Playing Games by JuliaBC

A/N: Well, I finally got around to it! Readers of 'Under the Mistletoe' will know that I have been writing this past month, just not Playing Games.

It's New Year's! 2016! Please tell me your resolutions. I myself have resolved to climb the rope at my gym unassisted.

And finally, here is my tag to 11x07: Target Rich. (Aka, the episode that reminded me why I love CM.)

It was Meg that brought Jamie in the next morning, startling Kate awake at an early hour.

"Is it time to get up already?" Kate gasped, sitting straight up.

"Well, I'm leaving for school now," Meg said in amusement, realizing that this was a rare moment...Kate was almost always up before her. "He was crying a little so I changed him but he definitely wants food now."

"Probably," Kate said, accepting him. "Thanks, my Meg."

"Anytime," Meg replied. "Chris is driving me after his shift ends, in case you don't remember talking about it last night, so you can stay in bed."

Kate glanced at the clock. "Thanks again," she murmured, leaning back with Jamie. "Love you."

"Love you too," Meg replied. "I'm going to buy lunch today; can I take cash?"

"Your card-thing is out?" Kate asked, frowning.

"Chris said he'd refill it today," Meg replied and darted from the bedroom.

Kate stayed frowning, wondering when she'd gotten so far behind on things for Meg. At least the teenager was taking it well.

Kate looked at the calendar and sighed: November 11.

Today was the day JJ returned to work at the BAU. Kate smiled to think of it, and grabbed her phone to send a quick text to JJ.

Good luck today! I wish I could be there to welcome you back, but you'll be the one doing that for me when I go back.

She looked at the message before sending it, hesitating as she looked down at Jamie.

Good luck today! I know the team will be grateful to have you back!

She wanted to promise her return...but...

She looked at Jamie again, and her heart sighed.

Reid spent the whole time of JJ's return party in a bit of a daze, still remembering the conversation he'd had with his mother's doctors last night. Things were escalating. Basically if he was going to visit her, he should do it soon.

But it was so good to have JJ back. To have JJ be the one that did come back, every time she'd left, was a very heart warming thought when he looked at her; one of his closest and dearest friends.

He turned away from the party, realizing that he hadn't mentioned any of what he was going through with his mother to her...or to Kate, though he'd certainly hinted it the last time they talked about Poe. Kate hadn't caught on, though. He'd been very careful.

"Spence?" JJ asked cautiously. "You left the party."

"I wanted to give you this in private and I knew you'd follow," Reid adlibbed, pulling a coin out of his pocket.

"It's just a penny," JJ said. "And you aren't superstitious."

"Who says?" Reid asked. "You know the saying. Find a penny, pick it up, all day long you'll have good luck...I just gave my good luck to you."

JJ laughed. "I've heard about flipping coins," she said. "Wait. Is that Joy?" She craned her neck to see after a retreating figure.

"I think it is," Reid said, and JJ handed him the coin back.

"I don't have a pocket," she apologized, as she dashed after Joy. "I think she needs help."

Reid was still fingering the penny as he drove home after the case had closed. JJ had never asked for it back; he wouldn't be surprised if she'd forgotten the impromptu gift, after everything that had happened with Joy...and after what he'd finally told her about his mother.

His relief at telling her had been palpable. Even now, he felt more relaxed, after having spoken to Hotch and called Bennington. Everything was going to be fine.

His phone rang.

"Hey, are you swinging by to pick up Poe?" Kate asked, not announcing herself.

"Yes, of course," he said, switching lanes.

"Good," she returned. "I need to talk to you about something."

"Can't we talk now?" He asked. "Garcia made sure I had a handsfree device in my car."

"It's a conversation better had in person," Kate said lightly. "Nothing serious. I just want to see your face."

"What does that mean?" He queried.

"Hurry up and find out," Kate said. "I'll see you then," she teased and hung up.

Reid, almost tempted to speed, tempered himself and pulled up in front of Kate's house in the usual amount of time it would take.

Chris opened the door, and he again enveloped Reid in a hug; it seemed to have become a tradition whenever Chris saw him.

