A/N: New chapter! I am so glad that you guys liked Cait. And Reid, of course, but I'm pretty sure you all liked him before reading this ;) Hope you enjoy the new chapter!

Making Plans

Cait noticed when he was gone. Not that she was looking or anything. She just noticed that his table was empty some mornings. Others it was occupied by people she didn't recognize. She found it sort of funny that she thought of the table as his. He owned this tangible object and when anyone else sat there it seemed inexplicably wrong. They were not Spencer Reid.

Spencer Reid.

She liked that she knew his name now. It gave her constant inner chatter regarding him more purpose. No longer was he just the boy with the vest and tie. The boy with the book. He had a name and she felt almost privileged to know it. The few days of absence stretched longer. Seven days. Eight.

Not that she was counting.

The Illinois case took longer than expected. The unsub managed to evade the team for several days, leaving a false trail of credit card charges that led them miles from his actual location. They got him in the end, though. They always did.

They returned to Quantico and bid their time before the next case. Reid scheduled an interview with a prisoner at a nearby prison. The guy was behind bars for murdering three women for no reason. He claimed that the women had done nothing to provoke him, to trigger the homicidal tick. They were just there and there was no rhyme or reason. Reid knew this was wrong. There was always a reason.

Morgan was coming along for the interview and they stopped at the coffee shop on their way. Reid had been up late the night before reading up on the prisoner, and he had the harried look of an overworked student to prove it. Morgan simply liked a good cappuccino.

There was no line and they put in their orders quickly and efficiently. They had things to do, after all. They moved over to wait for their drinks and Reid felt his stomach twist like a rag being rid of water when he recognized the lone woman standing at the counter. She was clearly waiting for her drink, tapping some indiscernible tune on the granite counter. He could tell when she felt his gaze, her shoulders tensing as she looked back tentatively. He noticed that her shoulders relaxed when she saw him.

"Spencer," she said with a shy grin. Beside him, Morgan smirked at someone using Reid's first name. It was done so rarely at the office-only JJ, really.

"Hello Cait," he said with a perfunctory nod. Her eyes slid over to Morgan and he quickly said, "This is my coworker Derek Morgan."

"Well hello there," Derek said smoothly, reaching forward and grasping her hand. He oozed charm as he remarked, "Wonderful to meet you. So, how do you and," he paused for a second and grinned toward Reid, "Spencer, know each other?"

"I spilled my drink on him," she said simply.

Derek chuckled, nodding his head at the memory of Reid rushing into the bathroom, clutching a pair of pants. "So, that was you, huh?"

"Yep."

"You had my boy all worked up."

She blushed at the obvious innuendo sputtered, "Well…I…um…"

She was obviously flustered and Derek took pity on her as he asked, "So, you come here often?"

She visibly relaxed at the change in topic and nodded, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "Yeah, every morning. I own the bookstore across the street with a friend of mine. I come here to do some work before the afternoon rush comes in. And…I just told you my life story."

"Not even close," Reid interjected. "You mentioned nothing about your childhood."

She pressed her lips into a small grin. "So, Spencer, I haven't seen you here in a while. Not that I've been looking or anything. Because I haven't." She paused. "Not a lot." Morgan smirked.

"I was away for work," Reid explained. "

"Oh, where do you work?"

"We work for the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI." Cait's eyes went wide and her mouth dropped open. Reid was accustomed to reactions like this, but seeing it on her made him acutely uncomfortable.

"We catch the bad guys," Morgan filled in, feeling that his man Reid needed a little help. Cait nodded, her eyes returning to their normal size.

"Well, this is unexpected," she said. "I'm talking to two bonafide FBI agents." She paled for a moment and said, "Oh God, you're not here to arrest me or something are you? Like this has all been some elaborate ruse to get me alone and then send me to the slammer?"

Morgan smirked. "You do anything to warrant us sending you to the slammer?"

She paused for a moment. "Not that I can think of."

"Then I think you're safe."

She blushed as he laughed lightly at her expense. "Right, that was silly of me. I'm sorry. I tend to overreact."

"No problem."

The barista placed Cait's drink on the counter and she grabbed it, wincing a bit when she brushed the portion of the cup without the paper slip. "Hot," she breathed out. "Well, it's been great meeting you Derek."

"Yes, it's been a pleasure not arresting you."

She grinned softly. "And Spencer, wonderful seeing you."

She walked away and slipped through the doorway, crossing the street to a small bookstore. Morgan shook his head as she walked away and said, "Well, Reid, I didn't think it was possible but I have been proven wrong."

