Reid poked his head out of the kitchen. "Anybody here yet?"

"No!" Amelia called. She was standing on the couch, staring out the big picture window behind it. Her focus was on the street two stories below their apartment building.

"Okay, let us know when they get here!" Reid called. "We're counting on you!"

She cried back, excited by the responsibility. "Okay, I'll tell you!"

Chuckling, he returned to the kitchen. JJ was pouring two cups of freshly brewed coffee, the rich aroma wafting pleasantly around them.

She smiled as she handed one cup to her friend. "So how was Parents' Night last night?"

"Not bad." Reid said as he pulled out a chair for her at the kitchen table. He took the seat next to her, sipping carefully at his overly sweet beverage.

That was curious. "But not good?" She inquired, claiming the seat he offered.

Reid thought how best to address this. After all, it hadn't been a horrible evening. "It was fun, mostly because Amelia was so happy to share it with me. Children who are adjusting well in school tend to be very excited to share experiences like these with their parents, it's the first moment in their lives where everything isn't dictated by the parental figures and it gives them a small sense of independence and accomplishment."

JJ struggled to hide the amused roll of her eyes. Reid read every parenting book he could get his hands on, as if that was enough to prepare him for what was truly unpredictable.

He continued, "Her teacher told me she's doing well. She needs to work on handwriting. And she talks too much in class."

"She does love to talk, doesn't she?" JJ laughed.

Reid nodded, "And… I got a warning from the school psychologist."

The joviality of the moment faded, and JJ asked, concerned. "About what?"

"Nothing too serious." He began. "She warned me Amelia may start asking questions about her mother."

The truth hung over them like a grim evil. JJ tried to sound calm and casual as she took a sip of her coffee. "What do you plan to tell her?"

"Nothing, if she doesn't ask. But if she does… I can't tell her the truth. I swore I never would."

"What you tell her doesn't have to be overly complicated." She said. "Just give her the simplest answer possible. That'll be enough for her."

"There's nothing simple about the fact that her mother is a serial killer who made her lover rape a man in an attempt to get pregnant with his child." Reid blurted out, "And, when she thought it didn't take, she seduced a prison guard in order to ensure a pregnancy to gaslight me, and later attempted to abort the baby herself with a coat hanger she stole from the warden's office."

"Well…" JJ muttered, stunned at his bluntness, "when you put it like that…"

"I'm sorry," Reid said with a shake of his head. He hadn't meant to go off like that. "I just… I want us to be free of Cat Adams."

"I know," JJ assured him. She did understand. "I want that for you."

Reid took a deep breath. "I love Amelia more and more every day. No matter how she came to be, she is the best thing that ever happened to me. But with every passing day, and the more I love her, the more I hate Cat Adams. Because she didn't just hurt me, she hurt Amelia, too. And I never want my little girl to know that."

At that, JJ reached over to take his hand. She squeezed it warmly, feeling that familiar welcoming warmth in her belly when he squeezed back.

"Spence, I think you worry too much. You don't have to go into any details with her. And by the time she is old enough to really know the truth… Cat could be gone by then."

It was true. While had had no contact with the woman, Reid had kept a few tabs on her. The trial still hadn't taken place, which wasn't uncommon in federal cases. Her lawyer kept finding a reason to push the date back, but they were running out of time and excuses.

"Maybe," Reid said. "I won't sleep well until they put a needle in her arm."

It bothered JJ to hear him talk like that. He was no longer that shy boy she'd meet seventeen years ago. Awkward and nervous, blushing whenever she made eye contact with him. He could barely be in the same room with a shackled prisoner, even with another agent present. He'd grown a lot over the years, things had changed him and mostly for the better. He even considered his time in prison a helpful experience. But some things, like Cat Adams… they left a darkness in him he might never be free from.

"Her lawyer reached out to me." He stated, a bitter expression on his face.

"When?" JJ asked, amazed.

