Hi everyone. I am so so sorry about how long it has been since I updated but college is driving me nuts – tooo much coursework. Anyway this is a nice long chapter for you ;) enjoy.

Chapter 15

'Nothing is permanently perfect. But there are perfect moments and the will to choose what will bring about more perfect moments' Mary Balogh

Livie and Reid stayed in New York for another two days during which Reid was welcomed warmly into their family. He enjoyed spending time with them. Kaylee followed him around like a little puppy begging him to teach her more magic tricks. He taught her everything he knew.

On the morning of the third day, Reid woke up to find the bed beside him empty and the sounds of life from downstairs. He lay there for a minute, eyes travelling around Livie's childhood bedroom smiling at little things such as cheeky pictures stuck on her notice board and quotes written on bits of paper tacked to the wall.

Eventually he hauled himself up and dressed before heading down the stairs where he found Livie, Kaylee and their father all in the kitchen; Kate had obviously headed in to work. He smiled when he saw them all laughing at the radio as a lively tune played and Rick was dancing Livie round the kitchen as she laughed and Kaylee sat clapping her hands delightedly. "My turn my turn" she laughed leaping up as Livie staggered away laughing too hard to breathe. Rick complied and caught hold of his youngest daughter and he began to tango around the kitchen with her spinning her round and round as she squealed in delight.

"Hey" Livie called spotting him hovering on the stairs "hey" he greeted "action packed morning I see" she smiled "oh yeah" she agreed "hi Spencer" Kaylee greeted. "Hey" he responded. "Care to dance" Livie teased and he hurriedly shook his head "um I don't dance" he said "I have no coordination" Livie rolled her eyes before they headed into the kitchen for coffee.

"Mmmm I don't want to go back to Quantico" Livie mumbled as they settled down at the counter "I'm enjoying this and I feel so much better" Reid smiled; she had been getting better. The nightmares had become less frequent and less traumatising for her. Slowly they were fading and she was becoming more and more like her chipper self.

"Well how many more days do you get off" Rick asked as he finished dancing with Kaylee and they moved back into the kitchen "well Hotch gave us a week so we have three days left" Livie said and Rick grinned at her "well I suggest you use those last three days to do something special" he said and Livie lifted an eyebrow "like" she hinted.

Rick grinned "why don't you take Spencer to the Hamptons for a couple of days" he suggested and Livie's eyes widened "really" she breathed and he nodded "your mother and I were talking about it last night" he said "take the rest of this vacation time to relax a bit rather than chase annoying nine year olds around" Kaylee pouted and Rick winked at her.

Livie turned to Reid "what do you think" she asked eagerly "we have a summer house in the Hamptons, want to go up and relax there for a couple of days" "just the two of us" Reid asked and she nodded "just the two of us" she said with a grin "no Kaylee" "aw" her sister whined.

Reid smiled "that sounds amazing" he said and Livie beamed. "Great" she giggled "come on lets go pack" they hurriedly finished their breakfast before they headed up the stairs to pack. Kaylee sat in the middle of Livie's bed watching them pack almost sadly. "Aw don't worry" Livie said "I'll come and visit you soon I promise and you can call me any time" she sat next to her sister and hugged her tightly and Kaylee snuggled into her chest "promise" she mumbled "I promise" Livie whispered smiling comfortingly at her sister who smiled.

They headed down the stairs where Livie flew to her father for a hug "bye dad" she mumbled "bye honey" he murmured "You be careful ok, I worry enough about your mother getting shot every day I don't need to worry about you ok" she nodded with a smile on her face "I'll be careful" she promised and he kissed the top of her head.

Reid looked down at Kaylee before he bent to give her a hug "bye Kaylee" he said "have fun stunning your friends with the magic yeah" "yeah" she said "Bye Spencer" "bye" he murmured before he stood and said his farewells to Livie's father before he and Livie slowly made their way out of the apartment.

They stopped off to pick up some supplies for the Hamptons and then again at the precinct where Livie's mom worked. After they were granted visitor badges they headed up to the homicide floor and into a bullpen where they saw Kate on the phone. She smiled when she saw them and indicated that she wouldn't be long.

