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'A Force of Nature: Part II'

Chapter Ten

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Sunday afternoon…

"Are you sure Daniel doesn't mind?" Garcia asked.

"Garcia, he said it was okay. I talked to him last night about bringing you to the rink today. Besides it's you, and he'd make an exception for you anyway, no doubt."

"What about his coach?"

"Daniel told me last night when he went back yesterday morning she was so happy to see him she cried, hugged him and told him to never scare her like that again."

"Oh… So, she was really worried about him?"

Reid laughed. "I guess so. Despite how they argue sometimes I guess Daniel's almost like a son to her."

"That's nice! I guess Daniel has a lot of people who care about him. So his coach doesn't mind my watching his practice then?"

"He said no. Prentiss and Morgan are going to be there anyway. We're just two more people. As long as we don't interfere he says she's okay with us being there." He laughed. "I guess that means you have to behave, Garcia."

"You know me, Sugar."

"Yes, I do. That is why I said that means you have to behave," he said with a grin.

"You're such a brat sometimes, Agent Reid. I should smack you or something."

Reid laughed again as he pulled the car up outside the rink and parked it. He climbed out and then went around and opened Garcia's door for her. "Ow!" he protested when she smacked him on the shoulder.

"You deserve it," she said, marching up to the door and inside the rink.

Reid followed her inside and said, "Garcia smacked me on the shoulder, Morgan."

Morgan laughed. "How come?"

"Because I told her she had to behave."

"I told him he was a brat and then I smacked him," Garcia said, sitting down next to Prentiss. "Where's Daniel?" she asked, looking around the rink.

"He broke a lace so he had to go in the dressing room to re lace his skates," Prentiss said. She leaned toward Garcia and lowered her voice. "He's been working on the choreography for 'Here I Go Again'. I have to tell you Garcia, that knee slide is to die for."

Morgan sighed. "You ladies are something else. You always have something to say about me looking at women, but it seems like you feel differently when you're looking at guys."

"Hypocrisy," Reid stated simply.

"It is not," Prentiss said indignantly.

"Yeah? What is it then?" Morgan asked.

"It's uh…well, It's not… Oh, never mind!"

Morgan and Reid both laughed. "Okay, I admit it for both of us. We look at guys, we talk about guys, and we look at guys' rear ends… And yes, sometimes it irritates us when you do the same thing with women. So yes, I suppose this is an issue we can be a bit hypocritical about," Garcia said.

"Okay, as long as you're willing to admit it," Reid said.

"I didn't admit it," Prentiss huffed.

"That's because you're stubborn," Reid remarked. Prentiss glared at him and then turned her attention back to the ice when she saw Daniel come out of the dressing room on the other side of the building.

"Penelope! You're here," Daniel called out. He stepped out on to the ice, skated over to their side of the rink and stepped off the ice to hug Garcia. He then sat down next to her and put his arm around her.

"Calm down! I just saw you Friday night," Garcia giggled.

"Of course I remember that! You brought me homemade chili and then after you helped me choreograph my programs you beat me at Monopoly."

"But Reid creamed both of us," Garcia laughed.

"What, again?" Morgan laughed. "You keep this up kid; no one is going to play any kind of game with you."

"If Garcia and Daniel had been paying attention to the game instead of fooling around one of them might have won instead of me. Monopoly isn't my best game."

Morgan laughed again. "What were the two of you doing?"

"They were laughing, poking each other in the ribs and making lists of things they think I ought to purchase when we go shopping in New York City. That kind of thing."

It was Emily's turn to laugh. "What did you decide Reid needed?"

"Daniel is thinking more in the direction of the 'GQ' look, while I'm thinking casual. You know, I think he could use some jeans, tee shirts, that sort of thing."

"No one is asking me what I want," Reid complained.

"That's because you need a stylist Spencer," Daniel remarked. "What you want isn't necessarily what will look good on you." He removed his arm from Garcia's shoulder, gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and then stood up. "Got to get back out there. Watch me, Penelope!"

"Absolutely," she said, giggling again.

Reid sat down dejectedly next to Morgan. "There is no way I'm getting out of this shopping thing, am I?"

"Nope," Morgan replied.

"It doesn't at all matter what I want, does it?"

"Apparently not," Prentiss replied.

"Garcia actually gave Daniel a list of items she thinks I need to buy!"

"I know," Morgan said. "She gave me a copy of the same list."

Reid sighed and shook his head. He knew he wasn't exactly a fashion plate, and though his fashion sense had improved, due partly to influence from Garcia, JJ and Prentiss, he probably could use some new clothes. He just hoped Daniel and Morgan didn't go overboard so that he ended up spending a fortune or maxed out his credit cards. He looked over at Garcia when she let out a squeal. "What?" he asked.

"Splits, he's practicing splits," she sighed.

