Flashback February 14, 2012

After the case in Los Angeles where dead bodies were being dumped in a lifeguard tower was wrapped up, Morgan was happy to be back at the office. As he closed up the file he was working on and set it on his desk, Prentiss stopped by his office door and leaned in.

"Hey. Since we have tomorrow off, let's all do something fun tonight."

He sighed, setting his pen down. "Sounds good. I need to have some fun. Where?"

"Garcia knows a place, not too far. She's on her way there to check out the action and she'll send a group text."

"What about the kid?"

"I wouldn't accept his excuses. Since I'm driving him home, he's at my mercy." She chuckled, grinning.

"Maybe we'll get a couple drinks in him and he'll loosen up enough to…"

"To what? Score?" She scoffed and shook her head.

"I was going to say, meet someone. But hey, if he gets lucky, you may not have to drive him home."

"I'll build his confidence up on the drive over."

"Alright. Meet you there… wherever. Let me know."

JJ stopped by the open door. "What's going on?" They talked on their way into the bullpen, as Emily went to the elevator, meeting up with Spencer.

After JJ gathered her things and left, Morgan saw the light on in Hotch's office. He knocked lightly and pushed the door open.

Hotch said, "Come in," looking up for a moment.

"Hey."

"Hey," he replied, then went back to writing.

"I thought I was the one supposed to be burning the midnight oil?"

Still writing, Hotch said, "Well, with Strauss away, the director asked me to do a little extra." He looked up at Morgan.

"Right. It's not the greatest way to spend Valentine's day, now is it?"

Hotch looked up in surprise, as he remembered Beth, but didn't bring her up.

Morgan chuckled. "I know, I forgot too. Some of us singles were gonna go find a bar and grab a drink if you want to come along. I mean, unless there's someplace else you could be." He'd heard the talk that Hotch was seeing someone. And when he looked up, Morgan knew the rumor was true.

"Uh, I think I'll pass, but thank you." He closed the file and stacked them with the other files and the yellow legal pad he had been writing on.

Morgan's eyebrows knit together. He knew Hotch wasn't going to tell him. "What about the paperwork?"

"Well, Strauss comes back next week. I don't want her to be bored." He tried to hide a smile.

That was as much as Morgan figured the man would tell him. No point in dwelling on the moment. He smiled, knowingly. "Good night, Hotch."

Now he smiled. "Good night, Morgan."

As Derek headed for the elevator, his cellphone pinged. A group text with two lines from Garcia:

Padrino's, Dumfries Shopping Plaza.

Saving a seat and a dance for you, Hot Stuff.

He wasn't expecting much from a pizza joint, but when he walked in, the place was rocking with a live band playing in the corner. Prentiss was dancing with another agent, Ted Ramirez, recently divorced and on the prowl. They were among at least a dozen other people on the dance floor and plenty of others milling around the room and a group playing pool. Corey Wilson, another agent from the office, was dancing with a pretty, leggy blonde. Morgan noticed Reid, sitting at the table looking miserable, with Garcia, who was talking with the server.

He flashed his pearly whites as he approached them. "Hey, youngsters. What's happening?"

Garcia grinned. "You're mine for at least one dance tonight."

"You got it, Baby Girl." He turned to Reid. "What's with the Debbie Downer routine, Kid?"

Spencer gestured around the room. "The second you walked in, every woman in the place turned to look at you. What chance do I have with you around?"

"Have you actually tried talking to anyone? Or smiling? No woman is going to willingly suck on a lemon wedge without at least the promise of Tequila and salt." Morgan laughed when Reid stared blankly at him.

Spencer, not getting Morgan's point, got up from the table, looking even more down in the mouth if that was even possible. "I'm going to… the bathroom."

After the men's room door closed, the door to the ladies' room swung open. In jeans, sandals and a lavender wrap-top, a pretty young woman with light honey-brown hair went back to her table on the other side of the crowded room, near the pool tables. The leggy blonde came back from the dance floor and sat at the table next to her.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm gonna call a cab. I've got to finish getting packed for my trip to Vegas and L.A. with Mom and Grandma. We're leaving early tomorrow, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember, but I was hoping you'd have fun tonight. Dance with someone. A live guy is always better than… whatever that thing is you've got going on."

Their friend Jinny was chatting up a guy in a t-shirt and tight jeans on the way to the table. She sat down when the man turned, heading in the bar's direction, and noticed the other two getting up. "You two leaving? Go ahead. I'm gonna stay. Steve is going to get me a drink. There are several hot guys I want to dance with here tonight, like that tall, gorgeous drink of chocolate milk, over there. I'll catch a cab home, later, unless I get lucky." She started getting up again and turned to her friend. "Suzie, don't worry. I'll be safe."

Thirteen quick steps to the door. That was all it took for Susan to be outside, in the quiet, cool night air. She told Lizette. "I don't know why you two drag me off to bars. One cocktail is more than enough for me, and I'm not into picking up guys. You know I'd rather be alone than be with someone who doesn't—"

Lizette cut her off. "—who doesn't make you tingle? Yeah, I know. Just once I'd be thrilled if you could settle for interesting. Or even a very slight tickle. Anything. But not before I find someone. Carl was such a cheating bastard of a loser. I'm not sure what I ever saw in him."

"He was nice to you… in the beginning. But there has to be more than nice. Or interesting. And there's a man out there, the perfect one for you. I know it." Susan smiled. Behind the smile, she was wondering where he was. What he was doing. That one guy she longed for. They got in Lizette's car and as they drove out of the parking lot, the door on the bar side of the establishment opened.

Spencer told Morgan, "Go back in, please… have fun. My cab will be here in about five minutes."

"You gonna be okay, Kid?" Out of concern, he had followed Spencer outside and stood there with his hands on his hips.

"Yeah. I'll be fine. I'm just not feeling well."

Morgan patted the younger man's shoulder. "Go ahead, Junior. Get some sleep and have a good weekend. I'll see you Monday, at the office." He went back in the door, as Spencer leaned against the wall and stuck his hands in his pockets, waiting for his ride home.

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A/N I finished watching Closing Time and thought this would make a good ending for the episode. I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. DragonGecko18's stories inspired me to take a sliver of an episode and build a fresh perspective around it. I only hope I did a good job with it.

G-Girl