Disclaimer: I am not the creator or owner of Criminal Minds and/or the characters therein. I have no legal rights or financial interest in any of it.
New York, New York
"I'm home babe!" Derek Morgan calls as he opens the front door to their townhouse.
"What did he say?" replies an anxious Spencer Reid.
"Hey, can't I at least get a kiss first?" says Derek, wrapping his arms around Spencer's waist. Spencer gives him a quick peck, and Derek shakes his head. "Uh-uh. Not good enough." This time, his partner's hands are on either side of his face and he gets a long lingering kiss. Derek smiles as they break apart.
"You can stop worrying because no one has found out about us, no one's losing his job. But we do need to talk about what the Director did want," he explains guiding Spencer into their living room. "You know how the New York office has been interested in me for quite some time?"
"Of course."
"Well, in the past all the job opportunities have been offers, which I've rejected, but, well, my transfer is no longer open for discussion. The order is coming straight from the Director himself. I have three weeks to wrap things up in Quantico and move to New York. If I refuse, I can kiss any employment with the federal government goodbye."
Reid sighed. "Well, I guess we're moving to New York then."
"Spence, I can't ask you to do that. I mean, I want you there, I can't imagine going one day without you, but I can't ask you to give up your own career."
"Derek, being with you is more important to me than any job. Do I love what we do here? Yes. But a part of that is the fact that I get to do it with you. There are a lot of other things I can do. I am a genius after all," concluded Spencer with a smirk.
"Oh yeah, like what?" Derek teased.
"Oh, I don't know, I could write a book. I could lecture at NYU. I know we haven't talked about it much, but if or when we decide to have a child it would be nice to be able to be there instead of leaving him or her with a nanny." Derek kissed him long and hard.
"You really want to have kids with me?"
"Of course I do, you know that. And I'd like us to have them before you're old enough to be their grandpa," joked Spencer, Derek's junior by eight years.
"Oh-ho-ho. Someone's a comedian tonight!" Derek quickly pinned Spencer under him tickling until he was laughing so hard he began to cry.
"So is it the same position they've been offering?" Spencer asked after he caught his breath.
"No. It's actually higher up the food chain. They're turning me into a 9 to 5 bureaucrat." They were holding hands and Spencer brought Derek's hand to his lips and kissed it.
"It'll be sad to leave the team, they are like extended family, but this move sounds like it could be really good for us. What do you think?"
"Now that we've talked about, and you're on board, it is sounding better. Although a part of me wonders what the Director would have said if I told him that if he moved me the FBI was going to lose Dr. Spencer Reid."
"You mean other than that we were both fired for breach of the fraternization policies?"
"Well, yeah." They laughed together.
"I'll turn in my formal resignation as soon as we tell Hotch."
"I told him before I left about my mandatory transfer. I told him that I would tell the team as a group tomorrow morning in our briefing. Want to just tell them everything at once?"
"That's probably best. Three weeks isn't that much time when you think about it, and it's really only fair that they know they are losing two agents as soon as possible." Derek nodded in agreement. "Does this mean we can finally wear our rings on our left hands when we're at work?"
Derek chuckled. "Yeah babe, I think we can." They had commitment rings, but for obvious reasons, wore them on their right hands.
"Want to go have celebratory sex?"
"Hell yes!"
"Good morning everyone. Before we get started today, there are some housekeeping items. Morgan?"
Derek cleared his throat and stood. "I believe you all know that the New York office has been expressing its interest in me for quite some time. I had a meeting with the Director himself yesterday afternoon and I'm being transferred to the New York office, end of discussion. It's no longer optional; it's go to New York or lose my job." The room was silent.
"How long before you have to go?" squeaked Penelope.
"I have to be settled in New York and at work in three weeks." The faces around the room showed surprise, except for Hotch and Reid. "Um, that's not all guys." Spencer stood.
"I'm going to New York too."
