A/N: I'm baaaack – and with a new chapter, no less! Hooray?

First off, though… Thank you so much for your absolutely amazing reviews! So you've liked the story thus far? Yosh! (beams, and glomps) Your opinion means a lot to me, ya know? So THANK YOU!

Awkay… (braces oneself) It's show time. I really hope you'll enjoy the ride!


THE FOLLOWING CHAPTER CONTAINS A COUPLE OF LINES FROM THE ACTUAL SERIES. ME NO OWN!


Charm and Harm


Interviewing George Foyet turned out to be a very interesting experience for Derek, and not only because of the obvious tension between them. The first surprise that made something dark flash through him came when he insisted that he'd drive Spencer home before taking Foyet to the man's apartment. As it turned out the two men lived in the same apartment building, only one floor apart from each other.

How convenient, Derek mused with a sour aftertaste he hadn't known to expect. He couldn't understand his own reactions anymore. Why should that matter to him?

Stood by the doorway of his apartment Spencer said his byes and gave them a look before disappearing into the security of his home. It took Derek longer than it should've before he managed to rip his gaze off the door and follow Foyet's lead upstairs.

He didn't even realized that he hadn't said a word to Foyet after the introductions until the man spoke. "Do you have something against sexual minorities, agent Morgan?"

Derek nearly choked on his very breath as he darted a stunned look towards the other, caught embarrassingly off guard. "What?" he sputtered before managing to gather the remnants of his dignity and wits. He frowned and dodged a passing by neighdor – a elderly woman who was dressed far too well for such a house and based on the look she gave them knew it. "No. Why would you ask that?"

Foyet shrugged, his expression unchanged. "I've noticed your expressions since you found out about Spencer and I. It's quite clear that you don't like the thought of us being… intimate." A sideways glance that saw so much it made him feel uncomfortable was darted his way. "I can only come up with two possible reasons for that, and you just excluded the first one."

Derek's eyes narrowed while his blood boiled. He was not about to let this man get under his skin. "Not that it'd be any of your business, but I'm not gay."

Foyet's expression told all too clearly just how little the man believed him. "Take all your time to figure it out, Derek. I'm fairly sure Spencer's not on to you yet."

If Foyet hadn't been a highly important witness Derek would've definitely lifted his fist and punched to man directly to the face. His lips opened, prepared for a venomous hiss, until he heard steps that were followed by Emily's voice. "There you are." Turning his head a little he noticed the woman stood behind Foyet's door with David. "I've been trying to call you."

"I had to turn off my phone during the concert", he explained, perhaps too hurriedly. "I… found someone."

Emily frowned but before any questions could be asked her eyes found Foyet. She arched an eyebrow. "Are you George Foyet?"

Foyet nodded slowly with nearly scared eyes, looking around in alarm. "We should go inside."

The small apartment was incredibly tidy and organized. Foyet gave them a nearly apologetic look. "I spend too much time at home. It gives me too many chances to clean up." The man gestured towards the living room. It wasn't until then Derek noticed how badly the professor's hands shook. "Go on, take a seat."

Reaching the couch David spoke, his eyes on the professor. "We don't have to do this if this feels too hard. We understand…"

Foyet shook his head, falling onto a seat close to the room's doorway. "I know, I know. But… It's time, to let it out." The man gave them a wry smile, his whole body shaking by then. "Running away hasn't worked too well so far."

"What do you remember?" Emily inquired, her tone deliberately soft.

A faraway look appeared to Foyet's eyes – it was like the man wasn't with them in the room anymore. "He… had a sightseeing booklet with him. He said he was lost." The professor grit his teeth. "Stephanie… He stabbed her 67 times. I still remember her screams, even though I've lost a lot of bits from that night."

They were all silent, gave the man the chance to compose himself. A line appeared between Derek's eyes as he examined the professor's features. "To me it looks like you remember a lot", he pointed out, uable to stop himself.

Foyet darted a look he couldn't quite read towards him. "It's surprisingly hard to forget the mental image of someone dying. Considering your job I'd expect you to know that."

"Detecting lies is my job", Derek clipped back.

"Morgan." Aaron's tone of voice was nearly threatening. There was no misreading the unit chief's sharp eyes. "Why don't you go back to the station and report chief Reid about this? We'll have a talk later."

Derek opened his mouth for a heated argument but just one look at Foyet's face convinced him otherwise. The only way to win this game was to lose one battle. That's why he got up and headed out of the apartment without a glance over his shoulder. It took all he had not to slam the door as he went.