"Hey kiddo" came a voice from behind and Livie laughed as she spun round "hey Javi" she exclaimed and she hugged Detective Esposito as he laughed "what you doing here girl" he asked and she grinned "came to say goodbye to mom" she said hugging Detective Ryan as he came over to say hi "you going back to Quantico already" Ryan asked "not for another couple of days" she informed them "we are going to spend the last couple of days in the Hamptons" "oooo" they both chorused and she rolled her eyes at them "say hi to your families for me" she said "and Kaylee has some new magic tricks she wants to show Danny and Jake" they both grinned and rolled their eyes "I heard you took her with you on a tour of New York" Esposito said "we are trying to work out if that was brave or foolish" Livie rolled her eyes "yeah me too" she muttered as her mom finished up on the phone and rose to greet them.

"Hey kiddo" she murmured hugging her daughter "I take it this means you are going to the Hamptons" Livie nodded as she hugged her mother "yeah" she said softly. Kate smiled "well I am glad you stopped by to say goodbye" she said "you come visit again soon yes" Livie nodded "I'll be home for Kaylee's birthday" she reminded "I have already booked two weeks off so Lexie and I can take her to Disney remember" Kate nodded "she'll love that surprise" she said "that isn't for four months though, visit before then ok"

"I'll try" Livie promised "bye mom love you" she murmured "love you too Livs love you too" Kate responded as she hugged her daughter tightly.

After their farewells they moved back down to the car and they took it in turns driving down to the Hamptons. When they pulled up outside a huge house with a sloping roof and a gravel path Reid felt his jaw drop. "This is your summer house" he asked. Livie grinned "my dad liked to indulge before he met mom" she said "he comes here to find peace and quiet to write when he is struggling. Well he used to before he had Kaylee, she tends to make concentrating difficult" Reid smirked as they pulled their bags out of the trunk and walked up to the front door and Livie pulled out a key, carefully unlocking it.

As they stepped into the spacious hall he felt his jaw drop again as he looked around. "Ok so that's the lounge, here's the kitchen" Livie said dragging him into the house past the large sweeping staircase indicating as she went. She quickly showed him each room before she dragged him towards the back door. "Whoa" Reid said as he stepped onto the porch and stopped. "Um that's a view" he managed and Livie smiled as she faced him. The wind was blowing her hair around her face and she brushed it away as she smiled at him. With the sloping lawn and the bright blue sea and sky framing her she looked beautiful.

"It is amazing here" he said and she nodded "I know, I miss coming here, we used to come every holiday" she smiled "come on I'll give you the rest of the tour" she said and he followed her round the side of the house to reveal a large pool.

Livie stopped and turned to face him "you and I are going for a little dip later" she said and he couldn't hold back a grin as he followed her round. She showed him the outhouses where she paused. He peered into one of the smaller rooms to find her standing fingering a worn leather bridle with a bright blue brow-band.

Slowly he moved in to stand next to her and he saw pictures of Livie on her dappled grey horse. He smiled at the look of delight on her face as she sat bareback on her horse cantering across the grass. The next one showed her with her sister Alexis seated behind her as the mare waded into the sea, the next Livie swimming with her horse who had almost submerged herself; only her head was visible as she swam to Livie who was reaching out affectionately to stroke her horse as she trod water. The last picture showed Livie seated on the mare with no saddle and no bridle. All the horse wore was a head collar; Livie was clinging onto a handful of her mane with one hand laughing in delight as she held the other hand out to feel the wind against her fingers as she galloped full pelt across the beach.

"That your horse's bridle" he asked "Skye wasn't it?" Livie nodded "yeah" she murmured "I forgot how much I missed her… she meant so much to me… she helped me so much after I was kidnapped"

Reid looked at her "how" he asked and she looked up at him before she indicated that they walk and slowly they headed out of the outhouse passed the stable where Skye had lived as Livie explained. "After I was rescued I didn't remember anything about my past, I didn't even remember my mother. Parts of it came back over time but I was so upset that I couldn't remember anything. Then one day my mom took me to the yard where I rode. The moment I got there… I remembered being there, I remembered riding. Skye belonged to the yard then, she was pretty much mine, I adored her and she adored me, she was so cheeky, not many people liked riding her because she would throw cheeky bucks and she would jump fences as though they were three times the size they were. But I liked that, I liked her spirit.

