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Reid sighed as he laid on the bench seat of the BAU Jet. The pilot had finally announced that they were able to unbuckle their safety belts. Reid closed his eyes and attempted to sleep, but after several minutes of trying to shut off his brain, he turned to his back and lay with his eyes closed.

After half an hour, his cell phone buzzed. He wanted to ignore it for elusive sleep, but it was JJ's number.

"Hey."

"Hi, babe. How are you?"

"I was attempting to sleep, but I gave up. Too much activity in my brain."

"I talked to Emily, and she told me what happened."

Reid turned to his left side and faced the back of the bench. "Yeah. I still don't know how they escaped. I can only surmise that Frank had another vehicle. However, I don't know-how. Gideon said the footprints ended very close to where he last saw them, and he didn't hear or see another car."

"We'll find him again."

"How do you know? Frank was out there for thirty years, and no one got close. The only reason we nearly apprehended him was because of Jane."

"I don't know, but I'm sure that the team will think of away. Emily said that Gideon was furious, and I wouldn't want to have that kind of energy directed at me."

Reid smiled despite the constant memory of opening Frank's trailer and seeing his kill room. The smell of fresh blood still permeated in his nostrils.

"I agree."

"Look, I know you're tired. I'll let you go, and we can talk when you get home."

"It might be more a more fruitful flight for me to keep talking to you, Jenn. You know how to distract me."

"Hm, I think we're dangerously close to the line between work and personal lives."

"I know," Reid said even more quietly. "Maybe we should say goodbye."

JJ chuckled softly, and for the first time in hours, Reid forgot about the blood and the unlikely disappearance of two people in the desert.

"Well, goodbye, and I'll see you when you return."

"Bye, JJ."

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Reid had finished a large hardbound book on the Amazonian rain forest when someone knocked at his door. His eyebrows went up because he wasn't expecting anyone on a Tuesday night in January.

"Hey," he swept JJ up into his arms and lifted her off the floor.

Reid kissed her before he fully closed the door, and when he finally put her down, she was rosy-cheeked and bright-eyed. "Well, hello."

"I'm not complaining – but what are you doing here," Reid said as he led her to the sofa.

"I'm here because I wanted to see you. It's been a couple of weeks, and we've been so busy at work."

"I know. We haven't had any time to ourselves, but for a couple of poker games on the jet when everyone else is asleep."

Reid slid close to JJ and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Now that's where you belong, in my living room with me."

"I agree."

"I feel like I won the lottery."

"Why?"

"Because we finally have an evening off. I want to bask."

JJ laughed and tangled her hand in his hair. "I think basking is just the thing for now."

They were silent until JJ's stomach growled, and Reid smirked at her. "You hungry."

JJ looked at her watch. "Yeah, but I'm sure there's nothing edible in your fridge."

Reid tried to look offended but failed. "I hate to admit it, but you're right."

"So," JJ started to get up from the sofa. "Where do you –"

"Hey, don't go anywhere. I have every takeout menu in the city memorized. Just tell me what you want?"

"I don't care. What would you like?"

Reid shrugged. "I don't have a preference. Anything you choose is fine with me."

"One of us needs to decide, Spence, or we'll be here all night."

Reid smirked at her. "I thought you were going to stay all night," He indicated the go bag she'd dropped near his door.

JJ blushed and said. "Okay, so I thought I'd stay. I'm sure you have no problem with that plan."

"No!"

JJ shook her head. "Fine, let's have Italian."

"Alright," Reid stood, but this time JJ stopped him. "You sure you're okay with Italian."

"Yes. I know the perfect place."

Reid gave JJ a rundown of their menu and gave her a look when she told him what she wanted. He shrugged and put in the order. "It's going to be about 30 minutes."

"Just enough time for us to make out."

Reid wiggled his eyebrows. "I thought you'd never ask, SSA Jaraeu."

"Oh, so you want to be a smart ass, do you," JJ leaped at him and pinned him down on the sofa. "Come quietly, and I won't have to hurt you."

"You can't arrest a fellow agent?"

JJ began to laugh, which weakened her hold on Reid. He slithered out from under her. "I think I can," JJ gasped out.

"You'll have to catch me first."

Reid let JJ chase him around the sofa, and then he let her catch him. She trapped his hands behind his back. "You going to surrender now, or do I have to get rough."

"I want it rough," Reid said.

"Oh, well, you're going to have to wait until after the pasta," JJ said and released her hold on his hands.

"What?"

Reid watched her go back to the sofa and sit. She straightened her sweater, ran her hands over her hair, and said. "So, what would you like to talk about, now?"

"Jennifer!"

"Hey, you wanted to order food, and I'm hungry."

"Yes, but the guy said thirty minutes."

JJ nearly laughed at the irritation and the obvious arousal in Reid's eyes. The simmering lust in his expression stirred something in her that needed his touch.

"I can be quick," Reid said.

JJ narrowed her eyes at him. "No woman wants to hear those words in connection with sex."

Reid stared at her and then pointed at his watch. "We're wasting time, Jenn."

"Fine, but you remember this moment if the delivery guy is early and your – um, not."

