"Spencer, for the last time, we are not taking a thirty mile detour for you to go see some plant," JJ said in exasperation from the driver's seat.

Sometimes, she felt like she really was the only adult out of her friends. Especially when they kept trying to persuade her to make the most random detours while they were trying to drive home. Spencer's being the most recent and possibly the most ridiculous request yet. And yes, that included Morgan's apparent bursting need to go see a fairground with a strongman competition. She didn't care that he knew he could win, she wasn't making that detour. Just like she wasn't going to make this one.

"Thirty four point six, actually."

Emily elbowed him and rolled her eyes.

"Did you really think that that would help?"

That was said a bit more sharply than she usually would. JJ suspected that she was still miffed that Derek had beat her to the front seat. Spencer had nabbed it on the way here so she had been in the back the entire time. Which apparently wasn't fair, according to her loud and frequent complaints, but JJ didn't care. She really didn't. What she did care about was how much Emily could complain about it. Which was a lot.

"It's only fair that she knows how far away it is."

"Even if it means it's less likely that you go?"

"I admit that it isn't the best plan."

"Which is why we aren't going." JJ reiterated.

It could have been a four mile detour and she still wouldn't have done it. This case had been infuriating thanks to the idiocy of the local police and she didnt want to be here any longer than was necessary.

"Reid, you know JJ isn't even looking in her mirror so she can't see those puppy eyes of yours," Emily said with a laugh.

Yes, she was very deliberately not looking in the mirror because she knew that Reid would try that.

"It hasn't bloomed in two hundred years. *Two hundred years*."

[xxxxxx]
It was incredibly amusing watching Reid try and persuade JJ to go see a plant. Never mind go see it, but to actually take a detour and even double back a bit if she was reading the map on her phone correctly. Which, to be honest, she probably wasn't. She hated reading maps. That was far more Reid's thing. She sometimes got lost using the IKEA map.

Spencer was currently informing them all of how amazing this is and it's a great opportunity. Also saying that when it was a more abundant plant it didn't used to have such long periods between blooming because it's environment had been far more suited for it but it had taken scientists this long to actually figure out exactly how to encourage it to bloom. It was a very particular plant, it seemed. It would be such a shame to miss it. And then more puppy dog eyes. Reid damn well knew what he was doing. And JJ couldnt avoid using the mirror forever although she did put uo a valiant fight.

JJ eventually looked in the mirror at them and at that point Emily knew it was all over. JJ was incapable of saying no to Soencer when he had that look on his face. The one that was a mix of puppy dog eyes, earnestness, innocence and pleading. And yes, somehow it could be all four of those things at once. They didn't question it anymore, this was Reid, after all. It was like his superpower and they were all incapable of fighting it. Thank God he didn't use it that frequently.

JJ sighed heavily and took the exot he indicated. It looked like they were making a detour. Which meant she was going to be in the back seat for longer. Damn those eyes of his.

Actually, wait. They were, assumedly, getting out of the car to see it. Which meant that she had another chance for the front seat. You know what? Reid's eyes were great. Brilliant, even. She loved them. Maybe she coukd even get him to use them to stop Morgan from taking the front seat again. She was sure he could be bribed with *something*.
[xxxxxx]

"This isn't going to be that flower that smells like rotting flesh, is it?" Emily checked, a thought suddenly coming to her.

"It better not be," JJ grumbled, annoyed at herself for giving in.

If she had stayed strong it would have been fine. Spencer would have sighed and given in but wouldn't be annoying about it. That was more Emily and Morgan's forte. Sure, she would have felt slightly guilty, but still. A thirty mile, sorry, thirty-four point six mile detour across mud logged roads was not her idea of fun. She looked over at Morgan and felt a little bit better. She hadn't been the one who had had to get out and push the car, after all. It looked like he had been dipped in a mud pit.

She frowned when she realised that Spencer hadn't answered Emily. Which didn't bode well.

"Spence?" She prompted.

"Huh?" He asked, bewildered as he was unceremoniously yanked from his thoughts.

"Is this plant that we are going to see the one that smells like rotting flesh?" She repeated Emily's question in a vaguely threatening tone.

"No. It's not the carrion flower, better known as the corpse flower." He scrunched up his nose at that. "I wouldnt want to see that anyway. We get enough rotting flesh on the job."

They all took a moment to gag or shiver at that statement. But yes, that was very true.

"Thank you for not being interested in it," said JJ.

"Wonder what flower would bloom if we planted Morgan?" Asked Emily with a smirk.

"A prettier one than you," he shot back.

Emily discovered a positive thing about being in the back seat. The back of Morgan's ear was very available.

"Ow! What the hell!"