When she saw me for the first time in weeks she started to whinny and kick at her door. The moment I saw her I remembered her. I went over and stroked her. The moment I stroked her more memories came flooding back. I remembered grooming her and fussing her, spending time with her and my friends.

The manager of the yard let me ride her. The moment I sat on her back I could remember exactly how to ride, naturally I was still uncertain and it was like Skye understood that. She was so gentle with me, she was as good as gold as I warmed her up and regained my confidence. I felt safe with her so I decided to go faster.

I can't explain what happened next really. When I asked her to trot memories came flooding back to me, not just memories of Skye, memories of my life, of my mother, I remembered the love, the friendship that we had, the experiences we had lived. Eager I went faster and with every lap of the school I remembered more and more.

I remembered so much. I remembered loving to jump. There were two fences in the ring and I aimed her at them, she acted exactly as she always did, she rushed into it but I held her back and then she leapt and it was like I was flying, I remember feeling like nothing could stop me, not even reality.

Skye progressed my healing so much. Every time I had a night mare or had a bad day I would go and see her. I wouldn't always ride her; sometimes I would just groom her and it really helped me relax. She stopped me from losing myself. After my kidnapping was when my mom and Rick got really close, he helped me and mom recover. Then for my 14th birthday he bought Skye for me. He knew how much I loved her and how much she helped me. I couldn't believe it when I opened my eyes and saw her. He let me buy new tack, new rugs, new everything. She was my angel. I loved her so so much. When we came up to the Hamptons, we would bring her with us. I loved it; I could see her every day and ride her bareback. I loved that. I felt so connected to her, like we were one.

All of my problems could be solved by visiting Skye, she made them vanish. I always wonder what would have happened if I had never ridden Skye again after the incident. If I hadn't I doubt my memories would have come back…"

"She sounds like some horse" Reid said softly. They were now seated in the spacious living room curled up on the sofa. Livie smiled "she was" she agreed "though sometimes I think she was more than a horse, she was my guardian angel" Reid smiled "what happened to her" he asked and Livie's face fell "she got old" she said softly "I grew up, left home, she wasn't getting enough exercise, even in her old age she was too unpredictable for Kaylee to ride. It wasn't fair on her so I took her to one of those horse retirement homes, she grew old there and lived out her last few years happily, I could visit her whenever I wanted which was nice, even after months of not seeing me she would still run over excitedly and nibble my pocket for treats. She died about three years ago. I miss her terribly but I know she is resting peacefully. We spread her ashes over there" she indicated out the window to where a large tree was planted "she loved it under that tree, she would stand and doze under it for hours"

She stared at the tree for a few minutes before she shook herself back into reality and smiled at him "so did you have any childhood pets" she asked and he shook his head "animals don't seem to like me" he commented "especially dogs, they always bark at me. With my mom being sick when I was a kid we didn't really have time to have pets. I did have an ant farm once, I studied them and their behaviour within groups when out hunting for food and their breeding patterns for a science project, I won a prize at the science fair"

"And how old were you" Livie asked the hint of a smirk already on her face "seven" he admitted and the smirk became fully prominent "I was still learning to read and write at seven and you were conducting studies on ant behaviour, wow what different childhoods we had" she commented. He grinned sheepishly at her.

Livie looked out the window and he saw that it was getting dark "come on" she said "lets go for a swim in the pool" without bothering to fetch their swimwear she dragged him out to the pool where she turned and quickly slipped her top off. Grinning she kicked off her shorts and Reid realised that his mouth was hanging open. Quickly he closed it and hurriedly unbuttoned his shirt and clumsily undressed before he moved quickly over to her. Grinning she reached up to cup his neck before she kissed him. Then she turned and dove into the pool splashing Reid with the warm water.

