A/N: I'm so, so sorry that it took me this long to post the epilogue! There was something that I had to decide and it took longer than I'd imagined. But… Here it is! The very last chapter. I seriously can't believe it!

First, though… THANK YOU, so very much, for your absolutely amazing reviews, listings, love and support! They've been a massive additional kick to my inspiration. (HUGS)

Awkay, because stalling is never kind… Let's go! I REALLY hope that you'll enjoy the ride.

OH YES…! For a ADDITIONAL WARNING, check underneath the chapter…

Epilogue – Never Waste a Day

There are such days one simply cannot prepare themselves for. Where no amount of shots, pep talks from friends and family, best wishes and calm thoughts help. Today was definitely such for Derek Morgan.

He took a deep, shuddering breath, focusing on his face on the mirror. Then breathed again. "I'm going to kill that brat", he announced in the end.

Spencer chuckled good naturedly. "No you won't. You know what JJ would do to you if you did." The younger man squeezed his hand comfortingly. They looked at each other through the mirror. "It'll be alright. Trust me."

Derek swallowed thickly. What was he supposed to say to that? "Our little girl is getting married", he managed at last. Sounding like a lost little boy.

Well, he did feel more than a little lost.

Spencer smiled. "She's twenty-seven, love. She's hardly a little girl anymore." The man frowned. "Straighten your tie. That suit cost a fortune. Make it show."

Derek grinned, obeying. "Yes, mom." His expression then faltered, just a little bit. His hand twitched but didn't quite dare to reach out. "Any other words of wisdom?"

Spencer thought about it for a moment, then shook his head. There was a unreadable look on the man's face. "Nope. You're going to be just fine, all of you."

Derek opened his mouth, his tongue heavy with all the words that wanted to burst out. But in the end he had time for none of them. The room's door opened and Maeve peered in. "Dad?" she asked with a frown. "Who were you talking to?"

Derek's eyes, at the moment moist, were still on the mirror. Spencer had disappeared from his side. "No one." Then, steeling himself, he turned around with a small smile to face his daughter. A gasp slipped through his lips. "Well look at you…!"

Maeve looked absolutely stunning in her wedding dress. It was pure white, cut so that it complimented every little bit of her slender form. Her hair had been pulled up with similar perfection, not a single strayed lock left behind. The best part, however, was the aura of genuine happiness and excitement radiating from her.

Despite his heart being heavy Derek had to smile. "You look radiant", he complimented honestly. "Henry is a lucky man."

Maeve rolled her eyes, blushing a little. "And you're biased." Taking a calming breath she outstretched a hand towards him. Reminding him of the little girl he walked to school on her first day there. "So, shall we?"

Derek was fairly sure that his smile held more than a little nostalgia. He was surprised that she didn't joke about it. "Yes, we shall."

He felt Maeve tense up slightly when he took her arm and they started the walk towards the door. He frowned. "What's wrong?"

Maeve swallowed, hard. "Nothing. Just…" She licked her lips and her hand twitched with the desire to be ran through her hair. "You're wearing the cologne daddy always did." She met his eyes and the tears in them broke his heart all over again. "Thank you."

Derek shrugged. Feeling far closer to crying than he would've cared to admit. "I just… I wanted a part of him here, today. I had a feeling that you might too."

Maeve said nothing, most likely not wanting to risk making them both burst into actual sobs. Instead she rose to her toes, as she used to do when she was a little girl, and kissed his cheek gently. It was all the answer he needed.

All too soon they were stood behind a massive white, wooden door. It was hard to say which one of them was more nervous as they fidgeted, listening how music began to play inside. Once more they looked at each other, that one glance speaking more than any words.

"So…" Maeve smiled, even if it weavered a little. "Any final words?"

Derek kissed her forehead tenderly. "Be happy, you hear me?" He tried to grin. "And just so you know… If he ever hurts you I'm going to castrate him."

Maeve chuckled and winced. "Dad, don't say that word in a church!" She smiled, even if there was sadness behind it. "And… Don't worry. I know what I want our marriadge to be like. I had the best teachers."

Derek felt something fidget inside him, bringing his eyes close to overflowing. He sighed. "You shouldn't use your daddy and me as an example, sweetie. We wasted too much time." Even without Spencer's amazing memory he could still count even the minutes. So many years gone to waste, so much unnecessary heartbreak…

Maeve shrugged and wiped her cheeks. It wasn't until then he noticed the couple of tears. "Maybe. But you made those you had count. Isn't that what matters?"

For a few moments Derek could only stare, feeling so much at one go that it paralyzed him. In the end he had to wipe his eyes, too. "You really are your daddy's girl, aren't you?"

This time there was no sorrow in Maeve's smile. She squeezed his hand tightly. "I love you too, dad. And I swear that I won't waste a single day."

A mere second before Derek would've lost control over himself entirely the doors flew open, signaling that it was time. He squeezed his daughter's hand for a one more time, then pulled in a deep breath. And took some of the heaviest steps in his entire life.

It helped to have friends and family there. All of them smiling, several wiping away tears. He knew better than to try and catch a glimpse of Spencer's ghost. His husband was right where he belonged, walking on his other side. Even if only Derek knew it.

Henry LaMontagne seemed so very pale and nervous that it nearly made Derek smile. Still he couldn't resist giving the young man a half hearted glare while giving away his daughter. "Take care of my girl", he murmured in a hard tone that spoke louder than words.

