Disclaimer: see my profile

"I'm impressed by the Thanksgiving meal Bennington provides for their residents," JJ said as she and Reid drove through the gathering twilight. The sun had already dropped below the desert horizon in a riot of red, orange, and gold with the shadows of trees and buildings swarming across streets, people, and vegetation.

"Yes, I've had dinner with mom every time I visit, and it's always delicious. I am grateful that mom's not consigned to a state institution. I've seen the inside of them, and the living conditions are barely adequate to meet federal health guidelines. I'm sure they don't care about taste."

"I enjoyed talking to your mom and visiting with her. She has a great little room."

Reid glanced over at JJ and smiled. "Yeah. You only saw one of her scrapbooks. She has a multitude of them."

JJ chuckled. "I figured. You were so cute as a kid. I don't blame her for taking so many photographs."

Reid was glad it was getting dark in the car because he felt his face heat. "Jenn, I wasn't – "

"Don't tell me you weren't cute because you were and still are," JJ said as she reached out to stroke his arm.

Reid didn't respond because he didn't know what to say. Instead, he turned off the road and into the parking lot of their hotel.

"Spence, there's something I need to discuss with you."

"I thought so," Reid said as they exited the car and hurried inside the lobby. "You were very quiet when you returned from the bathroom.."

"Let's get comfortable in our room and talk."

CMCMCMCMCMCMCMCM

Reid brought JJ a flute of champagne she'd ordered from room service and sat next to her on the sofa. He looked around the room done in blues and browns with windows across from the entryway door. A flat-screen television bolted to the wall between the windows and a desk in one corner completed the living area's interior.

"Did you tell your mother what happened with Garcia?"

Reid blew out a breath and reached for JJ's free hand. "Yes, very generally. She asked if you're okay, and I told her about our conversation in the park."

"Spence, I knew you wanted to talk with your mom, which is why I stayed away so long."

"I figured," Reid said and took a sip of the ice-cold amber liquid. "This is good, by the way."

"Thank you."

"Jenn, something is bothering you. I can see it, and now we're here with champagne, and you're very subdued. What's wrong?"

"I have a proposal for you."

Reid watched JJ's blue eyes and felt something stir in his gut when she squeezed his hand. "You're scaring me a little."

"I've been thinking ever since we boarded the plane in DC. I don't want to wait anymore. Let's get married here. Now!"

"Jennifer. Are you in earnest?"

JJ reached out and grabbed her champagne flute. She downed half and put it down with a clink on the glass coffee table in front of them. "Yes. I want to marry you. Now! If killing Battle and nearly losing Garcia has taught me anything, it's that I don't want to lose you or for you to lose me."

"Jenn," Reid pushed a strand of her hair behind her left ear, then he took a sip from his flute. "I love you so much, and I want to marry you, but what about your mother?"

JJ stood and went to the window that looked out over the darkening sky that looked dark blue and purple. She shook her head. "We can have a party when we return."

"Honey," Reid took another drink from his glass and then joined her at the window. "It's not fair to your mother if we suddenly elope."

"What about your mom?" JJ retorted. "If we get married in DC, then she'll miss out."

Reid sighed and put an arm around JJ. "I know that either way, someone will be left out, but I don't know what to do."

"I want to know that you're mine," JJ said and laid her head on his shoulder.

"I am yours," Reid said and kissed the top of her head. "I don't need a ring or a piece of paper filed away in some impersonal government office. I'll never walk away.

JJ wiped away a tear and said, "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me. You made Thanksgiving so wonderful for my mother. I can't express how much that means to me."

"I want you to be happy."

Reid looked down at JJ and smiled at her. "I am happy, now that I see the pain in your eyes is gone."

"I am feeling better now that I've had the chance to wind down a little and have a great afternoon with your mom."

"Yeah, I enjoyed watching you talk to each other. It was fascinating."

JJ grinned up at him. "I especially enjoyed the photo album."

Reid sighed and pushed a hand through his hair. "Are we back to that?"

"Yes, because you were so adorable."

"I'm glad you think so."

"I do."

They stood watching the traffic move past on the street and pedestrians hurrying by on their way home or out to various errands. Reid took his eyes off the road and said. "Hey. I just had an idea for our last night here."

"What?"

"Mom wants us to come back tomorrow, but I thought we could go out to the desert for the sunset. There is a place I found when I was eighteen, just after I had to commit mom. I felt like I had betrayed her, and all I could do was get in the car and drive."

"Spence, you know you didn't –"

"I know," Reid said and wrapped both arms around her. "I'm fine."

JJ pursed her lips, then stepped away and pulled him back to the sofa. "Let's have more champagne, and then I want to go to bed."

Reid winked at her, and she rolled her eyes. "I want to sleep, babe."

"We'll see," Reid said and laughed when she playfully smacked his arm.

