***Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds (although it would be really cool if I did!)

The day of the burial, the entire BAU showed up to offer their condolences, including former members Penelope Garcia and Derek Morgan. Reid floated around the gravesite in a fog, stuck in some halfway house inside his brain. A part of him still felt tethered to his mom, and where she went, he would always follow. But the other part, the living part, knew he had more left to give to the world, to the team ... to JJ.

She'd hardly left his side the week leading up to Diana's funeral. Reid didn't know how he would've gotten through it without her.

"Hey, kid," Morgan frowned, clapping him on the shoulder. "How ya' holdin' up?"

Reid, speechless, offered a small shrug in response. Morgan gave him a tight-lipped nod in return before wrapping him in a man-hug.

"You'll get through it," he said in a quiet voice. "Have you been seeing someone?"

Reid sputtered. "Wha? No ... why would you—"

"I mean have you been seeing a therapist," Morgan said out of the side of his mouth. Reid felt the urge to chuckle, but didn't want to soil his mother's funeral with such frivolities.

"Oh. Yeah, I have an appointment first thing Monday."

Morgan nodded. "Good. You know you can always call me, right?"

Spencer nodded grimly, wishing in this moment that Morgan hadn't left the team and discovered a new life far away from all of them. They had been so close, once upon a time. Like brothers.

"Thanks for coming," he answered, his voice cracking on the final word.

Morgan's brilliant white smile appeared, somehow giving Reid's spirits a lift. They stood together, watching the throngs of mourners slowly trickle off in different directions.

"That was a great speech you gave, Spencer," Rossi spoke from behind them. His salt-and-pepper hair was covered by a sleek black top hat. "Your mom must've loved it."

"You say that like she was around to hear it," Reid said, to which Rossi cocked an eyebrow.

"Wasn't she?"

Reid grinned. "Thanks."

A glimmer of blond hair caught his eye then, and Reid lifted his chin up to spot JJ looking at him from across the grass. She was deep in a discussion with Garcia, but her eyes kept shifting in his direction, checking up on him.

"My condolences, Spence."

Reid cleared his throat, paralyzed by the trademark Southern drawl that had just echoed in his right ear. He turned to see Will standing behind him in a black tux and sunglasses. Rossi and Morgan took the hint immediately, and became engrossed in a tombstone twenty yards away.

"Uh, thanks, Will," Reid stuttered, his fingers trembling from nerves. "And thanks for coming."

"I wouldn't miss it," Will said, removing his shades to scratch the side of his nose. "You're like family to us. Always have been."

Reid nodded, unsure how to respond to this surprising display of sentiment. Was Will buttering him up just to blindside him with an uppercut to the jaw at the scene of his mother's burial?

"Look, Spence," Will carried on, "I don't want there to be any hard feelings. What happened between me and JJ ... well, let's just say it was a long time coming. I always had a hunch she was soft on you. She denies it, but I think that's why she refused to marry me for so long. And, to be honest, not feeling like the third wheel in my own marriage anymore has been a relief."

Reid hung his head. "I never meant for you to feel that way. I had no clue she even felt anything at all for me until that day at the hospital."

Will sighed. "Yeah, that was a rough one. But I'm not here to talk about the past. If you and JJ are serious, then we're gonna be in each other's lives no matter what. I'd like to think we can be gentlemen about it."

"Agreed," Reid said, his suit itching. He'd been sweating ever since hearing the man's voice, and it was starting to catch up to him.

"Good. The boys are rather fond of you, so at least there's that."

Reid smiled. "Are they here?"

"Nah. JJ's mom is watching them."

A beat passed, neither sure what to say. Will pulled at the tie around his neck, grimacing.

"I don't know how to say this to you, Spence, so I'm just gonna be blunt. Take care of our girl, alright?"

Reid blanched. "O-of course. Always," he spat out, flabbergasted.

Will nodded, his expression distant. "My apologies again for your mama," he said, bowing his head, and then placed both hands in his pockets and turned away, leaving Reid standing there, speechless.

~

JJ and Reid slipped through the door of Reid's apartment. The quiet of the empty space seemed daunting after the number of hugs Reid had received, hands he had shaken, and condolences he had nodded his way through. But now it was just the two of them, JJ insistent on staying by his side during the painful hours after his mother's body was lowered into the ground.

Reid crossed to the living room, not bothering to remove his jacket, and sat down on the couch. JJ prepped his favorite tea, accidentally spilling some on her black dress as she carried it to his place by the armrest.

