Thank you all so much for reading this far! And to those who've reviewed and followed or favorited, thank you too! I know this story isn't very popular, or as large as other stories, but I get so excited when I get another view for my story! I'd like to know though, is there anything I could do better?
Reid couldn't help it. He had a weakness when it came to the Jareau gene pool, specifically when Henry and JJ were involved. He just couldn't say no. That was why he found himself extremely uncomfortable in the backseat of her SUV while she and Garcia talked in the front.
Although, he was glad he would get to see his godson. He now felt guilty for not visiting Henry during his three week vacation. This thing with JJ, it was eating him alive. He felt nauseous in her presence, and his heart throbbed painfully whenever she looked at him for longer than three seconds. It felt like high school again, he was crushing, still, on the pretty girl who dated the jock.
Spencer mentally berated himself for having such thoughts. She was his co-worker, and his friend, she wasn't supposed to be pretty. Or radiant. Or beautiful. But she was. With her long, thick, golden tresses, and deep ocean blue-
Stop it, Spencer!
If he could get away with groaning inconspicuously, he would have. Lola was right. Being close to her wasn't doing him much good. He was suddenly grateful for the alcohol he had consumed over his vacation. He could no longer remember the wedding clearly, or anything remotely romantic. Reid wouldn't drink again, he didn't want to become immune to it and accidentally overdose trying to numb himself. That wouldn't do. He was in the emotional ringer, and while it sucked spectacularly, he didn't want to die.
He was pulled from his dark musings by Garcia, "Your'e awfully quiet, Boy Wonder. Something wrong?"
"No, I'm alright," he responded tightly, "Just thinking."
"About?" JJ asked, in the rear-view mirror, he could see one perfect eyebrow arched in question.
"Stuff," Reid said, short and sweet. He felt his soul crack when he saw her frown. How could he ever get over her? How could he even possibly believe he could stop loving her?
If only she knew the effect she had on him.
Henry, think of Henry. His eyes hardened. It's for Henry. Besides, JJ and Will are in love, and Will was a good man. Since when was that not enough for him? Henry and JJ's happiness was most important. He couldn't harm that, just for his own needs. It wasn't in his nature. She's never liked you that way!
"You're not being very specific, Spence," the blonde profiler said, her eyes glancing at him through the mirror.
"Yeah, junior G-man, we can't read minds like you!" Garcia exclaimed, and turned it her seat to look at him. The tech goddess noticed he looked faraway, there, but not really, "is this about that Lola girl? If you like her or not, its fine with us."
Spencer's lips quirked up, he thought it was hilarious that they thought he liked Lola. Then again, they didn't know her, but still, it made him want to laugh. He of course knew of Lola's crush on Carl, as they had talked about how similar their situations were. She wasn't Reid's type. She was a great and understanding friend, but they didn't have very much in common, personality wise.
"Oooh, someone's thinking of a girl!" Garcia squealed, "I knew it! Lola and Reid, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"
Reid blushed a deep shade of red, right down to his Adam's Apple. He choked up, the imagery in that Garcia's proclamation brought almost made him want to gag. Lola was like a cousin. The thought of that deed with her had him gaping like a fish.
The genius spluttered, "Uh, uh, uh. Erm. Uh?" He couldn't formulate words properly.
He was so busy being flustered, and Garcia was so busy grilling him and teasing him, that they didn't notice JJ scowl and scrunch her nose up, "We're here. Come on, I'll bet Henry's excited."
The three got out of the car, Reid still scarlet. They closed their doors, JJ slamming hers a bit loudly. Garcia stopped hounding Reid when they got to the front door of her small but comfy home. As soon as she had turned the knob, a little blonde bullet came shooting (pun intended) out towards her, screaming "Auntie! Uncle! Mommy!" at the top of his lungs.
He slammed into JJ at full force almost knocking her into Penelope. No one minded, however. Everyone was grinning from ear to ear as Henry drug them in the house and eagerly recounted his day to them, "-and then, daddy came and took me home!"
"Where is your daddy, Henry?" JJ asked as she hung up her jacket. Penelope and Spencer kept their jackets on.
"He's sleeping, mommy."
