Reid had never been more nervous about a kiss, but had never wanted to kiss her more. He moved in slowly, capturing the lips who welcomed his touch. Her soft hand ran up his black sleeve to his shoulder and onto his neck. Her other arm wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer. The sounds surrounding them barely registered in their ears as he wrapped her in his own arms, their kiss intensifying.

A full minute passed and their kiss unwillingly ended. Remaining in each other's embrace, Reid and Riley smiled at each other blissfully, almost drunk on each other. The applause began to resonate around them and they remembered they were still standing before a crowd. They couldn't stay here forever. One last look in the others eyes, Reid grasped Riley's hand and went back down the aisle.

The wedding of Spencer Reid and Riley Parker took place on a Saturday afternoon in the Van Buren Hotel in downtown DC. It was a simple ceremony, but very beautiful, making the year of planning and preparing entirely worth it. For two people who kept to themselves and didn't enjoy being in the limelight, the idea of being the center of attention for the entire day didn't appeal to either of them. But they understood how important it was to friends and family to see them get married, and suffered through it.

The reception was a much lighter and pleasant atmosphere. The guests were mingling and enjoying themselves. Emily stood next to the bar, a glass of champagne in hand. Her eyes were focused on the couple slow dancing on the floor. So lost in each others arms, the two didn't seem to notice there was a ballroom of people around them.

"Would you look at them?" Morgan muttered as he walked over, standing next to her.

"Yeah," Emily replied, "Can't help but… they look so happy."

She lifted her glass and took a sip, trying to ignore the fact that Morgan's attention had shifted from the bride and groom to her, taking in her figure in her dress.

"I never knew you looked so hot in lavender." He growled, leaning a bit closer. Emily rolled her eyes. It was one thing when they were alone, but surrounded by dozens of people, many of whom were FBI agents, required a bit more discretion. Their entire team was here, including their unit chief, Aaron Hotchner, and now would not be the best time to reveal their true interests in each other.

She stiffened a bit as his fingertips slipped behind her to graze the small of her back. "Morgan…" she whispered, looking around. "Not here,"

"I take it that means you don't want to dance?" He asked.

She looked at him, a little surprised, meeting his enticing gaze. The persuasive eyes that could get her to do pretty much anything. "That doesn't sound like such a good idea."

"Oh, come on, Prentiss," His fingers left her back. "It's just a dance. They're not going to reprimand us for dancing at our friends' wedding."

She wanted to give into him. Emily had never danced with Morgan before outside of a club, longing desperately to hold her body close to him as they swayed to the music. But they needed to have great discretion when seen together in public; she couldn't risk any rumor that might come out of it.

"I'll take a rain check." She muttered, glancing at him over the rim of her glass. She tried to tell him everything she was feeling through her eyes.

Morgan read her better than any man she'd ever know. He gave her a small smile and a wink before walking off. Emily watched him until he reached a group of single girls, conversing at the other end of the bar. She immediately turned back to the bride and groom, trying to ignore the territorial jealousy burning in her stomach.

Later in the evening, Hotch was having a dance with Riley. "Hey, listen… thanks for walking me down the aisle today."

"No problem," He said with a smile. "You make a very beautiful bride, you know."

"Huh, thanks," She huffed. "I'm relieved, after all the dresses and veils Garcia made me try on, she would be livid if I didn't."

Hotch laughed. "Admit it though, you're happy you had a real wedding."

"Okay, yeah, this was fun," She replied. "And I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought about my wedding… since I was five-years-old. But I have to say… I'm a little grateful it's over."

"Why?" He asked.

"I've just been waiting for the other shoe to drop." She explained with a shrug.

But Hotch was still confused. "What do you mean?"

"A whole year planning the wedding… maybe I was just paranoid, Aaron, but I kept waiting for Spencer to think 'Huh, right… you're so not worth the rest of my life'."

A silent moment as he fixed her with a very serious stare. "Yes, you are. Spencer's a genius, he would never make such a stupid decision."

He really cared about her. Riley pulled him closer in a hug as they kept dancing.

Meanwhile, Reid was sitting with JJ, his arms protecting the form of an infant baby. "Are you having a good time, Joey? Did Mommy let you try some cake?" he asked, smiling.

