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Spencer looked down at the jumble of wires before him and sighed, feeling the beginning of a migraine starting just behind his eyes. “Alright, Hotch, I think I’ve worked it out. I’m pretty sure pulling the green wire will deactivate this bomb.”
Hotch looked skeptical. “How sure are you that it won’t blow us all to bits?”
“Approximately 75%.”
“Spencer.”
“80%?”
Hotch groaned and punched in Morgan’s number. He answered on the first ring with a curt, “Hotch, what’s going on?”
“Reid thinks he can give us an 80% chance of not dying. ETA?”
Morgan cursed and huffed out a breath. “At least another 10 minutes, with me breaking every traffic law known to man.”
Hotch looked at the angry red timer. 3 minutes and 47 seconds. “You’ll never make it in time. You’re sure you can’t guide Reid over the phone?”
A brief pause. “Not without seeing the bomb. I have no idea what I’m dealing with here. The kid probably has a better feel for it than I do. Put me on speaker.” Hotch did as he was told. “Kid, you there?”
Spencer nodded and answered without lifting his eyes from the contraption in front of him. “I hear you, Morgan.”
“You can do this, Spencer. You’ve watched me work with bombs plenty of times. You know how to do this.”
“Yeah, in theory ,” Spencer croaked. “That doesn’t mean I’m not going to get everyone here killed in… 2 minutes and 53 seconds.”
“Don’t do that. You can do this, baby, I believe in you.”
“Thanks, Morgan.”
“And… if anything goes wrong…. Just know that I…”
“Yeah,” Spencer swiped at his eyes. “Me too. See you soon, Derek.”
“You will see me soon, Pretty Boy. Count on it. Be there soon, Hotch.” He hung up.
Spencer stood abruptly and called out to the few officers left in the building, “Everybody clear out, now!” he demanded. “Get as far as you can, as fast as you can. Find shelter.” Everybody sprinted from the building, not a single one of them having to be told twice.
Except for Hotch.
“Aaron, you too. You need to go, now. We’re running out of time.”
Aaron grabbed him by his wrist and pulled him in abruptly for a brief, searing kiss. “I’m not going anywhere, Spencer,” he breathed against his lips.
“The team needs you,” Spencer protested weakly.
“You need me,” Aaron shot back. “If you die, I die. Now stop arguing and disarm that bomb.”
Spencer took a calming breath before turning out of his grasp and kneeling by the bomb.
39 seconds.
He grasped the wire between his fingers, clenching his jaw tight. With his free hand, he reached out and laced Aaron’s fingers in his own.
“I love you.”
“I love you, too, sweetheart. You know that.”
Spencer nodded once, and pulled the wire.
The blinking red numbers went dark.
The world was silent.
It stayed that way.
Spencer looked up at his lover and smiled. “You know, I was really only 50% sure I was pulling the right wire.”
Aaron let out a shaky laugh, and gathered Spencer into his arms. “I’m never letting you leave the office again.”