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A/n once again, thanks to all my loyal readers. I appreciate all of your sincere feedback.
The door slammed shut behind Reid, but he didn't hear it over the roar of blood in his ears. All attempts of his brain to stay logical, to push his body's needs to the background, where drowned out by the taste of her lips.
She smelled so good. Her hair was like silk under his fingers. Her lips were burning his and the proximity of her body made his skin tingle like there were pins and needles poking him all over.
"Spencer…" She pulled away from his questing lips.
"What?"
He tired to pull her back into his arms and kiss her, but she resisted, turning her head away. His mouth found the edge of her jaw and she groaned. "Spencer…" She pushed him away again.
"Austin…" Is that a whine in your voice? He pulled her back for another kiss.
"Remember what you just whispered in my ear?" She had pulled out of her arms and backed away till the back of her legs hit the edge of the tub.
"What?"
She was so beautiful with her sleep mussed hair and her lips swollen from kissing him. He couldn't think straight with her eyes bright and her chest heaving.
Was there something he was supposed to remember?
"The part about your plan to escape," She prompted him with a grin.
"Oh…" That got through the fog in his brain. "Right, um, sorry, I got a bit carried away."
"I'll say," but she didn't look mad at him. Instead, she had that look that he'd felt on his own face when he had to act responsible even when he didn't want to.
"I really like you!" He blurted out, and felt his face go red. "Um… I didn't want - well, I didn't want our first kiss to be here in front of camera's and people that want to control us."
Why are you talking about this now?
"It's okay!"
"No it's not! I wanted to spend time with you finding out all your secrets. I wanted to know what makes you happy and what makes you laugh. I wanted to know if you cry at old movies or if you like chocolate. You know all the important things!"
"I can't tell you everything. A woman must maintain a little mystery about her."
"Really, where is that written?"
"It's in the handbook they give girls when we turn thirteen."
"There's a handbook?" Reid squeaked.
"Of course there's a handbook. How else do you think we learn how to handle men?"
Reid stepped back close to her and put his arms around her waist. "Is that what you're doing, handling me."
"Yep…"
"I can live with that!"
He kissed her on the tip of her nose and she laughed. But the laugh was perilously close to a sob, he could see. Tears we're close to the surface, but she was holding them back for him. His stomach twisted under the weight of that responsibility. Morgan should be the one trapped down here with a beautiful woman.
"Spencer?" She reached for a bit of toilet paper and wiped her eyes.
"Sorry, I was just thinking. I do that a lot."
She didn't believe him. It was in her eyes, so he said, "We're going to get out of here and when we do Calloway will get what's coming to him."
"How are we going to get out of here?"
This idea ought to go over really well genius!
"Well, first of all, we need to stay in here long enough for them to think that we… well that we, um well…"
"Long enough to make them thing we're having a really good time," She laughed at his red face.
"Yeah - a really good time, then we're going to…"
---
"How are the lovebirds?" Stark came into the computer room with a cup of coffee in his hands.
The room was empty, but for the computer tech. Lynch was studying the screen like it might jump off the desk and run away. His mouth was hanging open and his glasses looked a bit fogged when he started at the sound of Stark's voice.
"Um… They went into the bathroom together. See the jeans and shirt on the floor." He pointed them out with his finger. "I think Reid already took one shower this morning and they were really going at it before they went behind closed doors."
One of Stark's eyebrows went into his blond hair. He took a sip from his coffee. "Really? Are you sure they're not plotting? I told Calloway we should have put cameras and microphones in there too."
Kevin chuckled derisively. "I wish he had. I'd love to see more of Dr. Reid's moves."
"Are you kidding me? That scarecrow doesn't know the first thing about women."
"You weren't here. She was all over him."
"Obviously the girl's hard up, which I don't understand. She's hot."
"She's too skinny for my taste."
"I like 'em skinny. In fact, if Dr. Reid gets anymore ideas about trying to escape, I'll show her what she's missing and make him watch. He might learn something." Stark threw his head back and laughed like a braying horse.
"That's disgusting."
"What's the matter Lynch? Your girlfriend doesn't have to know about it."
"I don't rape women."
"Don't get self-righteous with me. You're in this as deep as any of us. You might as well enjoy it. I'll bet she could squeeze you like a ripe orange. Wouldn't you like to pop like warm champagne with those legs wrapped around you?"
