A/n thanks again to all who've read and reviewed or added this to your alerts. Feed back is a gift.
Disclaimer: No copyright infringement is intended by the posting of this story. I don't own anything but my own characters.
"That can't be right Garcia." Reid stated his eyes bewildered.
"It is… take a look at all of this," She showed him the family tree she'd mapped out and she was right. It was just too bizarre.
"So the letter found its way to you, that's way too Twilight Zone for me." Morgan told him, slapping him on the back.
"Is there anyone else out there, cousins or aunts and uncles." JJ asked the question Reid wanted to ask but was too afraid to voice. He glanced at her briefly his face full of gratitude. She smiled back at him and squeezed the hand she held.
"No girlfriend, not that I can find, I can dig deeper if you want?"
He tried hard to mask the disappointment in his voice, but he didn't quite succeed. "No Garcia, you've got other things to do that doesn't involve my dysfunctional family. Thanks anyway." He let go of JJ's hand and pushed past Morgan and out of the office.
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Morgan turned to follow Reid but was stopped by JJ's hand on his arm. "I'll go," she said softly and followed Reid out of the office.
"Spence, hey Spence wait up." She ran after him and into the empty conference room. She shut the door behind her and approached him from behind.
He stood still, his back to her, so silent he resembled a statue in a museum. "Baby, I know you're disappointed but maybe you should let Garcia dig further for you, she might find something.
He spoke without turning around. "I d-don't want her to do that, there's n-nothing to find anyway, you heard h-her." His voice was broken like the shattered glass of a window.
"Honey, look at me, please!" She touched his arm and he flinched away like a skittish colt.
"It's s-stupid," he suddenly blurted out the quaver deepening in his tone.
"What's stupid, please Spence look at me; let me help. Don't shut me out again."
He whirled around, he barb reaching its mark. "That was low JJ."
"I'm worried about you, this trip was so strange and yet wonderful and now we know more about your family. I don't blame you for wanting to find someone outside of your own father to care about."
"Is it any use to ask you how you know what I'm thinking?" He asked, the sound of tears in his voice lessening a bit.
"I guess all this time with a bunch of profilers is rubbing off on me. Or it could be that I know you better than you want to admit. She tried out a small smile on him and he returned it briefly.
"I never thought I would ever know anyone on my father's side of my family. I thought they were all dead because he never spoke of them. Now I find out I was right, there's no one left but me."
JJ took his hand and tugged him over to the round table. She pushed him down in a chair and sat down beside him. "It doesn't matter who's out there Spencer. I'm here, we are going to get married and have our own family." She stroked his cheek and wished that he would just let go of the iron control he'd adopted since rehab.
"I know it's silly but I really thought for just a moment in there, that maybe there was someone with the last name Reid that didn't hate me. I don't understand why this is so upsetting to me." He slammed a fist down on the table, causing JJ to jump out of her chair.
"Your father walked out on you and your sick mother when you were ten. You have all the reasons in the world to be completely unnerved by all of this." She risked climbing into his lap. Her arms wound around his neck and she put her head on his shoulder.
"Spence listen to me, just because your father left doesn't make you a bad person." She lifted her head to look into his beautiful eyes and was shocked at the sorrow there. Not since his days of rehab had he looked as lost and forlorn as he did at that precise moment.
"JJ I don't -" he began to say but she cut him off with a look and a finger to his lips.
"Stop blaming yourself, it wasn't your fault."
"I don't blame myself JJ, I know that what my father did was his decision and I couldn't have stopped him if I'd wanted to."
"You say that, but somewhere down inside you is that ten year old boy that lost his daddy for no good reason he could see. You may have been smart Spence, but emotionally you were a child and you didn't understand, part of you still doesn't. The point is that you have to realize we all have our challenges and they pound on us, they shape us and they make us who we are. You are the man I love because of what you endured as a child."
"When did you become an amateur psychologist?" He asked.
"Hello I work with the BAU, if I haven't learned something about human behavior by now there's something wrong with me. She stood and moved to the chair next to him.
"Is that why you bought the painting for me, to remind me that life is a continuous struggle?"
"See now I know you're a smart man Spencer Reid."
He reached over and yanked lightly on a piece of her long hair. "Watch what you say little gir,l or I'll get you my pretty, and your little dog too." This time he was trying for a Wicked Witch of the West accent and again it was a spectacular failure.
"Spence, that was even worse than the Bogie imitation, and anyway I don't have a little dog."
"It's the spirit of the threat that counts," he countered amid her amused laughter.
