"You really thought we didn't know already?" Morgan laughed, shaking his head. "Come on, Reid. Your tells are easier to read than a bad poker player."
"And yet I'm still banned from every casino on the West Coast," Reid responded defensively, tucking his hazel-brown hair behind his ears. "So how is it that -"
"Tells in love are different," Garcia interrupted, her hot pink lips pursed in a smirk. "I've known about your little crush on Emily ever since she walked through those doors, like some perfectly-proportioned raven-haired goddess from another world."
"Me, too," echoed JJ.
"Me, too," added Rossi.
Spencer turned to Hotch, his eyes questioning. Hotch, the only one who had maintained a stoic silence throughout the initial confession regarding their relationship and the ensuing discussion that followed.
"I knew about your attraction to Agent Prentiss," Hotch said quietly, looking down. "As long as your emotions didn't interfere with your job - and, as far as I could tell, they didn't, until this last case - I overlooked it. For your sake."
"And now?" Spencer wanted to know, his eyes drifting over to Emily, sitting at her desk in the bullpen, immersed in paperwork and seemingly unconcerned about her team's sudden gathering in Hotch's office.
"Do you want me to be completely honest with you?" Hotch responded.
He nodded.
"Your relationship has compromised this team already. I can't speculate about the level to which it would do so in the future, but I am unwilling to take that chance." Hotch paused. "Both of you are exemplary agents and it pains me to say this, but there are many job opportunities elsewhere, for which I will, of course, provide an outstanding recommendation. And I will do you the courtesy of leaving it up to you."
"... of leaving what up to me?" asked Spencer, confused.
"Not just you. Both of you. I will leave it up to you to discuss this and to decide which of you will be leaving the BAU."
Spencer's heart dropped. He couldn't imagine working anywhere else. This was his family: had been long before Emily had ever arrived and - he'd always assumed - would be even if Emily ever left. But how could he ask that of her? How could he stay with his team, with their team, who had become so much more than just fellow agents? Who had become real, genuine friends?
When Emily walked into the room, he was so deeply immersed in his thoughts that he didn't even notice her presence until she spoke, clearing her throat as she stood next to him. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything, sir," she said to Hotch.
"Reid will fill you in," he responded, a glimmer of guilt flickering in his eyes.
"OK, well, then ... I just wanted to give you my letter of resignation."
Garcia gasped. Morgan blinked rapidly, shaking his head in confusion. Rossi smiled to himself. JJ lowered her eyes. Even Hotch seemed taken aback for a moment.
Spencer could only stare, open-mouthed, disbelieving the words he'd just heard.
"I've been recruited by Homeland Security," she explained, gesturing with her hands. "My linguistic skills are an invaluable asset to them, and they've been looking for someone fluent in several Arabic dialects for quite some time now. I'll be staying in DC, investigating home-grown terrorists, so I will still be able to see all of you. I wouldn't have it any other way."
Despite her clearly-rehearsed, professional speech, Rossi looked at her knowingly and broke into a wide grin as he remarked, "Now that's true love."
"Ex-excuse me?" she stammered, visibly taken aback.
"We know about you and Spencer!" Garcia squealed, pushing through the circle surrounding Hotch's desk to envelop her in a massive hug. "And we're so happy for you!"
"Oh! I ... I don't know what to ..."
"Don't say anything," Garcia interjected excitedly. "Just promise me that we'll still have Girls' Night Out and that you'll still come to dinner at Rossi's and that you'll invite us all to the wedding ..."
"Woah, woah," Emily took a step back, raising her hands defensively. "I don't think we're there just yet ..."
Spencer blushed and tried to suppress a smile at the word 'yet.'
"Well, go on," Morgan nudged Reid. "Kiss her, you idiot."
And cautiously, with the entire team watching and despite his fear that she might push him away respond coldly to avoid displaying their relationship in such a public way, he did it. He kissed her.
Not only did Emily kiss him back, but she cupped his face in her hands and stroked his temples as their mouths opened against one another.
When they finally broke apart, she stared directly into their eyes and, unblinking, declared - loud enough for the team to hear over their raucous cheers - "I love you, Spencer Reid."
He didn't break her gaze for even a moment, avoiding the instinctual impulse to look down at his sneakers, and replied, "I love you, too, Emily Prentiss."
As the rest of the world faded into the background, a combination of all five senses and an additional, more profound sense than even Spencer himself could define, suddenly and rapidly surged through him.
It was the sense of true love.