Note- I started writing this a month ago. I wanted to make it longer but the muse didn't give me anymore. Now that the finale is here I'd like to post it before the show airs. So here goes...

Bittersweet

Reid and Prentiss

Chapter One

May 2012

"What's bothering you?" he asked her, as they sat together at a table during the wedding. It was late into the evening and most of the guests had gone home already; the rest looked tired, buzzed and happy to be sharing in JJ and Will's celebration.

For Spencer Reid this day had been rather bittersweet. He was used to the feeling that way by now. He had enjoyed himself at the reception but he couldn't help noticing that Emily seemed very distracted. All through the evening he kept wondering what it was that she wasn't saying.

It was a notoriously bad sign for Emily Prentiss to be keeping secrets.

Everyone who knew her knew that she didn't open up very easily about what she was feeling so it came as no surprise to Reid when she gave him a wide eyed look, feigning confusion at his question.

Reaching over, he gently lifted her hand, his thumb brushing over her brittle, gnawed down fingernails.

She let out a sigh of resignation and said "I didn't want to ruin everyone's good time tonight by being a buzz kill with my announcement."

"Announcement?" His stomach dropped and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up, as if his body already knew he wasn't going to like what she was about to tell him.

"I'm leaving the team."

He blinked and then blinked again. His throat got tight. "They're forcing you out just like they did JJ?"

"No, no, nothing like that. It's my choice. I'm taking an oversees post. It's just temporary. I'll be back. I'm just not sure when."

The room swam around him. The noise of the guests and music suddenly seemed miles away. He leaned closer to Emily to make sure he was hearing her right, even though he knew he had. Panic, disbelief and helplessness all churned together inside his gut.

Everything was changing for the worse and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Once Emily made her mind up there was no convincing her otherwise, as he knew from painful past experience.

After a few moments of taking in Emily's answer, Reid asked her "When do you leave?"

Her eyes locked on his, she hesitated briefly before answering "Tommorow. It should have been today but it was a little late to tell JJ she had to find another bridesmaid because I have an international arms dealer to chase down...Do me a favor and forget I said that last part because my assignment is confidential."

"I won't tell anyone."

"I know."

Looking toward the bar, Reid noticed Hotch and Rossi having a drink together. "Does Hotch know?"

"Yeah." Emily glanced over to where JJ was dancing with Will. "I don't know how to tell JJ. She deserves to not have anything mess up this day for her. It took her so long to get here, you know?"

"You're just going to leave without saying goodbye?"

"I'll be back."

"What if you aren't?"

"I will be, I promise."

"You can't promise that, though."

"Reid, please...don't make this any harder on me."

"I'm sorry. I haven't fully wrapped my mind around this...It's hard to take it in. I finally got used to you being back and the headaches have eased up and it felt right again, on the team. It felt so incredibly-"

"Right," she whispered, looking down at her chewed up fingernails again. "I know but this is just something I have to do. A favor for an old friend. I got most of my former team killed-"

"No. That was Doyle, not you."

"It was my bad choices and we both know it. Clyde Easter is still around and he needs my help. I couldn't turn him down. What would you do if it was ten years from now and I came to you, after not seeing you for a long time, and asked you for help on a case that meant everything to me? Would you turn me away?"

"I can't hypothesis that scenario because there are not enough known variables. For example, why haven't I seen you in the long time?"

She smiled slightly. "Reid, you know what I mean."

"I know but I don't want to know because it means you're leaving and I can't stop you."

"It will be okay." She downed the rest of her drink. "I'll be back before you can hardly miss me."

"I'm starting to miss you already."

Her eyes turned tender for a long moment before she stood up, grabbing her clutch purse off the table. "I need to get up to my room. If I don't get some sleep, I'm going to be a walking zombie tommorow and that is no way to get through a twelve hour flight. It will be just my luck that the plane will be filled with screaming babies."

Reid stood up. "So I guess this is goodbye?"

They stared into each other's eyes for a moment. "How about so long for now?"

"Promise that you'll come back?"

She looked at where Morgan and Garcia had now joined Rossi and Hotch at the bar. "I have to. This is where my family is."

Emily reached out and gave Reid a hug. After she pulled away, she asked "Walk me to my room?"

The wedding was held at a resort on the coast. The ceremony was on the beach and the reception was in the hotel ballroom. Since the resort was located more than a hour from Quantico many of the wedding guests had booked rooms for the night.

