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A/n the muse has been very busy. This was intended to be a one shot, but my beta has been tempting Adele the muse for more. We'll have to wait and see if she takes the bribe or not. In the meantime the status on this will be in progress.

The Last Word

His head bobbed on his shoulders as the train jerked forward from a stop. He flinched and yelped when a muscle in his neck cramped, at his sudden awareness from the fitful sleep into which he'd fallen on the way home. He looked around to see that he was the only one in this part of the train. Oh well, it didn't matter. He'd have time to read a book in peace before he reached home. Ten minutes later, he put the book aside. He couldn't seem to concentrate on reading. Their last case had left him with many unanswered questions and he didn't like unanswered questions.

The train jerked again and stopped. He looked up when the doors opened in front of him, but no one entered the train. He did hear someone get on from the back but he didn't turn until footsteps stopped and a voice said, "Is this seat taken?"

He whipped around to see Emily standing there in her dark blue coat with her matching blue scarf around her neck and her hands encased in white knit gloves.

"No," he squeaked. "I thought you already went home. He said accusingly, as if she'd been following him.

"I stopped off for some coffee. I wasn't ready to go home quite yet."

He watched her sit and strip off her gloves, as memories of all the times they'd ridden the train together began flashing through his mind.

"What're you reading?" She asked.

"It's nothing." He put the book back in his bag. "I find I can't concentrate."

She raised both her eyebrows. "You can't concentrate."

"You make it sound like something that's never happened before," he complained.

"Not to you," she agreed. "You never have trouble shutting everyone, and everything out."

He looked out the window at the walls of the underground flashing past them. They emerged from the tunnel after a minute and into the thick black of night in DC.

"Then you don't know me as well as you think you do."

Her dark eyes narrowed irritably at him. "Reid, I'm not trying to pick a fight with you."

He sighed loudly and slumped a little in his seat. "I'm sorry… I was thinking about what you said today. It took me by surprise."

She smiled briefly. "Oh, that… I never thought I'd just blurt it out in front of the team, but I thought that since you shared first…" She trailed off and looked out the window, but only saw her reflection in the glass.

"I never meant for any of you to know about that." He said.

"Why?"

"Because you all knew everything that happened to me in the little shack; you watched all of it online as did millions of people before Garcia sent out her virus warning. I wanted something private. Is that too much to ask?"

The train screeched to a halt, but no one got on as it stopped. After a minute, and after the train began to speed along, Emily commented. "I'm sorry. You have every right to want to keep certain things private."

"I'm thankful I have your permission." Reid snapped. "After all, I wouldn't want to cause you another ulcer."

"Stop it!" Emily ordered. "I didn't tell you that to make you feel guilty Reid."

"Then why did you say it Emily. You sit there and lecture me about how I choose to deal with my pain and how I deal with JJ and tell me not to give you another ulcer. You said you mourned all of us." His eyes went flat and cold as a shark. "I heard what you said to Hotch about playing scrabble with Cheetobreath. You broke the most basic rule of witness protection."

"I'm sorry Reid. I know it was stupid. I don't know what to say to you."

"You don't have to say anything." He snarled back. "I'm so sick of having to explain my anger. You betrayed me, end of story."

"Reid I-"

He held up a hand. "Regardless of what happened, I find that I can't stay angry with you Emily, especially after what you said about your near death experience. When you said, they'd almost lost you on the way to the hospital, I realized that I'd almost lost you for real. I couldn't handle that." He was whispering now because they had stopped and a very old man had climbed laboriously onto the train and sat at the back.

"I really am sorry Reid. I know what we did hurt you badly. Please forgive me and I won't make light of your pain again. I'll take whatever punishment you choose to give."

His eyebrows went up again. "You shouldn't agree to anything a genius can conceive of Emily."

She grinned. "I think I can handle you Reid."

He held out a hand. "Why don't we shake on it?"

She shook his hand firmly as though they'd just concluded a business deal. "I really am sorry Reid. I know that what happened between us that night probably didn't make things any easier for you after-"

"It was just a kiss Emily." He interrupted, going a bit pink in the cheeks. "It was bound to happen. It was a bad case, and we were alone at your place. It's no big deal."

She sat back in her seat. "It could have been more than a kiss."

"I don't think so." He said crossing his long legs. "I think you overestimate your appeal. I don't seduce so easily."

She laughed. "I could have had you anytime I wanted."

He looked over his shoulder at the old man who was sleeping, thank God. "It's good to know your ego is as great as I always imagined."

"Very funny Reid," She scowled at him.

He looked at his reflection in the window as the train clashed to a stop. "I guess we'll never know." He said standing up. "I'm afraid this is my stop."

He exited with a grin leaving Emily staring after him. It was nice to get in the last word for a change.