Spencer blushed as he sat down. Henry grinned and moved from his seat next to Jack to sit on his dad's lap.

"Sorry I'm late. I...lost track of time."

Garcia grinned. "Oh my god, Your hair!"

She got up and ran her fingers through his hair and tugged a little. "It's so short! It's... sexy!"

Spencer pulled away from her. "Stop."

Henry looked between the two. "Ms. Ryan cut it."

Garcia nodded at Henry. She, then, tugged at one of the waves. "You have gel in it."

"He has a woman now, Garcia. He's gotta look good." Morgan teased.

Henry nodded. "Ms. Ryan helped him!"

Garcia looked at Henry with a smile. "Oh yeah? I bet she helps him a lot huh?"

"Is that why you 'lost track of time'?" Emily asked, causing him to blush even more.

"Uh...no."

"That's a yes!" Morgan laughed and looked at him. "Tell us just what were you doing, Reid."

"Nothing!" He turned to look at JJ for some help and she just shrugged.

"Oh, leave him alone. He's not even been back a day." Hotch said before smiling slightly. "It's nice to see you again, Reid."

Spencer smiled at him, glad to see the man looking somewhat content. "Thanks, Hotch."

Spencer pulled back as Garcia's fingers moved back to his hair. "Will you stop it?"

"I can't believe how short it is!"

"It's grown out a little too." JJ reminded and sipped her drink.

Spencer sighed and ordered himself a drink. It was going to be a long night.

Henry looked between the people at the table before resting his head on his dad's chest. It was getting close to his bed time. Spencer wrapped an arm around him and smiled.

"Sleepy buddy?"

Henry nodded. "I didn't take a nap today."

"Well go to sleep, buddy. I'll keep you safe."

"No Daddy, it's your welcome home dinner. I wanna talk with everyone too. I wanna play with Jack."

Spencer kissed the top of his head before smiling at the waitress when she handed him his glass of wine. "Thank you."

Henry looked at it. "I have some?"

"No, buddy. It's a grown up drink."

Henry frowned. "Like Papa drinks?"

"Sort of. Except Daddy only drinks one and it's not as strong."

"But it make you mean?"

"No buddy. Wine's not that strong and I don't ever drink until I'm drunk like Daddy did. Wine has antioxidants and things that help adults be healthier. There are actual studies that say that approximately that one drink a day helps you live longer."

Henry stared at him. "...Okay."

"Are you telling him about studies over there, Reid?" Morgan asked and shook his head.

"Kid, don't listen to him. Concentrate on your mother's genes. Sports. Sports is the way to go."

Spencer rolled his eyes. "Don't listen to your uncle. He wants to relive his football days through you. Uncle Derek hurt his knee in college so he didn't get to go to the NFL."

"Not that he could have made it anyway." Rossi said.

Derek glared at them. "I was great."

Henry looked around at them. "I wanna play soccer."

JJ grinned. "That's my boy!"

Morgan rolled his eyes. "Soccer's a girl sport."

"Tell that to Christian Ronaldo, Fernando Torres, -"

"Christian Ronaldo, he's a hottie." Emily nodded and JJ rolled her eyes.

"He's one of the best soccer players at the moment. Much more than just a pretty face. He scored 42 goals in the 07-08 season."

"Is that a lot?"

"Is that a lot?" JJ shook her head before looking at Spencer, who was giving her an amused look.

Henry looked up at his daddy. "I think she's going crazy, Daddy."

"She's just passionate about it. Like you like Shakespeare."

"Oh."

"Anyways...talking about hotties, Not that I think that guy is hot, How is agent Ryan Williams doing?"

Spencer smiled. "She's doing okay. She's staying at my house for the week. She said she's taking my cologne... and my cardigan."

Morgan grinned. "She's got it bad. She wants to smell you all the time."

"I think it's sweet." Garcia said, reaching out for the man's hair again. Spencer shot her a look and Garcia sighed.

"Are you being a good boyfriend, Reid?"

"I..." He frowned.

"He's the best!" Henry said and Garcia looked at him amused.

"Oh yeah? How do you know?"

"Because I heard Ms. Ryan on the phone."

JJ looked at Spencer, trying to figure out if he knew anything about what Henry was about to say. Spencer looked at her and shrugged.

"And what did she say?"

"She said 'Dr In-"

Spencer covered the boys mouth, not wanting the nickname to get out to the group. "We don't need to know what she said. It's a secret and Henry shouldn't be listening in on people's personal conversations anyways."

Garcia raised an eyebrow and Morgan and she shared a glance. They would find out eventually.