JJ nodded, she expected as much, "So, little man, what do you want to do next?"
"Reading with Uncle Spence!"
Spencer smiled, and slid out his copy of The Trumpet of the Swan, a classic that Henry had been wanting to read, out of his messenger bag. Henry laughed, and grabbed his large hand, while leading him to the sitting room. Spencer sat on the recliner, and Henry climbed in his lap. Reid quickly slipped on his glasses, made sure they were both comfortable before beginning, "The Trumpet of the Swan, by E.B. White-"
"Alright JJ, what is wrong with you?" Penelope Garcia asked as she pulled JJ into the kitchen, far from the boy's earshot.
JJ gave her a funny look, "Nothing. Why?"
"Listen, I may not be a profiler, but something is definitely wrong between you and Boy Wonder. You guys aren't acting like you normally do. What's going on?"
"Nothing, Pen. Everything's fine."
Garcia's eye's narrowed, "Uh huh, sure. Don't think I didn't notice that door slam, or that 'I just swallowed a lemon' scowl you were broadcasting in the car. Are you mad at him or something? Is it because he went AWOL during your wedding?"
The blonde agent felt her heart beat quicken, had she been that obvious? "No. I'm not mad at him. We're good, okay?"
"You don't sound so sure of yourself."
"Alright! Fine! Yes, I want to know why he left without a goodbye. I'm wondering why he went through a drastic change. Why he disappeared!" JJ whisper-yelled, throwing her hands in the air.
The tech goddess smiled, "I see what this is about. Your jealous."
"What?!"
"Reid's gone and gotten himself a girlfriend and your mad that your not his number one anymore. It's perfectly normal, Jayje. He did adore you for years, it's natural that you've grown accustomed to the attention he gave you."
"I'm a married woman!"
"You don't deny that you're jealous, though. Face it Jayje, it bothers you that he's found someone," Garcia smirked.
JJ's cheeks were hot, "I am not! It doesn't! I'm.. married!"
"Your avoiding the fact that it bugs you, again."
"It doesn't bother me! I'm happy, he's happy, that's what matters!"
"Your lying. Your pinching your right thumb knuckle, it's your tell," Morgan's 'Baby Girl' explained, then turned serious, "JJ, what's wrong? You keep repeating your married, is that supposed to be convincing me, or yourself? Is everything okay here?"
JJ snatched her left hand away from her right, unaware that she even had a tell, and let loose a deep sigh, she supposed she needed to get it off her chest. "Will's been very...distant lately. We hardly talk or do anything romantic. I'm just wondering if we got married just because. I'm scared, Pen. More often than not I find myself itching to slap him upside the head. He's always drinking, I'm always annoyed. I don't know what to do!"
Garcia's eyebrows furrowed, she wasn't expecting that, "Oh. Well, is there anything that's been different? When did it start?"
"Almost three weeks ago. He thinks now that I'm his wife, I have to take on the 'traditional' role, which basically means he lives like a pig while I cook, clean, and take care of Henry. And then he just sits there, watches TV, drinks, and makes dirt, if that's even possible. He's a good father, but it seems that he only wants to be when I'm gone." At this point, tears began to pool in JJ's eyes, and she had to fight to keep her voice in it's normal octave.
"Aw, Jayje. It's going to be alright!" Penelope brought her coworker into a tight hug.
JJ took a hard breath through her nose, "And when I need Spence the most he's being so distant. I feel like I missed something huge with him over those three weeks, like he went through hell and back and I wasn't there. I just, I know he's hurting, I just don't know why. Is it wrong that I still want him attached to me, that I still want him to dote on me?"
"It makes sense, JJ. And it's not wrong. He's been one of the only permanent things in your life, and you don't want someone to take him away and change him. Change him to where he isn't your best friend anymore."
"Not just that, Pen. I," JJ started, then sniffed, ashamed, "I want him to still love me."
Garcia pulled back from the hug quickly, "What?!"
JJ groaned, "I know, I know, it's wrong!"
"More then wrong, JJ! You want him to want you even though you don't, and can't, want the same!"
"I know, it's bad, but I can't help it. I'm married, and I don't think I like Spence that way, but I can't help it. I can't, and I won't do anything!"
