Morgan flew down the hallway to Garcia's den, hoping beyond hope that she'd gone there first instead of the elevators. How...how could he have gotten so wrong?

And how could he have said all of those things to her? In front of her?

But why was she mad?

He remembered her words as he came to a gasping stop outside of her office, skittering to a halt.

When had he ever said he didn't want to be her protector anymore?

He opened the door and Garcia stood in side, tears streaming down her face as she shoved items into a bag.

"Pen, Baby Girl," he said, going inside and closing the door behind him. "I'm sorry."

"Derek, I can't do this right now, okay?" She said. "Maybe you were, did, whatever, think you were being nice but I just can't do this right now."

"Do what?" He asked, walking forward and propping one hip on the edge of one of her tables.

"Talk to you, forgive you, let things go on as they always do," Garcia said. "Maybe tomorrow."

He inhaled a little, the scent of her perfume wafting up his nose. Oh god. Garcia always smelled so damn good. And different every time, since she liked to try different scents of perfume. Today was peaches, he was pretty sure. Peaches and vanilla.

She edged towards the door but he was solidly in the way, blocking her. "No, Baby Girl, we have to talk about this," he begged. "Please." He licked his lips, looking nervously at her. "Let me say this."

"You get one speech," Garcia said, folding her arms. "And I don't promise to stay around to talk after it. So consider your words carefully."

Morgan sighed, inhaled, exhaled, gathered his words. "The reason that I was so angry with Alex..." He began. "It wasn't just protecting you. It was because...I was jealous of her, when I thought that you two were dating. I, uh, thought that when you finally broke up with Lynch that we would be able...that I would finally dare to ask you out. That I would finally dare to risk...this. This whole thing between us. But Alex came along so soon after and you two..." He snapped his fingers. "I thought I'd lost my chance forever. You were...so close to her. But I was trying to be happy. So that's why I...exploded like that. Because I thought she'd broken your heart and I couldn't stand that thought."

Garcia was just looking at him, eyes wide. "You're the person who broke my heart," she finally said. "You. Always you. You're the only one who ever held that much power over it. But you aren't interested. You made that so clear last year when I fought with Kevin. When you stayed over. You didn't even touch me, Derek."

"I didn't want to risk you," he insisted, voice passionate. "Please, Baby Girl. Believe me. I...I don't like to risk things. You know that about me. Gambling is a tough game to play when there are people involved." He looked up at her. "When it's you. I could never dare ask you out because I could never dare to lose you."

She sniffed a little, and then grabbed a hanky on her desk, wiping her tears and blowing her nose loudly. "Why do you have to be so good at this?" She asked him, dabbing at her eyes once more.

"Good at what?" He asked.

"Making me love you," she whispered.

"Oh, baby girl," he soothed, and pulled her into his arms.

When their lips met, it was the culmination of nine long years of friendship. Friendship and nothing else. And now, finally, it was all that and more.

Spencer Reid started up the stairs to the sixth floor, his long legs carrying him quickly up.

It was a new day. Hopefully no cases would come in that necessitated their leaving. He stifled a yawn, reflecting that he was probably already late, but he was so tired. He'd stayed up too late reading a book and then its nine sequels.

A disappointing book, he thought, crinkling his brow and regretting the reading choice.

He yawned again, knowing that, late or not, he should have just stopped for coffee before work in case today's workload started too quickly and he didn't have a chance to get a good dose of caffeine in him before his work hit him.

He finally emerged through the door, regretting taking the stairs, but really, he still didn't trust elevators as long as he was alone.

He saw JJ and Alex lingering by the glass doors, talking in soft voices, and smiled. They were keeping it professional, to be sure. Alex was dressed in one of her old pantsuits and JJ was in a very businesslike dress, both outfits set off by ankle boots.

He turned right and headed down the corridor to Garcia's office, needing to ask her a question, but changed his mind when he saw that the door was open (just a bit) and he could hear Derek's voice inside.

Maybe he'd leave them to their privacy, on second thought. He was so happy. So supremely grateful for the world in which he lived in, the life that he'd finally found for himself. The people whose lives had crossed into his.

He turned and went to the bullpen, settling at his desk and picked up his cell phone, about to text Prentiss how, unexpectedly, happy he was today; and did she want to play an online game of chess or Scrabble later?

Just as he picked it up, it buzzed with an incoming text.

He looked at the words and groaned.

He still hadn't even gotten his coffee yet.

Wheels up in thirty. Straight to the airport.

He glanced up; Hotch wasn't in his office so Hotch must be going straight from his apartment. Odd.

JJ and Alex, still lingering by the doors, were jumping into action, grabbing their things.

"Any idea what's up?" JJ asked Reid, grabbing a file.

"None," Reid said. "I was late. I haven't even had my coffee yet."

"Poor thing," Alex said. "Here, if you take my bags down I'll get you a whole thermos."

"I'll take that trade," Reid said, as JJ took the SUV keys.

He grabbed a hold of Alex's bags and waved to her as she hurried to the BAU kitchen, shouldering them and grabbing his own as he passed his desk again on his way to the door.

He walked through them and Derek was hurrying down the corridor to his office, Garcia rushing after him. "Be careful," he heard her say. "And take lots of pictures. Charleston is supposed to be gorgeous this time of year."

Charleston. So that's where they were going. At least it was somewhere new, somewhere they hadn't been in a while.

He saw Derek kiss Garcia, such a quick motion that he almost missed it, and then they both emerged from his office, speedwalking to the elevator.

"Oh, why do I have to say goodbye to you all again so soon?" Garcia bemoaned, as the doors opened and Reid and Morgan stepped aboard. "This sucks. Stay safe, Reid."

"I'll try," he promised, and saw Derek blow a kiss to Garcia, which she returned in kind.

Alex filled the thermos from the coffee pot, thoroughly emptying it and not caring. "Gina, could you please take care of that? Reid hasn't had his morning coffee yet and he'll need it," she said hurriedly, going back into the bullpen.

"Of course, Blake," Gina said readily. "Good luck out there. And, um..." Her eyes shot to JJ, who was waiting by the doors for Alex. "Congratulations."

Alex smiled in return. "Thank you," she said softly, and started towards the doors; to JJ, who was already reaching a hand out to her.

"Come on, Alex," she said. "It's time to go kick butt."

"Do you think Hotch will let us room together?" Alex asked as they headed for the elevators.

JJ's grip on her bag slipped a bit, while her grip on Alex's hand in her own tightened. "Why do you ask?" She wondered.

"It occurred to me that I've got one item of clothing left," Alex teased, seeing the way JJ was quickly growing flustered. "Though I'm not certain I can really call it that since it doesn't cover much."

The End. Ish. Not really.

A/N: I'm going to write a Sequel(!) to this. So that's why this chapter is shorter. I plan to have the first chapter up in a few days. Or even later today.

I might change it a bit, but so far it's going to carry on from this story, with alternating POVs and lots of Alex (and JJ. And them together). It'll be like this one but with a soft focus on Reid. I just need to figure out one more plot thread and I think I'm good to go.

Ending quote: "It's never too late to be who you might have been." George Eliot.