Note- The place Reid suggests going in this fic actually exists in Washington DC, though it is a once in a while kind of event. This story is inspired by the fact that I read on Chit Chat for Author's Corner that Reid's birthday is just a few days before Emily's.

Milestone

Emily Prentiss and Spencer Reid

October 2010

"I bet you're glad the case wrapped up today," Reid said to Prentiss as they gathered their files in the police station. "So you can celebrate

your-"

"Ugh, you too, really?"

"What?"

"Everyone has asked me how I'm celebrating and tried to make plans with me. I'll tell you what I told them: I'm not doing anything for my birthday and that is final."

"Oh." He bit back the words I'm sorry because he knew she did not like anyone having pity for her and would not like him to emphasize that she was reacting badly to turning forty. "Would you celebrate my birthday with me even if you're not celebrating yours? The team dinner the other night was nice but, yeah, I'd actually like to see this Midnight Magic Show at Mead Theater tommorow night."

She gave him a surprised look. They had never gone anyplace with just the two of them before. "Just me and you?"

"Well Morgan doesn't really like magic and he said that the last time he went with me was his last time ever wasting money on a magic show. And Garcia, I think, would be busy with Lynch, at midnight, and Hotch would be with Jack and JJ with Will and Henry and Rossi...well I don't know if he has plans...should I ask him?"

"No, no, that's okay. Just you and me sounds fine."

A bright smile curved over his lips and he started to ramble about how wonderful the show would be and then the history of magic until Emily rolled her eyes at him, shook her head and walked away, a small smile playing on her lips also.

XXXXXXXXXXX

"Hey, Emily," Reid said into his cell phone, while he sitting at his kitchen table reading the newspaper the next day "what do you think about Korean bar-be-cue for dinner tonight?"

"Dinner?"

"Yeah, there is a new place that opened near the theater and the review makes it sound amazing. Did you know they cook the food right at your table? I want to try Chadolbegi. Its thin strips of beef brisket."

"I know. Though I haven't had it in years."

"I was thinking we could go to dinner before the show."

"Yeah," she teased "I picked up on that."

"So would that be okay? Remember I am the birthday boy and it would be rather rude to turn me down."

She chuckled. "Well in that case then all right but you're making me reconsider celebrating my birthday today if the birthday girl would get to make demands and not be able to be turned down. Be careful because you don't know what I may insist on."

"Anything you want, Emily."

She smirked. "Watch it, Reid. You don't want to go there," she joked.

"There? Where? I'll go wherever you want."

"Handsome, don't write a check your ass can't cash," she joked. "I'll see you tonight. Around 9?"

"We'll have to drive because the trains will stop running by the time the show is over."

"I'll pick you up then."

"Good because my car has been making some odd noises lately."

"How much longer are you gonna hang onto that old thing?"

"It's a classic. Besides I don't drive that much but when I do its like we're in it together. I couldn't get that with some random new car. It still has some life left in it."

"If you say so, Reid. If you say so. See you tonight."

"I can hardly wait...I mean..."

"Me too." Click.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

A sizzling tension flared between them during dinner, stronger than the brief, rare flickers she'd felt before. Almost strong enough for her to be convinced he must be feeling it too but who could ever tell with a mysterious man like Spencer Reid?

Emily had been dreading her birthday but there she was, on the actual night itself, sitting across from her friend and co-worker smiling, laughing, conversing about a wide range of topics that most other men could care less about. She hated small talk but when she was with her friends it wasn't boring getting to know you, how is the weather, do you follow politics and sports chit chat. Reid made her feel comfortable and yet slightly off balance too.

By the time they were walking from the theater, after the show, to her car she was in such a good mood, chuckling over his excitement about the magic tricks that they had just seen, that she said "Too bad this wasn't a date. I haven't had such a decent time with a guy in years."

His eyebrows shot up. "Decent? Don't be afraid to overwhelm me with praise. Trust me I can handle it."

She laughed. "You know what I mean. This has been nice."

"Yeah," he mused "it has been. Is it too late to retroactivity make this a date? That way I could say I had an awesome date on my birthday."

"Technically this is just your birthday celebration. Its my actual birthday. Thank you for forcing me to celebrate it."

"Forty is a milestone-"

"UGH!"

"Instead of dreading the number you could embrace-"

"Ugh, ugh, ugh, of course you say that. You're a toddler."

"Actually, I'm far from a child. I just turned 29 and I plan to embrace my thirtieth birthday and fortieth and fiftieth. I do understand how a birthday can make you rethink your life but, Emily, you are someone I admire very much and I hate to think you would think your life hasn't been meaningful. You're meaningful to me and you make my life more meaningful. Just look at tonight? I know you were kidding before about wishing it was a date but...tonight showed me what a good date could feel like and it made me think that maybe I shouldn't give up on finding someone to have good dates with. You did that for me. I'm glad for everyday of your life."

Titling her head to the side, standing there on the street in downtown DC, she gave him an look filled with wonder and amazement. "I shouldn't have called you a kid. The truth is that you're the most impressive man I ever met. I hope you find her, Reid. I really do."

With a tender look in his eye he told her "Maybe I already have."

She blinked several times, surprise lighting her dark eyes before she smiled, glancing down shyly. "Whoa there, tiger," she joked, moving to open the car door "this is the big leagues." She looked up and into his eyes. "You think you're up to the challenge?"

The way she said it was with just enough teasing that they could easily laugh it off, moving on as if it didn't mean a thing at all.

Nodding, with an eager look in his eye but trying not to smile, he cleared his throat and then said "Yeah."

She chuckled and turned to get in the car. "Yeah, okay," she said, trying to laugh off the moment, nervous to go any farther right then, wondering if Monday at work it would just be like normal again.

Emily gasped when Spencer spun her around, slid his fingers into her hair, titled her head back and brought his lips down on hers. The kiss was insistent at first, as if trying to prove something, but then lessened, gently caressing her until she was whimpering when he broke contact.

She felt dazed and stunned. "Happy...birthday...to...me."

"Happy birthday, Emily," he said, tenderly, not moving back from her, his fingers stroking over her jaw in a feather light stroke.

"Can I demand something since its my birthday and all?"

"Go for it."

"Take me out again."

A deep smile came to his lips. "Hey, I was going to ask you that!" he teased. "You stole my thunder."

Smiling deeply she brought her arms up to loop around his neck, pulling him down towards her, "You're not dealing with the most patient woman on earth, let that be a lesson for you." As their lips joined again in a more heated kiss they started to explore that simmering, sizzling tension between them that had gone ignored for way too long.

It was a birthday to remember for sure.

THE END