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Recruitment Tool

"So, you told a joke about existentialism to a bunch of college kids at a recruitment meeting," Emily said through a smirk.

"How do you know? Oh, Rossi told you."

He looked up at Rossi's office, which was dark because Rossi had left hours ago with the rest of the team.

"Yeah, he mentioned it."

"I'll bet he did."

She almost laughed at the morose look on his face. "I told him and I'll tell you, I don't know why they keep sending me back there. I'm not good in front of large groups."

"You always do great when it comes time to give profiles."

He reached for his cup of coffee sipped and made a face. "Cold," he said irritably.

"Reid."

"I don't mind profiles; I've had lots of practice. Recruitment seminars are different."

"How?"

He sighed and put his coffee cup back on his desk. "I don't know how to talk to people in groups outside of my job, okay. I start okay, and then I babble, or tell something weird like that joke.

"You know what I think?"

"I'm sure you're going to tell me," Reid said irritably.

"I'm not going to tell you what to do," she said calmly.

"You're not."

"No, the Bureau has its reasons for sending you out for recruitment. I don't know why, but it works."

"Rossi said it's because I'm young."

"He's right. The Bureau's always looking for help in bringing in new agents, especially women. We are an equal opportunity employer," she quipped.

"I still don't understand why I'd make that any easier."

"Because you're attractive, smart and young."

Reid went very pink in the cheeks. "That's not what they think."

She opened her mouth to refute his argument, but amazingly, she couldn't make the words form or leave her mouth.

He wasn't looking at her anyway. He had his face buried in a new file. There was only one thing to do it seemed.

"I think we've been here for too long. It's nearly seven and I'm starved."

"I'm not hungry," Reid said morosely.

"I think need a triple chocolate chip cup cake with chocolate ganache frosting."

His eyes lit up. "The one from TLC Cupcakes?"

"Of course, but we have to hurry. They close at eight."

CMCMCMCMCM

"This is great," Reid enthused.

Emily followed him to one of the tables near the north-facing window. She took one of the chairs with pink seats and heart shaped backs. The other tables were about half full because the shop closed in half an hour.

"Yeah, these are to die for," she agreed.

"Not very nutritious for dinner," he observed.

"Who cares?"

He grinned at her and took a huge bite of his cupcake. She smiled back and sat back in her chair.

"Feel better?" she asked.

"I guess."

"Enough to tell me what's really bothering you."

He began to fidget with the paper wrapping around what remained of his cupcake. "I was just thinking about Professor - um, I mean, Henry Grace. He used me to get to Rossi. I was so flattered that he liked my joke. I just let him -"

"Stop it right there," she put out and hand touched his arm. "He would have found another way, Reid. You know that."

"I know," he said unhappily. "I guess I thought that someone appreciated what I have to say and it turns out to be a serial killer."

"Everyone on the team appreciates what you do every day."

"Yeah, but I just wanted someone - oh never mind."

"You wanted someone outside of the BAU to take notice."

"Yeah… I know it's stupid and I sound like desperate kid and -"

"No, it's not stupid, Reid. Everyone wants a little appreciation now and then. In our job, we rarely get the "atta boy," pats on the back."

He finally looked up at her and gave out and short laugh. "At least we got him and we didn't have to talk him down a gun point."

She laughed again. "No, we just had to get through his booby traps and fool him into confessing."

Reid smiled, and the way his face lit up sent little tingles down her spine. "That was Rossi," he said.

"True, but you figured out the Fibonacci sequence. Pretty smart."

He went pink again. "It was easy, once I knew where all the girls disappeared from and then I could see it in his behavior."

"And, you wonder why the Bureau wants you to go on recruiting seminars," she said as she rolled her eyes dramatically.

"Alright," he admitted. "I get it, but next time I hope we don't find another Henry Grace."

She popped the rest of the cupcake in her mouth, chewed, swallowed, and said. "Now that we've had dessert, why don't we have something a little healthier for dinner?"

"Do we have to?"

"Yes, Dr. Reid, you've fed the child, now let's go feed the man."