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A/n ok, this truly is the last chapter. Thank you all for you're great support. If the muse decides it then I will be writing more for this pair. I only hope TPTB don't kill her off. Reid deserves happiness. Again thank you all for your reviews and everyone that favorited and follows the story.

JJ brushed back her hair with one hand when the doorbell rang. She pasted a bright smile on her face and swung open the door.

"Hey, Spence," she greeted her friend on the doorstep. "Come on in."

"Hi, JJ," he held out a coffee cup from Starbucks to her.

She took it and breathed in the scent of her favorite coffee creation. "Oh, you didn't have to get this," she gestured with the cup as he entered the house.

He just looked at her over the rim of his own coffee cup.

"Oh right, of course you'd stop off for your beloved drink of choice."

He smiled at her and the knots in her stomach that hot coffee could not help, tightened painfully.

"Come sit down," she said a bit shakily.

"Thanks. Where's Henry?"

She watched him look around eagerly for his godson.

"Sorry, he and Will went to the park with a couple of the guys from the DC Metro force and their kids. There's a small toboggan hill and since we have all this new snow…"

"Oh, right," he said as his face fell. "So, um, what did you want to see me about?"

"Can't I just ask my friend over for a post New Year visit?"

"Is that all this is?"

He wasn't smiling and his eyes were following her every move. She fidgeted with her coffee and looked at the photograph of Henry and Will on the mantle instead of her friend.

"I called you because I didn't want to have this conversation over the phone."

He put his coffee on the table and sat back into the cushions of the couch. He crossed his legs and his arms and pinned her with his eyes. "What's going on JJ? I can see that I'm not going to like it."

"Can't you turn off the profiler for one minute," she snapped.

"Not when your body language is screaming at me. You have something to tell me that you think I'm going to hate. I can hear it in your voice and see it in your eyes."

"It's not that bad."

He shifted away from her into the corner of the el shaped couch. "I'm not playing this game with you, JJ. Tell me what you summoned me here for, or I'm leaving."

He started to get up and she threw out a hand to him. "I didn't summon you here."

"So you'd rather pick a fight with me than tell me what's going on."

"I'm not trying to pick a fight you. I'm sorry. Please sit down. I just wanted to talk to you about Henry."

"Henry? What happened? Is something wrong?"

"No," she soothed. "I'm sorry if I alarmed you. I'm just concerned about a story you told him on Christmas Eve."

"I don't understand. It was just a little story..." He looked everywhere but at her face. "Some genius I am. I only wanted to tell him a scary story and -"

"You wanted to tell him a scary story. Spence, he's four years old. You tell him about some girl you like and a bad man. You could have given him nightmares. You know how he reacted to Halloween this year. What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that he got over his fears about monsters. Anyway," he interrupted when she tried to speak. "You're not mad about that. You're playing the mommy card with me because you want to know about Ma - I mean, the girl in the story. She's just a figment of my imagination. I made the whole thing up for Henry."

"You made up a story about kissing a girl?"

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Of course I did, it's not like I have anyone to kiss. You know that very well."

"So you made the whole thing up just to please a child."

He looked down at his shoes. "It was Christmas and I wanted to make him happy. It's all I ever want for him. If it means telling a tall tale that I wish were true, then so be it."

"You wish that you knew a girl with a bad man after her? I think you're lying to me right now."

"Look, if Henry isn't here and all you can do is make baseless accusations, then I'm leaving."

"I don't think they're baseless, Spence. Remember, I can read faces and body language, too. You're lying to me. Who is she?"

"I think you're paranoid."

"Spence, I thought long and hard about confronting you over this. I know I haven't won back your trust after what happened with Emily."

"What happened with Emily? Don't you mean when you lied to me about one of my closest friends. You told us she was dead. It's not like you told me that you like my sweater vest when you hate it."

"Spence, come on it's not the same thing at all. You know that I care -"

"Don't say it, JJ. You claim that you want to win back my trust, but here we are."

He waved his hands around the room as she stared at him. He got to his feet and picked up his coffee cup. "Why don't I just pretend that we didn't have this conversation? I love Henry, so I don't want to damage our relationship anymore than it is."