Why the hell was everything so frustrating today?

Once Derek left Aaron took a deep breath, biting his teeth together. Sometimes he really hated his job.

He glanced towards Foyet's nearly ashen face. "I'm really sorry. This case is taking its toll on us and we're all tired."

Foyet tried to smile but it didn't come out right. "It's alright. I've heard worse."

"You were a lot of help", Emily offered. "Thank you, for doing this."

Foyet looked at them with a solemn expression. "Are you going to get him locked up?"

"The Reaper isn't out of our reach", Aaron replied in a tone that didn't sound familiar in his ears. "He's just a man, nothing more."

It was impossible to tell if the look in Foyet's eyes was closer to a plea or something much darker. "Then catch him."


When Spencer couldn't focus on any book in his bookshelf long enough to finish 50 pages he decided that he had to force himself to stop thinking. He needed fresh air. Against all reason he chose to use the elevator, just this once. When the doors opened he found himself staring directly into the eyes of Derek.

While Derek cleared his throat with obvious discomfort Spencer's head buzzed in a far from healthy speed. He knew there was no way he could avoid this without being rude. That's why he bit the bullet and stepped into the inhumanly tiny box, feeling like he'd been locked up into a prison cell when the doors closed.

When the journey downwards began Derek finally spoke. "I… never imagined that you'd have a boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend", Spencer answered quickly, despite being an atheist praying that the ride would be over soon. He swallowed convulsively and licked his lips while cold sweat rose to his skin. "We… We made a very clear agreement, in the beginning. We have no strings attached." He knew Foyet had others. It'd never bothered him.

"Oh." Derek sounded genuinely surprised. The man seemed ready to say more but fate had other plans.

Without a warning the elevator screeched to a violent halt, almost sweeping the two of them off their feet. In a poor balance to begin with Spencer stumbled forward, ending up uncomfortably close to Derek. And then nothing moved. Absolutely nothing. It took exactly two seconds before Spencer came to a conclusion that made blood freeze right into his veins.

The elevator was stuck. They were locked up. They were trapped.

Spencer wanted to scream but he couldn't even pull in a proper breath.

Breathe!, he tried to tell himself although it seemed his brain had stopped listening a long time ago. Just remember to breathe.

It took a long, long time before he was coherent enough to be able to make any sense at all to his surroundings. At first he thought the awful wheezing sound came from him but then he realized that he wasn't breathing at all. He wanted to open his eyes to see if Derek was alright but just then the elevator jerked once more, pulling a very humiliating yelp of fright from him.

Spencer's whole body began to shake and his lips were moving before he realized what was happening. "5… 83… 191… 307… 431…"

"Spencer?" Derek sounded genuinely confused. "What the hell are you doing?"

Spencer counted five more numbers before he managed to speak. "It's… I count prime numbers, whenever I'm nervous. It… It helps me calm down…"

Derek emitted a snort that sounded suspiciously shaky. "You sure look calm."

Spencer was all too aware of the fact that he looked like a pouting child when he gave the older man his best hard look. "Shut… Shut the hell up, Morgan!"

They stared at each other for a long, extremely bizarre moment, both breathing loudly and erratically. And then, before he properly realized what was going on, Derek's hands were on him, moving somewhat hesitantly on his clothes.

The dark-skinned man emitted a choked breath. "I… I'm not gay", the agent proclaimed in a stiff tone.

Spencer met the other's eyes, facing so many buried secrets that there was no way he would've been able to read them all. "Neither am I", he claimed back. The other man's touches were making it increasingly hard for him to breathe normally and his cheeks were on fire. He choked a little on the following words. "Many scientists believe that a person's sexual orientation isn't really set in stone."

"Are you saying that anyone can turn me on?" Derek demanded in a voice he didn't quite recognize. The dark skinned man's hands fumbled on his body. It was almost adorable how such a usually confident alpha male didn't seem to know what to do with him.

Spencer gasped when the other found the exact right spot and squeezed so hard that his nails nearly dug into the agent's skin, then shook his head. "No, no." Good grief, was he moaning? The heat on his cheeks spread everywhere inside him. "It… It has a lot to with hormones and chemistry…"

And then Derek's lips crashed against his, sealing him into a fiery, almost aggressive kiss. At first he was too stunned to react but then his lips finally regained their ability to move and his body dipped just a little bit closer to the agent's.

Derek's very pleasant taste of coffee exploded in his mouth and in a flash it was all he could think about.

