Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds, though I wish I did.

Author's Note: Hello, everyone. And a shout-out to ahowell1993, tannerose5, Pinksparkk, LyokoHacker, Niniell, flysax, and brendafay for reviewing Chapter 1, favoring, and following.

Please, do enjoy my story and please review; new ideas and constructive criticism are always appreciated.

Reid hangs up his phone and placed it back into his pants pocket; he's been trying to get in touch with Élise, but no success. He called her before he dropped Anastasia off at the daycare and again just now. He was hoping she could help him and the team out with a local DC case. He always appreciates Élise's help and contribution to the team. Come to think of it, it was now a year since he hired her to be Anastasia's nanny. An entire year; technically, a year and six days, but still, a year. Just thinking back to some of the most memorable moments he had with her from the first moment they met…

"Dr. Reid?"

"You must be Élise Bastien?"

"Good." Facing Anastasia; her eyes focusing on him. "Okay, Anastasia. I'm leaving you with Élise. Be good for her and I'll be back as soon as I can, alright?" He taps her nose, causing her to giggle. Élise chuckled.

Running to where Anastasia and Élise were; Élise had a dark blanket wrapped around her and JJ was rocking a bawling Anastasia in her arms. "Anastasia! Élise!"

"Dr. Reid!"

"Are either of you hurt?!"

"We're okay! We're okay! We're not hurt! When I hear the gunshots, I grabbed Anastasia and hid behind the jungle gym."

Élise noticed Reid was a bit distracted. "Are you okay, Doctor?"

"Uh….well….I…not really."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Turning to face Élise, "Maybe it's none of my business? Or perhaps, I should…"

"Wait." Reid stopped Élise. "I could talk about it."

"Yeah." Reid chuckled nervously before giving Élise a quick peck on the cheek. Élise was quite shocked by this, putting her hand on her cheek. "Oh! I'm sorry. It's…tradition." Reid explained.

"Oh." Élise smiled, "Well, to keep the tradition going in that case." Élise gave him a quick peck right back on his cheek; it was a bit of a reach for her since he was much taller than her.

Soon, there was a quiet silence between the two of them; looking into each other's eyes. Their eyes closed. Their chins tilted up. And then their lips touched. They shortly stayed together before opening their eyes, taking a slight step back from each other. Élise now had one of her hands on her lips. She felt the chills and tingling in her lips from the touch of his with her fingers. Reid just stood stilled; he didn't even blink.

Reid soon noticed her round-almond dark brown eyes then her lips. Élise first noticed his hazel eyes before staring at his lips. They could feel the tension on leaning towards each other before, […]

Élise in a petite midnight blue velvet off-the-shoulder-cap-sleeves sheath dress. […]

"Hey." Reid was studded. All he could think was wow. Élise was breath-taking. Like a beauty queen from a movie scene, quoting Michael Jackson's Billie Jean.

"Hey." Élise was studded also, nervously stood there. Dr. Spencer Reid…in a black tuxedo…was beyond her wildest dreams; […]

They had another quick laugh. Soon, there was a quiet silence between the two of them; looking into each other's eyes. Silence filled the air, but their eyes were speaking to each other. Telling them. Tempting them too…Soon, their eyes closed. They could feel the tension on leaning towards each other before their lips touched. They shortly stayed together before pulling back and opening their eyes.

They kissed again. Again, they kissed. Kissed…they…again.

Élise had her fingers on her lips. From the touch of his lips, the chills and tingles in her lips were more intense than before. She could still feel the electric touches of his skin from his fingers touching the end pieces of her hair, her neck, and ear. Reid was still; he didn't even blink but could only lick his lips before biting them down. The touch from tracing her skin and hair was electrifying as well as her fingers touching his skin and his ear. […]

It was really some year…

After the debriefing, which the case involved middle-age people who were assaulted in broad daylight and left unconscious with either no memory or apparent connection to each other, Reid walked to Prentiss and asked her,

"Hey, Prentiss. Have you heard from Élise?"

"No, why?"

"I haven't heard from her. I've been calling but she's not answering her phone; both her house and cell, it just goes straight to voicemail. Look," Pulling out his phone and dials Élise's cell number.

"Hello. You've reached Dr. Élise Bastien. I can't take your call right now, but please leave a detailed message. Thank you."

"Maybe she's been busy," Prentiss thought. "Or she got a new phone with a different number."

"She did update her cell phone, but she would have told me if she changed her number. This is not like her. At all." Reid was worried about Élise, but he tried to hide it from Prentiss, who did not seem to notice.

"Okay. Just come with us to the crime scene with JJ and help interview the victims for at least a couple of hours and if she's still not answering, head over to her place to make sure everything's okay, alright?" Prentiss suggested.

"Alright."

Keeping word to her promise, Prentiss allowed Reid to head over to Élise's place when her phones went straight to voicemail again for the umpteenth time. After parking and stepping out of the black SUV in front of the Langley, Élise's apartment building, Reid headed straight for there. It was quiet; it was always quiet, but Reid was already started to sense that it was awfully too quiet. Sure, he could always hear his footsteps as he was walking the halls, but there was just something that was not feeling right with him.

He calls her house phone again as he was walking. Pressing the phone to his ear when he finally reached the door, he began to hesitate a bit when he heard the loud ringing through the door. Gently placing one hand on the wooden door, he startled again that the door gave in.

It wasn't locked.

Knowing an unlocked door was never a good sign, he quickly grabs his revolver out from his holster and bursts inside her apartment. His eyes flashed at every corner until something struck his attention.

A lone dark wooden chair in the middle of the room, lying down on the floor.

Old and abandoned mail and papers almost everywhere on the floor.

A small pool of blood.

The living room was a mess.

His hunch was right…

Something's happens to Élise.