After a particularly taxing case, FBI Special Agent Dr. Spencer Reid seeks refuge in the mundane aisles of a grocery store. But amidst the frozen foods, a chance encounter with the captivating Stella, a woman with mismatched eyes and a penchant for unexpected ice cream facts, throws his ordered world into delightful disarray. What begins with a shared tub of banana fudge and a surprising exchange of numbers blossoms into a sweet and unexpected connection. As Spencer finds himself drawn to Stella's warmth and quirky charm, he discovers a new equation, one that balances logic and emotion, and just might lead to a love story neither of them saw coming.

Most people in the Bureau only know her as Dr. Lysandra Vale, head of the elusive Unit XIII, FBI badge number redacted, clearance beyond Top Secret. But before the name change, before the founding of a hidden supernatural task force under the Truman administration... she was Lysandra Volturi, the long-forgotten sister of Aro. Turned against her will. Hidden. Weaponized. And then... vanished. Centuries later, she reemerges in the shadows of American intelligence, using her evolved empathic abilities to hunt the monsters that slip between the cracks of reality. Cursed objects. Demonic serial killers. Soul-hungry entities. Her team: a scarred werewolf in tactical gear, a glowing-eyed tracker with no patience, and a bone collector with a PhD. Her mission: contain the things the world isn't ready to believe exist. But when a string of ritualistic killings hits D.C., Unit XIII isn't the first to arrive. The BAU is. And among them: Dr. Spencer Reid, who's about to uncover more than he bargained for about the case, the world... and himself. Because sometimes the profiler meets someone even he can't read. And sometimes... fate wears fangs.

Mercedes "MJ" Johnson grew up unseen - the only white girl in a tough Chicago neighborhood, trapped in a violent home and carrying bruises no one asked about. But Derek Morgan saw her. Protected her. Fed her when her own house was empty. He was her best friend, her shelter, and the first boy to ever make her feel safe. Years later, they reunite at the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit. She's not the broken girl he once knew - she's quiet, brilliant, and tougher than she lets on. But Derek still looks at her like she's something worth protecting, and MJ still feels safest in his orbit. Their bond runs deep - forged in childhood, sharpened by time. But what once was innocent has turned into something slower, heavier, and harder to ignore. With every case, every look, every late-night conversation, their connection deepens into something they never dared to name. Because love like theirs doesn't burn fast - it lingers, waits, and grows quietly in the spaces between survival and healing. A Slow-burn Derek Morgan Fanfic This book does not follow the Criminal Minds' timeline #1 in morgan 07/29/25 - 08/07/25 #1 in bau 08/07/25 #1 in fbi 08/07/25, 08/16/25 - 08/17/25