A/n here it is folks, the last chapter. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed or add this to their favorites. A special thanks to REIDFANATIC for all of her help and encouragement.

Disclaimer: CM is not mine only my original characters belong to me.

The Knight and the Princess

Kayla finally managed to get Jessie to let her go. The little girl lay back and sniffed. She wouldn't look at her mother or Spencer.

"I'll be outside with Spencer. I want to see a better attitude from you when I get back." Kayla warned her daughter. She understood why Jessie was mad, but her tantrum was unacceptable.

Jessie turned her head away from her mother and Spencer, and Kayla threw up her hands. "Come on Spencer." She took his hand and pulled him from the room.

"I'm sorry she's acting like that. I don't know what's gotten into her. She's usually so sweet and good-natured."

They stopped in the hallway outside of Jessie's room. Reid hadn't remarked on the tantrum, but he looked relieved to be out of the room.

Kayla explained to him everything about the knight and the stories she had told her little girl. "I never thought she would take it so much to heart."

She searched his face, older now, but still familiar to her in all its moods and thoughts. For once she was unable to tell what he was thinking.

"I wouldn't blame you for being furious with me. I had no right to make our story into a fairy tale."

She leaned back against the wall and sighed. "I thought I was going to start a new life here. I thought I could handle coming back to this city. I thought I was over everything, my mother, my aunt ruining our friendship, the rape, everything. I thought I had it all pushed down into the deepest part of my heart where the light of day couldn't touch it, but I was wrong. The minute I got back here it all came back. I made it into a story because if it was a fairy tale, there could be a happy ending. I'm sorry I…"

Tears stung in her eyes and throat. She was unable to go on. Reid had been standing rigid in front of her, and hadn't spoken a word during her explanation. Her description of her feelings upon returning to Las Vegas mirrored the same things he felt every time he came home. She believed he didn't understand, but he did. He understood more than he wanted to. He longed for ignorance because now he had to leave.

"Kayla, don't cry," He said softly. His hand reached out and wiped away a lone tear that slid slowly down her cheek. Her skin was still as soft as he remembered and his hand began to tremble. Her beautiful hazel eyes looked deep into his. He had to leave and she was letting him go just as he'd done all those years ago.

"Hotch gave me a few days of vacation. I'm going to stay here. I want to visit my mother and I want to spend time with you and Jessie, if you'll both have me."

She grinned happily through her tears and hugged him carefully. "I know you have to go eventually, but we have a few days…" She whispered in his ear, sending chills up his spine heralding the promise of something more.

"Yes… We have a few days. Maybe in the next couple of days, we can get Jessie to understand." He said hopefully, when Kayla let him go.

Kayla laughed and regarded him with real pity in her eyes. "Spencer Reid… You have a lot to learn about six year old girls."

"Oh I don't know… I think I remember well enough." He joked. She giggled and took his good hand in hers.

"Come on… let's go tell her you're staying around for a few days."

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The pile of paperwork on his desk was starting to resemble the Leaning Tower of Pisa when he finally returned to work ten days later. Hotch had told him he was on desk duty for a couple of weeks and he didn't argue.

He'd gone straight to Hotch's office upon arrival and the older agent was filling him in on the rest of the events in Las Vegas.

"…so Richard Curtis was himself and his wife. She was the dominant personality that did all the killing. He was the submissive that kidnapped the girls and tried to make them fit into his fantasy of a perfect life. He wanted his family back so badly, he tried to preserve his wife's body and find the perfect daughter for her," Hotch explained.

"Stephen Wainwright is being indicted for conspiracy to commit murder. He didn't have anything to do with Jessie's kidnapping; he just picked the wrong time to hire a hit man to take out Henry Sparks. Kayla's blaming herself for that too. She says she should have known what Wainwright was up to." Reid relayed what he'd learned before his return.

"It's not her fault. Politicians are almost impossible to profile, even for the experts like us. She didn't have a chance with a man like Steven Wainwright." Hotch assured Reid.

"I know, but she thinks she should have seen something. She says she's a pretty lousy press agent if she couldn't even sense something was wrong with her boss." Spencer told him.

"We only see what we want to see with those we're close to." Hotch said, and Reid nodded slowly. Yes… he knew what it was to overlook what you didn't want to see in yourself, your friends and loved ones.

"I checked up on Curtis before I left. He's still in a deep coma. They don't know if he'll come out of it. If he does, he'll be in an institution for the rest of his life." Reid informed his boss.

"I have some other information for you. Garcia found the boys that attacked you and Kayla. They're both in prison. They've continued their less then stellar life choices, and have been in and out of prison their whole adult lives.

"Thanks Hotch… I'll let Kayla know when I talk to her this weekend." Reid was standing up to leave when Hotch asked him about Kayla.

