Original Ending

When Reid awoke, it was mid-morning and he was alone. Panicked, he hurried out into the living room where he found Emma, dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt and holding a cup of coffee, sitting on the couch surrounded by books and papers.

"Hey there," she greeted him with a smile. "You're up."

"Hey," he smiled at her, relieved. "What are you working on?" He walked over to take a look.

"Another article," she replied as she relocated some of the papers. "The Journal requested a follow-up piece containing an update on the research I described in my last article a year ago."

She carefully stood up. "Hungry?"

"Yeah," he was surprised to realize how hungry he was. "Let me get dressed and we can go - "

"No need for that," Emma stopped him. "As you can smell, the coffee is already made, and I have everything set up for omelets. Why don't you put on your robe and slippers and then come keep me company while I make them?" She smiled as she looked pointedly at his cartoon animal patterned pajamas.

"Although, I must say, I do like your koalas," she added as she took a step closer to him.

Reid was suddenly aware of how close to him she was now standing, and realized he could smell her body wash. Closing his eyes, he suddenly remembered to look on Maeve's face when he told her he didn't love her. Quickly, he took a step backwards.

"Oh – Yes – Okay," he responded before retreating back into his bedroom.

"What time is your flight?" It was almost noon and Reid and Emma were sitting at his kitchen table eating.

"These are really good," he added, indicating the sparse remains of the omelet he had just finished consuming. "I was hungrier than I realized."

"Thanks," Emma smiled at him as she stood up to start clearing the table. "It was the excellent assistance I had making them that made all the difference."

Reid blushed as he stood up to help her.

"Sit," Emma told him, giving him a gentle push back into his chair. "I can get this done faster if there is only one of us in your kitchen."

"It is rather small," Reid conceded. "Maybe I could – " He hesitated as he realized he was making plans for a future with her. Again, he wondered if he would be doing that if it were Maeve there with him.

"I have about an hour before I have to leave for the Metro," Emma glanced over her shoulder at him. "Maybe we can go for a short walk?"

"I am calling a cab," Reid informed her decisively. "So, you won't have to hurry. And, a walk would be great. Let me get dressed."

Later that day, as Emma and Reid were standing at departure gate waiting for her flight to begin boarding, Emma's cell phone rang, indicating an incoming text message. She read the screen and then smiled.

"Who or what was that?" Reid asked curiously.

"Just Michael, one of the guys in my research group," Emma told him. "He wants to meet for coffee tomorrow morning."

"You mean, like a date?" Reid questioned uncertainly.

"Well, I don't know if it is a date exactly," Emma replied. "I suppose I'll find out when I get there."

"But - ," Reid stuttered. "You – and me – we're married!"

"I've been wondering about that," Emma confessed.

"What?" Reid was still stuttering.

"Spencer," Emma sounded resigned. "I seem to be married to a man who isn't all that interested in getting to know me, even though I am working desperately to try to get to know him. I come here to see you, and all I do is sit and wait. This morning I got to spend a whole maybe two and a half hours with you. The only person in Quantico I have really had an opportunity to get to know is Penelope. And, you never call me or come to Vegas to see me. Quite honestly, I get the impression that you're not ready for another relationship yet. And, as for me, well I want to move on with my life. I want a real marriage – maybe with kids. While I still have time for that."

"W – h – a –t ?" Reid stared at her, shocked.

"Your father has drawn up the papers to get our annulment," Emma told him. "Why don't you give some serious thought to whether you want to sign them?"

"I didn't think – " Reid was trying to grasp what she was saying.

"Well, maybe you should," Emma told him as the gate agent began calling row numbers for boarding.

"If I call you more often, would that help?" Reid questioned anxiously, remembering his weekly Sunday calls with Maeve. "We can talk more often, if that's what you want. Rossi calls Garcia every night while we are in the field, maybe I could do that."

"That would be a welcome start. You know that I always enjoy speaking with you," Emma gave him a resigned look before taking the handle of her suitcase from him and starting towards the door to the jet way. Half way there, she turned and looked at him again, then gave an almost imperceptible shrug, and continued on her way through into the jet way.

As he watched his wife leave, Reid didn't notice the dark haired woman in the adjoining gate area who was also watching Emma walk towards the jet way.

"So, she was going back to Vegas alone," the woman observed with a chuckle. She had been discretely shadowing them during their walk and had noticed that while they had talked enthusiastically the entire time, there had been very little physical contact between the two.

Reid felt his cell phone vibrate – yet again. The team had the day off and he had been ignoring it for the past several hours. Sighing, he took it out and checked the screen. The first message was a reminder Garcia had helped him set up several weeks ago. It read – '13th Anniversary'. The next message was from Garcia – "Did you remember anniversary?" There was a short one from Rossi – "Anniversary!" And, even JJ had sent him a message – "Thirteenth wedding anniversary!"

Panicked, Reid pushed a well-used speed dial number. "Rossi," he croaked into his phone. "I really messed up – How do I fix this?"

Smirking, the stranger moved closer so she could hear better. It appeared that there was a problem. Maybe she could figure out a way to exploit it.

Hang In There - The second ending is coming up next!