"That's the lamest thing I have ever heard." Her heart beat fully again at the sight of the genuine smile on his face. She would do anything to keep it there.
"Listen babe, I've got to get to work. I have to find something for you guys to do." She stood and was stopped when he got up and laid a hand on her shoulder.
"Please don't let it be a serial killer this time; I don't think I can handle that today."
"I'll try, but I don't make any promises." She slipped out of his grasp after he kissed her hard and strode out of the room.
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"I lied you know." She said looking at his reflection on the computer screen. He was so new to her that she didn't dare look at him directly for fear that the urge to kiss him senseless would overcome her good sense. She waited so long for him to finally notice her that she didn't know what to do with him half the time. Okay so she knew some things she could do with him, but what about their time together spent out of bed?
"You lied about what? Look at me Penelope… please." He grabbed her chair and turned it around to face him. God, how could she look into those eyes and form coherent sentences from now on? Even her ability to flirt shamelessly with him had deserted her.
"Um… I lied about Reid's family." She told him, looking at the spot directly over his left shoulder.
"Baby girl did you just say um, since when do you use words like that, my silver tongued goddess?" He leant down and placed a finger under her chin to pull her eyes up to his face.
"What's wrong gorgeous, you're scaring me?" He wouldn't let her look away from him.
"I - nothing is wrong beautiful one. Why do you think something is wrong?" Her hands were shaking so she clasped them together in front of her.
"You're shaking and I know you my goddess, now tell me what's going on." She found it impossible to resist those eyes.
"I guess I'm afraid that we don't have anything together but sex." Her face was so hot she thought it might burst into flames. How could she look him in the eye ever again?
Instead of laughing at her, he said, "Don't you think I've thought of that as well? I'm just a profiler, I kick in doors and chase bad guys, you're the smart one. I can pretend to be an online kid to catch a pedophile, but other than that, I don't understand half of what you do with these machines.
She knew she was gaping at him but she couldn't make her mouth close. "Are you kidding, you can get into the mind of an unsub faster than anyone on the team except maybe Gideon, and you know all about bombs and stuff."
"Penelope the point is that we're different but we have things in common, if it wasn't for you I never would have figured out that David Walker was forging Adrian Bale's bombs. Maybe you can show me how you work your magic on these machines."
She was about to answer him, when her computer beeped behind her. She turned and stared for a long time at the info on the screen.
"What is it Pen?" He leaned down to see what she was reading.
"Holy shit!" He exclaimed.
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Hotch rose from his desk and followed JJ out of the room. He'd noted the new ring on her finger, but she didn't mention it to him. He figured she would tell him and the others the news soon enough. He was actually glad that she didn't run around like an infatuated schoolgirl telling all of her friends. That was what he liked the most about her, she was a professional.
He was surprised to see Reid in the conference room ahead of all of them. His red eyes spoke of trouble and he wondered if that was why JJ hadn't mentioned the engagement ring she wore. He hoped there wasn't trouble in paradise this soon, his stress levels couldn't take it.
He sat without commenting on Reid's appearance, and looked at the file JJ handed him and the others, including a guilty looking Garcia who entered the room. He sighed, now that there were two couples on the team, the potential for migraine inducing trouble was astronomical. He hoped that all four of them would leave their problems behind for this case.
Gideon entered last behind Emily, took in the silent currents of trouble, and raised an eyebrow in Hotch's direction. He didn't have to tell his friend what he was thinking, but knowing that Jason was aware of the problems in the room made them easier to contemplate dealing with.
"The grand-daughter of Senator James Black was kidnapped yesterday; the father received a ransom note this morning." JJ said, gesturing to the white board and the picture of the smiling twelve year old with brown curly hair and green eyes.
"Why are we on this, can't the DC police handle it, or the Secret Service?" Morgan asked while he flipped through his file.
"Senator Black was an agent with the BAU when it was in its infancy. He's a personal friend of Assistant Director Sarah Tate and when he called her, she called us." Hotch said, not hiding his irritation.
"Gideon... I don't like us being used by the politicians. I understand the need to find this girl but -"
"I know how you feel Morgan but we're involved now, so let's do what we have to do to find her and get her back so we can get back to our job here." Gideon said, pushing his glasses up on his nose.
"Gideon's right, we have to work this just as hard as any other case." Hotch ordered.
"I'm all for helping the Senator's daughter but before we get into that can someone please tell me why JJ's wearing an engagement ring, and why Morgan looks like the cat that swallowed the canary." Emily asked.