"Ah!" She inhaled, cringing as the hot water glanced off her bare wrist.

Reid jumped to grab the full cup from her. "Are you alright?"

JJ sucked on the wound, willing it to stop throbbing. "Yeah. Fine," she said, accepting a handful of napkins from Spence. She began dabbing at the spot on her dress. "Good thing it's just water!"

Reid nodded, then cleared his throat. "If you need something dry to wear, I can find you something. We're pretty similar in size, when you think about it."

A smile crossed JJ's face. The thought of being robed in Reid's clothes made her blush, even though all he probably owned were sweater vests and cardigans—not exactly her style. "Thanks, but I'm alright."

They went back to sitting in quiet contemplation.

A few minutes passed. JJ kept dabbing at her dress, while Spencer sat hunched over with his elbows on his knees, his eyes vacant.

"Spence?"

"Mhm?"

JJ grimaced, unsure how to express what she was feeling in words. "Would you prefer to be alone right now? I mean, is my being here making things worse?"

The color drained from Reid's face as he turned to face here. "No! Not at all. Actually ... you're pretty much the only thing that's kept me from sinking into despair this past week."

As her best friend sniffled, JJ laid an arm across his back. Reid sank into her embrace, and she cradled his head, massaging his wild hair with her fingertips.

"I should probably tell you," he said haltingly, "Will came up to me at the cemetery."

JJ's hand paused on its way across his scalp. "He did? I didn't even know he was there. What ... what did he say?"

"He came to say he was sorry for my loss. And to ask me to take care of you. It was kind of awkward, honestly."

As Reid chuckled, JJ looked up at the ceiling, embarrassed. "I am so sorry, Spence."

"No, it was fine. He said he wanted us to be on good terms, for the boys' sakes."

Shock stirred in JJ's gut. Will had always been the gentlemanly type, but this wasn't just taking the high road—this was flying over all the roads while supporting your arch nemesis to help them avoid rush hour traffic.

"Wow," she replied, all other words escaping her. "I'm ... glad."

Reid sat up suddenly, sending JJ's hand dropping to her lap. "Jennifer ... I ... I want you to know, I never meant for this to happen. Your marriage to Will, the boys ... No matter how badly—"

"I know, Spence."

"No, listen," Reid sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Last year, I told my mom I was going to give up on you. After you told me you loved me, it seemed like the honorable thing to do. And you loved me, so that was enough! But no matter how hard I tried to move on, with Max or anyone else, I couldn't stop wishing for a future with you. It was my mom's last request of me, and I couldn't do it."

JJ bit her lip. "Spence—"

"And now that she's gone, I know that she was right. Because breaking up your family, it feels wrong! And you're in pain, which is the last thing I ever wanted to happen."

A tear escaped JJ's eye and trickled down her cheek. Reid reached up a thumb to wipe it away, and then stopped himself.

"I just can't help but feel like I'm failing everyone I love. My mom. The boys. You. Even after you told me how you felt, I never said it because I knew if I did, that would be it. I could never take it back. And what was the point, when it wasn't going to change anything? But you deserve to hear it, too. I love you, Jennifer Jareau. I've loved you for sixteen years, and I don't think I have it in me to stop."

JJ smiled through a glossy film of tears. She tried to preserve her mascara by flicking them from her eyelids, but there were too many to catch.

Reid swiped a hand across his face. "Things would've been so much easier if I'd just kissed you at that damn Redskins game."

JJ snorted, and they both chuckled. "I guess they would have, huh? God, can you imagine Garcia's reaction?"

As they shared a somber laugh, JJ slid her hand across the couch cushion to place it on top of Reid's. She took a deep breath.

"None of this is your fault, Spence," she said, shaking her head. "It's just sucky timing."

At that moment, JJ's cell phone buzzed, and they both groaned. She glanced at the screen, sighing in relief that it wasn't Emily calling about a new case.

"Speak of the devil," she grinned, flashing her phone at Reid. "Should I answer it?"

Reid grinned. "She's probably calling to check up on me."

"Is that a yes or a no, Spence?"

Reid took a beat, then nodded his head. Because if anyone could cheer them up at a time like this, it was Penelope Garcia.

"Sure," he said, inching closer to JJ. "Put it on speakerphone."

***Author Note: Thank you so much for all the votes and comments—they mean the world to me! If you enjoy this fanfiction, please check out my self-published book series on Amazon (see link in my profile). For some Jeid videos I've created, check out my YouTube channel (also linked in my profile). Thanks again for all the support!