Reid wrapped his arms around Tucker and leaned down to kiss her bare shoulder as the hot water pounded down on them. Reid had read five chapters of 'Great Expectations' to Tucker and had enjoyed it immensely. He remembered when his mother had read to him the same way how safe and loved he had felt. He thought maybe when they caught Clayton that he would take his mother's books out of the crate he had them in and read them to Tucker. For the moment though, he was content in sharing the shower with her as the sun rose above D.C.
Tucker leaned her back against Reid. She closed her eyes and smiled. She had never been this happy before and she never wanted this to end. All her life she had let fear rule her but now in this moment with Reid she was letting love rule and it felt so sweet; she felt safe. She opened her eyes and turned around to face Reid. She accepted the kiss that he placed on her lips. They had both finished washing each other's hair and bodies but Tucker didn't want to step out of the shower yet. In the shower with Reid, she could pretend that the outside world didn't exist.
"We might set off the smoke alarms soon," Reid said kissing her on the cheek.
"I just don't want to face the world yet," she answered.
"I know the feeling," Reid admitted. He looked down at her feet and smiled when he saw that the tattoo on her ankle was a butterfly. He closed his eyes and knew that he should tell her that he did understand her feelings of guilt about her father. "Tuck, I understand why you blame yourself," he whispered.
Tucker sighed, "I don't want to talk about it."
"I placed my mother in the hospital she is in when I was eighteen. My father left because he knew she was sick but I... I was in denial about it, I guess."
"Spence, you don't have to do this. We can do this after all this is over."
"No, I want you to know. I thought if I was the perfect child, got the perfect grades and behaved myself that she wouldn't have episodes. Schizophrenic episodes can be made worse by stress so I tried to be the perfect son. Logically I knew that it wouldn't change anything but... I did it anyway."
"Because she was your mother and you loved her and would have tried anything to cure her."
"But I couldn't. She was still sick and it kept getting worse and I came to realize that it wasn't my fault. No matter what I did, I couldn't stop my mother from having her episodes. And you could never stop your father from killing, Tucker. Blaming yourself isn't helping anyone. Especially not you."
"Is this the part where you lecture me on the effects of drug use and how it kills millions of people each year?"
"Heroin kills two thousand people a year. I don't want you to be one of them."
Tucker sighed, "I would argue with you but I don't know weird obscure facts to support me like someone I know."
"You know someone like that?"
Tucker was saved from laughing hysterically at Reid by a loud pounding on the door to the apartment. She turned and shut the water off. She could hear Morgan calling for her and Reid. She kissed Reid on the cheek and then climbed out of the shower stall. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself. She turned and looked at Reid and gave him a soft smile.
"I'll finish in the bedroom while you answer the door," she said.
"Alright," Reid answered grabbing his track pants and pulled them on then his sweatshirt. He grabbed a towel and left the washroom.
He walked down the hall and knew that if Morgan was there this early in the morning that it couldn't be anything good. Reid stood at the door and quickly dried his hair and then ran his fingers through it to try and get it to look at least half presentable. He then reached out and opened the door. Morgan walked right past him and inside. Reid closed the door and looked at Morgan. Morgan threw something on the coffee table then looked at him.
"I didn't wake you?" Morgan asked taking in Reid's wet hair.
"No, I was awake. Did something happen?" Reid asked.
"Yeah, something big. Is Tucker awake?"
"Why?"
"Because I need to talk to her as well."
"Tell me first and-."
"No. I can't take the chance that you will censor this from her. She deserves to know."
"Know what?" Tucker asked walking into the room hugging Reid's sweater around her tight. She looked from Morgan to Reid. She knew that it was something important because Morgan kept his eyes on her and didn't look back at Reid.
"There was another body found this morning. There was a note but it was different," Morgan said looking at Tucker.
"How different?"
"We can do this back at the BAU," Reid said seeing that look come on Tucker's face. She was shutting down and he knew that it would take him hours again to get her back to that carefree place they had been in before Morgan had showed up.
"No, Spence, Morgan is here we can do this now. Why wait the twenty minute drive to hear something when I can do it now?" Tucker asked walking closer to Morgan and Reid.
"The note said that he had found you and that everything would be his once again. I think the note means that-."
"He wants me to go with him and kill again? Yeah, got that part figured out. But there is more isn't there? You wouldn't drive here if it was just that."