"A couple months ago." He said, looking down into the black swirls in his mug. "He thought I would want to testify on Cat's behalf."

That didn't make any sense. "Doesn't he know what she did to you?"

"I think Cat made him believe we had a romantic relationship. Or he just assumed. I guess he figured I'd have qualms about the mother of my child being sentenced to death, which couldn't be more contradictory."

"I wouldn't be surprised if you were front in center to the execution chamber." JJ muttered, maybe a little acerbic.

"No," Reid said with certainty. "I won't be there. I told Cat the day Amelia was born it would be the last time she'd ever see me."

JJ nearly gasped at that. "You never told me that."

Reid held her gaze for a long moment before he said "I never told anybody."

It was true. In nearly six years, Reid had never told a soul what happened in that room in the prison infirmary. The others had asked a few times, but he wouldn't admit a thing.

She could have just let it go, it would probably be best. Because Reid deserved to go through life without being haunted by that woman. But curiosity was like suffering from an addiction, that itch to fulfill that insatiable craving.

"What did happen that day, Spence?" She finally asked. "What did you have to say to her?"

Reid caught her gaze again, and for the first time she didn't see the cold, unyielding barrier that kept those he loved out of such an intimate secret. No, this time she saw a warmth and openness, finally ready to let her in.

"They're here!" A little voice cried from the living room, making them both jump. The kitchen door swung open and Amelia dashed in like a little bird about to take flight, "They're here! Daddy, JJ, they're here!"

"Okay!" Reid laughed as he caught her in his arms. She was so excited she nearly ran into the table. "Thanks for letting us know!"

Her face was beaming with joy, tugging on Reid's shirt. "Come on, come on, let's go!"

There was no denying her, even if they wanted to. Reid rose and followed her from the kitchen, with JJ in close pursuit. They both had to rush to keep up with her through the apartment and downstairs to greet the newly arrived guests. Reid had to admit, he was nearly as excited about this visit as she was. After all, phone calls just weren't enough most of the time.

They headed down to the street, greeting the family as they got out of the car. Savannah was first on the passenger side, beaming immediately as Amelia rushed to her.

"There's my girl!" She cried, wrapping her in a hug. "Oh, I missed you!"

"Missed you more!" Amelia exclaimed. "I made you a picture, Savannah, it's upstairs!"

She gasped in delight. "Oh, I can't wait to see it! You're such a good artist."

Reid watched the two for a moment before turning his attention to the others. Derek Morgan was helping a young boy from the car, immediately rushing to Reid when he spotted him.

"Hi, Spencer!" Hank Morgan exclaimed, jumping on him at once.

"Hey, Buddy!" Reid cried as he caught him. The boy may only have been six and a half, but he was very strong.

"Hank!" Morgan reprimanded. "You're getting too big to jump on people!"

"That's okay, I miss being jumped on!" Reid cried as he squeezed him close. Hank had been jumping into his arms like this since he was able to climb on the couch. Truly, Reid did love it.

Morgan smirked, "Yeah, that's well and fine for a normal person, but you fold like a napkin."

"Ha ha ha," Reid said as he set the little boy. Morgan pulled him into a bear hug, which Reid was all too grateful to accept. He never realized how much he missed Morgan on a day to day basis until he was home again.

After a quick hug and hello to JJ, Morgan took a glance around. "Now, where exactly is that little girl of yours, Reid?"

"Here I am!" Amelia cried, still standing by Savannah.

Morgan looked at her closely. "No, you can't be Amelia Reid."

"It's me!" She cried with indignation, making the adults snicker from her outrage.

"It can't be!" Morgan said, folding his arms. "See, cause, Amelia Reid is just a little girl and you, you're nearly a lady!"

"It is me, Derek, I am Amelia!" She stamped her foot, "Tell him, Daddy!"

Reid smiled, "She's right, it is her."

He pretended to be shocked, kneeling down to get to her level. "Well, I can't believe it. I can't believe how big you've gotten! Did you wear this dress just for me?"

