Playing Games by JuliaBC

A/N: So this was actually an easy episode to write for, mainly because Kate didn't show up in the last ten minutes.

A mixed blessing to be sure. It's easier when they don't show up, but it's also a huge bummer.

But looking back, Kate had plenty of storylines. And I am happy with the tenth season.

Some time after Morgan, Hotch and JJ had run off to apprehend the UnSub, Kate wended her way through the BAU bullpen up to the Round Table Room where Reid still stood.

"You didn't go?" She asked, leaning against the doorway.

"They don't need me there," he said simply, taking the pictures off the board. "We solved the case. I guess I get to go home now."

"You did a great job," she began. "I hear you and Rossi had a spectacular takedown."

"From JJ?" He asked, turning around to face her.

She nodded, and made her way forward. "I didn't hear it from you in person, because I was spending the time hunched over a commode, losing my lunch."

He winced. "Thanks for the visual."

She laughed lightly. "I live to please," she said, and pulled a chair out.

"Did Meg pack you a game?" He asked, sitting down with her.

She shook her head. "Not this time," she said. "I'm grounded." She winked as she patted her pregnant belly.

"You'd still fly with us," Reid contradicted.

"I suppose," she said. "But we didn't go anywhere, so that wasn't tested. In all seriousness, she's had some...school stuff recently."

"You say it like you don't believe it," he commented.

"I don't," she said. "But I have to give 'space' and respect her 'private time'." She made the air quotes, and then sighed loudly. "She's pushing me away more every day."

"Is she still reading the books I'm giving you?" He asked.

"She liked A Kingdom Far and Clear," she said. "Quite a sad trilogy, and quite a different version of Swan Lake."

"Indeed," Reid said. "It teaches harsh lessons."

"She loved the illustrations though," Kate said wistfully. "Meg used to color, all the time. I used to buy her these coloring books from Dover, they have these great fashion paper dolls and coloring books with intense detail. I used to get them for her at almost every Christmas."

She perked up suddenly, remembering something else. "Speaking of, have you heard of the new trend of coloring books for adults? People say it's an amazing way to relax, and get in touch with your creative side."

Reid raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm sensing something beyond that," he said.

"I may have gotten you one," she said. "I was at the hospital gift shop one time, waiting on results, and it was right there."

"Now where is it?" He asked, quirking a brow.

"That's the part I'm hesitant about," Kate admitted, slowly getting to her feet again. "I may have already colored a few of the pictures."

He burst out laughing, and she blushed. "At least I admitted it!"

"Why bring it up at all, if you were just going to keep it for yourself?" He chortled.

"It was an accident, they had crayons there too, and then I was stuck there for so much longer," she tried to explain. "I hate hospitals."

"I think we already had this conversation," Reid reminded gently. "Just think of the good things that happen inside them."

"Why even give birth in a hospital?" She protested. "The only reason I'm going to is because that's what my midwife recommends."

"You have a midwife instead?" Reid asked, curious.

"Yeah, of course," Kate said. "Um, that is, Liz had a midwife."

He nodded slowly, and as they sat there, Rossi drifted in. "It's all done," he announced. "They're on their way back."

He looked at them, and raised his hands. "What, no game?"

"Kate was about to give me a present," Reid said.

"I didn't know it was your birthday," Rossi said, walking forward.

"It isn't," Reid said simply. "So maybe that explains why she already used it."

"Let me just go get it," Kate said, scurrying off.

Rossi turned to Reid. "So."

"So?" Reid asked.

"You feeling okay?" He asked.

"Is there a reason I wouldn't be?" Reid replied.

"It's never wrong to just check sometimes," Rossi said, pulling out a chair. "Is it?"

Reid studied Rossi, and then shrugged, looking down again.

"I heard from Emily," Rossi said. "She called me last week, out of the blue, just to say that she missed me. I guess something reminded her of me."

Reid fidgeted with the pen on the table in front of him.

"She was also wondering about you," Rossi continued.

"So that's why you're asking," Reid said.

"I suppose," Rossi said. "You took Gideon's death hard. She knew that, Reid."

"You know, this..." Reid waved his hand, trying to put it into words. "I'm doing okay, weirdly. It's been...fine. Not good, but fine. I don't know, life just moved on and I didn't want to get left behind again."

"Good choice," Rossi said.

Kate returned, a phone pressed to her ear.

"No gift, I see," Rossi chuckled. "I'll see you later, Reid."

He patted Reid's shoulder before leaving, and Kate turned to watch him go, still on the phone.

Reid stood up and continued to take down the photos from the clue board.

