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Bacon, Eggs and Advice

Not for the first time, did Reid wish for his own office where he could go to hide away from prying eyes and Emily. She'd be back in the bullpen soon, and he'd have to deal with her right across from him, smelling so good and - no, he wouldn't think about it anymore.

He sat down and picked up the first file that his hands found, keeping his head down so that he didn't have to look any agent in the eyes. If he could get through the afternoon without freaking out, he could go home and begin the process of trying to figure out what to do next.

He was in the middle of finishing a consult for a much-harried detective in Missouri when Emily returned. He didn't look up because he could feel her eyes on him. The scent of flowers that had overwhelmed him in the copy room drifted toward him again. He ignored it, concentrating even harder on his case.

"Reid," she said softly.

His stomach flipped a little at her voice. He wanted to look up and bask in the beauty of her dark eyes, but he didn't dare.

"I'm sorry."

The hurt and regret in her voice lifted his eyes from the file pages he studied as if his life depended on it.

"Emily, I don't -"

Hotch appeared at the edge of the overhead catwalk in front of his office. "I need you both in the conference room now."

Reid hurried up the stairs not waiting for Emily to follow him. At least he had the distraction of a case to get his mind off this little game, dance, or whatever it was, he had going with Emily. He'd just push it back and let his unconscious work on it.

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Reid unlocked the door to the hotel room he'd been assigned for at least one night. He stopped inside the door and looked around the room. It was something the hotel called business class. Directly across from him, was a window with light gold curtains pulled shut. The bed stood against the wall to his left with white pillows and a bedspread with splashes of light green-blue, gold, and orange. The headboard was stained wood with a rounded top and matching footboard. Next to the bed sat a night table made from the same stained wood with a drawer under a lamp with a plain white shade. Beneath the drawer was an open space where he could put his bag. Across from the bed against the right wall was a desk with a chair and a desktop computer. Next to, it stood a wooden television stand with a TV on top and storage beneath it. Next to the stand was a large wooden wardrobe that matched the rest of the wood in the room. The carper was dark chocolate brown. There were two framed photographs over the bed of matching pastoral scenes with birds, flowers and green grass. He supposed it was all supposed to be welcoming, but it wasn't home.

He turned to the desk and put his messenger bag and the files he carried next to the computer. He left his go bag on the bed and went to the door he assumed was the bathroom. When he finished with answering the call of nature and washing his hands, he went to the window, noticing that there was a chair with a low rounded back in the corner and another night table on the other side of the bed. He switched on the heater under the window and set it for seventy-two degrees.

He couldn't stop thinking about that morning despite the fact that they had three dead men in three different construction sites across Cleveland. He should be putting everything he had into figuring out something but he couldn't concentrate.

Why did she lure him into that room and kiss him like that? Why had he let her trick him with the equivalent of "Oh Reid, I'm a helpless female and I need a big strong man to reach something on the shelf for me?" He knew better, and yet he'd fallen for it.

You're not innocent. You played her on the jet for your own amusement and she fell for it.

He stretched his arms over his head, and sat in the chair next to the window. He had played with Emily because there was lingering resentment over her 'death.' He knew the psychological implications and their effect on his emotions. He'd dealt with a parent that was severely mentally ill for years on his own. He should be able to deal with one, mentally healthy, if attractive woman. It couldn't be that hard. Morgan did it all the time, Hotch and Rossi had been married, and Will and Kevin seemed to do well enough with Garcia and JJ. Did that mean that something was wrong with him? Yeah, he wasn't great in social situations, but he liked girls and he wasn't fifteen anymore.

He stretched again and stood up. It didn't matter. It was all a game to Emily. She'd already proven that she didn't care for him by leaving him alone and making him think she was dead. What did that say about him, if a woman was willing to fake her death and leave him alone?

He grabbed his messenger bag and his key card. There was no way he was going to be able to settle down. It was only nine and he wouldn't sleep if he lay down. He'd noticed a little café a couple blocks from their hotel that looked like it might be quiet and open late.

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He was right that the little diner was quiet. The door opened onto a long, skinny room with a black and white checked floor that looked like someone had polished it minutes ago. To his right was a bar that ran the length of the room with stools upholstered in red. Two men and a very small woman sat there either eating or drinking from coffee cups.

He breathed in the smell of coffee, grilled meat, and onions. There were booths to his left and he was dismayed to see Rossi sitting at one facing him with a questioning look on his face. He motioned to Reid before the younger man could turn around and walk back out the door.

