Disclaimer: see my profile
A/n we're jumping forward in time. As this is a story about an alternate future for JJ and Reid, I decided not to deal with the episodes that aired during her maternity leave. This picks up just before Cold Comfort.
A/n there is dialog lifted directly from the episode and I give credit to the writers of CM for it.
Reid straightened his new tie and smoothed the sleeves of the suit jacket he'd bought. He'd polished his seldom worn dress shoes, and the store had pressed the pants for him before he'd taken home his purchase. He studied his reflection in the mirror and wondered for the fifth time if he'd gone too far. A knock sounded on his door and he realized that it was too late now.
"Hello, Spence, I –"
JJ stopped her forward motion into the apartment and whistled. "Damn, you look hot. When did you go shopping?"
"Yesterday, and you really think so."
"Yes," JJ pushed the door shut with her foot and studied his look. He wore a white shirt with a charcoal gray suit and light gray pinstripes. His tie was blood red with a gold and silver pattern that entwined like snakes and was tucked under a matching vest. His black shoes looked like mirrors and she wondered what pair of mismatched socks he wore. "I like it."
JJ grabbed him and kissed him until he was forced to pull away due to serious breathing issues. "Wow, I've missed you," he said, huskily.
"I've missed you, too. All these weeks without you have been torture."
Reid backed away from her as she began to unbutton her black coat. He reached for something on the entryway table and held out his hand as she revealed her dress. It was a single blood red rose that perfectly matched the scarlet halter dress she wore. "Happy Valentine's Day."
"Oh, Spence, it's gorgeous."
"Not as beautiful as you, Jennifer. Words fail me."
He took in her dress which stopped two inches above her knees. She'd paired it with matching red heels that lifted her five inches off the ground and were composed mostly of straps of fabric, which exposed her toes, painted red to match. Her lips were scarlet, and she wore her golden hair down. He saw that she'd cut it and it framed her face, gorgeously. She wore gold studs in her ears and her eye makeup was smoky and dark. He realized that she didn't wear pantyhose and he began to feel distinctly light-headed at what might be under her clothing.
"God, I want you," He breathed and reached for her.
Her hands cupped his backside as he trailed soft kisses from her mouth to her neck and down to her exposed cleavage. "Spence," she breathed and reached up to tangle her hands in his wavy hair.
She tugged hard and he groaned. "Can't wait."
"Me either," she whispered in his ear then licked his lobe.
"Jennifer!"
He picked her up and her skirt shifted to reveal her red lace panties and he thought he might lose control for the first time in months.
"I'm going to take your panties off with my teeth," he informed her as he carried her to his bedroom.
"God, I hope so. You're wearing too many clothes. Let's see what we can do about that."
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"You hungry," Reid asked about an hour later as JJ curled into his left side.
"Starved, actually."
"Good because I took Garcia's advice and learned to use a food service delivery app she loaded on my phone. Accounting for the possibility that we'd make it to bed first, and for normal traffic patterns, weather, and speed, I told them to deliver it in, five, four, three, two, one."
Someone knocked on the door and JJ's mouth fell open as Reid slid from the bed, pulled on his robe and said. "Hold that thought."
She lay back and laughed with delight at his ability to surprise her, and at the brief sight of his amazing body before he tugged on the robe. After a few minutes, she heard him returning and with him the wonderful scents of her favorite gnocchi from Fellini's Restaurant.
"Oh my God, thank you."
"You're welcome. I thought you might like this after your flight."
She reached for the robe she always kept at his place and pulled it on. They ate in bed and talked. She enjoyed the browned butter, broccoli and nuts with her dish, and she stole bites of his cheese and sausage ravioli in fettuccine sauce. He'd got salads, cheese bread and cheesecake with strawberries.
"I'm going to sleep so well after the carbohydrate load and fantastic sex. Thank you, babe."
"You're welcome. I love you and I don't like to see you exhausted and stressed."
She smiled for him. "I'm a little tired, but mom is finally healed. Her cast is off, and she's down to the last two weeks of physical therapy, but she'll be fine. Aunt Becky's there and will take over until her therapy is done."
"Why do you look unhappy," He inquired as he watched her lovely eyes.
She swallowed a bite of cheese bread. "Because Aunt Becky is trying to talk her into bringing a lawsuit against the girl that hit her. Mom doesn't want to, she says we're a litigious society and she doesn't want to contribute to clogging up the courts."
"It's up to her," Reid shrugged. "No one can force her into something she doesn't want to do. I learned that much from staying with you for a week."
She grinned at him. "Yeah, mom is independent. She likes you, Spence. She told me after you left that she was glad I'd finally figured out that Will wasn't for me and to take a chance with you. She said that she knew from the way I talked about you that I was in love with you for a long time before I consciously realized it. I'm glad she was right and that we're here."
"Me, too."
They finished their meal, made love again, and held each other until sleep took them to the realm of dreams that might come true.
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JJ woke two days later, to find it snowing. She sighed and pulled on her favorite jeans and a white sweater. She padded out to the kitchen and began to make a cup of tea. As she pulled out her box of oolong, she noticed the ring on her right hand. Spencer had given it to her for Valentine's Day. He'd gone back to Williamsburg and bought what he called a gimmel ring. It was sterling silver with two bands coming together to form clasped hands that opened to reveal a hidden third band with a heart. Spence had said it was traditionally an Irish wedding ring, but that women wore them for many different reasons.
"Oh, Spence, it's beautiful."
He smiled as he removed it from its box. "I know that we're not ready for marriage, but I thought you could wear it as a symbol of love and that I think of you as my best friend. You'll always have my heart no matter where we go."
