A/N: Usual disclaimer still applies

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When he was about to leave the sheriff's station, Reid ran into John Hamil. They stared at each other for a few moments. John glared at Reid. "I bet you're happy I'm off the case."

"Yeah, I am. I'd be happier if Garcia was charging you with assault but she is a nice woman and she's being kinder to you than you deserve."

"You never know, maybe she likes me."

"You wish, dream on John, just stay the hell away from her," Reid said as he brushed past John and headed for the vehicle.

"Oh, I'll stay away from her all right."

Garcia had locked up her computer and was about to leave the conference room when she bumped smack into Colleen. "Oh hi Colleen, we're just heading out. Have a nice evening."

As Garcia passed Colleen, the young girl said, "I'm sorry about what happened to you today. John is a jerk."

"Yes he is and he was totally misreading the situation. He thought I was coming on to Reid, he doesn't realize I'm just like that. Poor sweet Reid, I felt so sorry for him having to take me in last night. I mean I love the guy but not like that. He's my friend, like a younger brother. I'd do anything for him but we're not like that. That ass was accusing me of sleeping with Reid. Can you imagine me and Reid? Oh that is so funny. See you tomorrow."

As she got into the SUV, Reid said, "What took you so long?"

"Oh sorry, I just had to fix something before I left," she said smirking to herself.

The trio got back to the motel and Reid and Garcia went to his room to retrieve her things and move them to the room now vacated by the sleepy trucker. As they were finishing with Garcia's things, Sherry came in and handed Reid a note saying it was left for him at the desk. Reid opened the note looking puzzled before folding it and putting it in his pocket.

"What was that about?" Garcia asked.

"Oh nothing important, good night Garcia."

"Good night Reid."

Reid went back to his room, showered and changed, looked at the note again and left the room and headed for the SUV.

He arrived at the diner shortly after that and went in. There were no customers, in fact, it seemed like no one was there. "Miriam," he called out but got no response. "Miriam," he called a little louder this time. Still no response. What was going on?

"I'm glad you came, I didn't know whether you would." He turned to see Colleen coming from the direction of the kitchen. She walked over to the door of the diner and took the sign that said open and turned it around, locked the door and turned to the other occupant of the room, who now had a look of total puzzlement on his face.

"Boy I bet people don't see that look on your face very often," she said alluding to his puzzled expression.

"I uh," Reid stopped, momentarily speechless. Colleen looked beautiful. She was wearing an emerald green dress, low cut and tight fitting on top then flaring out around her hips. It had spaghetti straps and contrasted with her pale skin. Her hair had been freed from its braid and was cascading down her bare back and around her shoulders. Her eyes were bright with a sparkle Reid didn't think he'd noticed before and her full lips, lightly brushed with lipstick, were upturned in a delightful smile.

"I wanted to apologize to you for the way I acted over the last two days. You didn't do anything wrong and you didn't deserve the way I treated you."

"Oh that's okay," Reid said, his voice coming out with something of a squeak. He couldn't take his eyes off her.

"I thought maybe I'd make it up to you by making you dinner. Why don't you come over here and sit down," she indicated a round booth in the corner and Reid noticed that it was set for two, complete with candles and wine.

Reid didn't move and Colleen was concerned that he was angrier with her than she thought. She touched his arm and he said, "Yeah okay, thanks," and moved towards the table and sat down.

Colleen lit the candles and turned the lights down and on her way back turned on a CD player and soft light rock music filled the diner. She came back to the table, poured some wine in the glasses for each of them and sat down opposite Reid.

Back at the motel Gideon responded to a knock on his door to find Kyle standing there. "Hi Gideon, Miriam and I were wondering if you and Miss Garcia would like to come to our home for dinner."

"I'd enjoy that Kyle, what about Reid?"

"Apparently he's doing something else this evening. So do you want to ask Miss Garcia to join us?"

Gideon knocked on Garcia's door and she readily agreed to dinner at the Rutherford's. When they got into Kyle's car, she asked, "Where's Reid?"

"He has another engagement, I understand." Gideon responded.

"Oh," Garcia said as her lips curled in a slight smile. "Isn't Miriam working at the diner tonight Kyle?"

"No, it's closed for a private party and they didn't need her to cook for them."

Garcia had a feeling she knew just who was in that private party and she hoped they were having a good time.

Colleen was not succeeding in getting Reid to talk. He answered her questions with one or two word responses and Colleen was starting to get concerned.

I know he's much more talkative than this. He must be really mad at me and is just trying to be nice. Maybe he doesn't like me in this dress. Is my hair not okay? The music probably isn't right. Maybe he doesn't like wine but he seems to be drinking it. I refilled his glass twice already. Of course, he's a big city boy and I'm just a hick town girl. Why would he be interested in me? I'm totally inexperienced. I've never been with a man and he's probably been with so many girls that this little seduction is a joke to him but he's too nice to laugh.

Colleen said, "I'll go get our dinner now," and stood up to go into the kitchen, refusing Reid's offer of help.

Oh God, she is so beautiful. Why can't I be like Morgan and know just what to do and say in these situations? She probably thinks I'm this total bore. Oh God my hands are so sweaty and shaky, they haven't felt like this since rehab. I keep drinking the wine so she won't notice. I have to stop that or I'll end up drunk and won't that be wonderful. She probably has guys after her all the time, so she's used to their attention and guys being cool to her. I wish I knew how to be cool. I have no idea what to say. Maybe if I talk about the case. Oh great idiot, go on a date and talk about skeletons and exhuming dead bodies, aren't you a barrel of laughs. Oh God, here she comes, quick think of something witty and amusing to say!

Colleen returned to the table with salads and put one in front of each of them. "Thanks," Reid said as she sat down. The both looked at each other for a moment and then each decided it would be less awkward if they ate. They each reached for the salad dressing cruet and it fell over spilling onto Colleen's emerald dress. Colleen jumped up wiping her dress with her napkin. Reid was apologizing profusely for spilling the dressing on her.

"Colleen, I'm so sorry this is all my fault, I was so nervous and my hands were shaking so badly that I knocked the salad dressing on your beautiful dress."

At the same time Colleen was saying, "I'm so sorry, I'm such a klutz and now look, I've ruined everything." Tears were flowing down her cheeks.

They stopped and looked at each other, he at her teary face, her at his look of total embarrassment and panic and they started to laugh and both said at once, "You should see your face."

"Please don't cry," he said wiping her tears with his thumbs. "Why are you crying, everything is so beautiful."

"You hardly said two words, I thought you didn't like it and were really mad at me."

"I'm sorry you thought that. I guess I have a confession to make. I have only been on one date and that didn't go very well and I'm kind of an idiot around women and I never know what to say. I mean I can give a great recital on virtually any subject and I can spout off any kind of statistic you want but when I have to talk to someone of the female persuasion all of a sud…" he said no more as Colleen's lips met his, she put her arms around his neck, pulled her lips from his briefly and said "then maybe you better not talk," and kissed him again. He wholeheartedly agreed with this train of thought as he put his arms around her and pulled her closer.