Author's Note: Ok, I'm not even going to try to come up with an excuse as to why I haven't updated in so long, sorry y'all. I'll try to do better. This story has been placed on the back burner since school started back, but I've finally got the next chapter up; so now after an extreme case of writer's block, I present chapter three *dramatic trumpet fanfare plays*

"We've got the wrong guy."

Chapter Three – Waiting Games and Rainstorms

"We've gone over every possible angle; we know the victimology, we found the connection between the victims, the one lead we had was the wrong guy, and everyone else checks out. What are we missing?" Morgan asked, slamming his palm on the table.

"The only thing we can do is wait and hope for him to make a mistake," Hotch said gravely, the usual scowl on his face, "Everyone go home, get some rest; you've been working for two days. I'll call you as soon as something comes up." I stood slowly before walking through the bullpen to my desk. I slug my messenger bag over my head and walked to the elevator. I knew I was missing something; that one clue that would make everything fall into place. I was scared that missing piece may be another body. When the elevator door opened with a quiet ding, I looked up from my shoes and walked into the parking deck; headed towards my old Volvo.

When I got to my apartment, I unlocked the door; dropping my messenger bag in the entryway. I started the coffee maker before falling onto the couch out of frustration. I rested my head in my hands, resting my elbows on my knees when my cell phone rang. "Hello?" I asked, my exhaustion creeping into my voice.

"Oh, it's Leigh, from the bookstore? Did I call at a bad time?" a nervous voice responded. Leigh. I instantly sat up straighter.

"No, I just got home, actually." There was a brief pause as I tried to think of something to say, but she saved me the embarrassment of whatever I may have said by speaking up first.

"So do you still want to go out for coffee? I know a great place just down the road and I thought maybe we could go tomorrow sometime…?" I could tell she was nervous. She was talking so fast I could barely make out her words, and her voice grew continually quieter. I smiled, finally, someone almost as awkward as me.

"Okay. Um, I'll meet you there tomorrow night at seven, I guess? After I get off work?" I couldn't believe I was asking out this girl I had known for about five minutes. 'Wait,' I thought to myself, 'she probably doesn't even think about it as a date. She said she just wanted to get to know me better. That doesn't necessarily mean a date, right? This could just be coffee between two acquaintances.

"It's a date," she replied. I grinned. Okay, so maybe she did consider it a date. I didn't say anything; I was still trying to wrap my head around the fact that someone actually wanted to go on a date with me; a beautiful, amazing, someone who was completely out of my league. I still wasn't convinced it was real.

"Yeah, I'll see you there," I said when I realized she was still waiting for my reply. She stammered out a quick goodbye before disconnecting. I hoped I hadn't already messed up, but I wouldn't put it beyond me. I sank back onto the couch, smiling at the fact that I had a date with Amanda Leigh. I had a date with Amanda Leigh. 'What kind of crazy universe am I living in?' I thought to myself before retiring to my room.

BDBDBDBDBD

I saw her sitting at the small metal table, staring out the window. A waitress brought her a cup of coffee, breaking her out of her trance. I watched as she poured three sugars into her drink, and began to slowly dissolve it into the coffee. I smiled, she didn't use as much sugar as I did, but it was more than the average person liked. I walked over to her. She looked up as she heard me approaching.

"Hey," she was so beautiful when she smiled. Her full lips parted, revealing a set of perfect white teeth, and her cheeks revealed a pair of the most adorable dimples. The corner of her eyes crinkled, and her eyebrows raised a fraction of an inch. Her eyes sparkled, and she laughed. A quiet gentle laugh, accompanying her smile that makes my heart take off. She was breathtaking.

"Hey," I responded; some of my weariness could be detected in my tone.

"What's wrong?" she inquired. I was impressed by her ability to read me so well.

"Tough case, I can't figure out the motive. There's no connection between the victims that I can find, 'Aside from the bookstore, but that went nowhere,' I thought to myself, before pulling myself back to the present. "But I shouldn't be telling you this anyway, what a way to start a date." 'Wait, date? Am I being to forward? Maybe she doesn't think this is a date, maybe she finally came to her senses.'

"A date?" she questioned. I started to panic.

"Well, I mean, I uh…" I stuttered before I looked up at her. She had a small smile on her face, reassuring me that she was joking. I couldn't help it; I looked down at my coffee as a reflex. This girl was different. She seemed to genuinely like me; which was still hard to accept. I had the strangest desire do confide in the beautiful woman sitting in front of me, attentively watching me, waiting for my reaction. I looked into her eyes and I knew I was lost. I tried not to tell her about my life, attempting to shield her from the horrors I see every day; but she pulled the words out of me before I even realized what I was saying. It was the way the listened; the way she hung on my every word that made me want to talk to her. There was never any judgment in her eyes when I told her about my childhood. And when I told her about my family, there was a look of what seemed like a mix of awe and sadness I couldn't place.

She seemed so engrossed in what I was saying, but I needed to know more about her. I wanted to know what she liked and loved; what she hated and what made her tick. For the strangest reason, I needed to know everything about this wonderful girl sitting in front of me, quietly drinking from her coffee mug.

It only took one question to get her talking. She told me about her past; especially her sisters. It amazed me; the way she talked about them with an almost maternal affection. She loved them more than anything. And when she told me about school, she was almost embarrassed by her success. I was mesmerized by her voice. The way her lips formed her words; the way she bit her lip when she was thinking, and the way she twirled her hair around her index finger when her mind was somewhere else. I swallowed as she licked her lips, tearing my eyes away from her mouth to meet her eyes.

