County Hospital

Agent Hotchner had promised to bring Karen to the hospital by 9 am Thursday morning. Ann-Elise was beginning to get restless as she waited. Reid had spent the night at the hospital and he was again sitting beside the bed.

"What time is it?" Reid looked at his watch, for the third time.

"Ten until nine. Knowing the time is not going to get her here faster."

"I know." Ann-Elise sighed. "Spence, I can hear your stomach growling. Why don't you go get something to eat? My breakfast is already here." She pointed to the I.V. "I'll be fine waiting alone for a few minutes." They both looked up as the door opened. It was Agent Hotchner.

"Are you up for a visitor?" Hotchner barely had time to open the door fully before Karen rushed into the room. She crossed to the bed and gave Ann-Elise a hug, being careful not to touch the I.V. and oxygen tubes.

"Are you alright?"

"I am now." Karen stood up and looked at her best friend like she hadn't seen her in years.

"You've lost weight."

"You disappeared."

"I'm sorry. It wasn't my choice." Hotchner cleared his throat.

"We'll let you two get caught up."

"Agent Hotchner, would you please take Spence to the cafeteria and make him eat something?" Hotchner nodded, grabbed Reid's arm and pulled him out the door before the young agent could argue.

Karen sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Doesn't seem real, does it?"

"No." Ann-Elise looked at her best friend trying to find the right words, and then decided there were no right words. "What happened to you? Where were you?"

"Wayne's house. The basement was set up like a mini-house. It was the craziest thing – he thought I was his fiancée. As long as I played along, he was nice to me."

"He didn't hurt you? Or try to . . . touch you?"

"No, he didn't even try. He kept making plans about our wedding. He even asked what I wanted as a wedding gift."

"Leslie?"

"That's what he called me. How did you . . . ."

"He said something about me being Leslie's gift."

"Oh Ann. . . he took you because . . . I didn't think . . ."

"What?" Karen stood up. Ann-Elise was afraid she was going to leave the room. "Karen?"

"He asked me what I wanted for a wedding gift. I told him I was lonely and I wanted my best friend to be there. He took you because I asked him to." Ann-Elise laughed and then immediately winced.

"Can't laugh – it hurts. Karen, you can't seriously blame yourself. He's insane, a psycho – this isn't your fault. Come back here please." Karen sat down in the chair next to the bed.

"I didn't think he would . . . . he hurt you."

"Wayne came to my house; one of the F.B.I. agents was there, with me. He thought we were . . . having a relationship. . . ."

"Were you?"

"Karen Wilson! You know that would take a vow in front of a priest and a ring on my finger first."

"Which agent?"

"Spencer Reid."

"The guy that was here? Well. . . ."

"Karen, don't you give me that look. I may be hurt, but I can still take you."

"I bet you could."

"Karen, what happened to Wayne? No one's told me."

"One of the agents shot him. He was in the hospital but now he's in jail."

"Do you know which agent shot him?"

"I don't."

"Spencer's avoided talking about what happened at the school."

Reid and Hotchner returned after an hour. Hotchner took Karen home and then went to the office. He gave Reid until that afternoon to report in to work. Despite their limited time to be together Spencer Reid and Ann-Elise Miller spent the next twenty minutes in a comfortable silence – both obviously in deep thought. Finally, Reid gently took her hand in his and cleared his throat.

"Ann, I need to tell you something." He waited for her to look at him before he continued. "I heard Hotch telling you what happened, when you . . . got hurt. He didn't tell you everything." Ann-Elise could see that whatever Reid was dealing with was quite painful and she wanted to interrupt him, tell him to stop, not to tell her whatever it was he had to say. She also had a feeling he had to tell her.

"You . . . getting hurt . . . was my fault. When Hotchner saw you, he told me to stay back, out of sight. I looked, you weren't struggling, you weren't fighting back. He was chocking you and you did nothing. It looked like you had given up." He stopped and looked at her, maybe wanting confirmation to his theory.

"I don't remember Spence. I don't know how I felt. It wouldn't surprise me that you're right. I don't want you to blame yourself. This isn't your fault."

"It is! I am so sorry. I stepped out, he saw me and that's when he stabbed you. I was what made him attack you. Hotch had been talking to him." Ann-Elise grabbed Reid's hand hard. He looked like he was about to cry and she didn't want that to happen.

"Spencer, listen. This is not your fault. I don't blame you and you shouldn't. . ." He wasn't listening, he kept blaming himself and apologizing. She needed to get his attention – she used her best teacher voice.

"Spencer Reid, listen to me." It worked – he looked at her, shocked. "You are the second person today to try and take blame for something that is not your fault. You didn't have that knife if your hand. You didn't decide to hurt me. It is not your fault." She took a deep breath and then continued. "I think I would have been more hurt, and I mean heart hurt, if you hadn't of tried to help me."

They again spent a minute in silence – neither sure what to say. Reid broke the silence.

"You're shaking. Are you alright?"

"I'm tired. I feel drugged."

"You are drugged." They both smiled. "I've upset you and you need to rest." Reid stood up and turned to leave.

"Stay. Please." He stopped and turned back to face her. "Will you stay until I fall asleep?"

Reid walked back and stood next to the bed. After a moment of indecision he leaned over, brushed her bangs back and kissed her on the forehead.

"I'll be here when you wake up." He sat down and took her hand in his. Ann-Elise closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Reid"Bono wrote, 'Sometimes you can't make it on your own.'"