Reid decided, as he awkwardly patted Chris' back in return, that hugging didn't have to be awkward. Sometimes he found that a hug lifted his mood monumentally. He realized that it had been Chris to help him realize that.

"Is Kate around? I mean, she told me to hurry up," Reid said, wiping his hair out of his eyes.

"Oh, yeah, she's upstairs changing Jamie," Chris said. "Come on in the kitchen. Your dog is waiting for you...No, better wait for Kate."

"What is this?" Reid asked, mystified. "Did you dye his fur blue?"

"Nothing so drastic as that," Meg said, appearing from the study. "Hey, Dr. Reid."

"Hi, Meg," he greeted. "Is school going well?"

"Gah," she protested, sticking her tongue out.

"School has become a four letter word since she got a group project in Social Studies," Chris explained.

"No one in my group will do any of the work, but I'm busy with track," Meg said. "We're having a lot of meets because our coach thinks we could go to the State Finals. I could deal with the project if anyone in my group wasn't perpetually stoned, but as it is..." She groaned. "I'm on the verge of asking my teacher if I can do a lesser project alone."

Reid folded his arms as she talked, realizing that this was a dilemma he'd never quite had. Yes, there had been group projects from hell, but he'd taken the work and done it with ease...he'd never had conflicting interests.

"I'd do that," he finally decided. "You should at least ask your teacher."

"If she says no, then you can start bugging your group, but then at least she knows that you did your best on it," Chris agreed.

Meg sighed. "Everything kind of sucks right now anyway," she finished. "How about you?"

"It's...usual," Reid said cautiously, not wanting to broach the topic of his mother quite yet.

"As it always was with Kate," Meg agreed, her eyes darkening. "The less details the better, I suppose."

Her smile was stiff as she headed up the stairs. Chris watched her go soberly. "She gets more nightmares when she's stressed," he confided in Reid. "That's why she's really pissed with her group."

"That's understandable," Reid lamented. "It's not like any of the kids in her group would understand."

Kate came downstairs then. "Okay, come to the kitchen with me," she said immediately, eyes sparkling. "I took Poe to the pet store yesterday and Reid, I found the most perfect thing!"

She slipped through the doorway to the kitchen, moving the pet door blocking Poe in, and splayed her hands wide, displaying Poe.

"Tada!" She exclaimed. "A sweater! I've been waiting until you saw him first to text pics to Penelope but now that you have..." She grabbed her cell phone and hit send.

Reid burst out laughing. "Are you serious?" He exclaimed, as Poe exploded towards him, barking and jumping all over.

"Yes!" Kate said. "Isn't he handsome?"

"He's a real player," Reid agreed. "I need to talk about something, too," he began, hesitant.

"What?" She wondered, finding a seat and sitting down. Poe abandoned Reid to jump on her lap. "Oof," she said, but cuddled him close.

"I'm going to Vegas," Reid blurted. "With Poe. To see my mother."

Kate's eyes met his immediately, and just looked at him for a moment. "Oh, Spencer," she said. "What happened?"

"I mean, nothing," Reid said, feeling himself getting emotional and not liking it. "Not yet. She's just not responding to her meds as well as she should be. I want to see her in case...I can help or in case..."

"She doesn't remember you next time," Kate finished.

"That too," Reid agreed.

Silence. She reached over to take his hand. He hesitated before sliding it into hers and she squeezed tight. "No matter what happens, we'll all be here when you get back," she said. "The team and I."

"You don't need to make that be two groups," Reid said softly.

Kate didn't argue, but in her heart, she wondered how true it was.

A/N: I'm still giving Kate doubts about going back to the team, in case JLH decides against going back. I almost feel like it would have been announced by now (okay, probably not until March) but I'm not sure I'll continue Playing Games if JLH doesn't return. We'll see.

I'm slowly transitioning to having a game every other time. Sorry if this disappoints, but it fits where the story is headed.

Oh, and reviews haven't been posting lately, but I have been getting the emails, so please feel free to tell me all of your New Year's Resolutions! I really do want to know :)