"I did," she said, showing off the floral pattern of her dress.

"Well, you look very pretty." He smiled, and opened his arms. "Now you better give me a hug, right now!"

She rushed to him and Morgan wrapped her in his arms. Of all his friends, the relationship she had with Morgan was the most precious. Probably because of how important Morgan was in Reid's life, and even 726.2 miles away, Morgan was always there when he needed him. He couldn't have been happier they were raising their kids together.

…

The big party was planned for next weekend. It had become a tradition over the years. During the holidays, with family obligations and negotiating travel, it was difficult to arrange a gathering for the whole team, old and new alike. So for the last few years, Halloween had become the time for the team to reunite. It allowed all the kids to dress up for Trick or Treat and the adults to spend time together. Garcia took the initiative to plan the event, always going above and beyond expectations. Today, however, was a more intimate visit. Just the Reids and the Morgans. And, since Will was in New Orleans with the boys until Wednesday, JJ was free to join them.

These afternoons were few and far between. No work or worries, just quality time with some of the people Reid loved most in the world. Before long, the sun was setting, casting an orange glow into the living room. Giggling sounded from down the hall. After a while, Amelia had taken Hank to her room and from the sound, the kids were having fun time, no doubt jumping on the bed and playing some game of make believe as pirates or superheroes. It gave the adults time to get reacquainted over coffee, updating everyone on life since their last visit. Reid and JJ were careful not to talk about work for Morgan's benefit. Not that he wouldn't want to know about their previous cases, but he liked to keep his family out of that world as much as possible.

"Your little girl has got a thing lately for bunny rabbits." Morgan noted, indicating the picture she painted for Savannah.

Reid nodded. "Her kindergarten has a class bunny and she's fascinated by it. I don't know, maybe she's ready for a pet of her own."

"That might be fun for her." JJ said, setting her coffee mug down. "Will and I have been talking about getting the boys a dog, but we haven't made a decision yet."

"How come?" Reid wondered.

She sat up in her chair, starting the gather up the mess from the coffee and Danishes. "It's a lot of responsibility for a kid. Henry's 13, so he's got some sense of responsibility, but they're both kids, so it's still up to us to look after him."

"We learned that from Hank's guinea pig." Morgan said with a glance at Savannah. "Just remember, whatever you get her, you'll be taking care of it most of the time."

Reid had almost laughed just as a memory floated to the top of his mind, like a rotting corpse in a river.

You'd lose interest in your own baby the way a six year old loses interest in a pet hamster.

He tried to shove it away, not wanting the sour feeling to affect his cheerful mood. He hated when that happened, a recollection coming out of nowhere, like Cat Adams had intentionally made him remember her. She didn't belong in this world, yet he knew he could never really be free of her. Not until she was dead.

"Daddy!" Amelia cried as she and Hank rushed back into the living room.

Reid sat up at once, back in the present. He put his arm around her as she rushed to his chair. "What's up, Baby?"

"Can Hank sleep over tonight?" She wondered, giving the sweetest smile with those big golden eyes he could never resist. It was very hard to deny her when she looked at him like that, even when he knew he needed to set limits. Sometimes it took all his strength just to tell her no.

Thankfully, this was not one of those times. "Well… if it's okay with Derek and Savannah, it's okay with me."

Hank had jumped onto the couch between his parents, giving his own sweet face Reid was sure the Morgan's had trouble rejecting. "Please, Mommy? Daddy?"

Savannah gave an exaggerated sigh. "Well… it'll be hard to be away from my little bear for the night," she said, squeezing him in a hug, "but if it's okay with Daddy, it's okay with me."

Morgan smiled. "Yeah, it's okay with me."

The kids were ecstatic. Morgan gave Hank a nudge. "Go say thank you to Spence and then we'll get your stuff out of the car."

Hank ran over and practically threw himself in Reid's lap. The kid really didn't know his own strength, but Reid laughed and hugged him anyway. "Thank you, Spence!"