"I'm sorry, Spence. I just wanted you to know that I want to help you. You deserve happiness."

She hurried to his side and ruffled his hair a bit. "I care about you. Please just believe that, and that I'm sorry for everything that's happened in the last two years."

"I believe you."

His shoulders slumped and he thought very fast while JJ watched him with eyes that saw so much more then he wanted them to see.

"Look, JJ I -"

She pushed a finger over his mouth. "You don't have to say anything."

"But I thought -"

She smiled when he went very pink in the cheeks. "Why don't we pretend this conversation never happened? Sit down and I'll make us some lunch. It's cold out there and I've got leftover stew from last night."

Reid's eyes lit up. "Is it beef and lentils?"

She laughed. "Yes, it's your favorite."

"You didn't happen to make it last night, knowing that I'd come over today?"

She winked at him. "If you're implying that I'm trying to bribe you. You're right."

He planted his feet right under the entryway to the breakfast nook where he saw she'd set up for lunch. "Perhaps I will leave."

"No, you won't go, Spence. You'll stay because it smells so good in here."

"What about Will and Henry?"

"Apparently, they're going for pizza after they finish tearing up the snow."

He laughed again. "Well I guess I can't let you eat alone."

"Your chivalry is overwhelming."

He followed her to the table and she took the lid off the slow cooker that sat on a potholder. "Now isn't that smell worth a little interference in your life."

He couldn't help but grin at her, despite wanting to roll his eyes. "I guess it is. Thanks."

"You're welcome. Now, why don't we talk about something other than your story telling skills?"

"What do you want to talk about?"

She stopped in the act of spooning out stew into the red earthenware bowl in front of him. "I don't know. Why don't we play it by ear?"

CMCMCMCM

"So, our secret is safe."

"It's going to be okay, Maeve. I didn't admit anything and she didn't come right out and say, "I know you're dating some girl with a bad guy after her."

He walked to his keyboard and sat down. He cradled his cell phone to his ear with his shoulder and began to play.

"I love it when you play. I wish I could be there to see it," she said and her voice sounded full of tears.

"Then I think you better come over here as soon as possible."

"Spencer…"

"I mean it. I don't care who's watching or listening. I want to see you again. I'm not going to let a stalker get in the way. I miss you."

"I miss you too. I just don't know if I can -"

"You can and you will. Please, Maeve. I need to see you."

"Alright, I'll get a cab."

CMCMCMCMCM

The room was dark, except for the low light of one lamp on his end table. He sat on the couch with his arm around Maeve. She was reading to him from one of his library books and it was snowing outside.

"I'm glad you talked me into this."

He looked down to see tears sliding down over her cheeks. Her eyes pinned to his face and she shivered.

"Don't cry."

"I can't help it. I missed you so much."

"What else is bothering you?"

She wiped her checks and looked down at the floor. "I was thinking that, I wished we'd never met because I want to be with you all the time. It hurts when we're not together. Then I get mad at myself for thinking that because I love you and I couldn't bear it if I'd never spent any time with you off the phone."

He pushed her head up so he could see her beautiful eyes. "Don't you think I've felt the same things in the last few days? I realized something. I'd never trade one minute with you for all the gold in the world. It's worth all the pain."

She smiled up at him. "I'm sorry. I guess I just don't know what to do anymore. I think he's gone for good, and yet sometimes I think he's still out there watching me."

Reid hugged her tight. "It doesn't matter anymore if he is. I'm going to protect you. We'll face it together and soon it'll be like nothing ever happened and we'll be happy."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm surer of you than I am about anything else in my life. I just hope you can forgive me."

She stared at him. "What are you talking about?"

"About telling Henry our story and not recognizing that he might tell his mother. I should have known better."

"It's okay. I said on the phone that if you trust her, then so do I."

"I didn't trust her for a long time, but I'm beginning to feel like it's possible again."

"Then anything is possible, just like you said."

"Yes, all things are possible," he agreed and kissed her, "This is just the beginning."