Office Pets –

Written in response to Challenge 3 on Chit Chat Authors Forum, pairing is JJ/Reid prompts are;

A cockroach

JJ's office

A purple scarf

Reid looked around him, breathing a sigh of relief as Hotch finally left for the day, he could now go and see her without arousing too much suspicion. Reid turned around and stood up, making his way out of the bullpen and towards JJ's office, he knew that she was planning to work late seeing as Will and Henry were away in New Orleans and the light gleaming out through the half closed blinds proved that his deduction was correct. Shifting uncomfortable as he knocked on the door he had no idea of how this conversation was going to pan out.

"Come in."

Reid slowly opened the door, ensuring that he shut it behind him, he didn't want anyone else to hear this conversation.

"Hello Spence, what are you doing still here?"

"I urr...JJ what was that?"

Reid took several steps back towards the door as he saw something crawl along JJ's desk.

"Oh that?"

JJ reached around to the back of her chair and picked up the purple scarf that was resting on it and used it to swipe at the cockroach that had decided to sit on top of the files that were resting on JJ's desk.

"Yes that! That thing!"

"That Spence was a cockroach, only a cockroach, calm down and tell me what you wanted to talk to me about."

JJ smiled at Reid as she placed the scarf back onto her chair, slowly he stepped back towards the desk and checked the floor before he sat down opposite JJ. His eyes scanned the room and the organised chaos around, his lifted his long scrawny legs up and clutched his knees towards his chest.

"Are you...Doctor Reid...scared of a little cockroach?"

JJ laughed as Reid nodded and rested his head on his knees. JJ got up and reached down to the floor and put a cardboard storage box on her desk.

"Come on Spence, have a look."

JJ picked the lid off of the box and gestured to Reid to get up and look in.

"They're not that bad really...hey Strauss stop climbing all over the unsub!"

Reid screwed his face up as he finally plucked up the courage to stand up and look in the box and see what JJ was talking too.

"You have cockroaches in there! You named them?"

"Of course, every pet has to have a name and I thought the names were particularly apt."

Reid just stood there, his mouth slightly open as he tried to make sense of the weird situation playing out in front of him, only made worse as JJ suddenly darted underneath her desk.

"Yes got you!"

JJ came back up a look of triumph on her face as she gently placed another cockroach into the box.

"The news ones are always funny to watch, they always try and escape and climb so far up only to fall back down again."

Reid remains speechless as JJ sat back down again, remembering at the last minute to place the lid back onto the box.

"So come on then Spence what is the matter?"

Reid gingerly put his feet on the floor and remains silent.

"I mean apart from the roaches!"

"I urh, umm..."

JJ put her hands on the sides of the box and carefully put it onto the floor waiting until she was back facing Reid until she spoke.

"Come on Spence, everyone else has gone home, it's a Friday night, you haven't got any paperwork to finish up, spill."

"It's ok JJ, another time."

Reid stood up and started to head for the door, JJ grabbed the scarf from the back of her chair and picked up her bag before linking arms with Reid, stopping briefly to turn off her office light and lock the door behind them.

"Remind me on Monday to phone and sort those roaches out, if we get called out on a case by the time we return I might not have an office!"

JJ felt Reid tense slightly as she mentioned the cockroaches she let out a loud laugh as they waited for the elevator.

"Well I don't know about you Spence but I need a drink, plus you'll need at least one before you venture out on that blind date Morgan has arranged for you!"

"How did...?"

Reid turned around and once again looked at JJ with a look of bewilderment on his face. JJ laughed as she pulled Reid into the elevator waiting until the doors shut before she answered him.

"Oh Spence haven't you learnt by now that I know everything!"

Fin