(A/N: Woot Chapter six. How exciting! So you know how it's labeled romance as a genre...we're finally getting into it during this chapter Yay! =D)

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds belongs to it's legal owners

Chapter Six:

Hotch, Morgan and Prentiss looked at the photos, it wouldn't have taken a profiler to know who they were from Kaitlin's reaction. They were pictures of her from her preteen years up until they went to Boston. "Hey, it looks like there's a few of them missing." Prentiss told them.

"That explains where the photos came from." Morgan rubbed his chin.

Hotch looked over at them, "What photos?"

"We didn't want to tell you with Kaitlin in the room." Prentiss told him, "But the envelope that Ms. Langley got was filled of photos of her and Kaitlin."

"So now that we know what he's after, how do we catch him?" Morgan asked.

"We start treating this like a stalker case rather than a murder investigation." Hotch told them, "But first we need to get her some place safe."

Reid watched as Kaitlin paced back and forth in her parent's living room, "So what you're telling me is that Lankin is…gay?" He asked.

"Oh come on boy genius think about it." Kaitlin grabbed a lollipop off the table and unwrapped it. "He was jealous to the point of wanting to kill me; you don't do that unless you're in love. It also explains why he wanted those crime scene photos to be taken off the table. It made him uncomfortable to see naked women. And if Lankin and the unsub were in fact lovers, it would explain why he was willing to give up valuable information about where their hide out was." She looked over at Reid.

"Uh…no that's probably because you're a terrifying person." He avoided her eye contact as he said it.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" He raised an eyebrow and she let out sigh. "Exactly how it sounded." That's when she paused in her pacing, "I have a bisexual stalker…" She nodded as if to herself, "Hot."

"Are you taking any of this seriously?" Reid demanded.

She placed her hands on the coffee table that separated them and she leaned over, "If I start taking this job as seriously as Hotch or Rossi I'll go insane. So I'll treat this case as seriously as any other case we've worked."

"So with reckless abandon?" He asked as he took a sip of his coffee. But when he pulled the mug away, he stared at her. "What are you going to do if we can't catch the guy?"

"Live a life of celibacy until he makes a mistake then bring him in." She raised an eyebrow when he blushed.

"Gag! I really don't want to hear something like that from my sister." Jake walked in with a mug. "Mom wanted me to bring this to you."

"What? Sex is a perfectly natural thing; I mean how else were you born?" She asked as she took the mug from him and suddenly as Reid watched them he knew that this was why she teased him. "Thanks." She raised her mug then ruffled Jake's hair, "You know you can be alright sometimes, kid. Now go keep mom company." He turned to walk back into the kitchen when she spoke again, "Hey. You and Steph both know I love you right?"

He tried to answer but his voice cracked, so he coughed and tried again, "Yeah we know." He left the room.

When Reid was sure he was out of ear shot he spoke, "That seemed kind of final."

She looked over at him with a look he couldn't read and she put her mug onto the table, "Stalker cases never end well."

Hotch, Morgan and Prentiss walked in, "Grab some things we're getting you out of here." Hotch told her.

"Oh! Okay! Just let me grab some clothes…but where are we going?" She asked.

"A safe house." Morgan told her.

"Um alright. But wouldn't the BAU be safer?" She asked as she headed to the stairs.

Prentiss shook her head, "He knows where that is. It'll be safer if we hide you some place more secret." She caught up with her as they ascended the stairs.

"Reid." Hotch looked at him.

"Yes, sir?" He asked.

"You'll be her assigned agent for protection."

Morgan and Reid both looked at him, "But I'd be more use to you at the BAU besides Morgan's much better at the whole protection detail then I am."

"You're presence there will help her relax. She'll be able to give more details when she relaxes." He told her as Kaitlin and Prentiss came back down the stairs with a small backpack. He looked at her, "You ready?"

"Yes, sir." She nodded.

"Good let's get going."

Hotch and Morgan took the first SUV then five minutes later Prentiss, Reid and Kaitlin were on the road to Quantico. On the two hour long car ride, Kaitlin had found out five things. The first was that Reid was going to be on protective duty while Prentiss canvassed area. The second thing she learnt was that there would always at least one extra agent at the safe house with them. The third thing that she learnt was that Rossi and JJ were keeping an eye on Lucy in case anything else happened. The fourth thing was that Prentiss, when on a mission, was very careful about being followed. They spent an entire hour driving around the town just to make sure they weren't being followed. And the final thing she learnt was that everyone was far too serious about this.

"You know…" Kaitlin started as they drove to the safe house, "I'm impressed to find out Quantico actually has safe houses."

"Of course it has safe houses. Why wouldn't it?" Reid looked at her.

She raised an eyebrow, "Tell me Dr. Reid what exactly does Quantico need to use a safe house for?"

"Obviously FBI agents who don't realize they're being stalked." He went back to looking ahead.

