Okay, couldn't do it. I had to finish this story soon. Just a heads up, this story will be done by June 30, cause then I'm going on a fanfic hiatus for a month. Anyway, also note that I'm not really doing quotes anymore. I'm a little tired of searching for them all the time.

Stella's POV

Later that night, everyone left except for Hotch and Reid. The fragrance of fresh roses filled the air of the apartment.

"I think I'm getting a headache from all these flowers," I declared, closing the door behind Garcia as she left around midnight.

"Me too," Spencer agreed, glancing around him at the 'indoor greenhouse'. "I can't believe he brought you all of these. It's my job to bring you flowers."

I hugged him close, savoring the feel of his bony, slender body against mine.

"Hey, you guys, I'm gonna walk Hotch down to his car. Reid, stay as late as you want," Emily called, pulling on a sweater and slipping her hand into Hotch's.

"I'll take you up on that," he replied, leading me over to the couch.

As soon as Emily and Aaron were out the door, I snuggled closer to Spencer, wanting to feel him next to me.

"We've got at least ten minutes," I whispered suggestively.

"Actually, we have eleven minutes and thirty-three sec—" Reid began. I cut him off when I pressed my lips firmly against his. Immediately, his hand slipped underneath my tank top and pressed against the small of my back. I snaked one arm around his neck and clutched at his shirt with the other. He slid his other hand up my arm and squeezed it gently.

The firm grip he had on me suddenly paralyzed me with fear as I flashed back to my captivity and being raped. I gasped and scrambled away from Reid, leaving him looking like a whipped dog.

"Did I hurt you?" he wanted to know anxiously, wisely staying where he was.

I shook my head. " No, you didn't hurt me. At least, you didn't mean to, anyway. It was just the way you touched me—it reminded me of when he…raped me."

The expression that crossed Reid's face made me sorry I'd said anything. Why hadn't I just told him he'd pressed a bruise too hard? Instead, I'd made him feel terrible.

"Oh, Spencer, I'm so sorry," I apologized, rushing to his side and taking his hands in mine. "I didn't mean it like that."

He refused to look up, but he mumbled, "it's okay."

"No, it's not okay," I insisted. "I hurt you just now and I didn't mean to. Spence, it isn't that you remind me of him, it's just that the way you held me reminded me of the way he held me."

Reid looked up and his eyes were filled with sadness. "I didn't mean to remind you of him," he whispered. "I just wanted to hold you."

I pulled both of his arms around me and nestled myself against him. "And I want you to hold me, too. It's just going to…take a little time."

Spencer kissed the top of my head. "I'll be here as long as it takes," he told me quietly.

"I know you will," I replied sleepily.

Emily's POV

When Emily got upstairs, Reid was carrying a sleeping Stella upstairs. She looked completely worn out and he didn't look very well rested either. When he came back down, she handed him a beer, even though he didn't normally drink.

"You look like hell," Emily told him very simply.

Reid shrugged and took a long swig of the cold beverage. "I'm worried about Stella."

"That makes two of us, plus the team. So I guess that means seven of us are worried," Emily replied, downing some of her drink as well.

"I touched her the wrong way a minute ago and she nearly came unglued," Reid told her, tucking some hair behind his ear.

"Reid, you do realize that she was raped thirteen times, right? It's no wonder she's scared of anyone touching her like that!" For a moment, Emily was quiet and then she looked up sharply. "Exactly how were you touching her?" she asked sharply.

Stella's POV

When I woke up, I was lying in my room. The clock beside my bed said 4PM, which meant I'd been asleep for an hour. I wondered how I'd gotten there, but then I remembered Spencer bringing me upstairs. He had gently placed me in the middle of the bed, kissed my forehead, and whispered 'I love you' to me.

I got up and splashed some cold water on my face to wake me up, then headed downstairs. Emily was washing up dishes and trying to work around all the roses.

"I know Rossi meant well, but he got you way to many roses!" Emily declared when she heard me coming down.

"He's such a sweet guy. They're all really sweet. I was a little overwhelmed," I admitted, sitting down on a barstool.

"I could tell," Emily replied, smiling and raising her eyebrows. "Would you like something to drink?"

I nodded. "Just a Diet Dr. Pepper."

She handed me one out of the fridge and then went back to washing up the dirty dishes silently. I knew she was waiting for me to talk.

"I think I hurt Reid's feelings," I said quietly.

"How?" she asked innocently, even though I was fairly sure that she already knew what had happened.

"We were…kissing on the sofa and he just squeezed my arm. For some reason, it reminded me of how he had touched me. It scared me and I think it scared him, too." I sighed and took long swallow of my drink.

"He understands, Stella. I'm sure he does. He's been through a similar experience, minus the…well, you know."

"Minus the rape. Yes, I know he has. But the whole thing got me to thinking about what happens when we get married. Will I act the same way on our wedding night? Speaking of which, I wanted to be pure when I got married and now I've been…" I searched for the right word. "…violated."

Emily put down her dishrag and walked over to me. "Stella, Reid loves you just the way you are. He doesn't think of you as damaged. He loves you unconditionally. You're really lucky to have found someone like him."

"You've got someone like him, too," I reminded her. "Hotch."

"Yes, except that Hotch hasn't proposed to me yet."

I just smiled as she turned away. Somehow I didn't think it would be much longer before he did propose.