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Garcia, with Morgan trailing after her, took lunch to the conference room. They carried white bags, which contained sandwiches from "The Submarine Factory." Rossi had discovered it one Thursday afternoon and raved about it for weeks.

Reid was pacing the room when Garcia entered. The smells of pastrami, roast beef, ham, and other delectable scents followed in her wake, but he didn't seem to care.

"Hey, pretty boy, calm down," Morgan advised as he unloaded his bags onto the round table.

Garcia left her burdens aside, and went to her best friend. "You're going to wear a path right into the carpet, if you don't stop pacing."

He stopped, but only because she blocked his way. "I can't help it, Garcia.

"It's going to be okay."

"What if -?"

She stopped his observation with one finger. He noticed that her purple nail polish matched her shoes. Why did women always match their shoes, handbags and the polish on their nails?

"Reid."

He noticed that her dark eyes, which saw everything, were glued to his face.

"What?"

"Nothing is going to go wrong."

"My baby-girl is right," Morgan said, while removing sandwiches, potato salad and drinks from the bags. "Why don't you sit down and wait for -?"

"No," Reid said suddenly. "I should be out at the elevators. What am I thinking?"

He rushed out, leaving Garcia and Morgan there, smirking at each other.

"What's the matter with Spence?"

JJ strode into the conference room with real confusion and concern in her eyes. "He nearly ran me down."

"He's a little nervous," Garcia said.

"A little," Morgan observed. "He hasn't been that uptight since -"

"You don't have to say it," JJ said tightly. "I know it's going to take some time."

"I just mean that this is very important to him. I don't think this is quite the way he envisioned our meeting Imogene."

Morgan gathered up the white bags and set them aside. "Technically, she's meeting half of us for the first time."

JJ hit him with a look that would have flayed the flesh off the bones of a lesser man. "I told you I was sorry about that. It's not my fault she jumped down your throat."

"You went down to the lab on your own. I didn't force you. I told you," he pointed at her, "to call her. You were the one that decided to high tail it down there and meet her. You couldn't leave it alone."

"Don't get self-righteous with me, Derek Morgan. I didn't want him to get hurt again. He meets the mysterious Dr. Imogene James on an airplane and suddenly he's madly in love with her. Don't you think that's just a little strange?"

"Guys, I think we-"

They ignored Garcia who wore shades of purple and blue that day with matching frames and ribbons in her golden hair.

"Yeah, I suppose it is a little strange, but I'm not interfering in his life, not again."

"Don't put this back on me," she raged. "Hotch and I did what we thought was right. Spence understands that now."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Please don't fight, not today," Garcia pleaded. "Let's just have a nice lunch, for Reid's sake."

"What's going on?"

They all turned as one to see Hotch and Rossi in the doorway. Hotch's eyes speared each of them in turn until none of them could make eye contact with him.

"We we're just having a discussion," Morgan began.

"I heard part of that discussion. Reid just met his lady at the elevator. They're on their way in here."

They all nodded, and took their chairs around the table. Rossi's eyes were dancing despite Hotch's glower. He began to look for his name on one of the Styrofoam containers stacked on the table. "Let's eat."

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Reid's hands were shaking so he put them into the pockets of his light beige cords. This was happening much faster than he'd intended, but Imogene had said she was okay with it.

Imogene glanced over at him as they headed for the conference room. She ignored the agents that populated the walkway above the bullpen that were staring at them as they walked by. His face was very pale, almost as white as some of the corpses she'd worked on during the course of her career. Perhaps this was a bad idea.

"Spencer, I think -"

His face and eyes suddenly cleared as though he were waking from a dream. "I'm alright, Imogene, just a little nervous.

"I can see that."

She stopped him right in front of Rossi's office. He glanced around at a couple of agents passing them to the left. The agents were staring with undisguised curiosity, at Imogene, and he felt the heat of irritation send the blood to his face. The agents continued on their way down the walkway to the stairs leading to the bullpen. One of them, a male agent that Reid had never liked because he reminded him of a guy he went to high school with, turned and winked at him, then leered at Imogene.

"Ignore them," Imogene hissed at him. "I'm here because I want to be here. I decided after much careful consideration that I wanted to meet everyone at once."

"You mean everyone you haven't met, yet," he corrected automatically.

