A/N: A timely update! Hooray?

BUT, first of all… WOAH! Gosh, you guys. (beams, and GLOMPS) So many amazing reviews…! You can't even imagine how much it means to me that you loved the first bit so much. (hugs again) You guys are the best! (Responses to anonymous reviews can be found from underneath the chappy, in the order in which they came.)

Awkay… (takes a deep breath) I suppose it's go-time, eh? I REALLY hope you'll enjoy this bit of the journey!


The Boogeyman


Derek Morgan had never enjoyed heat all that much. That's why the air of Las Vegas wrapping around him seemed to suffocate him.

He really, really hated it when a car's air conditioner failed him.

Finally Aaron Hotchner parked the vehicle right outside the police station. As soon as the entire team emerged a middle aged man walked out of the building, squinting a little against the sun. "I'm chief William Reid. You're the BAU team, right?"

Jennifer Jareau nodded and shook William's hand. "I'm Jennifer Jareau. We talked on the phone."

Aaron took a step forward, also shaking the man's hand. "I'm unit chief Aaron Hotchner. These are agents David Rossi, Derek Morgan and Emily Prentiss."

William nodded, a great deal of gratitude and relief appearing to his eyes. "I'm really glad you were able to come here this fast." They entered the building and Derek was pleased to feel cool air caressing his face. "It's only a matter of time before the killer strikes again and I'd rather not watch that happen on my territory."

"Do you have any leads so far?" David inquired.

William sighed. "Honestly? This psycho's playing around with us. We have a ton of files on the confirmed and suspected victims, though. I understood you could use them. We gathered them to the conference room for you. And… There's something else." The man's eyes flashed slightly. "I only just found out that there's one victim who survived. It was one of this killer's first suspected homicides. 2006 the killer attacked a young couple on their way home from their engagement bastard made a cut across the woman's eyes and stabbed her six times, damaging several organs. Against all odds she survived but she's blind. Her fiancé wasn't as lucky. He was dead by the time the ambulance arrived."

Aaron's facial features stiffened. "Does the killer know she survived?"

William shrugged. "I don't know. The press was asked to remain quiet but that wish wasn't exactly respected. The woman moved from Vermont to Las Vegas as soon as she was well enough. She was supposed to become a doctor. Now she's studying international relations. Her name is Aimee Hudson. She lives in one of the university's building's. I can give you her address."

Aaron nodded, then focused on the team. "Morgan and Prentiss, go and visit her. The rest of us, we'll go through those files. Maybe they'll reveal something that'll help us build a profile on this unsub."

They all nodded, then scattered. They were all very much aware of the fact that there was no time to waste. As he left the station with Emily Derek could practically hear how seconds ticked against them.

The killer would strike again soon. He couldn't help wondering if they'd be able to track down this monster before it was too late.

He really didn't like the bad feeling swelling in his stomach.


Spencer Reid enjoyed taking the bus, really. Despite the amount of people he somehow managed to find a way to isolate himself, to get lost into a crowd. That day, however, he was feeling a little bit too restless to really enjoy himself.

Taking a firmer hold on the violin case he was carrying he glanced towards his other hand, which was squeezing a envelope almost convulsively.

'Make sure your father sees this. I'm sorry', said the hasty words written on it.

Spencer's eyes narrowed with unfamiliar dark feelings that made him feel uneasy in his own skin. He really, truly didn't want to do this, but the request left little to be argued. Besides, he'd already postponed this unhealthily long.

Maybe this would be like ripping off a bandaid, mild pain that'd fade away quickly.

The thought almost made a bitter laugh break through his lips. Since when had the matters of his family been that easy?

He snapped out of his thougths with a shiver when the bus jerked to a stop. He just had to blink a couple of times. The university already? How long had he been zoning out?

Shaking that thought from his head he left the bus hurriedly, then made his way into one of the more isolated buildings of the campus. The familiar air inside immediately calmed down his nerves, helped his completely stiff muscles melt a slight bit.

He was a grown man with three doctorates and an IQ of 187. He'd survived this far, endured all alone. He'd come too far to be disturbed by his father any longer. Today he'd prove that much, to both of them.

