As I listened to the briefing on the plane, and examined the photos, my mind kept wandering in and out of conversation.

Case, Spencer. Case, Spencer. Case, Spencer.

Mainly the case though. It amazes me how with as many times that this has happened in New York City, that nobody has seen or noticed the shooter.

I get that with the noise of New York that it wouldn't be heard, but still, how did nobody notice a hooded man walking away from a now dead body?

The team dispersed, and I shut the case file in front of me, leaning back in my seat as JJ takes the seat directly in front of me.

I sigh. "JJ..."

The blonde cuts me off. "Stella, I'm not going to tell anyone." She states in a hushed tone. "I just want details, as a friend. How long has this been going on for?"

I shrugged. "Awhile, if I'm being honest. Nothing is official though. Just, well, hookups? I don't know if that is the correct term considering we both have feelings for each other."

JJ gave a half-smile. "I have always suspected that something was going on between you two. I mean, everyone has since you joined this team."

At the sound of JJ's words, my eyes grew wide. "Seriously?"

JJ chuckled. "Don't act like you didn't know that we knew. Remember when Derek and Emily saw him kiss you after we busted that trafficking ring? All those late night coffee trips you guys went on? 'Pizza and movies' the other night?"

I looked down at my shoes and bit my lip. She was right, and she wasn't even near how much had gone down between us.

"You're right." I mutter. "There's a lot that we let slip. I guess we just didn't want the wrath from the Bureau about fraternization. Plus, I feel like it would complicate things within the team. For example, what if we broke up, and it was messy? We probably wouldn't be able to work together after that."

JJ rested her arms on the table. "Stop thinking about the what-if's, Stella. We only get one chance at this thing called life, and with this job, you never know when it's going to be cut short. So why wait?"

I nipped at the inside of my cheek. "You know what? You're right." I look over at Spencer who is on the other side of the plane, concentrating on his book. "Should I go tell him how I feel now?"

JJ also turned around in her seat and saw the same thing as me. "I think you should." She stated, nodding in his direction.

I took a deep breath and nodded before standing up and walking over towards Spencer.

As I sat down, I glanced at everyone else on the plane, and they were fast asleep. Aside from JJ and Spencer, of course.

"Hey Spence, can we talk about something?"

Spencer glanced up from his book and shut it softly, focusing all of his attention on me before nodding. "Yeah."

I exhaled, trying to find the right words to say. "Fuck the fraternization policy."

Spencer furrowed his eyebrows. "W-What?"

"Spencer, I want to be with you. I know we could make this work. We've been testing the waters for way too long, and the fact that we've been doing what we have been doing for a year without any sort of setbacks, shows that there's something more than just a spark." I continue. "There's more than just a silly hookup. When I look at you, I see my future. I want you to be my boyfriend, is what I'm trying to say."

As I finish speaking, Spencer's cheeks grow red at my words from all of the sudden affection. "Y-You really feel that strongly about me?"

I feel flutters in my chest. "Y-Yeah. I guess I do."

Spencer reaches out his hand and points his index finger at himself, gesturing me to lean forward.

I sit forward in my seat as he leans in as well, and turns my head so that he can whisper in my ear.

"The only thing stopping me from grabbing your face and kissing you right now is the fact that all of our co-workers are on this plane."

Jolts of electricity run throughout my body as his voice vibrates on my ear. He leans back and I blush, very noticeably. "S-So are we, you know..."

"Boyfriend and girlfriend?" Spencer asks very nonchalantly.

I nod.

"I guess you could call it that. I also do want a relationship with you. Statistically speaking, many more relationships lead to marriage if you are friends with them first."

"Woah, marriage? We are going a little fast." I laugh, causing him to blush and let out a laugh as well.

"You know what I mean, Stella. I want to be with you, too."

I interlock my fingers with his, and JJ glances back and I give her a small smile, telling her that it all worked out.

Life is content.

For now.

-

As I followed the team into the field office, a woman with shoulder length dirty blonde made her way over to us, followed by another woman with much shorter hair.

