The Zero Hour

Reid and Prentiss

January 2011

Note- This is a T rated story but it does deal with sex. For those of you who love M rated stories (as I do) I'll try and write one for this couple eventually (which means when the muse comes up with an idea). Thank you for reading! I'm having a lot of computer problems lately so if this story is not updated frequently then that is why.

Chapter Three

She straddled his lap, her feet wrapped around his back as he sat up.

Breathing heavily, they disentangled themselves. They ended up laying with their heads at different ends of the beg, bodies flushed and coming down from their mutual highs.

In a deep, sexy tone she told him "Dr. Reid, that was quite the nice surprise."

"Technically, you surprised me first tonight."

"Right," she agreed, her tone turning a little weary, as she thought about what had driven her to need comfort: a killer was gunning for her. Her days could be severely numbered.

Feeling exposed, with reality rushing back in like a lightening bolt, she grabbed for a sheet and wiggled around to cover herself before sitting up.

Reid moved off the bed, dealing with the condom, slipped on his boxers and then came and sat back down, staring intently at her.

She shrugged one shoulder. "What? It just a little sex between consensual adults. Lets not overanalyze this."

He stared into her eyes for another long moment before asking "Where did you go when you left work tonight?"

She flopped back on the bed and pulled the sheet over her head, groaning loudly. "Oh God! You're profiling me!" in a very over dramatic way.

He gently tugged back down the sheet, finding her hair a mess over her face. He brushed her hair away.

Reid told her "Talking about it surely will make you feel better than random sex."

"Ha! Doubtful. Very doubtful." She sat back up and raised her hand to rest it against his shoulder. "Seriously, though, thank you for not kicking me out when I pushed my way in here earlier. I appreciate the support." Slowly she moved in close to kiss him, her lips barely hovering against his. "And you're right, something did go down earlier, but I just don't feel like getting into it...okay?" Her words were low, throaty, whispered.

He swallowed hard. "O...Okay," he whispered back before taking her lips in another heady, sensual, tongue tangling kiss.

After they broke apart she slipped off the bed and started to gather her clothes. Silently she dressed, grabbed her shoes and headed for the living room to get the rest of her discarded clothes. Spencer grabbed a robe, slipped it on with some slippers, and followed her.

She smirked when she saw him, as she was about to slip on her coat, "Silk? Oh, Dr. Reid, you do have a whole side to you that I never knew existed before tonight."

"I prefer silk to cotton against my skin. Did you know that the shimmering appearance of silk is due to the triangular prism structure of this fabric which allows light to refract at different angles, producing different colors? Silk was originally reserved only for the kings in China, as early as 3500 BC. They tried to keep it to themselves but eventually it reached all over Asia and then the world. Its produced by two types of worms- the cultured Bombycidae and the wild Saturniidae-"

She pressed her fingers to his lips. "All I said was nice robe. I didn't ask for the history of how it got made."

"Just trying to make conversation."

"Well don't," she joked, dryly, before moving close for one last kiss.

She looked up and into his eyes. Tonight they had an experience that would forge a deeper bond between them. He had been there for her when she was terrified, lonely and needy. The way he treated her with kindness, made her weep as they had sex in a intimate position of both sitting up, had been all she needed and so much more.

Reid cupped her face, taking control of the moment, and kissed her deeply, making her feel it down in her gut, spreading new fire through her. She moaned as she reluctantly broke free and stumbled backwards, towards the door, reaching behind her to open it.

"Good night, Dr. Reid," she purred at him before leaving his place.

Emily made it to the stairs before she paused, leaned against the wall, and tried to gather her thoughts about all that had occurred this evening. She had learned from her old associate Sean that deranged killer Ian Doyle had escaped prison. He was off the grid but Sean felt he was on his way to the United States to settle some old scores. How long would it be before he caught up to Emily? Would she survive it when he did?

Should she tell the team about this? Should she had told Spencer just now? Maybe asked to spend the night with him so she'd be safer? Had tonight been a mistake? If she did get killed would Spencer now feel the pain even deeper because of all they had just shared?

Would she live long enough to ever kiss him again? Did he want to kiss her again? Thinking about how good they had been together between the sheets she tried to console herself with the idea that he surely would let her in another time if she showed up on his doorstep. But for the rest of tonight, due to her stupid independent ways, she was stuck on her own.

Emily slowly headed down the stairs, on full alert for any danger that may be lurking in the shadows.

XXXXXXXXX

At different moments during the next case Emily found herself staring at Reid intently, remembering their night together and how tender, yet strong and sure, he had been. She could use more of that in her life. Sometimes she felt like she was practically on her own in the world.

Of course she had her family and other friends but, at the end of the day, she was still going home to an empty bed each night. No one to lean on. Not that she was the type to lean on anyone anyway. That was probably her problem. Now that she knew Ian Doyle was out there somewhere lurking she really should lean on the team to maybe help her track that psycho down before he tracked her down.

But so far she hadn't said a peep to anyone about him.

That evening, when they returned to Quantico, she stuck around her desk late into the night, finding paperwork to keep her busy long after when she'd normally go home. Reid stayed at his desk too. They worked in companionable silence. Over the days that they were out of town on this last case they hadn't spoken at all about what had happened but to her it seemed that they were still cool with each other.

Reid closed up his paperwork and stuck it in his drawer. "I have a guest room."

She arched an eyebrow. "Are you asking me to stay in your guest room? Why would I need to do that?" She faked a smile. "I do have an apartment all of my own."

"You're nervous to be alone right now."

"Ugh, I hate when you profile me. Let me tell you something, fyi, women don't like when you tell them how they are feeling, especially since men don't hardly ever guess right."

"But that is how you're feeling. Its not a guess but a qualified observation. You've been jumpy every evening when we broke for the night and you knew you were going to have to be alone in a hotel room and you've been looking over your shoulder whenever you're outside anywhere. You don't need to confirm or deny it, because I already know what I know and we both know I'm rarely wrong, so if you want to use my guest room its available."

"That's sweet but I'm fine." She stood up, grabbing her coat and purse off the back of the chair quickly, and headed for the door. "Evening, Dr. Reid."

He gave her a concerned look.

She smiled. "Seriously, I'm perfectly fine! You worry too much. Its not good for your health." She left him there with a worried look on his face, despite her words of assurance that she was okay. It had sounded fake to her own ears so she knew he didn't buy it for a second.