A/N: Look at me go! Four chapters in less than a week! I'm almost finished writing the last chapter, so now it's just a matter of posting in a timely matter. And then working like a madwoman on the sequel. :) Enjoy! xox

Chapter Fourteen

"Have a good day!"

Mia smiled and watched the elderly couple leave the store arm in arm before moving to lock the door and shut the curtains. Humming softly to herself, she began tidying the shop, wondering vaguely if the BAU had returned from their latest case yet. She hadn't seen Spencer in three and a half days, and missed him more than she thought was possible. It took a lot of effort to not worry endlessly about both him and Aaron while they were away, and even now the radio silence from both of her favourite men had her heart aching.

When she'd finished tidying things and closing up the cash register, Mia headed for the second floor, grabbed a random book from the shelf, and fell into an overstuffed armchair. She needed to distract herself from the sadness—bordering on unhealthy—that Spencer's absence caused her, and reading was the only sure way she could think of. She'd barely been reading for ten minutes, though, when there was a sudden knock at the door downstairs. So much for escaping reality. Not wanting to deal with any more people for the day she ignored the knock, returning to her book. Moments passed before a second, much louder knock came.

Sighing, Mia set the book aside and climbed to her feet before walking slowly down the spiral staircase. When she reached the door she peeked through the curtains, immediately feeling her heart jump excitedly. Standing there, in the light of the setting sun, his hair rippling in the chilly breeze, a lovely bouquet of brightly coloured flowers in hand, was her beloved Spencer Reid. She would never tire of his showing up unannounced with bunches of pretty flowers in lieu of an apology for his absence.

"You're here!" She exclaimed excitedly as she pulled the door open and threw her arms around his neck. "I missed you!"

Spencer laughed softly, returning her embrace before stepping back and handing her the flowers. "I missed you, too."

Smelling the flowers happily, Mia turned and led the way back into the shop. While Spencer shut and relocked the door, she laid the bouquet on the counter carefully, smiling softly. She turned slowly and found Spencer watching her, his dark eyes glittering with obvious desire. Before she had even a moment to react, he'd crossed the short distance between them, hauled her up against his body, and kissed her deeply. She smiled against his mouth, melting into him immediately. She so loved his very rare take-charge moments.

Within minutes her knit cardigan had fallen to the ground, quickly followed by Spencer's pullover sweater. He was pushing the straps of her dress from her shoulders, she working at opening his button down top, when, as luck would have it, her phone vibrated loudly from the desk behind her. Spencer stopped, his hands on her bare shoulders, breathing heavily. Mia leaned her forehead against his chest with a sigh, willing her phone to shut up. When it continued to buzz annoyingly, she turned and reached for it, ready to turn it off and toss it aside.

"It's Aaron," she breathed upon seeing the photo of her brother and nephew, both grinning widely up at her. Her big brother sure had rotten timing. It was as if he knew what she was up to. "I have to answer it."

Spencer nodded. "Be fast."

She smiled up at him softly before hitting the answer button. "Aaron, hi. You're home?"

"Yeah, just walked in," her brother replied, sounding tired. "Sorry I didn't call while I was gone."

"I'm sure you were busy," Mia shrugged, her eyes shutting and her breath catching in her throat as Spencer began trailing kisses along her shoulder. "It's not your fault. I'm just glad you're okay."

"I'm fine," he assured her. "Look, I know you're probably busy closing up at the shop, and Jess with be here with Jack right away, so I won't keep you. I just wanted to let you know that the Sean is going to be in town tomorrow, so we were thinking we'd do dinner when you and Jack are done at the museum. "

"Um…" Mia was finding it extremely difficult to concentrate while Spencer silently unzipped her dress, his breath hot on her bare skin. "Uh…yeah, okay. Sounds good."

She only half listened as Aaron promised to see her the following evening, hanging up and tossing her phone aside the moment he said goodbye. Returning her full attention to Spencer, she allowed him to tug her dress down so it fell to the floor, pooling about her feet. Not entirely keen on defiling her storefront, Mia grabbed his hand and led the way to her office hurriedly. Spencer grinned excitedly as she pushed everything from her desk with a quick sweep of her arms before turning to eye him suggestively. As he went back to kissing her, his hands exploring her curves appreciatively, Mia got lost in the moment, so unbelievably happy and, she realized absently, completely in love.

"Hey, guys!" Aaron grinned as Mia and Jack burst through the door, both laughing happily. Mia tossed him the keys to the SUV she'd borrowed for the day, and he caught them easily. "How was your day?"

"It was so much fun, Daddy!" Jack exclaimed, hugging his father tightly when Aaron kneeled down in front of him. "I saw the dinosaurs, and Spencer got to feed a giant spider! Auntie Mia was too scared to, though."

Aaron glanced up at Mia curiously. "Spencer?"

"Yeah," she nodded, giving him what she hoped was an innocent smile. "Reid had Henry for the day, and I guess had the same idea I did. We ran into them just after we got there, and the boys were excited to see each other, so we hung out for a while."

