Disclaimer: I Don't own any Criminal Minds Characters. All rights belong to the creators of Criminal Minds.
"Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working tougher is success." ~ Henry Ford
With the Unsub being successfully found and arrested with the only casualty being a cut on Reid's head, the team decided to go out to dinner their last night in Tucson before their flight back to Quantico in the morning. Reid decided on a nice Chinese restaurant which shocked no one except for JJ.
She and Reid have had this inside joke between them ever since that case in New York when they went to a Chinese restaurant and she noticed Reid had no idea how to use chop sticks. So by hearing that he offered to take everyone back to a Chinese restaurant really peaked her interest.
Everyone gathered around a large circular table far away from everyone. The waitress came to them readying her pen to take their drink orders.
"I'll have a rum and coke" Hotch said.
"I'll take a Bloody Mary." Garcia said
"Make that two please." Emily said right after her.
"Um, I'll have the Screaming Orgasm please."
"I'll give you a screaming orgasm." Reid said a nonchalantly."
JJ started blushing wildly, "Uh.." Morgan said clearing his throat. Emily and Garcia were too shocked to comment at first.
"I'm just going to believe I didn't hear that." Hotch said.
"I can't believe you just said that!" Garcia said almost laughing.
"Seriously Reid what the hell happened to you." Emily demanded to know. The waitress tried to hold back her grin, really taking a liking on this table she was serving. She coughed to try and get everyone on track.
"Sorry sweetheart, Ill just take a Captain please." Morgan said.
"Alright and you Mr. Man of the hour?" The waitress chipped in causing everyone at the table to laugh.
" Oh um i guess ill have-"
"Spence here will have the Cock Tease please." JJ cut him off with a smirk.
"And will you be delivering that personally, Jenny?" Reid countered back just as quickly.
JJ was shocked she thought she got him back finally but she was wrong.
"Oh! There you go!" Morgan said with a whistle
"Ok thats enough you two." Hotch tried to say with a stern voice but let out a slight chuckle.
"It's alright Aaron, they're adults now." Rossi informed him.
"I think we need to split those two love birds up." Garcia suggested.
Rossi just smiled and slipped the waitress a twenty. "I think we all ordered. Thanks for dealing with us." He said to her.
"No trouble at all sir, Im glad you all get along well. Plus i've dealt with a lot worse. Trust me this is giving me a break." The waitress said and then left to grab their drinks. Once their drinks were served they started small talking until the entree's came.
Alright Spence I have to ask. Why did you decide to take us to Chinese? of all places." JJ questioned taking a sip of wine.
"What? is there something wrong with me enjoying Chinese?" Reid said trying to defend himself.
"No not at all. Only asking because of the fact the last time the whole team went to go to eat Chinese together was in New York and you got super embarrassed at failing to use chop sticks. Remember?" JJ replied.
"Oh yeah! I do remember that Jayge! Reid was so red in the face." Emily said back laughing at the memory.
"Didn't you have to take your hair elastic out and tie it around the two sticks to help him eat his food?" Morgan questioned.
"Yeah she did i remember that as well." Rossi chipped in.
"Alright alright laugh it up everyone. You all are forgetting that was me from a couple plus years ago. Things can change during that time. Here watch this." Reid said getting everyone's attention. He took a pair of chop sticks thought he should make a little show out of it. He grabbed one dumpling with the sticks and tossed it slightly in the air, letting it fall. He caught it right before it dunked into the sauce, and then casually took a bite out of it.
Nearly everyone at the table gasped at the skill Reid just showed off. This was definitely not the Reid they knew from three months ago.
"What the actual hell Reid. You cant tell me that the Pentagon taught you how to use chop sticks..." Morgan said with disbelief.
"Nah I kinda just learned it on my own due to using them so much." Reid responded.
"Where did you go anyway Spence?" JJ said taking a bite of a dumpling herself.
Reid took a sec and looked toward Morgan. Morgan noticed him and gave him a slight nod telling him he could do this. Reid took a gulp and said a prayer and started. "I was going to tell you this alone JJ and we can go more in depth later if you want but long story short is that me being transferred to the DOD was just a coverup for what they actually transferred me for." Reid began.
"Coverup?" JJ asked quietly?