She smiled over the memory and the kiss shared with him. She'd wear it every day. Then she sighed and realized that the team would notice the addition, and it was probably time to tell them about her relationship with him.
"Hey," JJ greeted when her man answered the phone.
"Hi, Jennifer. Please don't say we have a case."
"No, but I was thinking about you and looking at the ring you gave me. I don't want to hide it, but if I wear it every day –"
"The others will ask about it," He finished for her. "Yeah, I thought about that when I bought it. I think it's time, Jennifer."
"I agree. Let's tell them tomorrow."
"Okay," He said with a sigh. "It'll give me twenty-four hours to prepare for Morgan's teasing and Garcia's enthusiasm."
She laughed delightedly. "Don't worry, I'll be right there with you."
"True," he said, and she could hear the smile in his voice.
"Okay, well I have tons of errands to do, not to mention laundry. I'll talk to you later."
"You're right, it's time to act like responsible adults and do our chores."
She rolled her eyes and laughed when he said. "I saw that."
"I'm not going to ask," she said.
"Better not. Goodbye, Jennifer."
He hung up on her and she shook her head. His new-found confidence since they'd begun to date filled her with happiness and some annoyance when he turned into a smart-ass every now and then. Morgan better watch his back, she thought and grinned. He might be surprised how Reid reacts to his teasing.
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Reid walked calmly into the break room with his first cup of coffee and his purple scarf over the shoulders of his favorite brown corduroy jacket. "Hey Reid," Garcia greeted. "We need a DOB on Prentiss."
"Ah 7:12 am, October 12th 19-"
"Hey," Emily cut him off.
"Libra, I should've known."
Reid watched as Emily listened to Garcia read her horoscope and from the look on her face, he thought the words hit a bit of a chord. He nearly laughed when Emily gave Garcia the finger. JJ strode in and gave him a look. He nodded and she greeted the occupants of the break room.
"Hey, you guys, ready to gather,"
"Well look at you, Miss Thing, the first day back and you're all business."
"Its either dive right in or, confront my separation anxiety. I know mom is fine, but it was tough to leave her alone after the accident."
Garcia reached out and took JJ's hand. "Oh hey, look at that. It's new right."
"Yes, um, Spence gave it to me."
Reid nodded and stepped forward. He took JJ's hand and squeezed. "I gave it to her three nights ago."
"Wait," Garcia squealed. "You two are engaged."
"Slow down, Pen," JJ said over a laugh and Morgan's congratulations.
"We're not engaged," Reid said. "We are dating."
"But, that is an Irish wedding ring," Emily commented. "It's beautiful."
"It is," JJ said, "And it has a meaning that's between Spence and me."
"Wait," Morgan said held up a hand. "How long?"
"Since New York."
They all fell silent, then Emily picked up the newspaper and left the room. Reid, JJ, and Morgan followed, leaving Garcia with Kevin. "It's about time," Kevin said, and Garcia smirked at him. "Yep. Come on, let's get to work."
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Reid found JJ sitting at a table near one of the huge windows in Quantico's cafeteria. She stared at a green salad and a chunk of cornbread she'd bought but hadn't touched.
"Hey," he said and sat with his coffee cup and a ham and cheese sandwich. "I was looking for you. Everything all right."
She met his soulful and concerned eyes. She never saw judgment in his hazel orbs when he looked at her and she wondered how he could be so gentle and so free of guile.
"I'm okay, just a little irritated with myself."
"Why?"
"Because I let our last case get to me. I don't believe in psychics, but you can't argue with what we saw. We found our victim near a rocky shore, just as he said. He knew about this," JJ held up her hand. "He touched it and said congratulations. Before you say that so-called psychics are hyper-observant and can glean facts from almost nothing, I'll remind you what profilers do."
"Jennifer, that's different –"
"I know," and she shook her head when he smiled at her and he saw a bit of teasing light in her eyes. "The point is that he knew from the letter, where we'd find her. How, Spence?"
"I don't know, Jennifer. There are some scientists that think we all have a sixth sense or psychic abilities that are a throwback to when we needed to be completely aware of our environment and any dangers, an early warning system if you like. We don't need the sense anymore so most of us never develop it."
"What do you think?"
"I believe in profiling, and I believe that there are rare individuals that can see beyond what our eyes show us."
"Rossi let me have it earlier. He told me a story about a psychic on a case that led them in the wrong direction and a boy died."
Reid sighed. "Want me to talk to him."
She gaped at him then she interpreted the expression on his face and laughed. "Funny."
"I get how he feels, but Jennifer, just because he's a skeptic doesn't mean you should be. What you believe is only your business, not Dave's or mine or anyone."
"He said to keep it out of work."
"Well, he may be right only because we have to rely on evidence –"
"And profiling," JJ said with a bit of irritation.
"Gideon said the one weapon we have is a thorough and accurate profile."
"I agree, Spence. All right, I will return to sanity and eat my lunch before Hotch comes looking for us."
Reid let her move on from the topic because calm had returned to her blue eyes and she smiled at him.
"Speaking of Hotch, he's the second reason I came looking for you. He and Rossi had a sit down with Strauss. We can stay on the team if we maintain our professional demeanor."
"She agreed without a fight."
"I wasn't in the room, but reading between the lines, I'd say it didn't take much to convince her. She knows how good we are together."
JJ snorted laughter and Reid rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean."
"Yes, I do," JJ said and touched the ring on her hand.
"Eat your salad. You need your strength."
"Yes, sir."