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To Soothe the Savage Beast

Reid almost didn't hear the door. In fact, from the sound of the knocking, the person trying to get his attention had been at it for a while. He left his seat in front of his new keyboard and hurried to the door before one of his neighbors called the police.

"Emily?"

He couldn't believe she was at his door. He opened it wide and let her in.

"I'm sorry if I bothered you. I know it's late."

She didn't look sorry, but he knew it was polite to say. "No… I was up. I couldn't sleep."

He kicked away empty box that had housed his keyboard, which he'd carelessly discarded in his haste to set it up.

"Um… Sorry about the mess. I… uh, I was just playing my new keyboard."

"It's okay Reid. Look, it was probably a bad idea for me to come here so -"

"Don't go." He squeaked out. "I mean, I can tell something's bothering you."

"You can," she said irritably. "Been profiling me Reid?"

He just studied her with the same look in his eyes he got whenever someone he trusted said or did something he didn't understand.

He went to the battered brown corduroy couch and sat down. He didn't speak and he didn't offer her a seat. "I'm not profiling you Emily. I know you lost a friend recently. It's okay to be upset." He finally said after several minutes passed.

"I - I was wrong to come here. I don't know what I was thinking. I should leave now." She started for the door.

He moved very fast, blocking her way back to his front door. He reached out and touched her arm. "I lied," he said. "I was profiling you. I can see by your body language and your face that something is very wrong Emily. You've been upset for a couple of weeks. I know Morgan noticed it too."

Her eyes went cold and furious. "I told him and I will tell you." She said through clenched teeth. "If you're my friend, you won't go there."

"Please let us help you."

"I won't let your pleading puppy dog eyes change my mind. I have to deal with this on my own."

"Alright, I won't ask again. I hope you know we're all her for you." He said softly.

Her shoulders slumped. Something flickered in her eyes that made him think she wanted to talk to him. Something was holding her back and it was important. He pointed to the couch, making the decision to just let it go for now. They all had their secrets. He'd respect that until he had reason not to. "Do you want to sit down?"

"Sure…"

She unbuttoned her coat and pulled off her gloves. "So what did I interrupt here?"

"I decided to buy this keyboard. It's exactly the same as the one Sammy played at the music store."

"You play the piano." She probed looking surprised which pleased him.

"No, not until today, it's actually all about math and therefore very easy." He stated.

She laughed. "Really… Why don't you play something for me?"

"Um, sure, I'm not that good yet." He said feeling the blood tingle in his fingertips.

"You're good at everything Reid." She said.

"Not everything," he wanted to say he wasn't good with women because he hadn't succeeded in getting her to go out with him yet. He decided that now wasn't the time for that.

"Do you take requests?" Emily asked into the awkward silence.

"Oh, um well I only know the songs from the sheet music over there. I bought it when I bought the keyboard."

She looked over to see a stack of sheet music at least six inches high. "You know all of that. We all separated exactly three hours ago."

"Well, eidetic memory and everything."

"But -" She stopped protesting and just stared at him in a way that made his face get hot. She must think him a freak or incredibly overconfident.

"Why don't you play one you've practiced?" She suggested.

He turned to the keyboard and began to play Nocturne Number 2 in E flat minor. It was his favorite so far and it seemed to fit the mood. He liked pieces written in minor chord better than major. He closed his eyes and let his fingers dance over the keys as the melody washed over him. He could see why Sammy liked playing the piano. There was something so soothing about it. He actually forgot that Emily was still in the room with him until he finished and in the silence he heard her shift on the couch.

When he turned to look at her she was staring through him like she saw something else instead of his messy room with books on every surface and his desk with his computer that he used only for school work and the articles he wrote for various magazines. Her eyes were shiny as if full of tears, which was odd because he'd never seen her get close to shedding a tear. Should he say something?

Then, as if a switch was thrown in her brain, she snapped out of her thoughts and glanced up at his face. "That was beautiful. You amaze me Spencer Reid."

"It's one of my favorites. It was easy to reproduce the melody." He said with a shrug.

"I should go." Emily said getting up. "It's getting late and we have to work tomorrow."

Say something to make her stay. His brain shouted at him.

"Um, I could make you some coffee…"

"No," she almost shouted. "I'm sorry Reid. I really have to get back to my place. I shouldn't have come here."

"It's okay Emily."

He hoped he didn't sound too desperate.

"Thank you for the music. I'll always remember this moment." She got up and walked over to where he sat.

He could smell coffee and the faint scent of musk as she got closer to him.

"Um, you're welcome." He cursed internally at the squeak in his voice.

She leaned down and briefly touched her lips to his, letting her hand rest in his hair for a minute that seemed to go on forever.

"See you tomorrow Reid." Just like that she was gone as if he imagined the whole thing.

He turned around and began to play "Claire de la Lune."

One tear rolled down his cheek and fell onto middle C, where it trembled and then rolled off into the space between keys as the song reached its mournful end.