Up next in the "absence makes the heart" series, this takes place a few days before the whole cuddling on the jet on the way home. There will probably be one more story that leads up the return trip home and then a couple of more one-shots to explain when he left, where he was and what the case was and of course Henry's reaction to Reid finally being home. Reid will seem OOC, but that will be explained later now. Just know that he's got a new outlook on life. I've been working on this for a while so enjoy. I don't own Criminal Minds.

Had some time on my hands, so I decided to do some editting. Pretty much the same, save for some spelling errors. Enjoy.

Derek Morgan studied the map in front of him, sure there were something he was missing. None of the pieces were fitting. All they had were a bunch of dead males, all white and in their early-thirties, having been killed in front of their children and their bodies dumped along the neighborhood in Dallas, Texas. He sighed and ran a hand over his head. He hated Texas. They were all running themselves into the ground, trying to solve the case, without a profile. He missed Reid. He'd been gone for a little over two months, working in two different departments on the same "classified" case. Strauss had temporally transferred him without telling any of them, so the whole team had the spent the last sixty days mad at the world, with SSA Aaron Hotchner and Agent Jennifer Jareau at the top of the list. Hotch, he expected. JJ…not so much. She'd been ready to do some damage, if he and Rossi hadn't stepped in and calmed her down.

"Hey," he turned his head to see Emily Prentiss come stand by him.

"Any luck?" he asked, accepting the coffee.

"Garcia couldn't come up with anything. This guy is a nobody, Morgan. Nothing on him." She informed him.

He groaned. "It's in here, Prentiss." He gestured at the map.

"None of this makes sense." Dr. Spencer Reid pointed out.

"Points for observation, Dr. Reid," Emily said sarcastically.

"No, I mean, the UNSUB, he let all of the mothers go. Why?"

"Maybe they weren't the targets." Derek said.

"Hmm." Reid nibbled on his lip. "Can I see your cell phone? I don't have mine." He asked Emily. He was met with silence. He looked at her and smiled at her expression. "Hi there."

"Oh my god, you're back!" Emily cried, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly.

Reid laughing, hugging her back. "Yeah, they finally let me go."

"Welcome back, kid." Derek said with a grin, hugging him next. He patted Reid on the back a couple of times. "How'd you know about the case?" Derek asked.

"I called Garcia and she told me where you guys were."

"I just talked to her." Emily said in disbelief.

"I asked her not to say anything," Reid admitted, leaning back against the desk, sticking his hands in his pockets. It was then his friends got a good look at him.

He was wearing casual dress pants with dirty converses. His light blue dress shirt was stretched across his chest, showing Emily that he had been working out while he had been gone. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing thicker forearms. Coupled with a skinny black tie and a new short, tousled, just-rolled-out-of-bed hair cut and scruff.

"Holy shit, Reid." Emily finally said.

"Guess I can't call you kid anymore, huh?" Derek teased.

"Guess those months away made you a new man. Fashion wise." Emily agreed.

Reid laughed. "I did get teased a lot, so they made me change." He explained.

"'they'?" Derek questioned. His phone beeped and he read the text message. He opened the laptop he had closed an hour ago and Garcia's face appeared. "What's up, baby girl?" He asked.

"I just wanted to see Reid for myself and oh my god! Look at you!" The bubbly tech praised. "JJ is gonna flip when she sees you're back." She declared. Reid's cheeks turned pink.

"Aww, don't tell me Dr. Reid still blushes at the name of his crush," Emily teased. The young doctor glared at her.

"Heads up, there she is," Derek announced. Reid and Emily saw Hotch, Rossi and JJ coming into the room.

JJ saw him first, stopping dead in her tracks. "Well, look who's come home." Rossi called out.

Reid didn't hear him, his eyes on JJ. Her eyes had widened and she gaped at him.

"Spence?" She whispered in shock. He smiled shyly and that was all she needed. She was flying across the room, grinning before anyone knew it. She threw herself into his open arms. He held her tight, burying his face in her hair, chuckling.

"Damn, girl," Derek teased, "let the man breathe!"

Hotch reached them holding out a hand. "Welcome back, Spencer. You've been missed." Reid took it smiling. "Thank you, Hotch. It's good to be back."

"Soon as you peel JJ off of you, I'll fill you in on the details." Rossi said with a smirk.

