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"Let me go," Maeve cried as Bobby pushed her into a familiar rundown building. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because you belong to me, Maeve," Bobby said as he walked behind her with the gun pointed at her back. "Walk up the stairs and don't try anything stupid."

"I know, you'll shoot me if I do," Maeve said.

Bobby didn't respond except to shove the barrel of the gun into the small of her back. Maeve stumbled, and nearly fell into the first stair riser. "Bobby, please."

"I said, go," Bobby ordered.

Maeve went up the stairs and down the hallway to the door directly in front of them. Bobby threw her a set of keys. "Open the door."

Maeve did as he said, and upon walking into the room stopped dead. "What is this?"

"I didn't think you're one to act obtuse, Maeve. This is our new home. Remember we looked at this building when we were engaged. It looks rundown from the front, but it's completely renovated now. We're the first tenants. There's no one else here. We're all alone, so screaming won't help you."

Maeve faced Bobby and what she saw made her step back from him. The charming and seductive man she'd once known didn't live in his dark eyes anymore. Something alien lived in them now, and she shivered with the fear of what he might do to her.

"Have a seat," Bobby gestured to the sofa. "Isn't this exactly what you wanted."

Maeve looked at the softly upholstered sofa done in a light grey material that matched the carpet on the floor. "Bobby, I can't –"

"Don't say it! I spent every day for the last two months, fixing it up just the way you want it."

"I'm sorry," Maeve said, and tears collected in the corners of her eyes. "I thought you understood when I broke off the engagement that – "

"You don't love me anymore. Is that it, Maeve?"

"Yes," she said, despite the gun in his hand. "You were the first serious boyfriend I had. I thought I loved you, but I didn't, not like –" Maeve stopped and swallowed hard at the rage in Bobby's eyes.

"What? Not like him, the FBI agent. He's not good enough for you, Maeve. He's a glorified cop for god's sake. He'll never understand you as I understand you."

"He understands me better than anyone else in my life."

Bobby strode to her and grabbed her arm. He yanked her to her feet, ignoring her protests and groans of pain. He shoved her forward. "Walk!"

She walked toward the room at the end of the hall. It was a bedroom with a huge California King made up in tones of blues and greens. "Sit."

She sat because of the gun, but her stomach began to churn with a new soul-wrenching fear. "Bobby, what are you –"

"Shut up and sit up against the headboard," He shouted when she froze on the edge of the bed.

She slid back and stopped when her back hit the headboard. Bobby approached, and as he did, he slipped a pair of handcuffs from his pocket. "You like men that carry restraints."

"Bobby, please!"

Bobby reached for her and pistol-whipped her across her temple. The pain bloomed black behind her eyes as her head, flew to the right and she knew no more.

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Reid paced in front of the elevator doors. Every time they opened, he stopped and faced them with hope shining in his eyes, but no matter how many times he stopped, Maeve didn't arrive.

"Spence," JJ said as she hurried toward him. "What are you doing?"

"She should be here by now, JJ," Reid said, and fear lived in his beautiful eyes. "It takes exactly thirty-seven minutes from Mendel University to Quantico under ideal conditions. It's not snowing or raining, and there's no traffic at nearly eleven p.m. It's been almost an hour and ten minutes since I called her. Allowing for five minutes for her to gather her things and walk to the parking lot –"

"Spence," JJ stopped him and put both of her hands on Reid's shoulders. "Look at me and breathe."

He stopped pacing and talking. "JJ."

"Hey, she's fine. I'll bet she stopped at her place to change."

"She knows I don't care about clothes. I love her no matter what she wears."

JJ smirked at him. "Spence, you have a lot to learn about women. We like to look fabulous when we see our guys."

"She's right," chorused two female voices.

Garcia and Emily approached him with grins on their faces. "Don't worry, sweet cheeks. She'll be here. You'll know when security calls you to come to sign her in."

"Yeah," Reid said and nodded his head. "I guess you're right. I'm freaking out for nothing."

"Hey," Emily took his arm, and they escorted him back into the bullpen. "We get it, Reid. After Diane and now this new un-sub, you're worried, but we're not going to let anything happen to either of you."

