Playing Games by JuliaBC
"I love puppies!" Garcia squealed, grabbing Reid's arm and jumping. "Ohmygod, look at the one in the corner."
They stood at an adoption fair, just looking.
Kate was with Meg, over by the cats. "I think we've chosen," she called and Garcia hurried over.
"You are going with a cat," she said. "Which are just as cute. Which one?"
"The gray and white one," Meg said, asking the employee if she could pick the kitten up. Upon receiving permission, she cradled him against her chest, a look of peace on her face.
Reid stayed by the puppies, considering the chocolate lab in the corner of the cage that Garcia had pointed out.
"Reid, what's up?" Kate asked, coming over with her belly preceding her. It was a week after she'd told him about her resignation; in the week, the BAU had flown to Seattle and upon their return, Garcia and Kate had seized Reid to take him to an animal adoption fair.
"I'm actually seriously considering that one," Reid said. "But I doubt it's realistic. I'm gone so much."
"Just ask someone to take care of him while you're gone," Kate said.
"Like you?" Reid asked, and Kate giggled, an odd sound.
"Possibly," Kate said. "I do like dogs. A lot. And company would be nice if it weren't all the time."
"Are you really offering that?" Reid said.
"Why not, since I'll be home anyway," Kate said. "Hey, could you let that one out of the cage?" She asked an employee and the teenage boy quickly let him out.
Reid crouched down next to the puppy, and let the dog consider him.
"He's not scared," Reid said.
"Of course he isn't," Kate scoffed. "Hey, could you pick him up so I can pet him? I don't think I can make it down there."
"Understood," Reid said and then met the eyes of the employee, Travis. "Um. How should I do it?"
"Like this, sir," Travis said. "You put your hand under the rib cage to give support, other hand under the stomach and then bring him up close to you. Cradle him against you." He put the puppy back down. "You want to try, sir?"
"Yes," Reid said, reached down and mimicked Travis's actions perfectly, as Reid was wont to do.
The puppy squirmed a little and yipped as he ascended. Reid met Travis's gaze but Travis smiled. "It's okay. Let him wiggle a little. And the barking is okay too. He's been pretty quiet lately and it's good to hear him be vocal again."
Reid held the puppy close to him, a nervousness in his movements but he stayed calm as he moved closer so Kate could pet the dog.
"He's so sweet," Kate gushed, leaning to rub her nose against his. "You have to adopt him, Reid. And I mean it about keeping him while you're gone. I think Meg was actually hoping to get a dog and a cat, and this would just be the perfect compromise. Besides, then you'll have to come by my house whenever you come back."
"That's a genius plan," Garcia said, coming up behind Kate to hear the last of her sentence. "Reid, you picked my puppy! See, it's fate. You have to adopt him."
"Let me spend a bit more time with him first," Reid said. "Alone. You guys go back over with Meg."
Kate raised her eyebrows at Garcia but the tech goddess merely grabbed her hand and pulled her back over to the cats. "This is perfect anyway," Garcia said happily. "I want you to see this little guy, the orange one."
"Oh!" Kate said and clapped her hands to her cheeks. "Look at that little puffball!"
"I know," Garcia said.
"Hey, Kate," Meg said. "So I think I've decided on a name for her, too."
"What, honey?" Kate asked, as Garcia lifted out the orange kitten and handed him to Kate.
Meg smiled at the gray and white kitten nestled in her arms. "Penny. After you," she said, nodding to Garcia.
Garcia gasped. "Really? I am so honored. Your niece has great taste," she said to Kate as she ran a finger over the newly christened Penny's head.
"I wonder how Reid's getting on," Kate mused, handing the orange kitten back to Garcia. "And I need to find the bathroom."
"Mmhmm," Garcia said and stayed at Meg's side.
"Um, Penelope," Meg said.
"That's such an improvement over Miss Garcia," Garcia said. "I'm glad you listened when I told you to call me by my name."
"I just wanted to thank you," Meg said quietly. "For all you did for me and Kate after. Taking me to get a pixie cut and wash out the dye...that was so nice of you."
"I was so happy to do it," Garcia said. "And anything else, if you're ever, I don't know, afraid of the dark again, just give me a call. I'll talk you out of it."
Across the room by the puppies, Reid was getting to know the chocolate lab, with Travis's help.
"He was one of six," Travis offered. "His siblings were a bit more active and playful and he wasn't chosen as quickly. Which might have been good, because since his siblings have been gone he's really come into his own."
"He needed space," Reid said, touching the puppy's velvet soft ear. "I don't know dogs very well. Up until recently, they hated me. Can you tell, does he like me? Could this work?"
"I think he likes you," Travis said. "I'm no expert, but he's showing more affection than usual. As I said, he's usually pretty quiet. That he barked when he picked you up; I'm taking that as a good sign."
He considered Reid, and the wiggling puppy as Reid gently lowered the puppy to the floor. Once down again, the puppy didn't run away; he looked up at Reid.
"I read some articles about dogs before coming here," Reid said. "About things to consider beforehand. I do have a pretty active job but my friend said she'd be glad to take him while I'm on business. Could that work?"
"I think it could," Travis said. "But right from the start, you need to establish with the puppy that you are the leader of the pack, his owner, not your friend. You'll need to train him, and it has to be you. Do you have time?"
"I'm not sure," Reid admitted. "I have a 9 to 5, or longer, job, and as I said, I go on a lot of out of town business trips. Would it be fair to the dog?"
"Do you work close enough to home to fit in a walk at lunchtime?" Travis asked. "Do you have any family actually living with you?"
"Yes, and no," Reid said.
"You're FBI, aren't you?" Travis asked.
"How do you know?" Reid returned.
