I'm back. I do not own Criminal Minds and my thanks to my sister for being my beta reader.Chapter #27

Reid opened his eyes, realizing that he had fallen asleep on the way over. He looked over at Ashley was sleeping beside him. He turned his head around, seeing the rest of the parade of cars still following the hummer that they were in.

Since Ashley was still under the bodyguard's protection, Foster insisted that she drives in his hummer because it was bulletproof. Reid wasn't too happy about not driving his girlfriend over there. Since his vintage Volvo didn't have bulletproof windows, and the unsub was still out there, he knew that this was safer. Rossi volunteered to drive his car and JJ and Prentiss would follow in the FBI's SUV.

The Ashburtons lived outside of Quantico, further away from Ashley's house. In fact, it was at least a 30 minute drive from the city; well that is what Foster said. He fell asleep once they got out in the highway. The house was next to the Atlantic Ocean.

"Wow," Reid said as he peers out of the window of the Hummer as it slowed down to a stop in front of the house with an elderly couple waiting.

He studied the house for a moment, which reminded him of one of those houses that he had seen on covers from one of Garcia's romance paperback novels. The house was incredibly huge which he had no doubt that not only his apartment, but all of his team's homes can easily fit in and still have room for a couple of football fields. The stone grey house had three floors with smoky white roof. The house was at least a mile wide where he wouldn't be surprised if he needed a GPS to find his way around the place.

"Hmm," he heard Ashley. He turned to see her waking up from her nap. She opened her eyes and smiled. She slowly sat up straight, stretching out before cringing.

"Are we there?" He nodded yes. He got out of the car, and careful helped her out of the car.

"I should warn you that Mary is a hugger." Reid looked at her, not understanding her. "She will hug the stuffing out of you." Reid raised his eyebrows up, still not understanding her. He swung his messenger bag over his shoulder as he turned to see the rest of the team getting out of their cars. He saw JJ taking off her sunglasses, looking at awe at the house.

"You made it," Paul said as he walked down the stairs.

Ashley nodded. "Oh this is Dr. Spencer Reid. That is Jennifer Jareau, Emily Prentiss, and David Rossi," Ashley introduced them to Paul. "This is Paul Ashburton and his wife Rose."

A thin woman stood at the top of the stairs. She wore a black dress with her long grey hair tied in a bun. She looked down at them through her silver wire glasses, not saying a word, but they all knew that she wasn't happy.

"Prentiss, I believe we meet at one of your mother's parties a few years back," Paul said.

She smiled, "I think so, and it was some kind of charity event."

"Mr. Rossi, I know Mary is a big fan of your writing," he said where Rossi nodded.

"So this is Dr. Reid," he said where both Ashley and Reid blushed.

"Ashley," she heard an excited woman. A middle aged, slightly pumped, petite woman with light blue eyes and brown curly collar length hair dressed in a navy blue dress with light blue floral design. She wore a white apron with red lettering, reading "What Would Julia Child Do?"

She came running down the stairs where she threw her arms around Ashley. Ashley nearly lost her balance and felt a sharp pain run down her back. Reid caught her and gently pushed her upright.

"Hi Mary," she said. The woman didn't let her go. "I miss you too, but I need to feel less love please," she said. Mary let go of her.

"Alright, this is Mary Cohen." And again, Ashley made the introductions again where she starts shaking their hands. When Ashley got to Rossi, she started giggling and just shook his hand.

But when Ashley got to Reid, she made an ooh sound before hugging the young doctor. He stiffened up, not comfortable about being squeezed to death. He knows that no one had ever died from a hug, but he might be the first one if the woman didn't let go. But the corner of his eye, he could see both Prentiss and JJ covering their mouths with their hands, hiding their smiles. Ashley smiled.

"Ok, Mary, the man needs to breathe," Paul interrupted. Mary ran upstairs and disappeared into the house.

"I warned you," Ashley whispered, with a slight smirk on her lips.

"I believe you now," Reid answered.

Mary appeared with a wheelchair where Ashley cringed. She didn't need a wheelchair, she can walk, granted she was slower now, but she can still walk.

"I set up the apartment up for you two," she announced.

Ashley noticed Paul shooting a look at his wife, "Apartment, horse potatoes. Oh excuse me," he apologized to Prentiss and JJ. They nodded, still smiling.

"You are no condition to be running up and down those stairs and it is too far away for Mary to be delivering your meals."

"The place has a kitchen; I am fully capable of cooking my own meals. And I haven't killed Spencer yet with my cooking," she said, trying to defuse the situation. Personally, she liked the idea of her and Reid being alone, not being in two separate bedrooms. She wasn't planning to have sex with him, not with her back, but she respected their beliefs. Still Ashley just wanted to be in his arms as they slept. But she knew that Paul was right, with her back still being Swiss cheese, she couldn't climb the stairs too well.

"Nonsense, you two will be staying on the first floor, close to the kitchen. Now, you get in the chair. I am sure that you four would like to check out the security while Mary helps Ashley get settled. Then we can have lunch."

"Well that is my cue. Miss. Cassidy, it was nice to meet you," Foster said as he gently shook her hand.

"Well thanks for protecting me and giving me a lift."

"Hold on, you are leaving," Rossi asked, looking at Paul.

"That is because Darcy hired you, didn't he," Ashley asked.

"Yes madam."

Now everyone looked at her, "What," she asked. "When he visited me this morning, he told me that he was sending me a bodyguard to stay with me until I get here. He knows that this place is tight as a drum when it comes to security."

Again, Ashley mentioned the name which Reid knew that he had to get this mystery person figure out. He saw Rossi looking at him, "Later," he whispered.