JJ finally lifted her head and released his. She then shocked the hell out of the team (minus Hotch, who had already walked away) by grasped Reid's tie and pulling him into a very steamy, very thorough kiss. Derek's jaw dropped. Garcia gasp was heard on the laptop screen. "Whoa!" Emily exclaimed and Rossi was wide-eyed. When they finally broke apart, they stared at each other, panting. "Hi," Reid greeted breathlessly. "Hi," JJ echoed, equally breathless. "Damn." Derek whistled.

"So," Emily stuck her hands in her pockets and stood next to JJ. "Want to tell me what that was all about?" She asked casually.

JJ continued to watch Hotch and Reid pour over the case file. "What was what?" She questioned, nibbling on her thumbnail.

"Uh, how about the absolutely steamy kiss you dropped on Spencer Reid in front of everyone?" Emily reminded her friend.

JJ smiled at the memory. "I missed him." She answered softly, looking at Emily.

"Well, shit, JJ. So did Derek and I, but we didn't try to suck his face off to show him that!" She pointed out.

JJ shrugged. "Then you didn't miss him like I did."

Emily let out a dry chuckle of disbelief. "You're right, Jayje. Neither Derek nor I am in love with Reid."

JJ didn't correct her, but smiled when Reid looked at her through the window.

Emily smacked her lips before turning to the side. "I'm going to go get my money from Derek," she announced, "and then you and I are going to have a talk."

"I was not expecting that." Derek admitted to Rossi. They were both waiting for Emily to come back and report her findings on the subject of JJ and Reid.

"I knew she missed him, but that kiss…" Rossi shook his head. "Only lovers kiss like that." He finished.

"You think they were?" The younger agent asked.

"If they weren't before, they sure as hell will be now." Emily said, approaching them.

"Well?" Rossi asked.

She smirked at Derek. "I'd like my fifty bucks in tens, please." she announced, holding out her hand.

"She told you?" Derek yelped in surprise. "She didn't deny it and that, my friend, is good enjoy for me." She wiggled the fingers of her left hand and Derek took out his wallet, grumbling under his breath.

"She tell you what the kiss was?" Rossi questioned. "She said she missed him," Emily replied, pocket the money Derek had handed to her.

"We all did! But you didn't see me plant one on him!" Derek quickly pointed out. "I told her that," Emily said with a laugh.

"And what was her response?" Emily smirked at Rossi's question.

"She said, quote, "you didn't miss him like I did", unquote."

Derek shook his head, letting out a sound that was between a laugh and a groan. "Ladies and Gentlemen, please fasten your seatbelts, things are going to change." Rossi quipped.

Hotch finally called it a night, saying they could pick it back up in the morning. Reid was still thinking about why the mothers had been set free. "Reid." He looked back at the group.

"Ready to go?" Emily asked.

"Oh, yeah, sure." He picked up the one bag he had with him and followed them out to the parking lot. He grimaced a little at the heat that always seemed to be in Texas, no matter what time of day or night.

"Traveling light," Rossi commented, nodding at his bag. "Simplicity," Reid answered, shifting the bag to his other hand so he could hold JJ's hand. "I learned that pretty quickly."

Since they only had the one SUV, Hotch drove, while Rossi rode shotgun, leaving Emily and Derek in the middle row. Reid squeezed in the back with JJ and all the team's bags. Of course, to not be so uncomfortable, Reid pulled JJ onto his lap. "Everyone comfortable?" Hotch called out.

"I know JJ is," Emily said dryly, twisting in her seat to see the couple.

"Room for one more, Em," Reid said with a suggestive smile. Emily gaped at him and Derek turned around in his seat to look at them. Hotch raised his eyes to the rearview mirror with a frown. "Are you flirting with me?" she finally asked. "With another woman on your lap no less?" Derek asked. "You can come back here, too, Derek," Reid said. Emily guffawed at Derek's expression. "Everyone, stay where you are." Hotch warned, pulling out of the parking lot.

Derek shot Reid a look. "You and me are gonna have a talk." He warned the younger man.

"So, Reid, where've you been?" Rossi asked from the passenger seat.

"Around," Reid answered, biting back a groan as JJ shifted around on his lap.

"You got here pretty quickly," Hotch commented, "must have been close."

Reid shrugged. "Depends on your definition of close. JJ, if you don't stop wiggling around, everyone in this car is going to get a free show." He hissed to her.

