Playing Games by JuliaBC
A/N: This is a tag to S11E02: The Witness.
"God, that sounds awful," Kate said, leaning her head into the phone. "I was getting bits and pieces of coverage here."
"You weren't getting even half of it," Reid said, his voice sounding tired. "But I think we're doing okay. Tara has been a big help."
"Really?" Kate said, and found that she was happy to hear it.
"Really," Reid said. "And she's a good fit. I like her, Kate."
"That's good to hear," she said. "I had a chance to meet her."
There was a moment of silence; then faint sounds of motion and paper shuffling. "When was that?" Reid asked curiously.
"The day she was hired, actually," Kate said, amusement in her voice. "I just stopped in to say hello to Penelope and show off Jamie some more. And then Tara was there because she'd forgotten her purse. Are you too busy for this right now?"
"Um..." Reid said, obviously distracted. "I did just call to ask about Poe. I would like to talk more but since that's covered..." He trailed off. "Hotch is here. I'll get back to you, Kate."
"No worries," she said and heard the click as he hung up.
She looked down at the phone in her hand before placing it back in its cradle. It seemed like they were definitely going through a lot right now. She looked down at Poe, who looked up at her.
"Sorry, it's still just me," she apologized, leaning to pet the puppy. "Your beloved master is off slaying dragons. Meantime, we can go for a walk."
Just moving to the door made him jump up in excitement.
"Meg!" She called and her niece replied within moments.
"Yeah?"
"I'm going to take Poe for a much-needed walk. Jamie is in his crib. Can you keep an ear out for him? The baby monitor is down here."
"Okay!" Meg called back and Kate clipped Poe onto his leash, opened the door and let the dog out.
He went instantly wild, jumping for joy before changing to a more dignified walk. It was obvious that the dog training lessons that Reid and Morgan were giving him were paying off. "Still, I should suggest an obedience school," she murmured, looking at the wagging tail in front of her. "It's a good idea."
The fall air around her swirled, leaves whipping past her. They'd had a steady stream of blustery days recently and Kate was enjoying them. They weren't chilling winds, either, but mild, warmer ones. Enough that you needed a jacket but not so much as to overwhelm you.
Poe leaped at a falling leaf, yipping a bit, before running to her and then out to the extent of his leash again. What a funny dog, she reflected, looking both ways before jogging across the street.
There was a park a few blocks down. She was heading for it when a voice called out to her and she turned around in surprise.
"Kate!" The woman waved before jogging across the park to her.
"Ashley!" Kate said, surprised. Ashley Seaver stood before her, looking long-legged and rosy cheeked. She was dressed in jogging clothes and looked powerful.
"It's been so long," Ashley gushed. "You were in the BAU and I was going to see you about that and then you left the BAU!"
"I did," Kate said, smiling.
"And who's this?" Ashley gasped, leaning down to pet Poe. Poe jumped on her, after sensing that she wouldn't mind. He was giving her doggy kisses all over her face and Ashley obviously didn't mind at all. "I love dogs," she said.
"This is Poe," Kate announced. "He's n—"
"I didn't think you wanted pets," Ashley said.
"He's actually Reid's," Kate interrupted after Ashley interrupted her.
Ashley blinked up at Kate, long and slow. "You're married to Chris," she said slowly.
"And I watch Reid's dog for him when he goes on BAU field trips," Kate joked. "It's not a big deal."
"It kind of is, isn't it?" Ashley said. "I thought Reid hated dogs."
"Correction: Reid thought dogs hated him," Kate said. "But he wanted companionship earlier this year and adopted Poe here. I watch Poe sometimes because otherwise Reid wouldn't have adopted him because he's gone so much. Capische?"
"Wow," Ashley said, standing up and stuffing her hands in her pockets. "He's grown up."
Kate looked at her friend. "We're all about the same age," she said. "He hasn't grown up any more than we have in five years."
