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#4

Love is a better teacher than duty.

~Albert Einstein

"So his first date in over a year and it involves undercover work, kidnapping, a bomb threat and Penelope's freedom on the table," Prentiss said over her drink with Morgan. "How long before the next one after experience like that?"

Morgan shook his head. "This was undercover work, there was no date."

"But seriously, Morgan is there anything else going on his life?" she asked.

"I don't know but he does have a lot on his plate with his mom and I do try to get him to work out with me from time to time."

"How well does that usually work?"

Morgan smiled. "Every once and a while he'll run out of excuses for not showing up to lift weights."

"What if I tried to set him up while I'm in town?" she offered.

"Do you have someone in mind?"

"Maybe," she said.

"So how long are you in town?" he asked.

"Another week. Plenty of time to find Reid the girl of his dreams."

…

"What do you want?" Heather Prentiss said before embracing her cousin lightly.

"Can't a cousin drop by and say hello?" Emily said diplomatically.

They took their seats. To look at them one would think they were sisters instead of cousins.

"It is never just hello with you Emily. The last time it involved helping Uncle Claude move into assisted living in the middle of winter. Your idea of 'help' meant me doing all the packing and you being there the day after I finished intake paperwork."

"I had a major case at Interpol to deal with."

"Story of your life," Heather said. "I have to deal with family while you're busy somewhere else."

Heather was nine years younger than Emily. When they were younger Emily loved sending postcards and treats from abroad. But as family health issues came up Heather was left to take care of things. Their relationship had grown strained but Emily was still hopeful.

After they ordered wine. Emily tried to make light conversation.

"So how do you like teaching at Georgetown?"

"Not that different from NYU," she said after taking a sip. "The kids are growing so obsessed with their phones and mobile devices they barely pay attention to me anymore. The kids are hacking the reader software so I am having a harder time catching the cheaters. There are times when I just want highlight papers in red when I see they paraphrase whole articles without citation."

"Aren't you a little young to be this cynical?"

"Clearly you haven't been in an undergraduate classroom lately."

They placed their orders for salads.

"Well how about your research project? Weren't you doing one economic history of Ukraine?"

"Still stuck in committee review," she said bitterly.

"I'm sorry to hear that," she said.

Heather drank some more wine. "Now how about you tell me why we're here in a nice restaurant talking about my teaching woes when you clearly have something else on your mind."

Emily sighed "Maybe I shouldn't."

"Just tell me. You're leaving me in suspense," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Would you be up for a blind date?" Emily said.

"You really just want to set me up Emily?"

"I have a friend, a former colleague who could use some good company if you're up for it."

"Which job? Secret agent or profiler?"

"Profiler," Emily said. "I see you're not saying no right off the bat."

"Maybe I'd like to be spoiled with a nice dinner. So what is his name?"

"Spencer Reid, he's a year older than you."

"His name sounds familiar. Did he do lectures with Alex Blake?"

"He might have."

"Okay," she said. "I'll do it."

"Really?" Emily said. "You're up for it?"

"It's just a date. I have been on blind dates before. Just warn him that I might not be up for falling in love with him instantly or at all."

"Okay," Emily said.

Their meals came and they spent the rest of the time talking about Emily's work.

…

Prentiss was eating a meal with the team.

"I can't believe you set me up on a date," he said sitting opposite Prentiss.

"She teaches European history at Georgetown," she said "you might like her."

J.J. grinned. "That does not sound like a glowing endorsement."

"She can be prickly at times but she has a good heart," Prentiss said defensively.

"At least there won't be any ticking time bombs on this date," Morgan said helpfully.

"Or stalkers," Reid said softly.

"Come on son," Rossi said slapping him on the back. "You've got to try again sometime. You know that's what she would have wanted."

"I know," he said "but I don't think I ready for a date set up like this. What if she hates me and it causes tension between you two?"

"I can't imagine anyone hating you Reid," Garcia said.

"I second that thought," Hotch said.

Prentiss looked at Reid. "Trust me on this Reid. You can't do or say anything that might strain our relationship."

"Okay then," Reid said. "I'll do it.

…

Reid couldn't help but feel nervous all over again waiting for Heather. He knew that there was no threat but he still felt like he had to keep his guard up.

Then she walked in wearing plunging red dress. Reid had to blink twice to see that she was not Emily. He knew about familial genes but it was still hard to imagine someone resembling Emily so much that they looked like sisters instead of cousins.

Reid stood up nervously.

Heather held her hands back. "You don't want to touch my hands. I just handed back papers and I swear I catch colds from students just from making eye-contact with them."

"Did you know that up to twenty percent of the US population can get the flu every year?"

"Interesting," she said as they took their seats.

"I'm sorry. I spout off random facts sometimes," he said looking at the table.

"Hey that makes you twenty percent more interesting than most of my last dates," she said with a smile.

They looked at their menus. Heather shook her head. "I'm not feeling the steak. This place isn't a steakhouse so they could be using meat that was glued together."

"I thought I was the only one who knew that," he said.

She smiled. "It's disgusting but I love gross facts. Facts in general."

"Is that why you're a teacher?"

Heather laughed. "No. I am a teacher because I love stories. Columbus wasn't the first European to discover America. The Vikings did and reached as far as Minnesota."

"Napoleon once said 'History is the version of past events that people have decided to agree upon," Reid said.

"My students like, Churchill's quote 'history is written by the victors.' It is easier to remember."

They continued to talk about history until the waiter came and both realized neither had looked at the menu closely enough to choose.

After they finally placed their orders Heather smiled. "I didn't realized Emily was setting me up with an intellectual equal."

"Neither did I," Reid said.

…

Emily spent the night waiting by her cell phone. It was past one o'clock. The date should be over by now. Heather had to have put on a good show if they were out this long.

Finally, her phone did ring. "Were you staying to see if I broke your friend's heart?"

"What would you say if I said yes?"

"That you worry too much. Spencer is really an amazing guy. We've already set up a second date and he guest lecturing my class next month."

"You really like him?" she said.

"Not just for the dinners Emily. I really do. I have got to go. I'm up past my bedtime. If I didn't like the date I wouldn't have stayed out this long. Goodnight."

Emily fell onto her bed with a smile on her face. Without realizing it, she was crying. She was so happy for Reid and her cousin.