He hadn't had a full night sleep in a few nights and tonight, he was getting none at all. Glancing at his digital clock, Reid saw it was already 6:20 a.m. He had to be up in another forty minutes. He should at least close his eyes, but if he did all would see would be her.

"I can't believe I said that," he said to himself. How could he have hurt her like? He wondered how long she had cried alone in her office after he left. He wouldn't be surprised if she went directly to transferring him to another doctor. It's what he deserved anyway.

"I'm so sorry, Riley," he whispered, despite the fact that he wasn't allowed to call her that.

And that file stuck in his brain, too. George Harrison Fueller. He remembered learning about that case. The murders were suspected to have started in the early 90s. Fueller had eluded the police until 1998, put on trial in 1999 and, just as the records had stated, sentenced to a mental home with ten years to be rehabilitated. Many experts believed it couldn't be done. He was suspected to be both a sociopath, schizophrenic, and have Asperger's, making him extremely smart, anxious, and narcissistic: a dangerous combination for a serial killer. He had been abused by his grandfather as a child, had been said by previous neighbors and family members to have harmed and killed several animals, and began acting out his sexual deviance in late adolescence.

He knew Dr. Parker had to be his doctor… and he knew it was just about time for his parole. That was probably why it was out. The book she had been looking for at his first appointment made sense, too. She needed to bone up for this hearing if she was going to keep him locked away, as her notes suggested she wanted.

He rolled over and stared at the clock. Maybe he should go to her office in the morning and apologize. Really apologize, which he should have done when he left. He couldn't believe how stupid he was being. IQ just didn't help when it came to problems with woman.

But apologies had to wait. The team took a flight to Sacramento that morning to track down a team of unsubs killing college students over the last month. Hopefully, it would be routine and they would be back home within the next day or so.

Around Thursday afternoon, however, they were no closer to catching either the two killers than Monday morning and, with no new victims, the trail was going cold. While Hotch, Rossi, and Prentiss were out following what few leads Garcia had tracked down back in Quantico, Reid stood alone at the Sacramento P.D. break room, staring at the organized bulletin board of evidence, trying to piece things together.

It wasn't easy. He was still so distracted and the longer they spent here, the more his mind drifted. Reid wanted to be concerned about the case, but worrying about total strangers was difficult when your mind couldn't be pulled away from its own problems.

"Reid," Morgan said, walking in, a Styrofoam cup of coffee in his hand. "You alright man? You've been staring at that for about fifteen minutes. You got anything?"

"No," he said. "Sorry, I dazed off for a second."

"What is going on with you?" Morgan asked. "It's like you're not even here. You haven't been here for this entire case and I'm not the only one who's noticed either. If Hotch thinks you're too distracted or you're a liability-"

"Hotch already thinks I'm a liability." Reid snapped, turning back to the board. "If he didn't, he wouldn't have sent me to therapy."

"Is that what this is about?" He said, taking a seat.

Reid knew Morgan wasn't going to let this go. Maybe he could use a male companion to confide in. After all, Morgan knew more about women than he did. He took a deep breath, turned and took a seat at the table.

"Alright, you know I've been seeing Dr. Parker." He stated plainly. From the questioning look on Morgan's face, Reid quickly clarified. "Professionally. Professionally only, she's my therapist, that's all."

"Okay, what about her?"

"I don't know." He said. "I… we never got off on the right foot to begin with… I don't think I know how to handle this."

"What? Having feelings for someone you have a business relationship with?"

"I don't have feelings for her. She is a bit of a distraction, but that's only because I've never met anyone like her. When she does show her real self," he recalled nostalgically, thinking of the rare occasions she had acted more than just civil towards him, "she becomes this incredible human being. Someone I would imagine anyone would want to be around. Like last week, I actually made her laugh for a moment. And in that moment, she seemed just so open and care free." Once again, Morgan was smirking and laughing silently. Reid cut him off before he could make a comment. "Most of the time, though, we don't get along. I'm already insufferable with her because, well… I think this therapy is completely unnecessary. I've said that, though. And she…" He took a pause to think exactly what he wanted to say. "I'm not making any sense, am I?"

"No, but it's a refreshing new pace for you."

"I told her she was cold and unfeeling."

"Whoa," he exclaimed. "Why?"

"I didn't mean to. She mentioned… she mentioned something about her mother and I could tell she had deep rooted unresolved issues with her. I said because of issues like that, it's why some woman focus on their careers and become so callous and cruel. I didn't mean she was cruel."

"Reid, you never tell a woman she's cold or cruel, even if she is. I can't even believe someone would think she's mean. I haven't spent as much time with her as you have, but we had a nice talk during my evaluation."

"You talked with her? Like really talked?"

"Yeah. My evaluation only took about ten minutes so we spent the rest of hour just talking. She's really nice, and funny."

