Here's chapter 9. I'm off to work on chapter 10 now.

I don't own Criminal Minds.

Happy reading and enjoy :D

JJ sighed as she stood up from behind her desk and looked out the window down into the bullpen. Sometimes she liked having an office. It helped to keep her focused and it allowed her the privacy she needed when she was reviewing the incredibly difficult cases that passed across her desk every day, but sometimes… on days like today… she wished she sat out in the bullpen with the rest of the team. There was a certain amount of isolation that came with having an office.

The team was adjusting, but Spence was having a rough time with Gideon leaving. Right now she could see Garcia standing out on the catwalk, having just finished boxing up Gideon's office. What she wouldn't do to go back to the joking and teasing atmosphere of just a few weeks ago.

"Ah, JJ, my little buttercup" Garcia said as JJ entered the lair of the omnipotent. "don't think I didn't notice that very fine tan you're sporting there peaches…. and how you haven't told me all about it. You've been holding out on me. So give, I want all the hot details. So, what'd you do over your time off…. and was there a hot Adonis-like sex god there to rub suntan oil on you?" she said as she wiggled her eyebrows.

JJ laughed and shook her head. "Garcie, I think you just described your perfect vacation, not mine. Isn't Morgan your Adonis sex god?" JJ replied with a grin as she tried to distract Garcia and change the direction of the conversation.

"Oh, you know it." Garcia said with a daydreamy expression on her face she imagined the image of a shirtless Speedo clad Morgan rubbing her down with suntan oil. Then she shook her head, making a note to save those luscious thoughts for later. "But we aren't talking about me my lovely. I want to know how you spent your summer vacation. Tell Garcia all." Garcia said as she reached out her very fashionable high heel shoe and pushed out the extra chair she kept in her lair.

"There really isn't anything to tell" JJ said as she sat down in the chair to appease the tech goddess. "I just spent time lying out at the pool. There weren't any muscle bound men rubbing suntan oil into my skin." JJ said with a shrug, as she internally held her breath hoping that Garcia would let the subject drop.

"Oh poo" Garcia replied. "In that case, let's go get some coffee and see what everybody else is up to. Besides, my cup runneth dry." she said holding up her coffee cup.

JJ shook her head. "That and it's time for your mid-morning Morgan fix." she said as she followed Garcia out to the break room.

Spence stepped walked back across the donut shop and stopped next to his and JJ's table as he fished his cell phone out of the pocket of his dress pants, and then pressed the speed dial for Hotch.

"Yeah Reid" Hotch said after glancing down at the caller ID as he answered the phone.

"Hotch, the clerk said Gary had a gun, but we didn't recover anything here." Spence explained.

JJ looked up at Spence as he talked on the phone with Hotch. She remained focused on the case, but that didn't mean in the meantime that she couldn't enjoy the pouty expression of her boyfriend's pursed lips as he shook his head no.

"Are you sure?" Hotch asked.

"Yeah" Reid replied.

"I saw Nellis turn him inside out. He had nothing on him." Hotch continued.

"That means it's probably here somewhere." Reid said squinting as he looked around the donut shop. "A gun doesn't just walk away."

Suddenly there was dead air on the other end of the cell phone. "Hotch?" Reid asked curiously into the phone.

JJ looked up at Spence curiously as he stood next to their table, the facing the window of the donut shop. "What happened?"

"I think Hotch hung up on me." Reid said perplexed as he took his seat across from JJ while he glanced about wondering where the gun Gary had brought into the donut shop had gone.

Mere moments later, Reid's phone rang. "Reid" he said propping the phone up to his ear as he continued his cursory glance about the donut shop.

JJ watched Spence as he listened to whoever was on the other end of the phone and nodded along, relief showing on his face.

"Alright Hotch; we'll see you in a little bit." Reid replied as he hung up his phone and slid it back into the pocket of his dress pants.

JJ tipped her head as she looked at Spence, waiting for him to tell her what Hotch said as she brushed the sugar from her donut off her hands and rested her left hand on the table.

"Hotch called Morgan. Gary slipped Tyler the gun in his backpack." Reid explained as he laid his hand on the table on top of JJ's. "Tyler shot…"

"Oh God" JJ gasped expecting the worst.

Spence squeezed his fingers on her hand. "No, its okay. Tyler didn't shoot anybody. He shot some pictures on the wall and Morgan talked him down. Emily and Morgan are taking him to CPS so he can be placed with a new family and then they are meeting us at the Precinct."

JJ closed her eyes and sighed in relief as she linked her fingers with Spence's. They continued to hold hands as they finished their donuts.