As we all caught a glimpse of her, JJ leaned into Garcia and I and whispered, "Is it just me or does she look exactly like Haley?"

I shrugged and kept following along as Hotch was the first to speak to her.

"Kate." He begins, holding out his hand.

Kate flashes him a smile, taking his hand and shaking it gently. "Aaron. How have you been?"

"Uh, fine. Kate Joyner, this is David Rossi, Emily Prentiss, Jennifer Jareau, Stella Keller, Penelope Garcia, Derek Morgan, and Spencer Reid." Hotch responds, pointing to all of us as he says our names.

I give her a polite nod, and then give JJ the side eye.

She does look a lot like Haley.

Kate gave us all a smile, and then proceeded to speak. "Thanks for being here. Anything that you need, just tell me. Please don't stand on protocol."

Garcia took this as her chance to speak up. "What can you tell us about the city's surveillance system?"

"Um, it's run by the NYPD. It's still in the infant stages, it's been rather controversial. American privacy laws. But they have had some success."

"And I'll have complete access?" Garcia questions, raising a brow.

"They're already expecting your. Shelley?" Kate gestures, and Garcia moves away from the pack, following another woman who is leading her into a room with access.

Spencer stepped up. "I'd like to get a map of the borough. I want to do a comprehensive geographical profile of the area. In order to ascertain the unsub's mental map before it's clouded by our own linkage blindness."

A man speaks from behind Spencer, causing me to jump. "I see you brought your own computer."

Kate gives the two men a half smile before introducing them. "Detectives Brustin and Cooper. I'll let you do the introductions."

"You caught the first shooting?" Rossi asks, turning to look at the two men.

"They've all been in different precincts. It wasn't until the third murder that anyone even made the connection." The taller man spoke, and was cut off by the much shorter man.

"I guess this is where we play nice and ask you what you need."

Okay, kind of rude. I thought, not letting it show on my face.

"Alright, I'll let you all figure out what that is. I just ask that you run everything back through me. It's been my experience that having one butt on the line is enough." Kate stated, giving everyone a welcoming smile.

The shorter detective scoffed. "Yes ma'am."

We all watched as Kate took a step towards Hotch. "Can I have a word with you in private?"

My eyes immediately darted to JJ and Emily, and they did the exact same thing.

"Sure. Excuse me." The team leader responded before walking away with the petite woman.

Emily turned to the rest of the team. "They um, liaised when she was at Scotland Yard."

I nodded at her response with a sarcastic smile. "Of course."

Spencer, Emily and I took a step away from the crowd and followed the much taller, and compared to his partner, nicer detective.

"So uh, what's your partner's problem?" Spencer questioned, focusing all of his attention on the detective who stood in front of him.

The man cleared his throat. "Well, by the fourth murder, the FBI was brought in. Good, we can use all the help we can get. But uh, all of a sudden she's taking meetings with the mayor and calling in you all without us knowing anything about it."

I step forward. "We are only here to help. Think of us as a resource."

The tall man nodded. "Ok. Profile me."

I blinked back in disbelief, and he continued speaking. "What am I thinking?"

Spencer narrowed his eyes at him, and then looked over at me.

I gave him a laugh. "It's never going to happen."

Detective Cooper smiled, and then leaned in a little closer. "No offense, but we've had five murders. Hope it gets better than that."

He then walked away from the three of us, causing me to roll my eyes.

"I'm not a fan of New Yorkers." Emily blurted out, causing Spencer and I to chuckle.

"Yeah, me neither." We both said in sync in response.

-

I watched Spencer as he made marks around New York City on a map. I never understood his method of geographic profiling, but it was fascinating to watch.

Emily sat down next to me and pulled out two granola bars, offering me one of them. I kindly took it and gave her a smile.

Spencer took his marker away from the board, and turned to us and the detective who was entering the room. "We are going to need records over the last six months for any arrests on gun violence or gun possession in every borough except the ones where the shootings have taken place."

"Uhh... I don't get it." The detective asked, furrowing his brows in confusion.