"What did you end up doing Reid?" Hotch spoke
"I was actually put on a task force over seas in Afghanistan." Reid said and looked around him at his friends reactions.
"Not that I think anyone here is upset by it but why didn't you tell us sooner?" Rossi asked.
"Well for one i was just as excited to see everyone again as you all were to me. Especially seeing JJ again." Reid said and then reached his hand to his right to hold and squeeze JJ's. JJ smiled at him and squeezed back. Ok well thats a good sign, I don't think she's mad about it yet. Reid hoped. "And secondly i noticed this case really took a toll on you guys and really wanted to help out, so i guess it didn't leave that much room for me to explain where I've been."
"How long were you in Afghanistan for? Surely not the full 3 months right?" Emily asked.
"Nah it wasn't that long. I had two trips there. The first trip only lasted a couple weeks to train me up and then i came back to the Pentagon for about a 2 weeks. Then i went back to Afghanistan again for a little over a month. I came back from there a week before i came out here to Arizona." Reid responded.
"Why were you put on a task force in Afghanistan?" Hotch asked.
"Because we were tasked with searching for a specific person. Who? I'm not permitted to say. even to FBI."
"Thats understandable." Hotch said back to him.
"Ok ok I think i have the real question that everyone wants to know." JJ now asked ready to change the topic to something that she herself was very interested in finding out.
"I think i know what that question is Jenny but fire away." Reid said grinning at her.
"Where and how did you learn to flirt?" JJ spoke
"Thank you!" Emily, Morgan and Garcia all said at the same time. Causing everyone to laugh.
"You all really want to know?" Reid said
"YES!" basically everyone at the table said.
"Tell us! Tell us!" JJ started chanting, softly punching Reid in his arm.
"Alright alright calm down Jenny I will." Reid said firing his own gently punch back towards her shoulder.
"So while over seas my task force was a mix of men and woman and one of the woman there was apparently flirting with me, only I didn't realize it then." Reid started.
"Oh wow theres a shock." Emily said with a laugh. Reid gave her a glare before continuing.
"So anyway, I guess i was eventually flirting back with her, only realizing i was when her boyfriend confronted me on it." Reid said
"Oh! Nice one kid." Morgan said raising his glass to him.
"So anyway, this other woman noticed me struggling and decided to give me pointers and tell me what to look out for. Eventually i was practicing with practically everyone on the task force. Although i did have to tell this guy there that i wasnt actually interested, and i was just practicing." Reid said with a chuckle remembering that time. Everyone at the table started laughing hard.
"Hey Reid I also noticed something that is kind of surprising me." Hotch said.
"Hmm?" Reid asked too busy talking to JJ.
"Apart from when we are on a case and your knowledge of pretty much everything is needed, I don't believe i have heard you spout off a single statistic."
"Oh my god! you're right! I didn't even notice that until now!" Emily and Garcia said practically at the same time.
"I guess back then i was much more awkward and used those stats as like an escape. Now I don't really need to. Although if anyone got seduced by hearing me shout off statistics in the past i do apologize." Reid Joked
"Spence!" JJ along with Emily, Garcia and Morgan started laughing hysterically.
"On a serious note for a second guys. It feels really good to be back. As much as I don't say or show it, i missed you all a lot. You all are practically my family and I couldn't ask for anything less." Reid stood up and told his group.
"Well i think i speak for everyone here that we are glad to have you back too Reid." Rossi said.
JJ raised her glass to propose a toast. "Here's to Spence being back with us"
"To Reid"
"To pretty boy"
"To my boy wonder!"
Everyone cheered and enjoyed the rest of the night together. When they got back to the hotel They decided to change up the rooms a bit. JJ and Reid now got a room all to themselves, Emily bunked with Hotch and Morgan, and Garica and Rossi were in a room. Reid and JJ passed out, too tired to do anything more than wrap up in each other's arms. They drifted off to sleep knowing that neither of them would be without the other hopefully for a long time to come.
Authors Note: Alright Next chapter is going to be about the teams return to Virginia a brief time on the jet and then at the office. And then focused a lot on JJ and Reid at her house and will finish off with Reid and Henry Reuniting. Probably one chapter left at a max 2 more. Anyways happy reading!