Chapter 13

Spencer watched as Scarlett stood on one leg, stretching her body into various yoga positions in the middle of the room. No music accompanied her tonight, he knew she was using the stances to help channel her thoughts about the case.

Garcia had notified the team of a report on a hiker who had gone missing this morning.

As she pulled herself into an arch, touching a foot to the back of her head, she continued to think out loud.

"What could be their motivation? Why are they draining the blood?" she asked.

"It's an efficient way to kill," Spencer offered.

"It's more than that. The initial wounds are meant for pain. They aren't worried about the efficiency. Yet they were saving the bodies. Up until recently..."

"Sometimes there isn't a 'why' Scarlett, you know that. There isn't a reason behind the unsub other than to cause pain..." Spencer watched her face, the concentration there as she continued with the movements.

"I'm missing something," she scowled, her brain looping in circles over the cuts and bodies floating through her thoughts.

"Scarlett..."

She stopped mid movement as Spencer laid a hand to her shoulder. She hadn't even noticed he'd come to stand beside her and it startled her.

"Give it a break, crazy girl. You're over thinking it," he told her. Rubbing his hand lightly along her shoulders, he could feel tension knotting her muscles.

"I thought yoga was supposed to relax you," he teased, moving his hands across the back of her neck and rubbing at the worst of it.

"It usually does," she groaned, moving her head to the side as he kneaded the tightness there. "God, that feels so good," she told him.

"Sit," he told her, maneuvering her towards the side of the bed. "Let me help..."

"I just can't relax. I keep thinking that I'm missing something..."

He moved behind her on the bed, massaging the muscles. "Katy, if you are missing something, so is the team. We are all working on it... together," he pushed her hair over her shoulder and kissed her just under her ear.

"But..."

"No buts," he told her sternly. "There is no 'I' in team, remember?" he teased, moving to work at the knots in her back.

"Yes there is, it's in the 'A' hole," she quipped, quoting an internet meme.

"Yeah, well, quit being the 'a-hole'," he poked her ribs, tickling her and making her laugh.

Scarlett rolled over onto the bed, taking him with her, until their bodies were flush against each other. She laughed until her sides hurt under his tickle assault.

"Alright, I give... uncle!" she chuckled, curling up against him. She looked up into his face, pulling him down to kiss her.

"God, how I love you, Spence," she told him breathlessly.

"You're just saying that so I don't go for your feet next," he teased.

"Umm-hmm, partly..." she confirmed. "The other part is because you can make me laugh. Even under the worst of it."

She settled back on the pillows, looking up on his face.

"You keep me balanced, farm boy."

Spencer leaned down and captured her lips. Shifting slightly, he moved his body over hers, running his hands along her sensitive skin.

"I love you too, Scarlett," he breathed out the words as he nipped at her collarbone. "You are my life, crazy girl," he said simply, continuing to trail kisses up to her jaw.

Scarlett hitched her toes into the waistband of his pajama pants and dragged them off his hips. When he smiled, she captured that grin with her mouth.

"Make love to me, Spencer..." she told him.

Later, as the night filtered through the window, Scarlett curled up in Spencer's arms, sleeping deeply. He lay against her, softly stroking her arm, watching her sleep. His own mind wandered, as it tended to do, through the events of the day, thoughts of tomorrow, and the moments with Scarlett. She dominated his thoughts, even through work, her face was predominant in his mind and it occurred to him that love filtered through all aspects of life. Work, travel, downtime... when you loved someone, they were always in your thoughts...

He wrinkled his brow in concentration. Picturing the board in his mind, something shifted. Scarlett moved beside him, opening her eyes and looking into his face.

"What?" she whispered quietly. "What have you figured out, farm boy?" she asked, knowing the look on his face too well.

"The first victim," he responded. "It wasn't someone close to him, it was her..." he clarified. "That's the missing angle. He killed him for her..."

Scarlett sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes. "Why do you say that?" she asked.

"Because, if something was going to enrage me enough to kill, it'd be for you..." he told her bluntly. "She's the driving force."

"Ugh," Scarlett scrunched up her face. "Thanks for that, but, ugh..." she reiterated. "Let's hope I never drive you to murdering for me," she quipped.

Spencer trailed his hand down her bare back. "You know what I mean," he stated.

"Yes. I get it. We have to look at the connections to Beggins again. Leaning towards a woman, this time..." she looked back over her shoulder at him, squinting at the clock on the headboard.

"It's still early. Sun won't be up for another hour..." she sighed. "By then it may be too late for the missing hiker."

"Let's hope not..." he told her, pulling her back down beside him. He kissed her temple, trying to relax her again. "You need glasses," he muttered.

Scarlett rolled her eyes in the darkness. "You notice too much, Dr. Reid," she nudged him, pressing against his side. She snuggled closer, listening to his breathing until he drifted off to sleep.

This time she lay awake, considering the missing angles.