(A/N: First things first: Long chapter is LONG! Okay now that that's out of the way! Chapter twelve! YAY! Enjoy. =D)

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds belongs to it's legal owners

Chapter Twelve:

Kaitlin woke to the quiet sound of music in her semiconscious state, her hand felt warm from where it held Reid's in the middle of the bed. Her free hand moved to the nightstand, where she had left her phone the previous night, as she opened her eyes and brought the phone in front of her face. She squinted to read the name of the caller then recognized it and quickly pressed the green button as she looked at Reid to make sure he was still asleep, thankfully he was. "Lucy?" She whispered as she slowly untangled her hand from Reid's.

"SO…I got up at six…Let me emphasize this for you, I, Lucy Langley, got up at SIX in the MORNING on a WEEKEND so WE could leave by SEVEN and be back before NINE. But now I'm sitting in MY car outside YOUR hotel waiting for YOU. Weren't YOU the one who thought of this plan? So why am I STILL waiting for YOU at SEVEN THIRTY?" Lucy's tone was irritated.

Kaitlin climbed out of bed quietly as she pleaded for forgiveness in a hushed tone, "I'm sorry, we were watching movies and I fell asleep before I had a chance to set the alarm." She grabbed her suitcase and went into the bathroom.

"Why are you whispering?" Lucy paused and Kaitlin could nearly see the Cheshire grin form on her face. "I get it; Reid's in the same room as you isn't he?" There was a fake gasp, "You did something dirty last night, didn't you?"

"What? No!" Kaitlin felt blush heat her face as she turned on the tap and began carefully splashing water on her face as she tried to keep her phone from getting wet.

"You can't lie to me, Katie-Marie. I want all the dirty details…ALL of them."

"Despite the fact that there is none, you still want something, huh? How about? I need to pee and take a shower so I'll be down in fifteen."

"Fine, you can tell me in the car then." Lucy hung up.


Kaitlin walked out of the bathroom and Reid stirred then muttered still half asleep, "What's going on?"

"I just need to take care of something, I'll be back by noon so go back to sleep." She gently kissed the top of his head and watched his eyes close again. She headed to the door then grabbed the 'do not disturb sign' as she silently slipped out then hung it on the doorknob before closing it.


"So you're telling me that nothing interesting happened?" Lucy sulked.

"Oh so my sleeping in the same bed as Spencer fucking Reid for the past two nights doesn't count as interesting?" Kaitlin ran a hand through her hair.

"What are you complaining about? You get to sleep in the same bed as Spencer Reid…and do other things with that same Spencer Reid."

"What other things? We've only kissed once and that was over a year ago…and if I have any say in it, it won't happen again."

"Why not? He's smart, kind, adorable and from what you describe a great kisser."

Kaitlin paused and looked at her, "Because I am the ruiner of lives that's why!" She through her hands up.

"Oh really? 'The ruiner of lives'? That's a new one. What makes you think that?"

"Mikey, Casey, Leo, Lillian Matthews, Kathleen Anders, Abigail Winters, Emma Wellington, Alison Mackenzie and Cecilia Thomson…" The back of Lucy's hand met Kaitlin's cheek leaving a bright red mark there. "The hell was that for?"

"Either quit blaming yourself or get the hell out of my car and walk the rest of the way." Lucy pulled over, "You had nothing to do with that. You did not kill them, Casey Ridenger did."

"I'm not saying I killed them, I'm saying that I ruined their lives…although I did kill Casey." She shook her head, "The point is that their lives were ruined because of me. Leo got arrested, Mikey died, and those girls died because they looked like me."

"And now I understand why Steph moved in with you."

"Why?"

"Because you're an idiot." Lucy pulled away from the curb then started driving again.


Kaitlin knelt and put the flowers in front of the headstone. "I'll give you two sometime alone." Lucy told her then turned as she nodded.

"Hi Mikey," Kaitlin whispered, "I'm sorry I couldn't come earlier, the BAU is as busy as always. But I'll be able to visit more often once the new semester starts at the FBI academy…"

Lucy watched as Kaitlin's forest green jeep pulled up then watched as Reid got out, "She really has bad instincts if she didn't even realize you were following us the entire way."