She resurfaced in the centre of the pool laughing as she brushed her wet hair out of her eyes "you coming to join me" she asked as she trod water and he nodded before he jumped in after her quickly swimming to join her. "What now" he asked and Livie laughed again before she reached out and pulled herself closer to him and he could feel their legs tangling together under the water. "Now" she whispered as her hands tangled into his hair "I'm going to kiss you" she murmured before she pressed her lips to his and Reid instantly pulled her closer feeling her lips part as the kiss deepened.

Once their lips had parted Livie grinned "this is so amazing" she whispered "I can't believe I am here with you" "me neither" he whispered as they resumed their treading of water. Livie smiled at him before she took a deep breath and sank under the water. Grinning Reid followed feeling her hands catch hold of him from behind and he spun round to see her grinning before she swam backwards.

Eagerly he kicked off swimming after her. He found himself playfully grabbing her from behind as they both kicked up to the surface. He laughed as he kissed the back of her neck and she giggled delightedly as she wriggled round face him and kiss his lips again.

They messed around like love struck teenagers in the pool until they were exhausted and slowly the clambered out and grabbed their clothes before they ran slipping and sliding back into the house skidding on the tiled floor before they found some towels and fresh robes and they changed before they flopped back onto the sofa.

"Shall we order a pizza" Livie asked "I can't be assed to cook and there is this amazing pizza place that delivers and they do a crazy good Hawaiian" Reid nodded eagerly and he watched as she ordered a pizza over the phone rubbing her foot along his leg as she did so.

Once she had finished she ran her hand through her still damp hair as she studied him "so what do you think of the Hamptons" she asked. He smiled "great" he said "I can't wait to see more of it… but I think the company makes it even better" Livie smirked "smooth answer" she teased poking him in the stomach with her toe making him chuckle.

They channel hopped on the TV until they heard the doorbell ring and they both leapt up. "I'll get it" Reid said noticing that Livie was still only wearing her robe. He grabbed his wallet from his jacket and yanked out some bills chucking the wallet back to Livie as he darted to the front door, he answered it and took the pizza, paying the delivery guy before he closed the door and headed back into the kitchen.

"Smells good" he said dropping the box on the counter "where do you keep the plates" he asked. "In the far right top cupboard" Livie said slowly "hey Spence" "mmm" he said as he opened the cupboard door.

"Why do you have a one year medallion from Narcotics anonymous" she asked. He froze before he slowly turned round to see her standing looking at him holding the medallion that he had tucked in one of the pockets of his wallet. Since he had met her he had totally forgotten about it; something that he had carried everywhere with him ever since he had gotten it.

"Um" he stammered "I um" he dropped his head uncertainly panicking suddenly about telling her. He sensed Livie slowly moving forward and gently she reached up and cupped his cheeks before she ran her hand through his hair. "Hey" she said gently "Spencer don't worry, it's ok"

"Um" he said "I… didn't think I would have to tell you about this… well at least not so soon" "you don't have to me if you don't want to" Livie said gently as she caught hold of his arm and gently steered him to the sofa.

"No… I should" Reid said "I mean you opened up to me so much, you have told me about all your demons… I should tell you about mine." He began to twist his hands nervously on his lap until Livie stilled them in hers gently squeezing them comfortingly.

He looked back up at her to see her staring questioningly at him. He took a deep breath and began to tell her what had happened "I had been with the BAU a couple of years when it happened, it was before Rossi arrived. My mentor at the time was his predecessor Jason Gideon. He left a few months before Rossi joined. Anyway we were on this case, this unsub was killing people he believed to be sinners. We had recordings and there were two voices we heard so we thought there were two killers. They recited bible passages about sinning. To cut the case down he killed someone using dogs.

JJ and I went out to interview some people and we ended up at this farm belonging to someone named Tobias Hankel. We knocked on the door but when he answered he refused to let us in saying that his father had never allowed people in. We thought it was strange and when we asked him why he still obeyed his father he gave us a very odd answer by asking at what age one starts disrespecting the wishes of one's parents. JJ asked him some questions and he deflected the questions before he shut the door.

