Disclaimer: as always, I own nothing, no copyright infringement is intended.


After Emily got out of the briefing, she saw she had a text from JJ. It said: call me. ASAP.

When she saw the text, she smiled. It had been awhile she had gotten together with JJ. Maybe JJ wanted to tell her how great things were going. Somehow, however, Emily doubted it. She was trying to fight a feeling in her gut that this text had something to do with Spencer. She shook her head. Just because they were thinking about Reid, almost to the point of obsession, didn't mean JJ was.

They? Maybe it was just her. Maybe she was the only one who really wondered what he was doing every moment of the day. Maybe she just didn't relish the prospect of being on a case without him. For his mental prowess, of course. He was a phenomenal asset on a case, that what she was going to miss. His extraordinary skill set, nothing else. Because it wasn't like she never saw him. She spent time with him this weekend.
She helped him move into his office on campus. She teased him about seducing coeds. So, it was just that she was going miss having him on the team that she felt right now.

Nothing else.

Emily called JJ. "What's up JJ?"

"What the hell is wrong with you and Garcia?"

"Excuse me?"

"I told you to look after Spence. Does letting him quit and commit professional suicide sound like taking care of him?"

"He's an adult. He can make his own choices."

"He submitted a proposal to build a time machine!"

Emily couldn't help from laughing. "It's the appendix that makes it art. He wrote an essay debating the ethics of time travel. It's great."

"No it's not."

"Sure it is. I just wish I could have been there when he gave it to Strauss. I mean ..." Emily paused for a moment. "How do you know about it?"

"Do you think Strauss is the only one who saw it? Emily, what's he doing? I mean what is he really thinking?"

"You could ask him."

"Emily, just tell me you didn't know he was going to do this?"

"Which part? Quit or write the proposal?"

"Both."

"JJ, I don't think anyone has the right to demand how Spencer uses his brain. Not me. Or you. Or anyone. What's happening right now is he's doing what he wants to do, not what anyone is telling him he must do. But someone's telling you what do, aren't they? Right now, I mean?"

"I'm going to try to smooth things out, but you've got to talk to him Emily. He'll listen to you."

"What do you mean?"

"He loves you."

And with that JJ hung up.

Emily couldn't move for a moment. Was JJ kidding? It didn't sound like an off-hand comment. It sounded like ...

No. This is insanity. JJ is wrong. She doesn't know what she's talking about.

Emily put her phone away and went to get her go-bag. She had a plane to catch and a case to work.


Later that day Dr. Spencer Reid, Adjunct Professor of Forensic Sciences at Georgetown University, completed his first lecture. On the walk from the lecture hall to his office, he reflected on his performance. He wished someone he trusted was there to watch him and give him feedback.

He did lectures before, but he always got the idea that he was bad at public speaking. Today, he thought he did well. Or at least, he enjoyed himself. His concern was that while he was enjoying himself talking about pscyholinguistics, his students were sitting in a daze. Maybe he could convince Emily to sit in on one of his lectures. She would give him helpful feedback.

He was contemplating how exactly to broach that with her when he walked into the Criminal Justice offices, where his office was. He was walking past the secretary, when she spoke out.

"Dr. Reid. Dr. Reid."

"I'm sorry. I was ... just thinking."

"It's okay Dr. Reid. I just thought you would want to know that you have a visitor. She's sitting in your office. I hope that's okay. She said she was an old friend."

"Did she give a name?"

"Jennifer Jareau."

"JJ?" Reid walked away before she could say anything else.

JJ was sitting in his office. "Hey Spence. So, you quit the FBI and don't call me? I'm a little hurt."

"I ... I didn't know how to say it, I guess. The truth is, I'm still reeling from everyone else's reaction."

"They didn't take it well?"

"They all but tied me down until I promised to stay."

"I see it didn't work."

"No."

"Everyone did that? Even Emily?"

Reid got quiet and gave a wry little smile. "No. She's been great. I think she even backed Garcia off doing anything drastic."

"Did she?"

"So, you just decided to pay me a visit?"

"Friends do that."

"How did you know where I was? Come to think of it, how did you know I quit? Did Emily tell you?"

"Not exactly."

"You're not exactly here as a friend, are you?"

"I am here because I'm a friend. But it isn't a personal visit, you're right."

"They sent you?"

"What were you thinking Spence? A time machine? You're lucky they didn't lock you up over the weekend and have you committed."

"Who's they? The team? The Bureau? Or your new bosses? Except, they don't think building a time machine is crazy. Because they're building one."

"Are they?"

"Don't do that. Don't interrogate me like I'm just anyone else."

"Then don't play games and talk to me. If it wasn't for me, you would be having this discussion with someone in an office. Maybe they would have taken you during your lecture. They want to know if you stole it."

"Stole it?"

"They don't know you. What they know is you wrote a proposal that includes equations very close to official research. And you've never published anything like this before."

Reid smiled.

"What is it?" JJ asked.

"What?"

"You smiled. Have you written about this before?"

"In high school."

"What?"

"It was part of my application packet to Cal Tech. They even published it for me, just under a different name."

"A different name?"

"Spencer Williamson."

JJ had a puzzled look on her face.

"Williamson. As in William's son?" Reid explained.

"For your father." She smiled and shook her head. "Reid, did you pull this out and add things to it?"

"Yeah."

"Why? You had to know it would cause a stir."

"That's why. I was recruited pretty hard for the FBI when I was in college. I expected I would have to talk to a lot of people when I resigned. Except it was only the team who talked to me."

"So, what, this was a cry for attention?"

"It made me think maybe the FBI was told not to raise a fuss. Like maybe other government agencies wanted the opportunity to recruit me. Maybe in a few months. So I wanted to talk to them directly. I figured if they were working on something like this, they would send someone. I didn't think it would be you."

"What if they weren't?"

"But they are. I hope they read the whole proposal."

"Why?"

"Because in the appendix, I argue they shouldn't. The potential for disaster is too great."

"Spence ..."

"JJ, just tell them I don't want any part of government work anymore. Not now. Not ever."

"I wish you had chosen a less controversial way to do it."

"This was fun."

"Yeah, I think Emily enjoyed it."

"How do you know?"

"I talked to her today. She said she especially enjoyed the essay in the back, about the ethics of time travel."

"Yeah, I enjoyed writing that."

"Spence, you do know she loves you, right?"

"Like a sister maybe."

"No Spence. I mean she loves you. You said she didn't try to convince you to stay, right?"

"Right."

"You know why, don't you?"

"Because she respects my decision."

"Because if you're not an FBI agent, maybe the two of you can get together. Maybe the two of you can admit you love each other."

"You're wrong."

"No, Spence. I'm not."


A little while later, Jennifer Jareau was walking to her car in the parking lot. She answered a call on her cell phone.

"So, are you convinced," she asked.

"Yeah. We found the publication. He's a unique sort, isn't he? What was that crap about him being in love with a team mate?"

"None of your business."

"Agent Jareau, I thought we were working together."

"No. I was keeping you from embarrassing yourself. I've already talked to my real supervisor. You'll be hearing about all of this real soon, I'm sure."

JJ hung up the phone and drove away. She thought about what she said to Reid and Emily. True, neither one of them ever really said anything about feelings for the other one. But she was certain Reid and Emily felt that way about each other, they were just too damaged to admit in it the past.