"What Emily said," Garcia agreed. "We like her, and she makes you happy, gorgeous gray matter. We'll do anything it takes to keep you both safe."

"Thanks, guys, sorry I freaked out."

His phone beeped, and he nearly dropped it after fishing from his pocket. "It's her number," he almost giggled with relief. "I'm a wreck. Hello, Maeve," he began happily.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Dr. Reid."

"Who is this?" Reid demanded as his blood turned to ice and his stomach lurched into his throat.

"No time for introductions," said the voice Reid didn't recognize. "If you want to see Maeve alive, meet me at Baker and 8th street in Arlington, Apt 7 on the second floor."

"I want to talk to Maeve, now!"

"I make the rules, Dr. Reid and I want you here, alone."

The call disconnected, and the phone fell from Reid's nerveless fingers. He stared at a point on the wall over Emily's head. He didn't register Emily or Garcia racing away to gather the team. He didn't feel JJ's hand on his arm, nor her pushing him down in his chair. She called his name so loud that Hotch came out of his office.

"JJ, what's going on?"

"Hotch, we've got a major problem. Something's happened to Maeve."

Hotch's mouth tightened into a line so thin; his lips nearly disappeared into his teeth. He turned and went to Morgan's office door. "Morgan, conference room, now."

"What's up," Rossi asked as he and Morgan left their offices.

"Something with Maeve."

"Damn it," Morgan growled. "What now?"

"I don't know. JJ, get Reid up here."

JJ led Reid, compliant as a small child exhausted to the end of endurance, up the stairs and into the conference room. JJ sat him down on the sofa and perched next to him. "Spence. Talk to me."

"Someone called, um it was a man. He said to meet him at an apartment in Arlington. He wouldn't let me talk to her. Why? I only wanted to make sure she's okay. I should've picked her up. What's the matter with me. Why didn't you guys tell me to go get her?" Reid shouted as he jumped to his feet.

"Reid!" Hotch barked, then he met the younger man's startled face with a kindness in his dark eyes. His voice softened. "Tell us everything the man said. Did you recognize his voice?"

Reid went back to the sofa and clutched JJ's hand tight enough to cause her pain, but she didn't flinch or try to pull away. Instead, she lay her free hand on top of their joined hands and squeezed. "Tell me, Spence."

"I didn't recognize the voice. It was male, and he said to come alone to Baker and 8th street in Arlington, Apt 7 on the second floor. He said he makes the rules."

"Garcia," Hotch said.

"The apartment was rented to Mr. and Mrs. Robert Putnam, two months ago."

"The same time I met Maeve."

"Wait, isn't Robert Putnam Maeve's ex-fiancé."

"Yes," Reid said, and his eyes went hard and cold. "I should've known this was gonna happen."

"How?" Rossi wondered. "Are you psychic now?"

"No, Dave, but Maeve described him as extremely controlling. It's why she broke it off with him."

"Still, you had no way to know, Spence."

"I should've, otherwise what good am I to her."

"Hey," JJ tightened her grip on his hand. "Maeve loves you. We all see it."

"Yes, but –"

"Reid," Hotch interrupted. "We need your head right if we're going to help Maeve. You said he wanted you to come alone."

"Yes."

"Not happening," Morgan stated.

"I have to," Reid said, and his eyes flashed at his friend and brother. "You know I do."

"You can't," Hotch said, firmly. "You know you can't approach him without backup."

"He'll hurt her."

"No," Morgan said. "I don't think he will. He's obsessed with her. It's you he wants, Reid. You're in his way."

"He's right," Emily said. "In his eyes you're rivals, and Maeve betrayed him for you."

Reid blew out a breath and pulled his hands free from JJ. "You're right," he said to Hotch. "How do we go in?"

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Maeve opened her eyes to the pain that bloomed over the left side of her face. She felt something sticky on her temple and tried to move her hands, but the cuffs held her arms above her head. She yanked hard and heard the clink of a chain against the wooden headboard.

"You're awake. Good. Your new boyfriend will be here any moment, and he'll want to see that you're all right."