With that thought he entered the elevator, never noticing the eyes observing him.


Less than half a minute after Spencer had abandoned the elevator its doors opened once more downstairs.

For some reason Derek had never been a huge fan of elevators. That's why he took a sigh of mild relief while stepping out.

Emily gave him a look as they made their way towards the opposite end of the surprisingly long, somewhat hollow hallway. "I never imagined you to be claustrophobic."

He gave her a warning look. "I'd really appreciate it if you didn't tell Rossi", he growled.

Emily smiled in a sweet way he didn't quite manage to trust. "My lips are sealed." She then nodded towards a certain door. 'Hudson, A.' "That's her place."

She knocked and they waited for what felt like a small lifetime before first hearing sounds from behind the door – a dog barking, a woman giving it a firm order, a unidentifiable screech. Then the door opened, revealing a smallish woman if her early thirties with long, black hair. Hard as he tried Derek couldn't help looking at the scars covering her milky white eyes.

"Aimee Hudson?" Emily inquired. After a terse nod his colleague went on. "I'm SSA Emily Prentiss and this is SSA Derek Morgan, we're with the FBI."

Aimee frowned with a visible amount of mistrust, blocking their path. At that moment a Rottweiler appeared to her side, giving them a far from friendly look. "Yes?"

"We undertood that you and your fianceé were attacked 2006", Emily explained in a voice Derek couldn't remember hearing before. "We're after a serial killer, and we have strong suspicions that it's the same perpetrator. We'd like you to answer some questions – it might help us catch him."

Something flashed on Aimee's face and for a moment Derek was sure she'd slam the door at their faces. Her eyes narrowed. "Before I say a word I want to make sure you have badges. I've had enough of all the reporters harassing me."

Derek pulled out his badge and placed it to the blind woman's hand, keeping an eye on the canine that didn't seem to like him touching his or hers master. "There's mine."

Aimee ran her fingers on the badge's surface for several seconds. Her muscles relaxed ever so slightly when she handed the item back. "I'm sorry, but I've learned that one can never be too cautious." She gestured towards the inner parts of the apartment, advancing there with her dog following. "I will answer your questions although I'm not too sure how useful I am. My memories of that day are hazy at best."

"We really do appreciate this", Emily poined out, her voice filled with sincerity as she stepped through the door and followed the younger woman. "We know that this isn't easy."

Aimee nodded stiffly, feeling her way into the living room and finally sitting tensely to the couch, the dog taking its place on the floor before her. Her breathing pattern changed dramatically while she waited for them to sit as well, then spoke. "So… What do you want to know?"

Derek was slightly hesitant to begin. In all honesty he was far from sure that this woman could take the weight of bringing all these memories to life.

He shivered when Aimee seemed to look directly towards him all of a sudden. There was a strange look on her face. "I relive what little I remember of that day a thousand times every single day, agent. So trust me, whatever damage you end up doing… It can't be worse than what's already there."

Derek grit his teeth, then spoke in that tone he always wore on duty. "What do you remember of the attacker?"

Aimee fidgeted, momentarily looking ready to escape. It clearly took a lot of her willpower to stay still. "He seemed about ten years older than me, athletic. He… He was waiting for us on the side of the road. He had a car, a black Honda. He said he had a flat tire." She frowned, clearly focusing. "His voice… It was deep." She glanced towards Derek's direction. "Much deeper than yours. And his eyes… I think they were blue. I can't be sure, though. It's been years, and in my mind's eye the color keeps switching between brown, gray and blue almost every day. I didn't see much of his features – it was very dark. And to be honest I didn't really pay attention to his face. I kept staring at his knife. I can still recall what the blade looked like when moonlight caressed it." She gave them a wry, tiny smile. "That's all I remember. He was the last thing I ever saw."

"Let's forget about sight." Finally, for the first time since this case began, Derek felt fully alert and ready. Profiling was in his spine – his instincts were quick to take the lead. "You said he had a deep voice. He spoke to you. What did he say?"

