Playing Games by JuliaBC

A/N: Recommended reading is Kellie Kat's Godmother. It just reinforces the whole bittersweetness of the Savannah/Morgan relationship and what it means for Garcia.

And it made sense to go back to the wedding for a bit. So here we are!

Reid jogged from the reception hall, hoping that Garcia would still be there. He stopped quickly, upon seeing her standing just a small ways away from the door.

"Penelope?" He asked, going forward to reach out to her.

"I'd always dreamed of the day Derek Morgan got married," Garcia said softly, voice faltering a little. "Mainly because after a point I thought that I would be the bride." She wiped away a tear from behind her glasses. "And what hurts the most might be the fact that Savannah's so perfect for him, a better match than I could have been. That there was a reason he didn't ask me after all these years. He knew that there was someone better for him. A soul mate."

"Oh, Penelope," he sighed.

"I suppose you don't believe in soul mates," she said. "I know I wish that I didn't right now."

"I do believe in soul mates," Reid reflected, after a moment's thoughts. "But not in the way they're popularly presented. I don't believe that there's only one person out there that you fit with perfectly or are meant to spend the rest of your life with. I believe that there are many people that you...or I...are perfectly matched to. I just think that they're hard to find." He was quiet as they gazed up at the twinkling night sky. "And that sometimes they're even harder to keep. But, Penelope?"

"Yeah?" She asked.

"I think you...and I...have already met over a dozen of our soulmates. People whose souls match ours in a way that would blow most people away. I...I believe that romantic love, while extremely precious, can't replace the love and companionship found in true friendships. Friendships that you, Penelope, already have. Friendships can't replace love, Pen, but when they outnumber it by far...I think you've still got a pretty good life to live."

"You're trying to make me cry," Garcia accused, turned and threw her arms around him. He could feel her shoulders shake but her tears were silent. Behind them the door opened.

"Hey, there you two are. Derek sent me looking for you," Tara said, striding up behind them. She was dressed to the nines in a red dress with towering heels and, as always, made an impressive sight.

"Why?" Garcia asked, her voice making it sound like she doubted Derek would ever want to actually speak with her again, pulling away from Reid and looking blindly around for a handkerchief. Reid handed her his clean one, from where it had been tucked neatly in the pocket of his tuxedo.

"This is really soft," she commented.

"They're about to let loose the bouquet and garter," Tara said. She folded her arms against the chill in the night air. "They're both kind of silly traditions. I've caught the bouquet no less than three times, and hey, look at this finger. Does that look like it has a ring on it to you?"

Garcia let out a reluctant laugh.

"And let me tell you, I'm with Queen Bey on this one," Tara announced. "I am a single lady that never liked it enough to put a ring on it." She smirked. "And that's his loss." She grinned at Garcia. "And I'm happy." She grabbed Garcia's hand. "Come on, girl. Come back with and let's get crazy. I will bet you a box of Godiva chocolates that I catch the bouquet."

"Oh, no, I bet Andi Swann will try for it," Garcia said. "I've seen it happen."

"But there's no fun in her catching it," Tara protested. "But who's getting the garter?"

"Derek is throwing it straight to Spencer for sure," Garcia said, not even faltering as she said the words. "Hey, does my makeup still look okay?"

Good friend that she already was, Tara didn't blink at the question or ask Garcia why it wouldn't be. "It looks fine. Your mascara is so good it must be bullet proof."

Relief in her voice, Garcia began to speak quickly, as she only did in the company of good friends, fairly bubbling over with enthusiasm. "I know, I really lucked out when I discovered this brand. The crazy thing? It's actually..."

Reid opened the door for them, ushering them inside before going in after them. The room had divided into camps of the opposite sex and Reid hurried to the men's side.

"Here you are," Derek said. "Where've you been, Pretty Boy?" He slung an arm around his best man. "Is she okay?" He asked, so softly that Reid almost missed the words, his brilliant white smile never even faltering.

"I let her cry and Tara made her laugh. Yes," Reid concluded.

The other side of the room exploded in a flurry of shouts and rustling dresses as Savannah threw her bouquet and her female guests jockeyed for positions. It definitely seemed to be going in the general direction of Garcia and Tara but someone leaped above the crowd and deftly snagged it in midair. A proud Jordan Todd displayed her catch to the awestruck crowd.

"I thought Jordan was engaged," Rossi said, lurking behind them.

"She broke it off," Hotch commented, drifting over when he heard Rossi's quiet question.

"Okay, lover boy, get up there," Rossi said, shoving Derek towards the front of the room. "Get that garter taken care of so that you and Savannah can hit the road."

Derek, obviously a bit torn, looked back at Reid, more questions to be asked of his best man. Reid shook his head and Derek's gaze swept the room and fell on Garcia. Something seemed to clear in him and he went up to Savannah, gladly making a show of removing her garter and threatening the male side of the room with it.

"He's throwing it straight at you," Rossi muttered near to Reid. "Do you want me to bail you out?"

"Yes, anything to keep my admirers at bay," Reid agreed.

"Watch an expert at work," Rossi said. Hotch, distracted, was exchanging a word with JJ as the garter flew through the air in a graceful arc, headed straight for Reid.

"Whoa, Aaron, catch this," Rossi said, making a show of panic in his voice. Hotch whirled around, hands up, just in time for the garter to hit his face and slide into waiting hands.

The room erupted with hysterical laughter. Hotch, stoic faced, accepted his fate.

Reid was on hand after Derek and Savannah had departed on their honeymoon, spirited away in a safe car to a place far from the dangers that life was offering them currently.

Reid reflected that no place was fully safe and then banished the morose thought from his mind.