"Thank you," Kate finished, and hung up. "Sorry about that. I didn't get the book, did I?" She threw her hands up in the air helplessly. "My memory is shot lately. I was going to get it, and then I just didn't."

"Who was on the phone?" He asked. "Chris?"

"Hmm? No, it was a teacher at Meg's school," she said. "She was calling to tell me about Meg missing her book club. But Chris had already texted me that Meg had got home safely, so it's fine." She shoved the phone back into her pocket, and turned back around, her hair flipping. "Okay, point me in the right direction. What am I getting?"

A set of Chinese checkers was, mysteriously, on top of Kate's desk when she approached it later that evening, just about to leave.

"Hey, that looks fun," JJ said, stopping beside her. "Were you and Spence playing that earlier?"

"No, I don't know where this came from," Kate said, puzzled. "I told Spencer that I didn't have one, so maybe he got it." She shrugged.

JJ finished putting a light scarf around her neck.

"Date night?" Kate asked. "You look great."

"Yeah," JJ admitted. "Will and I had a rough patch, but I think we're finally getting over it." Her blue eyes were sparkling, and Kate smiled back.

"That's good," she said. "Is Penelope babysitting? I thought I saw her leaving early."

"She is," JJ said. "Lucky me. Good night, Kate."

Kate waved her off, and, looking to Reid's desk, saw that his messenger bag was gone.

"Reid left already?" She murmured, even more puzzled now.

Rossi's office was dark, and Hotch hadn't even returned to the BAU after apprehending the UnSub; some sort of family emergency had called him.

So Kate walked down the hallway, wondering if anyone was left, and Derek Morgan's desk light was on.

So she walked through the open door of his office.

"Hey, Callahan," Morgan greeted her, busy behind his desk. "Hotch took off, so I'm doing this last bit of paperwork for him. It never ends."

"No, it doesn't," she agreed, easing herself into the seat facing him. "Good day?"

He paused, pen hovering over the paper. "Yeah, it was okay."

"Savannah has the night shift," Kate said simply, and Morgan grinned.

"What can I say, you caught me," he said. "Nicely profiled, Callahan."

"If she was home," Kate began. "You would have finished this hours ago."

"That's bit of an exaggeration, but...yeah," he said, eyes twinkling over to her. "What's up?"

"I don't know, I found this on my desk," she said, holding up the game box.

He raised an eyebrow. "Chinese checkers? Isn't this where you recruit Reid? Isn't this something you save for an airplane ride home, when you need to kill time, and not use it up?"

"I don't know," she said, placing it on his desk and removing from the box. "Reid left. I don't know where he went. And, I don't know, we've been through a lot together."

His eyes met hers. "You okay, Callahan?"

"Let's play," she urged, and set it up. "I'm red, and you're green."

"What's this really about?" He asked.

"We might not have gotten out," she blurted. "For...whatever reason, that came back full force today and I can't forget it. And..."

"And what?" His brown eyes pierced her, and she moved a red piece onto the center of the board.

"I've always really believed in being there for your children after...after birth," she said. "I'm really starting to consider, I don't know, taking time off. Like, a lot of time off."

He stilled. "You're leaving us."

"No," she rushed to correct him. "Not leaving, just taking a break. And not yet. God, Derek, not yet. I couldn't leave now. Just after the baby is born."

He moved a green piece onto the board, and for a few minutes they were absorbed in the game play, Morgan studying the board and not saying much.

"A lot of people have left this place over the years," he finally said. "Women. Wonderful agents who all became really good friends of mine."

"I know, and I hate to follow the trend of loving it here but leaving anyway," she said.

"You're coming back, though," he stated simply.

"Time will tell," she said. "Derek, believe me, if someone in here wasn't knocking on my door," she said and patted her stomach, "I wouldn't leave for the world."

"I know," he said, assuring her. "And I'm sorry for last week, with the IU. I know you were uncomfortable."

"What do you know about it?" She asked, amazed.

"Simmons mentioned something in passing," he said simply. "He feels bad about it, Kate. He'd change things, do it differently if he could."

Their game continued, and Morgan won. There was no victory dance, but his grin had a decidedly wicked tilt to it.

"What's your forfeit?" He asked, eyes flashing.

"Whatever you choose," she said. "Morgan, just...don't let Reid know. I can't tell him, not yet."

A/N: Ah, the blessing of hindsight. I can bring in these threads before the episodes happen without spoiling anything. LOL, I hope.

I wanted to bring some more of Derek in. I always intended for there to be more of him, and recently he just fell by the wayside.

Mr. Scratch is next up. I'm terrified!