"He won't strike near where he lives." Spencer answered.

Detective Cooper tilted his head. "What makes you so sure?"

Spencer sighed in frustration, which gave Emily and I the cue to answer for him.

"It's anti-geographical profiling." Emily responded.

The man scoffed. "Now it's anti-geographical profiling? Eh, come on. Now you wonder why we're so skeptical?"

I gave him a sarcastic laugh. "This unsub is organized. He strikes at the same time of day, he knows where the cameras are placed. That means he's doing his own pre-surveillance."

Spencer began to add onto what I was saying. "A need motivated killer operates within his own comfort zone. An organized killer with some other motivation will make sure to strike outside that zone."

"So... not where he lives?" The detective asked.

"Exactly. Unfortunately, that means that every other neighborhood in the city has a reason to be terrified."

The detective nodded, and then received a call from his partner who was at the crime scene, causing him to step into an empty room.

"Well uh, I'm going to go get those records from Garcia." Emily offered, receiving a nod from both Spencer and I.

As soon as Emily was out of earshot, I turned to Spencer who was already looking at me with an annoyed look, matching my face.

"These detectives are a piece of work."

"Tell me about it. All that they are doing is doubting us and what we do for a living." Spencer huffed angrily, taking a seat at the table.

"Like, I get that we can be wrong sometimes, but it doesn't happen very often." I respond. "I don't know why they can't trust us. I know that Kate called us in without anyone knowing, but that doesn't mean that we aren't qualified."

"Speaking of Kate, did you notice tha-"

I cut off Spencer. "Hotch is strangely attached to her? I've never seen him this comfortable with someone aside from his family and our team."

"Yeah, I thought it was quite unusual."

I nod at his response, and we look up to see Morgan raising his voice at both Hotch and Kate.

Spencer and I immediately stand up and move to stand in the doorway.

"Hotch, how am I supposed to look these cops in the eye and tell them that we are actually here to help them?"

Hotch turns around, annoyed. "We are here to present a profile. That's what we need to do. You need to back off."

"We got multiple bodies, man!" Morgan yelled.

"Which is exactly why we need to stay focused."

Morgan raised his brows at Hotch's last statement. "Focused."

Then, Morgan leans in closer to Hotch to where we can't hear him anymore, but by the look on Morgan's face, it wasn't good.

After Morgan's last comment, he then proceeded to turn around and walk out of the office. I tried to reach for his arm but he just shrugged it off.

"Stella, it's okay. Just let him be." Spencer whispered, grabbing my arm.

I let out a sigh, and followed Spencer back into our conference room.

-

After a long, hard day of working through reports, information, and multiple homicides, it was time to head back to the hotel for a little while, just to freshen up.

"Stella, are you coming back with me?" Spencer asked, putting on his FBI windbreaker.

I shook my head. "I think I'm going to go with Morgan, and try and calm him down from earlier." I look out into the main area of the police department, and my eyes found Derek, putting on his jacket angrily.

"Alright, sounds good. I'll see you at the hotel." Spencer responded, and then looked around before giving me a quick kiss.

My cheeks grew red as he exited the room, and I watched him walk away before I put on my own jacket and walked up to Derek.

"Ready to go?"

Derek gave me a confused look. "You're not riding back with Pretty Boy?"

"Nah, I haven't talked to you much lately. Thought we could catch up a little, get our minds off the case for just a little while."

Derek nodded his head at my response, and then we exited the field office together, making our way to a black SUV.

As we were on our way to the hotel, Morgan received a call from the detective.

"Detective, you're on speaker."

"Agent, there's been an explosion in one of our SUV's. It's parked just blocks from 26 Federal Plaza."

"Wait an explo-" I begin to say, but the detective hung up, and Derek's phone almost immediately dinged with the coordinates.

I give Derek a worried look, and he switches on the siren and we begin to make our way over to where the detective said.

"Derek, t-that's Hotch and Kate."

-

A/N: hey guys i'm finally back hehe

alsoooo, this book is coming to an end! only a few more chapters