Morgan smiled a little, "Anyone ever told you that you would make a good profiler?" he asked.
"No, they haven't. What is it?"
Tucker watched as Morgan leaned down and grabbed the evidence bag. He handed it to Tucker. She took it and looked at the picture. Tears came to her eyes. She flipped it over and saw the threat. She looked up and held the picture tight in her hands. She felt herself shaking and a moment later Reid's arms were around her. She leaned against him and let him take the picture from her. She closed her eyes and knew what she had to do. It was no longer just about her. Her father had threatened Reid; the one person who she needed more than anything at the moment. She knew that she needed to figure out a way to trap him.
"What's the plan? I go to him and you follow?" she asked Morgan pulling away from Reid.
"Essentially, yes. There will need to be more finesse to it, but yeah. You go to your father and we track your every move and-," Morgan started.
"It is not going to happen," Reid stated tossing the picture on the coffee table.
"Reid, this is the only way," Morgan said knowing that this would get ugly.
"It is not the only way. I am not going to let you send her in there on a whim and one little threat. He could be bluffing!" Reid yelled knowing he was showing Morgan exactly how much Tucker meant to him but he didn't care.
"He isn't bluffing, Spence. He will find you and hurt you just because I love you. He did it in New York with my johns. Suddenly one by one they would disappear. I ran as fast as I could and I gave up that life. It was way too easy for him to find me and torture me. I mean, who is going to take the druggie whore seriously?" Tucker asked mockingly.
"I would have. And you are not a whore or a druggie. And we are not going to go through with this plan."
Morgan felt his anger rise to new heights. All the terror and fears he had had when Hankle had taken Reid came floating back to him. Also the guilt. Morgan knew he should have stayed with Reid instead of JJ going with him. He remembered the helplessness as he has stood there and watched as Reid had had the seizure and laid on the floor unmoving. Morgan had seen a lot of ugly, horrible things in his life but none had made him want to cry more than the sight of his friend laying there almost dead.
"I will not let this monster hurt you like Tobias did, Reid! Do you remember what that bastard did to you?" Morgan demanded.
"Derek, not here not-," Reid tried.
"Not what? In front of Tucker? I think she has a right to know what happened."
"Please, don't fight because of me," Tucker whispered not wanting to ruin Reid's friendship with Morgan.
"Tobias Hankle kidnapped Reid and held him hostage. Tobias had multiple personalities and one of them just happened to be a serial killer. When he had Reid he forced Reid to watch as he killed a couple after Reid had refused to choose who to die. He then injected Reid with medical grade heroin getting him addicted to it. Oh, but that isn't the worse of it."
"Morgan, stop," Reid said watching Tucker and not Morgan. He saw her shaking more and the fear in her eyes. He was the only thing she had to hold on to and he knew that hearing about what had happened to him wasn't helping her. He reached out to her but she ignored him and focused on Morgan.
"No, Reid, she deserves to know how you almost died!"
"Spence, did," Tucker closed her eyes, "please tell me that didn't happen."
"I wish it hadn't happened but it did. I came out alright, though. You might not. I can't allow you to go through with this plan, Tuck. I can't risk you," Reid stated.
"Do you think I can risk you? Morgan is right. My father won't stop until he has me and we need to catch him. Spence, he will come after you and I can't deal with that. I have seen so much death and pain I... Are you going to make me have to see him hurt you that way too?"
Tucker was beyond caring about her own wellbeing. Her father had threatened Reid; the one person she loved more than herself. She let Reid pull her in his arms. She rested her head on his chest. She felt him rubbing her back and she leaned against his touch. She could feel his love in his touch and she knew that he was trying to protect her but she couldn't let him.
"I am an FBI agent I believe that I can look after myself," he said softly.
"Spence, please let me do this. I need to catch him and this could be our ticket," Tucker whispered.
Reid held Tucker closer and looked at Morgan. Reid wanted to be angry at him but he knew that Morgan was just doing what they had asked hundreds of victims to do before. He pulled away from Tucker and looked her in the eyes. He leaned in and kissed her on the lips softly.
"Alright. We'll head to the BAU and brainstorm a plan," he said.
"I can live with that. I'll meet you two there. Reid, be careful," Morgan said looking at the couple. He saw Reid nod. Morgan walked out of the apartment and closed the door behind him. He felt good about this. Maybe they had a chance now.