"Your schedule," Travis said."It reminds me of my uncle. And if you live here and work at the FBI offices at Quantico, you'd have a fifteen minute drive to work which should be enough time to walk a puppy."
"I am FBI," Reid said.
"That's cool," Travis commented as the puppy skated across the room and then ran back to Reid. "I've considered that but..."
"Do you know where you're going to college?" Reid asked, squatting down to pick the puppy up again.
"I'm currently taking classes at the community college," Travis answered. "I'm not smart enough for anything beyond that."
"Who says?" Reid asked.
"My guidance counselor and everyone else in my life," Travis said. "I just can't apply myself."
He noticed someone else over by the puppies. "Let me go talk to them," he said. "Nice meeting you."
Reid watched Travis go, feeling a bit troubled. The puppy in his arms whimpered and Reid's heart melted fully.
"I don't know if I should adopt you," he said quietly. "You're beautiful and soft but I don't know if I have time or if it would be fair to you."
With a sigh, he placed the puppy back in the cage and headed over to where Kate, Garcia and Meg were standing, over by the kittens.
They went to Kate's house after; Garcia wanted to help Penny settle into her new home and Meg welcomed the help.
Kate had paid the adoption fee; Meg had picked out some accessories to pay for with her allowance and Garcia had, over protests, purchased the carrier and food and water dishes.
"We can use regular bowls," Kate had protested but Garcia couldn't get over the ladybug design on them and bought them over Kate's protests.
Now Garcia, Meg and Penny were upstairs (Penny was hiding under a bed) and Reid stood in Kate's kitchen.
"No dog?" Kate asked.
"It wouldn't be fair, would it?" Reid said. "And I just don't know yet. They're having another adoption fair in a month, same company. I was thinking I'd go back then and see if I still want it in a month. And I'll read up on dog care in the meantime."
"That's a good idea," Kate admitted. "I have to admit, my hope that you got him was selfish. I like dogs more than cats, and was hoping for a puppy without some of the responsibility."
"I thought so," Reid said.
Meg came downstairs. "Well, Penny is under the bed and I don't think she's coming out so we decided to leave her there."
Garcia came behind her. "I want to stay until Penny comes out," she announced. "Can I? We can play a game or something while we wait."
She looked at Kate hopefully and Kate nodded.
"That sounds nice," she said. "What game? Meg can take you to our shelf."
"We have a ton," Meg said and led Garcia to the living room.
"Are you feeling fine?" Reid asked. "No troubles or false contractions?"
"A few of those," Kate said. "But my water never broke and I called the midwife and she told me to sit tight. My baby's not coming yet."
"Well, the closer to term he/she is the healthier baby you'll have," Reid said.
"Hey, this game is adorable!" Garcia said and hurried back in. "Pig Pile, Kate. Why did you never tell me you have a game called Pig Pile and how adorable it is!"
"Oh, I'd forgotten about that," Kate said, pushing herself to her feet and waving away Reid's proffered hand. "Perfect choice. Are we playing in there?"
"Yes?" Garcia said and led the way. Kate settled into the couch and Meg set up the game on the coffee table.
"Okay, here's how you play," Meg said. "Listen carefully, because for first time players it can be confusing. You have a deck of 80 cards, and you have 40 pig figures, and your numbers range from 0-12. It's a bit like Uno; you can't play lower than the last card played. There are special powers on some of the cards. 4 is Hog Tied, and the player after you loses their next turn; 8 is Hog Wash: you wash the deck and can start over. 11 is Ewe Turn; it reverses play. And you have a bonus card, the 0 card, I guess, which is Hog Wild. You can play that whenever, and then you can play lower cards again. The first one out wins 3 pigs, the second wins 2 pigs, and the third wins 1 pig. Anyone after that doesn't get one," she added.
She dealt out three cards to each player. "You don't look at these cards," she cautioned. "I'm going to deal eight cards now and you pick out the three best cards in your hand and place them on top of the others."
She dealt them out and placed the deck in the middle of the table. "I am picking out my Hog Wash, Hog Wild and a 12 card," Meg announced. "Those are examples of what you want to save."
She looked down at her cards again. "Oh! And if you play three of the same cards, or if there are three of the same card in the deck, it gets washed."
They started play, and it was going well until there was a 12 on top of the deck and Garcia couldn't play. "Wait, what do I do now?"
"If I remember correctly, you have to pick up the whole deck," Kate said.
Garcia looked horrified. "But that's a ton of cards," she said. "And I want 3 pigs."
"You still have a chance," Meg said as Garcia picked up the deck slowly. "It will happen to other people too. And now you have some Hog Ties."
With that, Garcia played three Hog Ties, which washed the deck and made it her turn again.
"This game can get very dirty, if you'll pardon the pun," Kate said. "It can make enemies of the closest friends."
"You can say that again," Garcia muttered as Reid played a Ewe Turn on her and she had to play a Hog Wild.
Reid went out first, then Garcia. She was just taking her pigs when a 'meow' sounded from the doorway and Penny was standing there.
"Penny," Meg said, cautiously crawled over to her kitten and picked her up. "Are you hungry?"
"I bet she is," Garcia said. "Let's try those treats I got her."
"You got treats too?" Kate called after them but Garcia either didn't hear her or ignored her.
Kate met Reid's gaze, shaking her head.
"She justs wants to help Meg out a bit," Reid said. "This is how she loves."
"I know," Kate said. "Come on, let's go see Penny's first meal."
A/N: Pig Pile is sooo real and it is, indeed, a very dirty game. I suggest everyone get one.
On Amazon, you can search Pig Pile R & R games to find it. I suggest the blue box, but it doesn't matter.
And again, two chapters in one day. Please still review both :)