Here's the next chapter! Sorry if this gets a little boring with the lack of action; I'm trying to set up a little platonic relationship between Reid and Riley. Feel free to review what you think!

The agents saw how this affected her. This is information did make sense and they could use it. She may be a smart teenager, but she could still be mournful like the rest of them.

"Thank you for sharing that with us, Riley. Do you want to be left alone now?" Agent Rossi asked, trying to understand how this girl worked.

"Yeah, that would be best," Riley emitted. All the pride and enjoyment that was in her when she was bargaining was gone. The only thing that remained was discomfort. She was uncomfortable with her parents' deaths, she was uncomfortable about where she was at because of it, but most of all she was uncomfortable after giving up all that information about herself to these strangers. She was most uncomfortable about revealing how she thought and worked in front of these people- the very people He warned her about.

Even after the agents left, Riley kept her head bowed. She returned to her sitting position after about 15 minutes when her head felt like exploding from all of the blood rushing to it. When she looked back up, everything seemed peaceful as if the whole conversation had never happened. No one stopped and paid attention to the girl in the corner, even after her magnificent discovery.

She glanced at the table where all the agents had congregated not too long ago. Reid and Rossi were joined by a younger woman with blonde hair. The woman looked at her fellow agents with respect. She must be younger and/or less experienced, Riley thought.

Reid and Rossi continued talking in hushed tones for several minutes. The woman continued nodding her head approvingly, considering everything she was being told. Finally the men finished talking and Riley strained her ears to hear what they were saying. She knew the men must have told her of their recent discussion.

Riley listened as the woman spoke, "I details most likely do give an accurate profile for our guy. But what I want to know is how does she know all of this?"

"That's what we were having trouble grasping as well," Agent Rossi returned. "She's only 13 years old, barely through middle school, and yet she can gather information like this."

The three agents stood gazing at the table below for a few moments. Then the woman spoke again, "Reid?"

"What?" Reid shook his head slightly, clearing his thoughts and drawing them back to the people in front of him.

"What do you think about this?" Rossi prompted.

"What do I think about what?"

"What do you think about this girl? How does she know all of this?" the woman persisted.

"Oh,that," Reid said, obviously distracted. He stood for another minute, trying to understand his thoughts clearly. Finally, "I'm not sure yet…"

The woman and Rossi exchanged a glance and both simply nodded. They both decided not to prod Reid anymore for his answer on this; they'd rather speculate themselves.

Either they have enough confidence in him to let him go on thinking on his own, or he's a lost cause. He doesn't seem crazy, Riley thought, he must be respected and known for thinking things through. She felt privileged to be stumping this guy with her knowledge. She smiled to herself briefly, but then wiped the smirk off her face, realizing what others would think if they caught her smiling to herself. Great, they are already judging me for what I know, I don't want to give them something else to judge me for.

Riley looked all around the room, thankfully no one was looking at her. She breathed a sigh of relief and turned her attention to the agents standing at the table.

"What makes us think we can trust her?" Seaver realized aloud.

"You have a point there; she could be giving us false information. Or maybe she's in on it and knows exactly who the unsub is," Rossi added.

"Yeah, but why would she do that?" Reid countered, "She just lost her family and now she might have to go into foster care if there's no one to take her in. If she knew who did this to her, don't you think she would want that person to brought to justice?"

"Perhaps," Rossi puzzled over the possibilities. He stood for a moment with his hand to his chin, deep in concentration. Realizing the younger agents standing there waiting for his orders, something to do, he stammered, "Oh, uh, why don't we go back to the crime scene and try to trace his escape route?"

"Good idea. The other officers are busy getting all the evidence logged, they probably haven't even though of that yet," Seaver agree as she grabbed her coat and started to leave.

"If you guys don't mind I think I'm going to stick around here and work some stuff out," Reid said.

"I don't have a problem with that. Go ahead," Rossi replied. He walked toward the door with Seaver following behind.

The two agents left the building, leaving even fewer people in it. Reid, Riley, and a few police officers remained in sight. Reid glanced over at Riley sitting in her chair. She was sitting in such a casual manner, nothing out of the ordinary, just simply staring out in front of her. Occasionally she would watch as an officer walked gym but she mainly sat still as a rock.

Reid thought he would leave her at peace so he walked over to the transparent, dry erase board that sat next to the table. He put his hand up to his chin to concentrate when a voice interrupted his thoughts.

"What is that?" Riley called from across the room.

