It's been betaed, it's been previewed, and it comes with the Addicted Archangel seal-of-approval! (Thanks doll!)

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine. But I want the dinner I made in here...

"Well, don't you look fetching," sang Sienna as she sauntered in. "Makes me wish I hadn't taken those pictures out for processing…"

Reid forced himself to look relaxed. The bile threatening to pour out of his mouth was making that feat rather difficult.

He chose his next few words carefully. "It's been a long couple of days," he began. "Why don't you go in and take a bath and I'll make dinner? Something special, just for two…" He deliberately trailed the end of his sentence, hoping she'd warm up to the idea.

"Mmm. A bath sounds lovely. It has been a busy day…"

The young man let the ghost of a seductive smile play across his lips. "I think I know just the thing to take your mind off of that," he said, trailing his fingers along the back of the couch ever so slowly. He noticed that her eyes were fixated on the actions of his limbs.

"You do? Common knowledge or a surprise?"

Reid studied the floor in an attempt to play 'hard-to-get.'

"Well, I could tell you…but…" He flashed that mischievous smile again. "All I could really say is, do we have any wine?"

"Mmm. I like the sound of where this is going, sweetness." Sienna studied the barely clothed young man with an appraiser's eye. Finally she smiled a little herself.

"I assume you're going to need something sharp, and possibly a pan or two…"

Reid flipped his hand casually. "Of course."

The woman stood there another minute, as if trying to decide whether or not to trust her exquisite captive with such weaponry. She wove the fine links of a chain through her fingers—a chain that held a small skeleton key.

A few more minutes passed. Neither one said a word.

"Come now, Sienna," Reid began, trying to make himself sound as alluring as possible. "You would really not let me make tonight…special for you?"

Sienna gave the young agent the once over again. Reid could feel her eyes stopping at various points over his form and just letting her eyes relish the sight. It made his skin crawl.

At last her fingers stopped moving. "Very well, let's see what you have planned," she said brightly, handing over the wrought-iron key. "Don't get any ideas, though—that key only works in the kitchen."

And with that, Sienna sauntered off towards the bathroom, humming a wordless tune.

Finally, Reid thought as he walked into the kitchen.

"I must say, your cooking doesn't disappoint," praised Sienna. She had finished that last of the pheasant and was beginning to shell a few of the miniature oysters Reid had placed in a chilled bowl in the middle of the table. "That pheasant was absolutely wonderful."

Reid forced himself to continue staring into Sienna's eyes. "I learned how in college," he said, keeping his tone conversational. "I had a professor who was crazy about gourmet cooking. It sounded like something I might like, so I took lessons from him. Last I heard, he's running a little place in a four-star hotel in Toronto and enjoying every minute."

"With recipes like this, I'm not surprised," she said, closing her eyes as he reached in to 'feed' her another oyster. "Oh, my God," she cried after she'd downed the grayish creature. "I can see why they call these things aphrodisiacs…"

"Yeah," said Reid, his face saying that he was completely into the idea but his insides revolting like French peasantry during the Reign of Terror. He casually leaned back into his chair, careful to only let his robe fall open just a little, and reached for his wine glass.

"I propose a toast," he said. "To a new beginning. Everyone deserves one, don't they?" He smiled, very, very seductively.

"I'll second that," she smiled, and took a healthy sip from the glass. "Mmm. Merlot. Is there any other type of wine?"

"I'd have preferred champagne, but the merlot's not bad." Privately, Reid wanted to vomit. Though the food was indeed wonderful—it always was when he cooked—he couldn't stand even the tiniest bit of alcohol in his food-deprived stomach. He'd had to eat very slowly to avoid making himself sick, and it was hard considering he really wanted to devour the entire dinner himself.

Reid let his fork dance over his romaine-lettuce salad, the Italian dressing glazing over the dark green leaves and the large croutons and the little bits of carrot and radish. "I should apologize," he said, trying to make his voice sound sincere. "I was awful to you in those first few days, wasn't I?"

Sienna's head tipped a little. "Yeah, you were."

"I really didn't understand, is all. That time I was alone in the bathroom, today? I was really able to put things into perspective." He brought his head in closer towards hers, being mindful of the salad and the pheasant bones that stood in the way.

"And what did you conclude?" cooed Sienna, clearly enjoying every bit of the attention being lavished on her.

"That this is exactly where I need to be. Here, with you."

"So, no more fighting?"

"Fighting? No, no more. Unless, of course, you hog all the blankets…" Reid forcibly bit back the violent retch that demanded to escape after he said that.

"Spencer…are you saying….?"

"Mmm-hmm." He was careful to flash that mischievous smile again.

"We could get started now, leave the mess for tomorrow…"

"Not yet. I think I'd like to finish my glass of wine first."

Sienna eased back into her own chair. "Good idea. I think I'll pour us both another."

Reid lifted his glass, holding it close. "I'm fine, thanks. I never was a big drinker—can't perform well on my own two feet after one glass, let alone elsewhere…" Again, he let the sentence trail deliberately, hoping Sienna would take the hint.

She did.

"Sienna?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you…do you think it would be all right if I could get some air?"

A dark expression flashed across the woman's face.

"It would help loosen me up," Reid hastily explained. "The dinner, the wine, and some air--a perfect combination, or so people have told me."

"Really?" Her tone was a cross between skeptical and interested.

"Mmm-hmm."

Sienna stood up, a thoughtful look masking her features.

Please, God, just go with it, Reid silently begged. Let me crack just one little window, just in case the rest of the plan goes to hell…

Suddenly a twinkling smile graced her lips. "I can do better than that," she cooed, and extended her hand for Reid to take.

The young agent followed his besotten captor as she took him through the left hallway and into 'her' room—the room that was always locked. Once inside, Reid noticed what Sienna meant. There was a patio balcony that extended out from a bay window in the room, giving her an incredible view—even though the view was marred by old industrial buildings and crumbling structures.

"Twelve floors up gives one quite the view, doesn't it?" she asked.

Reid was too busy taking in the first breaths of fresh air that he'd been allowed in nine days.

I really don't want to go back inside, he thought. Not because I don't want to do what she's expecting me to do with her, but because I may never get the chance to take in fresh air again if I'm not careful.

"Ooooh." Sienna raised a hand to her head, her expression turning concerned.

"What's wrong?"

"I-I'm not…feeling so…ooh," she replied, her voice getting fainter with every word.

"Well, that won't do. Here, let me take you in and we'll lie down, okay?"

"O-okay," she said. Looking up at Reid, she held a look in her eyes that almost made Reid feel a little guilty for what he was doing to her.

Almost.

It took some effort to get Sienna inside and onto her bed, but by the time the drugs kicked in, she was lying immobile on the silk sheets and nearly unconscious.

Thank God for that class in pharmacology, Reid said to himself.

He tucked her in and closed the door, managing to sneak the key to the room from around her neck. The years of sleight-of-hand paid off.

That's done, he thought. Now to worry about that door…