"You look like a thundercloud. I'm not even going to ask you about your last date, I can tell from afar that it wasn't a good one."

"You got one thing right. It was certainly my last date!" Alex snapped. "I've come to realise that there is usually a reason why someone is single!"

"You're single," JJ chimed in when Alex took a deep breath to go on complaining. She almost seemed to deflate when JJ pointed out the obvious. During the prolonged silence JJ took the opportunity to elaborate. "And there is certainly nothing wrong with you, you've had a bit of bad luck is all. You haven't found someone you're compatible with."

Alex muttered something in a voice that was practically dripping with sarcasm. JJ couldn't make out the words, but she was pretty sure she didn't want to hear them either. They were both quiet for some time, focusing on the paperwork in front of them.

It had been almost six months since JJ had first encouraged Alex to start dating, and so far it seemed Alex had taken it to heart almost as if it was a new hobby. She consistently found something wrong with each date though, and never saw the same woman twice. The way she told the stories about those dates, JJ supposed that she could understand why. But she grew increasingly frustrated, not with Alex, but with these anonymous women who went out with this gorgeous, smart, witty lady and didn't seem to realise what a catch she was.

Who wouldn't want to show their best side when going out with Alex?, JJ wondered to herself. I know I would.

"Friday night date was a germ phobic. I mean, nowadays it's not that weird if people bring hand sanitizers wherever they go, so if she had drawn the line there I wouldn't have been creeped out. However, she also brought her own cutlery, sealed in plastic bags, and she refused to get something to drink because the drinking glasses were apparently teeming with germs."

JJ looked up to see if Alex was pulling her leg, but the brunette looked dead serious.

"At that point I made the mistake of suggesting that she could always order pure vodka, that'd kill off all the germs in the glass, and drink it through a straw. I was just kidding, but she looked me straight in the eye and said that the idea wasn't so bad, only there is no guarantee the straws were germfree, as the packaging process for those isn't protected by the same health laws as food and beverage packaging."

Alex shook her head.

"The entire meal conversation consisted of her telling me in detail about all the potential bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites that I possibly came in contact with through everything I touched and tasted. I almost felt like ordering that vodka with a straw myself to calm down; towards the end of the meal I felt like there were lethal microbes crawling all over me, all with a personal agenda to kill me."

JJ gaped in pure disbelief.

"Oh my God. Poor woman."

"I wasn't too happy either. I could have understood some degree of precaution had it been flu season; I mean, who has the time to get sick? But…" She shoved her hair out of her face, which seemed to amuse her. "Oh, and she also told me I shouldn't wear my hair down because a tremendous amounts of microscopic hazards such as bacteria stick to long hair every day."

JJ laughed.

"I take it you did not get a goodnight kiss from her."

"Nope, but she did give me a hug, and there was nothing hesitant about it either."

"So… touching you after you touched untouchable things were okay?"

"Yep. And she wanted to see me again on Saturday, the next evening."

"Wow. What did you say?"

"I said I thought I might be coming down with a cold or something, but that I'd call her the next day if I didn't feel too lousy."

"Alex!" JJ laughed. "That wasn't very nice of you!"

"I know. I do regret it now, I should have offered her the number to a good therapist instead so she could get some help, but I just freaked."

"How do you even find these women, Alex? What kind of dating site are you using?"

"Match dot com."

"Okay, we might need to get Garcia involved."

"I said that was my last date! Jesus…" Alex sighed, closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. She felt like she was about to get a migraine just talking about these dating failures. Was it really just bad luck? She was beginning to believe she was cursed.

JJ patted her arm.

"Tell you what, give it one more chance."

"And then what?" Alex asked without opening her eyes.

"Well, my friend still has two kittens left for sale…"

"Inevitable ending," she sighed and looked back at JJ.

"You know Alex, for all your toughness, I still believe there's a softer Alex inside of you, one that is in desperate need for some cuddles, and if you can't find a significant other to offer that, then at least you should have a kitten curl up next to you in bed and purr all night."

JJ nearly blushed after delivering this little speech. Did she just tell Alex Blake that she needed cuddles?! But Alex didn't seem to pick up on her embarrassment.

"You think I'd allow a shedding animal in my bed?"

"I know you would. I mean, you used to have a husband, didn't you?"

Alex snorted. "Well, I wouldn't go so far as to call him an animal." She seemed to consider and then added: "Though he did shed."

JJ laughed out loud.

"It's one more date, or a kitten."

"Fine. One more date it is," Alex sighed and glanced at JJ.

Does she think I need cuddles? Do I look cuddly to her? Hm. Maybe I do.

"Why are you smiling?"

"Was I smiling?"

"Yes."

"Hm. Nothing important. Just thinking."

A/N

I know most of you think this is the most unrealistic date so far, but this is actually EXACTLY one date I had, several years ago. Now, I am something of a germ phobic myself; at least when it comes to respiratory or stomach bugs, but that whole date was just OVER THE TOP WEIRD! When the sealed plastic bags with disinfected cutlery came out of her purse, I thought I was on Candid Camera or something. My date didn't seem to think it was odd or embarrassing in any way. If she had had a medical condition that made her immune defense vulnerable, then I would have understood, but I asked carefully if she did, and she didn't. She just thought people and germs were disgusting. I couldn't help but wondering why she wanted to date me and my germs at all, then…

As always, reviews are welcome! :)