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Dinner with Friends

Reid had never been to Charlie's Grill before Garcia had suggested it. It reminded him a log cabin that someone had expanded with sawdust on the floor. There was an old-fashioned jukebox in one corner, with clear tubing filled with fluorescent colors throbbing with the music it played.

The restaurant was relatively quiet on that Tuesday night. The idea for all of them to go to dinner had been Garcia's suggestion and there was no saying no to her. Except for Hotch and Rossi who had bowed out citing prior commitments.

Reid was sandwiched between Emily and JJ, while Morgan and Garcia sat on the other side of the booth giggling and discussing the menu rather loudly.

"You have to try the prime rib. It's excellent." Morgan was commenting to Garcia.

"No way, if I have to eat here, it's going to be the vegetable plate." Garcia said after making a face that suggested she'd just eaten raw lemons.

"You don't know what you're missing mama."

"You're the one that picked this place."

"I had to, no one else wanted to make up their minds," he reminded her.

Reid was having a hard time concentrating on his menu because the only thing he could smell was Emily's perfume. It was his favorite, some combination of flowers and musk. It was making his head a little fuzzy.

"I think I'm going to have a nice big steak." Emily put in, much to Garcia's disgust.

"I've heard they have great pork chops." JJ added as their server brought the drinks they ordered.

Reid latched onto the beer he had ordered and took a long swallow while their server, a muscular man with blond hair and deep brown eyes asked Emily if they were ready to order. He didn't like the way the man was flirting with Emily, but what could he do about it with Morgan watching him.

He decided on the barbecued chicken and was about to pick up his beer again when Garcia asked him point black why he looked like he'd lost his best friend. He resisted the urge to glare at her only because Morgan was there.

"I'm fine." He managed, keeping his right arm as close to his body as possible while he drank so he didn't accidentally bump into Emily. Why did the booths have to be so small?

"No more thinking about the last case or work. We're here to have fun."

He raised his beer and gave her his best 'placate Garcia smile,' which made Morgan snort over his beer. "Penelope is right, let's leave work out the door and enjoy the atmosphere."

Some country song that Reid didn't recognize came on. He noticed that Emily was humming under her breath with the melody of the tune. She met his eyes and smiled at him for the first time in two days. It appeared she was no longer mad at him about the prostitutes.

He realized that JJ was trying to talk to him. "What?" He said distractedly.

"I asked if you were coming over on Sunday. Henry misses you."

"I suppose so, um yeah, I mean sure I'd love to." He stammered as more of Emily's perfume muddled his head.

He shouldn't have agreed to come out to eat or to let the girls dictate where he sat that night. "I'd love to," he said again, smiling at the thought of his little godson. Henry was growing up so fast. What if he decided, when he was older, that he didn't want his godfather hanging around. Reid didn't know what he'd do if that ever happened.

"What are you thinking about?" JJ asked, jabbing him lightly in the side with her elbow.

Mike the server saved him by bringing out a plate loaded down with potato skins and fried zucchini sticks. He grabbed a zucchini stick, jabbed it in the ranch dipping sauce and shoved it in his mouth. He gagged when the fried vegetable burned the roof of his mouth, and then nearly choked on his beer when he tried to cool the burn.

"Hey," Emily slapped him on the back. "Slow down and chew."

The fact that he wished she'd touch him again, sent his heart into panicked over drive. He reached for a potato skin and ignored Morgan who was grinning at him again.

"Yeah, the food's not going anywhere," Garcia said.

"I'm hungry," he squeaked.

"We're all hungry man; leave some for the rest of us."

They laughed, but at least his skin wasn't humming with Emily right next to him. JJ began talking to him again, telling him all about Henry's latest antics which had everyone in stitches. They were just starting to relax when both Garcia and JJ's phones began ringing

JJ shut her phone saying she had to leave that Henry wasn't feeling well. "What's wrong?" Reid demanded.

"Oh it's nothing, just a little upset stomach. I just think I should go home."