JJ giggled as Spence finished his donut. "Were you saving this for later?" JJ asked as she reached out and used the pad of her thumbs to wipe away the chocolate frosting and a couple of sprinkles stuck to the corner of his lip.

Spence reached up and grabbed JJ's wrist before she could pull her hand away and pulled the tip of her thumb into his mouth, his tongues licking away the last vestiges of his donut from JJ digit.

JJ pulse raced at the feel of Spence's tongue swiping across the pad of her thumb and the look in his dark expressive eyes that promised oh so much more to come when they got home.

"…her Aunt tied her hands and feet, duck taped her mouth, and stuffed her in a storage cabinet. She knew where Katie was the whole time. She sat and watched Katie's parents worry… and she comforted Katie's Mom." JJ said into the phone as she sat curled up on her couch talking to Will on the phone.

"It sounds horrible cher, but it sounds like Katie's going to be okay. Her Uncle will be going away for a long time where he can't hurt her anymore and her parents know what happened so they can get her the help she needs." Will said reminding JJ of the silver lining this case held.

JJ shook her head. "You're right; this last case did turn out better than most. So what's new with you?"

Will cleared his throat. "I uh…" he paused for a moment.

"Will, what is it? What happened?" JJ asked bracing herself for something bad to have happened to their friend.

"Charlie…" Will began to explain.

"What did he do now?" JJ asked vehemently.

"Actually, he apologized." Will replied. "We talked and agreed to figure things out and see where they go."

"Really?" JJ asked surprised at the turn of events.

"Yeah" Will replied.

JJ smiled hesitantly over the phone as she continued to listen to Will fill her in on the talk he and Charlie had. She was on the one hand, happy for her friend, who sounded the happiest she'd heard him since this whole situation began, but on the other hand she was still concerned. She trusted Charlie about as far as she could throw him and was incredibly worried that Will was going to end up with not only a broken heart, but even more confused than he had been before. Unfortunately though, sometimes you had to let the people you cared about make their own mistakes.

"So anyway, I was thinkin' maybe y'all could come down next weekend. I'm havin' a Halloween party. Nothin' too crazy… well at least I'm not planin' on it bein' too crazy." Will replied with a grin into the phone. "Just some of my closest friends… and I can't say that without you an' Spencer bein' here."

"I don't think that will be a problem." JJ replied. After all, it had been over a month since they'd gone down to visit Will. It'd be nice to get away. Convincing Spence to enjoy Halloween would be easy enough.

"Alright then. I'll make sure to get your room ready for you. But just so you know… Charlie and I, we aren't tellin' people about us, at least not just yet." Will explained, wanting to make sure that the only people he'd be telling, at least for right now, knew not to bring it up in front of others. He knew he could trust JJ and Spencer to keep his secret.

Spence shifted the grocery bags in his hands as he unlocked the door to JJ's apartment. He sat the groceries on the counter in the kitchen and then went to find his elusive girlfriend.

He found her curled up on the couch and biting and worrying her lip with her teeth while she listened to whoever she talking with on the phone.

JJ smiled and waved her fingers at Spence as he sat down next to her on the couch.

Spence reached over cupping his hand along the length of her jaw as he leaned in and kissed her hello.

Will could hear JJ moan on the other end of the phone, but didn't know what was happening. "JJ? Cher?... Are ya still there? Are ya alright?"

JJ shook her head and grinned at Spence as she looked up at him, maintaining eye contact with Spence as she replied. "Sorry Will, Spence just got home."

"Ah," Will replied realizing what the moan he'd heard was. "Well then, I'll just let you go then so you an' Spencer can play kissy face cher. But, will you let him know what we talked about?"

"I will." JJ said with a smile. "We'll see you next weekend. Bye Will." JJ said hanging up the phone. "What took you so long to get home?" JJ asked as she turned to look after setting her cell phone down on the coffee table. "You left the office before me." She said as she snuggled up against Spence.

"I stopped at the market and got some things so that I could make you dinner tonight." Spence said as he ran his fingers through JJ's hair.

"Mm have I told you how sexy it is that my genius boyfriend, who has a badge and gun, can cook?" JJ asked playfully as she pushed herself up off of Spence's chest to look him in the eye.

Spence blushed.

JJ chuckled at how cute Spence could be and then leaned up to kiss him briefly and then pulled back and stood up. "Come show me what we're having for dinner and I'll you everything Will had to say." JJ said taking Spence's hand and leading him toward her kitchen. "by the way, how do you feel about going to visit Will this weekend? He's having a Halloween party." She said with a smile as she watched Spence's eyes light up.

On Friday night JJ stood with her arms crossed in the center of Will's garage as she took in the handy work they'd all done in getting the garage decorated for the party.

