Confessions (PRP JJ)

[SSA Dr. Spencer Reid]

Spencer sat in his favorite seat on the jet, between Hotch and JJ, and listened as Hotch gave assignments. Finally, it was over, and Spencer stood up, yawning. After his stretch, he headed for the back of the jet, to find someone to play cards with him.

[jj]

JJ watched as Spencer stood up and walked over to a table and sat down prepared to play some cards. She sighed, they needed to be straight with one another. She stood up, walked over to the coffee counter and prepared two cups of coffee. One like she liked it and one like Reid liked it. She walked over to the table and smiled, setting on of the coffee cups down in front of him. "Sorry for how I was acting in Kentucky. I'm just so used to you telling me everything when it happens." She looked down at her cup of coffee and pulled out her phone. On the screen was a picture of Spencer and her son Henry. They were the most important men in her life. "You are the most important person in my life Spencer, aside from Henry. All I want to do is make sure you are happy."

[SSA Dr. Spencer Reid]

Spencer smiled up at her, giving her one of his usual heart-warming grins. He spoke.

"Signe, can you excuse us, please?" He watched as his new "girlfriend" stood, nodded once, and strode toward Morgan. Spencer glanced up at JJ.

"We should chat. Sit down." He dealt her in to his game, grimacing at his hand.

[jj]

JJ sat down and looked at the cards and smiled. She had gotten a pretty good hand...Again. She tended to do that with him. She looked up at her friend who had just excused Signe away. She knew that JJ knew that they were together. JJ didn't care that they dated, nobody cared really. They were actually happy about it. JJ just wanted Spencer to tell him what was going on. She wanted to know that he trusted her with information like that.

"So what did you wanna talk about?" She looked down at her hand and then back up at him. She was going to listen. Just sit and listen to what ever he wanted to say.

[SSA Dr. Spencer Reid]

Spencer sighed, and spread his cards apart in his hand. Excellent, he thought to himself. He had a royal flush; JJ would need a miracle to beat him. He smiled as she spoke.

"Actually, I do. I guess you have already figured out that I like agent Larsen. I think we're going to be seeing a lot of each other. How soon should we tell Hotch?" He was rambling again, but thankfully, JJ was his closest friend, and he knew that she'd could be real with him despite her personal feelings.

[jj]

JJ smiled when she heard him say that he assumed she already knew about Signe and him. She nodded and smiled a slightly bigger smiled. She looked down at her cards as he continued saying that he was going to be seeing more of her and was wondering when he should tell Hotch about it. She thought about it for a moment. Hotch was an understanding man, but it wasn't Hotch she was worried about. It was Strauss. She was very by the book and liked to get into people's business.

"Well Spence...I wouldn't wait to long before talking to him about it. The longer you keep it from him the more likely he's going to be irritated." She paused and looked back at the group. They hadn't heard anything so far which was good. They were talking in hushed tones so that they wouldn't find out...Mainly Hotch. "The one you need to worry about is Strauss. You know that she'll flip if she finds out...Unless you can get the director's approval." She continued on trying to give him all the options she could. Assuming that you two can work together professionally I am sure that the director would approve it." She looked at Spencer. She hadn't seen him this happy in a long time. "Just tell me one thing...Are you happy Spenc?"

[SSA Dr. Spencer Reid]

Spencer sighed. He knew that Hotch wasn't his biggest hurdle, and Strauss he could handle-he wasn't really on her radar. The biggest hurdle would be discovering if his mother liked Signe as much as he did. He responded to JJ.

"I have a plan to deal with Strauss, actually. Since I am generally in her good graces, I plan to present Kevin Lynch and Garcia as my main "proof" that an agent/agent relationship could work. Besides, *if*she requires one of us to move on, which I doubt, I think I might be OK on the Major Cases team." He continued, playing a half-hand of cards.

"A flush. What've you got? But to answer your question, yes. I am happy. I think I could be happier, but I will be when Signe and I have the all-clear, and we can date in the open." He played the last three cards in his hands.

"Royal flush. You will never, ever beat me at cards. And, just so you know, I am teaching everything I know to Henry." He grinned, a large smile taking over his handsome features.

[jj]

JJ smiled when Reid mentioned using Garcia and Lynch as his main argument with Strauss. She knew that if Reid wanted something he could get it, no problem. She looked down at her cards smiling one last time before looking up at him with a not to thrilled look on her face when he said he wouldn't mind switching departments. "I'm pretty sure that if you did that the whole team would petition Strauss and I don't think Signe would let you do that."

She watched him lay the cards down and talk about how he was really happy, and how the only way he could be happier was if they could date in the open. She knew exactly how that kind of thing felt. She had been through that with Will and it almost ended there relationship. She knew that he loved her and she loved him to but always having to hide it was a stressful thing. He put the rest of the cards down and smiled totally winning the game. Great, he was teaching her son, one more person she could beat at cards anymore. She smiled and laid her hand down. Full house and Spence...When we get home I wanna see you try and beat me at darts again." she said chuckling about the time when he said it was an easy game and she killed him. "Seriously Reid...I think you should talk to Hotch sooner rather than later."

