A Message in the Garden

A/N: This is the sequel to Save the Child, if you haven't read that, you probably won't understand the relationship between my character and Reid. I suppose you could fake it if you wanted to ;0) Anyway, read on and enjoy.

P.S. I don't anything Criminal Minds related-- really, I don't earn anything but a warm fuzzy feeling that I've possibly made people happy with my writing. Please don't sue, that would really cramp my style and my checkbook!

Moving Day

"Wumph." The box hit the floor, the sound echoing through the space it now occupied. Within the next few seconds several other boxes joined it. When the room finally grew silent, the group stood back and admired their work. Several piles of boxes were scattered around the place marked with a variety of names scrawled on the side in permanent marker. Finally after a moment one of looking at their work approvingly, the group began to move for the door. A laughing voice rang out after them.

"What, you aren't going to help me install a pool?" Turning to face the owner, Derek Morgan's lips twitched into a smile.

"I don't know how Reid puts up with you Grace, you're just never satisfied." He said as he looked on the woman he'd come to know over the last year. She and Reid were standing together, Reid with his arm around Grace's waist. Really he was just joking, Derek was glad to see the young genius happy for a change. After his kidnapping, Reid had faced a rollercoaster ride in keeping it together with both his physical and mental states. Derek had worried the young man wouldn't heal after such an ordeal. Grace's arrival however, had obviously changed that. The young woman leaning into Reid laughed.

"Oh, you know me, I get what I want!" At this the rest of the group joined in the fun. Those who had been able to get away from the office for an afternoon had gathered at Grace's newly purchased house and helped her unload the many boxes she and her son had brought with them from Philadelphia. Morgan, Garcia, J.J, and Prentiss now stood in her living room, finishing their duty to moving day. All of a sudden a boy-shaped blur shot passed them and tore into one of the boxes. Grace and Reid looked at one another questioningly as Grace's son made a mess of the pile. For a five year old, he had a surprisingly determined look on his face.

"Uh, Aydan… What are you doing?" Grace asked her son. The little boy stopped only for a moment to give his mother a somewhat perplexed look.

"I can't find Scruffy." He said in a horrified whisper. Scruffy was Aydan's bear and confidant. It appeared the stuffed animal hadn't made an appearance as of yet, which of course had left the little boy worried they had left him someplace. Grace heaved a sigh as the little boy ripped through another box, this one marked kitchen, attempting to shift protective newspaper and packing peanuts out of his way. She pulled herself away from Reid and went to the little boy, taking his hand and leading him towards the stairs.

"C'mon sweetie, you won't find him in there—unless he's turned into a fork." As they headed for the stairs, Grace turned and faced the group.

"I owe you all food," she said as the little boy pulled her up the stairs. "Give me a minute to find our missing family member and we'll head out for pizza." The group watched as she followed her son up the stairs. When she disappeared around the corner, Garcia, J.J. and Prentiss made a break for the car.

"We'll go wait in the car." Garcia said as they sidled out the door. Derek on the other hand waited with Reid. The two men stood in silence for a moment until Derek looked at Reid.

"Glad she's here, man?" Reid turned to Morgan and smiled.

"I don't know if I could be happier—actually." He replied, as the grin on Morgan's face got wider. Morgan slapped the genius' back nearly knocking the rail-thin man to the floor.

"That's good man, that's good!" he said enthusiastically. Reid reciprocated the smile and returned his gaze to the stairs.

"So things are workin' out, that's fantastic." Morgan continued, catching the attention of the young man again.

"What do you mean working out?" Reid asked, confused. Morgan laughed and shrugged his shoulders.

"I was just thinkin'…" he said with a dramatic pause, "you've got it bad." Reid nearly choked as Morgan gave a loud laugh. Reid tried rearrange his face into one of composure, but failed, getting another laugh out of Morgan.

"Morgan, I will never understand you or your incessant need to embarrass me." The younger man said jokingly, though part of him wasn't sure Morgan was joking. The handsome man, also known as a regular womanizer eyed Reid, his smile never fading.

"It's just too easy, it's obvious you dig this woman and that's cool man, more than cool. I was just wondering if maybe you thought she was, you know…" Morgan said, lifting an eyebrow questioningly. Reid wasn't following the other agent's meaning and gave him a look that said so.

"Do I know what?" he asked as Morgan rolled his eyes at the other man's naivety, how could someone so brilliant be so slow about some things?

"You know what I mean man, don't be stupid with me." Reid shook his head again, his geek length hair flopping into his eyes. He pushed it back with a thin hand, just in time to see Morgan's annoyance. Finally the older man just gave it up and leaned in until he was inches from Reid's ear.

