Chapter 2: Chapter 2

Disclaimer: see first chapter

December 2010

"So tell me who this friend of yours is again, Emily," Elizabeth Prentiss asked her daughter.

Emily rolled her eyes, glad her mother couldn't see. She was talking on the phone with her mother for the fifth time this week. The subject of conversation all 5 times was Emily bringing Spencer Reid to Christmas dinner. It wasn't supposed to be this hard. She was going to bring Spencer to Christmas dinner and then they were going to visit his mother in Las Vegas. While they were there, they were going to get married. However, they were going to keep it a secret from everyone just like they kept their engagement a secret.

Everyone also meant their families. Emily honestly didn't think it would be this hard, but her mom was relentless in asking about her friend. Emily didn't tell her she and Spencer were far more than friends. She didn't hint that she and Spencer had been intimate for the past several months. She should have known it was going to be tricky.

"There's nothing to tell, Mom. He's just a friend."

"You don't usually bring a friend to Christmas dinner."

"A fact you constantly bring to my attention. So this year, I'm bringing a friend. I didn't realize it was going to be a problem."

"It isn't a problem."

"Yet you keep calling and interrogating me about him."

"I'm just curious, that's all."

"Look, Spencer doesn't have a lot of plans over the holidays. His mother lives in Las Vegas, and he's flying out to see her after Christmas. In the meantime, I thought he would enjoy dinner."

"Have I ever met him?"

"Yes mother. As I've told you repeatedly, you met him when you brought us a case. He's the one you thought was an intern."

"I see. Emily, are you sure he's just a friend?"

Emily was so tempted to tell her mother the truth. She could have told her mother Spencer was much more than just a friend. Ever since Emily had practically ravished Spencer in his hotel room while they were on a case in Alaska, they had been both romantically and sexually intimate. True, there was a period of a few weeks when there was a huge divide between them. Now, however, everything was back to normal.

Normal. There was very little normal in her life. There was very little normal about Spencer. There was very little normal about their relationship together. It was secret. It was passionate. It made her happy.

"His family lives across the country, Mom so I thought he might enjoy having Christmas dinner. I didn't realize it was going to be a problem."

"It isn't a problem Emily, I'm just curious is all."

"Well, you can ask him anything you like when you meet him. Again."

"Is he the reason you weren't at Thanksgiving?"

"You weren't at Thanksgiving, mother. You were abroad somewhere in Italy."

"But the rest of the family got together, at your cousin's. A celebration, I understand, you didn't attend."

Oh for the love of God, Emily thought. "Mom, this is why I don't bring friends to gatherings. This is why I try to avoid family gatherings period. If this the kind of interrogation I'm not coming to Christmas either." With that, Emily hung up the phone.

She does this to me every time, Emily thought.

A few moments later, her phone started ringing. Great, she thought bitterly, it's Mom again. Then she realized it wasn't that phone. It was her new one. The one she bought for a very special purpose.

This one she bought under the assumed name of Michelle Landis.

This one identified the caller as James.

"Hello."

"Is this a bad time?" The man on the other end asked.

"Not anymore." She smiled as she recognized the voice.

"Your voice still sounds a little stressed. Were you talked to your mother again?"

"Not me. My friend Emily was."

"Oh. Is she having trouble with her mother?"

"Well, she's bringing a friend with her to family Christmas dinner."

"And her mother objects to it?"

"Not exactly, but she's asking a million questions about her friend and it makes," she paused,"Emily uncomfortable."

"Why would that make,"he paused," Emily uncomfortable?"

"Because she's afraid it will make her friend uncomfortable. And she doesn't want that. You see, she wants him to have a merry Christmas."

"I see. And she thinks he won't feel comfortable if he's asked a lot of questions?"

"Exactly."

"That sounds like a tough problem. It sounds a little like my ," he paused," friend Spencer's problem."

"Oh?"

"He's been dating this woman for a while now. He's crazy about her and she's crazy about him. But they're trying to keep their relationship under the radar. So, it makes it hard for them to answer questions openly and honesty. He's going to meet her family for the first time, but she doesn't want them to know. So, he was concerned how to act."

"Maybe he shouldn't meet the family, if it's going to cause that much trouble. Emily's considering not going to the gathering."

"That's a mistake."

"Why?"

"Because family is important. And...I bet Emily's friend might be looking forward to meeting them. I bet he's thinking he's going to have a good time no matter how questions he has to answer."

"Why would he think that?"

"Because he's going to spend it with Emily and see a side of her he doesn't usually get to see. I know Spencer's looking forward to meeting his girlfriend's family."

"I thought he was nervous."

"He is, but he thinks it will be nice to meet her family. Besides, if she avoids her family, that will make them more curious. It will make things worse, not better."

"Maybe."

"Not maybe. Definitely. Anyway I have something that might take your mind off of Emily's and Spencer's problems."

"What's that?"

"I have a list of houses in our price range."

"Really?"

"If you're in the mood."

"Well, James Bailey, you are in luck. There is nothing Michelle Landis would like to do more today than to look at houses with her fiance."

"Shall he pick you up in about an hour?"

"That would be great."

They both hung up. Emily couldn't help but smile. The idea of a double identity came about while planning how they were going to pull off being secretly married. Then they had the idea of having a place that was theirs. During the week, the two of them who stay at their respective places(and maybe stay over at the others) but on the weekend they would go to their place. Since they had no chance of keeping it a secret if Spencer and Emily got a place together, James and Michele were born.

Reid was surprised when Emily had the fake identities made. They had a long conversation about some of her contacts. She went over with broad strokes the nature of her life before the BAU and her covert operations work. She was worried he would be put off by it, but he took it in very calmly. So now, Michele Landis got to go house hunting with her fiance. Maybe if they were supremely lucky, they might have a place to move into when they came back from Vegas.