Playing Games by JuliaBC

"If a witch was not paying attention to where she was flying, name something she might crash into."

The words were spoken in a deadly serious voice. Startled, Reid's head immediately jerked up and saw David Rossi sitting in front of him.

"I didn't hear you come in," he said.

"I guessed that," Rossi replied. "We're the first here?"

"Garcia went to get something, and Hotch is coming," Reid said. "Telephone pole."

"Hmm?" Rossi asked.

"That's something a witch might crash into," Reid said. "What is that?"

"It's a question from Family Feud." Rossi said. "Joy gave me a copy after I played it with her. It's fun, if a little chaotic."

"Chaos can be fun," JJ said, coming in and placing her bag on the table. "What is chaotic?"

"Name a type of fish people order at fine restaurants." Rossi stated, and JJ blinked.

"Um, crab?"

"Ding ding," Rossi answered.

"What is that?" She asked.

"Family Feud," Rossi replied. "Card game version."

"Fun," JJ said. "Give me another."

"Name a state that gets a lot of tourists." Rossi said, but Hotch answered, looking down at the file in his hands as he walked into the room.

"Virginia," he said.

"That was mine!" JJ protested, and Hotch looked up.

"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention," he said. "What are we playing?"

"Family Feud," Rossi answered. "Ooh, here comes Garcia. I've got a zinger for her. Penelope, name a profession where ethics really do not count."

She stopped stock still, and blinked. "Um, the, um, politicians."

"Unless you get caught," Hotch said. "Then they matter a lot."

"Family Feud!" Garcia exclaimed. "I love that game."

"Do you?" JJ said.

"I've seen it a few times," Garcia waved her off. "Where'd you get it?"

"Joy gave it to me after we played it at her house," Rossi said. "I had a good time, and it was a good way to get to know her family."

"Where are Morgan and Callahan?" Hotch asked. "We need to get started. Reid? Do you know?"

Reid considered his answer for a long moment, remembering the events of a few days ago. "I do not know, Hotch."

"Morgan texted me," Garcia said. "Apparently, Kate had some sort of emergency with Meg, and Morgan got her in to see Savannah."

"She's a doctor," Rossi said.

"Meg did something," Garcia said, waving her hands. "He wasn't specific. Oh, here they come!"

Reid shrunk down in his seat as he watched Garcia leave the conference room, back in a few moments, beaming.

"You guys, you guys, Kate has the best news! Say it, before we have to do the other stuff."

Reid knew what her news would be, and instantly decided to fake surprise, and not let on...anything.

"Good morning, I'm pregnant!" Kate exclaimed, beaming. Her gaze swept over the room and met his, her smile not faltering as he walked over.

"Congratulations," he said, pressing a hand to her stomach and felt the way her eyes shot there in surprise.

It was good news. What had happened...(what had happened?) didn't change that.

On the flight back, Rossi again pulled out his cards and started the questions off again.

"I'm abandoning the rule book," he said. "I'm just shooting off questions and the first to answer wins the point. Reid, could you keep score?"

"Sure," Reid said, taking paper and pen from his messenger bag. "Are we all playing?"

"Yes," JJ said, coming over and sitting next to Kate. "Right, Hotch?"

Hotch sighed. "I'll play."

"Everyone ready?" Rossi said. "Name a animal that you are surprised that some people keep as a pet."

"Raccoon!" Morgan said, the same time JJ blurted, "Snake."

"Who has a raccoon for a pet?" JJ asked, turning to him.

"It just jumped into my mouth," Morgan said. "No one I know."

"Once my family had a family of raccoons living under our porch," Kate offered. "But we weren't allowed to touch them or feed them, so I don't think they counted as pets."

"JJ gets the point," Rossi said dryly and JJ smirked at Morgan, who folded his arms.

"You're on," he mouthed at her.

"Name something people do to cool down on a hot summer day." Rossi said.

"Swim," Hotch said, and Kate followed that up with, "Eat a fudgsicle."

"Hotch gets it," Reid said, when Rossi paused.

"Name a sandwich that tastes great on a roll," Rossi continued.

"California—" Morgan said, then broke off when he realized he didn't know where he was going with it.

"A veggie burger with swiss cheese," Reid said calmly, and marked down a point for himself.

"Name a food that has a lot of fiber."

"Zucchini?" Kate offered.

"Broccoli," JJ said.

"Only the skin of zucchini has fiber," Reid said instantly, when the team looked to him for answer.

"Shoot," Kate said, tried to catch Reid's eye and failed.

"Besides a church, name a place where people get married."

"Courthouse," Hotch said immediately.