"You noticed?" He asked as he walked up.

"Kind of hard not to so what are you doing here?"

"I'm here for the same reason you're here, I'm watching over someone important to me."

He watched as a grin appeared on her face and instantly regretted saying anything, "How important?"

He looked up and away from her, "Well she's my co-worker and friend."

"And?"

"And what?"

"You're telling me that there's nothing else? As a man rather than a profiler?"

He flushed, "What? What makes you think that?"

"Oooh…there is! Is it just physical attraction? Which, I mean, you get no judgment from me because I can understand that. But if it is stay away from MY Kaitlin." Lucy's lips pursed together as she glared at him.

He looked away, "Well you obviously have this under control, I'll …um…be heading back to the hotel now." He got into the jeep before she could say anything else.


Kaitlin stared down at the headstone, "Hey, Mikey? Can I ask you something? Did you know about them…my feelings for Reid?" She paused then sighed, "You know, now that you're gone, they're resurfacing…but after what happened. I'm terrified to put it lightly…" She took a breath, "I just don't want to lose anyone important to me again but…that's the disadvantage of this job." She looked back at Lucy, who was waiting patiently by the gate, then back at the grave, "I should go, Lucy's waiting for me…but I'll try to come again soon." She stood and walked over to the gate.

"You done?" Lucy looked up.

"Yeah, now what was this about shopping?"

"Well…this cute little boutique opened up and it's just your style."

"Oh great, like I need more clothes." Kaitlin laughed as they linked arms and went to the car.


Reid watched as the clock ticked by, it was almost noon which was when Kaitlin said she'd be back by. He turned on the TV when he heard the lock click; he heard the rattling of bags even before the door opened. "Sorry I'm late!" Kaitlin cried as she entered the room nearly dropping of one of the bags she was holding.

"You're just on time." He told her as he walked over to her and grabbed a couple of the bags she was holding. "Have fun?" He asked with a raised brow.

"Well Lucy brought me to this little strip almost right around the corner so normally I wouldn't do this. But…"

"But?"

"They were all so cute! I found a really cute dress for tonight too…by the way I am not proud of this either so don't tell the others."

"Is this everything?"

She looked up at him bit her lip, "Not exactly…Most of it's still in Lucy's car…she's going to wash them so I can wear them while we're here…These are mostly shoes and tights." She laid on the bed with the bags spread around her, as she ran her hand down face. "What am I supposed to do with eight different pairs of high heels?"

"Eight?" He watched as she sat up and crossed her legs, "Well I guess you really are a woman after all, I need to tell Morgan this."

She feigned shock, "What gave it away? Was it my ample bosom?" As she spoke her hands accented what she talking about, "Or my delicious curves? Or perhaps my long luscious legs?" This time she lifted up her skirt a bit as his eyes followed her hands. When he looked up again she saw look pass through his eyes which caused her to shiver pleasantly as her mind warned her, 'Kaitlin, he may not be an alpha male, but he is still a man. Please stop teasing him before you bite off more than you chew.'

As she looked into his eyes she thought about that night at the safe house and she knew that he was thinking about the same thing. She felt her hand twitch in anticipation as it started to slide down her leg and when it reached her knee she felt it start to inch towards where his hand was. When she was almost there and had firmly decided to pull him down towards her then proceed to kiss him senseless (or at least until he couldn't breathe) her stomach growled.

Her hand shot back to her knee and she started laughing, "Sorry, I didn't want to eat without you."

He reached a hand out to her then helped her off the bed, "Let's go get something to eat." As they walked to the hotel room door he realized something and he looked at her, "Kaitlin," She made a noise to indicate that she was listening and he continued, "Who says 'bosom' anymore?"

She looked at him and grinned, "Only the classiest of ladies, obviously."