Reid turned around to face her, "Oh, hi. It's just a dry erase board. We write information and put papers and photos that are important on it."

The girl got up and walked toward the board until she stood beside Reid. Staring up at the board looming in front of her, Reid noticed how curious she was about this. Hasn't she ever seen one of these before? Or even any kind of white board? I don't see what's so special about it, he thought to himself.

"This is a good way to gather all of your thoughts. Everything you need is up here; it's much more organized than doing it all in your head," Riley marveled.

"Don't you ever write about what you're thinking? Like in a diary or something?" Reid mused.

Bursting out in a snicker, Riley replied, "A diary; that's a classic. Diaries aren't really," she hesitated, "my style. I like to keep things to myself."

Reid nodded but was at a lack of words. There was a long silence as they both gazed up at the board. Riley's eyes fixed on a photo of her father. The man she lovingly called "Dad" her whole life. His soft, gentle eyes stared back at her, seeming to support her even in the afterlife. His silent support gave her the confidence to suddenly speak her mind and open up these agents- starting with the one right beside her.

"You know, he wasn't my real father. I share no blood with the man who died last night."

"Why didn't you say that earlier?"

"It wasn't the right time," Riley replied distantly.

"What does that mean?"

"The topic never really came up. I guess I could have mentioned it when we were at the swing, but after that it would have sounded…odd. No one asked."

Reid thought for a moment, "That's not exactly one of the questions we are required to ask. Why did you call him 'Dad' then?"

"He's the only 'Dad' I've ever known. My mom said my real dad left before I was born. So, a little after I was born she remarried and I grew up with him as my father figure."

"Did you ever meet your real father?"

"No. I don't know why but he never came to visit or anything. My mom didn't even tell me about him. I found out on my own."

"How did you do that?"

"I was at the library one say and this guy came up to me. I didn't know him but he knew a lot about me- some things about me that I didn't even know. I was really young at the time so it was hard for me to understand. I remember it though."

"What did he tell you?"

"He told me stuff about my real dad…and some other things that made sense to me. I trusted him on it and it turned out to be true."

"That's it?"

"Basically," Riley said, ending the conversation. They both stood there in silence for moments. Although she was honest about this experience, Riley wasn't telling the whole truth. She had met this man and he tell her these things but there was more to the story.

As she recollected on the experience, Reid cut into her thoughts, "You're pretty mysterious, you know. It's like you want to talk, but then you hold back. It's almost like pulling teeth trying to get a complete story out of you."

"Like I said, I usually like to keep to myself. I like to keep things in my head." There's a pause before Riley continues timidly, "And hey Agent Reid?"

"Yes?"

"Could you like not tell anyone about this?"

The agent thought for a moment. Should I agree or tell the other agents about Riley? There was some important information in what she just told me. But, was it so important to the case? The only important, relevant thing was the real relationship with her father. The others would out that wasn't Riley's real father eventually, right? He decided he would keep her secrets. Maybe she would open up more if he kept his side of the bargain.

Reid finally responded, "Sure but can I ask why? Why all this secrecy?"

"It just feels kind of personal. I've never told anyone else about my dad or this other guy. They just aren't really things I talk about with other people."

"Why do you trust me then?"

Riley thought about it before replying, "I don't know…I really don't know. I feel like I can trust you…and also I was really bored sitting over there and you were alone over here."

"Well if you're so bored, would you mind if I asked you some questions about what happened last night? It is kind of my job."

"I knew this would come eventually," she sighed inwardly then continued, "I don't mind. But can we sit down first; now I'm getting tired of standing already."

"Sure," he conceded. Reid led her over to the table behind them, cleared some space, and they sat down facing each other. Reid took a small tape recorder out of a nearby bag and set it on the table.

"Alright, can you tell me what you remember? Start at the beginning."

Riley gathered her thoughts and then began, "Okay. I was sleeping, well dreaming actually because I remember while I was in the dream I felt something slicing my forehead. It wasn't really anything more than just an itch so it didn't bother me much until my felt like it was going to fall off from pain. I opened my eyes and there was this knife in my arm. I didn't know where it came from; it was just the first thing I saw when I woke up.

Reid cuts in, "Are you sure no one was there? Maybe your mind is just blocking…"

"No. I know that no on was there when I woke up."

"Alright, go on."