"More importantly, how does a member of the BAU not notice they're being stalked?" Prentiss asked.

Kaitlin tilted her head to the side and thought about it for a bit, "I don't know…but there were pictures there from when I was in junior high so maybe it began felt normal to me." She paused, "And if that doesn't work it's because I'm a ditz."

They both nodded their heads as Prentiss drove into a back alley and behind a house. "Go, there should already be agents waiting inside for you." Prentiss told them as they got out and she drove away, probably to find a place to store the SUV, until Hotch and Morgan showed up.

Reid looked at the fence and noticed that it was too tall to unlock from the outside, but the look on Kaitlin's face made him worry. She backed up until she was against another fence and then took a running start. She jumped high enough that her hands scored the top of the fence and with the momentum of the jump she pushed herself up and over. He heard a small thump then a click of the lock coming undone. When the gate opened he saw her grinning and her chest heaving. She froze when she heard the safety of a gun unlock.

"Freeze! Don't move!" They heard a man yell.

"We're FBI." Reid called as he put his hands up. "I'm Dr. Spencer Reid and this is Agent Kaitlin Melrose."

"I want to see your credentials. The girl will grab yours, then hers." The man demanded and she raised an eyebrow at being called girl.

"Which pocket?" She asked quietly.

He flushed softly, "Back left."

She looked up at him, "Are you serious?" He nodded and she sighed. Her right hand slipped behind them and in a moment she was holding Reid's credentials without him even noticing.

She handed him his badge and he stared down at her, "How did you even? My back pocket was buttoned up!"

She grinned and called out, "He has his credentials, now I'm grabbing mine." She moved her left hand behind her and it brushed her gun unconsciously but she bypassed it completely then reached into her back left pocket. She pulled out her own badge and handed it to Reid who opened it. She heard the agent walk over and felt his presence behind her as he looked at the two badges.

There was a laugh, "Sorry about that…it's just that we weren't expecting you to climb in from the back." She turned around and he continued to talk. "I'm Agent Fredrickson, I'll be with you tonight and Agent Marks will be here tomorrow." He and Reid watched as she nodded then headed off back behind the fence. "Where's she going?"

She came back with her go bag halfheartedly thrown over her shoulder and the backpack from her parents place on the other one. Reid looked at her with a frown, "I could have grabbed them."

"It's alright, I've got them." She walked towards the back door and opened it.

"That's not the point! The point is that you have a homicidal stalker following you." He told her as he followed her into the safe house as Agent Fredrickson closed the gate and locked it again.

"Well he hasn't killed me yet, has he?" She looked back at them briefly then walked inside

He followed her inside then up the stairs, "Yet being the operative term." He told her. "You do understand the seriousness of this, don't you?"

She turned around to face him, "Reid, I haven't slept properly since we left for Boston. Right now all I'm thinking about it how there's a bed and shower waiting for me somewhere inside this building and the moment I find them, I'm going to take a nap. Then when morning hits I'll wake up and shower properly then we'll talk about the seriousness of this situation. So until then, please, ease off."

He looked up at her then looked away, "Right…sorry."

There was a noise that sounded like a phone shutting down and she pulled the sleeve of her coat back enough to look at the purple communicator that Reid had given her. "It's been doing that a lot." She pressed a button but this time the screen remained blank.

"Oh the battery's just dead. It'll charge in an hour or two." He looked away then back at her, this time more sincerely, "Sleep well?"

"Thanks." She flashed a smile at him then turned around and climbed up the rest of stairs.

Kaitlin rolled over for what must have been the hundredth time that night then with a sigh of exasperation she sat up. She ran her hand through her hair then as she fought a small battle with frustration she threw off the covers and walked into the bathroom. She splashed cold water on her face then stared into the mirror. She heard Reid's voice replay in her head, "You do understand the seriousness of this, don't you?"

Her hand slammed down against the laminate of the counter, "Of course I do!" She let out a breath, "Even when he's not in the room he's still lecturing me." With a sigh she walked over to the tub and sat on the edge. She lightly turned on the cold water then let it run over her hand which was already starting to turn red. When the stinging had stopped she began to strip as she tested the hot water. Then when the temperature was right she got in and took a long shower.

When she finally got out, she wrapped a towel around her then went to her go bags. She delved into the bottom of her duffle bag and pulled out a roll tensor bandage. Then with a sigh she pulled out one of the few bras she owned and thought about wearing it which quickly brought the thought of binding her chest again for the second time that day. That one thought made her choice; she quickly put the bra on and did the clasps up before she could change her mind then threw the tensor bandage back into the bag. She then threw on a black lace camisole and with it she decided to throw caution to the wind because at this point it didn't matter what she wore because she doubted anyone would bother her now. She slipped on a pair of panties then pulled out a jean skirt, with a belt already through the belt loops, and after she walked over to the bed she placed the skirt at the edge of the bed just so that it was ready for when she woke up.