"Whatever," Ashley said, wiggling a ponytail holder from around her wrist and using it to tie up her hair. "How's the rest of the team? I heard that JJ was preggers too."
"JJ's out on maternity leave, yes," Kate agreed. "She had another boy; Michael."
"That's sweet," Ashley said. "JJ would have had cute girls though too. It's not too late, I guess." She smiled at Kate. "Andi's unit isn't the same without you. If you decide that you don't want to return to the BAU, I'm sure that Andi would welcome you back. You always got your target."
"Almost always," Kate said. "I don't think any of us have forgotten Nashville."
Ashley went quiet. "I guess we haven't," she said. "Andi's engaged, did you hear that? And I'm seeing someone too, but I don't know how serious that's going to turn out to be."
"That's nice for you," Kate said, meaning every word. "Who's Andi engaged to? The same guy she was going out with, um..."
"Tom," Ashley said. "I don't think you ever met him."
"Probably not, on that note," Kate replied. "The last one I remember is Jerry. She's got a bit of a track record, but I guess I actually envied Andi a little on that front."
"Trouble in paradise?" Ashley asked. "You and Chris always seemed so...chill together."
"Yeah, exactly," Kate said. "We're a perfect match but we dated all through college and got married soon after...sometimes I guess I wish I'd played around a little bit more."
"Don't," Ashley groaned. "I hate the dating game. It's so hard to start new every freaking time someone else blows up in your face. Metaphorically speaking, of course. No one can handle it like Chris can, just know that."
"Being gone?" Kate asked. "It's still hard for us."
"But Chris just accepts having you back," Ashley said. "He chooses to live in the now and then doesn't miss you as much because he knows you'll be back. Some of us don't have that kind of luck in finding partners." Ashley now had a slight frown on her face as she thought the matter over and Kate tried to back up a little.
"I didn't mean that I don't appreciate him," she began but Ashley was shaking her head.
"Don't mind me," Ashley said. "I'm PMSing and relationship stressing because everyone's love life but mine is on the right track currently. And when Emily was in town, she didn't stop by to see me. I only just learned that she was here at all. I'm disappointed I missed her."
"Oh," Kate said and suddenly burst out laughing. "A few days ago, I was feeling the same way."
"How so?" Ashley said. "You didn't even know Emily. She was so cool, Kate. The perfect mentor."
"You've kind of mentioned that before," Kate said. "A thousand times when you started working at Andi's unit."
"I know," Ashley said. "Well, I'm off to jog off more frustration. Stay good, Kate."
Kate watched the tall blonde jog off, wondering what else was bothering her. It definitely wasn't like Ashley to info-dump on people and Kate surmised that it must be more than just relationship blues.
She probably has a tough case ongoing, Kate profiled and remembered something else Ashley had said and her body language as she did. You always got your target.
Was Ashley jealous of Kate, as ridiculous as it sounded? What was up with Ashley and Andi? Kate wondered, but forgot all about it when Poe started chasing a squirrel, immediately jerking her out of her thoughts when he violently tugged at the leash to escape.
Dr. Tara Lewis had incredibly soft footsteps, Reid was slowly realizing on the plane ride home. And an uncanny sense of self.
"Bring it, pretty boy," Morgan murmured. "I'll be waitin' for you."
Reid saw the sparkle in Tara's eyes as he replied, "I'll be there."
"You two are pretty close, huh?" Tara asked.
"Yes, we are," Reid said. "The team as a whole is pretty close knit."
"That's a nice thing to have," Tara said. "I've worked alone for a long time now and it's incredibly refreshing to finally see people who aren't, you know, crazy."
"I wouldn't say we aren't crazy," Reid said. "Everyone has their own specific madness."
"Like the mad hatter in the new Alice in Wonderland movie," Tara agreed.
"Pardon?" Reid asked.
"In the Alice in Wonderland film from 2010," Tara said. "At the end, the mad hatter asks Alice if he's mad. And she says yes, but 'all the best people are'."