Reid lay on the couch staring at the ceiling as he waited for Kaitlin to get ready. After they had gone for lunch, she and Lucy had gone to the spa. They had invited him but he politely declined. Four hours, and all of the books he had brought with him read, twice, later Kaitlin had returned. She had more bags in her hands but had instantly avoided his help and told him not to disturb her as she got ready.

He grabbed his phone when it started ringing, "Reid here."

"Hey, pretty boy, how's it going?" Morgan asked over the line.

"Fine, though I now know all the lyrics to 'Man! I feel like a woman!'" Reid looked at the surprisingly thin wall.

"What's she doing torturing you?"

"No just getting ready to go to a club." He said it with a slight tone of disgust.

"Hey you're the one who said, 'If the opportunity arises, I want to try again.'"

"I know."

"More importantly how are things going just 'fine'? You're alone with a woman who you've been pining for over a year now."

"I have not."

Morgan ignored him and kept talking, "Make a move already."

"And how do you suggest I do that?"

"You're going to the club with her, aren't you? Dance with her."

Reid watched as the bedroom door opened and Kaitlin poked her head out, she looked at him quizzically and he mouthed, 'Morgan.'

Her brow furrowed and she walked out holding two different pairs of heels. He looked at her and his phone slipped from his hand while Morgan continued to give him advice. His eyes took in everything, her long curls cascaded down past the low cut of her black dress which hugged her curves and stopped just past her mid-thigh flaunting the smooth length of her legs. He blinked a couple of times before realizing why she had come out. He pointed to the ones on the left then grabbed his phone. She blew him a kiss and quickly went back into the bedroom.

"Sorry, Morgan, I dropped my phone. What were you saying?" Reid asked.

"You dropped the phone?" He heard a chuckle and then some giggles.

His lips formed a straight line, "You have me on speaker phone don't you?"

"Sorry, Spence." JJ told him, "We're all really curious."

"Hey Reid, tomorrow might be your night." Garcia told him.

His brow furrowed, "Why's that?"

"Because it's the fourth of July." Prentiss told him.

"I know that, what's the big deal?"

Morgan sighed, "I keep forgetting that you weren't allowed to read her file. Tomorrow's Kaitlin's birthday."

"What?"

"Yeah, that's why she's using her vacation time." JJ spoke.

"Guys Hotch is coming!" Prentiss warned them.

"Quick grab the files!" JJ told them.

"Reid we gotta go! Don't worry about Kaitlin, we've got you covered. So call us if you need any advice." Garcia told him.

"Alright, lover boy. Keep us updated." Morgan hung up his phone and Reid was left wondering what just happened.

Kaitlin poked her head out again, "What was that about?"

"They just needed some help with a case that's all." He looked her over again and she now had stripped nylons on, "So…um. You look…"

She frowned, "That bad, huh?"

"What? No! Not at all, you look stunning." He flushed as the words left his mouth.

She blushed and smiled, "Thank you." There was a knock on the door, "Oh that must be, Lucy." She walked over to the door but sidestepped when she opened it.

Lucy pounced into the room but when she didn't crash into Kaitlin as she had expected to she failed her landing. "That's not fair! You're not supposed to dodge!"

"Then stop pouncing on me every time I get dressed up." Kaitlin looked down at her as she closed the door. "Anyways do you have what I asked for?"

Lucy opened the bag she had brought then pulled out a wrapped package, "Washed dried and even ironed."

Kaitlin took the package then ran her thumb over the soft tissue paper covering it. "Anyways, Reid…"

He looked up from the book he had picked up, "Yeah."

"Your turn."

"What?" A look of horror dawned on his face as he realized what that grin on her face meant. "No."

Her bottom lip jutted out a bit, "Please?"

"No."

"But…but its silk!" She undid the wrapping and pulled the burgundy button up shirt out then showed him.

He watched as her eyes widened and her bottom lip gutted out into a full on pout causing him to let out a groan. "Fine." He got off the couch, walked over and took the shirt from her then went into the bathroom to change.