When Aimee shuddered he realized that he'd most definitely hit something. She wrapped her arms tightly around herself and a deep line appeared between her eyes. "He told me… He told me that he wanted to see my eyes – he wanted to see me die, the exact second he wanted me to. He told me that Alex would be watching, too. After the third stab he told me to stop crying, that death wasn't such a bad thing. I screamed, and then he made a cut across my eyes." A couple of tears slipped to her cheeks and she squeezed her arms so tightly that nails must've dug through fabric to her skin. It wasn't until then Derek noticed that she was still wearing the engagement ring Alex gave her. "Do you… Do you know what's the worst part?" She swallowed hard. "Most days I think he was right. Maybe dying wouldn't have been such a bad thing, after all."


The university's auditorium was Spencer's favorite place in the entire world, and not only because of its breathtakingly amazing acoustics. In the security of those walls only he and his music existed. There was no audience – he'd never been a huge fan of crowds, anyway – no distractions whatsoever. Just he, his violin and the music. That's why he kept visiting there almost every day although he'd had his first degree over half a decade earlier.

He closed his eyes, feeling how his body relaxed completely, then gave his violin the first couple of caresses. The instrument was quick to accept his request and the sound was everywhere around him, even absolutely everywhere inside him.

His heartbeat increasing and his whole being filling with need Spencer allowed his hand to deliver some more pleas, which the violin returned instantly. And in a matter of moments he was completely lost in the world of sound and feeling. The music gained a life of its own, took over all of him. He surrendered gladly. Subtly yet inevitably he and the instrument became one.

The music consumed him so completely that he didn't even notice that he was no longer alone. Not until arms wrapped around his waistline.

Spencer gasped, his eyes flying open and electric jolts coursing through his body.

"I know you've asked me not to touch you while you play…", a soft, deep voice murmured into his ear, so close that he felt a breath of warm air that made him shiver. "But with that look on your face… I just couldn't resist."

Spencer swallowed upon feeling a hand exploring what his pants wouldn't be able to cover soon enough with the excitement swelling in him. His eyes scanned frantically through the huge room in a violent search for a potential pair of seeing eyes. "Not here", he hissed out, although it sounded like a plea. He gasped faintly when the other kept proceeding. "Someone… Someone could walk in. You'd be…" His voice faded away.

His companion chuckled while long fingers moved inside his pants, making it increasingly hard to bite back a small cry. "Don't try to fool me." While one hand caressed his most private parts the other rose to where his heart was beating madly. "I can feel this, all of this. And I've seen you, in the night. The element of danger allures you a lot more than you let on."

Spencer swallowed convulsively, feeling how the other trembled behind him. "It allures you, too", he observed out loud.

His companion gave a laugh, such he didn't recall hearing before. "It's like I've always said, doc." The other pulled him closer in a way that clearly signaled that those hands wouldn't be letting him go easily. "We have a lot in common."

Spencer gasped, fearing that he might suffocate if the other wouldn't take a step further soon. This was far too intense for him. His body, however, seemed to have very different requests. His back arched closer to his companion the same moment he tilted his head backwards, and he closed his eyes. He even emitted a moan that made heat of embarrassment rise to his cheeks.

"Let it go", the other urged him, the hands that seemed to be all over his body becoming more demanding, almost aggressive. He felt something against his back and quickly realized that he wasn't alone with the feeling of bursting. "Just let go. You'll be surprised by how good it feels."

Spencer tried, he really did. But this time he just couldn't fight the temptation. Not when his entire body was screaming for mercy.

He put down the violin, as gently as he possibly could, and emitted a tiny cry when the other was suddenly all over him. Those hard hands, those soft lips… They found each and every weak spot on him and he would've been brought to his knees if the other hadn't been fast enough to catch him. Instead of the floor he was brought quite harshly against the wall, and he nearly lost his breath completely when the other's scent circled hungrily around him. All sense of control vanished from him. The most terrifying part was that he was alright with it.

The next scream he gave, that of sheer pleasure, was left echoing into the room's walls for several moments.


The drive back to the station from Aimee's apartment was filled with thoughtful silence. Now, at last, they had some pieces of a profile.