Accepting her explanation without further question, Aaron turned his attention back to Jack. Mia let out a quiet sigh of relief at her brother's complete obliviousness. She'd neglected to mention that her day with Jack had included Spencer and Henry from the beginning, and knew that Spencer had done the same with JJ. They'd even been careful to make it seem like an accident to the boys, just in case they decided to mention it to their parents afterwards. They'd spent a lovely day at the National Museum of Natural History, and both boys had enjoyed themselves immensely. Mia had to admit that she'd had just as much fun as the children, exploring the different exhibits and seeing Spencer's own childlike enthusiasm.

"Sean's already on his way to the restaurant," Aaron commented, getting to his feet and brushing his pants off. "You guys hungry?"

Jack nodded enthusiastically, grinning up at his father. Mia smiled. "Starved. The Jack Attack wanted fries from McDonalds on the way home," she said, "But the mean old aunty I am, I made him wait."

Aaron laughed. "Don't worry, bud," he said, ruffling his son's hair, "There'll be French fries at the restaurant we're going to, and they'll be way better than McDonalds. Promise."

While Aaron sent Jack to change into something a bit nicer for dinner, Mia ducked into the guest room to do the same. She shucked the jeans and t-shirt she'd donned for their museum trip and slipped into a simple cream colored shift dress and dark blue cardigan before moving to the mirror to tend to the hair and makeup situation. Her curls were unruly and couldn't be tamed, so she pulled them to the side and secured them in a messy bun, fixed her mascara, grabbed her bag, and hurried to the door, where an impatient Aaron and even more impatient Jack stood.

Despite the rush hour traffic, the drive to the restaurant was relatively quick, and in next to no time Mia was watching Jack launch himself at his favourite uncle. She stood by with a small smile while Sean patiently listened to Jack's yammering for a few moments before straightening and turning to her. He hadn't been able to get time off work long enough to visit, so she hadn't seen him since before her three-year stint overseas. While she loved Aaron with all her heart, and they were certainly growing closer, she'd always been closest to Sean. Their age gap was less extreme than the one she had with Aaron, so they'd managed to connect on a level that she hadn't had with their eldest sibling. Excitement washing over her, Mia beamed and threw her arms around her brother's neck, hugging him tightly. Sean wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close, and the two stood there, in the middle of the crowded restaurant, silently embracing.

"God I missed you, Bug," Sean said finally, taking a step back and smiling at her. "There will be no more living in Asia, got it?"

Mia smiled at the use of her childhood nickname and nodded. "Got it."

Dinner was beyond perfect. Mia hadn't realized how much she'd missed Sean until he was right next to her, talking and laughing and reminiscing, his arm resting lightly on the back of her chair. As she sat there with three of her favourite people in the entire universe, she marvelled at how unbelievably lucky she was. She had two amazing, albeit often overbearing older brothers, an adorable little nephew whom she adored, and a boyfriend she was almost certain she'd fallen madly in love with the moment they met. She'd traveled the world extensively, seen things most people only saw in photos, made friends from all corners of the planet, and yet it was here, with her family and an adorable genius, that she'd found true happiness.

They ate at a leisurely pace, spending much of the evening catching up and simply enjoying each other's company. When dessert was served, Aaron, Sean, and Mia all divided their respective plates into three equal servings, and then traded amongst themselves so that each sibling had a bit of everything, something they'd done for as long as Mia could remember. Despite their insistence that he partake in the family ritual, Jack refused to share his monstrous piece of chocolate cake, and dove into it with such gusto that it came as no surprise when he began complaining of a stomach ache not long later. Aaron signaled for the bill before announcing that it was time to head home and get to bed.

"I don't have to be back until tomorrow afternoon," Sean said, turning to Mia while their brother paid the waitress. "We could go out for a few drinks, if you want. Hang out for a while. I'll just crash on your couch, and catch the train in the morning."

"Yes! That sounds great," Mia smiled without hesitation. She and Spencer had planned to get together when she was finished with dinner, but she was sure he'd understand her need to cancel. "Aaron, you should come. I'm sure Jess would watch Jack Attack."

"You guys go ahead," Aaron said, getting to his feet and helping his tired little boy into his coat. "I don't want to bother Jessica…she never has a weekend to herself. Besides, I get to see you all the time. You and Sean haven't had a chance to just hang out. Go. Have fun."

Hugs were exchanged and promises made to make family dinners a more frequent event before Aaron and Jack climbed into Aaron's SUV and Sean hailed a cab for him and Mia. They chose a quiet little pub not far from Mia's apartment and, while Sean found a table and ordered a round of drinks, Mia excused herself to the washroom. Once safely inside the ladies' room, she pulled out her phone and dialed Spencer's number.

"Hey," he greeted, and Mia could hear the smile in his voice. "How was dinner?"

"It was good," she replied, leaning back against the counter. "Really good, in fact. The only thing missing was you."

Spencer laughed softly. "Where are you now? At home yet?"

"Actually, Sean decided to stay overnight so we could hang out," she told him. "I don't think we'll be seeing each other tonight, after all. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. You never see your brother, I'm glad you get to spend some time with him."