Reid had been talked into many things in his life, some great, like joining the BAU, some terrible, like listening to Harper Hillman. This was something he didn't know what to classify as; he couldn't decide whether it was good or bad. He had put on the shirt, but then Kaitlin had talked him into letting her do something with his hair. She had left his partial curls the way they were but had pulled back the top layer into an elastic. When she had counted how many women did a double take when he walked by in the restaurant she totaled seventeen.

They were at the club now; he had managed to secure a small table off to the side while Kaitlin and Lucy went to go get drinks. He saw them approach then raised an eyebrow when he noticed that they each had two drinks in their hands. "A coke for our designated driver," Lucy placed a drink in front of him.

"Thanks." He looked at Kaitlin who was already sipping one of the drinks she had brought. "Is someone else joining us?"

"No…it's just a ritual she does." Lucy took a sip of whatever it was she was drinking.

He looked confused so Kaitlin put her drink down, "This one is to get my body used to the consumption of alcohol again and this one," She brushed the other glass, "is to get me thoroughly plastered."

"But…you don't drink." His brow furrowed, "At least not alcohol."

"There is a lot you don't know about me, Dr. Reid. The fact is that I don't drink around men…" She seemed like she wanted to say more but stopped, she wasn't that intoxicated just yet.

He nodded; he wasn't going to disagree with her. The fact was that he didn't know much about her so he wasn't going to question it. He watched in silence as Kaitlin finished off her drink, while she and Lucy talked about something. He watched was she placed the glass down on the table then stared at the other one. She already had a light sway to her posture, and that's when he figured out why she never went drinking with the team, she was a lightweight.

She continued to stare down the glass, until Lucy spoke, "Katie, just do it already."

"What's wrong with that one?" Reid asked.

"It's three parts spiced rum, one part coke." Kaitlin took a breath.

"The song's about to change." Lucy warned her.

She nodded, "Right." She picked up the glass and slid the straw to the side. She pressed the glass to her lips then quickly finished it off while Lucy whispered encouragingly, "chug." Kaitlin placed the glass down but didn't look up from it.

"Kaitlin?" Reid asked cautiously, afraid that she was going to fall over.

Lucy shushed him as the song changed then suddenly Kaitlin looked up, her face tinted red. "I love this song!" She squeaked, "Reid, come dance with me?"

It took him less than two seconds to realize that she was drunk. He shook his head, "You and I both know that I have two left feet. Sorry."

She frowned, "It's alright." She looked at Lucy then took her hands, "Lucy?"

Lucy brought her hands up to her lips, "You know I'm not drunk enough for that yet, sweetie. Come and get me in a couple of drinks."

"Okay!" She stuck up her pinkie, "Pinkie promise?"

Lucy locked their pinkies together, "Promise."

Kaitlin sang in a childish tone, "Break the promise and death awaits you by swallowing a thousand needles."

The shock plastered on Lucy's face nearly got Kaitlin laughing, "Why do I get such a violent death?"

He watched as Kaitlin skipped away to the dance floor and bit his lip to keep himself from breaking out in facts about violent deaths. He paused then looked at Lucy, "Is she usually like that?"

"Every time." She looked at Kaitlin's empty glasses, "I'm going to go get her another drink. Keep an eye on her would you?"

"Umm…okay?" He wasn't entirely sure how to do that considering it was Saturday and the club was bound to fill up quickly but once Lucy left his eyes easily found Kaitlin.

He was right about the club filling up quickly but of course he was usually right. He was able to keep an eye on Kaitlin quite easily because she never ventured to far into the crowd. As he watched her he noticed something, if someone wanted to dance they came to her never the other way around and he could see why; her outfit had been stunning on its own but now, as she danced, it was more than hypnotic it was seductive. She'd move her hips a certain way then the heads would turn. She'd run her hands over her body subtly and a couple of men would approach her. Then she'd bite her lip and have them hooked on her as she'd lightly move so her dress slid up her thigh giving them a little hope to catch more, but ultimately move back so it'd slide back into it's original position.