"Please, Bobby, let me go."

"No! You're mine. The sooner you accept it, the better off you'll be."

"I am not yours," Maeve screamed and yanked on the handcuffs even though they cut hard into her wrists.

Bobby strode to her and put the gun to her head. "You are mine, Maeve. Get it through your head, right now."

"All right, I'll accept it. I'll do whatever you want, just don't hurt Spencer."

"What?" Bobby snapped, and his eyes filled with insane light. "You worried about your FBI agent."

"No! It's just that I didn't realize until now that I made a mistake." Maeve said.

Movement over Bobby's shoulder caught her attention, and she tried to check her reaction, but Bobby saw the change in her eyes and whirled around.

Spencer stood in the doorway with his gun trained on Bobby. "Let her go, Robert."

"Don't call me that. You don't know me."

Bobby moved to Maeve's left and placed his gun against her bleeding temple. "Drop the gun, or I'll kill her."

"I don't think you will, Robert. You love her, right. That's why you brought her here."

"I brought her here because this is where she belongs, not with you."

"You're right; she does belong with you."

Maeve whimpered, and her eyes filled with tears as she watched Spencer. He locked eyes with her, and she saw something that quelled the sudden upsurge of fear in her heart.

"Don't try and trick me, Dr. Reid. I'm not stupid.

"I know you're not stupid, Robert. I agree that Maeve belongs to you."

"You don't love her, I knew it."

"No," Reid said. "I was using her for sex, and it wasn't good sex. She's lousy in bed."

"I know," Bobby sneered, and his hand began to lower the gun. "She's always complaining that it was too rough."

"Yes," Reid agreed. "Women always complain when a man wants to enjoy himself. It's hard to find a good lay these days."

Bobby smirked, then his eyes narrowed. "I think you're telling me exactly what I want to hear."

"No, I mean what I say."

"Then look Maeve in the eye and tell her."

"I don't love you," Reid said to Maeve. "I was just using you."

Maeve saw only love in his beautiful eyes. "I understand."

"Then I don't need you," Bobby said as he turned his gun to Reid.

"You can kill me," Reid said. "Then you'll play right into her hands. She wants you to get rid of me because she knows she was about to kick me to the curb, just like she left you. You want to give her the satisfaction?"

Bobby swung the gun back to Maeve. "Is that true?"

"Yes," Maeve said resolutely. "It's true. I was going to break up with him."

"Put down the gun and let her go, Robert. Then you and I can go out and find more willing - prey. We'll leave her alone with her irrelevance."

"You're the FBI; you have to arrest me."

"No," Reid said. "I'm here alone, just as you requested. The rest of my team doesn't know what's happened."

"I don't believe you."

"Take a look around the apartment. You'll see I'm right."

"I will, but I'm taking Maeve with me." Bobby indicated the handcuff keys. "Unlock her."

"You do it," Reid said. "I'm not lowering my gun."

"I put mine down, and you shoot me."

"No," Reid said. "I told you I'm on your side."

Bobby looked at Maeve, then set aside his gun. He picked up the keys to the handcuffs and unlocked them. Maeve lowered her arms, rolled over, and off the other side of the bed as Bobby reached for his gun.

"Drop it, or so help me God, I'll shoot you dead," Reid ordered.

"You heard him," Morgan swept into the room with his gun pointed right at Bobby. "Drop it."

Bobby dropped the gun. Morgan grabbed him as Reid holstered his weapon and went to Maeve, who huddled behind the bed. "You okay," he asked and kissed her unblemished right temple.

"Yes, thanks to you. I knew you'd come for me."

Reid swallowed a sob. "Maeve, I'm sorry for what I said, you know I didn't mean –"

"I know," Maeve said and kissed him. "You did what you had to do. I thank God it worked."

"Me too, sometimes lying to an un-sub can backfire in a bad way."

"I'm glad I didn't know that five minutes ago."

Reid laughed as he helped her to her feet. Morgan had finished reading Bobby his rights, and he escorted out of the room.

"Is it truly over this time?"

"Yes," Reid said. "I promise."