He wished that Emily was here, he realized, as he and Leticia said goodbye to guests, their last duty as Best Man and Maid of Honor. Leticia was tired, and she'd taken her heels off long ago, making small talk with Savannah's side of the family while Reid took care of making sure every attending agent was given thorough goodbyes. It was a bit of an exhausting job, he realized halfway through. And it was definitely not something that he'd have felt comfortable doing just a few years ago.

Everyone had helped with that.

"I'm glad I made time for this," Alex Blake told him, leaning to kiss his cheek. It was a motherly gesture, and on that he appreciated.

"So am I. I was really disappointed when you said you weren't sure if you could make it," Reid said.

"I got James to cover my class," she told him. "I see Emily wasn't so lucky."

"Yeah, it's a little harder to get someone to cover for you on catching international killers," Reid said, making a quick goodbye to the last members of Threat Assessment.

"Hear hear," Alex said, lifting an almost empty glass of champagne. "You looked so confident tonight, Spencer. I was glad. Your speech was lovely. Honest. Well written." She sighed and downed the champagne. "Weddings make me blue," she admitted. "And if I don't stop at this glass, I'll be over the legal limit." She pulled him into a hug. "Love you," she told him, squeezing tight. "You're so good to me, Spencer. To everyone."

He hugged her back, and watched as she walked over to Rossi, tapped his shoulder. Watching them leave, Reid wondered if she'd managed to get a ride from him.

"Spence, you outdid yourself," JJ told him, coming up behind him. "I was a little nervous when you refused to let anyone preview your speech but it was beautiful."

"I didn't want to spoil the surprise," Reid said. "And, while I had the main draft written about twenty minutes after Derek first asked me, I've been revising it ever since and only settled on my final version about six minutes before the ceremony."

Will came over, holding Michael in his arms, and leading Henry by the hand. "These boys are all tuckered out," he told JJ, and Reid smiled to see how much closer the two seemed to be since Michael's birth. The BAU could wreak havoc on relationships and it was so good to see some surviving ones.

"I know, and you probably are too," JJ agreed. "Good night, Spence."

Henry tugged away from Will and hurried forward to throw his arms around Reid. "Good night, Uncle Spence!" He exclaimed.

"Good night, Henry," Reid said, hugging him back.

"Want to hold your other godson for a minute?" Will offered. "I'd like to pull the car around so they don't have to walk so far." He nodded at JJ and she smiled at his suggestion.

Reid reached out and Will settled a sleeping Michael in his arms. "He's bigger than Henry was at this age," Reid said, and JJ nodded.

"He's bigger overall, which I'm definitely noticing," she said.

The pleasant weight of Michael settled into Reid's arms and he adjusted his hold a little. "I wish Emily was here," he told her.

Her eyes softened. "Me, too. More than you know."

They were silent for a moment, thinking of what their raven haired friend could so easily add to the celebration. "And Elle," he said softly. "Derek sent her an invitation."

"Did she...respond in any way?" JJ wondered.

"I don't know," Reid admitted. "Derek never mentioned it again."

JJ nodded, as they saw Will's car appear in the front entrance. JJ took Michael from Reid's arms. "Love you, Spence," she told him.

"Love you too," he called after her.

There was almost no one left. He turned and almost collided with Kate.

"Hey, you're still here?" He asked.

"Not really, Jamie dropped his favorite toy and we took two different cars since Chris was coming from work, so they went home and I went back for Jamie's teddy bear," Kate said.

She fell into step beside him. He waved goodbye to Leticia and the janitor who'd arrived to lock up the hall.

"So." Kate said. "I didn't ask earlier so now I feel guilty but who did you get to petsit Poe?"

Reid grinned. "Well, funny you should ask," he said. "I didn't actually have to make special arrangements."

'Oh?" Kate wondered. She shivered a little when they walked outside.

"I have a roommate," Reid said. "We just signed the lease yesterday."

"What?" Kate said aloud. "Do you mean it?"

"Of course," he said. "Well, it wasn't an official lease. Mine isn't up and I'm not asking him to contribute to the rent but I did have Hotch draw us up something legal and binding and practical."

"With who?" Kate wondered, as they crossed the parking lot.

He opened her car door for her, pondering what to say.

"Travis," he said.

Her eyes widened, but then she just nodded. "Good for you," she told him. "Way to go, Spencer. Did you ask him or...?"

"Go home," he said, not feeling like any more questions tonight. He had talked long enough.

She smiled at him, perhaps seeing that in him, let him close her car door and pulled away.

When Reid walked through the door, he was met by an eager Poe, who knew better than to bark at this time of night, but eagerly leapt at his master. Reid crouched to pet him, happy to see his dog.

He looked up when he heard footsteps and there was Travis, emerging from the living room.

"Did you and Poe have a good time?" Reid asked.

I think we did," Travis said. "I took him for a jog in the park. I fed him his only for special occasions food for dinner in case he was nervous around me."

"He wouldn't be," Reid scoffed, standing up. "He still almost likes you more than he likes me."

Travis shrugged. "Well, it's one thing that I'm good at," he said. "Getting animals to like me. And he already liked me. He remembers me. Um. Did your friend's wedding go off all right?"

"Without one hitch," Reid said. "Unfortunately."

If Travis was startled by the statement he didn't let it show, or probe further; he only crouched down to pet Poe a little as the dog wandered around the room.

They were quiet for a moment.

"I guess I'll go to bed now," Travis said. "Good night, Dr. Reid."

"I already told you to call me Spencer," Reid corrected, tugging his tie from his neck and thinking that he'd try to make some tea. Emily had sent him some a long time ago and, even though he adored his friend, he still hadn't managed to break his coffee addiction.

"Okay, Spencer," Travis said. He lingered for a moment in the doorway, before ducking down the hall.

"Good night, Travis," Reid called.