"New York's taking both of you away?" asked Penelope on the verge of tears. Spencer noted that JJ's eyes were misty. He reached over and took Derek's hand.
"No. I'm leaving the Bureau. I'm going to New York to be with Derek."
Emily smiled. "I can't believe we didn't know. I wondered maybe, after watching you two after JJ left, if the feelings were there, but I didn't think . . . now that I'm paying attention I see those rings on your left hands; please tell me you don't wear those every day or I'm going to need remedial profiler school."
Morgan chuckled. "We do, but normally on our right hands." Still holding hands, he and Reid took their seats at the table.
"Considering they match, that doesn't make me feel any better." The profilers laughed.
"So Spence, how long have you been holding out on me?" Derek clapped a hand over Spencer's mouth.
"Babe, she doesn't need it down to the nanosecond, which I'm sure you could tell her," Derek said before removing his hand. "Almost two years JJ."
"I cannot believe you two managed to hide this from us for two years!"
Morgan chuckled. "Well, the last two years were pretty hectic Rossi. Besides, you're not the only expert in human behavior in the room; we know how to keep something under wraps."
"Still. I feel like I should retire or something for being so obtuse."
"We didn't want anyone to know," Spencer explained. "We wanted everyone to have plausible deniability in case we were ever found out. We were willing to put our careers on the line for the sake of being together, but we didn't want that for any of you, and we didn't want to ask that of you."
"You don't look too surprised Aaron," commented Rossi.
"I didn't realize that they were this serious, but I had my suspicions. Reid, I'm assuming you'll be submitting a formal resignation," stated Hotch.
"You'll have it on your desk before lunch today."
"So what are you planning to do in New York Spence?"
"I'm not sure yet. I was thinking about writing a book or getting in touch with NYU to do some teaching. I'm sure the New York Public Library could keep me occupied for a few days. I'll have options; we're not worried."
"Kid, before you guys leave, remind me to get you the name of my publisher. It's based in New York."
"Thanks Rossi."
"Is there anything else?" asked Emily. "Do you guys have 2.5 kids that we don't know about or something?" Everyone but Garcia laughed.
"No, no kids yet," replied Morgan.
"Yet?" continued Emily.
"C'mon Princess, there are lots of kids that need homes in this country, and there are lots of 'alternative' ways to have a baby nowadays."
"So you're going to leave Reid at home with kids while you're in the field?" giggled Prentiss as Hotch and Rossi smirked at the idea.
"First, stop insulting Spencer. Second, I'm not going to be in the field when I get to New York; I'm going to be a desk jockey. We're going to actually have a relatively normal life." Everyone in the room except one smiled at the thought of a normal life, and at their two friends getting to have one together.
"I'm sorry to break this up, but we've been here a couple hours already and with Morgan and Reid leaving we really can't afford to get behind." Everyone mumbled in agreement. Hotch exited the room. Rossi stood and congratulated Morgan on the promotion. Prentiss and JJ walked over to the men exchanging hugs with both.
"This is the happiest I've ever seen him Morgan," JJ whispered as she hugged him, trying not to cry.
"Hey Princess," Morgan called to her as she was walking out the door, "maybe if you're lucky they'll bring Mick Rawson over to this team to replace one of us." Emily rolled her eyes.
"Do we have to replace your huge ego with another?" she grinned. Derek chuckled as she turned and walked away.
"Garcia, are you okay?" Reid noticed she was still in her chair, back turned to them. She stood and they saw her tear-stained face.
"No, I am not okay."
"Baby girl-"
"Stop! Do not baby girl me! You both lied to me and betrayed me and I don't want to talk to either one of you." She stormed out. Morgan moved as if to follow her, but Spencer grabbed his arm.
"Der, let her go. Give her some space; maybe ask JJ to go check on her." He reluctantly nodded in agreement.
Morgan wrapped his arms around Reid's waist. "I'm still really excited for us."
"Me too," replied Spencer as he wrapped his arms around Derek's neck and pulled him in for a kiss.