I had this off feeling about him so I ran round the back and looked in the window. I saw him pacing and then turning off computers. He saw me and we locked eyes. And then I knew that it was him. I called JJ and we followed him to the barn. JJ tried to call Hotch but there was no service. Hotch knew where we went so they should come soon, we would have to wait for him. I told JJ I would go round back whilst she took the front. However as I ran round I saw Hankel running into the cornfields. I shouted to JJ and then gave chase but she didn't hear me; she entered the barn whilst I chased Hankel. I could hear two voices but couldn't see anyone.

In the barn JJ found blood before Hankel's dogs attacked her, she screamed and shot them. I heard her scream and tried to get back to her but Hankel jumped me and hit me other the head. When I looked up he was standing over me saying that I couldn't stop him by myself. I tried to calm him down but then weirdly he changed voices. The second voice said 'shoot him' and then the first voice came back and they argued. The next thing I knew he leapt at me and struck me over the head and I blacked out"

He looked up at Livie who was watching him looking shocked and slightly apprehensive about what he was saying. Quickly he ploughed on.

"I woke up in a small cabin tied to a chair. Hankel was looming over me. He introduced himself then as 'Raphael' and told me that the others were gone. He started burning fish hearts and livers to keep away the devil. The smell was awful. He then pulled out this revolver and loaded one bullet that he called God's will into the chamber, spun it and then loaded it. He pointed it at me and then when I told him that he didn't have to do this he told me that he was only an instrument of God before he pulled the trigger. Luckily for me I guess that chamber was empty…

The team had realised I was missing by then. They brought Garcia up to the house so she could look through Hankel's computers. She found loads of webcam sites that Hankel used to watch over people via their computers. He had them all labelled as liar, adulterer, thief; all sins.

'Raphael' went away giving me time to look around, I was in this tiny cabin, I couldn't see outside to see where we were. My wrists were cuffed to the wooden chair I was sitting on bound on with leather, impossible to break. When he came back he looked different. When he saw me staring he snapped at me in that same voice I had heard earlier that wasn't Tobias Hankel.

I tried to get in his favour. I thanked him for burning the fish hearts to keep us safe. This only seemed to anger him further though. He was convinced I was a liar and I tried to convince him otherwise. I quoted the bible, I told him I could quote the whole bible, but he just said that the devil could read too.

He took off my shoe and beat the sole of my foot with a piece of wood telling me to confess my sins, the moments that followed were a blur. The next time Hankel entered it was Tobias in his own personality. He apologised to me that his father hurt me and I realised that he had extreme split personality disorder where he had inherited two, those of his father, Charles Hankel and of Raphael and had retained his own. He was kind to me, then I appreciated it. Now I don't.

He came over and wrapped his belt around my arm before he pulled out a bottle and a syringe. He said that it would make everything better. I told him I didn't want it. I tried to stop him but he injected me with a drug known as Dilaudid. Instantly I was hallucinating a memory of when my father was leaving our family because my mom couldn't take care of herself. After he left I had to care for my mom all by myself."

He looked at Livie "the rush that drug gave me was intoxicating" he whispered "it made all the pain go away, without it I doubt I would have gotten through that experience but it also destroyed me" Livie reached out to cup his neck gently playing with his hair as she squeezed his hand. Reid felt comforted by the fact she didn't speak. She just listened.

"The rest of the team had discovered that Tobias had killed his father about six months ago which was the stressor for the killings. Emily and JJ found out that Tobias had been addicted to Dilaudid after extreme abuse from his father all his life, his sponsor at Narcotics anomalous said it was a miracle he had survived so long.

The next thing I remember Raphael was waking me up. He dragged my chair round to face four computers that had different webcam footage on them and a camera that was aimed at me. He turned the camera on and back at the cabin where the others were, he hacked back in so that they could see me. Raphael told me to choose someone from the webcams to live and someone to die. I told him that I wouldn't. I refused to choose but he said that unless I did he would kill all of them. I told him he was a liar and would kill them all, he got angry so desperately I chose someone to live. Raphael repeated her name. Marilyn David and he told the watching team her address so they would warn her. And Raphael sentenced one of the others to die. In front of the team I was forced to play God and choose who would live and who would die."

