"Last thing I remember
I was running for the door
I had to find a passage back
To the place I was before."-The Eagles 'Hotel California'

Morning found the agents awakened by the scent of coffee and other amazing aromas. Rossi and Morgan shuffled their way to the kitchen both internally noting that they were getting way too old to be crashing just anywhere anymore. Morgan was not surprised to find Maggie bustling around the kitchen preparing enough food to feed a small army. Rossi was unprepared for the sight. He muttered softly to Morgan.

"The kid hit the jackpot."

Morgan just smiled.

"What's on the menu this morning, Maggie?"

"Everything I could lay my hands on, you know how I am when I'm nervous."

And she was not exaggerating. There were eggs, sausage and bacon, biscuits, pancakes, fresh fruit and she was just pulling a coffee cake out of the oven followed by muffins."

"Maggie, sit down, there's more than enough for us here."

"I can't sit Derek. I just can't stay still."

Rossi looked up from the butter melting into his warm pumpkin muffin.

"Where's Reid?"

"He's taking a shower. I told him I'd be okay down here with two armed agents."

They were soon joined by Hotch, J.J., Prentiss and Garcia who were all surprised by the food laid before them. Hotch was the first to speak.

"Maggie you didn't have to go to all of this trouble."

Before Maggie could respond, Morgan spoke up.

"This isn't much beyond her normal morning routine. Haven't you all noticed that the kid's been putting on a few pounds lately? Woman cooks like a demon."

Maggie blushed but she had been proud of the fact that Spencer had taken to a healthier weight and she knew a good part of it was that she made him eat on a regular basis.

"I think I'd weigh a thousand pounds if I lived here."

That was Emily who was digging into the coffee cake. And J.J. grunted in agreement as she shoveled a forkful of pancakes into her mouth. Garcia was hovering at the fruit.

"I should be good. I should be good."

"Nonsense, buddy, you should eat a well rounded breakfast so you are well fueled for your day."

At this point Spencer entered the kitchen and was for a moment overtaken by a happy feeling as he saw what looked like a happy and functional family enjoying the most important meal of the day. And then the reality hit him again and he quickly grabbed a biscuit before taking the note up and studying it again. This caused a frown to cloud Hotch's features. He understood better than the others Reid's desire to work this case and get it behind him but it worried him that he was so thrown into it that he couldn't even enjoy the warmth of family. But the work had breached the meal and he knew it was useless to push it away any longer.

"Maggie, what's your schedule today?"

Spencer's head shot up.

"She's cancelling classes and staying in today."

"Reid, you know that's not the best way to handle this. She needs to go about her business and that will allow the unsub to feel like he did a positive thing sending her a gift. It reinforces the relationship for him and keeps things peaceful and keeps her out of harm's way."

"Hotch, I wouldn't have stayed home all day anyway. I only have one class today and then afternoon office hours. Normally I would have a department meeting but there was a conflict with one of my colleagues so we rescheduled."

"You cannot be allowed to be alone. Reid is going to be with you because he'd drive himself and the rest of us nuts if he weren't but we need someone else there too. We don't know for sure if the unsub would try to harm Reid but it's well within possibility and I don't want to take any chances."

Morgan immediately volunteered to go to work with her. Hotch turned to him.

"Okay, Morgan, you take today and we'll take turns on guard duty. The rest of us will head to the office. We have more resources to investigate this there. Garcia, you're doing a wonderful job but you need your whole office. Prentiss, you come over here this evening and stay the night and I'll be here in the morning to relieve you and see her through her day tomorrow and we'll go from there."

Maggie looked up worriedly.

"How long is this going to be?"

Spencer drew her into an embrace.

"We have no way of knowing but we won't let you be vulnerable to this jerk."

At her office, Morgan was briefing Maggie about how they would finish going about her day. They had already gone to her normal coffee shop, not wanting to break any pattern that she may have established in her relatively short time here at Georgetown.

"So you have one class and it's this morning?"

"Yeah, it's a freshman class so it's huge and I'm afraid I don't know all of the students to know if anyone is out of place."

"That's okay; we know a little of what kind of body language we might be looking for. What do you do after class?"

"Get lunch, there's no real pattern. Sometimes I order out, sometimes I go out either alone or with a coworker and sometimes I bring my lunch."

"What is the plan for today?"

"I didn't bring anything so you guys tell me what I should do."

"We'll go out. Well, you two will eat together and I'll sit nearby and see what I can see."

"Is that safe for Spencer?"

"I will be right there and I won't let anything happen to him."

After her class where Reid and Morgan saw nothing to cause them alarm, Maggie and Spencer went to one of her favorite places to grab lunch. It was a little family run deli. Spencer took her hand and leaned to kiss her cheek. She looked scared.

"Won't that make him angry if you show me affection? Won't he be more likely to hurt you?"

"It might make him angry but that will just drive him to make contact which will give us more information. We are safe, don't worry."

He wished his words sounded surer.

Over lunch, they tried to act like a normal engaged couple until Ron, the proprietor of the deli came over to their table.

"Miss Maggie, do we get to meet your beau?"

"Of course, Ron. This is Dr. Spencer Reid. Spencer, this is Ron. He and his family run this place. They are the kindest people."

Spencer made a mental note to check out Ron even though he knew it was probably a dead end. He had called her Maggie and therefore knew that she preferred it. Besides, there was nothing jealous in his demeanor and his congratulations when she spoke of their upcoming wedding rang true.

Office hours went smoothly with only a few of her students stopping by for help on an upcoming project. And the three went home to find Emily standing on the porch waiting for them and holding a package that was there when she walked up.