"She couldn't get away from me fast enough when I was done."

"No offense, kid, but you did cancel three times."

"I also knocked her into the dirt when I met her." He admitted. He left out staring at her for two hours. "And I… spit on her carpet."

"Oh, geez, Reid, what are you going to do next? Run over her cat?" Morgan asked. "I don't blame her for not liking you then. Look, if you feel guilty, then just apologize. But, I'm going to be honest, man. I'm know I'm going to sound like something out of Cosmo, but you are never going to feel comfortable about her or around her until you admit you have feelings for her.

"I don't have feelings for her." He urged, hoping saying it out loud with defiance would convince himself. He looked at the board again, and suddenly things began to click.

"Wait," he said, rushing to the board. "Call Emily, I know what we've been missing."

Morgan pulled out his cell phone as Reid worked with the board. All he had needed to do was clear his head.

He had been working out what he was going to say since the plane ride Thursday evening. As Sunday grew closer, he felt the familiar, nervous sensation in his stomach grow with each passing hour, yet both Friday and Saturday seemed to drag.

At quarter to twelve, Reid arrived for his appointment and spoke with the receptionist. He still wasn't sure if, and to whom, Dr. Parker had turned his case over. He explained to the receptionist he was there for his appointment and she called on the phone.

"Alright," she said. "I'll be sure to tell him." She hung up the phone. Reid sat up anxiously. Tell him what?

"Dr. Parker is finishing up a meeting with Dr. Andrews. You can go in as soon as he's finished."

"So… I'm still Dr. Parker's patient?" he asked. Did his voice just crack?

"I already told you, you've been permanently reassigned to her. If you have a problem wit her, you need to take it up with your boss." She rolled her eyes and went back to her computer. Reid didn't bother to respond. He could feel his own heartbeat quicken in his chest. Dr. Andrews better not take too long.

About twenty minutes later, Dr. Andrews emerged and quickly left the waiting room, giving neither Reid nor the receptionist any recognition. Quickly, Reid rushed down the corridor to 202, not bothering to knock.

Startled, Dr. Parker jumped as he rushed in. "Sorry," Reid said.

"Dr. Reid," she said, and her voice sounded soft. "I'm sorry I kept you waiting."

"It's alright," he said. "Can we get started, please? There's something I need to say."

"Of course," she replied, taking her usual chair. He sat next to her on the couch. She cut him off just as he was about to speak. "Dr. Reid, I think I know what you want to say and… I want to tell you it's not necessary."

"What's not necessary?" he asked, alarmed.

"Well, I might be off track here, but… you were going to apologize for last week's remark, weren't you?"

She was good. "Yes,"

"Like I said, it's not necessary; I don't blame you for thinking that."

"Dr. Parker, I don't-"

"No, please, let me finish. I haven't been fair. Let me explain." She pulled out the Fueller file, but didn't open it. "I've been dealing with a difficult case that was handed to me about a year ago. It's getting… very stressful. This inmate is about to be put up for parole and… it's going to be difficult because I feel he's not ready to be released. I don't think he ever will be ready for release. He's a dangerous man and I, somehow, have to prove it. It's not an easy task and I don't have much to work with."

"That must be difficult." Reid expressed.

"Extremely," She agreed. "See… the day you, finally, got your evaluation done was the day the parole date was set. I had known the day was coming for almost a month, but that was the day it was official. It's two weeks from tomorrow, actually. I was already in a foul mood that day and… it was unprofessional of me, I admit, but it is the reason. Not that you showing up late and running into me was helpful, but you weren't to blame. I don't think we've been able to get over that first meeting, and with the date getting closer and my nerves getting the best of me, I think that's why I've been… so cold. I'm sorry."

This completely threw him off course. "I wasn't expecting this." He explained. "I thought you would have turned me to another doctor or something. I was set to come here and beg for forgiveness, I didn't anticipate to be accepting yours."

"Do you?" she asked.

Reid looked into her eyes, and he saw the sparkle of diamond dust he had seen on the first day. He wasn't sure why, but he reached out his hand and took hers. "Of course I do." He said. "I don't think you're cold. Really, I don't."

She smiled and he felt a warm, wonderful sensation when she squeezed his hand back. A second later, she let go. Reid didn't fight her. "Do you want to get out of here?"

"What?" She was full of surprises today.

"Well, it's Sunday afternoon, and I haven't eaten yet, so… why don't I take you out to lunch and we can have both this and last weeks' sessions then?"

Reid nodded. "I'd like that, Dr. Parker."

She muttered a laugh. "Dr. Reid, you can call me Riley."

"Well, Riley… you can call me Spencer."

She smiled. "Spencer," she repeated.

His ears rang with the sound of his first name; and Reid knew he was in love with her.