Author's Note: Just a small one-shot that popped into my head. Most likely I'll expand a little bit on the whole ordeal, but that's another project for another day.

DICLAIMER: I don't own Criminal Minds. Or Mriminal Crinds. Or anything remotely resembling Criminal Minds or its related characters.

"Our little boy's finally grown up." Garcia said, mock-sniffling.

"How does a girl like that meet a guy like Reid?" Morgan wondered aloud, taking in the image before him on the screen.

"Is there a different angle you can get this from?" Emily asked, grabbing a hand full of popcorn out of the bowl on Garcia's desk. "Or some audio, maybe?"

"Unfortunately not, my fine feathered friend. The parking garage's security system is sadly lacking in bells and whistles."

"Oh, damn!" Morgan exclaimed as the couple kissed. "Look at that. The kid's got game."

"Okay. Wow. That's border-lining ten seconds." Emily said after a brief, intermediate silence. "That's some goodbye."

"Can we say fifteen?" Garcia marveled.

"Twenty." Morgan whistled. "Play. On."

Suddenly, the door that usually barred the world from Garcia's dark, cool office burst open. "What's going on in here?" Hotch demanded, looking even more severe than usual against the bright back-lighting provided by the fluorescent hall lights.

Lightning fast Garcia switched the video feed out in favor of her search program.

"Just going over some… um… important… Bureau-related files with my furry little comrades, Sir."

"Hey, who you callin' furry?" Morgan feigned insult.

Hotch cast a cool, skeptical glare at the trio. "And the popcorn?"

"That's mine. You know. For munching. When I get hungry. Uh, Sir."

Hotch regarded them silently for a moment, clearly not believing a word. "Get in the conference room. We have a case." he said firmly. "And has anyone heard from Reid? He usually calls if he's going to be late."

"He's probably just a little tongue-tied." Morgan shrugged.

Emily and Garcia snorted. Hotch narrowed his eyes.

"Conference room. Now."

"Five women between the ages of thirty-nine and fifty found dismembered in their homes." JJ said. "Latest victim is Cathy Majors, found Saturday by her husband, Matthew Majors."

"The way he's laying them out could mean he's remorseful." Morgan said, pointing to a particularly gruesome picture of a woman whose severed limbs had been laid out next to her torso. "It's like he's trying to put them back together again."

"The first victim was found over two years ago. The second was found late last year. The three most recent have only been weeks apart." Reid said, studying the crime scene photos. "He's devolving. Fast."

"Garcia, I want you to find unsolved murders in Lawrence involving similar victimology. Our un-sub might have worked his way up to dismemberment. Violence like this takes time. Practice." Hotch said.

"Yes, Sir." Garcia said, taking off towards her office.

"Wheels up in twenty." Hotch said. "Reid," he called before the young agent dashed off. "Why were you late?"

"I forgot to set my alarm." Reid said. "It won't happen again. I'm sorry."

Hotch raised an eyebrow, but nodded. "Be sure that it doesn't."

Reid nodded before heading towards the bull-pin. Once at his desk, he pulled his go bag out from underneath it and stuffed his laptop into his messenger's bag.

"Hey, Kid." Morgan greeted, taking a casual seat on the edge of Spencer's desk. "What's going on?"

Reid furrowed his brow. "Um. Getting ready to go. Because we have a case?"

"I mean, how's life?"

"Um…"

"Who's your girlfriend?"

"What?" Reid nearly choked on the breath he was taking.

"Come on, Kid. You think I don't know something's up?"

Reid grabbed his go-bag and slung his messenger's bag over his shoulder.

"Can we talk about this later?"

"Are you trying to dodge the subject?" Morgan asked.

"No."

"Then who is she?"

"Morgan, we have a plane to catch." Reid said dismissively, taking off towards the door before Morgan could stop him.

"Okay, Kid. Spill." Morgan demanded, taking a seat across from Reid on the plane. Emily, who was sitting several rows back, craned her neck around the seats in front of her.

Reid closed his book an sighed. "Her name is Perry. I met her in Las Vegas. She works summers at Bennington as an office assistant."

"When were you in Vegas?" Morgan asked. "And why didn't I get to go?"

"I always go to Vegas over our annual leave."

"Reid, that was four months ago!"

"Yes?"

"You've been hiding a girl from us for four months?"

"I didn't find it necessary to involve any of you in my personal life."

"Oh, come on, Kid! This is monumental!" Morgan exclaimed. "You have a girlfriend. How could you not tell us?"

"Reid has a girlfriend?" Rossi called from across the plane. He paused. "How?"

"Good for you, Spence!" JJ said.

"Is that why you were late this morning?" Hotch asked.

"Morgan," Reid growled. "I hate you."