Tucker sat on Reid's comfy oversized couch as he talked to the rest of the team. She looked around his apartment and saw the piles of books that seemed to fill every empty space. She smiled slightly to think that books bought Reid as much comfort as they did to her. She turned when Reid walked over to her tossing his cane aside and taking the spot beside her. He placed his phone on the coffee table and looked at her. Tucker suddenly became very interested in the throw blanket he had on the back of the couch. She felt her hands still shaking and wished that she had had time to shot up before this. She had never been uncomfortable with Reid but that was before he had known every one of her dirty secrets.

Reid watched her and knew that she was nervous. He reached out and touched her knee. He waited but she didn't pull away. He placed his hand on her knee and waited. She slowly reached out and took his hand in hers. He squeezed it to reassure her he was with her. She hadn't talked much on the ride over to his place and he knew that she still might not open up to him. It was fine though. He would sit in the quiet with her and hold her hand if that was what she needed. He had dealt with plenty of victims but every single one reacted different. And he had never really encountered anyone like Tucker. She was the daughter of a serial killer who had spent her life running away and hiding from him. Reid was scared to ask why she was running and what she had seen to make her describe her father as evil. He knew only too well the type of horrors she could have been exposed to at a young age. He just hoped she would be strong enough to help him catch her father and stop him.

"What did the team say?" she asked finally speaking.

"Morgan told me to stay with you tonight and bring you in tomorrow morning," he said softly.

"You know all his victims, right?"

"Yes, I know the list. My memory is-."

"Is my mother on it? Did you find her body yet?" Tucker asked looking up and meeting Reid's eyes. She knew he was smart and his memory was awesome but she just needed to know if they had finally found her mother.

Reid looked at Tucker and shook his head, "No, she is not on the list."

"I was six when he killed her. It's one of my first memories. He didn't make me help get rid of her. I was still too young but he made me watch him kill her."

"Tucker, you don't have to do this now."

"Then when, Spence? I tried once before and the school guidance counsellor believed my father. I told her about watching my father stab my mother over and over... The blood, Spence, it," Tucker closed her eyes to fight off the memories but they stayed in her head as vivid as the moment it had happened, "it was everywhere. She screamed 'Not in front of Del! Stop! Don't let her see it!' but he didn't stop. He never stopped."

Tucker felt her body shaking as she sobbed. She couldn't stop the memories. She felt Reid pull her in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest. She sobbed and wished the images of her father covered in blood would stop flashing in her mind. The images of woman after woman screaming for help raced though her head. She had tried to get help but no one believed her; they had always believed him. Until she had been twelve and child's services had finally taken her from his care when she had missed too much school and a home inspection had revealed that the house was barely more than a shack. She had thought she had been freed from him; and then there was the first body that had made the news.

Reid held Tucker and stroked her hair. He leaned back and rested his back against the couch. He listened and heard the sobs coming from Tucker slowly stop. He still ran his fingers though her soft hair and then felt her place a hand on his chest. She didn't lift her head to look at him but that was fine. As long as she wasn't crying he could take her not facing him. He winced and lifted his feet up and placed them on the coffee table. He toed off his shoes and swore he could feel Tucker smile against his chest as she looked at his mismatched socks. He felt her snuggle against him and for the moment, everything seemed right. He would never forget what she had told him moments ago but as long as he held her tight in the quiet they could both forget her past and the reason they were on his couch like this.

"Spence?" Tucker asked softly.

"Yeah?" he asked looking at her.

"Tell me something interesting."

"Well, let's see."

"Like you really have to think about something interesting to tell me. You know everything, Spence."

"A piece of paper cannot be folded in half seven times."

"What? Yes, it can."

Reid smiled, "It can't. I should know since I know everything."

Tucker punched Reid in the stomach gently, "No one likes a know it all."

Reid laughed gently. He looked down and saw Tucker looking at him. He looked into her vivid green eyes and knew he would move mountains to keep her safe. He watched as she sat up and placed a soft kiss on the corner of his mouth. She then rested her head on his shoulder and laid with her body pressed against his side. He ran his hand from her hair down her back and rested it on her side. He knew he was pressing against the line of professional conduct of an agent but he knew he was already bending the rules by being on this case. He reached up with his other hand and took her hand that was resting on his chest in his.

"You seem to like me well enough," he answered softly.

"You grew on me, like mould."

"Mould actually grows on dead organic matter and one does not notice until-."

Tucker looked at Reid and placed a hand on his mouth, "Spence, I was joking. I... I liked you from the very first day you walked into the cafe. And although I do love it when you start talking all smart and using words I could never pronounce, I just want to close my eyes and try to pretend that today never happened."

"You like it when I talk smart?" Reid asked as she took her hand away and rested her head back on his shoulder. He didn't move as she moved closer and rested her forehead in the crook of his neck. Having her so close felt so right in so many ways; he didn't know what it was but he didn't want to lose it.

"Yeah, I do. You look really cute when you get excited about something. Especially if it's something I don't know anything about. You would have made a great teacher, Spence."

Tucker closed her eyes and felt Reid pulled her closer against him. She didn't mind. Having him hold her helped her push away the memories in her mind. She knew that in the morning she would have to let them all out and she dreaded it. The only thing that mildly helped her was knowing that Reid would be with her. She didn't want him to know everything she had seen or the things her father had made her do but she was glad he would be there beside her. She was so use to being alone and running away. Staying and fighting her father meant she needed someone strong to stand beside her. She knew she had found that person in Reid. He wouldn't let anything happen to her and he would help her deal with her pain and memories. She muttered a 'thank you' to him. She smiled when she felt him kiss her on the top of her head.

"No thanks needed. Sweet dreams, Tuck," he whispered softly. He felt her breathing even out and only then did he allow himself to close his eyes. He drifted off to sleep holding Tucker protectively in his arms. He would never admit it but he felt like she belonged there.