Reid sat on the FBI's elevator floor in an attempt to make himself as comfortable as possible. He knew that nothing could make the situation any better – things had been awkward and tense between him and Jennifer for a couple of weeks. It was both of their faults; that he could concede though he would never admit it aloud to anybody.

"So what did you want to talk about?" JJ asked stiffly and ignorantly, opting to ignore her friend's advice, instead leaning against the far wall of the elevator. It was the wall furthest away from the only other occupant as though the space could somehow protect her.

"Us." The reply was immediate and almost lightly spoken but both Spencer and Jennifer knew how heavy, how weighted the subject actually was. It had practically become taboo for them now.

"Spencer…" The blonde began, hesitance laced in her tone as she stood up straight from the wall. Trepidation and fear was written all over her face and Reid couldn't help but think how openly expressive her face was… But then he also knew she was more than capable of controlling herself when she needed to. It was hard for him understanding that she could close herself off just as easily like she did when Prentiss 'died' at the hospital because JJ was right - he didn't see it. He'd never thought she'd be able to manipulate or lie to him like that until he found out she could. When looking back he did believe the look of anguish on her face as a look of remorse for what she was about to do to him but it was still a choice and he still wasn't sure whether he completely forgave her. Maybe that was why, he reasoned, he was so hesitant to believe she had feelings for him. That was until Will had showed up at his apartment of course.

Spencer sighed heavily. He'd felt like he'd lost one of his best friends over the past weeks and it didn't sit well with him. The younger man looked over at the woman he had always admired for a moment before speaking once more. "Look, it's a subject we need to discuss. It's not doing either of us any good ignoring it and the sooner we both say everything that needs to be said the sooner we can move on and stop this game we're playing avoiding one another. We're not children, Jennifer. You started this by saying you had feelings for me in our first late night elevator chat so we should go from there given I've had time to compartmentalise."

His elevator buddy slid down the wall and into a seated position with a sigh of defeat. "Okay. What do you want to say to me, Spence?" She crossed her legs and looked across the small space trying to muster up a confidence she didn't feel.

"You've had feelings for me since we went to the Redskins game but because I didn't pursue you further you gave up and dated Will instead?" Spencer asked his tone matter-of-fact.

"I liked you before that, since I joined the team really. I think Gideon knew and that's why he got you the tickets." The confession was as clear as the accusation. "I dated Will because I thought I might be able to get over you that way. He was a great guy, he liked me, wanted me and you… didn't. I was sick of putting myself in your way and not getting noticed, it was embarrassing and hurtful. I didn't intend for our relationship to get so far so quickly."

"You had a child and married him JJ!" Reid's voice was like whiplash to her.

"I know!" Her voice was equally loud, equally stressed. "The condom broke and we had a case the next day… I forgot to take the morning after pill. I was naïve enough to think that it'd be fine. But I don't regret Henry, not for a second. I would never take him back, not ever. As for marriage, Will had been asking me for years and he almost died! I just… It was a moment of relief and Rossi overheard and then we were married." Tears ran down her cheeks as her eyes begged for the genius to understand.

"You're not anymore though. Married I mean." Reid stated and watched his friends eyes widen and then fill with apology.

"Who told you?"

"Does it matter?" He asked her. "What matters is that you didn't tell me. I should have heard it from you, Jennifer not anybody else. You. If I mattered to you at all then the first thing that you should have told me when you told me how you felt should have been that you and Will are done. That is not a side note. You should know me well enough to know that I would never compromise my integrity like that and nor would I be a party to infidelity." His look of disgust was her undoing.

"That wasn't my intention!" JJ crawled towards him to sit in front of him. "I promise you, Spence. I was going to tell you and then you were always so mad at me and I couldn't… I didn't want you to think that it'd happened as a result of the elevator situation when it had actually happened before that. I just, you probably wouldn't have believed me and then with Henry and…"

"Why did you tell me you had feelings for me?" Spencer asked, interrupting her. He wanted to comfort her, wanted nothing more if he were honest with himself. Watching her hurt for her son, for him and herself was making him hurt and he wanted to take her into his arms and hold her but he knew he couldn't.

"I needed to. I couldn't keep it in anymore, Spence." The agent told him in earnest. "I'd been keeping that secret for too long and I needed you to know. I'm sorry that you found out the way you did and it led to us being the way we are now but I'm not sorry I told you because I don't have to pretend anymore. Like it or not I am in love with you Spencer Reid – all of you and I have been since the day I met you and you stumbled over all those facts to impress me."

Reid laughed quietly as he rolled his eyes at his younger self. It was impossible for him to think he was so much more awkward then. "It was Will who told me that the two of you aren't together anymore." JJ choked on air as her eyes widened. "He came to my apartment asking if I was in love with you. You told him you were and always would be in love with me. He told me you wished that Henry was my son which is the real reason that I'm his godfather. Will's a tremendous father…"

"I know he is." Jennifer interrupted quickly. "I dream sometimes of… having kids with you. I think that's where he gets it from." At the quirk of Reid's eyebrow JJ blushed. "I can't control what I dream about okay! Let it go would you. Your being godfather was a mutual decision because there's nobody we would trust more with Henry than you."

Reid looked at his friend closely, weighed the insight he had gained against what he knew already and what he had wanted to say. It wasn't what he had expected when he told her he wanted to speak with her but that was a good thing. He had gotten more than he had wanted.

"Jayje, I think you and Henry need some time on your own. You need time to adjust without Will and without another man in your life. I can't be that guy – a rebound or a replacement. I won't be that guy." Spencer told her wincing at her crushed expression as a tear slid down her cheek. He carefully wiped it away with his thumb and kissed her forehead gently, just a ghost of a touch. "This transition needs to happen – Henry needs to get used to life with just the two of you and you need to be able to cope independently. You need to heal and Henry needs to heal – you loved him Jayje, maybe not as much as he loved you but you loved him, and Henry needs to adjust to not having his Dad around everyday." He pulled her to his chest and held her as she cried.