"I think he's still a little young for cake." JJ replied, admiring Reid and her four month old son. "You know… I wouldn't be surprised if pretty soon, it's your little baby we're all passing around."

Reid met her eye. "We'll see." He replied, downhearted. "Riley and I haven't come to any final decisions on that."

JJ brushed his shoulder with sympathy, "Give it time, Spence. She'll come around to the idea."

"You really think so?" He asked, hopeful.

"I know so." She replied with certainty. "I seem to remember saying that about something else you had doubts on… and now we're at your wedding."

Reid remembered, giving a light laugh. He spotted his father heading towards him and carefully handed Joey back to his mother.

The one good thing that came out of the case with Nathan Harris was it brought Reid and his father closer together. Not only had he come to his son's wedding, but they had been talking every few weeks on the phone over the past year. And, when Reid had come to Vegas to visit his mother, he took the time to at least spend a few hours with the man.

"Hey, Dad," Reid said pleasantly, standing up, "Having a good time?"

'Yes, but unfortunately, I have to call it a night," He informed. "It was a wonderful wedding, though."

"Thanks," Reid smiled, "I am really glad you came, Dad."

"I wouldn't have missed it for anything, Spencer." He replied. "I think you two will be very happy together."

"You know, our flight isn't until tomorrow evening, if you wanted to get together for lunch." Reid said hopefully. He was really beginning to enjoying spending time with his father.

"Normally, I would, Spencer, but I have to get back home. My flight's at six in the morning. But I'll take a rain check."

"Great," Reid agreed, as Hotch and Riley walked over. "We'll call you when we get back from our honeymoon."

"Are you leaving, Will?" Riley asked.

"Yes, but thank you for inviting me. You look so beautiful," He said, giving her a hug.

Riley smiled. "I've been hearing that all day and I'm still not sick of it."

"Reid," Hotch said, "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

A little nervous, he shared a glance with Riley, who shrugged, unsure what this was about. He followed Hotch out of the ballroom where they could speak in private.

"What's going on, Hotch?" Reid asked.

Out of his pocket, Hotch pulled out a business card. He handed it to Reid as he spoke, "I wanted to give this to you. This is the name and contact information of a man I went to college with. He's an inspector at Scotland Yard and a very good friend of mine. If you and Riley need anything or get in any kind of trouble, you call him. Just tell him you know me and he'll help you, no questions asked."

"Thanks, Hotch, but," he shrugged, "we're not going to get in any trouble. You know us."

"You won't mean to," He clarified. "But things can still happen. You know that."

"I know, but… it's England." He assured.

"Reid," Hotch urged. "I don't care if it's Canada. It's still a foreign country. It's not going to hurt to have a citizen as an ally. You don't have to tell Riley about it. It's just a precaution."

Hotch had a point. Reid's badge would be useless over there. With a nod, he slipped the card in his pocket. "Thanks, Hotch."

"I doubt you'll have to use it, though." He said to lighten the mood. "And have a good time."

Meanwhile, Emily made her way through the crowd to where Riley was saying goodbye to Reid's father. Wanting to speak to her in private, she waited until Riley was alone.

"Hey," Riley said, "Having fun?"

"Yeah… the champagne's good, anyway. I probably spent a little too much time at the bar." Emily admitted a little guilty.

"I don't think the bar tender was complaining." Riley gave her a knowing smirk. "I saw the way he was checking you out. He's cute, you should give him your number."

Emily let out a light chuckle. "Yeah, maybe. Listen, I want to give you something."

"Okay," Riley looked at her curiously, knowing this was serious.

Emily lowered her voice, handing her a small piece of paper. "I told my mother that you were going to London. This is the name of a friend of hers at the American Embassy in England. If you guys have any trouble with your visas or passports or getting home, you just have to call him. My mother's contact information is there, too, if you need additional help."

"Thanks, Em," Riley said, clutching the paper. She seemed a little unsure.

"What's wrong?" Emily asked.

"I don't know," Riley looked to make sure no one was listening. "Maybe it's just… wedding day jitters, but for the last few weeks… I've been really nervous about the honeymoon."

"You don't think it's cold feet, do you?" Emily wondered, though it was a little late to ask now.

