Here's a oneshot to tide everyone over. I promise to get to work on finishing up my series work soon.
Thanks to LT and AA for the beta read!
Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine. Well, duh.
"Reid…?"
"Come on in," the young genius said, leading Emily through the scattered maze of wood, wire and peanut butter. "Don't mind the mess; can't seem to get ahead of myself.."
"Reid, what's with all the traps?"
"They're everywhere."
Emily looked at her friend and colleague like he was seriously in need of a psych eval. "You have a mouse problem?"
"Uh, kinda…"
"Kind of?"
"Yeah, well, saying I have a 'problem' is like saying our unsubs aren't, y'know, mentally disturbed in some form."
Emily had to catch herself before she even so much as laid down her bag; it nearly landed on a sticky pad made to trap mice as they walked across it. "Y'know, if it's that bad, you can always call an exterminator…"
"No. No, I couldn't."
"Reid, you can't hardly walk in a straight line with a loaded coffee cup half the time. What on earth makes you think you're going to be able to tiptoe through this mess?"
"Well, see, it's not that…"
She stared at him, completely dumbfounded. "I thought you said it was a mouse problem."
"That's just it—you said it was a mouse problem."
"It's not?"
Reid looked at her thoughtfully. "Nooo," he said, keeping his eyes on the traps.
"Then what…?"
"My next-door neighbor's daughter has these gerbils. She even named them—Bob and Steve."
"I don't follow…"
"Well, she found out two weeks ago that Steve is really a Stephanie."
Emily looked around now at the dozens of cage traps, sticky traps and mounds of peanut butter lining each one. "I see…"
"Now you see why I can't call the exterminator."
The older woman tried to stifle a laugh. I imagine the rate would be astronomical, she thought.