When there was a knock on the door she quickly kicked the skirt under the bed and then pulled the covers up so that she had them bunched over her chest. "Come in." She called.

Reid opened the door, while holding two mugs in one hand but he paused in the doorway. He looked her over and was in awe; her wet brown hair fell past her shoulders and from what he could see it was curling into little ringlets. She wasn't wearing makeup so he could see the dark circles under her eyes but he could also see the natural flush that covered her cheeks. Then suddenly he was staring into her storm cloud grey eyes and the only word that came to him mind was 'Beautiful.'

"Reid?" She asked as his mind drifted to someplace else.

He blinked then shook his head, "Sorry what?"

"Is everything alright? Did something happen?" She asked as he avoided eye contact.

"No, nothing happened everything is fine. It's just I heard the water running and I thought that maybe you couldn't sleep so I brought you some tea." He walked over.

He handed her one of the mugs and she smiled, "Thanks." She took a sip, "Oh! It's sweet."

"Did I mess up?" He asked, suddenly worried that his profiling skills were failing him.

She looked up at him, "No it's good." She then patted the area of the bed beside her, "Sit. I know this isn't the only reason why you came up here."

He sat down, "Am I that obvious?"

"Only a little bit. So what is it?"

"Are you alright?"

She smiled sadly and she looked into her tea to avoid his gaze, "I'll be fine."

"That's not what I asked and you know it." He paused, "Internalizing makes it worse you know."

"Have you been attending those 'How to deal with stress lectures' at the academy again?" She asked but didn't take her eyes off of her tea.

He paused, "Yes…yes I have and one of the first things we learnt was that if you don't have an outlet for your problems they'll just keep building and building up inside of you until they explode which will then in turn cause you to lash out at your friends and family."

She let out a sigh, set her mug down on the nightstand then looked up at him with unshed tears in her eyes, "Reid, if one of the victims hadn't been Mikey…I might have been able handle it. Finding out I've been being stalked since I was twelve is no big deal…but people died because of me and I didn't even know it! Mikey was killed because he was with me!" She gasped and her hands covered her mouth as she realized something, "Oh God…what if he was still alive when I arrived and the last thing he saw was his killer…when I was in the building! What if he died with the image of his organs being removed when he could have seen me instead?"

'And now she's panicking. Good job Dr. Reid.' He thought sarcastically but realized that there was a more pressing matter at hand. He gently placed his hands on her face and forced her to look at him, "Kaitlin." She tried to pull away but he stayed strong then his gaze caught hers. "Look at me." When she stopped struggling, he spoke again, "He died while we were still in Boston there was nothing you could have done."

"But that doesn't make it okay! I should have called in sick or something! I should have been there with him!"

"Then you'd both probably be dead right now! Then what? What would happen to Amarelle, Raph and their puppies?" He demanded.

She froze, how had she forgotten about Amarelle and Raph? They were her pets, her comfort and most importantly trained well enough to get the newspaper in the morning. Her hands fell to into her lap and for just a moment everything shut down. She didn't want to think anymore, she wanted to forget. Most importantly she wanted to feel good again, to be able to think about why she does the job that she does without worrying about all the negative things and all the death that they face wouldn't tear her to pieces like it was now.

So she did the only thing she could think of, she used his tie to pull him to her and she kissed him. He closed his eyes and kissed her back until he realized what he was doing. He pulled away enough so that he wasn't touching her at all, "This is…I don't even know what this is! Is this transference? What is this?"

She looked at him, "It's not transference…it's comfort, I want to remember that what we do is good." She swallowed, "Please Spencer."

Hearing his first name come out of her lips shattered what little resolve he had left after hearing the pleading in her tone. For the first time since she joined the team four years seven months and eight days ago she called him by his first name and it broke everything he stood for as a gentleman. He kissed her with as much determination as she had kissed him.

Their short innocent kisses turned into longer opened mouth kisses. He wouldn't have noticed the tears that slid down her cheeks if they hadn't changed their way of kissing. His hands moved up to her cheeks again and gently brushed the tears away. The hand that she used to pull his tie towards her found its way into his hair, which was surprisingly soft for a man's hair.

When they separated to breathe, though they kept their foreheads together, he whispered. "Katie…" That's when they both froze.

She pulled away enough to look into his eyes and any doubts he had about saying it disappeared when he saw the smolder in her own. She grinned, "Say it again."

He looked at her just so he could remember this moment for the rest of his life. Her eyes glittered with fresh tears but underneath those was a burning that threatened to cook him from the inside out if he wasn't careful, which he strangely found exciting rather than terrified feeling he usually got gazing into them. Her lips were kiss swollen and not even for a moment did he doubt his lips were any better. The blanket she was using to cover herself up was now pooled around her waist and her chest heaved from the lack of oxygen. "Katie." He whispered again, more confidently this time.

