The usual disclaimers, and all that jazz.

Shock.

That was all Michelle felt was utter shock. God, I must be dreaming, or hallucinating. There was no way this was real. That Spencer Reid, her best friend and secret passion, was kissing her in the doorway to his bedroom. And even as she found herself kissing him back, she knew there had to be some catch; there was no way... She pulled away from him, and Reid looked panicked.

'I'm sorry—that was too—I shouldn't have—I'm sorry—' He stammered, and she realized it was reality; only the real Reid would stammer like that. 'I really—I should have—'

'Spencer, shut up for a second.' Michelle said firmly, grabbing him by the arm, and seating him on the bed. 'You just really... surprised me, okay? I wasn't expecting that.'

He opened his mouth to say something—probably an apology—but she stopped him with a pointed look. She just had to say it; no more beating around the bush. Just honest.

'You surprised me, because I never expected you to kiss me, Spence. And it's a good surprise, because you and I... I always knew I wanted to be more than your best friend, but I couldn't tell you. You weren't ready for what I had to say when we were teenagers, and then it all seemed a little too late. Even after I found you again...'

Reid was looking up at her with such an expression of... amazement; it was as if he was sitting in front of a goddess, not just his oldest, closest friend. Who just so happened to be telling him what in her heart, concerning him, after he'd kissed her. And it was all a little overwhelming. Michelle closed her eyes against tears that were threatening to form from the emotional overload, and felt his hand reach out and grasp hers.

'I always thought you just didn't want me.' He said suddenly, in a low half-whisper. ' You could have anyone you wanted Michelle; why would you want me? And there was always the chance that if I said anything, I'd lose you as a friend. Better you were just my friend than nothing at all. And I probably didn't realize exactly how much you meant to me until you were gone. And it took a long time to admit it all to myself.'

Michelle opened her eyes, and found herself looking directly into his warm brown eyes. God, how those eyes had always sped up her heart; not that she'd ever admitted it to herself before now... What was she supposed to say?

'Why did you choose to "tell" me now?'

He smiled, and turned a bit red. 'You do know other people can hear you when you sing in the shower, right?'

Smacking herself on the forehead, she broke out laughing. Of course! That stupid song... She'd heard it on the radio so many times on and off lately, and had been thinking about it, and how it was like how she felt... 'I knew that song would be the end of me.' She said, getting her laughter under control. Reid was grinning too, and looking less nervous now.

' Is it going to kill you?'

'That particularly bad bit of humour might.'

Sitting down next to him, Michelle dared to lean her head on his shoulder. 'This isn't exactly how I pictured this turning out, you know. Everyone expects this kind of moment to be romantic, but instead, I just finished laughing like an idiot.'

'I don't think that matters so much.' Reid replied. 'Western culture has over-emphasized the idea of romance because it is marketable. There are still many cultures where romantic love is an unattainable dream, and people marry for status, wealth, or power.'

'Way to sap the last hint of romanticism out of the moment.' She teased. 'Now I believe I can guilt you into making up for that little lecture...'

He kissed her again, and this time Michelle was more than willing to respond to it; to savour the fact that she finally had the sweet guy she'd wanted from the start. And the fact that they were now making out like a couple of teenagers struck her as ridiculously funny and ironic. They'd regressed to their teenage selves, and gone back to the start to do it right.

Grabbing Reid's hand from where it rested on her back, Michelle slid it around to her front, and up to be pressed against her sternum; against the beating of her heart. It could tell him what she couldn't say with words. She wanted to let them take this relationship way too fast, and become way too mature; they were making up for lost time, weren't they? And even if she had to literally talk Spencer Reid into bed, she would; because they were far more ready than they needed to be.

The sound of his phone ringing pulled Reid from deep sleep. The night before had seemed like a dream; a surreal, crazy dream involving Michelle moaning his name over and over... But there she was curled up beside him, one naked shoulder peeking out from beneath the covers. The dream had been real; he finally had Michelle. They were together. The phone rang again impatiently, and he glanced at the alarm clock; eight in the morning. This wasn't going to be good.

'Reid.' He answered groggily, and saw Michelle was awake too, rubbing sleep from those startlingly aquamarine eyes.

"It's JJ." She said, sounding far more awake than he did. "We have an emergency case; an Amber Alert in San Diego—three kids snatched in the last twelve hours."

Reid knew what that meant . 'What time are we heading out?'

"Briefing at nine, wheels up at nine-thirty. Garcia's offered to keep Michelle company while we're gone; she can stay with her."

He nodded, then remembered that JJ couldn't see it over the phone. 'We'll be there by nine.'

'Case?' Michelle asked as he hung up the phone, and threw off the covers.

'Amber Alert in San Diego. There are three kids missing.' He grimaced, and started throwing on clothes, then remembered he still needed a shower. They both did; they both still smelled like sex. 'We have an hour to get there.'

'Quick shower, eat toast in the car; I know the drill, Spence.' She laughed, grabbing clothes from her bag, and pushing past him out the bedroom door. 'And for the record, the morning after is only as awkward as you make it. I mean, I've worked with people I slept with before.'

Reid thought about that as they got ready, got out the door, and drove to Quantico. This wasn't really a situation he was used to; being involved with a co-worker. Besides the fact that the FBI strongly discouraged fraternization, there were not a lot of young agents—women agents—that he came into contact with. As he and Michelle boarded the elevator together, he decided they had to get one thing absolutely clear.