[SSA Dr. Spencer Reid]

Spencer smiled into the table at JJ's words. He knew that Signe wouldn't force his hand to leave, and he wouldn't make her choose, either. Besides, something that JJ said once to Garcia came to him-that all the regulations about intimacy between agents was primarily due to Rossi.

JJ continued, harassing him about darts, and winning the game...how did she do *that*? He grimaced, but nodded.

"I know. I promise I will talk to Hotch. Maybe now, even, most of the others are asleep. Do you think I should do it alone, and then Signe and I go, or one at a time, then together, or what? No more darts, ever. I have no hand-eye coordination." He smiled at her, looking her in the eye before continuing.

"Signe calls me Spock. I called her Strawberry Shortcake because at the hotel, when she would put her head on my chest during the night, it smelled like strawberries. I still can't figure out if it's her damn shampoo or what. But I like it."

[jj]

JJ smiled when he mentioned there nicknames. Spock, it suited Reid. She remembered him always bugging her about going with him to Comicon and how he would always talk about Star Trek, and Star Wars. Strawberry Shortcake, it made her giggle. "I think it's cute that you two have nicknames for one another...That's a good sign."

She settled thinking on the more serious matter...Telling Hotch. She wondered how upset he would be seeing as they were on there way to a case. He would probably be a little more lenient when they were back at the office but you really could never tell with Hotch. She looked at him, looked at Signe who from the looks of it was playing a hand slapping game with Morgan. She looked back at Spencer. "I would tell him about it as soon as possible. Use your best judgment and make sure both of you go talk to him."

[SSA Dr. Spencer Reid]

Spencer nodded.

"Right, of course. I think that Signe understands the need to keep it professional, and I know I do. Maybe we can find some time to talk to him tonight. Sometime when we're not all covered in blood, and the others are away." He sat back, pensive, trying to determine the best time to talk to Hotch. Just asking for time sometimes caused Hotch to blow up. He'd have to tread lightly, and poor Signe wasn't yet used to the "Hotch-a-lanche" of annoyance that was their boss.

He sighed, and looked back up at JJ.

"Is it possible to fall in love with someone you've only known for a short while?"

[jj]

JJ's jaw dropped. She had not been expecting that to come out of Spencer Reid's mouth that was for sure. A big smile played on her lips. She was so happy seeing her best friend finally finding something good in his chaotic hell. They all needed something they could hold on to. Something good when they were surrounded by all this horror.

"I believe in soul mates, I believe in love at first site. I believe in all those things but it's not what I think." She paused and looked at the woman sitting by Morgan. She was smiling. She was happy, she remembered when she was a girl, just a freshmen in college. When they were questioning her in the hospital. She was so broken, now she was happy and filled with joy. "Tell me something Spence...When you look at her what goes through your head?"

[SSA Dr. Spencer Reid]

Spencer wished he could take back those words; even saying them to JJ was scary. He knew he sounded rash, and while he prided himself on being a very rational person, and logical, there was something about Signe that made him feel irrational...but not in a bad way, just like, he wanted to grab her and pull her close and kiss her head in front of everyone kind of reckless.

He sighed, and shrugged before speaking.

"I had a dream-you know, this is the first time I've slept every night during a case, ever-of some random day. We were coming home from a case, but Signe wasn't with us, and I realized that it was because she'd chosen to stay behind and help Garcia. I guess that's what Hotch will have us do, switch off on cases and stuff. Anyway, I came home, and she was there,waiting for me, dressed up, and she just kissed me, and it was like-I don't know, I felt peaceful. Then it flashed forward, all the scenes of a life together-living together, and random shopping trips on a Saturday evening, holidays, all that. Then later, a wedding, and children. I see it all." He sat back again, feeling oddly relieved to be telling all of this to JJ, and so grateful that he could, and knowing that she'd keep it to herself.

[jj]

JJ smiled and looked down. She had never heard Spencer talk like this and she had to admit she kinda liked it. All she cared about was his happiness. She wanted Spencer to be happy, after everything he had been through he deserved it. She looked at him with a smile still on her face. "I think that you might be in love Spence. I think that a feeling like that isn't just some crush. I think that you should go with what your heart tells you."

Signe had been sitting with Derek talking about the case, how she was doing, family and just goofing off. They had played hand tennis and by the time they were done both there hands were super red. Her attention was brought to Spencer and JJ when she heard him talking. Were they discussing love? She tried to listen the best she could, he was talking about when they were separated during a case and she was back at home with Garcia. She had talked to Garcia about it and all she could do was get excited over it. Spencer was saying something about seeing there future again. She smiled and tried to not look like she was listening.

[SSA Dr. Spencer Reid]

Spencer continued, unaware that Signe was listening in. He continued on with JJ.

"Ok, now that it's going totally awkward, can I ask you one more silly thing? If it works out, will you fill in for Mom at our wedding? That's the other thing, I should tell Signe about my mom, and I guess about William, too. We haven't had much of a serious chat about those things. I think we're just in that puppy-love stage." He was rambling on again, and JJ was smiling.

"I also need you to tell me what to say to Hotch. I can just see him firing me over this..."