I'm working on a sequence of stories that belong together but still stand for themselves.

This is set after 7.15 A thin line

Thanks to REIDFANATIC for Beta Reading.

Criminal Minds is not mine.

Trouble

She burst into laughter, unsuccessfully trying to keep it down for her sleeping teammates. To her relief his face softened and somehow he found his grin.

"But I'm afraid you've got to make up for this." She saw his eyebrows rising, threatening the worst. "Declan is moving this weekend and I don't see myself lifting boxes." His skeptical look changed into a smile and he nodded, indicating that he would be there to help.

"I also would enjoy a ride home, since I have a doctor's note saying I'm not allowed to drive for a week."

"Sure. You live on my way anyway."

"And..." This requesting thing was starting to become fun, but she didn't get any further before he interrupted her.

"Don't push it princess." She laughed grabbing the steaming cup of tea with her healthy hand. His mood seemed to have lightened up and that was all she had wanted. The only thing she now had to worry about was Declan's moving in. She definitely wouldn't be able to help with her arm and would have to explain what had happened. All of them knew that the job was tough, but she wasn't sure if Declan had calculated that in.

As they left the plane, he had grabbed her bag without even asking and transported it to his car. JJ, who seemed to be a little hyper after her nap, was walking next to her glancing at her from time to time.

"What?" Emily finally stopped walking turning towards her colleague. The rest of the team kept walking as everyone wanted to get home.

"You and Derek are pretty close." At least the blonde didn't waste time on talking around the issue.

"He is most of the time my team leader, we are good friends and to add to it we are profilers, so yeah we are fairly close." She knew that this was not what JJ was trying to say. But as long as she kept her feelings sealed up, there was nothing to worry or talk about.

"I was more going for your outside-of-work relationship."

"We are friends. We spend time together, I don't see how that is a problem."

"Garcia and Derek are friends. You and him…" She trailed off. "Look all I'm saying is that people are talking, even Spence got on it."

"There is nothing between us that shouldn't be there JJ. Plus Reid should be working on his own dating issues." Emily turned and started walking. She wasn't sure why she was so mad about what her friend was saying, since she was clearly trying to help, but she couldn't help it.

"Don't be like that." JJ had caught up with her. "And what do you mean with Reid's dating issues?"

Emily shook her head with a small smile playing on her lips: "He has a thing for Ashley and she clearly isn't going to turn him down, but he needs to move."

JJ looked at her with wide eyes.

"So maybe you guys should stop wasting your time in gossiping me and Derek into a relationship and look for the obvious."

Jennifer didn't even try to point out that her friends were just as close to each other as she thought Ashley and Spencer to be. Apparently they had at least one couple in denial and one that needed dating help.

"That's why he wanted her to come to the game night."

"That's why he paired me up with Derek. Since everyone is watching us that is the perfect cover for him and Ashley to team up."

"Good point." They had reached the parking lot, where Derek was waiting for her. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw her friend grinning.

"I can't drive." She pointed out.

"Anyone could have given you a ride."

"He offered first."

"Who offered what?" Derek interrupted as he was now close enough to hear their conversation.

"Miss Jareau here said she is taking me to work Monday morning." Emily turned with a smile to her friend. "How about you organize my car pooling for the next week?"

JJ shook her head with a small smile: "I'll see you Monday morning."

Emily was relieved as she settled into her seat. That conversation she just had gone in a direction she simply didn't want any conversation to go. She admitted that she had grown closer to Morgan than they ever had been and, after all that had happened, she was more than glad about it. But, she asked herself, why men and women couldn't just be friends, without everybody discussing it.

It was then that she remembered her own interrogation with Morgan a few weeks ago when things had been off with Garcia. She had suspected things that weren't happening just like JJ did now. Only people were more likely to believe that there was nothing happening between him and the tech, than with her.

"What was that about?"

She glanced over at him, not sure if she wanted to tell him, since it could turn out rather awkward. But then again it would only be awkward if his feelings were going in that direction and she had never considered that.

"They're gossiping." She saw him grin, but of course now he would be wondering about what.

"About what?" There it was. She sighed and turned so she could see his reaction.

"Us," he met her gaze, obviously amused about what she had just said. She breathed out in relief.

"What is there to gossip about us?"

"You know, me staying at your place, you fixing up my new place, us hanging out outside of work and, not to forget, you being worried about me all the time." She added the last one more to mock him than for any serious reason. She just couldn't resist rubbing it in.

"I see."

"Apparently even Reid noticed." She added with a grin. It had the effect she was hoping for: he started laughing.

"Did he? Looks like, we are up to something then." He laughed, clearly not taking any of the conversation too seriously, which was a huge relief to her. She couldn't imagine how awkward their friendship would have become if he had seen it any differently from her view point.