Derek's phone rang and he pulled it out of its case.

"Hmm, promises, promises," JJ purred.

"Hang on, Mama. Don't make me come back there," he warned, holding the phone up to his ear. "Not you, Baby Girl. Reid and JJ. Something like that. Whatcha got for me?"

Reid rested his forehead against JJ's and whispered, "I really missed you." JJ brushed a kiss across his lips. "I really missed you, too."

"Gag me with a spoon." Emily groaned from her seat.

"Hey Hotch, Garcia's flying down tonight. She wants to look through the original tapes." Derek said, hanging up his cell.

"Alright, good." Hotch said as they pulled into the hotel parking lot. As they piled out, JJ wondered how she was going to get Spencer into her room.

"So, how is thing going to work?" Derek questioned as they entered the elevator. JJ and Emily were sharing a room, along with Hotch and Derek, leaving Rossi with a room to himself.

"Reid can sleep with me," Rossi offered. "As submissive as I look, I actually like being on top." Reid said with a shrug. Emily, Derek and JJ laughed loud and hard at Rossi's face and even Hotch was fighting a smile. "Just for that, smartass, you can sleep in the bathtub." He informed the younger agent with a glare.

"He can double with us," Emily offered, turning to Reid with a wicked smile. "Just so you know, I'm a kicker." "I'm sure I can pin you down long enough," he flirted back. JJ tried not to get jealous over her best friend flirting with her man. "In your dreams, boy genius." Emily laughed. Hotch frowned at the flirting, but there wasn't any real alternatives, even if he did want to stick it with Dave. "Fine, but I'll be by to check on you." "Yes, dad." Emily mocked.

JJ couldn't believe her luck! As soon as it was dark, Spence could crawl in with her. She caught his eye and read the same idea in his eyes.

"No funny business," Hotch warned as they approached the floor they were staying on. "Oh, there won't be." Emily assured him. They spilt off to their rooms.

"Alright, Reid, you can have the first shower, but if you take all the hot water, you won't be making any woman happy, much less JJ." Emily warned him. Reid nodded somberly. JJ sat down on the edge of the bed before flopping down on her back, suddenly exhausted. Her emotions had been up ever since she saw Spence in the precinct, and now the adrenaline was gone. Emily turned on the TV and settled down on her bed. Reid took his bag with him into the bathroom. Soon as the door was shut, Emily pounced.

"You are not having sex with Reid, especially with me in the room."

JJ sat up and looked at her friend before laughing. "I do have some self-control, Em, thanks."

"I'm just saying," The older agent said, turning back to the TV. The shower shut off just as there was a knock on their door. JJ opened it to see Derek. "What's up?"

"Wanted to talk to Reid before he went to sleep." He answered.

"About what?" Reid asked, coming out of the bathroom wearing flannel bottoms and rubbing his hair with a towel.

"Whoa!" Emily cried out in shock. JJ's jaw dropped. Derek gaped. Spencer Reid had buffed up! His biceps were a little bigger, and his chest slightly broader, but he now had abs! He was ripped.

"Goddamn, Reid. That what you been hiding under those sweater vests? Women were have been all over you if you had showed that off." Derek pointed out. "Hell yeah!" Emily agreed and JJ elbowed her. Reid blushed red. "Can we please stop staring at me?" He begged.

Emily chuckled, getting over her shock. "You look ready to die of embarrassment, Dr. Reid," she teased.

"Technically, you can't die of embarrassment. It's an expression or a phrase we use when we feel like we could die of embarrassment, but you actually can't or won't." Reid explained, his face turning back to its original color.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the return of Geeky Reid." Derek announced with a laugh.

Emily looked over at JJ, who was staring at Reid's chest with an impressed expression on her face. "See something you like?" Reid flirted, his voice dropping low. JJ raised her eyes and bit her lip before smiling seductively. Emily and Derek looked at each other.

"Ok. Reid, perhaps you should put a shirt on." Emily suggested with a smile.

Reid looked down at his chest before looking back at her. "I don't like sleeping with a shirt on." He told her.

"Well, I do like you sleeping with a shirt on." She informed him.

"If you want, Emily, you can sleep without a shirt on." He said with a leer.

Derek chuckled. "Hotch would kill you."

Reid puffed out his chest. "I could take him." JJ patted his chest. "I don't think so, Spence."