They were after a strong, athletic man in his early forties. A psychopath who gets a great deal of satisfaction from being in control. That was what they'd have to start with. Those were all the pieces of the puzzle they had at the moment.

Derek finally managed to focus on Emily when they were in the station and she spoke. "I'm going to tell Hotch what we found out."

He nodded, trying to clear his head. What was it with him today? "I'll go and report chief Reid. Maybe then we can try and build some sort of a profile."

She nodded, then continued on her way. Planning on doing the same Derek turned and took a step – only to realize that he really should've paid more attention to where he was going. Because in a second he found himself colliding with someone and there was a surprised gasp, followed by the sound of a takeaway coffee hitting the floor.

Derek swore under his breath. This really wasn't his day. "Oh, man…! I'm sorry, I..." He lifted his gaze, and suddenly it was quite hard to remember what he was supposed to say.

Staring back at him was a younger man with somewhat messily cut brown hair and wide eyes of the same color that made something twist uncomfortably inside him. The man was pale aside the hint of a hue on his cheeks. The sensation of familiarity was so strong that for a moment Derek's entire body responded.

The other man shifted his weight restlessly to other leg, desperately trying to smile. "It's… okay. I'll just buy another one."

Derek sighed, chills going up and down his system all of a sudden. It took longer than it should've to find his wallet. "No way. Hang on a second." When he handed some money towards the stranger it felt disturbingly hard not to reach out his fingers a bit further and…

The brunet looked up at him and blinked twice. "Huh?"

Derek had hard time keeping himself from smiling just a little bit. This guy… He really wasn't much good when it came to social situations, was he? "Your coffee", he explained, still holding out the money. "I'm buying you a new one."

The brunet frowned, his body language changing to a slightly more accepting direction. "I know that, but you don't have to. Besides, this is too much. A takeaway coffee costs…"

Derek lifted his hand, unsure if he wanted to roll his eyes or smile at the rant he just knew there was on the other man's tongue. "I know, I know. It's no problem, okay?"

The younger man appeared hesitant for a couple of more moments, but then shifted with visible discomfort and accepted his offering. And smiled, in a way he'd never seen before. "Thanks."

At that moment Derek was powerless against a smile of his own. Something he just couldn't identify swell inside him, startling him with its overwhelming intensity. "Well, you're welcome", he managed.

The brunet opened his mouth, but before the words could be spoken a bald, slightly overweighed police man in his mid-forties appeared, instantly focusing on the younger man. "Hey there, kid. Long time no see." The man gestured towards William Reid's office. "Chief can see you now."

The younger man nodded stiffly, his whole body language changing again in a way that confused Derek. Was that… anger he saw? Once more those brown eyes met his. The smile wasn't as emancipated anymore, but still there. "Thanks again."

Derek nodded back with a new smile of his own, for some reason not finding a word. All he could do was watch as the brunet gave him a tiny wave and walked away from him.

Derek knew he should've focused on the case that'd just been handed to the team, but he found his body and mind glued to the spot. His eyes never left the brunet as the man headed towards the office, soon disappearing from his line of vision. He could've sworn that the stranger's scent – or perhaps it was some sort of a essence? – had been left lingering into the air.

He kept staring at the door, as though hoping that the man might return, until David's voice cut through the static filling his head. "You okay?" He turned to find a frown from the older man's face. "You seemed pretty out of it."

Yet again Derek nodded, desperately trying to set his head straigth. What the hell had come over him? Was he coming down with something? "Yeah, I'm fine." Quite miraculously he managed to become at least slightly more coherent. "Did the files reveal anything?"

"Bits and pieces", David announced. "But chief Reid wasn't lying when he said there's a ton of material. We'll need a gallon of coffee."

Derek's eyes flashed as he nodded one more time, then followed David to the conference room. This was not the part of his job he was looking forward to. What made it even worse was that hard as he tried he couldn't quite push the brunet he'd just met out of his head.

It wasn't until quite a while later he realized that he'd never even asked the stranger's name.


Spencer's head wasn't working straigth as he walked away from the police station. That's why he ended up to a neighborhood only a couple of minutes away from his home he usually preferred to avoid.