But that's not what he found mesmerizing about it, it was the fact that she was unnaturally graceful that he found was distracting him the most. It was the fact that the grace that she was showing as she manipulated her body for very seductive dancing was what he found got his heart pounding in his chest, his blood racing in his veins, and made his mouth completely dry whenever she would even remotely look his way. Morgan had been right; he was completely and utterly taken in by her.

He hadn't even noticed Lucy walk up to the table until she spoke, "She's cute, huh?"

He physically turned away from where Kaitlin was to look at Lucy, "Cute…isn't exactly the word that should be used here."

She laughed quietly, "Yeah…I've had those moments but this is the part that you should be watching." He turned back to look at Kaitlin. "Okay see the guy to the right of her?" He nodded, "Well he's going to reach out for her in…three…two…one. Now pay attention to what Katie will do." As if on cue the guy on the right went to wrap his hand around Kaitlin's waist but she slipped just out of reach so he couldn't touch her.

Reid raised his eyebrows but then when the other guy reached for her she dodged again, and he tried to not laugh. "Is she toying with them?"

"Not intentionally…at least I don't think it's intentional. She just really, really hates alpha males."

He looked back at Lucy, "But wasn't Mikey…?"

She shook her head, "Mikey looked the way he looked and acted the way he acted in public to keep her safe." She looked at him, "I'm not sure if you realized but she's sort of…a danger magnet."

"I have noticed that actually."

She took a long sip of her drink, "Though I suppose her instincts have gotten better since university. Like her ability to dodge…"

"What happened?" He paused, "To make her hate alpha males so much…I mean."

She bit her lip, "I suppose I can tell you…" She looked at him from the corner of her eye, "Considering the rate you two are going you're probably bound to find out." She took another long sip from her straw. "I don't know the details completely considering it happened at her first high school but from what she told me, it seemed as if she got in trouble with the football team for not letting one of the team members cop a feel while she was dating him. They called her a tease and proceeded to beat her until she was black and blue or at least what she could cover up was. Then a couple of weeks later she got into a fight with the prettiest girl at the school for setting another kid up…which angered the entire popular kid crowd and, well, let's just say that it didn't end well. The damage was pretty extensive but she and the Ridenger twins did a pretty good job of covering up most of the damage from her parents…though she found out she'll never properly heal from what they did."

He watched as her hand tightened around her glass and he understood what she felt. Anger and lots of it like his time after he was tortured by Tobias. He finished off his glass, "How did you two meet?"

"She moved into the house beside mine, though it took several weeks to meet her in person considering she was still covered in bruises when they arrived." Another long sip of her drink, "I saw her, a couple of nights after they moved, she was staring out the window. I thought she was a ghost at the time, she was freakishly pale and covered in bruises so that's what I had rationalized her as." She let out a small laugh, "The next day I had caught Steph on her way home, since we both walked the same direction, and I found out she had an older sister. Then, when I got home I ended up at my desk writing a letter and Steph acted as a messenger.

"She responded that evening…and we ended up writing pages upon pages of letters to each other. After when the bruises had faded enough that makeup could cover them up she came outside for the first time in what must have been a month. It was just after seven in the evening and she was just standing there breathing in the fresh air. She wore a black t-shirt and worn blue jeans…" She shook her head, "Sorry, I got distracted for a second there. When I asked her a couple years later why she had locked herself up rather than just hide the bruises, she told me that she didn't want people thinking that her parents had beaten her. God, she was the definition of 'good' back then." She laughed again, "It's hilarious, the fact that the eldest child of three and nearly the epitome of responsibility ended up best friends with the youngest of five. My mother and elder brothers called her a bad example…but if any of us was the bad example it was me."

Reid watched as Lucy finished the rest of her glass off, then he spoke, "I think the only reason she's made it this far is because you were with her."

She looked at him, "Thank you."

They watched as Kaitlin ran over, "Lucy!"

"Alright, I'm coming." She looked at Reid, "You good, here?"

"Go, keep her company."

Kaitlin looked between the two, "What were you two talking about?"

