your gun from your holster and chucking it behind you.

The moment the gun was away from you, she shoved Spencer away and aimed her gun at you. Without any warning, a loud gunshot echoed through the forest that connected to Tahlia's backyard.

You froze, as Tahlia dropped to the floor. You looked down at her, seeing a bullet wound right through her head - execution style. You let out a deep exhale, taking a moment to breathe.

"Never do anything like that again, you hear me?" Spencer insisted as he wrapped his arms around you, placing a kiss on your forehead.

"I love you too much to lose you to an unsub." You chuckled, looking up at your husband.

"I love you too." Spencer replied, his hug tightening, as if you'd disappear if he let you go.

"Nice shot, Em. You saved our lives." You let go of Spencer and hugged Emily, who had walked closer.

"JJ told us that Spencer had gone missing while searching for Tahlia, and we got over here as soon as we could. Derek and JJ stayed behind to inspect the dead body in the basement, while I came out here to find you two." Emily explained as Rossi, JJ, Derek and Hotch joined you, Spencer and Emily in the forest.