Spencer's cell phone rang at a little after 6:00pm on Saturday night. He had been on medical leave for just under four weeks, and had two more days off before he would be cleared for light duty…which, according to his boss, did not include ANY field work.

Aaron paused the movie they were watching, and frowned, looking at his lover quizzically. "Who is it?" he asked.

The young genius glanced at his phone and smiled. "It's Andy. He's probably calling to brag some more about how they caught the Hollow Creek Killer."

Aaron was confused. "Swann's team got the Hollow Creek Killer case?"

After listening to the voice mail, the young man realized the time had come to start a conversation that he'd been putting off for over two weeks. "Remember when we talked about how we couldn't go back to our time?"

"Of course I remember…you said that we'd changed too much."

Spencer smiled. "Correct. Things changed there and here. Our actions affected the outcomes of cases, and messed with our work schedules. We couldn't expect to be assigned the same cases as we were the first time around. By going after the Turners, and with the accelerated Foyet time-line, we made ourselves unavailable for some of our original assignments. The camping trip started it…we were in Canada for almost four days…the differences started there."

Hotch thought for a moment. "I wondered about that. The case we were on right before Foyet...that was new. And, since your injury, Strauss has been keeping us closer to home, and assigning us an inordinate number of cold-case consults and death row interviews."

"Whether she's reacting to the fact that we are short-handed, or simply wanting to keep Rossi close to home, things are changing…which is a good thing, Aaron. We need life to throw us curve-balls every once in a while."

Hotch raised an eyebrow. "Sports metaphors? Really?"

Spencer chuckled and pulled his lover closer. "Apparently I've been hanging around with Morgan too much."

"Yea, you know…I meant to ask you about that. Where have the two of you been off to lately?"

Leaning in and nibbling at his lover's neck seductively, the young genius answered the question in a whisper. "That's a secret for another day, Lover."

"Ooh, secrets? You are such a tease."

"I simply like to keep you on your toes. My IQ and statistics rarely amaze you anymore, so I have to use other my skills to keep you coming back for more."

"You, my love, do not ever have to worry about that. I am constantly amazed by you, and have no doubt that I always will be…so regale me with the story of how you got Andy's team to the Hollow Creek Killer."

Spencer smiled broadly. "How do you know that I had anything to do with it? His team could have uncovered the same information we did, and followed the clues."

"I doubt that very highly."

Spencer chuckled. "Well, let's start from the beginning...Andy came to visit me in the hospital the day after I was shot. It just so happened that his team was on his way to McLean, Virginia to investigate the shootings linked to threats against a local Doctor and his son."

"Barton." Hotch stated with a knowing nod.

"Yea...his team had already hit the ground with their investigation, and he was headed out to Dr. Barton's house to interview him."

"Ahh...the scene of your first gunshot wound."

"Smartass..."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Sensitive...go on."

Reid glared at his boss playfully before continuing. "I simply mentioned that it seemed to me that the message left by the UnSub...L.C., or 'living children' in hospital speak, might indicate that the he might actually be targeting Barton."

"I'm sure they would have figured that out eventually..."

"You're right. I just felt obligated to say something, since I wasn't going to be there to stop Meyers."

Aaron saw the young man frown. "What happened?"

"Meyers shot Dr. Barton on his front stoop. Andy didn't take my advice until it was too late. He had his entire team at the son's school, and when they realized the threat there wasn't credible, they finally headed back to Barton's house. They got there just in time to gun down Meyers."

"And Dr. Barton?"

Spencer laughed. "He'll be fine. Took a bullet to the knee."

Hotch looked incredulous. "Are you serious? That's almost too bizarre for words."

"I found a nice symmetry to it. We lost Meyers, though."

Aaron ran his fingers gently through the young man's hair, before cupping his cheek and kissing him softly. "You know that he committed suicide in jail the first time."

Spencer nuzzled his lover's hand. "I can always hope for better, can't I?"

Hotch smiled. "I count on it. Now...are you gonna tell me about Andy and the Hollow Creek Killer? It has to have worked out better than it did originally." Hotch looked chagrin. "Not my finest hour."

Spencer looked thoughtful. "You know…we always refer to it as the Hollow Creek case, but if you remember, we were called in simply to find was a mentally ill spree killer."

The senior agent nodded in agreement. "That part was fairly straight forward. We had his name before we even left Quantico."

"Have you ever told anyone what truly happened in that house?" asked Spencer carefully.

"I never really saw the need. I guess it was easier to just move past it."

Reid smiled playfully. "After we get married, you can tell me what happened…spousal privilege and all."

Aaron looked at his young lover in shock. "Was that a proposal? Did you just propose to me at the same time you were suggesting that I may have committed a crime? Wow…that was the least romantic proposal in history…I'm sure of it."

The genius chuckled. "That was not a proposal, merely a statement of inevitability. When I propose to you, you'll know it…and, there will be jewelry involved."