And he froze, struck paralyzed.

A car – a blue Mercedes – had been parked nearby. At first he didn't quite catch what the dark hooded figure hovering around the vehicle was doing, but when he did his blood froze. The was a knife in the stranger's – definitely man's – hand. The knife was covered in blood, and more and more red appeared everywhere with each time the weapon moved. There was a young couple in the car. The man, white and in his mid-twenties with dark hair and blue eyes, was obviously dead with a gunshot wound directly between his eyes. The man's fists were balled and there was blood under his fingernails. Spencer could've sworn he saw tears in those half open, dead eyes. Tears of bitter helplessness. The man had failed to protect himself – and the woman beside him. The car's passenger, a woman with long ginger hair and the greenest eyes Spencer had ever seen, had her mouth open in a hopeless, soundless scream of terror. The attacker had, however, already stabbed her at least ten times and her shirt was completely covered in blood. And as Spencer stared she gave her final, ragged and wet breath. A trail of blood spilled from her mouth as her eyes glazed over.

Spencer must've gasped – with shock, disgust, fear, sadness and helplessness – because just then the attacker turned, slowly yet surely. Turned and saw him.

The man looked at him, he coud tell although he couldn't see the eyes, seemed to stare right through him. The air between them vibrated with threat as he stood frozen, unable to flee although every singly cell in his body begged him to escape. He licked his lips and fidgeted, but couldn't make a move. His heart thumped with such speed that the sound seemed to deafen him.

And then the attacker began to move.


TBC, no?


A/N: Aaaand the suspense is on. (shudders)

Soooo… Was that any good, at all? Do you consider this story worth continuing? PLEASE leave a review and let me know your thoughts! It'd totally light up my day. (gives puppy's eyes)

Ugh, I'm supposed to go to work soon so I'll have to tune out now. But, first…

IN THE NEXT ONE (in case you want such, of course): The latest attack pushes Morgan and Reid closer to each other, whether they're ready for it or not. The sparks are easy to see – but someone's getting in the way… Meanwhile, William Reid gets an offer that's quite hard to refuse. The story's next bit would be 'Psychodrama'.

Until next time, folks, with whichever story that may be!

Take care!


ilovereid: A new story it is! (beams) I'm really glad the first bit wrapped you around its little finger.

Mountain sized thank yous for the review!


a botobsessed: I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed the 'teaser'! (beams)

Awww, you know Reid. Of course he'll be amazing with a violin!

Mega sized thank yous for the review!


Hatsuharu M: As you wish. (grins) That chapter seriously didn't fullfill my MorganxReid –vibes, either. May the bubbling start in the next chapter… (smirks cheekily) I really hope the next one won't be a disappointment!

Loads of thank yous for the review!


Courttany: Awww, since you asked so nicely… (starts typing more)

Lots of thank yous for the review!


nicolethecrazyone: That's so, so good to hear! (beams)

Massive thank yous for the review!


KaL KeY: I'm very happy to hear that the first bit intrigued you. (sighs happily) I truly hope the next one turns out worth your expectations.

Colossal thank yous for the review!


Cece: How could I not write more after such kind words? I really hope you'll enjoy the next Reid. (grins)

HUGE thank yous for the review!


unknown: Awww, I'm so thrilled to hear that! (grins from ear to ear) I really hope the next one turns out worth looking forward to.

Gigantic thank yous for the review!


Avesona23: Hiya there! I'm so happy to see you again. (beams) AND, even happier to hear that you enjoyed the first chapter.

I'm a real sucker for detailed writing. I'm ecstatic to hear you like it, too! (As well as roses and 'ghost stories'…) And ooooh, there's so much M-rated material coming as soon as I dare to truly bring this story to life… (smirks wickedly)

It'll be very interesting to let the relationship of our beloved 'boys' develop when things are THIS different from the canon. (grins) I can't wait to hear if you were right with your suspicions! Let me know, pwease? (gives puppy's eyes)

Enormous thank yous for the amazing, flattering review! (gives some cookies) I REALLY hope the ride to come turns out worthy of your expectations.