Some time passed and they both calmed down. Reid grabbed a tissue off the side table; Riley took it with appreciation and dabbed her eyes. Those beautiful brown eyes…

He couldn't think like that anymore. His hand remained clasped in her undamaged one. Reid squeezed it, pulling her attention.

"Riley," he began. "I know you don't want to talk about this… but we need to go over what happened to you."

As hard as it was for Riley to relive it, it was just as hard for Reid to listen. He knew full well she went through it because of him. Had his love not been as strong and stubborn as she was, Riley would be lost in an unmarked grave somewhere in the city.

She didn't object, however, nodding and blotting her eyes. Her attention was down at her lap. Reid watched as her untamed curls collided around her, framing her face. "Where should I start?"

"How about… after that jerk left you in the rain…"

She looked up, a newfound glow in her eyes. She smiled lightly, placing her hand behind his head, pulling them closer. Riley kissed his cheek. She sat back and gazed into his eyes, lost in the hazel glow. "Don't call my best friend a jerk."

It didn't last long. She looked away again, her eyes staring off to the left side, trying to access the memory center of her brain. "I was angry… I just started walking. The rain got really frigid, it was like ice…" She noticed him flinch hearing she was stuck in the freezing rainfall. "If you're going to keep getting upset, maybe I should tell this to one of your friends."

"No," Spencer said. "I'm sorry. Continue."

"I walked for a long time…" She conveniently left out her own thoughts. Internally debating what she had just done, once again breaking the heart of the man she loved; the only man who ever convinced her she was worth something. "…my feet seemed to move on their own."

It fit the profile, Reid noticed. "…it got dark… the pavement was really slick and I remembered thinking Mary Jane saddle shoes are not the best all weather footwear." She noticed Reid stifle a small laugh. Riley was glad, smiling with him. "I kept walking and… I didn't run into any strange people, I got into my neighborhood, it's more residential. I remembering hearing things… a car door slammed… some dogs barking… but nothing life threatening… and then I thought my footsteps started to sound weird."

"Weird how?" Reid asked.

Riley opened her mouth to carry on, faltering. Reid had shifted in his seat absentmindedly, his hand leaving the grasp of hers and slid idly on inner thigh, just above her knee. Riley knew he hadn't meant to do it; it was habit. He used to do that all the time… and Riley took a moment, savoring his touch, before snapping back to the present. "Uh… like they were echoing. But I was still so distracted, it didn't register in my mind." She barely heard her own words, loving the feel of his hand there.

"When I finally came to my senses… I thought it might have been you following me… but you wouldn't do that to me… I was hoping it was because the alternative was far more severe… I could feel him getting closer… until he was right behind me." The effort of remembering had increased the current pain in her head. She reached up and rubbed her forehead.

"Another headache?" he asked.

"Yeah… anyway, I decided to turn, just to… see who it was… and that's when he hit me."

"You're lucky," Reid said, his other hand reaching over to give a gentle brush to her bruised cheek. "If you hadn't turned when you did, he'd have hit you in the back of the head. It probably would have knocked you out."

"I thought I was going to pass out, it hurt so bad." She closed her eyes, like the memory itself was stinging her. "I couldn't even fathom what had happened at first… well… it knocked me off my feet… and when I fell, my ankle twisted under me… he… pulled me up… I tried to fight him off…"

"Riley," Reid said, leaning closer to her. "You did fight him off. You survived."

Before she could stop herself, she spoke again, letting another wave of tears fall. "You know the whole time I was struggling with him… I was scared, knowing he wanted to dump me in a shallow grave so no one would ever find me… and I kept thinking any minute… Spencer's going to show up and save me… again…"

He couldn't help being disturbed this time. "I shouldn't have left you. I am so sorry."

"Stop apologizing." She said, her watery eyes opening. "I'm not mad… anyway… several minutes of struggle felt like hours… I kept screaming for help… I felt like I was on autopilot, I don't even remember thinking, just reacting… finally, he threw me onto the pavement. I hit my head and by the time I finally got up… he had run off… I searched for my phone, but it had gotten smashed… I tried to get up, but I couldn't walk on my ankle… so I just sat there…" he hand went up to her stitches again. "I held my head, trying to stop the bleeding."

"Did you see his face?" Reid asked, though he was sure he knew the answer.

Riley shook her head. "I saw him, but… I can't remember it… I don't know, maybe I would recognize him if I came face to face with him again, but-"

"Excuse me, Miss Parker?" a man said at the door.

Reid turned and saw a young doctor standing at the door. He recognized him immediately, having no idea the young man was in the city of Seattle.

"Yes?" Riley asked.

"You don't remember me?" he asked, stepping in. "You were in here a few weeks ago for an ultrasound. I'm-"

"Maria's brother," Reid blurted out. Both Riley and the doctor looked at him surprised. "You're Maria Engles' brother."