"Yes, to be precise," she agreed.

"I just don't want you to think you -"

"I don't think I have to do this for your sake," she interrupted. "I want to know that people that are important to you. It's time."

He nodded and took his hands out of his pockets. They'd stopped shaking, so he let them hang at his sides. "After you," he gestured in the direction of the conference room.

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Hotch and Morgan faced the door when Reid and Imogene entered. Hotch stood up and met them. "You must be Dr. James," he said extending his hand.

"Yes, and you must be Unit Chief Hotchner. I'm pleased to meet you."

"It's my pleasure. You come highly recommended by Scotland Yard."

"I'm glad I pass muster."

"You do," Morgan said. "We got the better end of the deal, in my estimation."

"Are you flirting with me in front of Spencer and your fellow agents?"

Rossi guffawed around his roast beef sandwich, and Garcia choked on her vegetarian sub.

"No ma'am, I'd never treat a visitor to this country so lightly."

Everyone except for Hotch laughed. Reid led her around to the empty chairs between Rossi and JJ. Imogene shook Rossi's hand and accepted the chicken salad sandwich they'd ordered for her.

"This is David Rossi," Reid said as he opened his Ham and Swiss.

"It's nice to finally meet you."

"Likewise," Rossi said. "I've read some of your published work. I truly enjoyed your last article. The theory you postulated regarding serial killers that hunted and tortured, with sharp force weapons, is very insightful."

"Thank you."

"Do we have to talk about that at the table?"

Rossi grinned at Garcia. "What do you suggest, kitten?"

"I want to hear about how you two met."

"This is Penelope Garcia," Reid squeaked.

"Oh, you're his best friend," Imogene said. "I'm truly sorry we haven't met."

She reached over and took Reid's hand.

"It's okay," Garcia said. "We understand, don't we guys."

"I'm sorry I flew off the handle at you," Imogene focused on Morgan.

"I do understand. I'm glad my man has someone that cares so much for him."

"I'm sorry too," JJ said. "I was wrong to go barging in. I can only say it was temporary insanity."

Reid smiled at her. "Why don't we just start again from here," he suggested. "JJ, this is Dr. Imogene James, Imogene this is SSA Jennifer Jareau."

"I'm pleased to meet you."

"Me too," JJ said. "Call me JJ."

"Can we eat now?"

"Nice going, Rossi," Morgan said over their laughter. "I agree, though. Let's eat."

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Reid opened Imogene's office door and flipped on the overhead light. Her office always made him grin. Her desk had more paperwork and files than he'd ever seen outside of JJ's old office, and there were books on the shelves dealing with cutting weapons and sharp force trauma. In the middle of all of it, she had several plants in different sized terracotta pots.

"I like your plants," he said.

"Plants have been shown to have an effect your mood and your physical being."

Reid shut the door. "You sound like me."

"Why is that a bad thing?"

She put her arms around his neck and leaned in to nuzzle his left ear.

He sighed and hugged her close. "I didn't say it was a bad thing. I like it."

"Do you?"

"Yes," he kissed her softly and buried his head in her hair that smelled of vanilla.

"I'm glad because I happen to adore the way you talk."

"Thank you for meeting everyone today. I know -"

She captured his lips, taking them hostage for so long, he almost forgot how to breathe.

"What was that for?"

She pushed back his hair from his eyes and he shivered. "I told you I wanted to meet your friends when I was ready, and I was ready today."

"Oh, well, I'm glad that's out of the way."

She squeezed one of his shoulders, hard. "Don't sound so smug."

"I can't help it. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. I must be smug."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't get too confident, my gorgeous Yankee."

"Why not?"

She found that she didn't have an answer so she busied her lips with his mouth until he finally pulled away and reminded her that they had to get back to work.

"Why don't you join me at Will and JJ's tonight? I'm sure they wouldn't mind and you can meet Henry and Will."

"I can't, I've got all that work over there. It's going to take me most of the evening to catch up."

He frowned and she laughed. "Don't pout. I really want to meet Henry and observe your child care skills, I just can't tonight."

"I understand. Can I call you when I get home?"

"If you don't, I'll come after you."

He smiled. "I believe that's a win-win situation for me."

"Very amusing, Dr. Reid. Get out of here so I can work."