The Most Life Changing Thing

Reid and Prentiss

Chapter Four

November 2010

Derek noticed Reid staring at Emily, who was sleeping, during their flight home from the case in Minneapolis. Leaning closer to Reid, Derek asked "What's up, kid? You're hawking Prentiss hard today. You getting yourself a little crush?"

"She seems very distracted lately. I'm worried about her. Do you think she's okay?"

Derek grew serious. "I don't know. I would hope that if she's not she would know she can talk to us but not everyone wants to lean on someone else when they are dealing with something heavy. Some people just solider through it alone. Or maybe she is talking to someone but its just not either of us. Don't be offended. If she needs you, she'll come to you, trust me on that, and when she does you can be there for her."

Reid nodded. "I will be. I just hope she feels she can come to me."

Derek smiled slightly, studying Reid. "I see some definite crushing going on in front of me right now."

"I'm too old for crushes."

Derek laughed. "Oh, you are so wrong. You ain't ever too old for a crush."

XXXXXXXXXXX

Before Emily left the BAU that night, when she standing there with her coat on and purse on her shoulder, she asked Reid "Hey," waited for him to look up from his paperwork and then asked "we're good, right?"

He thought for a moment. "Yeah."

She smiled slightly. "Good. Okay then, I'm out of here."

Emily began to walk out, as Reid looked at his paperwork again, but then she stopped and glanced back at him, with a longing look, knowing that in just a few months she wouldn't be working with him anymore. With a sigh she turned to leave, only to have him call out to her.

"Emily!"

She startled and turned around.

He asked "Is that it then?" with a vulnerable look on his face.

Her shoulders slumped somewhat. She made her way back to him, sitting slightly on the edge of his desk.

Reid said "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked that. I don't know why I did."

"Its okay." She stared at him for a long moment before reluctantly saying "Realistically, this should be it. Otherwise, its just too complicated."

"Yeah, it is complicated," he agreed, musing for a moment, and then added, his eyes raising to meet and settle on hers "but worth the complication, don't you think?"

She found herself nodding and staring at him with a dreamy look, and that is when she knew just how very complicated her life was becoming. Emily felt torn. She had just gotten this chance with Reid and didn't want to give it up. But she also didn't want to scare him away by telling him she was pregnant from artificial insemination. He might not be very attracted to her after hearing that or think she was in the wrong place to date him.

Or maybe he'd be just fine with it. Emily just wasn't willing to risk finding that out so she kept her mouth shut. Instead she stroked her hand on his arm and smiled at him, letting her actions speak for her.

Morgan wandered up and called out "Hey, hey, hey, do I feel some heat in here?"

Emily jumped. "God, you scared me!"

"You were lost in pretty boy's eyes."

"Derek, sometimes you really work my nerves. I'm too tired to deal with you tonight. So, boys, I'm heading home to get some much needed rest. Good night." She strolled out with a small smile on her lips.

The timing might suck but today she had everything she wanted most in life...Reid in her bed and she was carrying her child. It really was complicated but she would enjoy being with him for as long as she could until she was ready to share her news. And then they'd just have to take it from there.

It would not be fair to expect anything out of him though. He was younger than her- she had just turned forty last month and he was only in his late twenties- and he certainly had not signed on for any sort of baby duty. That was fine though. Emily planned to do this on her own and she would. But until the day she had to start doing it all on her own...she'd like to make the most out her last couple months being around the team, especially Reid.

Last night had been amazing. Something she wanted for so long. Sure she thought about how if she had hooked up with Reid sooner maybe he would be the father of her baby but she didn't really see Reid as wanting all that in his life right now and certainly he gave no indication, after one night of back breaking sex, he wanted anything like that with her.

They were no where near that place at all. And she couldn't wait any longer last summer when her birthday was approaching like a runaway train barreling down on her reproductive organs. She had to go for a baby then or maybe never at all.

And she had.

Emily's hand covered her stomach as she rode the elevator down to the parking lot that night. She didn't regret starting a family all by herself. Her baby would be cherished by her and that's more than some kids received who were born the traditional way. She knew she hadn't made a mistake in getting artificially inseminated at this point in her life.

Her baby was right on time for her.

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