"No," Riley said with confidence. "I thought that, too. And… as nervous as I was about the wedding, I had no doubts about getting married. It's just… I don't know, I have a bad feeling about going to London… and I don't want to mention it to Spencer because he'll cancel the whole thing to make me feel better. I don't want to do that to him… and I do want to go…"

"You're probably just nervous about going so far away. I mean, you've never left the country before. And neither of you have been to Europe. It can be nerve racking the first time you leave. I've been changing countries for years and I know I still get nervous sometimes."

Riley wasn't convinced, but nodded. "You're right. And thank you. But don't mention to Spencer about this… or that you gave this to me."

Emily smiled, "No problem, what's a maid of honor for? Just think of it as a wedding present."

"Wait… you didn't get us a real present?" She asked, giving her mock glare.

Morgan walked over as the girls were laughing. "What's so funny, ladies? Reid's dancing skills?"

"Hey, that's my husband you're talking about, Agent Morgan, so watch it!" Riley snapped with a smile.

"Yeah, well, you tell that husband of yours he better treat you right unless he wants his ass kicked." He gave her a wink, both of them knowing that was a useless threat. "You looked really beautiful today, Riley, I hope you know that."

"She always looks beautiful," Reid said as he made his way back to her, his hands slipping onto her waist as he pulled her into kiss.

"Thank you," Riley uttered as their kiss ended. She shifted into his arms. "You don't look too bad yourself."

"Well, as fun as it is to see you both making those eyes at each other, I think I'm going to call it a night. You guys have fun on your honeymoon." Emily stated. "Um… Morgan, I'm feeling a little dizzy. I think I had too much to drink. I hate to ask, but do you think you could take me home.

"Yeah, I guess so." Morgan replied, giving the impression it were an annoying inconvenience, ignoring the worried glance between the happy couple. "Reid, Riley, congratulations again." He gave them each a one armed hug, "You guys have fun in London. We'll see you in two weeks."

"Thanks, Morgan," Reid said, "And thanks for being my best man."

Morgan led Emily from the ballroom toward the elevators. Once they were safe inside, he said in a mocking cry. "'Oh, Morgan, I had too much to drink. Could you take me home?' Nice performance, Prentiss."

"Thanks, I practiced in the mirror all morning." She sarcastically remarked. The instant the doors were closed, Emily moved herself against him, forcing him against the wall. Her arms wrapped around his neck and pulled him into a kiss.

Their lips parted begrudgingly, in need of breath. "I've been wanting to do that all night." He said, his hands clutching to her waist, enclosing any remaining space between them.

"Me too," she retorted. Her lips brushed his again. "Ever since I saw how sexy you look in that tux."

He met her in another kiss. One hand traveled down to her thigh, lifting it to rest against his hip. The hem of her lavender dress sliding up to reveal the straps of her garter belt clipped to her thigh highs. Morgan moved his lips down her neck to her shoulder, pushing the strap of her dress aside.

She let out a stifled moan. "I hope we don't run into anyone."

"The only other people from the wedding staying here tonight are Reid and Riley," Morgan said as he moved slowly to the pulse point on her neck. "And they're staying in the honeymoon suite, which is five floors above us; they'll never know we're here. Trust me," He met her eyes with a wicked grin, grinding against her slightly, "It's just us tonight. All night."

She bit her lip in anticipation with her own pleased grin. They kissed again, with fervor and fire. The elevator dinged and they pulled apart instantly, attempting to show a little decency were anyone waiting for the car.

Thankfully, they were alone. Morgan removed the key card from his pocket, clutching Emily's hand as they hurried to their room.

"We could have just gone home, you know," Riley called from the bathroom of their suite. "The nightly rate on this room is more than I make in a week."

"That wouldn't be special." Reid explained, pouring two glasses of sparkling cider while he waited, his jacket and tie removed. "You've been in there for over twenty minutes, are you at least close to being ready?"

"I want to look nice for you!" She called. "It'll be worth the wait. Trust me, it will knock your mismatched socks off."

"My mismatched socks are already off. You can just come out naked." He smiled when he heard her giggle.

