The Most Life Changing Thing

Reid and Prentiss

Chapter Ten

November 2010

He couldn't remember ever having such a wonderful Thanksgiving. This year had felt like everything the holiday always should be- filled with love, friends and family.

Spencer Reid knew that the perfection he deemed today to be was because Emily was there with him. Though she didn't want to put labels on what they were to each other- and she swore she couldn't offer him anything lasting- he still knew what he knew: he made her happy and she made him happy. By the end of the evening that is what mattered most to him.

The day had started out kind of awkward though.

They didn't ride to Morgan's home together and when Emily finally did arrive Reid had been there almost three hours already. He had started to wonder if she was going to show up at all. He hadn't wanted to be needy and text her though. He just waited impatiently, helping Morgan to deep fry the turkey and set up the extra tables they would need.

Penelope was the only other team member there that day, the rest of them had plans with their relatives. Morgan had also invited his business partner Jake, who helped him with his properties, and a handful of other random friends who didn't have anywhere else to go that day.

Though Morgan and Garcia already knew about Reid and Prentiss sleeping together, Reid still wasn't sure Emily would want to act any different in front of them so he refrained from greeting her with a kiss, or teasing her in the flirty way they had started to do lately.

They found themselves alone in the kitchen at one point. A quiet stolen moment led to a tender kiss. That seemed to break the ice between them because after that they took every chance they could to touch, hold hands, cuddle against each other and kiss.

Reid was captivated by the way Emily flushed and glowed with happiness more and more as the hours went on. Pride filled his chest at thinking he had a part in her joy, the same way she had a major part in his.

The night they first slept together he had been so surprised that she would want to be with him but now he was thinking maybe she had already felt something he hadn't even known was growing between them.

Something so natural that it shocked him.

Reid pushed to the back of his mind the knowledge Emily didn't want what they had to last very long, that she wasn't ready for anything serious. He tried to reason he didn't care about serious either, just as long as they were both happy with what they had found together. It was still so new that there was no need to contemplate what they may or may want somewhere down the road.

That is what he told himself but what he felt inside, as she cuddled against his side while they hung out on Morgan's couch after dinner, was that Reid wished he could know his life would always feel this complete. That the fear that had always been in him would melt away for good. That he wouldn't have to pretend to like being alone because he wouldn't ever be alone again. He'd always have her in his life, in love with him, making him as happy as he was today.

He never let himself wish for so much with any woman before. He always had felt unsure of if the woman was really right for him, if he was doing things right. This time he was sure she was right and he felt as if he was doing what she wanted and needed most for her, he was giving her the comfort and happiness she ached to know.

If only she would tell him she had been all wrong about them being short term.

XXXXXX

She loved the feeling of resting her head against his chest, listening to his strong and steady heartbeat, feeling his body rise and fall with every breath.

For Emily all holidays usually sucked. She was stuck with her mother who she got along with like oil and water: they just didn't mix well. There was so many expectations on both their parts of who the other should be that they never seemed to get to like who the other really was. And holidays only amplified all the expectations and arguements.

But this holiday was nothing like that.

This year Emily was filled with warm, sweet, tender emotions- content in the knowledge she was carrying her baby and that she had a beautiful, intelligent, challenging genius as her lover. Adding to that being there with two of her closest friends and this Thanksgiving marked her most favorite ever.

Emily couldn't seem to stop smiling as the day wore on. She wondered when she had ever felt this good before but she couldn't pin point a time period in her life that was filled with as much excitement and happiness as the last few weeks had been.

She had always thought her and Spencer could be fantastic together but really had believed it would stay a fantasy. Now she was thrilled it hadn't because no fantasy could live up to the reality of being with him. They had an easy and natural chemistry that flowed between them. In her past she couldn't describe not one of her romantic relationships in those terms. It was as if suddenly she had what she always heard people could find together, but had never experienced for herself before.

It was getting late in the evening but Emily hated to see the holiday end. In the middle of laughing at something Derek had said, Emily let out a loud yawn. Her pregnant body craved more sleep than she had needed in the past.

Covering her mouth she said "Sorry. I think its time I head home and hit the sack."

"I'll walk you out," Reid offered. He stood up and held his hand out to Emily, so she could take it and use it as leverage to pull herself up.

Morgan and Garcia walked them to the door, to get their jackets, and they all said goodnight. Penelope asked Emily "Are you sure you don't wanna take on Black Friday with Garci? The sales are calling your name. I know they are, girlie."

"Not this year. I think I'm gonna stay in bed till its time for work again," Emily joked.

Morgan kidded, with a wink, "Just don't break him. The team needs that big brain come Monday."

Reid blushed a little. Emily gave him a flirty look. "He can hold his own just fine."

After Emily and Penelope hugged, everyone said goodnight and then Emily and Reid walked out into the cool November air. When they reached her car they stood facing each other.

He moved close and she sucked in a shaky breath, anticipating the feel of his lips connecting with hers. In a low, rather forceful tone he told her "I want to see you this weekend."

"That should work out well since I want to see you for every second of this weekend." And it was true. It felt like she could never get enough alone time with him, between their jobs, friends, hobbies and other commitments.

He took hold of her face, titled her head up and stilled for a moment, as they stared each other in the eyes. "How is it that I already feel odd if I can't sleep holding you?"

"Lucky you that you can every night you get the urge. You know where to find me."

You can...for now, is what he heard.

And, in a way, that was great, really great. Knowing she wanted him in her bed was an amazing feeling. When she could have easily said that she didn't want to be held at night. She had told men in her past they couldn't sleep over and she dumped most guys pretty quick, claiming they were just not worth the effort or time. It felt good knowing that she found Reid worth her time and wanted him to hold her every night.

It would just feel better if he knew she was starting to believe in long term.

But it was probably way too soon to have changed her mind on that, if it even could be changed, so he didn't bother to bring it up. Instead he took her mouth in a kiss full of possession, the way he kissed her every time he thought about how he wanted this feeling he was having now to never end.

He kissed her fiercely, trying to convince her that he wasn't about to give up the best thing to ever come his way without one hell of a fight. She might think they were short term but Spencer Reid couldn't see the way he was feeling now fading away like it wasn't important or special.

I'm falling in love with her, he thought as they broke their kiss, and very light snowflakes started to fall on them. He ushered her into the car, going on about the odds of crashing if a person is tired and making her promise to call him the moment she got home.

Emily rolled her eyes. "Reid, I'm not going to crash. And, fyi, gruesome statistics are not good bedtime stories."

"I know," he said, distractedly as he buckled her seat belt. "I can't help worrying, though."

She watched what he was doing with a tender look on her face. "I could have done that myself."

He felt self conscious in that moment. He couldn't explain in words how she had grown to mean so much to him after just three weeks of making love. She would probably think he was confusing sex with love but it was more than sex. They had talked more in the last few weeks than in all the years they knew each other before, and Reid had seen Emily at her most vulnerable. He knew her better now...and what he knew he was starting to fall in love with.

She threaded their fingers together, and then brought his hand to her lips, kissing his knuckles. "I'm so wiped out tonight that if you come over it would really be just to sleep but...if you bring a go bag we could spend the rest of the weekend making up for time lost tonight. What do you say? Tempted?"

Raising both eyebrows, as his brain flooded with images of them making love all weekend at her place, Reid nodded, which brought a sexy little smile to Emily's lips. It felt good to know he was the man who could make her happy.

Now all he had to do was keep it that way so that, as time went on, she was too happy to fall back on her usual M.O. of only having flings. Spencer Reid could not convince himself that any sort of fling would ever feel this perfect.

This couldn't be a simple fling. It just couldn't.