Reid and Emily stopped by the bar area to say good night to Hotch, Rossi, Morgan and Garcia. Emily hugged Garcia so tightly that Garcia joked "You haven't went and got a little crush on me, have you, sugar?"

Emily chuckled. "I guess weddings just bring out my softer side."

"Good to know you actually have one," Morgan joked. "I'm sure the unsubs you've taken down would never believe it."

Emily cast one last look at JJ, who was still dancing with Will, and said "I better get going. I'm beat."

"Tell me about it," Rossi said. "Working a case all week and then this long day. I'm gonna need a vacation myself to relax."

Hotch gave him a stern look. "I thought that is what all your book tours are for?"

"Hey, I'm working then!"

"Yeah," Garcia joked "it's hard work to sit there being adored by your legion of panting fans."

Emily smiled at their banter. Soon she was saying goodnight and heading for her room, with Reid next to her. When they stepped off the elevator on her floor, she said "I didn't mean for it to happen like this. Me not getting the chance to say goodbye to everyone, to give them the head's up that I'm leaving. This just came up suddenly. I'll call each of them to explain."

"Are you sure you have to do this?"

"Take this assignment? Yeah. I know the timing is lousy..."

"Why didn't you say anything earlier, when I asked you to the concert?"

"Because I wanted to say yes to you," she admitted to him.

When he first saw Emily in the dress that JJ had picked for the bridesmaid, her hair pulled up delicately with flowers strewn through out it, there was just something so lovely about her, something that made him remember those random moments from the past when he felt so close to her. He couldn't help but tell her that she looked breathtaking.

Standing in the hallway of the hotel, making small talk while they waited for the ceremony to start, Reid had asked Emily if she would accompany him to a classical music concert in the park in a few weeks. They had hung out plenty of times before as friends but this time, it seemed to be understood by both of them, he wasn't asking as just as friend.

He told her "But you knew you couldn't keep that date with me."

"The words just came out before I could stop myself and then Morgan walked up and it was too late to say anything more." Emily reached into her purse and took out the key for the door. "I know I won't be back by the end of the month but maybe whenever I do get back there will be some other concert. I get it if things change by then, though, for you. Believe me, I know how it usually goes with stuff like this."

"How does it usually go?"

"For me? Lousy." She got the door to her room opened and didn't turn back to face him. Her shoulders slouched as she seemed to resign herself to the fact that they would never make it on that date.

He hadn't been sure earlier if she really would consider it a romantic date but now he thought he was clearly seeing it written all over her body language- when she finally completely let down her gaurd for the first time since he had known her- that yes she had wanted that with him. Maybe it had only been for that brief moment in the hall when things seemed to all come together for them- when she took his breath away in her dress- or maybe it had been building like a slow cresting wave for months and years, but either way Reid believed Emily did see the potential in them, as he did too now.

Yet she wasn't the type to hope that this feeling they were sharing for this moment in time would outlast her assignment oversees; that the stars would align ever again as they had tonight; that their dangerous jobs wouldn't kill them before they could meet again; that neither would find another lover in the time they were apart.

And maybe she was right. That was how life always seemed to work. Things happened and roads diverged. Circumstances changed feelings and plans. Maybe there would be no date for them somewhere down the road.

But there was right now.

And for once Reid wanted to seize this moment. His belief that Emily truly did long to go on a date with him and his anger at himself for only asking her out today, instead of long ago, pushed him to not let this moment slide by without acting on the feelings brewing between them.

He reached out and placed his fingers gently beneath her chin, feeling her slightly shiver under his touch as he turned her face toward him, leaned down and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips.

A part of him had wondered if it would be strange to kiss a woman who had been his friend for so long but in the moment there was nothing awkward about it. It was tender and sweetly seductive, as she softly caressed his face and chest, her eyes staying closed for a moment even after he broke away.

A fierce protective tone he had never heard before come out of his mouth was there when he whispered "You have to come home to me, Emily."

Her dark eyes held his as she titled her head and gave him a look filled with wonder.

Reid took a large step back. "So long for now, okay?"

She took him by the hand and tugged him forward. "Stay...please." Lifting her head, while raising up on her tip toes, her mouth met his. She walked backwards into the room, whispering against his lips again, "Stay."