She kissed him but only this time his hand found where hers still rested on her lap and he interlaced their fingers. Her tongue brushed his lip as if asking permission before continuing. His tongue met hers and the two battled for dominance which he was winning, surprisingly. Finally she relented and he began exploring her mouth. When his tongue brushed the roof of her mouth she let out a small moan.

The moment she made that noise she began pulling back slowly, so as to not hurt his feelings. He got the message when she unlaced their fingers. When they weren't touching anymore she spoke, "Okay don't get me wrong…you're an amazing kisser. But at this current moment I really don't think this is a very good idea or at least going any farther would be a good idea."

"Then why did you even start this?" He asked.

She smiled sadly, "Comfort…I told you. Besides…that's not why I'm stopping us. The truth is there's another agent in this building and if he heard us…the first two people who'd find out would be Morgan and Hotch and you and I both know how that would end." She watched him flush at even the remote prospect of Morgan finding out anything that happened with a girl behind closed doors.

"You're right…" He sighed, "Good call." He watched as she covered up a yawn. "You should probably get some rest."

"Right…" He got up and she began to lie down but grabbed his hand when he started to head towards the door. He looked at her as she curled under the blankets. "Come lie down with me?"

"Are you sure? I mean I am supposed to be out there." He pointed towards the door.

"At least until I fall asleep." They smiled at each other and he walked around to the other side of the bed but didn't crawl under the blankets when he lay down. He managed, despite the small size of the bed, to keep any of their body parts from touching, except for the arm that she now held captive around her waist. It didn't take long for her to start falling asleep, but before she passed out she spoke, "Hey Spencer…"

"Yeah." His free hand played with a loose lock of curls.

"I'm sorry I'm so weak." She told him as she delved into a world full of dreams.

He didn't move until he was sure she was fully asleep. Then he whispered as quietly as he could, while slipping his hand out of hers, "I don't think you're weak." He slipped the communications device from where it had finished charging onto her wrist then quickly left the room after grabbing both mugs still full of their drinks.

Kaitlin awoke when she heard a thump; she pulled her gun out from under her pillow and then reached for her skirt under the bed. The moment she found it she hopped into it and did up the belt before getting to the door. She stuck her holster on the side of her belt and pulled out her gun as she opened the door. The moment she did she wished she had a flashlight because the hallway was darker than a moonless night. She walked down the hall with her back against the wall so she had a view of where she was going and where she came from. She prayed silently that her night vision wouldn't fail her now as she headed to the kitchen where a faint light was coming from.

She silently snuck up to the wall closet to the entrance and then looked inside for the briefest of moments to see Reid being pinned to the ground by another person, wearing a black hat and trench coat. She noticed blood in Reid's hair and that was all she needed. She fired into the room, passing through the rim of the Surgeon's hat. "Get off of him." She told him.

"No…" She heard Reid's voice as she saw a syringe in the Surgeon's hand pressing into Reid's neck. "Kaitlin, run."

She knew instantly what was in the syringe the moment she saw it. It was the combination of a narcotic and muscle paralyzer. "That last shot was a warning, so either get off of him or die. You've been stalking me for almost twenty years now…you should know by now that I never miss, unless it's on purpose."

"You can't kill me before I inject him with this." The Surgeon told her.

"No! Don't please!" She pleaded, "Alright, I'll make a deal."

"No." Reid told her.

The Surgeon didn't look away from Reid while he spoke, "I'm listening."

"I'll put my gun down, I'll go with you, but just please don't inject him with that and let me call for a medical team for the wound to his head." She told him.

He signaled for her to toss her gun over by the kitchen table away from Reid and she did. Only then did he get off of Reid while grabbing his gun. He walked over to her gun and picked it up. He then signaled for her to use Reid's cell phone.

She called Garcia, "Garcia can you send an EMT over to the safe house?" She prattled off the address.

"Kaitlin? What's wrong?" Garcia asked, "Where's Reid?"

"He's holding the phone to my ear; I accidentally injured my hand when I slipped in the shower. It's cut pretty badly but it's nothing bad enough for you to worry about. Just get someone over here so that it doesn't get infected." She said as she looked at Reid's head.

"Alright. It'll be there in a jiffy. Garcia over and out." Garcia hung up the phone.

Kaitlin looked at Reid's head once more, the only thing she saw was a blow to the head that would probably give him a concussion for a day or two. She looked at him and whispered, "Don't worry everything's going to be alright." She got up and looked at her stalker, "Let's go."

"I was hoping you'd say that." He walked over to her and the next thing she knew there was a sharp stabbing in her neck and she was being lifted off of her feet. "Now let's go."

The last thing she saw was Reid's face staring in horror and just before she blacked out she whispered, "Sorry." Then her world went blank.