While Will and Charlie had set up the stereo and gone to get the keg, Spence and JJ had taken care of the decorations. Spence had been his element seeing as Halloween was his favorite holiday. Will's garage was now the haunted home of a very large and chillingly realistic spider web, a small graveyard complete with a zombie climbing out of his grave, and an eerie grim reaper hovering from the ceiling with his scythe. Genius that he was Spence had managed to construct a replica mummy that stood in the corner under the large light up harvest moon they'd hoisted into the corner of the garage. Hidden in the midst of the decorations there was a fog machine and a strobe light to complete the effect.

"Whoa, you really are a magician Spencer. This doesn't even look my garage." Will said as he and Charlie entered the garage each carrying one side of the keg.

Charlie nodded as he looked around taking in the decorations. "I think your party tomorrow night's going to be a smash hit cher." he said as he turned to look at Will and slung his arm around his shoulders.

JJ still wasn't sure what to think of Charlie. Her gut told her he was an ass, but she could see how happy he made Will. She was prepared to give the man a second chance for Will's sake. Even if it turned out that she still didn't like the man, as long as he didn't hurt Will, she'd suck it up and put up with him.

"Well I think we're all due for a little bit of fun." Will replied as he wrapped his arm around Charlie's waist.

JJ blew a stray strand of hair out her face. When that didn't work, she used her forearm to push her hair back out of her face, avoiding touching her face with her dirty hands. "I think its going to be more than a little bit of fun… but all I want right now is a shower and sleep."

"Me too" Spence yawned as he wrapped an arm around JJ's waist.

JJ nodded. "Come on, if you promise to be nice to me, I might even let you have the shower first." she said as she led Spence out of the garage and toward the house.

Will and Charlie watched JJ and Spence until they reached the door of the house. Then they turned and looked at each other. "You wanna' stay the night?" Will asked as he wrapped his other arm around Charlie.

Charlie shook his head. "I'd love to, but I have that gun safety class to teach first thing in the morning. But I'll see you tomorrow night and I'll definitely be spending the night tomorrow." Charlie replied leaning in to kiss Will goodnight.

JJ chuckled as she stood in front of the mirror getting ready and brushing her hair while she waited for Spence to finish dressing. She'd never in her life envisioned wearing this particular shade of pink. They'd spent an entire evening planning out their costumes. Of course most of that time had been spent negotiating who they were dressing up as. Spence had of course tried to convince her to just let him be Frankenstein or some other scary spooky thing for Halloween. Since it was their first Halloween together, she wanted to go as a noticeable couple.

Spence had offered up Frankenstein and the Bride of Frankenstein. JJ tried talking him into Mark Anthony and Cleopatra, a football player and cheerleader, mobsters, pirates, and any number of sexy combinations for a couple.

Spence had then gotten into the spirit of it… he'd suggested Han Solo and Princess Lea with a cheeky grin on his face. JJ had shaken her head and grinned back at him and countered with a male stripper and a bachelorette. Spence had of course immediately backed down on the idea of them dressing as Han Solo and Princess Lea in the gold bikini.

"At this point we should just go to Will's party as Ken and Barbie." JJ sighed in frustration as they walked through the aisle of the costume shop having difficulty finding costumes that they could agree upon.

Spence paused in the middle of the aisle and turned to look at JJ. "You know, that's not a bad idea. We wouldn't really need to buy or rent any costumes, and we um… actually kind of fit the descriptions."

"Wait, you know who Ken and Barbie are?" JJ said turning to look at Spence.

Spence smiled. "You know I did go to elementary school, even if it was for a significantly shorter period of time than other people, I still went. I remember the girls in my class playing with Ken dolls and Barbie dolls."

JJ smiled at the thought of a very young Spence in elementary school. "Okay then, so Ken and Barbie it is. And just think Spence, you'll get a new sweater vest out of our Halloween costume." She said leaning up to kiss him and then lead him out of the costume shop and off to the department store. After all, Ken and Barbie needed matching outfits for their evening out.

Now JJ stood in front of the mirror dressed head to toe in 'Barbie' pink. She was wearing a knee length spaghetti strapped dress, peek-toe pumps, and more make-up than she would normally use in an entire month, but she sure did look the part.

She smiled at Spence in the mirror and then turned and guided him to sit down as she put gel in his hair and styled it into Ken's trademark side parted sweep across the forehead and brushed back sides. A little bronzer and concealer gave him the plasticized look of a Ken doll, especially when matched with his outfit of button down oxford shirt, sweater vest, dress pants, and loafers. But just in case there was any doubt, JJ reached into her purse and pulled out two name tags, bearing the Ken and Barbie.

