Back at the BAU, Rossi and Hotchner had a visitor. FBI Surveillance Section Chief Bob Patterson, Loker's boss, had arrived with sheaves of paper stacked in several boxes. They spread the reports all over the round table.

"What an incredible amount of detail in these reports," Rossi marveled. "Man, she's thorough,"

"She's a genius," replied Patterson, sounding very much like a proud father. "The smartest one on my team."

Hotchner and Rossi exchanged a grin and Rossi quipped, "We have our own resident genius. Of course, he's currently in the hospital. With your genius at his side. What are the odds?"

"Reid could probably tell you those odds, Dave," Hotchner tried very hard -and failed- to keep a straight face.

Flipping through another report, Rossi remarked, "She's even got a list of every family in this area who has had a baby taken, going back for years! Contact information, victim descriptions, catalogued to abduction sites," he interrupted himself when he found what he was looking for. "Here it is. Natalie Miller. That's one of the families we spoke to, Hotch! The only recent blonde baby girl on this list. It's gotta be her. The next youngest blond girl goes back about six months."

He passed the file over to Hotchner; the baby's photo fell out of it. Rossi picked it up and they both confirmed, "It's her."

Patterson nodded his agreement. Rossi was already punching the number into his cellphone. Patterson moved to stop him "It's almost midnight!"

"Their baby's been found, I don't think they'll give a flying- um I don't think they'll care what time it is!"

Bob Patterson raised an eyebrow and then quickly agreed Rossi was right. Rossi made his call.

Dorian awoke with a start. She was half-sitting, half-laying on Spencer's hospital bed. They'd moved him to a private room late the previous night. Her eyes widened as full consciousness occurred and she quickly stood up, smoothing out her clothes and wishing she had at least a hairbrush with her. Reid lay still, either sleeping or unconscious she didn't know which, in his bed next to her. She brushed his unruly hair out off his face with her fingers then tip toed to the door. A nurse was in the hallway and Dorian asked where the restroom was. She was loath to leave Reid alone, even for a moment. The nurse sensed this and asked,

"Why don't you just use the patient bathroom?"

Dorian replied, "I didn't think that was allowed."

The nurse indicated Reid and said, "I don't think he'd mind, honey," with a knowing smile on her face.

Dorian scurried back into Reid's room and headed into the tiny bathroom. She splashed water on her face and ran her fingers through her hair in a futile attempt to tame it and couldn't help but laugh at the results.

"We match," she thought aloud, followed by "My kingdom for a toothbrush," as she returned to his bedside just in time to see him stirring.

She leaned down to hear him better when she noticed he was trying to say something.

"Dory?"

"Is the baby, is the baby okay?" His voice was barely a whisper but his concern screamed out at her. "I promised her I'd get him back…" his voice trailed off.

"He is, Spencer, he's good. Michael's fine, you kept him safe and he's back with his mommy where he should be. Thanks to you," she said with a catch in her voice she hoped didn't register with him. Gently, she wiped his hair out of his eyes again. Honestly, how did that keep happening, she thought with a smile.

"What happened?"

"I don't know, Spencer. We can ask Morgan later. But you were shot, that's why you're here."

His bare hand went to the massive amount of bandage on his left side and he looked up into her eyes with an unspoken question.

"You lost a lot of blood the doctor said, but no major organs were damaged."

He nodded his understanding. His eyes were heavy, the sedative still very much in effect, but he had more questions. "What day is it, what time?"

She told him and he realised he'd missed their coffee date the previous night.

"Oh no. I stood you up yesterday. I didn't mean to. I'm sorry," it was paining him to speak which Dorian recognised.

"Ssshhh, shhhh, it's okay. You're tired, you need to rest."

"No. No," he tried weakly to protest. "I'm sorry Dory."

"Spencer, please. Shhhh. Save your strength, you need to rest." He struggled not to break down.

"I'll be right here, I'm not leaving," she said softly, stroking his cheek as she spoke. "I'll be right here. I," she hesitated before continuing, "I love you, Spencer." As she stroked his cheek again, he moved his head so that his lips touched her hand and he kissed it before succumbing to sleep.