"You're welcome, Buddy." Reid smiled, squeezing him close.

He climbed down after a moment and followed Morgan to the door. Amelia followed, wanting to help, leaving Reid alone with the women. Sensing their afternoon coming to an end, the three started gathering up the dishes.

"You sure you're okay letting him stay the night?" Savannah wondered.

Reid waved it off. "It's no problem."

"Hey, if he can handle Amelia and both my boys for a whole week, he can definitely handle this." JJ uttered with a grin, remembering. "They took garbage bags to turn the backyard into a slip n' slide, melted an entire bag of marshmallows in the microwave, and then decided to put all my bath bombs into the tub at once."

"I'm pretty sure Amelia was the instigator on that last one." Reid laughed.

JJ carried a handful of dishes to the kitchen. Savannah waited until they were alone before saying, softly, "Well… thank you, anyway, because Derek and I could use the alone time."

"I'm sure," Reid said casually, brushing it off.

"No, I mean, really." Savannah said, and Reid caught a significant glint in her eye. "We've been talking and… we think maybe it's time Hank had a little brother or sister."

"You're kidding!" Reid cried, delighted by the news. "I'm so happy for you guys."

"Well, we haven't had any luck yet, but we're trying." She said. "Please don't tell him I said anything. We want to keep this secret so as not to jinx anything, but I thought you should know."

"There's no such thing as a jinx, but mentally it can make conception more difficult if the couple is experiencing stress-" He cut himself off, catching Savannah's smirk. "I understand, I won't say anything."

"Well, you never know, this time next year, you might have a goddaughter." She said.

He smiled. "I take it that means you want a girl?"

Savannah nodded. "I know I shouldn't hope, and I'll be happy either way, but yes, I would like a girl this time."

He suspected that, and it did sound nice, having one of each. He hadn't realized Savannah was still watching him.

"What about you?" She wondered as they headed towards the kitchen with the rest of the dishes.

He stopped, confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean it would be a shame to think of Amelia as an only child." She said.

He didn't know exactly how to respond to that. His daughter was everything to him, but it would be a lie if hadn't once hoped for more. That he sometimes imagined, if life had been a little more fair, what might have welcomed him home every night.

"I'm not exactly in a position to grow my family, Savannah." He finally retorted.

"Not now, but you don't exactly put yourself out there. How long has it been since you dated someone?"

Not since long before Amelia was born. Technically, his last date had actually been with Cat Adams in an undercover operation. He shuddered internally; he had just thought of it as a date.

"I'm just saying," Savannah said, reaching to brush his arm, "it's never too late. You could find a nice girl, have the family you want, and be happy. If you just open yourself up a little bit."

Savannah carried the plates into the kitchen, leaving Reid alone with his thoughts. He stood alone in his living room, mulling over her advice. Reid supposed if he tried, if he opened himself up and allowed someone in, he could find a nice woman. Someone kind and smart whom he got along with. But he wasn't interested in just compatibility and companionship. He wanted passion. He wanted desire and magic. He… he wanted…

JJ startled him as she rushed back in from the kitchen. She caught his disconcerted expression. "You okay, Spence?"

He swallowed hard, putting on a half-smile. "Yes… I'm fine."

He hurried to the kitchen, shoving feelings deep down in the pit of his stomach, just as he'd been doing for seventeen years. He'd gotten rather good at that. And no one was the wiser. That was a small comfort.

In the kitchen, he didn't notice Savannah watching him with caution. He wasn't so good at hiding his feelings from everyone, unbeknownst to him. It worried her to see him pine for someone he could never have.

Savannah grinned as Derek opened the car door for her. He'd taken her to team night at a local restaurant, wanting his friends to get to know her. He gave her a suggestive wink as she slid into the passenger seat. How was it after all these months, he could still make her blush like this.

He came over the driver's side, sliding in behind the wheel. "So how'd I do?" She asked as he started the engine.