Then the elevator began to move once more. Spencer couldn't tell if it was the sudden movement or something else entirely that broke their kiss and pushed Derek further from him. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't read the look in the man's eyes.

Derek's lips opened but in the end nothing came out. And then the ride was already over.

The journey was finished before they realized it and the doors slid open to reveal the face of Aaron Hotchner, whom Spencer had met once since the appearance of the Reaper. The man looked at them with a frown. "Are you two alright?"

Spencer nodded although he wasn't too sure about the matter. "I… I'll get back to you on that."

Derek was quick to nod and leap out of the tiny box, out of Spencer's close proximity. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Aaron gave them a look but thankfully didn't push any further. The man's eyes hardened slightly. "Morgan, we'll have to get back to the station. We've been trying to call you – the Reaper struck again, just before the concert."

Spencer felt inhumanly cold while Derek swore loudly.

There was some hesitation in Derek's motions while the man turned to look at him. Yet again those eyes were unreadable, like a barrier of some sort had been built between them. It hurt, a lot more than it should've. "I'll check up on later, to make sure you're alright. Call me if there's anything wrong at all." With that the man began to leave with uncharacteristic stiff steps. "And go back inside. You shouldn't walk around unguarded before we catch the Reaper."

Spencer nodded, his tongue completely tied, and thrust his hands into his pockets. As he watched the two agents jump into their cars he felt strangely empty and so agitated that he was about to explode at the same time.

What the hell was happening to him?

The breath of air that came from the cars disappearing gave him no answers.

Spencer knew that he was taking a risk but his feet were far too restless to lead him back inside. Instead he watched the agents disappear, then headed towards a undetermined location.

If he wouldn't get rid of the pulsating and heat inside his body they might just end up killing him much before any psychopath.

Derek's taste kept tingling in his mouth as he went.


Shadows were already growing long and dark while William stood in his office, holding a small glass of strong alcohol in a surprisingly steady hand. The crushing headache he'd been having earlier was slowly turning into a dull, nagging ache.

Two more victims, young adults. Two people in the very beginning of their lives.

They were dead because he hadn't accepted that lunatic's sick deal.

He squeezed the glass so hard it almost broke, uncomfortable stinging sensation taking over his exhausted eyes.

Maybe he should've accepted Aaron's offer to go home and get some rest, but he couldn't. He couldn't even close his eyes without having flashes of the victims' faces filling his head – how was he supposed to sleep?

Just then his eyes spotted the cell phone he'd practically thrown to his desk earlier that day, sick of hearing all those desperate voices pleading him to catch the Reaper. And at that moment he couldn't hold himself back any longer.

He picked up the phone and dialed numbers he hadn't used in a much too long time. His hands began to shake while he waited.

Only run into a voicemail.

"This is Dr. Spencer Reid. I can't answer the phone right now but leave a brief message after the tone and I'll get back to you as soon as I can."

William Reid almost hung up – just like he'd done countless of times before. But this time he was a stronger man. This time he found his voice.

He swallowed thickly, then began in a weak voice that might've humiliated him under different circumstances. "Spencer, it's… It's me." He fumbled for words for a while. "I understand that you probably don't want to hear another word from me and I can't blame you, but… Earlier today I saw the Reaper's latest victim – he was a man of your age. And… I know it's horrible, but I can't help being grateful that it wasn't you. That I didn't lose you like I lost your mother." He knew his time was limited. He'd have to hang up soon although there was still a million things he wanted to say. He took a deep breath, once more biting back the stinging of his eyes. "You're the only thing that matters to me in this world, Spencer. Don't ever forget that." With that the time was up. William took a moment before putting the phone away as softly as he could.

Some days he really hated being a parent.

He took a deep, unsteady breath, furiously attempting to regain control over himself. In the end he managed to get lost into his professional's role. His mind was completely clear.

Relieved by the change he took another, much easier breath and focused on the crime scene photographs spread all over the table before him. Although it sickened him he examined the wounds, the signatures, the blood. Until he suddenly spotted something he hadn't noticed before. He frowned and narrowed his eyes, then took the picture to his hand to be sure.

The glass fell from his other hand as realization shot through his body like a bolt of lightning.


Derek's feet felt heavy and numb while he approached the newest crime scene, counting in his head to focus on anything but what was waiting for him. It wasn't exactly easy with the blue and red lights all around him.

It only got harder when he found the grim face of Aaron. "The Reaper didn't give him a chance this time. He was stabbed seventy times."

