: : : : : : : : : : :
: : : : : : : : : : :
Jennifer Jareau stood at the podium with visible anguish marking her usually lovely features, all ten of her fingers drumming anxiously against the cool metal in a weak attempt to let out some of the emotions that were boiling up inside of her. She flicked the microphone in front of her in irritation, and it crackled an angry reply back. More eyes glanced up at her, one person after another looking to her for some explanation as to why they were sitting, waiting for something to happen. Will, seated at the very front table near the small stage, was the only calm face she saw; he was smiling supportively at her and making a gesture that she knew meant to breathe.
To say the least, this is not how JJ thought her rehearsal dinner would go. Though, the whole thing had really gone quite smoothly up until this point. The guests had been wonderful, the food fantastic. Her team, currently whispering amongst themselves at one of the middle tables, had even made an appearance, despite the work JJ knew was surely piled high up on their desks. The champagne had been served almost fifteen minutes ago, when she had planned the speech that would be made by her maid of honor.
Too bad she hadn't shown up yet.
JJ had already stalled as much as she could, telling the story of how she and Will had met, thanking everyone from coming, but even that had only bought her about five minutes. So here she stood, brainstorming two things: ways to keep her guests occupied, and a few good ways to torture that awful woman for being so freaking late.
She looked to her team with pleading eyes, hoping they could somehow read her mind and tell her what to do.
Maybe Reid could. She wouldn't be surprised in the least if he turned out to be telekinetic.
They all looked back at her with different levels of sympathy, but she just gave them a small smile. She may as well pretend to be in control for the time being. She did take a second to notice how handsome they looked tonight, all suit and tie and pretty dresses.
The double doors at the back of the room flew open dramatically, and the relief the flooded through JJ's body momentarily overpowered the anger. A woman much younger than she tumbled through, all disheveled hair and huge eyes. If it weren't for their close relationship and the girl's expensive-looking dress, JJ would have thought that she was a criminal on the run from the cops who had busted into this dinner as a very uncanny mistake.
Every head in the room had turned to face the clamor, all their expressions in the same confused state. JJ scooped the microphone into her hands quickly, managing to drop it twice and send out a ear-splitting static sound that brought everyone's hand to the ears and their eyes back up to her.
After a quick apology, she gestured grandly to the apologetic and slightly bewildered-looking girl now weaving her way between tables. "Everyone give a warm welcome to Camille Jareau, my always astonishing baby sister."
Camille, climbing the two steps onto the stage and hurrying over to her older, obviously agitated sister, cocked her head and gave JJ a sarcastic smile.
JJ wrapped her arms around her sibling in a seemingly loving act, but used it instead to hiss menacingly in Camille's diamond-dripped ears, "I made you my maid of honor to help make everything go perfectly, not turn it all into a guessing game. Straighten up or I'll have to make you."
Camille backed up, still holding her grin. "Nice to see you too, Jay-lee." JJ tried to hold her anger as a shield but couldn't help but crack a smile at the childhood nickname. She sighed and hugged her sister again, deciding this wasn't the night to be angry after all.
: : : : : : : : : : :
: : : : : : : : : : :
It had been near a half hour since the rest of the guests had said their goodbye's, and Emily Prentiss and the rest of the BAU team - minus Reid who, for God knows what reason, was most obviously craning his neck to look around the empty room - were treating themselves to the last of the champagne. Will, Hotch, and Giddeon had left along with the rest of the crowd, saying something about "official wedding business." Everyone had spent a few minutes tossing around ideas as to what the three were up to, but they all decided that it couldn't be anything too drastic or dangerous, considering Hotchner's involvement. So they let the questions fade.
"You're basically whoring yourself out," Emily commented playfully as Morgan spread out the several pieces of paper marked with names and numbers. There were at least seven out on the table, and one written in dark ink on each of his hands. He never ceased to amaze her or any of the team with his blatant expertise of woman kind. She even saw Reid steal a distracted glance at the pile and shake his head before turning back to the utterly deserted room.
"It's not prostitution if he isn't getting paid," Garcia pointed out. Morgan gave her a nod of thanks and clinked his glass against hers.
"No, I'm pretty sure I saw the blonde stick a five dollar bill in his waist band." Camille Jareau, recognizable from her impromptu introduction almost an hour earlier, had soundlessly appeared at Morgan's shoulder with a broad smile marking her bright red lips.
"Junebug!" Morgan grabbed her by the waist and lifted her into the air as if she weighed nothing. And considering her slight size next to Derek, she probably didn't.
"Missed you, too, Derek." Camille managed in between laughs. He set her down and cupped her chin with his right hand, turning her face in every angle he could as to fully examine her.
"Nope, there's no way." Morgan said suddenly, waving both his hands in front of him.
"What?" Camille asked him carefully, the minute worry on her face making her dark brows pull together hastily.
"There's just no possible way you've gotten this pretty in the year you've been gone." he answered with his infamous sly grin.
Camille giggled and shrugged. "It was a good year."
"Okay, okay." JJ interrupted, saying good-naturedly: "If we're going to spend the rest of the night hitting on my baby sister, I'm going to need another drink."
"Don't worry, Jay-lee." tossing a think mass of dark brown waves behind her shoulder theatrically, she sauntered up behind Reid and gripped his shoulders: "My heart is already taken."
The young genius smiled shakily, all the ecstasy from the moment he snapped back into reality slowly being overpowered by a wave of uncertainty. She kissed his cheek, a surprise that seemed to come only to Emily; even Reid acted as if it had been expected. But not once had Emily ever seen anyone show that much open affection to her youthful colleague. Or seen him allow it
"Oh, please. We all know you're using the poor kid as a cover for your undying love for me." Morgan accused. Camille rolled her dark hazel eyes up the ceiling.
"Hey, Camille." Reid ignored her and Morgan's exchange and greeted, somewhat nervously after his cheek had been graced by the fleeting presence of her lips. She ruffled his hair in a familiar gesture and then blew a second kiss to Garcia, which the platinum tech caught and mimed stuffing into her cleavage with a loving pat. And then she looked finally to Emily.
"Okay," she laughed once and exhaled, reaching the hand that wasn't resting on Reid's shoulder out to shake Emily's. "I'm Camille."
"Emily Prentiss. I can't say that I've heard a lot about you, but it's very nice to meet you none the less."
"Ah, but that's where you're wrong, my dear bambino." Garcia pointed out.
Emily shot her a confused glance.
"Remember that story Morgan told about the girl that took Reid to the spa?" she prodded. Emily stared at her for a moment before finally making the connection in her mind.
"Wait, you're the girl who almost got Reid arrested?"
"Well in my defense, he still had on his socks. So its not technically streaking if he's partially clothed." Camille answered seriously while Reid grimaced at the memory, making the rest of the table laugh uncontrollably.
"That's the last time you take me anywhere." Reid said with conviction, this time making Camille join in on the laughter. Her chuckles slowing enough so that the tears weren't streaming down her face any longer, Emily caught Reid smile softly up at Camille while she giggled.
With some determination, Emily caught his eye across the space and gave him a questioning glance.
It was blatantly ignored, naturally. But Emily wasn't naive.
She wondered to herself if anyone else knew, but looking around the table at everyone's expressions - JJ, throwing back champagne and smiling a little too much to be insightful at that moment; Garcia, who wasn't paying attention to many other things than Derek and the fact that a button on his shirt came undone with every glass he finished; and Morgan, who would normally be the one egging Reid on in possible romantic situations, looked on at the two without a second thought - it seemed to her that she was alone in this questionable affair.