"Here, drink more." Lucy handed her the still full glass that was on the table. Her brow furrowed but she drank it anyways and Reid watched as they walked back to the dance floor.


Kaitlin was drunk, Lucy was drunk and passed out on the couch, but Reid was still perfectly sober as he waited outside the hotel bedroom while Kaitlin changed. For the third night in a row he'd be sleeping in the same bed as her, though it was on her insistence since it was late and she didn't want Lucy going home alone while she was drunk. Everything seemed fine until he heard a crash from inside the bedroom.

He opened the door but kept his eyes covered as he walked in, "Is everything alright?"

"Reid, the clips won't come undone." Kaitlin's voice was wavering, like she was on the verge of tears.

"Are you decent?"

"Yeah…" He opened his eyes and saw that she was wearing the same nightshirt from the previous night. It covered most of her as she sat on the floor fiddling with the clips that held up her nylons. He knelt in front of her and she moved her hands away to fiddle with the hem of her shirt. He quickly unclasped the first one and she spoke again, "I'm sorry for asking you to do this."

He looked at her and the only words he could think of to describe her were 'petulant' and 'childish'. He stroked her hair, "It's okay." He understood now why she really never went drinking with the team, she secretly wanted to be fussed over, to be spoiled, something that she wasn't allowed to do as a child.

He made quick work of the other clasps then when he was finished he helped her up and turned around so she could finish changing. After she was done they had crawled into opposite sides of the bed, she laid with her back to him and he laid on his back staring at the ceiling. There was a long pause but both of them were wide awake, she spoke first, "Spencer?"

Her calling his first name caught his attention immediately, "Yeah?"

She rolled towards him, "I'm cold."

He moved closer to the middle of the bed, "Better?" She shook her head and moved closer to him until their feet grazed causing him to shiver. "They're freezing!"

"I told you last time they're never warm." She felt herself flush and was glad that the room was dark as she spoke. "Spencer…" She touched his arm and he looked at her, "Can you…possibly…" She paused then bit her lip before speaking again, "do what you did Thursday night?" Her face felt like it was on fire as she spoke.

He rolled to face her, letting his arm slip around her waist. "Like this, right?"

She nodded then let her hand touch his arm slightly then slowly slid it to his side where it proceeded to draw small circles just above his hip. She bit her lip again as she decided to try something. The alcohol was making her brave and at that moment she wanted nothing more than to use that, "Spencer…" She paused but then looked up, "Can…I kiss you?"

At that moment with her so intoxicatingly close, he wanted nothing more than to say yes but he knew if he did he'd be manipulating her in her alcohol induced state. So he clenched his hand, letting the pain of his nails biting into his palm remind him that right now he couldn't say yes. "No." He whispered.

She frowned as everything she worked hard to get shattered into a million pieces, "Why not?"

He looked down at her, "Because you're drunk."

She paused then let out a sigh relief, "So if I wasn't drunk, could I kiss you then?"

He relaxed and went back to staring at the wall, then thought about her question seriously. He had kissed her in the safe house because she needed it and partially because he wanted to. He had become more aware of her presence over the past year and had become achingly aware of how alluring she was to the male eye. A fact of which had caused stirrings of jealousy inside of him more than once, not that he had acted on them. He started thinking about what Lucy had said at the graveyard that morning, if it was just physical attraction he needed to get away from Kaitlin as quickly as possible, that was the point that Lucy was making. But was it just physical attraction?

He nearly started laughing as he realized how blind he had been. Every morning he had been unconsciously searching the train near his usual spot to see if she was there. He got jealous because he hadn't wanted other people to look at her like that. He had wanted to be there for her after Mikey's funeral, but she had closed herself off from them though that didn't stop her from asking him to join her for dinner the day she came back. He had thought it was because she was lonely, but now as she lay in his arms he couldn't help but think it was something more.

He hadn't realized that her hand had stopped drawing little circles on his waist when he spoke, "You could, if you wanted to." He looked down again and saw that her eyes were closed. This time he did laugh though quietly. He didn't think he had been thinking for long enough for her to fall asleep but apparently he had.