Criminal Minds || Viva Las Vegas

"What's the nickname?" JJ asked, stretching out on the couch. Spencer paused near Henry's door. He had just put the boy to bed.

"I'm not telling you." He said, walking back to the couch. He lifted her legs and sat down, placing them on his lap. She smiled at him.

"I can keep a secret."

"I know you can."

JJ frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Spencer shrugged, running his fingers over her calf muscles, defined from years of playing soccer. She pulled her legs away and he looked up.

"Will thinks you settled for him."

JJ frowned. "I love Will."

"I know that."

JJ bit on her bottom lip, unsure if she should continue. "I love you more."

Spencer looked at her, sharply, and JJ rolled her eyes. "Like you didn't know, Spencer."

Spencer opened his mouth but she held up a hand.

"And you love Ryan now. Your face lit up when you spoke of her tonight. You were late because you were talking to her. You're never late. You're happy and it's good. We're good."

Spencer stared at her before he sighed. "If you loved me the way you say you do, the way people see it...then... I don't understand how you could have made the choices you made. You said in Vegas that you wouldn't let me put myself on the line for you, but... isn't that what love is? I mean, you take a chance on someone. You... fall in love with them and you want to do whatever it takes. You want to protect them and be there for them and... that's all I wanted to do for you."

"Spence, you couldn't... We... I didn't want you to risk your life for me. I didn't watch you die if something happened. If we were in the field and I... I couldn't risk that. Would you want Ryan to do that for you?"

"No but-"

"Exactly, my point, Spencer."

"Let me finish." Spencer looked at her and JJ shrugged, silently.

"Ryan and I both decided up front that work and us were separate. If you wanted to make sure I didn't do that, we could have talked about it."

"You said you would have willingly being taken by Tobias again, if it meant I were safe."

"And I would have! Why would I want you to hurt?"

"Because!"

Spencer shook his head and looked back at her legs. He sighed.

"If you loved me, you would have given me a chance."

JJ moved onto his lap and grabbed his face. "Look at me, Spencer."

He kept his eyes down, before looking up at his eyelashes. She sighed, running her fingers through his hair over his scalp and resting them gently on the back of his neck.

"I was so nervous that day you came over to pick me up for the game. I changed about 6 times. And it was everything I thought it was. You were adorable with your facts and statistics and when you started to actually get into the game. I wanted to kiss you when you jumped up when the 'Skins scored to win the game. And when I saw you after you shot Tobias, I saw the guilt in your eyes, not just for what happened to me, but because you had to kill him. You've always been the most passionate person on the time and I don't think you even realize it. You give your heart to everyone of these unsubs that you can identify with. It makes you an amazing profiler and an amazing man. And that night... God, that night was incredible, Spence. You told me you'd never leave me and I knew that you were speaking the complete truth and it sent shivers and sparks all through me and there was no turning back. I knew I loved you. I knew that I'd always love you and..." She sighed and his hands moved up her legs, looking at her, wanting her to continue.

She gave him a sad smile. "and when you told me you'd go through that again if it meant I was safe, I got scared. I freaked out a little and I chose to never let that happen. To never even you think of letting it happen."

"I still loved you though. I would have..."

She pushed her fingers against his lips. "It doesn't make sense, I know, but I chose that and it was stupid and it was wrong. I was in love with you. I couldn't stay away and I didn't, obviously. Our nights together were some of the best memories, Spence. I mean," She blushed a little.

"It was...good and all, but laying with you afterward and feeling close to you was always better. I could pretend that maybe we could work. and every morning, I had to walk away and we were just colleagues... friends. When Will came along and the mornings, I didn't have to walk away... I... I wanted that so much. I wanted to have a family and have a boyfriend and be...you know... have something normal and he gave me that... and I love Will. I do, but's always been a substitute for you."

Spencer stared at her for a second before closing his eyes. JJ watched him, unsure on if she should move away or continue.

"Spencer... I'm not trying to get you to leave Ryan or cheat on her or anything. I know you really care for her. It's sweet and I have to admit that I'm jealous. I wish I could have experienced it. You seem like you're a great boyfriend."

Spencer opened his eyes and looked at her again with a curious look. She smiled and kissed his nose.

"Don't give me that look. I've been watching you. You were texting her all day and you were late to dinner because you were talking to her. You're trying to make it work and you will. You're amazing, Spencer."

She tugged at his hair a little before ruffling it. "Plus, she got you to cut your hair. You're whipped."

Spencer frowned. "Whipped? She doesn't beat me."

She laughed. "No, It's... just never mind."