"If she's the one?" Reid could feel his face imploding from within, the blush creeping across his cheeks as he realized what Morgan was implying. Could Grace be the woman he was looking for? Considering she was the longest relationship he'd ever had, and that she had moved to Quantico from her hometown to be closer to him. Something they had discussed in great length before her final (and very accelerated due to her IQ) year at college was up. Even though they had never broached the subject of marriage, they had talked about what kind of life they would lead, relationship wise, now that she was here. Reid had never had a problem with leaving at the drop of a hat or working late hours because he had been single, he'd never had had anyone waiting for him or looking to spend time with him. It hadn't even been a concern when the two were dating previous to Grace's move, since she had school and lived hours away.

Now that she was in Quantico, they had to be very sure they were up to the task of balancing work and a relationship. Something even the ever socially awkward Reid was up to doing. Grace had also felt this way, only concerned that her son would be upset by such a move. Which the little boy had assured her, several times before leaving their small apartment in Philadelphia, was not a problem. He loved his mother's boyfriend, thinking it the coolest thing in the world that Reid was an FBI agent. Although, he had been sad his grandparents weren't making the journey with them. It was an issue easily overcome though with promises of visits and holidays spent with family.

However, now that she was here and Morgan proved to be speculating about Reid's future a little too closely, Reid wasn't entirely sure what to think. He wasn't able to reply before Grace and Aydan made their way down the stairs, the boy's fuzzy cohort in hand. She shook her head dramatically.

"He was hiding under the bed, I guess the little stinker was trying to get out of helping unpack." Reid gave a somewhat weak smile that Grace didn't seem to read as anything suspicious. She walked passed the two, grabbing her purse and searching for her brand new keys.

"Better get to the car boys, I'm starving so once I'm out there, I ain't waitin'!" she said laughing as she finally found her keys. Morgan looked at the little boy and gave him an evil grin.

"Last one to the car's a rotten egg!" he challenged, Aydan taking it on in an instant. Grace laughed as her boy ran out to the car, racing Morgan. She smiled at Reid and held out her hand.

"Ready?" she asked, without hesitation, Reid took her hand.

"Ready." And the two walked out to the car.

"Oh no, no girl! Why would go and say a thing like that?" Morgan was laughing with Garcia over some morsel of gossip the queen of all things electronic, had deemed necessary to share with the group. Aydan was sitting next to Reid who was cutting his pizza up into bite-sized pieces for the boy. Normally kids frightened the boy-genius, but he had grown to care for Aydan and couldn't help but feel paternal for the little boy. Grace sat next to him eating a slice of pizza and laughing at the latest joke.

It seemed the night was young for everyone, good company, good conversation, and good pizza. Garcia and Morgan leaned towards one another, watching Reid and Grace from across the table. They started to snicker when Grace took up a napkin and dabbed off a piece of cheese stuck to Reid's chin.

"Oh, I think I'm going to be sick." Garcia said laughing into her hand. Morgan shook his head, giving a mocking sigh.

"Come on, my cynical goddess of technology—don't you know young love when you see it?" Garcia gave a snort.

"I see something that's making me wish I hadn't eaten that last piece of pizza." The two chuckled together, knowing that they didn't mean any of it. Reid was one of their closest friends and colleagues, he was happier now and that was always good, for all of them. However, this little break from reality was cut short as everyone's but Grace's cell phone rang. Quickly all of the BAU members flipped their phones open to see they were being called back to the office. Soon it became a mad rush for the check and transportation to the BAU.

Reid walked Grace and Aydan back to their car and helped her get him into his seat. She turned to him after Aydan was strapped in, shutting the door with a resounding click. Reid gave her a small smile and attempting to explain.

"This is only the beginning of—" Grace lifted her fingers to his lips effectively silencing him.

"It'll take some getting used to your schedule-- But I'm not going to hold it against you," she smiled as he leaned forward for a goodbye kiss, "yet." She finished before he could touch her, making him give a groan of exasperation. She closed the distance and gave him a warm kiss, pulling back and winking.

"Just be safe." She said as she opened the door to her car, preparing to leave. Reid gave her a crooked grin and made for the car J.J. and Prentiss had pulled up in.

"I'll do my best." He said over his shoulder as he climbed in. As he sat down he realized the smile hadn't left his face, something that hadn't happened in a very long time. J.J. and Prentiss noticed this too, only they kept their comments to themselves as they headed for the BAU. He would have to have enough smiles to keep him going for a while. According to their phone messages, this case was going to keep them busy.

Very busy. He just didn't realize it included her.