He was immediately disturbed that Reid knew that. He shifted back towards the door cautiously, as if Reid was some creepy stalker.

"How do you know that?" Riley asked.

"Emily and I interviewed Linda Engles on Saturday. She had photos all over the room of her children." He looked back at the doctor. "One of them is you."

"You can recognize me from a photo you only saw once?" He was skeptic. "But you are right. I'm Dr. James Engles, you can call me Jimmy. Maria was my sister."

"I'm very sorry for your loss," Reid said, standing up to shake his hand. "I'm investigating your sister's murder." He knew he should be sympathetic to a victim's family member, but his thoughts slipped elsewhere. Reid turned back to Riley, questioning. "Ultrasound for what?"

"My headaches," She explained. "I went to the doctor about them a few weeks ago. Dr… Engles, Jimmy – sorry I didn't catch your name last time – he did an ultrasound on my carotid artery."

"Did he find anything?" he asked.

"That's not really relevant right now, Dr. Reid." Riley deflected, a way to urge him to stay on topic.

He got the hint, "Right, I'm… sorry. We've been trying to track you down; your… mother made it out that all her sons weren't in contact with her."

"That's because we're not," Dr. Engles explained. "I don't believe our mother is exactly… sane."

Again, Reid didn't take that so easily. So many people would claim someone they knew was crazy, just because they acted a little different or against the normal rules of society. Reid knew. He knew what it was like, every day, to deal with someone who was out of their mind. The physical and emotional tolls it took on a person were devastating and it couldn't be understood – truly understood – unless it was experienced first hand.

While he didn't show any reaction, Riley watched him carefully as she said "You're not the first person we heard state that."

"Look, I don't know for sure, but I did grow up with the woman and… I suspect my mother might be bipolar or something."

"Really?" Reid asked. He took a glance at Riley. This was supposed to be her area of expertise. "Why do you say that?"

"It wasn't so bad when I was young, I just thought she was strict, but… once I got older, I understood a lot of the things she did… weren't right. She'll be happy one minute and then screaming the next. She'll start half baked projects and never finish them. Things got really bad after my father died, and Maria got the worst of it all."

"Why Maria?" Riley asked.

"She was the only girl. Mom always had so many ideas and thoughts for Maria, but Maria had her own dreams for the future. Mom didn't like people messing up her plans. We had done enough damage in that area, apparently. Kids were not supposed to be apart of her life experience… and then Maria made her announcement and Mom was furious. She'd finally gotten her life to herself and now she'd have another kid to care for."

Reid had a suspicion. "You mean Maria was pregnant."

"Yeah… I did the ultrasound myself about a week ago. I told Maria that I would take care of her, she would never have to burden Mom."

"She told her anyway?" Riley suspected.

Jimmy nodded. "Maria hadn't told anyone else yet, not even her friends. She was planning on dropping out of school and getting a job… Mom was furious, she wanted her to get rid of it, but Maria wouldn't listen. I talked to Maria Friday night and I told her to meet me. She was at the movies with a friend, the theater wasn't that far away so she decided to walk…" He looked at the ground in obvious distress. Maria was going to meet him when she went missing, that would be enough to drive anyone insane with guilt. "Listen, I heard you were here, but I didn't know why. I just wanted to check on you."

"Why do you care?" Reid asked, what looked like jealousy seeped through in his tone.

"Miss Parker told me about her headaches, when I did her ultrasound." Jimmy stated. "I was concerned for her, they sounded severe. I wasn't informed on what her condition was today; I thought it had something to do with that."

"It doesn't," Reid affirmed, resentful. "And as you can see Doctor Parker is well taken care of. You don't need to be here."

"Yes, it would appear so." Jimmy said. A bit thrown off by Reid, he looked to Riley. "Well, I need to get back to work. Please keep me informed. I'd like to help you anyway I can."

Without another word, he slipped out the door. Reid turned to face Riley, surprised that she looked to a great extent annoyed.

"What was that?" she asked, her arms folded themselves over her chest.

"What?" He shrugged.

Riley continued. "There's no reason for you to be jealous and even if there was, it doesn't mean you have to act like that."

"Act how? I was just pointing out the truth."

"Oh, please, did you hear yourself? It was like you were marking your territory! You may as well have just come over and peed on my leg!"

Reid couldn't think of a response to that, Riley was unpredictable a lot of the time. He knew he had been jealous, and he hadn't meant it to slip out, it just did. Riley wasn't his anymore, she hadn't been for a long time, and he didn't reserve the right to "mark his territory" as she so lovingly put it.

Morgan and Emily, having finally arrived, opened the door and entered just as Reid spoke, "I would never do that." It was the only retort he could think of.

Riley rolled her eyes; Morgan and Emily glanced at each other, thoroughly confused.