A/N Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed or sent a PM you are all awesome and you keep me motivated to continue. The warnings for this chapter are language and sexual content, as usual from me nothing very graphic. I like to keep your fevered imaginations churning.
Spencer took out his cell and called Stephanie's number. It couldn't hurt to make sure she got home ok he told himself. "Yeah, right she's a grown woman back off or she'll be pissed." He ignored good sense and pressed send anyway.
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Stephanie's cell rang as she finished the last bite of her chocolate cheese cake.
"Damn, I hope that's not work." She said frowning at the phone. "Because I really don't want to leave now, Jason's really attractive and sweet, and - she reminded herself, he's my brother's boss."
"Dr Matthews this better be good." She snapped.
"Hey sis, what's wrong." Reid said.
"Oh hi Spence, sorry didn't realize it was you, what's going on did Garcia call with something?"
"No, I just wanted to make sure you got home alright."
"Actually I'm still at the restaurant, I forgot my cell and I ran into Jason, he invited me to stay for dessert."
"Oh, alright, just be careful when you leave okay."
"I'll be alright Spence, so stop worrying."
"I'm trying I just miss having you around and I worry something will happen to you again."
"Nothing is going to happen especially if I have your boss to protect me."
"Al right sis, I love you. See you in the morning."
"I love you too brother of mine, get some sleep."
She hung up and grinned at Jason. She liked that Spencer was protective. She had to needle him about it though or he would fly off the handle completely.
"He's a little over protective."
"He loves you, your kidnapping last fall was hard on him, and he blames himself." Gideon said.
"I'm glad he found you alive." Then he thought. Stop it Jason, she's never going to see you as anything other than her brother's boss and surrogate father." He found he didn't like that train of thought.
"Well, he shouldn't it's not his fault." "Please can we not talk about that or my brother? Let's talk about you like do you have a girlfriend? Whoa girl, cool your jets, he'll never look at you that way and if he did Spencer would go into orbit." She found she liked that thought.
Jason, can we please talk about something else, I don't want to think about that right now.
"If you like, he said. Tell me why you didn't change your last name to Reid. Spencer said you were thinking about it and then you changed your mind, may I ask why?" "I like to hear you call me Jason, no one else does but Aaron and he isn't a beautiful and intelligent woman." He stopped listening to the voice that told him this was a bad idea.
"Actually I changed mymind for a couple of reasons, first I didn't want to cause confusion for the academic world, and I wanted to make something out of the Matthews name. My uncle sullied it by what he did to me and I wanted to fix that." I wonder what Stephanie Gideon sounds like out loud." Oh stop it girl this is not high school for God's sake. What's next writing your names together on your notebook?"
"Hmm," she realized she had missed his last comment and she blushed.
"I said I understand your reasoning." "Wait did she just blush because of me, or is it wishful thinking."
"Listen Jason I'm tired, it's been a crappy day, and can we talk another time. I'd like to get home. "Say no, say anything and I'll stay and talk all night."
"May I walk you out to your car Stephanie?" "Please don't go."
"Thank you Jason, I'd like that." "Yes, he's walking out with me. Cross your fingers maybe he'll kiss you."
They walked out to her car and he said, "Drive safely, Stephanie your brother will never forgive me if anything happens to you. "I'll never forgive myself if I don't kiss you now."
He shook her hand and turned and walked away. "So much for courage old man,"
"Bye Jason and I promise I'll be careful. "Wait! Where's my kiss?"
Later when they both lay down to sleepneither could stop the doubts and hopes running through their minds and although they didn't know it, they both fell to restless sleep at the exact same time.
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The man entered his hideaway. No one knew it was there, even though it hid in plain sight. He loved the fact that it was so very easy to fool everyone. They all knew him yet they had no idea what he'd done or was going to do. It was so easy to fool the girls to get them to keep his secret and he didn't even have to ask. They did it willingly. He strode through the underground room and checked to see that everything was in order for his next guest. It was of course; he was nothing if not organized, from the restraints to the scarf used to kill, to the box of condoms to protect him from detection. He picked up a well worn photo and said.
"Don't worry I'll find you. I promise we'll be together again soon and nothing will separate us this time." He kissed the picture and turning left the place of despair and death. He had other things to do and plans to make.
Meanwhile across town, Michaela listened for the hundredth time as her mother argued with her father on the phone. She had hoped that once the divorce was final and her parents lived in different houses, the arguments would stop. Instead they worsened and they all seemed to be about her. She couldn't wait till she was eighteen, she would leave for good. He had promised to marry her on her eighteenth birthday and take her away. She lived for that day. Then she would be free and there wouldn't be anymore arguments to make her feel worthless and empty. She tried to tune out the shouting and when she couldn't she began to cry pulling the blankets of the bed over her head.
