Blake

I do not own Criminal Minds.

'The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved.' ~ Victor Hugo.

XXXXX

Alex yawned and handed her husband another dirty plate. It was late but she couldn't stand the thought of coming down in the morning to a big mess.

Her Husband looked at her with sympathy.

"C'mon Alex you're exhausted, go to bed and I'll finish up here" he offered.

She shook her head, "No, I'll help"

She thought James was being awfully quiet especially since he just spent the evening entertaining her co-workers.

"So aren't you going to tell me what you thought of everyone? It's your first time meeting them,"

"They're great, nice people"

Alex wasn't fooled "Oh come on, I wanted you to meet them and them you, what did you think?"

"Now you said they wouldn't profile me, so I shouldn't profile them,"

Blake rolled her eyes. "Normally I wouldn't insist, but you have that look on your face that you need to say something"

"Ok ok, I thought it was odd that none of their husbands or girlfriends were able to attend."

"Odd? You do know most of those people have jobs that take them away at odd hours. Rossi and Reid don't have girlfriends and Hotch and Beth have a long distance relationship; just like another couple I know," she said.

"Yes, ok I see that." He turned around so she wouldn't see his face.

"Turn around Mister, what else?"

"I just thought Garcia and Morgan were extremely chummy for two co-workers who are in serious relationships with other people and Hotch, well everyone says what a great dad he is and I'm sure he is when he actually spends time with his kid,"

He stopped when he saw the look of shock on her face; he put down the plate he was holding.

"Honey, I'm sorry, I said too much, it's just my opinion, I'm a doctor, not a profiler"

She crossed her arms "No, go ahead, finish your critique, what about JJ?"

He sighed, "Lovely woman, very sweet, nurturing, bossy as they come,"

Blake pursed her lips in thought "Alright, what about Reid, surely he couldn't have rubbed you the wrong way?"

"Noo. but seriously, didn't you think he looked a little drunk or high or something, the twitching, the glassy eyes?"

Blake threw her hands up in the air, "Reid high? Now I know you're crazy . I think you're not used to geniuses of that caliber" she said. "and Rossi?"

"Great guy, though I was surprised his head fit through our door?" he joked.

Blake did not laugh; she dropped into the nearest chair and leaned her head into her hands.

"You hate them," she mumbled.

James pulled up a chair beside her.

"No I don't, but I really would like to know why me liking your colleagues is suddenly so important to you. You never cared before? "

"I never almost drowned before," she said quietly.

"What?" Now it was his turn to be shocked.

Alex began to explain about the unsub that got away, how he pulled her into the swamp and the feeling of not being able to breathe, the sheer terror of it.

He put his arms around her, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want you to worry and when it happened, afterwards I realized I had no one to lean on, I felt like I had to be the perfect professional. You're far away and so are my father and brother.

"Alex I…"

She put her hand up "Yes, I know this is the arrangement we agreed to and it works for us.. It's just that this team is different than other units I've worked in. I guess I just wanted to be a part of it. They're like a family.

James leaned over and kissed her.

"I understand, and for the record I don't hate them. I just think they're human like the rest of us."

He stood and held out his hand. "C'mon let's go to bed, the mess in here can wait "

Blake smiled and took his hand.

"So you really think Rossi has a big ego?" she said.

James held his hands about two feet apart "HUGE!, how does the man hold his head up?"

Alex laughed. He could always make her laugh and for that moment she forgot how lonely she'd been feeling.

Fin.

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Last chapter coming up soon.