Hello beautiful world! This is my first published fanfiction. I decided to start my fanfiction career off with just a short story that I thought of a while back. It should only be a few chapters long. This story takes just after season eight, after Reid has begun to better cope with his loss of Maeve. I hope you all enjoy the story! I do not own Criminal Minds or any of its characters.

The cold winter air bit Dr. Spencer Reid's skin as he walked home from a long day's work at the Behavioral Analysis Unit. The team just returned from a case a couple of days ago, so they all had tons of paperwork to catch up on. Reid decided to stay a little late and finish all of his paperwork; well, that was one reason for staying late at work.

This recent case had been a particularly brutal one, nine little girls between the ages of nine and twelve being stabbed in the heart over the course of two years before the team was even called in. The unsub killed one more victim before the team caught him. It was unfortunate for Reid because of his eidetic memory that would never allow him to erase the images of the little girls covered in blood out of his mind. He quite honestly just wanted to avoid going home to sleep as long as he could.

Reid wrapped his arms around himself as he continued to walk the dimly lit sidewalk back toward his apartment complex. He recited Shakespeare in his head during the walk to keep his mind off of the case. He was almost to the parking lot of his apartment complex when something didn't feel quite right. He suddenly stopped when a voice he was sure he would never hear again call his name.

"Spencer?"

Reid just stood in complete shock and disbelief. He turned toward the sound of the voice, wondering if he was just hearing things. Sure enough, he was there. He cautiously approached the man, even though he thought he had nothing to be scared about.

"Gideon?" he asked, almost as if he thought his eyes were lying to him, "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see if we could talk," Gideon said, avoiding eye contact with Reid and stuffing his hands in his pockets.

Reid was still in shock that he just waved Gideon's odd behavior as a result of awkwardness of talking to him after abandoning him for five years.

"What could you possibly have to say to me, Gideon?" Reid asked, not in a tone of anger, but more of curiosity as to what his previous mentor would have to say to him after all these years.

Gideon looked around nervously.

"How are you?"

Reid was thrown off by the simple question.

"I'm fine," he said, his voice raising into almost a question at the end.

"No you're not!" Gideon snapped looking at Reid in the eyes for the first time."Your job plagues your mind with terrible memories and nightmares. You can't sleep and that's not healthy! Not to mention the job of an FBI agent alone puts you at a serious risk of getting hurt!"

"That's just part of the job, Gideon," Reid responded calmly, "Yes, I will admit this job takes its toll on me, but its worth it. My job as helped me save several people and incarcerate criminals that are bringing evil into this world. I would have thought you of all people would know that, considering you brought me to the Behavioral Analysis Unit in the first place."

"I've learned otherwise. Spencer, you can't keep doing this job. I don't want to see an innocent person get destroyed from the inside out by the darkness that accompanies it. The real reason why I came to speak to you is because I want you to come with me."

"Go with you?" Reid asked, not exactly liking where this conversation was heading.

"I want you to come out to my cabin with me, isolate yourself from the world and the evil inside it."

Reid shook his head.

"Gideon, if I run away, I can't help people. I'm sorry, but I can't go with you," Reid said in a tone that said that was the end of the conversation.

Reid turned to walk back toward his apartment, not realizing what Gideon had planned.

"You don't have a choice," Gideon whispered as he wrapped an arm around Reid, pinning his arms to his sides while holding a cloth over Reid's nose and mouth.

Reid immediately begin to struggle against his former mentor, but the chloroform quickly began to take effect. He let out a few muffled grunts as he fought with all waning strength that he had in him to break free. His struggles soon became nonexistent as he slumped back against Gideon. Just a few seconds later, he was whisked away into reluctant unconsciousness.

Gideon dragged Reid's unconscious body into his car which was parked nearby. He opened the door to the back seat and lifted Reid into the back so that he lied across the seat. He tied his hands together in front of him and his ankles together, just in case he woke up. He took out Reid's phone and credentials and put them in an envelope. After sealing the envelope, he stroked Reid's hair as he leaned down and kissed him on top of his head, almost in the way a father would his young son.

"It's okay, Spencer. I'll protect you."

What did you think? Reviews are much appreciated! I should hopefully update soon!