"Good to see you Reid." Rossi greeted.

Reid slid into the red-seated booth and put his messenger bag down. "What are you doing here?" He said irritably.

Rossi's eyebrows went up. "I can't help myself when it comes to a corner dive late at night."

Indeed, he had eggs, home fries, ham and toast in front of him with his coffee. It appeared that he was just beginning his meal.

"I couldn't sleep." Reid snapped.

"Why not?" Rossi shot back as the waitress approached.

"Your friend want something?" She asked around snapping her gum.

Reid opened his mouth to say just coffee, but Rossi said, "He'll have the same." He pointed at his food.

She winked one light blue eye at Rossi, "Sure thing honey."

"I don't -" Reid started, but she ignored him and left the table.

"I don't want anything to eat." Reid huffed out. "It's almost nine."

Rossi was unperturbed by Reid's surliness. "I noticed you barely touched the sandwiches JJ ordered for us for supper. You need fuel."

"I'm not in the mood for a babysitter Rossi."

"I can see that something's upsetting you."

"Is that the professional opinion of a profiler?"

Rossi put down his coffee cup with a bit of a thump. "Sarcasm doesn't become you."

Reid started playing with the white paper place setting in front of him. "I really don't want to talk about it."

"Then why don't you have something to eat. You'll feel better."

"So we'll just enjoy meaningless small talk I suppose." Reid asked.

"If you like."

Only when Reid ate half the breakfast for dinner the smiling red haired waitress put in front of him, did Rossi speak again. "What's going on between you and Emily?"

Reid choked on his coffee, spluttering and gagging. Rossi waited for him to regain his composure as a young couple entered the café and took the booth right behind them.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Reid said with as much dignity as he could muster with watering eyes and a red face.

"If I've picked up on it, then you can bet everyone else has too. Do you want Hotch calling you into his office?"

"No." Reid looked at his half-empty coffee cup instead of Rossi's face.

"Then stop wallowing and deal with it." Rossi ordered.

"There's nothing to deal with," Reid hedged.

"I saw how you reacted to the news of her death, how you shut down for weeks and how angry you were when she came back."

"Yes," Reid broke in desperately. "I was angry that she, JJ and Hotch made us all think she was dead."

Rossi shook his head and pushed away his plate. "A man doesn't react to the loss of a female like that unless he loves her. Believe me; I know what I'm talking about."

"Of course I l-love her, we all do," Reid said.

"That's not what I mean and you know it." Rossi snapped.

Reid picked up his fork and inspected it like it was the most interesting thing he'd ever seen in his life. "I'm sorry for what happened to your ex-wife, but it's not the same thing."

"Isn't it? I have to disagree with you Reid. You love Emily and I loved Carolyn, never stopped loving her. She's gone forever. I was there Reid. She died in my arms. I'll never get her back. You got Emily back."

Reid looked up from his fork to see that Rossi's eyes were shining, but the tears didn't fall.

"Don't push her away because you're afraid."

"You don't know what you're talking about." Reid said, irritation overcoming the sympathy he felt for his friend.

"Then why don't you tell me?"

Reid rubbed a hand over the bridge of his nose and began to talk. He told the older profiler all about the last few months and especially the last few days.

"So basically, you're in the middle of this little seduction play, this little game of one up-man-ship, and now you've decided you don't want to play anymore."

Reid crunched up his paper napkin, his hand clenching and unclenching as his mind raced around, trying to think of what to say.

"You love her." Rossi reiterated.

"Yes," Reid whispered. "I tried not to, but I can't help it. I just want to be mad at her for what she did; it's why I let this game, as you call it, go on for so long."

"You have every right to be angry Reid. No one is disputing that."

"JJ would disagree with you," Reid said.

"Let's not get off track Reid. You and JJ will work out your differences. Focus on the problem with Emily."

"That's the problem; I can't stop focusing on it. We're in the middle of this case and -"

"We're always going to be in the middle of a case." Rossi interrupted. "Don't use that as an excuse or you'll end up like me, alone and full of regrets."

Their waitress came back to ask if they wanted pie. "The special is pumpkin cheesecake just in time for the holidays. It's delicious."

They refused pie and Rossi grabbed the check ignoring Reid's protests that he could pay for his own food.

"Think about what I said." Rossi advised as he pulled bills from his wallet. "I'll leave you to your thoughts.

He tossed down the money and left Reid there with half a plate of food and more questions than answers.