Derek swallowed, dangerously close to throwing up. He focused on Aaron's face because he didn't think he would've been able to handle seeing the body. "Please tell me we're at least a step closer to catching that son of a bitch." It was impossible to tell if his voice was closer to a sob or a hiss. Perhaps it was a mixture of both.

Aaron said nothing but the man's darkening eyes did.

Finally managing to brace himself Derek cast his eyes downwards, towards the body that'd been abandoned into a pool of blood.

There was no life in Spencer Reid's eyes.

And Derek bolted to a sitting position, his lips open for a soundless, breathless scream. It took several seconds before he realized that he wasn't examining a crime scene – instead he was on a couch in the police station's break room, resting for the first time in days.

He wasn't alone, either.

Jennifer, who had a empty coffee mug in her hold, was looking at him with a great deal of worry. "That must've been one heck of a dream – you were whimpering." Her eyebrows knitted together. "Are you okay?"

He nodded slowly and looked away. For the first time he wished she hadn't been enough of a profiler to see the real answers from his face. "I just… The sleep deprivation is getting to me, I guess."

Jennifer didn't appear convinced. She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Look… I heard you almost chewed George Foyet's head off today. You haven't been yourself lately." It was impossible to look away when her blue eyes were fixed on him, almost pleading. "This team's a family. Whatever there's on your mind you can talk to me, okay? I'm here to listen to you."

He tried to soften his expression while nodding. "Yeah, I know. Thanks." But just then it felt like the room's four walls were closing in on him. He needed to get out before he'd suffocate. That's why he headed towards the room's door. "I'll be back in a bit."

Jennifer appeared worried while he turned to leave. "Where are you going?"

He inhaled and exhaled, then inhaled again. His chest didn't feel any less tight. "Tell Hotch… Tell him that I needed some fresh air and I'll be back soon, okay?" He didn't manage to give her any further explanations. He didn't have such even for himself.

For the first time in his life Derek had absolutely no idea of what he wanted as he marched out of the station. He'd never been as scared in his entire life.


It was night when Spencer woke up to the sound of knocking. His eyes flew open and he blinked several times, furiously attempting to make some sense to his tangled thoughts. He glanced towards his alarm clock to discover that it said three thirty. A frown appeared to his features.

Foyet never knocked. Who else could it be at this hour?

For once in his life letting his curiosity take the lead he made his way to the door, fighting off a yawn on his way. All traces of sleep vanished when he opened the door to discover the person stood behind it.

There was a torn look on Derek Morgan's face.

Spencer knew that he should've questioned the agent's motives, that he should've at very least asked if the other was really sure about this – to ask what 'this' was. But this time he was selfish and kept his mouth firmly shut.

Instead he took a step to the side, letting Derek enter.


TBC, right?


A/N: Things sure are headed to a interesting direction, aren't they? (quirks an eyebrow) What's gonna happen between those two, and how will it affect… well, everything? Things are bound to get messier from here.

PLEASE, leave a note to let me know your thoughts! Awww, c'mon, the button's right there below. I can tell it's calling you.

IN THE NEXT ONE: Morgan and Reid end up doing something that turns things between them upside down. Meanwhile the Reaper gets sick of warming up and starts his sickest game so far. The clock is ticking, but on who? The story continues is 'Profiler, Profiled'.

Until next time, folks, I hope!

Take care!


Katsakura: Indeed, huh? (winces) There's several options as to where this all will be headed, and none of them sounds overly pleasant.

Super sized thank yous for the review! I really hope you'll be staying tuned.


Hatsuharu M: A shocker indeed. We'll see just how twisted this plot is going to get as the story progresses…

20+, huh? (chuckles, and beams) It's so good to hear you'd be willing to read that much! We'll see. I'm currently in the process of sealing some incoming plotlines in my head – after that it's easier to determine the length. (smirks mysteriously)

Massive thank yous for the review! Until next time, I hope.


Reidland: That's so, so good to hear. (beams) I really hope ya'll stay as hooked with the next bit.

Monumental thank yous for the review!


abitobsessed: GOSH! You've really enjoyed the story thus far THAT much? So sure know how to make me float with joy. (beams) We'll see just how long this will be. In any case it means a lot to hear that you'd be willing to read that much further.

Spencer would definitely have no problem finding a job if he'd make a sudden, spontaneous decision to move to Quantico. (smirks)

Ah, as for the roses…! (grins mysteriously) No worries. All answers will come eventually.

Enormous thank yous for the fantastic review! I really hope you'll be just as pleased with the next one.


nicolethecrazyone: And now you made mine! (beams and hugs)

Lots and lots of thank yous for the review!