"They loved you." Derek said. The traffic was typical for a Friday night, congested and hectic. "No, surprise, I knew they would."

She was happy about that. She knew how important Derek's friends were to him. He talked about them all the time, seeming closer to them than his blood family. It was important they approved of her. Even if he'd been sure, she was glad to have confirmation.

"What did you think of them?" He asked, finally getting out on the road.

She smiled, "They're wonderful people. That Penelope is so full of life."

Derek chuckled. "She really is fantastic. I think she loved you most of all."

Savannah had a lot of queries about the team, and intended to ask all of them. Maybe she wouldn't get good answers, maybe he wouldn't want to answer them at all, but if they were integral to Derek Morgan's life, they were integral to hers. She wanted to get to know all of them better.

She did have one burning question, though. Why it seemed the most important now, she couldn't be certain. Maybe the subject intrigued her too much to ignore. "Can I ask you something?"

Derek's face was pleasant. "You can ask me anything, Babe."

"It's about Reid." She said.

She saw a flicker of uncertainty illuminated by the passing headlights from the other lane. "Okay."

"How long has he been in love with Jennifer?" She wondered.

A long silence followed, and in the darkness she couldn't begin to determine what was going on in Derek's mind. Savannah was beginning to think it was too personal, or maybe she let a cat out of a bag. Finally, he uttered, "You noticed that, did you?"

"It's not blatantly obvious." She said with a shrug. "But there were some subtle signs. Too many to dismiss as coincidence. I was just curious."

She thought maybe that might be the end of the conversation, until Derek finally replied, "I think it was the first time she called him 'Spence'."

Savannah smiled, "Really?"

"Apparently no one had ever called him that before." He said. "It didn't seem like anything to me, but I saw his face turn red, and he watched her walk off the elevator. I teased him a little, which I regret now. But from that day on, I'd catch him staring at her. When he thought no one was looking… and it was never in a leering way or a creepy way, just… an affectionate way."

"He never acted on it?" She wondered.

He replied, "He asked her to a football game once. I never found out how that went, he just said it was top secret. And I noticed a distance between them afterward. It lasted about a month, but slowly they reconciled and built a great friendship. She made him godfather to her son."

"She's married." Savannah declared. "It must kill him to see her with someone else."

"If it were me, or you… or anyone else, yeah, it would." Derek assured. "It's not like that with Reid. He doesn't… love like we do."

That was confusing, and sounded a little offensive. "How do you mean?"

"Reid is the least selfish person I've ever known." He said. "When it comes to love, and it doesn't matter what kind – for his friends, for his mother- he loves unconditionally. He wants the people he loves to be safe and happy. He sees Will with JJ and knows how much they care for each other, and that's all he wants for her."

"How do you know that?" Questioned Savannah. "He could just be good at keeping his feelings buried."

"I asked him once. At JJ's wedding. I managed to pull him aside before the ceremony, which could have been a disaster, but I needed to make sure he was okay before he watched her get married. I asked him, delicately, if he was okay with this. And his response was 'My best friend is getting married today. I've never been happier.' And I knew he meant it."

So that was that. "Well… it's a shame. I think they'd have been good together."

Derek gave a nod. "Yeah. Maybe I should have pushed more years ago, maybe found out what happened at that game and helped him try again. But they're friends now, and maybe that's better, because at least he gets to be in her life, and a very important part."

"And her husband doesn't have a problem with him?" Savannah wondered.

He took a deep breath as he considered that. "He doesn't seem to, they get along great. If Will has any suspicion to how Reid feels, he doesn't let it bother him."

She didn't say anything to that, and Derek glanced at her. "Does that answer your question?"

Not entirely, she did want to know one more thing. "How does JJ feel about Reid?"

Derek answered as if it were obvious. "They're friends. They're close."

"I know that, but after so many years and being so close, you don't think she feels something more than just friendship for him?" She wondered.

At that, Derek was silent for a long time, as if really considering how to answer that. "I… I really don't know."