He took a sip from his glass, enjoying the fizzing apple juice. Reid was not a big drinker and did not mind forfeiting champagne for Riley, who didn't like to drink at all. "I think what Morgan and Emily said about us at dinner was really sweet." He heard her call.

"Yeah, me too." Reid agreed.

"I'm glad all I had was a maid of honor. I never got the point of bridesmaids, even if I had a lot of friends. I mean really, what do they do?"

Reid laughed, "Actually, bridesmaids were traditionally created to protect both the bride and the groom. They were used a decoys. In order to protect them from evil spirits, they would have several girls dressed exactly like the bride to confuse them. It was in order to ensure a long and happy life for the couple." He looked over at the direction of the bathroom, emitting a heavy gasp.

For the second time that day, Reid felt his stomach contract. Like a painless way of being punched in the gut. The first time had been at the ceremony, watching her come down aisle.

Riley had finally come out of the bathroom. Her hair was down and wild once again, flowing naturally around her down to her hips. She wore a long, soft white negligee, partially transparent. It went from a low, exposing neck line down to her ankles, with lace slit up the side to expose the long, slender legs he never tired of touching. Thin, barely visible straps went over her shoulders. Riley leaned against the frame of the bathroom, her ivory arm over her head so the fabric spread along the extended curves of her body.

There was a long silence as Reid tried to remember his own name. "Close your mouth, you look like a trout." Instantly at her command, his jaw closed again. She came into the room, walking towards him. "What were you saying? About… bridesmaids?"

"Uh… I honestly can't remember." Again, her giggle made him smile. "You look amazing."

"I told you so." She came up to the table, picking up her glass while admiring the arrangement of the cider, strawberries, chocolate, and roses. "Wow… you know, I appreciate all the trouble you've gone to for a romantic evening, but you know… I'm a sure thing. It's our wedding night. You're pretty much guaranteed sex." She said, taking a sip.

"I did all this because it's our wedding night." He stepped toward her, taking her glass and setting both on the table. He slipped his hands onto her waist, feeling the delicate fabric of the night gown. "I don't need to seduce you, Riley. I have an eidetic memory so I know for a fact I've never needed tactics to seduce you. I did this because I wanted to make this night special. Isn't that why you just spent twenty-five minutes in the bathroom?"

"Well, yeah. I wanted to look pretty for you. It was worth the wait, though, right?" Her brown eyes sparkled at him.

"Yeah… it was worth it… and I don't just mean the last twenty-five minutes." Reid's hand brushed her cheek, pushing some off the hair off her face. "Riley, you know we've been through so much the last three years. The minute I saw you coming down the aisle, it was just another reminder how important it all was. I saw you… you're hair was up and tame, like I'd never believed could be possible, in that gown that I couldn't comprehend was so simple, yet made you look so spectacular at the same time, and your veil going down your back. The way both the dress and veil had those silver sparkles all through it… they looked like snowflakes…"

"That's what I thought, too." She said with glistening eyes. "When I first tried it on, it reminded me of our first walk… and it started to snow."

Reid smiled, so pleased they were thinking alike. "I couldn't breathe… it was like I was seeing you for the first time."

The tears were welling up in here eyes. "Spencer… you're going to make me cry."

He continued. "I don't know about you, but… I wouldn't trade a second of the last three years. The good or the bad; even the worst of times when I was sure we wouldn't come out of it alive. It was worth it; it brought us here. All those awful memories are behind us now. You're more than my wife, Riley… you are my whole life. I love you."

With a deep breath, Riley smiled, unable to hold back the tears as she slipped into Reid's arms. Her own wrapped around his neck while her bangs brushed against his brow. The trembling fingers on her hand caressed the back of his head. "I love you, too… I am so glad I married you, Spencer Reid."

With a smile, Reid leaned down and met her lips. With a sigh of content, she released his neck and began to undo the black buttons of his tux. She made slow work of it and he didn't rush her. Both wanted to take it slow, like it was the first time all over again. Their lips never left each other, barely parting to replenish air. The shirt slid off his shoulders, revealing the white undershirt beneath it. As it fluttered to the floor, his arms went around her waist, pulling her against him. Riley's arms returned to Reid's neck, allowing his protective form to lead her across the room and lay her on the bed.