1-2-0-0

CM K

(Prentiss, Jareau, Reid)

Episode tag for S13 E5 "The Bunker"

"He didn't react?"

"Not even a flinch, Emily," JJ assured her unit chief, "In fact, he went down that hatch first." JJ grimaced as she recalled their ordeal and Emily saw the look cross her face.

She pushed JJ's report aside and braced her hands on the desk as she stood up to address the agent standing before her.

"What? What's that look?"

"We were making our way down the corridor. It was creepy and kinda dark, but we were following protocol. Spence was following protocol too, Emily. We knew you guys were just a few minutes behind us. And he was leading. Textbook. Perfect execution," JJ continued.

Emily's eyes narrowed. "Why the grimace just now?"

"It was unsettling, Emily. It would've been for anyone, never mind Spence and the PTSS." She took a breath and carried on, "We rounded a corner and must've triggered the lockdown, the doors slid into place, locking us into a small cell. That's why I flinched. Spence went into high gear, checking out the mechanism immediately. He determined us shooting at it would only ricochet around and make it more dangerous. He kept his cool, Emily, he was completely calm and methodical."

"Not a sign of PTSS?"

"No. Not one." It was JJ's turn to narrow her eyes as a thought occurred to her. "You're wondering if I left anything out. If I have any fears, any reservations about being with Spence in a potential situation, aren't you?"

Prentiss swallowed before replying. "No, I'm just going over the report you submitted, JJ," she said carefully.

JJ stood up straight. "Emily, I would never falsify the facts in an incident report to you. Spencer showed absolutely no hesitation, no fear in the execution of this operation. I even wondered about the PTSS myself and looked for signs of overcompensation. He was completely professional, Emily."

"I'm sorry, I just, I just have to cover all the bases, JJ." She looked down at the report and then back up at JJ, "What about that door code? Why didn't 1-2-0-0 occur to him?"

JJ let out a sigh, "You'll have to ask him that, Emily. I had a bit of an adrenaline thing going then. You know, airtight cell. Thought we were gonna run out of oxygen before backup arrived."

"And that didn't set him off either?"

"No. Mr. Calm pointed out that the carbon monoxide would kill us before the oxygen ran out. I—"

A knock on Prentiss' office door interrupted them. The two women looked to one another before Emily called out, "It's not locked."

The door opened and the head of Spencer Reid peeked around it. "Is it safe to come in here?" he asked.

JJ looked to Emily and half-stated, half-asked "Later?" Prentiss gave her a nod and the younger woman made her way to the door, reaching out to give Reid a supportive squeeze on his arm as she left.

"You wanted to see me, Ma'am?" he asked, completely serious.

She rolled her eyes and answered him, smiling as she spoke "Please. Cut that ma'am crap. You're as bad as Garcia. It's Emily. Or Prentiss even. Sit," she directed as she made her way behind her desk and took her own seat.

Pushing JJ's report aside, Prentiss pulled out the one Reid had submitted.

He swallowed, tugged at his already askew tie and picked an imaginary fluff off his right thigh.

"Spencer, I was just going over your report on the case," she paused.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"I was gonna ask you that," she proceeded carefully. "You didn't have any kind of, I dunno, hesitation about going into that confined space?"

He realised what she was dancing around and sat forward in the chair. "Agent Prentiss—Emily," he began, letting out a sigh, "I know you guys are all worrying about me and PTSS. It is there; I won't lie. But I'm working through it. That hatch, that ladder. It was a little claustrophobic but I have to work through these things if I'm gonna get better."

Emily nodded but stayed silent, allowing him to continue uninterrupted.

"I would never do anything to risk any of your lives. If I thought I couldn't handle something, I would have said so. I wouldn't have proceeded until backup was there if I had any doubts about being able to deal with it. JJ and I moved down that corridor according to protocol," he paused and stole a glance at Emily who nodded as he spoke, "And when the door closed and locked us in, yeah, for just an instant the adrenaline kicked in and I, uh, grew concerned. But we knew backup was coming. And the unsubs weren't serial killers," he trailed off. "It was all under control," he assured her.

Emily relaxed visibly and sat back in her chair. Eyeing him she considered what he'd said. "And the 1-2-0-0 code?"

He shook his head, not understanding what she was asking for a moment.

"I was just wondering why you wouldn't have guessed at the door code."

"I, um, didn't think Lawrence Coleman would use something so obvious. He's an engineer. An intelligent man. He could have booby-trapped that mechanism. 1-2-0-0 was just too easy." He reflected on that for a moment and said, "I won't make that mistake again."

There was a long pause before he ventured, "Is something wrong?"

A smile flashed across the face of Emily Prentiss. "Nope. Not at all, Spencer. Not at all."