"I called for my parents but no one came," Riley continued with a distant, glazed look in her eyes. "So I pulled the knife out…I pulled it out and dropped it to the floor. It didn't make noise when it fell. I stepped over it and walked to my parents' room and…and found them there. Their throats were slit and there…there was blood, everywhere. And..I couldn't look at them anymore. I tried to stay calm and call 911 but the phone in the hallway didn't work. I went back to my room to get my cell phone and…and…"

The girl paused abruptly. She kept her gaze on something far behind Reid's head. He met her eyes and saw her expression; he turned around suspiciously. Behind him the murder weapon was being placed into and evidence box by a police officer.

"Riley?" Reid pushed.

She held her gaze for another moment, shook her head slightly, blinked, and looked back at Reid. "Sorry, it's just that knife. That's what I saw when I came back into my room. I saw the knife on the floor. I went and picked it up because…because…I don't know why I did but I picked it up and carried it with me. Then I walked over to my desk and picked my phone up in my free hand. I dialed 911 and talked to the lady. I walked downstairs to the kitchen. I looked out the kitchen window so I could see the backyard. It looked really nice out there and I wanted to get the image of them out of my head so I tried to get as far away as possible at that moment. When the lady told me to wait, I put the phone down on the counter and walked outside. I sat down on the swing until you and Agent Morgan came to talk to me. I didn't even really feel where he hurt me until you guys showed up. I was left alone to think and all I could think about was seeing them there. And that image hurt me inside more than I hurt outside." A single tear rolls down her cheek as she finishes.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Riley. I wish you didn't have to go through all of that. And I'm especially sorry to have to keep pushing, but that's all you can remember?"

"Yeah, that's all I can remember."

"I see."

Riley wiped a remaining tear and glanced at him, "I feel like you have more to say. Say it."

"Well, it just seems odd that the unsub got out so fast…You didn't hear him run into anything did you? Any strange noises when you woke up? Think hard."

She closed her eyes and thought about the moment she awoke. "There…there was a like…a swooshing sound. It only lasted like a second…followed by a slamming sound. It wasn't loud at all, a very dull thudding sound, but I definitely heard that as I was pulling the knife out."

"Thank you, Riley. That helps a lot…" His voice was distant and now it was his turn to gaze deep in thought.

Riley looked at him and understood he should be left alone. "Okay, I'm going back to my hole now." She got up and walked back to her seat beside the plastic plant in the corner.

Reid didn't say anything else and he didn't watch her leave. He mindlessly grabbed the recorder to turn it off while he kept his mind reeling with all of this new information. How did the killer get out so fast? What could that noise have been? Maybe Rossi and Seaver will be able to help after they've looked around there.

Knowing he couldn't continue more from here, Reid glanced back at Riley to see her resting. Her legs were outstretched in front while her arms were crossed sloppily over her stomach, and her head was tilted forward slightly. Her closed eyes were the only indication that she was truly asleep. Have I been thinking that long or does she just fall asleep fast? Well, she did have a long night, she must be tired.

An hour passed and the police station was as quiet as ever. Riley remained sleeping in her chair and Reid read through the files on the table. He read through the family's files in a few minutes, but it was the other cases, the cases concerning other unnatural deaths in the town and surrounding areas, that made the process longer. So far, there were no similar characteristics that collaborated with their recent case.

As Reid was finishing a case pertaining to a young couple killed in a house fire four months before, Rossi and Seaver entered the building and approached the long table. The portfolio did not seem relevant so Reid shut the folder and looked up at the new arrivals.

"We looked all around the house and couldn't really find any real evidence explaining how he got out," Rossi stated.

"But we do have a theory," Seaver cut in.

"Alright, what is it?" Reid took the prompt.

"He could have vanished through the upstairs window in the hallway. But the sheer drop would have been extremely painful, if not fatal. Also, the window takes a few moments to get open, it took some tinkering just for Rossi and me to open it relatively fast," Seaver stated.

'Wait…a window was fairly close? Did it fall and close after you opened it? And did it make a quiet slamming noise?" Reid asked, remembering his conversation earlier.

"Yes, how did you know?" returned Seaver.

"Riley said she heard a noise…"

"She talked to you?!" Rossi sounded shocked. "Did you record it? Can we hear it again?"

"Of course," Riley replied while digging through the large mess of folders on the table in front of him. "Aha, here it is!" he exclaimed as he pulled it out and handed it to Agent Rossi.

Rossi and Seaver each took a seat at the table to listen to the tape. As they were about to begin, Rossi's cell phone rang. He picked it up and listened to the caller. After about a minute of silence Rossi spoke into the phone, "Alright, we're all here. And Reid got something; we were going to go over it but we'll wait for you to get here." Pause. "Yup, see-ya soon."