Reid had also been watching her retreat and looked at Morgan oddly. "Hm?"

"There actually is someone more awkward than you."

"She's not that bad," Reid answered immediately, feeling an instinctive protectiveness creep up. Awkward people must unite.

"No, it's a good thing," Morgan said. "That means this won't be too hard."

"I'm not following," Reid said, eyes narrowed in confusion. "What won't be too hard?"

"Getting you a lady."

"I can get myself a lady." Derek gave him a look. "I can try, at least."

"She's pretty."

"Yeah," Reid said carefully, knowing fully where his friend was going with this. The direction made him uncomfortable.

"You could do a lot worse."

"She doesn't think of me that way."

"She couldn't stop looking at you. Even with me next to you, and that's saying something, man."

"Maybe she doesn't go for the tight gym-type."

Morgan smirked. "Every girl goes for the tight gym-type. But she prefers you. Interesting, very interesting."

Their drinks came up and Morgan grabbed them both, holding Reid's out of reach as he said, "Okay man, you gotta promise me you'll pursue that."

"Give me my coffee!" Reid complained. They had a long interview ahead and he needed his caffeine.

"Tell me you'll follow through with her."

"What do you expect me to do?" he huffed. "Just go and ask her out?"

"Not a bad idea."

"Morgan, I really need my coffee." Morgan hesitated for a moment but then handed it over to him, laughing lightly. Reid took it greedily, shooting him a look.

"You shouldn't let her slip away," Morgan advised him.

"Yes, yes I know," Reid said hurriedly. "Can we please go to the interview?"

"You'd rather talk with a serial killer than discuss your love life?"

"Yes," Reid said immediately. Serial killers he understood. The feeling in the pit of his stomach whenever he thought of Cait, he did not. Morgan laughed and said, "You got it bad, man. You have definitely got it bad."

Cait walked into Bibliomaniacs, feeling her nerves finally release once she knew there were two doors closed firmly between her and Spencer Reid. She had been a complete idiot, bringing up the whole thing about them arresting her. It was just like her to jump to some ridiculous conclusion and embarrass herself. At least that Derek Morgan had laughed it off. She couldn't read Spencer's reaction.

"Talk to your lover boy?" her friend Mary asked from the register. Both her and Mary owned the store together. She had confided in Mary the moment she first noticed Spencer and her friend had mocked her ever since.

"Yes and embarrassed myself, per usual. Sometimes I wish I could just shut my mouth."

"Yeah, have to agree with you there."

Cait sat heavily on the bench beside Mary, sipping at her coffee. A customer came in and asked for help finding a Tolstoy. Cait, who knew every nook and cranny of the store, led the customer to the aisle, pointing out the books. When she made her way back to the register Mary told her, "You need to get him here."

"Here?"

"Yeah, in the store. This is your turf. You're more comfortable."

"I wouldn't be if I invited him here."

"You don't invite, you suggest. You said he's a reader, right?"

"Yeah."

Mary gave her an obvious look, which she found completely non-obvious. Mary did this all of time, thinking that Cait could pick up a train of thought without it being fully vocalized. No, she could not read Mary's mind. Nor did she want to. "He likes books, Cait. It shouldn't be that hard to get him to a bookstore. And you've told me about the stuff he reads. Our store is perfect for him."

"I don't know, Mar."

"Just talk it up a bit. I give it one week tops before he is here."

"Brief time line," Cait noted.

"You're suggesting an acquaintance checks out your bookstore located across the street from where he has coffee. It should take you a day."

The Tolstoy customer approached the register and Mary said, "I'll take this." Cait wandered across the store, picking up books here and there that previous customers had discarded. As she shelved them she thought about why she was opposed to Spencer seeing the bookstore. She wasn't against the general idea of him visiting her workplace. They had a good collection and she genuinely thought he would enjoy himself. It was the type of place he would like; in the brief time they had known each other, it was something she was sure of. It was what it represented that gave her pause.

Right now their relationship was fragile. It relied wholly on the coffee shop and chance. That was the sole playing ground and there was a relief in that. Only there did she have to worry about seeing him; everywhere else she could relax. If he came to the bookstore, all of that would change. Visiting where she worked was something tangible. Hell, it was the start of something even. If she were being completely honest, she didn't know if she was prepared for that.

A/N: And the angst thickens. Hope you guys liked Morgan in this. I think him meddling in Reid's love life would be hilarious to watch. The few times I've seen it play out in the show I have been thoroughly amused. Next chapter will land Cait with the entire Criminal Minds gang. You won't want to miss it!