CMCMCMCMCMCCMCMCM

Reid laid out a large blue tarp he'd purchased in Laughlin, then covered it with several blankets and a huge, fluffy comforter. JJ put down pillows and a large bag of food she'd bought from a local dive that Reid loved.

After Reid had set up a telescope near their makeshift nest, he joined JJ, who handed him his entrée, chicken fried lobster. She'd chosen a stack of pancakes with a side of cheesy hash browns.

"You're going to regret not trying this," Reid said as he cut into his favorite homestyle comfort food.

"I'll steal a bite of yours," JJ said.

"Will you?"

"Yep."

Reid gave her a look that made her giggle, then choked a little on the orange juice she'd decided instead of coffee.

"I like the idea of breakfast for supper plus a gorgeous sunset."

"Me too."

JJ and Reid ate in comfortable silence as they watched the golden sun dip down toward the desert horizon. It painted the sky red, orange, and a bit of purple before disappearing into the twilight. The sky darkened into a blue that Reid thought matched JJ's eyes.

"So," JJ said as she wiped the last of her maple syrup from her mouth with a white paper napkin. "You said you wanted to show me the stars."

"I do, but we need to wait a couple of hours for the sky to darken properly."

"Oh, well, what did you have in mind to pass the time while we wait?"

Reid gave her a look, waggled his eyebrows, and made her laugh. "I thought you'd never ask."

"Then come over here, lover, and show me what you want."

CMCMCMCMCMCMCMCM

JJ adjusted the quilt over them because a breeze had sprung up, and it was a chilly November night in Nevada.

"You cold?"

"A bit."

Reid tucked her into his arms, and she sighed. "That's better."

"Hm…"

"Don't go to sleep on me," JJ said and gave him a playful slap on his bare shoulder.

"Wasn't going to," Reid said, and then JJ turned her eyes to the heavens and saw why Reid was so quiet.

"Wow."

"Yep."

"I don't think we need that telescope," JJ said quietly. "This is amazing. I haven't seen a sky like this since I was a kid."

"I always feel so insignificant when I see the core of the Milky Way. All of the dust bands, nebulae, and concentrations of stars."

"I read that the Milky Way Galaxy is a hundred thousand light-years across," JJ said as they stared up at the sky.

"Yes, it and contains a hundred billion stars. Our galaxy is only one of a hundred billion in the Universe."

"Makes you feel insignificant and that your problems don't amount to much in the grand scheme," JJ said.

JJ stared up at the black sky, the stars and then looked back at Reid, who was gently stroking his hand through her hair. His eyes were more profound than the sky over her head.

"I love you, Spence."

"I love you, too, Jennifer."

"Thank you for bringing me out here to see this. I feel so much better."

"Me too. I wish we could see this every night."

JJ sighed and kissed him. "I wish we could too, but I will keep this as a wonderful memory that you gave to me after a terrible week."

They were quiet for a minute, then JJ reached out and softly stroked his hair. "So what are we going to do when we get back home?"

"What do you mean?"

"We have a wedding to plan, and we haven't decided on a date yet."

Reid lay back and studied the stars for a moment. "I think I'll leave the date up to you, Jennifer." JJ poked him in the ribs, and he jerked away from her. "Hey, what was that for?"

"You want me to pick the date."

"Yes. I trust you."

"Then I want it to be as soon as possible."

"Are you sure? Christmas is coming very soon."

"Yes, and I know it's not your favorite holiday, so I thought we'd get married on New Year's Eve."

Reid turned to face her and said. "Jenn, are you positive you want to get married in less than five weeks?"

"Yes. I want to start 2008 with you as my husband. Do you have a problem with that, lover?"

Reid kissed her, and later their cries of passion sated joined the far off howls of coyotes.

"Yes," Reid said, later as they packed up their picnic and their makeshift bed. "I want to marry you on New Year's Eve."

"Good, because we start planning the day after tomorrow. We need to figure out how to include your mom."

"I'm going to talk to Garcia and see if she'll film it, and then mom can see it."

"I'm sure that Garcia will figure something out," JJ said as she put the blankets in the back of the truck. "Come on. The coyotes sounded close last time."

Reid chuckled. "They're more frightened of us than we are of them, Jenn, I promise, but you're right. Let's get back into town. It's getting cold."

"Getting cold," JJ teased. "I'm glad you brought all those blankets, the comforter, and this thermos of coffee."

"it's about fifty tonight," Reid said,

"Better than DC," JJ had to admit as they got into the car.

Reid looked over at JJ after she shut the door. "I know we have an early flight tomorrow, but I need to stop at a storage facility where my Aunt Ethel is storing some of my mother's possession."

"It's nearly ten, Spence."

"I know, but it's a twenty-four-hour facility. The security is first-rate, and I have a key."

"Alright, but may I ask why now?"

Reid leaned over and kissed her as he started the truck. "I'll tell you on New Year's Eve."