Morgan shook his head. "Honestly!" Garcia stuck her tongue out at him. Morgan laughed at her and then called out to Daniel, "Garcia is squealing over your splits, Daniel."

Daniel actually blushed a little. "They were her idea in the first place," he called back. He skated back over to where they were sitting. "So Derek, we still haven't gotten you out on the ice. When are you going to come skating?"

"As soon as Reid does."

"Nice try, Morgan! That wasn't part of the deal. Besides, I went skating with Karyn the other day while you were at Daniel's house."

"I know you're lying to me, Reid."

"No he isn't, Derek. He did go skating with Karyn Friday afternoon before he came over to my house for the night shift. If he's willing to risk falling on his butt in front of a beautiful woman, surely you can try it. Olivia has been waiting for you to come by."

"Never mind that, Daniel. Reid, how come you didn't tell me about this?"

"You don't need to know everything about my life, Morgan."

"How else can he tease you if he doesn't know?" Prentiss asked.

"How did it go?" Garcia asked.

"Okay," Reid answered. "We skated, we had some fun afterward. It was a nice afternoon."

"Okay? Is that all you're going to tell me?"

"Yes, Garcia. That is all I'm going to tell you."

"What kind of 'fun' did you have after you skated?"

"Nothing you need to know about, Garcia."

"Come on Reid, give!" Morgan said.

"No."

"I can tell you she added her two cents worth to the shopping issue," Daniel laughed.

"No kidding?" Morgan asked.

Reid sighed. "Yes, Karyn has her own thoughts as to what style of clothing I should be purchasing."

"Like what?" Garcia asked.

"Karyn thinks I need jeans and casual shirts and slacks, but she also said I would look good in an Armani suit," Reid said, blushing.

"Armani? You buy an Armani suit and that's all you'll be able to afford," Prentiss said.

"True, but he sure would look good in it," Garcia teased.

Daniel started laughing, but quickly groaned when he heard his coach calling him. "I've been kind of lazy today. I need to get back out on the ice." He stood up. "Penelope, I'm going to practice a couple of triples, and then I'm going to do a run through of the entire 'Here I Go Again' number. Be sure to watch, because after that we're going to start working on 'Time of My Life'. "

Garcia watched him skate out to the other side of the ice where his coach stood waiting. "I get to see the whole program," she said with a silly grin on her face.

"You'll like it," Prentiss said knowingly.

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Flashback to Friday afternoon…

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Karyn? I have not had a pair of ice skates on my feet since I was seventeen years old!" He looked around the rink at all the other skaters present on the ice.

"Come on, Spencer. You'll love it. You already know how to skate, and it's not like I'm an expert skater myself. We'll just skate around the edges of the rink and have a little fun. I think it's kind of romantic."

Reid smiled at her. "Okay, let's try it."

The two were at a public session at the same rink in Rockville that Daniel trained at. His training partner Olivia helped them to pick out skates and lace them up. "I sure am looking forward to Daniel coming back to the rink tomorrow," she sighed. "It's not nearly as much fun without him here. He makes me laugh. I miss him!"

"Unfortunately he'll only be around for three days and then take off on a round of interviews and talk show appearances," Reid said.

Olivia sighed. "I know. But I guess he'll be back again in a few days." She smiled and looked at Reid. "So, when is your friend Agent Morgan going to come and skate? Daniel said I should skate with him like he skated with your friend Penelope."

Reid laughed. "I guess he'll do it when Daniel can convince him. He finds one excuse after another to not go skating. I think he's afraid, like me, that he'll fall on his rear end…"

"Oh, you won't fall Spencer! Come on, both of you! Let's get going here, come on!"

Reid made a face and gingerly stood up on the skates he was wearing. Holding on to both Olivia and Karyn he stepped carefully out on to the ice. Olivia stepped away as Karyn and Reid each wrapped an arm around the other's waist. Reid tentatively tried to move forward, and found that it was easier than he thought. It only took him a few minutes to feel almost comfortable on the ice. 'How funny,' he thought to himself. 'People joke about my clumsiness, but I'm out on a sheet of ice standing on metal blades and I'm doing okay. Maybe I'm not so clumsy after all! At least not out on the ice.' After skating for about half an hour Karyn turned toward Reid and wrapped her arms around him. She leaned close to him and kissed him. Though he was slightly taken aback at her public display of affection Reid still kissed her back until the sound of Olivia clearing her throat brought them both back to reality. Blushing slightly Reid and Karyn pulled apart. Reid looked around and noticed some of the other skaters were looking at the two of them and smiling. He looked sheepishly at Olivia. "Um, I think we're done skating for now."

Olivia giggled and helped them both off the ice. "I think you two should go have some fun before you have to go over Daniel's house tonight," she teased.

"I agree," Karyn said. "We have almost three hours." She smiled up at Reid.

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A/N: What do you suppose Reid and Karyn did for almost three hours? I have no idea, but I can use my imagination, can't I? Hee, hee…

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