"No!"
"Yes you would."
"I told you that I don't need her. I have Penny and she's more than enough woman for me."
"If you like a fat ass!"
"Shut up Stark!"
"You don't scare me little man." He shoved Kevin back down in his chair. "Don't ever talk like that to me again."
"You'll never get the chance with her, Stark." Kevin put the focus back on Austin while his hands stopped shaking.
"Perhaps not, but it doesn't hurt to fantasize."
"Shut up!"
"What else is going on?" Stark changed the subject again while he sneered at Lynch.
"My princess is still trying to figure out why she can't find anything on Reid."
"You're sure she won't figure out your involvement."
"No, the program I designed will only let her see what I want her to see. Don't worry about it."
Stark took the chair next to Kevin's desk. "I get paid by our boss to worry."
"I'm telling you that Hotchner and the team are chasing their tails."
"You better be sure for your sake."
"There's nothing to worry about!" Kevin picked up his messenger bag and the cup of warm coffee he'd been sipping. "I have to get upstairs and put in an appearance."
"Fine by me! Make sure you keep an eye on that girlfriend of yours."
"Don't tell me what to do!"
Stark laughed as Kevin left the computer room. Maybe he should go down to Reid's room and get better acquainted with Reid's girl. Calloway wouldn't mind if he took part of his payment from her. And it would be fun to watch Reid's reaction.
He was about to get up from the chair when he heard Reid calling out over the monitor. He turned around and saw Reid standing there looking up at the camera.
"I'm done playing games. Get down here now and I promise I'll tell you everything I know about Michael Reid. You'll have enough evidence to put him away forever."
"Too late Dr. Reid, but maybe I'll pay you and your girl a visit anyway."
---
"It's my fault. I have to resign."
"Baby-girl…"
"I won't accept your resignation Penelope. You're too important to this team. We need you to help us find Reid!" Hotch pushed her ID badge back towards her.
"But, everything that's happened is my fault."
"Garcia, we can't afford to lose you." Hotch insisted with a rare and kind smile.
Garcia was crying so hard that Morgan reached over and hugged her gently. "It's okay. Just tell us what happened.
Emily, Rossi and Hotch watched Morgan hold his baby girl and stroke her back till her sobs tapered off to little hitches of breath. Emily gave her a smile and a handkerchief for her nose and eyes.
"I'm sorry everyone."
"It's okay Garcia… Can you tell us what happened?"
"I figured out who is behind all of this."
"You did!"
"Yeah… It's Kevin."
"What?!" Morgan surged to his feet. "Where is he? I'm going to rip his head off."
"Morgan! Sit. Down. Now!"
"No Hotch, I want his sniveling little head on a platter."
Garcia gave a strangled sob and he immediately returned to her side. "I'm sorry sweetness."
"I'm okay." She pushed him away and began to talk. "We can't just go after Kevin. This is so much bigger then him.
"What did you find Garcia?"
"You know how someone was looking into Reid's files. They concentrated on his uncle, Michael Reid. His uncle was a professor at Caltech when Reid was there. I got a hold of the case file that's connected to him. A young man was found stabbed to death after being tortured for days. When another body turned up six months later, he was pulled in to be questioned. The cops didn't find anything, but there's some thing really weird. All of the victims and the eight others that have been found in the last ten years all look like Reid. They're all geniuses too."
Garcia was twisting her fingers in her skirt and Hotch said. "What do you know?"
"Reid was in the hospital when he was seventeen. He came in with marks of a beating and restraint. He also had a pretty serious head wound. He was unable to tell the doctors who'd hurt him. They told him that he might not ever remember."
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking Hotch?"
"Yeah, that Reid could have been his first victim and some how he got away."
"Why didn't he tell us?" Morgan asked.
"I don't know."
"Do you know who has this case now?" Hotch directed his question to Garcia.
"Yeah, it's Agent Calloway's team. They just picked up Michael Reid."
"Son of a bitch!" Morgan had surged to his feet.
"Sit down Morgan!"
"Hotch!"
"We can't go off half cocked. We have to think this through."
"Um sir…" Garcia looked like she'd swallowed a spider. "It's not just Calloway that may be involved. Someone else is protecting him."
"Who is it Garcia."
"Section Chief Strauss."