Hey you out there! I want to thank those, who are following this or have added it to their favorites!
You make me happy ;)
I wanted to mention, that I'm not sure if I will be able to break off with Emily, I just love her too much!
Enough babbling! Enjoy and please review, I would love to hear, what you think!
There was awkward silence that dragged on and on. Finally JJ decided to break it:
"So, I guess you know each other?"
"From college. He… helped me with my studies", Joanna mumbled, dropping her gaze.
"Actually you never needed help, just a learning partner", he said and smiled reassuringly at her.
Great, point out to my new colleagues, that I didn't have any friends in college!
Another minute of silence followed until Garcia said: "I think we've got another bunch of work today, so come on my little heroes!"
They entered the meeting room. At the round table sat a man with greying hair and beard.
"Hello, I'm David Rossi", he smiled at Joanna and she felt her nervousness and confusion over Spencer Reid's presence lightly shrink.
"My name is Joanna McNolan, nice to meet you, Sir", she smiled back at him.
"Nice to meet you. Please, take a seat. How did you end up here?"
Joanna tried her best to explain her development to him and not straggle.
Garcia started the introduction to the recent case.
The photos on the screen let them all freeze.
"That's impossible", Joanna muttered.
"The Zodiac?", Reid question-stated.
Their gazes locked for a moment.
"Hey, Danny", she sighed into her cell phone, kicking off her shoes and placing her take-away coffee onto the table of her hotel room.
"You sound completely spent", her brother snickered.
"Ha. Ha. You don't know the half of it", she fell down on a chair, stretching out her legs.
"Bad case already?", his voice sounded compassionate.
"Yeah… But that's not all. I'm working with Reid."
"Who?"
"REID!", she yelled and heard her brother cringe, muttering: "Fuck!"
"Gods, Jo! Was that necessary?"
"I'm fucked up, Dan."
"But you haven't seen him in years!"
"I know…"
"You had boyfriends after college!"
"I know…"
"Then what is bothering you so much?"
"The fact that he can still sweep me off my feet, just by looking me in the eyes."
"Oh, sweetie", he sighed.
"I know…"
She had changed into her jogging pants and sneaked up the stairs to the balcony, coffee in one hand, a pack of cigarettes in the other.
The moonlight was soft and she closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the silence of the night. The smoke and steam mixed as they rose to the sky.
Suddenly the door to the balcony creaked and she spun around, dropping her cigarette and grabbed her gun.
"I see, you didn't break that habit", Reid stood in the doorway, his arms crossed and still in his work clothes.
"Oh my, Reid, you startled me!", she shrieked and slid her gun back.
"Every one of these costs you-", he started, pointing at the orange spot on the floor, that was slowly fading, but she interrupted him: "Yes, yes, I know, you told me often enough in college."
She rolled her eyes, kicking the cigarette off the balcony and lit another one, turning her back to him.
"I'm sorry, Joule", he mumbled.
Her eyes widened, her whole body stiffened as her old nickname slipped from his lips.
She threw a glance across her shoulder, back at him.
He looked even paler in the soft, cold moonlight, his frame even thinner, more vulnerable.
"Come here", she whispered, nearly hoping, he wouldn't hear.
His steps were quiet, light and when he stopped beside her, looking down, she took a drag to prevent herself from hugging him.
"You never called", she didn't look at him, but fixated a cloud, that was passing the moon.
"I was so occupied by my new job… I just… umm", he trailed off.
"You forgot about me", she couldn't ban all the hurt from her voice.
"No! But I was completely covered by this whole new stuff and months passed and then I felt already bad for not calling and I copped out and more months passed… I reached some point at which I simply didn't have the courage anymore, because I had let so much time pass… I felt too late", he babbled in enormous speed.
"It wouldn't have been too late", she mumbled and sighed.
"You have changed very much over the years", he shoved her lightly with his shoulder.
"You think?", she still couldn't look at him. She insisted on being mad at him for a little longer and if she would look him in the eye, her resistance would melt away.
She flicked the cigarette away and grabbed her coffee, turning to leave.
He grabbed her wrist as she was about to pass him, pulling her back. She was taken by surprise and found herself suddenly in his embrace.
Her resistance broke. She clung to him, burying her face in his chest, as he drew her closer to him.
"I've missed you", she whispered into his shirt.
"I have missed you too, Joule", he pulled away a little, but didn't let go and she was thankful, because she wasn't too sure, that her legs would carry her.
"I have never told you, but you were a really good friend to me. One of few", he chuckled at the last part.
Joanna felt her cheeks blush and was thankful for the dim light.
Finally they broke away and he returned to his room, while she stared after him.
Her sleeve was drenched with coffee.
A few months had passed and Spencer was amazed at how well Joanna fit in with the team. He considered that it had been easier for her, than it had been for Emily, because she had not replaced a predecessor, but still.
He was currently watching Prentiss and Garcia hover over her and chatting about the ladies afternoon/night they were going to have.
"We have to do shopping first, that goes without saying", Garcia stated.
"Uh uh!", Prentiss jumped on the spot, raising her hand like a school girl calling for attention. He couldn't help but chuckle at Emily's unusual behaviour.
Joanna grinned helplessly and as she caught him staring she rolled her eyes.
"Party is over, ladies, new case", Morgan called from the meeting room.
"Oh, no!", Garcia sighed.
She hurried over to him, the others followed shortly after.
Spencer watched with amusement as Garcia and JJ had a discussion, because JJ had apparently forgotten about the ladies Saturday.
The latest case took them to Atlanta, two prostitutes had been stabbed brutally, in contrast stood the way, they had been deposited.
"This does not go together", Joanna sighed staring over at him as he spun around in his desk chair.
"Two completely different courses of action…"
They looked at each other and jumped up as realisation hit them.
"Let's wait a few months for another ladies night", Joanna yawned, massaging her temples.
"Hear ye, hear ye!", Emily sighed, handing her a bottle of water.
"Please, tell them to stop cheering", JJ whined.
Spencer couldn't hold back the laughter as he examined their faces.
"Oh, shut it, Reid!", Joanna snapped, hitting him on the shoulder.
"Ouch! Still strong for a hungover", he chuckled.
She lunged at him, but he caught her, pulling her closer so she couldn't strike out.
"Wrong move", he grinned down at her.
Her stomach made a violent flip, her brain clouded.
"He's coming!", Morgan yelled, pointing out at Hotch.
Joanna turned away from him blushing.