He hung up the phone and looked to the agents sitting in front of him, "That was Hotch. Morgan and he are on their way back here now. They didn't get anything. Let's wait until they return to listen to the tape. It'll only take a few minutes.

Seaver and Reid nodded in agreement and they all grabbed a folder from the table to read through. Ten minutes later, Hotch and Morgan arrived at the station and filled remaining chairs at the table.

"What do we got here?" Hotch asked.

"Reid got Riley to talk about what happened," Rossi stated proudly, as if her had been the one that got her to talk.

"Great work Reid. Let's hear it." Hotch reached across the table, grabbed the recorder, and hit play. No one spoke as the tape played every word of their conversation.

"Also, before you say anything about this, you all should know that she spoke to Reid and me before this. She had a good part of a profile working in her mind and she explained it, in depth to us," Rossi crowed.

"What did she think?" Morgan urged.

Reid told everyone Riley's theories about the killer and they all nodded in silent agreement. Seaver remembered her and Rossi's findings at the crime scene.

"Rossi and I went back to the crime scene and looked for areas where the unsub could have got out. The only way that made sense was the window in her room. And judging by Riley's account, it sounds like that could have been the window closing that she heard as she woke up. But it's a long way down and he had to have been hurt in the least," Seaver commented.

"So we have some ideas about this unsub. How about more about what he looks like? What are his physical features?" Rossi prompted.

"Well, he can't be too tall to be able to fit through the window. And to feel weak he's most likely weak in appearance," Seaver conceded.

"Yes, this isn't physical but, if this is a personal killing then the killer must know the family and the area. So he's lived here most of his life if not all of it. He might have worked for the family or with them," Morgan added.

"Let's call Garcia and see if she can narrow this down for us," Hotch concluded.

Morgan grabbed the laptop to his left and set it on the table. He set up a video chat with Penelope back at the BAU. She showed up on the screen and Morgan greeted her with a smile, "Hey baby girl."

"Hey handsome," she replied with the same enthusiasm. Morgan turned the computer so Garcia could see everyone at the table and they both became serious, focusing on the case.

"Garcia can you start a search for us?" Hotch asked.

"Of course, anything for my lovelies. What am I looking for?" Garcia inquired.

"A man who has lived here most or all of his life. He's going to be of medium build physically. He most likely has or had a job in this area, something that kept him around the Walker family. A record or some file about him is in the system somewhere," Hotch instructed.

"Alright, there is one man. Apparently not many men in this area have a criminal record and a job. Mason Anderson. He's a contractor in the area, and has helped with a few housing developments in the area in the last few decades. He's been arrested once for drug possession; possession of marijuana. After that there is a divorce file containing his name and a birth certificate that lists him as the father," Garcia real aloud from her computer screen.

"Who's the divorce with? And who's the child, Garcia?" Morgan asked.

"Oh now this is interesting. I love small town drama. It seems Mr. Anderson divorced our victim, Emily Walker when she was 7 months pregnant with child. All of this meaning, Riley Anderson, who legally had her name changed 13 months after birth to Riley Walker; her new legal father being our second victim Henry Walker, is Mason Anderson's biological daughter. The divorce paper states that Mason would have no contact with his daughter. No visiting, no time, no contact, no nothing."

"I think we should pay this man a visit. It sound like he could have had a few grudges against our deceased couple." Morgan remarked.

"I agree, Morgan. What's his address Garcia?" Hotch asked.

"152 East Maple Lane. He may not be there though. He checked into the local hospital this morning with a dislocated shoulder, but there system is slow, it doesn't say if he's been released yet or not."

"Reid and Seaver go to the hospital. If he's not there look at his file and get a good idea about him from that. Morgan and Rossi, come with me; we'll go to his address and see if he's there," Hotch instructed. "Thanks Garcia."

"That's what I'm here for!" Garcia replied before turning off the video chat.

The agents rose to exit and Seaver glanced up, to the corner with the plastic plant and the sleeping body of Riley in the chair next to it. "Hotch, what should we do about her?" she asked, indicating toward Riley.

"We should have someone stay and watch her, just in case she wakes up and wonders where everyone went and what's going on," Morgan added.

"Alright Seaver you stay with her. Rossi you go with Reid to the hospital," Hotch redirected. "We will call child services to take care of her when we get back."

Seaver nodded and sat down in one of the chairs facing Riley's corner. The other agents left the building and headed out in search of Mason Anderson. Alone, Seaver was left to her thoughts…