"Backyard," JJ said. "Hotch gets the point. I just wanted to throw that in."

"Name a company that makes batteries."

"Um, Energizer," Morgan said.

"Name a famous pig." Rossi said.

"Wilbur!" The answer was shouted by JJ and Reid.

"Jinx!" JJ said, grinning at him, and Reid smiled back.

"JJ gets it," Reid said.

"No, you do," JJ protested.

"Give it to me," Morgan joked.

"No," Reid said. "JJ, it was yours."

"Okay!" She agreed.

"Name something people do with their fingernails."

"Bite them to shreds," Hotch said, while Morgan began, "Paint them. Hotch gets the point."

"Name a reason why people might suddenly close their car window." Rossi said.

"If they got onto a highway—" Kate began, and Morgan interrupted her.

"If the UnSub was there—" They both broke off.

"Kate gets it, right?" Morgan asked Reid.

"Yes, Kate gets it," Reid said, looking at the paper very intently.

"Name something you need if you want to go bowling."

"Shoes," JJ said.

"Name a reason people take out a loan."

"They're buying a house," Garcia said, surprising them all when she popped up on the computer.

"Penelope! You joined us after all," Rossi said, obviously pleased.

"You should have told me you were playing," she scolded.

"I'll add you to the score card," Reid said, writing her name hurriedly.

"You better," she joked. "Come on, hit me with another."

"Name something you could find in an art class," Rossi said, raising an eyebrow.

"Brushes," Hotch said.

"The teacher," Reid began, but put the point down as Hotch's.

"Name a place where you see lots of joggers."

"My neighborhood," Kate said. "They're insane, going all over the streets."

"What is a problem most people have in their lives?"

The whole team stalled on that one, minds going to their problems, problems a normal person would usually never have to deal with.

Hotch opened his mouth, but closed it rather abruptly, and JJ suddenly looked anxious.

"Dog poop," Reid said, surprising them all.

"I don't think I've ever heard you say poop before," Morgan said, after a startled silence.

"Bill Watterson was the first person to use the word booger in a comic," Garcia offered from the computer, and they burst out laughing.

"Okay, moving on from that...scintillating conversation," Rossi said. "Name something men often carry in their pockets."

"Wallet," Hotch said.

"What is this game rated?" Garcia asked.

"Don't say it," Hotch said. "Besides, I already got the point."

"But, sir, we're all adults here," she protested, trying not to laugh.

"I can close the computer," he said, and she pouted.

The game progressed similarly after that, with Garcia trying to insert innuendoes and JJ trying to take every point after that, until the plane was about to land and they were all sore from laughing.

"I got one more for you, Kate," Rossi said, as they walked into the BAU. "Name another word for 'smart'."

"Spencer Reid," she said, not realizing he was behind her, and he walked into her.

"Sorry," he exclaimed, immediately jumping back, and she whirled to face him.

Rossi slipped away, his work done.

"I'm sorry," Kate said. "I shouldn't have said the things I did. I was in a...questionable mood."

Reid moved to his desk, looking down. "I also apologize," he said. "But I resented the implication that we, that me and Hotch and Morgan, and Emily and JJ, that we weren't friends, that it lessened by the fact that we worked together."

"I didn't mean it like that," Kate protested.

"It's strengthened," Reid explained, his voice sounding raw. "Don't you see that? Every member of this team has seen hell. But we were all there. We healed together."

"I never had that," Kate said. "There was Meg, and Chris, but undercover? I was always alone. This is new for me."

"I know," Reid said. "Let's just forget it happened."

"It's erased from my mind," Kate said softly.

"Name the most annoying monthly bill," he said, hand poised over the score card.

"Um," she began, her hand going to her eyes. "AT&T. Meg keeps going over her allotted data usage."

"I was going to say Bill Thompson, the copy machine repair guy," Reid joked. "He drives me crazy, and he never puts the paper back."

"Wait, who actually won?" She asked curiously, as Reid smoothed the card and put it into his bag.

"Hotch tied with JJ," Reid said. "Garcia was following closely, though, even though she joined late."

"Want to see some dogs this weekend?" Kate asked. "I was thinking Meg might like one too, to join her cat. And it'd be good for her to have another new addition before this one joins us." She pointed to her stomach, and Reid grinned.

"I think I would."

A/N: The game is real. You can find it on Amazon using the keywords:

Family Feud Strikeout Card Game by Endless Games

Yeah, I've never actually seen Family Feud, but it was suggested in a review, (the first one I got on Playing Games) so I googled some of the questions used.

familyfeudfriends. arjdesigns. com (Spaces removed.)

Who wants to see Reid looking at the dogs?