Hotch thought for a moment before continuing. "Well, since in this reality I've never laid eyes on the Hollow Creek Killer, any story I may have to tell is just that…a story."

Intrigued, Spencer took the bait. "In the story, does the big, strong, handsome protagonist choose not to stop the mentally ill abuse victim from killing his father?"

The senior agent looked at his partner then spoke with trepidation. "Pretty much..."

Spencer pulled his lover in for tight hug. "You did the right thing. Don't ever think differently."

The warm embrace lasted for several minutes before he asked, "Did you want to watch the rest of our movie?"

Hotch looked incredulous. "Movie? I'm still waiting to hear about the Hollow Creek Killer."

Spencer laughed mischievously. "I was hoping maybe you'd forgotten."

"Why would I have done that?" asked Aaron.

The young man laughed, and adjusted his leg to a more comfortable position. Bandit, who had been sleeping in the corner, saw the young man move, and jumped carefully into his lap.

Spencer pet the puppy absentmindedly as he continued. "Okay, okay…After the Dr. Barton fiasco, Andy decided that it was quite possible I had actually earned my professional reputation."

Hotch rolled his eyes. "Good thinking…"

"So when he called me from the plane on the way to Louisville, I suggested that he look into what type of meds Darrin Call was trying to get his hands on."

"Which I should have done initially as well."

Reid exhaled forcefully. "You were understandably distracted, and hindsight is 20/20. But…since I actually possessed some hindsight, it didn't use up many brain cells to nudge him in the right direction. His team was actually at the Psychiatrist's office when Call showed up. He got away, but his behavior was violent enough that his Doctor felt obligated to share his patient's history."

"So they knew he'd been abandoned as a child. Please tell me that they actually dug deeper."

Spencer nodded. It was at that point that I had Garcia feed Andy's Tech Analyst a very tiny crumb…"

Hotch grinned. "You gave him the survivor, Tommy Phillips…"

"And from there, all of the pieces fell into place. They captured Call, with the kidnapped boy, before he entered his father's house. Given their suspicions, Call's PTSD, and Tommy's recollections, the local LEOs detained Jarvis long enough to get a judge to sign a search warrant." Spencer cleared his throat before continuing. "He had…he had kept…there were trophies."

Aaron looked sadly into his lover's eyes. "I know."

"So, that was it. They finally caught the Hollow Creek Killer, and all is right in the world for at least another day."

What else did Andy say in his message? I noticed you smiling there at the end."

Reid looked down at the puppy. "He asked if you and I were seeing each other."

Hotch laughed. Andy has never really been known for his tact. "What did he actually say?"

Spencer frowned in embarrassment. "He asked if we were bumping uglies…that does mean sex, right?"

"Yes, it does…if you still live in the 80's."

"Apparently, he either heard or saw some…shall we say, intimate moments, between the two of us at your apartment after the Foyet take-down."

Hotch grimaced.

The Doctor's face brightened a bit. "Actually, he's quite supportive. He just wanted to let me know that if the Brass finds out, and wants to split us up, he would be honored to have me."

Hotch stiffened. "He's trying to poach a member of my team?"

Spencer smiled and rested his head against the older man's shoulder. "He saw a potential opportunity…I was flattered."

"No one is getting you. You're mine."

Reid laughed out loud. "He wasn't propositioning me, Babe. He just said that he would make room on his team if Strauss found out and pitched a fit about us."

"Yea, I'll bet." Hotch grumbled defiantly. "He's right though...if word gets back to Strauss..."

"About that...I think I have a plan."

"You do?" asked a surprised Hotch.

Reid rolled his eyes at his boss. "Oh ye of little faith… I always have a plan."

"I have always said that you are gorgeous when you have a plan…"

"Who have you said that to?" asked the young man with a laugh.

"Mainly to myself, but I always think you're gorgeous, and you always have a plan..."

The young man smiled seductively at his lover. "Thanks, but I prefer to be worshiped for my mind." said Spencer, as he slowly teased his hand up his lover's thigh. "Now, you, on the other hand…"

"...definitely do like to be worshiped for my body." finished Hotch with a salacious grin.

As Spencer's hands began to roam, Aaron interrupted, laughing. "Before you take away my higher brain function, you've gotta tell me...what exactly is this plan of yours?"

With deft fingers performing magic across his lover's chest and thighs, the young genius began to nibble Aaron's neck. His warm breath ghosted over the older man's ear, causing him to shiver in anticipation. "My plan..." he whispered seductively, "is to cross that bridge when we come to it."

Aaron smiled warmly, recalling that statement coming from his own lips on their very first night together. Remembering his young lover's response, he couldn't resist . "I might suggest a more pro-active approach…but hey, it's a solid Plan B."

The young genius grinned. "Very, very good, Babe. Now...why don't you show me what else you remember from that night."