Hello, my name is Cantoris, and I am a geek. I couldn't resist this. Really, I couldn't. Just a fun little vignette with 3 geeky references. Feel free to spot and name them (one is really, really obvious).

Reid watched his teammates in exasperated affection as Morgan collected another girl's number, Garcia ordered another round of fruity drinks for the table, and Prentiss shot down another drunken frat boy on a dare to hit on her and JJ. Garcia and Morgan were the worst off of their group with Reid being cautious, Prentiss was the DD and JJ also sipping from her drink slowly.

They had insisted on taking him out, in effort to distract him from the significance of the day. No one had actually come out and said, "Let's get Reid drunk so he won't remember that a year ago he was held captive, beaten, drugged, died, and revived."

They had also forgotten that there was no way Reid would ever forget.

Their behavior was easy enough to read throughout the day, which is why Reid found himself agreeing to the outing without even a token effort of refusal. In addition to not ever commenting on the anniversary, no one on the team mentioned that Reid was acting like his old self again. After months of concerning looks and significant glances, and even the carefully worded conversation starters he had always shot down.

"Come on, Reid," Morgan cajoled, only slightly slurring his words. "You've got that thinking face on again. We agreed to have fun tonight."

"I am having fun," Reid protested, taking a sip of whatever Garcia had ordered for him, tasting bourbon and lemonade.

"Well, what were you thinking about, boy genius?"

By then, the three women had caught on to the exchange, watching the byplay unashamedly.

"Nothing in particular," Reid answered, only half-lying.

"No, no, no, no, no," Garcia said. "That was not a nothing face. That was contemplating your place in the universe face. Or, thinking about life and death serious face."

Garcia's words had an instantaneous and sobering effect on the group. The blonde's hand flew to her mouth in unconcealed horror as the others watched Reid, waiting to see what he would do.

"I was thinking about it," Reid admitted casually. "Life and death. Other things. But, I am really having a good time. We haven't done this in a while."

"So, you were thinking about death?" JJ asked in that careful tone of hers.

Reid nodded, not sure what answer would reassure his friends and what would make them feel guilty.

Taking his affirmative answer as a green light, Morgan finally blurted out, "What was death like?"

Reid remembered how he had won his drinks, the night before that fateful case and grinned. "It would be impossible to discuss the subject without a common frame of reference."

It was worth it to see the looks of shock on all of their faces.

"Reid, are you saying that we would all have to die before you would discuss your insights on death?" Prentiss asked incredulously, but Reid saw a shadow of a smile in her eyes.

Reid quirked a grin and raised his drink in a toast. "No offense, but let's hope that never happens."

"You're not getting out of it that easy!" Garcia protested. "Now you tell us, what's the answer to life, death, and the universe?"

"Forty two," Reid answered promptly.

Prentiss and Garcia choked back laughter as Morgan and JJ looked at them all in concern and confusion.

Eventually, Prentiss checked her watch and downed the rest of her soda. "Come on, Boy-Who-Lived, I think we've all had enough for tonight."

Piled into Prentiss' SUV, the agents were dropped off at their individual homes until only Prentiss and Reid remained. Finally pulling up to the sidewalk outside of Reid's apartment building, he bade Prentiss good night and thanked her for driving. Reid was almost at the door when Prentiss called out to him.

Looking back, he saw her flash a hand, palm facing forward, splayed so that the thumb was spread wide and her four fingers were grouped into pairs. She was smiling and Reid regretted that he had treated her so harshly during the previous year.

He smiled back and returned the gesture.

Some nights, it was fun to be a geek.