AN: Hey Everyone! So I have shamelessly been enjoying stories published and though I could try to contribute. Please R&R, it's my first time publishing anything so be gentle popping my cherry. :-P

Alas, I do not own Criminal although I wish I own Spencer Reid ... or Aaron Hotchner ... or at least Dave Rossi's mansion!

Spencer raised his glass of wine and took a sip. Rossi had decided, to avoid too much chaos that they would all cook in pairs while he supervised. He made (more than) "tempered suggestions" of what the pairs should be. Derek with his Baby Girl, Hotch with JJ and Spencer with Emily. Spencer wanted to be able to just let go. But it was too hard. They cooked dinner in a barely comfortable silence. Speaking only when necessary. In true Italian tradition, they all sat around the same table and enjoyed their dinner. Emily was sitting next to him. The evening went by smoothly and it was not until everyone got up to go home that the team noticed Reid had overindulged in the Chianti.

"Well well! Look who's 'corckscrewed' up!" Garcia said

"I know they say in vino veritas Reid but I'm curious to know what you expected to discover that you didn't already know!" Rossi teased.

Everyone laughed. In his ever so clueless expression, Reid answered

"Nothing."

"Looks like Pretty Boy's gonna need a ride home!" Morgan said

"I'm fine" Reid said, "I drove to get here."

"Well you sure as hell aren't driving to get out of here" Emily said "Come on I'll take you home, you're on my way anyway."

"Good idea. You can come get your car in the morning"

Once Hotch had spoken these words, Reid knew he was in no position to argue. They all thanked Rossi and walked out the door. Spencer slightly staggered his way to the passenger seat of Emily's car. Soon they were on their way to his apartment. Spencer was slumped next to Emily; his seatbelt holding him in a somewhat seated position. He was in a secondary state blankly staring at the road. He had blamed the food and wine at first, until he realized there was something else. It had started while they were cooking together, and had kept intensifying over the course of the evening. With each breath he took, it became more and more intoxicating. It was the soft sweet smell of coconut, mixed with something else. Her natural scent maybe. Now that there were in the small habitat of a car, it was overpowering him.

Emily was nervous. She had offered to take Reid home to test the waters in the hope that the lingering tension would have lifted. She decided the best way was to put it all out there.

"Reid" She said. "I have to say something. You don't have to answer, you don't even have to listen but I would just like for you to know this. And after that I promise you I won't bother you with this again… I can't imagine what I put you through. And if I could take it all back, I would, I promise. I know it's not enough. But I'm sorry. I am. I like to think that if you are this upset is it's because you care about me, at least as much as I care about you. JJ and I had no choice. And I really hope we can put this all behind us and move on. I really missed you Reid, and I wish we wouldn't waste time being awkward around each other and go back to the way things were."