"That's an interesting perspective," Reid said. "I'm not sure if I agree with it or not. I think I'd have to see the movie before deciding."
"Movie night!" Tara cheered, punching her fist in the air.
"Now we have book night, game night and movie night," Reid said. "In the works, of course. Nothing is set in stone."
"What books?" Tara asked.
"Kate wants me to read the Harry Potter series," Reid said.
"You haven't yet?" Tara asked, not believing him. "But they were huge! I read them willingly but I also had to reread them a few times to get inside some heads in my interviews."
"I wanted to read War and Peace with the team," Reid explained. "I was enlisting them for a book club and every single one refused. Kate suggested trying Harry Potter to get more luck."
"Well, I have to admit that if you tried to recruit me, I would not be on board for War and Peace either," Tara said. "It's too long, Reid."
"That's what Rossi said, in his kindest voice possible," Reid said.
"And Morgan?" Tara asked, her eyes twinkling.
"He said that too, in the rudest way possible," Reid joked. "He doesn't do much reading but I've accepted that about him."
Tara leaned back in her seat, considering him. "Wow, we've been talking for a while but we've still got hours to go," she sighed, checking her watch with a grimace. "I don't really like long flights."
"I do," Reid said. "They give you a lot of time for reading and writing and thinking and..." His eyes sparked. "Playing games."
"What games?" Tara asked.
"All kinds," Reid said. "But all I have on me is a deck of cards. Poker?"
"No, he can't read my poker face," Tara sang. "That is, deal me in."
"I warn you, Reid has been kicked out of many major casinos in the Las Vegas area," Rossi said, coming over to them. "If you're playing poker, deal me in too."
"What else do you play?" Tara asked.
"He's been known to play chess," Rossi said. "Among other things. Kate had a thing for board games and got us all in on it for a bit."
"Oh, really?" Tara asked. She picked up her cards and Reid watched closely, to see if she had any tells, but true to the song she'd sung, there was nothing showing.
Reid looked at his own hand. An eight of spades, an eight of clubs, a three hearts: the Jack, three and seven.
He looked up at Tara and saw her blank face, but moved over the rest of her. Her cards were all in her left hand and her right rested on the table. Her right hand was moving, idly tapping the table while she waited for the other two to place bets.
"I fold," Rossi said, looking at the two players at the table with him. "Maybe I'll come back on the next round. What are we betting, again?"
"Chocolate?" Tara offered, pulling a candy bag from her purse next to her.
"Oho, someone has a sweet tooth," Rossi crowed. "Nice, Tara."
"Shush," Tara scolded. "I bet three chocolates."
"I see your bet and raise you one," Reid said. The way her hand was moving was a tell. It had to be and it was telling Reid that she was bluffing considering that it stopped moving when he raised her bet.
Rossi was watching each player with eagle eyes, considering them. "I bet that Tara wins two hands before the flight is out," he said slyly. "And I bet that I win, let's say two, and Reid wins all the rest."
Tara laughed. "Are we playing that long?" She asked, as they laid their cards down and her eyebrows hiked when she saw Reid's winning hand. "I think we have to," she muttered, shoving four chocolates over to him.
Reid took them with pleasure.
A/N: And again,
The 2015 Profiler's Choice Awards are on! Calling all CM readers and Authors! Join us in the annual Profiler's Choice CM Awards; help us choose the best of the best Criminal Minds fanfiction and let your voice be heard. Check out the nomination ballot and rules at the Profilers Choice Awards 2015 Forum. All rules and information can be found there. Nominations begin November 14, 2015 and end December 31, 2015 (please note: ballots received before November 14 will not be counted. Thank you). All entries with ten (10) or more categories filled out are eligible to win an Amazon gift card!
Please keep Kate Callahan and Tara Lewis in mind as you nominate and vote this year.
How was Ashley? While I liked her, most of the time, some of my resentment towards her when she shut Reid down crept out in this chapter. I still think it was accurate to portray her as I did. Lemme know.