She was so much like me, but so completely different; it amazed me. The way she rambled, and blushed when she said something that revealed her intelligence. I could relate to her so easily, and she understood me like no one I'd ever met. She even listened when I started rambling statistics, seeming genuinely interested in what I was saying.

Soon, the owner of the café walked over to our table to inform us it was closing time. She looked up at her and blushed. Standing up slowly, she rocked back on her heels, playing with the intricate silver ring that adorned her left ring finger. I didn't want to leave her yet. I glanced out at the parking lot and saw that my car was the only one there; perfect.

"Would you like me to walk you home?" I asked her hopefully. She nodded, falling into step beside me as we left the café. As we were walking along the sidewalk, we were quiet. I didn't mind, though, it was nice just to be with her. I was aware of her ever movement as we walked along. The way her hair flowed gently in the breeze, the way her eyes scanned her surroundings, and the way her feet landed with the quietest thud against the concrete of the sidewalk. I felt a raindrop hit my face.

I looked down at her before the sky opened up, dumping torrents of water on top of our heads. I met her eyes, unsure how to react. The surprised look I saw there made me want to laugh. I looped my arm around her waist and led her down the street, both of us running through the rain; barely able to see the path ahead of us.

We burst into her apartment building, thoroughly soaked through with rainwater. I tried not to notice how her wet shirt clung to her figure, accenting her curves, sticking to her flat stomach. I swallowed, mentally shaking my head. I burst out laughing as soon as I met her eyes. Soon, tears were streaming down her face and she leaned on me for support. I tried to lead her to the elevator, but I was laughing so hard myself it was hard to focus. We finally made it to the elevator, and as it rose we managed to regain control of ourselves. I noticed her shivering from the cold. She pressed herself closer against my side, and I tightened my grip around her waist, wanting her closer to me. I felt her shiver against me, and because of my instinctual need to protect her, I tucked her into my jacket, trying to warm her with my body heat. She fit against me perfectly, and I suppressed a shiver as she pressed her face to me, her lips grazing the base of my neck. I was so afraid I may spontaneously combust, I was almost glad when the elevator stopped on her floor. Almost.

I walked with her to her front door, my arms never leaving her waist. Her hands trembled slightly as she tried to unlock the door. On the third try, the door swung open and she pulled me inside with her. I was pretty sure she didn't even realize she hadn't invited me in. I guessed it was just expected.

"There's no way you're going back out in that, so make yourself at home. I have some sweats in my room that would probably fit you, if you'd like to change out of those wet clothes," she told me, hanging my coat a coat rack standing beside the door.

"That'd be great, thanks," I told her, as she walked into one of the bedrooms. I stood there for a moment, my eyes trained on the door she shut behind her, before walking into the living room. The décor seemed too girly for her, very bright and perky. I Imagined her apartment more subdued and sophisticated. The only thing that looked like it would belong to her was the back wall, half covered in cherry wood bookcases. I browsed the titles, surprised to find some of my favorite books on the shelves. I went back to the center of the living room, over to the couch, when a pile of books on the coffee table caught my eye. I leaned down to read the titles. The Shadow of the Wind, so this was the book she read that day in the bookstore; the one that she was so happy to receive. I moved over to her entertainment center, reading the titles of the many DVDs. A pile of CDs on a shelf above the television caught my eye. I smiled to myself, picking up a Lady Gaga albums. 'So you're mature in everything but you're taste in music,' I though to myself as I heard her walk up behind me.

I turned to looked at her; holding my breath when I saw her outfit. She was wearing an old concert tee for some band I didn't recognize, and no make up, which made her even more attractive. Her hair fell in loose waves around her shoulders; I assumed she'd dried it. But what really caught my attention were her shorts. Tiny cut off red shorts, showing off legs the color of moonbeams. I had the strangest desire to touch them' to see if they were as smooth and soft as they looked. 'Shut up!' I mentally slapped myself, 'And don't just stand there staring at her like an idiot, say something! Anything at all!' I glanced down to the CD in my hand, breathing a sigh of relief.

"I wouldn't have thought you liked pop," Phew. Crisis averted. 'Careful Spencer, you're moving into dangerous territory,' I thought dryly.

"Oh no, that's Megan's," she said with an affectionate smile, "I share this place with her and our friend Rebecca. We've been friends since the seventh grade." Well, that explained why the room didn't match her personality. I wondered if her bedroom was a better reflection of her. I stopped that train of thought before it could get out of hand; I shouldn't be thinking about her bedroom after one date.

"Then what kind of music do you listen to?" I asked her, hoping it would clear my head.

"I'm more of a classical kind of girl; Beethoven, Mozart." I grinned.

"I knew I wasn't the only person left in the world who appreciated classical music," I looked down at her and smiled. Our faces were only inches apart. She seemed to have noticed also. The playfulness that had previously occupied her eyes had been replaced with a quiet longing I didn't understand. She unconsciously licked her lips; making me shiver. She moved closer to me, antagonizing slow. She inclined her head, standing on her toes to reach me. I sucked in a breath of surprise before her lips gently touched mine.

Author's Note: So what'd ya think? Click that little review button if you want another update; you know the drill. I apologize for any grammar mistakes, I wrote this fast. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, really, you're what's keeping me motivated. I'll try to get the next chapter up sooner this time. Ok, that's all. Review and I'll be happy. Peace out.