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A/n hey all here's the next chapter. Thank you all for your reviews and a special thanks to my beta REIDFANATIC for her contributions to this chapter. She really deserves a cowriting credit.

Facing the Music Part Two

Reid's hands shook so hard, he wondered how it was that he didn't rattle the steering wheel off its column as he drove to JJ's home. He also wondered if he should have called her before appearing at her doorstep. He didn't even know if she was home and it was polite to ask if it was okay to visit. He frowned and shook his head. He was very unhappy with JJ and Emily, and courtesy was low on his list of priorities even though he knew better. In any case, it was too late to turn back now. Her house was just to his left. He turned in and parked behind JJ's dark blue Government Issue sedan. That answered his question about whether or not she was home.

His hands stopped shaking when he shut off the engine, but his stomach still churned and his head ached fiercely. He stared through the windshield at the red brick home with black shutters and Henry's toys on the lawn, ready for springtime play. Henry… If Henry was there, he couldn't really have a discussion with Emily. Why hadn't he thought of that before rushing out impulsively to confront Emily? He should have called JJ first.

"Stupid…" He said under her breath. "Why are you so smart about some things and so dumb about other things?"

A tap on the passenger side window made him jump. His heart slowed when he saw Will standing there smiling at him.

Reid grabbed his messenger bag and exited his car. "Hello Will… Um, I didn't tell JJ I was coming, or even ask if it's okay so if you want I can just go."

"Spencer," Will hold up a hand. "I know why you came here. I'm not going to stop you from what you have to do. JJ is a wonderful woman and wife. She's a fantastic mother and my best friend. I know how much this hurt her. I'm not going to lie and say that all of this," He spread his hands wide, "Doesn't bother me. I don't like the fact that my wife works for an agency that makes this kind of deception possible. We've had a rather loud argument about it and we're okay. I'd like to see her okay with you again. She loves you Spencer. I know how much it would hurt her to lose your friendship."

Reid didn't speak or move through Will's speech. His stomach had settled a little, but his headache hadn't let up at all. He tried to choose his words with care because he'd come to like Will LaMontagne very much.

"I suppose I should feel better that she kept this from you as well as us. I don't though… I know it was done out of caring and to protect us, but I can't help feeling betrayed."

"I understand." Will came around the car and leaned against the front bumper. "JJ's spent the last few days wondering if you'll ever forgive her. I'm not telling you what to do because I think you and the rest of your team have cause to be hurt in a way not easily forgiven. I don't know the full details of what Agent Prentiss went through, but I know that JJ did what she did to protect you and most of all to protect me and Henry. She was terrified that he'd learn of her connection to you and use it against Emily. That threat is over now and I'm very glad that it is."

Reid nodded his head slowly. "I am thinking that this isn't the best time. I don't want to upset Henry."

Will smiled. "I'm so glad JJ suggested you for Henry's Godfather. He loves you and you treat him like he was your own."

Reid felt like smiling for the first time in days. "Perhaps I can see him before I talk to the girls. I promise I won't stay long. It's getting late."

"Why don't we go inside? You can say hello to Henry and I'll take him on a short walk. The weather is getting warmer every day so he'll love it."

"Thank you Will."

The former New Orleans detective winked and smiled. "Don't let the ladies freak you out. You say what you gotta say. You'll work it out."

Reid smiled again this time with visible nerves. "Honestly I think I'd rather talk down a murderous un-sub."

Will laughed. "Isn't it funny that women can do that to us when we're supposed to be the strong ones?"

"I think the word I'm looking for is terrified."

"If you get into trouble, you've got my cell number. I'll hurry back as fast as I can."

"That makes me feel so much better." Reid commented sarcastically.

"Come on… Let's go face the ladies."


Reid stayed just inside the door ready to bolt. He hated this feeling of a coming confrontation. He wasn't good at confrontation. He'd spent most of his life avoiding arguments, fights, any type of confrontation because he was bound to lose.

JJ entered the living room at Will's summons and stopped short in front of Reid. Her blond hair was pulled back a ponytail. She wore a dark skirt and a light shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Her large blue eyes were surprised and a bit fearful at the same time, which was something he wasn't used to seeing in her.

"Spence?"

"I'm sorry to burst in on you but I wanted to talk to you and Emily."