He paused to take a shaky breath before he continued "he switched the camera off so the team could no longer see me and then he left, leaving the laptops on so that I would witness who lived and who died.

I watched as he entered a house where a husband and wife were relaxing at home, I watched as he threatened them and then he called the police and said he was killing more sinners. I watched as he killed them. I watched as he slit their throats."

He took a shaky breath and looked at Livie who had sadness in her eyes, she still didn't speak; she just comforted him with her presence.

"I watched as the team arrived. Gideon saw the laptop and he spoke to me via it. He told me that the murders were not my fault and that I was stronger than my captor. He told me that I was going to get through it. I didn't believe him. Tobias came back. He injected me with more of that Dilaudid. I asked him to help me and that my friends would come and save us both. But he told me it wasn't worth fighting. He knew I didn't want the drugs and he dared me to tell him that the drugs didn't make it better. I couldn't because they did. I hallucinated again. This time it was a memory of a time when my mom couldn't get out of bed. She wouldn't let me go out and play, instead she had me sit on the bed with her whilst she read to me.

Hankel had been posting the videos online for people to see. The team stopped that by telling everyone they were infected with a virus. When he learned that Raphael was mad at me, he accused me of taking away the ability to send the message. I told him I couldn't do anything but he had Gideon' message to me.

The father's personality came out and he spotted the track marks on my arm. He got even madder and he turned the camera on again. The team watched him beat me up again demanding that I confess. When I didn't he knocked the chair that I was tied to over. I don't really remember what happened next. The team said I started convulsing and I couldn't breathe"

He paused again, he could remember the feeling of lying there gasping for breath but unable to, wishing someone would help but there being no one there to help. "My heart stopped and I died. Tobias' personality came through and he resuscitated me. I remember walking towards this white light and there was a shadowed figure in front of me, but before I could reach it I was revived. I have never been able to explain that. There is no logical explanation for it.

Raphael's personality came out. He pulled the gun out again and spun the chamber before he pointed it at me. He told me to choose someone to die again, but this time it had to be one of my team members. I told him I wouldn't choose. He pulled the trigger, it was empty. He repeated that two more times before I chose Hotch, I said that he was a classic narcissist and he always put himself before others. I quoted the bible. Geneses 23:4. Raphael fired the gun at the wall, it had the bullet in that chamber… it would have killed me. Again he loaded the gun calling it God's will once again.

The team managed to figure out my clue; that bible passage was about cemeteries not characteristics. That and the fact that they knew Hankel liked poaching led them to my location.

Tobias gave me more Dilaudid and I had another flashback to when I was eighteen and I had just called the hospital to take my mother away. She was devastated and hurt that I did that, I didn't want to do it but I knew it was for the best for her. I begged for her forgiveness and I came round whispering that. Charles Hankel heard me apologising, I was still half conscious and I told him what I had done. He got the confession he wanted and he sentenced me to death. He took me out to the graveyard with a shovel.

He made me dig my own grave. I moved very slowly, I was weak from the drugs and I couldn't dig, I had no strength. The team found the cabin and all my bindings and they realised that he had taken me on foot and they began to track us.

Raphael was frustrated at my progress and he removed his coat so he could do it. I saw flashlights in the distance and I knew the team were coming. Hankel saw me looking and looked round. I dove for his gun and grabbed it. He looked back at me and sneered, he said that there was only one bullet in that gun before he went for me. I pulled the trigger and shot him through the heart."

He swallowed "I crawled over to his body. Tobias was in control. He seemed at peace and hoped that he would see his mother again. Then he died. The team arrived and I remember how relieved I was when I saw them. I was convinced that I would never see them again and I was amazed when they were there. They tried to get me out but… I didn't… I went back to Tobias's body and… I … I took the bottles of Dilaudid from him and kept them"

He looked at Livie desperately "I couldn't stop" he whispered "I was addicted to that Dilaudid. I tried so hard not to take it, some times I could, sometimes I couldn't. I had some flashbacks and the Dilaudid helped. When I didn't take it I became moody and withdrawn, I messed up so much but everyone stuck by me. I am grateful to them."