"Well shall we Barbie?" Spence asked with a large smile on his face as he held out his arm to her.

"Why thank you Ken" JJ replied as she wrapped her arm in his and picked her sparkly pink clutch purse up off the counter.

Will glanced up from under the brim of his fire fighter's hat as he pumped the keg and looked at the door. He grinned and laughed when he saw JJ and Spencer make their entrance. After filling his cup he headed over to his friends. "Well don't you two look all ready to be boxed up and shipped off to a toy store? Just be careful, that packaging can be an awful fire hazard if you leave it in intense heat for too long." he said as he shifted his fireman's hat back on his head a bit and took a sip of his beer.

JJ laughed. "Well in that case it's a good think we ditched the packaging for the night when we escaped from the toy store. But you look pretty hot yourself there, Mr. Fireman." JJ said with a smile as she looked over Will's shoulder. "I see a certain cowboy over there that seems to agree." JJ said quietly, knowing that while Will and Charlie were together, they weren't telling anyone yet, as she nodded her head to Will's costume which consisted of a tight white t-shirt and fireman pants with suspenders and boots, and the fireman's hat. Charlie, who she could see across the garage, was dressed in cowboy boots, a tighter than tight pair of jeans with a big belt buckle, a gingham button down shirt, and a Stetson cowboy hat.

Spence smiled as he watched JJ and Will tease each other.

"Thanks cher" Will replied with a smiled. "You know where everything is since y'all helped get everything ready, so help yourselves. I'm going to go get some music on… anything in particular you want to hear?" Will asked as he glanced back over his shoulder at JJ and Spencer.

JJ shook her head. "No whatever you've got is fine." she said as she grabbed Spence's hand and led him towards the drinks and food. "Come on baby, let's get something to drink."

Will grinned as he flipped through the stack of CDs he'd brought out to the garage as he searched for which music to put on and smiled as he came across an old CD. He set it off to the side. He'd have to play it later if JJ managed to convince Spencer to dance.

JJ and Spence stood talking with a group of people when JJ slipped her hand down into Spence's and tugged as she nodded to the area where several people were dancing. "Come on baby, come and dance with me."

Spence held back and shook his head. "I can't dance."

"I already know that's not true. You took me dancing when we were in Vegas." JJ responded as she stepped closer to Spence and ran her hand down his sweater vest covered chest.

Spence swallowed. "I should have been more specific. I can't dance like that." he said nodding towards some the group of people dancing, some of them were doing elaborate moves and combinations.

JJ smiled and stepped closer to Spence. "Baby, not everybody is dancing like that see." she said as she turned Spence to look at some other people who were doing the classic side to side step and other more basic moves. Then she leaned up and nibbled on his earlobe and then whispered in his ear. "Besides dancing is all in the hips, and I know just how well you can move your hips." She used his moment of shock at her comment to drag him out to dance.

"JJ, I just… I don't know what to do… I just feel weird and uncoordinated… and where are my feet supposed to go?" Spence asked as he stood awkwardly in front of JJ as she danced in front of him.

"Spence, you can waltz, so I know you can do this." JJ said as she reached out and took his hands and put them on her hips. "I really did mean what I said before. It really is all in your hips. Just loosen up and feel the music" she said as she continued to dance while holding her boyfriend's hands on her hips.

Spence bit his bottom while he concentrated on moving his hips and trying to feel the music like JJ was talking about.

JJ smiled at how hard Spence was trying. Then she leaned in close while she shimmied against him. "Baby, stop thinking and concentrating so hard." she whispered in his ear.

"I have to concentrate JJ or I'll look like a spastic idiot." Spence as he rigidly moved to the rhythm.

JJ leaned her forehead against his jaw. "Baby," she paused trying to think of how to get Spence to loosen up. "Just have fun with it. Think of it like… foreplay." She said with a gleam in her eyes as she leaned back in Spence's arms to look up at him.

"F…f…fore….foreplay?" Spence squeaked and glanced about to make sure no one around them had heard her.

JJ giggled at Spence's reaction. "Yes, foreplay. Spence, baby, dancing is sexy and fun and seductive. Think of it like making love, only standing up with your clothes on." she murmured against his ear.

"JJ" Spence croaked in shock… he wasn't sure if he was up to this… he didn't want to look the fool. He spent his entire adolescence finding a way to avoid social situations just like this… he wasn't quite sure how to push himself out from behind the intellectual walls he'd become comfortable living behind.

"Baby, try… for me… please?" JJ asked. "Just pretend we're at home alone. It's just you and me. Just focus on having a good time." she breathed in his ear.