Henry nodded, seeming very frightened and just as determined all at once. "I will." Then the man's eyes found Maeve's and all terror disappeared, replaced by such love that Derek recognized easily. Just one look at Maeve revealed that there was similar devotion in her eyes. And Derek knew that it was time to let go.

Leo, who'd grown up to look so much like Spencer that it was painful, gave him a look when he slumped beside his son. "You're not gonna cry, are you? Or throw up?"

"Shut up", Derek muttered.

The young man did, instead took his hand and squeezed. A moment of silent understanding. Derek returned the gesture gratefully.

"May I have this dance, Mrs. LaMontagne?"

Maeve, who'd just finished a kiss with her new husband, chuckled as she turned around. "You must be really desperate." She accepted the offer nonetheless and they began to sway slowly.

Leo winced, taking a better hold of her. "Uncle David's drunk and reminiscing his own weddings. I need you to save me." He gave her a grumpy look. "Remind me again why I let you talk me into coming here?"

Maeve smiled and kissed his cheek. "Easy, silly. Because you love me."

Leo scoffed although his eyes twinkled, just a bit. "You're lucky I do." He arched an eyebrow. "You're enjoying all of this, aren't you?"

Meave grinned, determinedly not admitting a thing. Instead she switched topics. "So, Dr. Reid-Morgan… When are you going to tell dad that you're going to follow Alex to Africa?"

After… antics that threatened to drive both of their parents mad Maeve finally became a police officer. It wasn't something that Spencer and Derek were overjoyed about but they knew that there was no turning her head. She was too much like them. What none of them knew yet was that soon she'd be offered the opportunity to pursue the career of a federal agent. Leo, on the other hand, knew what he wanted early on. Pushed on with the help of his parents' loving support he began to study medicine. And that was when he met Alex Keaton. It wasn't love at first sight. And it sure as hell wasn't easy with Alex's Alpha nature rubbing unpleasantly against Leo's Beta status, along with Alex's troubled past and Leo's commitment issues threatening to drive them apart. In the end Alex announced that he was going to join Doctors Without Borders and travel to Africa. Too bad that the announcement came less than two days before Leo finally figured out just how much he loved the darned idiot. And he wasn't going to let the love of his life slip right through his fingers. Even if he'd have to travel to the other side of the world to prove it.

Never waste a single day, that was the deal their remaining family made over four years ago.

Leo smirked with a great deal of mischief in his eyes. Two could play this age old profiling game. "I don't know, sis. Maybe I'll tell dad on the same day you tell him that you're not skipping wine just because you want to be sober for your wedding night."

"Another wedding tradition of the Reid-Morgan family, huh?" Maeve blanched. "Do you think he suspects?" she asked quietly. As though their dad would've been able to hear from the other side of the room.

Leo shook his head. "Nah. You're his innocent little baby. As far as he's concerned you'll be a virgin even when you pop out that brat." Her brother then melted to a warm, genuine smile. "Congratulations, by the way. You'll be brilliant parents."

Maeve's smile didn't quite reach her eyes. She focused on a stain on the ceiling. "I wish I had your confidence." She gulped laboriously. "I have no clue what I'm doing. I just… I wish…"

"I know."

Four and a half years and the wound from the loss was still gaping. They could remember, in vivid detail, the phone calls they received from Penelope on that night. Their aunt somehow managing to speak enough through her sobs to tell them that their daddy had been shot. And it was bad. By the time they made it to Pittsburgh they found their dad sitting on the hospital floor, his face buried into his hands and the man's whole body shaking from sobs. It was the first time they saw him cry and even without the blood that caked his clothes they would've known that they came too late.

The siblings held each other just a little bit tighter, both trapped into that horrible, pitch black memory. Into the longing that'd never, ever fade away. Maeve looked towards where Derek was talking and laughing with Penelope, Kevin and Emily. "Can we really leave dad all alone?" she murmured.

Leo shook his head. "He won't be alone. The whole rest of the family will be here, remember?" She could feel his heavy intake of breath. "Besides, daddy isn't gone. Someone like him could never just… just leave, completely."

"I know." If either noticed how Maeve wiped her eyes before clearing her throat it wasn't mentioned out loud. "Now, is there some of that cake still left? I'm starving."

And indeed, there was great wisdom in Leo's words. Because there at the wedding party Dr. Spencer Reid was very much alive and present. With his friends, his BAU-family, that gathered together, still united by a bond that had nothing to do with blood. In Derek's heart while he laughed and joined the fun, somehow managing to feel like he wasn't all alone anymore. With his children, his little wonders, who were both starting their very own families. Their own adventures. Their own miracles.

And if the partying people had been paying attention they would've seen a ghost by the massive room's door who smiled serenely before fading away, never seen but felt by everyone present.

End.

ADDITIONAL WARNING: Character death.

A/N: Dang, that was emotional…! (sighs and wipes eyes) It's a real tragedy that Reid couldn't be there with his family anymore. But at least he had over twenty years with his children. And gosh, they're all grown up now!

I seriously can't believe that this is over now! How about you guys? Any thoughts? Comments?

It's been a looooooooong but, at least to me, amazing ride. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for sticking around all this time! It means the world to me that this lil' story gained so many friends. (HUGS)

Once again, THANK YOU! Who knows. Maybe we'll meet again with some other story…?

Take care!