"Hotch would squish you like a bug." Emily laughed. "I'm stronger than I look now. Go ahead, touch my chest."

"Uh, no."

"Why not? Afraid you might like it?" He taunted. Emily shot him an evil look. "You let me sleep without a shirt on and I'll drop it." He negotiated. Emily pursed her lips and groaned. "Fine."

There was yet another knock on the door, and Derek opened it too reveal Rossi, who looked at everyone.

"Let me go back to my room and get the booze." he joked.

"Joined the party," JJ invited with a laugh as he entered the room. He took a double look at Reid, who finally put a shirt on, tired of the attention.

"Boo." JJ pouted. Reid smirked. "I'll give you a free show later."

Derek laughed and Emily groaned. "Down boy," Rossi cautioned.

They all turned when they heard someone clear their throat. Hotch stood in the doorway, watching them. "I wasn't invited to the slumber party? And I had this new nail polish I wanted to try." He said dryly.

Emily laughed at her husband, snorting once or twice. Reid smiled, surprised. "You joke now. Nice." He commented.

Hotch ignored him and looked at his watch pointedly. Derek and Rossi said their goodbyes and left the room. JJ went into the bathroom to take a shower and Reid dug around in his bag to give Emily and Hotch some privacy.

"Sleep well, Sweetheart," Hotch said softly, giving her a tender kiss. "Good night, Aaron," Emily replied, really wish she could sleep with her husband, but they agreed to keep it separate on cases. Hotch looked over at Reid, who nodded once. "Good night, Spencer." "Good night, Hotch." With one last smile at Emily, Hotch left the room.

"Ok, Reid, close your eyes so I can change." She said.

Reid smirked. "I'm a Doctor, Emily, it's nothing I haven't seen before."

"Eyes. Closed. Now." She ordered and he obeyed. She changed quickly, wondering where in the hell this new flirty Reid had been born and if he was going to stick around because truthfully, he was more fun this way. She pushed him over onto his side and crawled under the covers. "Welcome back, Reid." She said, smiling at him. "Night, Em," he said, turning on the small lamps on either night stand and turning off the big lamp.

When JJ stepped back into the room, the lamps were on and Emily was asleep. Reid was reading a book quietly, drawn into whatever world it contained. She dressed into her pjs quickly, before drying her hair the best she could. She looked back over Spence to see that he was watching her. She sat on the edge of the bed facing him, not saying a word. "I have to call Henry. Do you mind?" She asked softly and he shook his head. "I'm going to get something from the vending machine," he said before slipping on his shoes and a light jacket.

When he left the room, JJ opened her cell phone and dialed her house number. "Hi, Mrs. McCallum. Is Henry awake? Yes, please, thank you. Hey, baby. You doing alright? Yeah, that's cool. I'll still be gone a few more days, but hey, Mama has a surprise for you when she comes back. It's a surprise, but I know you'll love it. OK, baby, time for bed. I'll see you when I get back. I love you." She hung up and waited for Spence to get back.

"You think Henry will flip when he sees Reid?" Emily asked in sleepy voice.

"I hope so. Before this case, he kept asking when Spence was coming back. Said he had something he wanted to ask him." JJ said.

"You think he'll ask him about the whole having two daddies?" Emily teased and JJ groaned. "Hopefully he'll ask Spence in a different way." She prayed. "I hope I'm there."

Reid came back into the room, two snickers in his hand. He looked over at the bed he was sharing with Emily and then at JJ, sticking out his bottom lip.

"Oh, fine. But you two make one inappropriate noises and I'll have Hotch in here so fast…" Emily warned, turning off the lamp on her side. He tossed the snickers onto the table and slipped under the covers as JJ turned off the lamp. The room plunged into darkness as they settled into comfortable positions. They had shared a bed before he went off on his involuntary assignment, so they had no trouble slipping back into old habits. She was pressed against his chest, her head tucked under his chin and her legs tangled with his. She had her arms tucked between them and his holding them together. "I missed this so much," she admitted in the dark and he chuckled. "Yeah, took me a while to learn how to sleep without your heart beating against my chest."

"Oh my god, you are going to make me throw up," Emily groaned. "Shut up and go to sleep." Reid smiled and held JJ tighter.

Damn, it was good to be home.

By the way , if you need a reference for how Reid looks now, think season 6.