Spence nodded his head against JJ's. His eyes fluttered shut while he focused on shutting out everything but JJ and the music. He could do this. For JJ. He could and would do anything for JJ.

JJ felt Spence's hands slide up her back and then down her arms. Then used his ballroom dancing skills to spin JJ out and pull her back to him. JJ gasped as Spence pulled her back into his chest at the end of the maneuver. Then her breath caught in her throat as she looked in his eyes. She realized from the determined look in his eyes, just how far outside of his comfort zone she'd pushed him. The fact that he'd done it, for her, made her love him that much more.

Spence's moved his hands back to JJ's hips and she lifted her hands up around his shoulders as they danced in time with the fast paced dance music that was pulsing from the sound system. The beat moved them as they danced in the middle of the group of people in the middle of the garage.

Will glanced up at all of the people having a good time and dancing in his garage. It was a good night. He and Charlie had been together for a few weeks now and things were going well. He mused as he filled up his beer.

"Billy, what are ya doin' over here?" Charlie asked as he stepped up next to Will. "These two ladies here asked us to dance." Charlie said adjusting his cowboy hat and jerking his thumb at the two ladies that had followed him over to where Will stood.

"I… alright. My Momma always told me it was rude to refuse a ladies request to dance." Will replied as he turned to look at the ladies behind Charlie. As he looked at the ladies, he caught sight of the people dancing in the middle of the throng. "Well, I'll be… she actually managed to get him out there. Just a moment ladies, there is a very fitting song that I need to play for a couple of friends of mine tonight. Just let me get that set up to play and then we can hit the dance floor." Then Will stepped off to the side to the sound system to add 'Barbie Girl' by Aqua into the songs being played. Then with a grin he headed back to dance and have a good time with his friends on a carefree Saturday night.

"Ugh… I am so tired" JJ muttered as she sank back into her seat on the plane and rested her head on Spence's shoulder.

"Do you suppose that might be because we stayed up until after dawn dancing and didn't really get much more than a short nap?" Spence asked as he shook out a blanket, covering them both and then lifted his arm wrapping it around JJ's shoulders.

"Mm hmm… but it was totally worth it to dance the night away with you." JJ replied into Spence's shoulder.

"Yeah… it was fun." Spence said leaning down to kiss the top of JJ's head. "I am going to have to find a way to use my Frankenstein mask and all my other Halloween stuff since I didn't get to wear it to Will's party."

"You have a few days to think about it baby. For now, we should get some sleep. We'll be home in a couple hours." she said as she wrapped her arms around Spence and settled in to get some sleep.

Reid walked in the side door of the BAU, handing out candy to his fellow agents as he passed them. He was wearing a Frankenstein mask, a hangman's rope, and mummy hands. Halloween was after all his favorite holiday. Morgan sat with his back to him, and Reid saw a perfect opportunity. One that he did not often get.

"eeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrr raaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrr" Reid growled as he crept up behind Morgan, hunched over in a monster like fashion. "I'm going to eat you!" He said right in Morgan's ear once he was up close.

Morgan turned his head to look and almost fell off of his chair, as he was startled by the sight of Reid in full Halloween regalia.

Emily, who watched the scene taking place directly across from her at Morgan's desk, laughed out loud at seeing the invincible Derek Morgan scared by a Halloween masked Reid.

"Reid" Morgan said as he righted himself in his chair and calmed back down.

Reid walked across the aisle and sat his bag of Halloween goodies on his desk, and then turned to face Emily and Morgan as they sat at their desks. "Happy All Hallows Eve folks." He said as he pulled the mask up off his face and rested it on his forehead. "To paraphrase from Celtic mythology, tomorrow night, all order is suspended and the barriers between the natural and the supernatural are temporarily removed" Reid said in a spooky voice as he tossed a shrunken head across the aisle to Emily.

Emily smiled as she caught the shrunken head and laughed.

"See that right there is why Halloween creeps me out." Morgan said as he sat back in his chair.

"You're scared of Halloween?" Reid asked as he shared a glance with Emily.

"I didn't say I was scared. I said I was creeped out. There's a difference there youngster, you should look it up." Morgan said as he pointed at Reid.

"What creeps you out about it?" Emily asked as she leaned forward on her desk.

"I don't know. People weain' masks. I don't like folks in disguises." Morgan said shaking his head.

"That's the best thing about Halloween, you can be anybody you want to be." Reid said as he tossed some candy onto Emily and Morgan's desks.

"Naw, I'm pretty good just bein' me." Morgan said as he looked away from Reid and back at a case file.

"Yeah, why is it that neither of those points of view surprises me?" Emily asked.