"Peaches, you have to know he was in love with you! Like, 'I'd die for you' love! Just because things with Will are sucking right now, doesn't mean that you can hurt Boy Wonder like that!"
"I wouldn't ever hurt him! No, I couldn't ever hurt him. I just, I wonder, you know? It's a fantasy, Pen, nothing more. Henry needs his dad, and Spence probably stopped thinking about me like that a long time ago. I'm probably just suffering from knowing that I'm stuck with a couch potato for a husband, and my child's father."
Garcia's face softened, "It's alright, Jayje. Maybe you need to have a long, serious talk with Will. I could take Henry tonight, if you need it. I wish I could make it all better for you, and junior G-man, and Henry. You should talk to him to, just let him know that your there for him. I've been hearing his mom's getting worse, maybe he's just stressed. I know for a fact that's what you are. You, Henry, Boy Wonder, and I will get through this, okay?"
"Thank you, Pen. I'm going to talk to Will. I just don't know what good it'll do. I hope that this Lola doesn't hurt him, I'd scalp her if she did. I can't stand to see him like this, reclusive and lost, and hurt."
"Come on, Jayje. Let's see if we can get the two reading bugs to get in here and help us make cookies. Then we can ask Henry if he'd like to come over to his Auntie Penny's house." Penelope's smile and slight nudge told JJ that she was letting the subject go. JJ wiped her eyes, and smiled back.
JJ felt her heart smile at the sight before her. In the recliner, Spencer and Henry were cuddled up together, with Spence's, long arm wrapped around her son protectively. He was reading to Henry, pointing out the words with a lean index finger. The blonde boy giggled when Reid started rocking him around making sound effects. It was quite cute actually, and she knew that he'd be a good father, despite the fabled "Reid Effect".
It was odd thinking of Spencer as a father. It was hard thinking of him being with someone, and even harder thinking of him being with someone. She shuddered, Don't think about that, JJ!
"Well my Pretties! I think it's Cookie Time!" Penelope announced from behind her, already with an apron on. The two boys snapped up from their book, and grinned.
"COOKIES!" Henry exclaimed, jumping out of Spencer's lap and bounding towards the kitchen, the genius, ex-liaison, and tech goddess following him.
Spencer had been less awkward and shy in Henry's presence, and the love in his eyes when he looked at the blonde toddler made JJ's soul warm. The cookie making was fun, and the kitchen looked like a hurricane had gone through it before they were through. Spence, JJ, and Henry had flour caked on their cheeks and clothes, and grease in their hair. Garcia thought is was adorable, (JJ did as well) and the techie took a photo of the three, Henry on Spence's shoulders, with his arm placed lightly around JJ's shoulders. They all grinned madly.
JJ missed Spencer's warmth when he quickly pulled away, almost as if he'd been burned. She dismissed it.
The four cleaned the kitchen, and then JJ cleaned Henry up and packed him a bag of clothes for the night. When she got back down, Reid and Garcia were having an deep conversation, and for a half second, she was afraid Penelope had told him what they had discussed earlier, but when the genius's back was turned, Garcia mouthed "Secret's safe".
"Well, cya buddy! I had a great time reading with you! I'll see you soon, okay pal?" Reid said as he bent to the ground, scooped Henry up, and swung him around. Hell of a goodbye, JJ thought.
"Walk safely, Uncle Spence!" Henry laughed, and hugged his godfather. Whenever Spencer came over, he always walked home, as he liked the alone time to think and it was only a few miles away.
"Will do, little man."
Reid hugged Garcia and then hugged JJ quickly, waving his goodbye.
JJ bid her son and Garcia home with plenty of "be safe's" and kisses. When the door closed behind them, she sighed, realizing that she'd have to talk with Will now. She couldn't believe he was still asleep.
Just as she was about to open the bedroom door, her phone buzzed.
Seeing it was from Penelope, she quickly opened it.
Peaches, Reid isn't dating anyone.
What?
Okay, so I have officially proved I suck at cliffhangers. Oh well. I feel like this one was a bit rushed, but I can't bring myself to change anything. I think it's necessary for plot development. Thanks to anyone who read or favorited or followed or reviewed!