Emily and Reid slid out to let her leave just as Garcia closed her phone and informed she'd just heard from someone in her grief counseling group and needed to leave. "Come on handsome," She grabbed Morgan's arm. "You drove me here and I need a quick ride home."

They left so quickly Reid didn't get a chance to ask what happened. The next thing he knew he was sitting there with Emily. "I guess you're stuck with me."

"Yeah, I mean that's okay."

He found that it didn't matter that it was just Emily next to him. Then she stood up, grabbed her iced tea and her plate with a couple of potato skins loaded with melted cheese. She moved around to the other side of the table, putting Garcia's untouched salad aside. Mike arrived with their orders. Emily that let him know they'd lost half their party to emergency. Reid was still too confused as to why she left him sitting there to say anything. Mike left the chicken for Reid and Emily's steak, and then melted away.

Emily was staring at him. "Hey," she tapped her fork on the table. "I thought I'd move so I can see you when I talk to you."

He wanted to be upset that he couldn't catch whiffs of her perfume, but seeing her eyes boring into his soul made it better. "I'm glad they all left," she said.

"You are?"

"Why do you sound so surprised?"

He shrugged, "It's not like we've spent time together since you got back."

She took a bite of her steak, chewed and frowned. "I deserved that, I guess. I just wanted to give you some time. I know I hurt you and I'm sorry. I said many thoughtless things when I came back. I hoped you'd forgive me, but I don't want to force it."

He poked at his chicken instead of eating. "I want to say that I'm okay, but I'd be lying. I trusted you with my life and you all threw it in my face."

He flinched a little at the way her dark eyes narrowed and went cold.

"I just mean that it's going to take some time, but I do want things to be the way they were even if I know that's not possible. Everything is different now," he said.

Her eyes had cleared a little. She took a sip of her iced tea and put down her fork as he finally took a bite of his barbecue chicken, which was delicious.

"I truly am sorry for what I did, but I'd do it again. I had to protect you."

His stomach turned over at the use of the word, you, even though he knew she was speaking in the plural not the singular.

"Can we talk about something else?"

She nodded and applied herself to her steak. "What do you want to talk about?"

He wished he had the guts to tell her that he liked the way the low light of the restaurant shined on her hair, or the dark green sweater she wore with her navy jacket and slacks. He just didn't get how she always managed to look professional and have her clothes hug her body the way she did without much effort. It was as if the clothes she always wore were made just for her.

"What are you thinking?"

He looked up at her, his food forgotten for a minute because she was staring at him with something in her eyes that sent his heart to pounding again.

"I was just thinking -"

He didn't know what to say. Oh God, if only he could think of something smooth. Everything was so conflicting and confusing about her. He wanted so much to tell her how he felt about her, but he still felt so much betrayal at her actions.

"Yes?"

"I was thinking about the case and why you were so mad at me."

"What are you talking about?"

He lifted his eyebrows at her snappy tone, "About the hookers. You were so mad. I've never seen you that rude on a case. You act like I did something wrong."

"I don't want to talk about this."

"I want to," he argued. "How am I supposed to know how to act if everyone just teases me about something I don't have any control over?"

Emily dropped her fork with a clatter. "So it's okay for you to be mad, but it's not okay for me to get upset when you don't get your own appeal and you don't see what's right in front of you. I can't believe how blind you are, damn it!"

"Emily?"

He couldn't believe how fast the tone of the conversation had turned. He looked around to see if the couple on the other side of them was listening, but they were too much into each other. Why couldn't Emily look at him the way the woman was looking at the man in that booth?

"Spencer Reid, would you pay attention for once"

He jerked, dropping barbecue chicken on his lap and staining his brown corduroy pants. "What?"

"I give up!"

She slid to the other side of the booth's bench and stood up with her bag. "I was glad when the other's left. I was going to tell you I'd do what I did to you a thousand times over. I care for you Spencer Reid, and I'll do whatever it takes to protect you no matter how pissed off it makes you, so get over it."

She hurried out of the restaurant without another word, leaving him with his mouth open and the realization of two things… He was blind and stupid, and he'd been stuck with the check.