"You're always welcome Spence. I just thought that with everything that happened that you wouldn't want…"

She trailed off and flicked her eyes over to Will. "I need to talk to Spence."

Henry appeared around the couch and hurried over to Spencer. "Unca Pence."

Reid crouched down to the boy's level. "Hey Henry… How are you?"

The small boy laughed and held out the toy truck he'd been playing with to Spencer who took it. "Thanks Henry. We'll play later ok."

Will picked up the boy in his arms. "I'm going to take Henry out for a walk." He kissed JJ's cheek. "I'll be back in a while."

"See ya later Henry." Reid said, waving at the boy.

Henry grinned at him showing his white baby teeth. Will put him in the stroller and they left, shutting the door behind him and leaving Reid with JJ.

"Would you like to sit down?" JJ asked.

"I think we can skip the formalities." He said, not moving from his position near the door. "I've been here enough that I don't think that's necessary."

"Fine… We'll stand here and talk."

"I don't like your tone JJ. You're the one that lied to me."

Her blue eyes flashed anger then cooled. "I'm sorry Spence. I didn't do this to hurt you or anyone else on the team. I care about all of you. Hotch and I felt this was the best way the deal with the threat Doyle presented."

Reid's shoulders slumped. He went into the living room and sat down on the couch. "I don't know what you want me to say JJ. We worked together for six years. I trusted you with my life. I can't just get over this and pretend everything is fine. I guess I'm not as good at pretense as you are. I was upset that I didn't get to say good-bye to Emily. I wanted to go find her and say a last goodbye, but you couldn't let that happen could you. You took me in your arms and held me while I cried over the loss of someone I loved." He gave a slight snicker that held only derision and his voice cracked. "Bravo JJ, you did one hell of a job."

She froze for a moment at the coldness of his words, and then joined him on the couch. She squeezed his forearm. "I know… I'm not proud of that. I also know I have a lot of work to do to regain your trust. I love you Spence, you know that right?"

"Regain my trust, what about your trust JJ. If you couldn't trust me, or us, with this, how can I feel that you think I'm trustworthy enough for you to leave Henry's future in my hands? That's why this is so hard." His voice squeaked and broke just a little on the last word. Then he laughed a little. "I remember the first day we met."

She smiled despite her tear-filled eyes. "Me too… I thought Gideon was nuts hiring you. I couldn't believe it when you went off some tangent about something I can't remember. I thought you were weird."

He nodded. "I thought you were too beautiful to be in the FBI. I had a bit of a crush on you for a while. It's good that things turned out the way they did. But I never thought that you'd…"

His large chocolate eyes lost the rage he'd carried into the house. There was only pain and disappointment in their depths. She swallowed hard against the misery that wanted to well up in her throat because she helped put the sorrow in his eyes.

"I'm sorry Spence."

"I know you are. Aren't people always after they've hurt someone?"

They sat there staring at each other until a tear rolled down her cheek. She wiped it away and stood up. "I'll go get Emily."

He nodded his assent as he looked away.

"Yeah, maybe you should do that."


Emily paced her small bedroom. She wanted to go out again and see Reid, but he wasn't in town. Hotch wouldn't tell her where he'd gone. He had just said that Reid was somewhere safe taking a break from all of them. She sat down on the bed and sighed. All of this was her fault. She should've trusted the team with her fears. If she had none of this would be happening.

A knock on her door startled her out of her thoughts. "Come in…"

The door opened to reveal JJ. The sight of her friend's face set her heart racing for reasons she couldn't say. "What is it JJ? What happened?"

"You have a visitor."

"I take it by your tone and your face that it isn't Hotch again." Her hands had started to shake, so she kept them behind her back and clasped together so tightly they ached.

"No… Reid's out front. He's here to see you."

All she could do was nod her assent. She followed JJ out the door and down the hall. The hallway seemed much longer than it should be, but also much shorter. She wanted to see him and she wanted to run away at the same time.

He sat on the couch alone when she walked into the room. His profile was the first thing she saw and her heart lurched. Weeks of waiting and wondering how he'd react to seeing her again, was over.

"Reid," She called out in a shaking voice.

He turned and stood up. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words wouldn't come out. He just stared at her with the expression of someone expecting a blow.

"Hello Emily," he said. "I guess the reports of your death were greatly exaggerated."