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"Who's was on the phone babe." JJ said walking out of the bathroom and seeing Spencer put down his phone.
"I was just talking to Stephanie. I wanted to know if she got home alright." he said "Wait did she call Gideon Jason, since when are they on a first name basis?"
Then he saw JJ and all thoughts of Stephanie left his mind. She wore his favorite pink negligee, and her hair was down around her face the way he liked it. Well this was interesting. Normally she didn't go to the trouble of dressing for bed on a case as they were usually too tired for thoughts of seduction.
"Good she was saying, I'm glad you were talking to her and not work, I was dreading it if something came up."
"Oh something has definitely "come up," he thought as he crossed to where she stood.
He took her face in his hands and drew her head up for a kiss soft and feather like on her lips. She wrapped her arms around his waist and drew him close her mouth opening under his. She sighed as his tongue danced over hers. He pushed her back down on the bed, his hand pushing the negligee up to her hip as he caressed the inside of her thigh. Time stopped for him as it always did when they were together like this, and without knowing how their clothes were gone and they came together in the easy rhythm they had created for them selves. His last thought before sweet release was that he loved her desperately and never wanted to lose the fire that always burned between them.
Later, as JJ lay with her head on his chest listening to the steady beat of his heart he asked her.
"So, I'm not complaining mind you but usually this is the last thing we do during a difficult case."
"I just hate what this guy is doing to these girls Spencer. They aren't like us, they aren't adults and he takes advantage of them, he rapes them and then kills them."
Spencer caressed her bare back lightly and kissed the top of her head.
"I don't know why certain people are wired so badly. I can give you a lot of psychological double talk but in the end it's all the same. People do terrible things to one another. And for all that we do we'll never stop them all. I can only do this job knowing that we can help some. That makes it better for me. Besides this job gave me you and I'll never stop being grateful for that."
JJ propped her head on one arm and looked up at him. He was so beautiful, especially when flushed after sex. She grinned and said. "So, I had a rather interesting conversation with Stephanie while we waited for our table tonight."
"Uh oh, he thought here it comes"
"She told me about a conversation you had with Garcia, something about whether or not you treated me right or if I was just your sex slave."
"So what did you tell her my love?"
"I told her that you're always a perfect gentleman and that you're my sex slave."
His eyebrows winged up and he said, "Oh really, is that how you see us?"
"Well ok maybe "slave" is a little harsh, she laughed. "But we are very good at it don't you think. She winked at him and he said
"I don't know for sure; let me tell you later."
And he rolled her over and under him as she laughed.
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Morgan's cell phone beeped pulling him out of a very pleasant dream.
'Morgan" he muttered sleepily
"Oh, you sound so sexy when you're half asleep," Garcia purred in his ear.
"Hey gorgeous, it's six am what is so important that you had to wake me an hour early?"
"I found something with the disposable cell phones this creep is using."
Morgan sat up fully awake now. "I thought you can't track disposable cells."
"You can't but I did find out where the phones were sold and who they were sold to. The name of the guy is Damon Slater and he lives out side of town. The family used to have a large wheat and corn ranch but now it's just a few acres and a side business selling flowers and get this, he specializes in roses, supposedly can grow them in any weather.
"Thank you my goddess, you are amazing." Morgan said with a large smile
"And don't you ever forget it." She hung up on him.
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Hotch groaned when his phone rang. It was barley after six. "Hotch."
"Hotch Morgan here; I just got a phone call from Garcia." He explained the phone call.
"Al right Morgan lets get everyone together, we'll bring him in for questioning
"Ok boss." Morgan got up and began to whistle while he showered. It would be okay this time.
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At a quarter after seven in the morning the team and Dr Matthews met in the conference room they had been given to use at the police station. They would be filling in the cops that would accompany them to the Slater Greenhouses. Reid was in one corner reading something on his laptop.
"Hey Reid what's so fascinating?" Morgan asked.
"Did you know that Slater is a high functioning autistic? He's a genius and growing roses in cold climates is his specialty.
"Yeah he's a geek like you."
"What's unique about him is what he does; most autistic savants are music and math geniuses." Reid spoke like he'd found a new best friend.
"Don't get attached Reid this is sounding more and more like our guy."
"I don't know, something doesn't add up." Stephanie said. How could this guy do these things, I mean look at his crimes, an autistic isn't capable of the manipulation level to pull this off, not to mention a teenage girl isn't going to find him attractive quite the opposite, they would probably make fun of him."
"Stephanie's right, this isn't our guy, someone is using his name and his flowers to court these girls."
Gideon said.
"But we still need to talk to him." Hotch said
"Yes, we do, but I want Reid to go with you I think he'll know how to better relate to this man." Gideon said.
"Then let's get out to the farm and talk to him, maybe he can point us in the right direction." Hotch said as they got up to go out into the early country morning.