Twenty minutes later, Reid was pulling on his robe when someone rang the doorbell. He smirked at JJ, and she lay there panting, but with a massive grin on her face.

"I told you we'd make it," Reid said ten minutes later when they were eating their dinner in bed.

"Ha, it's not a race or endurance contest, Spence."

"No, but it was fun."

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you have a thing for danger and excitement."

"Why?"

"The risk of being – you know, right at the sticking point when the food arrived. You were turned on by it."

"Yes, it that a problem."

"No, because you're the only man I've been with that doesn't care more about his pleasure than mine. I love you for that."

Reid stopped in the middle of tasting his pasta to wipe his mouth and lean over to kiss JJ. "Thank you. I love you too, and I wanted to demonstrate to you that I don't need that."

"What?"

Reid pointed at his plate containing Fettucine with fresh peas, mint, and parmesan. "The dinner you suggested we order."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Reid stared at her until she put down her fork and crossed her arms over her chest. "Okay, so Emily and I were talking a couple of days ago, and she happened to mention that chocolate and peas have love chemicals. I knew about chocolate, but I didn't know about peas, so I thought, let's try it."

"Oh, so that's why you decided to tease me. You thought we could test out your theory."

"Well, yes."

"I feel so used," Reid said after a large bite. "And, this is delicious, by the way."

"Spence."

Reid put down his fork and reached for her hand. "JJ, I'm only kidding. You know I won't complain if you want to have physical relations. As you're so fond of reminding me -I'm a man."

JJ almost choked on the drink she'd ordered with her entrée. "I guess I deserve that."

"The point is that we're still figuring things out. If you want sex and I'm in the mood –"

"Then anytime I want," JJ interrupted.

"Ha. You know what I mean."

"Yes, I do. You're saying not to ask. Go for it."

Reid chewed through a bite of his dinner, swallowed, and took a drink. "I guess that's what I'm trying to articulate. I think we have demonstrated that we don't need aphrodisiacs."

JJ winked at him. "No, we don't, but the food is so delectable."

"Yes, it is, but not as delightful as you, Jennifer."

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The ringing of a phone woke Reid from sleep early the next morning. He answered the line as JJ rolled over and looked at him. "Hello."

"Dr. Reid."

"Yes."

"This is Dr. Norman from Bennington."

"Oh, um, is something wrong with mom."

JJ sat up and shifted over to wrap her arm around Reid's shoulder. "Babe."

"You're mother caught a cold a couple of weeks ago. I thought that she'd fought it off, but now she's got bronchitis. She keeps asking to see you."

"Um, is she – um, will she be okay?"

"Yes, but right now, she's extremely agitated, and I don't want to sedate her on top of the medication constantly we're giving her for bronchitis."

"I understand. I'll be there as quickly as I can."

Reid turned to see JJ watching him with eyes full of sympathy. "What's wrong, Spence?"

He explained it while he pulled on his clothing. "I have to get a flight out today."

"Babe, let me help you."

Reid began to hurry around the room and gather together clothing and toiletries. He flew past JJ, who reached out and stopped him. "Babe."

Reid dropped an old battered suitcase on the bed and turned into JJ's arms. She felt him trembling. Reid didn't speak, and after a minute, he gently pushed away from her. "I need to call Hotch."

An hour later, JJ had showered and dressed. When she entered Reid's bedroom, he was on the phone with Garcia and finalizing plane tickets.

"Thank you," Reid said. "Yes, Garcia, I'm fine. No, don't worry about me. I'll call you later, okay. Bye."

JJ went to him and pulled him into her arms. Reid wasn't trembling anymore, but he wasn't speaking, and his silence frightened her. "Your mom's going to be alright, Spence."

"What if she's not," Reid whispered, and he put his head on her shoulder.

"She will be!"

"How can you know?"

JJ flinched at the anger in his voice. "You're right – I don't, but I know that she loves you. That's why she's asking for you."

Reid pushed away, wiped at his eyes, and finally made eye-contact with JJ. "God, I hope you're right. I can't lose her yet, Jennifer. It would kill me."

JJ felt her throat constrict, and tears welled up in her eyes. "Don't say that, Spence. I need you too."

Reid reached out and wiped away a tear sliding down her face. "I know, Jennifer. I'm sorry; it's just that I finally feel like I'm someone outside of my identity as Diana Reid's son. You helped me find that part of myself. Still, it's challenging to know that one day –"

JJ pulled him back into her arms. "I know, baby. I know. I love you so much. I wish I could go with you."

"Me too."

JJ gently disengaged from his embrace and reached up for one of the small, gold hoop earrings she wore. She removed it and held it out to Reid. "You can't wear this, but I want you to have it. When you feel like you need me, hold it in your hand, and I'll be there with you in your heart."

"You're always in my heart, Jennifer, but thank you."

He took the earring, put it in his pocket, and grabbed his coat. "I have to go."

JJ kissed him until they couldn't breathe. "I love you, Spence. Come back to me soon."

"God, I love you, Jenn. I'll see you soon."

Reid and JJ left his apartment and stood embracing before Reid kissed her and then ran down the stairs and out the door.