"So you're staying in contact with her."

Reid flushed and Hotch wanted to laugh. When would the young man accept that it was okay to have a social life?

"Yeah… I had to promise Jessie I would call every Sunday night. I send emails to Kayla." He added going even redder in the face.

"I'm glad; you need someone outside of all this." Hotch indicated their surroundings with a wave of his hand.

Yeah…" Reid's mind was not on what Hotch was saying, so the older agent told him to get back to work with an affectionate smile.

"Ah - okay…" Reid smiled widely and went back to his desk.

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A month had passed since his return to DC. His arm was back to full function and he'd returned to the field last week. Today they hadn't had a case and he was dealing with another large pile of file on his desk. He'd been at it for three hour straight and his injured arm was beginning to protest. It still ached every now and then, usually if he was under huge stress or had worked to hard for to long. He looked forlornly at the pile on his desk. It didn't look any shorter to him. Morgan had left saying something about a hot date. Emily had a date too, and JJ had disappeared somewhere. She was probably getting them more work.

He didn't look up when the elevator pinged. He didn't really hear it; he was so used to tuning out the background noise. If he could just get this last consult done, he could go home. He was mentally composing the email he was going to send to Kayla, when a small hand on his arm nearly gave him a heart attack.

He spun around and saw Jessie standing next to his desk, an ID badge pinned proudly to her tee shirt. "Hi Spencer!" She cried, throwing herself into his arms and lap, and talking a hundred miles an hour.

He looked up, bewildered, at Kayla, standing there looking beautiful in a pink blouse and gray slacks. Her hair was down around her shoulders, and she was smiling like he hadn't seen since they were ten.

"What…" He couldn't talk. How had they gotten to the BAU? Why were they here? Why wasn't he kissing her?

He looked at Jessie who was still babbling and eased her down to the floor. She started to protest, but he ignored her in favor of her mother.

"You look beautiful." It was the only thing he could think to say before catching her up in his arms and kissing her. An agent passed them and whistled. They sprang apart and Reid realized that JJ was standing there beaming at them.

"Hey…" A little hand yanked on his. He looked down at Jessie and she was frowning up at him.

"I'm sorry little miss," he told her. He lifted her up in his arms and kissed her cheek.

"We missed you lots and lots Spencer." She said throwing her arms wide.

"I missed you too." He said to her but looking at Kayla. She blushed and JJ laughed.

"I see your shoulder is all better." Spencer said to Jessie who was playing with his hair.

"Yeah… but mommy says I have to see another special doctor to help with exercises." She made a horrible face and Reid laughed.

"She's right; the doctor will help you get as good as new." He informed her. She looked like she didn't believe him at all.

She scrambled down from his arm when he told his arm hurt to. She grabbed his hand and kissed it. He went red and the traitorous women in front of him giggled.

"I don't understand. What are you doing here?" He decided to get the attention off him and Jessie.

"I'm moving here." Kayla said and Reid stared.

"What… How… Why…"

"Take a breath Spence." JJ said, still laughing.

"Yeah… mommy got a new job and we get to live here." Jessie said excitedly.

"That's great!" Reid told her. "I'm glad you're going to live here." Jessie giggled and turned pink.

"I've got a job with my old firm. They're even giving me a good raise. I would have come here anyway." Kayla told him. "I couldn't just let you walk out of my life again."

Reid flushed and JJ pried Jessie off him. "Jessie and I have a deal. She's going to stay with me tonight, aren't you?"

"Yeah… JJ said I could stay at her house. She gave mommy and me these badges and said we could see you at work." Jessie informed him.

"Thanks JJ…" He said, and she winked.

"Just have a good time. I'm going to have fun with my new friend." JJ said. She led the little girl away.

"How did they get to be such good friends?" Reid asked Kayla who'd taken his hand as she was watching her daughter skip away with JJ.

"JJ came to see me in the office before they came back to DC. She has a way with people, especially kids. She got me to open up about you in no time at all. She's called me several time and I've called her. She always talks to Jessie if I'm at home . I like her, we're becoming good friends, and I get to hear all about you." Kayla told him.

Reid went red again and Kayla promised him that JJ wasn't spilling any deep dark secrets. "She told me that the two of you used to be… well I know she cares about you and I'm glad."

"I care for her too, but not like I care for you." Reid said quietly.

"Good, because I'm never leaving again;" she kissed his cheek. "Now… why don't we get out of here?"

"Are you hungry?" He asked gathering up his jacket and his messenger bag.

"Yep…" She gave him a hot look and he dropped his jacket.

"You're so cute." She picked up the jacket and pulled him into the elevator, leaning in close to him, the messenger bag and jacket dropped to the floor as the elevator doors closed. "We'll worry about food later!"

THE END