"So you don't mind?" Mia had known he'd be okay with it, but it was still nice to hear. "He'll be leaving before noon tomorrow, so we can spend the afternoon together."

"I don't mind," Spencer assured her. "Let me know when he's gone tomorrow and I'll come over."

Mia thanked him for being so sweet, he promised to see her the next day, and they said their goodbyes. After double checking her hair in the mirror, she turned and headed back out to the dimly lit booth Sean had chosen. As she settled in across from Sean, a waiter appeared and set down a bowl of peanuts, a beer for her brother, and a frozen pink drink of some sort for her. She smiled her thanks up at him and watched him go before turning her attention to Sean.

"What's this?"

"A daiquiri," he shrugged. "Figured you'd want something girly."

Mia laughed and took a sip. "As long as it's not tequila," she commented lightly. "Though, just for future reference, I learned to like beer while I was gone."

"Duly noted," Sean nodded. He took a swig of his beer before leaning forwards, resting his arms on the table. "So, what's his name?"

"Who, the waiter?" Mia frowned, glancing towards the bar, where their waiter stood chatting with the bartender. "I'm not sure. Did he even give us his name?"

"Not the waiter, dummy," Sean smirked. "The guy."

"What guy?"

"The guy you're dating."

Mia's eyes went wide for a split second before she feigned confusion and frowned at him over her drink. "What are you talking about?" She asked innocently. "There is no guy."

"No use lying to me, Bug," he said, his eyes sparkling with laughter. "Aaron hasn't said anything, so I assume he doesn't know. Big brother may be oblivious, but we both know I know you almost as well as you know yourself. Now, spill."

For a few moments, Mia gazed at her drink, running a finger across the sugary rim absently. Sean was right, he'd always been able to read her like a book. Although she'd made an effort to hide her new relationship from both brothers, she wasn't all too surprised that Sean had figured things out. She'd probably made some small comment that, to anyone else, would have gone unnoticed. With Sean, though, there was no going unnoticed. Aaron, being the oldest, had always been the unwaveringly overprotective one. Sean had always been a confidant, had always listened before acting, and had developed an uncanny ability to seemingly read her mind.

Should she tell him? She and Spencer had been so happy lately, things had been going so well, that she'd been seriously considering coming clean to Aaron and the rest of the team. She was tired of keeping things a secret, tired of hiding how perfect her life truly was thanks to the brilliant Spencer Reid. Still, she'd promised herself that Aaron would be the first to find out, to soften the blow as best as possible when the time came. If she told Sean first, and Aaron found out, he'd be even angrier. However, the thought of sharing with her more-understanding, less-cranky, not-as-freak out-prone older brother first was definitely appealing. She could get his advice on how to broach the subject with Aaron.

Finally, she sighed. "If I tell you, you can't tell Aaron," she said, her gaze meeting his again. "I need to be the one to tell him. If he finds out from someone else, he'll flip. I'm going to tell him, I promise…I'm just…not sure how to."

"Now I'm even more intrigued," Sean said, setting his beer down. He eyed Mia thoughtfully for a moment. "Okay, fine. I won't tell him. Now, let's have it. Who's the guy? What's his name?"

"Spencer Reid."

"Spencer Reid," he repeated slowly with a slight frown. "Why do I know that name?"

"You've probably met him before," Mia replied, "Or at least heard Aaron mention him. He's part of the BAU."

"He's an agent?!" Sean's eyebrows shot up and his face split into a grin. "You're dating an FBI agent! Now the whole 'don't tell Aaron' thing makes a bit more sense!"

Mia nodded. "You'd better not say anything to him."

Sean ignored her. "Reid! He's the young one, with the hair," he said excitedly, waving his hands about his head. "Oh, Bug, I can't believe you're dating one of Big Brother's agents! He's not going to be too impressed. He doesn't want you involved in any of that!"

"I know," she sighed, "Which is why I don't know how to bring it up!"

"How long has it been going on?"

"Um…a while. Almost two months, I guess."

"Months?!" Sean gaped at her. "Mia, you've been with this guy for a couple of months and Aaron doesn't know yet? Never mind him hating that you're together. He's going to flip because you kept it from him for so long! Why haven't you told him?"

Mia groaned and slumped back in her seat. "I wanted to be sure that we were serious before I said anything."

"Well? Are you serious?"

Smiling despite herself, Mia nodded. "Yeah," she replied quietly. "I'm pretty sure I'm…um…in love."

Sean grinned. "Wow, I don't think I've ever heard you say that before. Like, ever."

"I don't think I've ever said it before. Like, ever."

"I'm happy for you, Bug." When Sean raised his drink, Mia obligingly tapped hers against it in cheers. "You know, though, Aaron will be happy for you, too."

Mia sipped her drink thoughtfully for a moment. "You think so?"

"I know so," Sean shrugged. "I mean, he won't like it…at first. But when he sees the happiness that I see, he'll get over it. I mean, he got over the bookstore, didn't he?"

"Dating an FBI agent isn't exactly the same thing, Sean."

"No, but the end result is the same," he replied knowingly. "You're happy. Aaron will see that, and nothing else will matter."

Mia smiled softly. "I hope so."