'Um, we're not telling the team about us yet, are we?'

She shook her head, a small smile teasing her lips. 'Not yet. Maybe in a month or so when I'm done sticking needles in my veins. Unless something traumatic happens, like you get kidnapped, or shot. Then it might have to come out in a tearful confession to Garcia or Emily.'

'I hope not.' He said, giving her a quick kiss before the doors opened and they had to walk out into the BAU.

Everyone seemed to be flat-out bummed to be there that morning. Their week's break had been ended by a case—a difficult case involving missing kids. It was hardest whenever it was kids, especially on Hotch and JJ. Reid knew they must think of Jack and Henry most on days like these. Being a parent tended to add to the burden BAU agents bore.

After downing three cups of crappy federal coffee, Reid felt he was awake enough for the briefing. Filing into the conference room after the others, he watched Michelle lean her crutch against the wall, before sitting down. It had been decided she would be there as a criminal psychology consultant, and would keep in touch with them via webcam with Garcia.

'Three children taken from their beds in San Diego last night.' JJ began, pulling up photos on the screen. 'Jamie Prescott, age 5; Harry Newton, age six; and Mike Fielding, age 5. Different neighbourhoods, different appearances, but all taken from their bedrooms through open windows with slit screens.'

'No bodies yet?' Emily asked.

'No, and this doesn't seem like a kidnap for ransom either.' Rossi mused, looking in the file.

'Well, wheels up at nine-thirty.' Hotch said grimly. 'Garcia, Michelle; we'll conference call you when we're in the air.'

As everyone left the conference room, Reid and Michelle hung back. 'Don't let Garcia's fussing get to you, and take care of yourself for me.' He said, squeezing her shoulder rather than risking another kiss.

'Don't worry about me.' She replied. 'Just focus on the case.'

He nodded, and rushed to go get his stuff together; he didn't want to leave her behind just yet, but there was no choice. They had to run off to go fight the evils of the world.

It was ten to ten; they had to have been in the air twenty minutes by now, but they hadn't called. Michelle felt impatient tension in her gut, and yet it was strangely comforting. It was this kind of waiting that had been a large part of her career in White Collar crime. Waiting for the phone-call to be made; for the line to be tapped or the informant to hand over the numbers. Sometimes it had overlapped into organized crime—the mob— and that had been... interesting. But this... anticipation had been missing this last while. She relished it, though appeared outwardly irritated as she sat in Garcia's domain.

'You have to give them about a half-hour after takeoff to get their noses out of the case file.' Garcia was saying as she absent-mindedly played Tetris.

'I know... I just wish I was with them.' She sighed.

'So how was he last night?'

Garcia's question made Michelle's heart skip a beat. How the hell did she know? But she had to play it cool—this was her and Reid's secret. 'Oh that is wishful thinking, Ms. Garcia. Very wishful thinking.'

'Au contraire,' the blonde said with a smirk, switching her attention fully to Michelle. 'You have that lovely radiance of a woman who got it good the night before. So I decided to check the camera footage in the elevator, and saw the good doctor kiss you, on tape. You can't hide from Penelope Garcia, Dr. Soraley.'

Damn; busted. 'Well, Spence and I were hoping to keep this quiet for a while. I mean, it's only been one night; we finally cleared up over a decade's worth of emotions last night. Though I have loved Spence for my adult life to this date, plus most of my teen years.'

She didn't realize she'd been avoiding looking at Garcia till after that little... confession. But one look at the other woman told her that Penelope Garcia wasn't going to tease, or question. 'That is probably the sweetest thing ever.'

'Well, sweet or not, this stays between you, Spence, and myself, okay? Because I really don't want to deal with Morgan, or Hotch, or—god forbid—Strauss.'

'I won't tell a soul.' Garcia promised. 'But now girl-talk must begin. So how was he last night?'

'I don't think I want to answer that.' Michelle said loftily. 'Besides, I don't kiss and tell. They tell—that's why I get written up for fraternization.'

'Do I have to slip you a truth serum into your coffee?'

'Do you have access to a truth serum?'

She faltered for a moment. 'Well... I can ask you while you're high! Apparently you have much looser lips when inebriated.'

She obviously wasn't going to give up. 'Are you sure you want to know this, Pen? Because once you know something, you generally can't un-know it.'

'Tell.'

'You know how some guys are so sure and obnoxious, they're just... cocky? Spence is the absolute opposite, and that made it sweet. Incredible, really.'

Michelle felt heat rising to her face; god, she was actually blushing! Garcia noticed this, and gave her a warm, knowing smile. 'And I bet our sweet Genius Boy talked way too much before and after.'

'He is a talker.' She conceded.

Luckily, it was then that the phone chose to ring. 'You've reached the Center of Utter Female Brilliance.' Garcia quipped. 'Are we ready to rock and roll, kiddos?'

"Garcia, you get worse every case." Hotch sighed. "We're ready to start the proper briefing, if Michelle's ready."

'Absolutely. Let's get started.'

So, not as romantic as I thought this chapter was going to be. But real life isn't always that romantic. Oh, and if you want to see a great movie that's probably the closest to a realistic ending as I've ever seen, go watch (500) Days of Summer. It has Matthew Gray Gubler ;)