"So what happened" Livie asked gently "it took me a few months before I began to get it under control but I managed to get it under control. I started going to those Beltway clean cops meetings when I was ten months sober. I had to leave early but this cop came up and gave me his one year medallion for inspiration telling me I could give it back to him when I got mine. I took it everywhere with me until I got mine two months later and since then I have pretty much carried that with me in my wallet. Every time I had a bad day I would take it out and look at it because it reminded me how far I had come, how much I have survived"

He kept his head ducked for a few minutes staring at the medallion that Livie turned over and over in her hand before he looked up at her to see her staring at the medallion too. She slowly looked up at him and gently placed the medallion back in his hand closing his fingers around it.

"Thank you for telling me" she whispered gently "that can't have been easy." He didn't respond at first he just swallowed feeling the cold hard metal of the medallion digging into his palm. "I'm sorry all that happened to you" she whispered gently as her fingers stroked at his neck "you went through a lot", he looked at her "so did you" he whispered and she smiled weakly "I guess that is what makes us kinda perfect for each other" she whispered and he smiled gently and uncertainly "so nothing has changed" he questioned and she smiled "nothing has changed" she promised gently just as he had done after he had witnessed her nightmares "in fact I think it makes me love you a little but more"

Reid smiled as he caught hold of her and pulled her close to kiss feeling her hands stroking at his hair lovingly as his hands entwined with her hair and their lips merged. Livie fell back onto the sofa as he moved on top of her kissing her neck hearing her let out tiny little gasps of delight before she suddenly paused "we forgot to eat the pizza" she whispered in his ear before she shoved him gently in the chest. "That's romantic" Reid muttered affronted and she giggled "well I am starving" she murmured.

Reid sighed before he realised that indeed his stomach was grumbling in protest so which a playful huff he rolled off of her and they moved back into the kitchen to sit at the counter. They turned the conversation to a lighter topic planning their day tomorrow. Once they had eaten their fill Livie turned on the radio where they found a slow song playing. Livie studied him before she stood up and held out her hand. "Let's dance" she said softly and he eyed her uncertainly "but I don't know how too" he whispered. Livie smiled "it's ok" she whispered "I'll show you how too, you do trust me don't you"

He looked into her bright greenie coloured eyes before he nodded and hesitantly he took her hand allowing her to pull him to his feet. Gently she guided one of his hands to the small of her back before she interlocked her fingers into his other hand and her free hand rested lightly on his back. Staring up at him she gently began to move, gently swaying moving slowly round and round.

"See" she whispered "you do know how too" he smiled shyly feeling slightly more confident though as they moved. He felt Livie rest her head gently on his shoulder and he closed his eyes savouring the feeling and the scent of her hair that tickled his nose as he rested his head against hers. Lost in the moment they didn't realise that the song had ended for a few minutes and even when they had both registered it neither of them pulled away for another few minutes.

Eventually though Livie pulled away to lead him into the main bedroom where he found a huge bed with soft sheets facing a large fireplace with a massive anchor in the middle.

Grinning Livie lit the fire and switched off the main light so the warm glow from the fireplace was the only light. Slowly she crawled onto the bed and flopped down amongst the pillows not even bothering to change out of the robe she was wearing. Quickly Reid settled down beside her brushing her hair away from her face seeing her smirk as his fingers traced around her neck and shoulder bones and she shivered delightedly before she rolled onto her back untying the front of her robe to reveal her bare body. Smiling she grabbed at the front of his robe and playfully untied it running her hand up and down his bare chest as he gently stroked one of the scars on her shoulder.

Lost in their little haven, away from pain, they savoured time. They had both been through situations that had made them realise how precious time was, how easily it could all be taken away from you. But here in their sanctuary time stood still for them as they made more memories to treasure forever.

Accept or change; bitter or better, love or selfishness. These are the options in life that will define our character. Geraldine Vermaak

Once again I apologise for how long this chapter took. Please review. I love hearing what you think ;)

Thanks soo much for reading

Mysticgirl