"I'll drive," Matt said, knowing Garcia needed to be near the team. He knew roughly who Mr. Scratch was, Rossi wanted someone who wasn't a BAU member to be read in.
He knew rationally that he offered to drive, not only to comfort Garcia, but because the thought of his friends out there hurting, injured, and maybe worse killed him a little bit.
And then there was his infatuation with one Jennifer Jareau, it was irrational and stupid, he knew that. She just very recently got a divorce from her husband and though he had been divorced from Kristy a while, he didn't know how he would tell his kids he was dating someone else.
And of course, he knew JJ didn't feel the same way, he accepted that and respected that. He'd take what he could get and that was a partnership and friendship based on mutual respect and trust. He was just grateful that whenever they needed his help, he always seemed to be paired off with her.
"I know Agent Reid hasn't been reinstated but-" Garcia said, obviously annoyed at being interrupted. "I know this is protocol and you're going your jobs and all but you need to send back up to the coordinates now!" she snapped.
That's when they saw the spike strip and the collided SUVs.
"And medical," he heard Garcia choke out. "lot's of medical."
Matt didn't think, he acted on pure instinct. If someone were to ask him what he was thinking at that moment he probably wouldn't remember.
He got out of the SUV as fast as he could and ran to the closest car. There was steam billowing from underneath the bent hood and he prayed that it wouldn't burst into flames.
He saw Emily and besides from what looked a nasty cut on her head she was okay, thank God. She was hovering above Tara, who was talking and responsive. Two agents were fine, four to go.
Matt looked back to Garcia and was relieved to see that Rossi was talking to her and alive. That leaves Luke, JJ, and Stephen.
"Luke?" he heard someone call. "Luke?" that wasn't someone, that was JJ.
Matt ran to where he heard her call from and saw her sitting on the ground, leaning against the car.
Matt saw Luke staring at something in the back seat, and upon closer inspection, he saw the deceased Stephen Walker in the back seat.
"Luke, I can't see." She called again, her voice shaky, eyes staring into the blank distance and her face sticky with blood.
That was enough for both agents to break their focus and with a shaky breath, they crouched next to the blonde agent.
"Hey, I'm right here." he soothed. "let me take a look at your head."
JJ visibly calmed and nodded, and he gently prodded at her skin.
"I see the glass, I'm sure they'll be able to take it out at the hospital," he explained, hoping that she would regain her vision. "Listen, I'm going to go make sure everyone else is okay, but Matt is going to stay with you till the ambulance comes."
"Yeah, yeah, go check on everyone. Let me know if they're okay." she stammered.
Matt sat next to her and leaned against the car, and he watched as Luke ran to check on Tara and Emily.
He heard JJ stifle a sob, "Matt?"
"Yeah?"
"Did you see everyone else?" she asked, rubbing the side of her head, no doubt trying to fight off a headache.
He knew he was strong and he shouldn't try to shield her from what happened, but that didn't mean he liked it.
"Yeah I saw them," he answered as vaguely as he could.
She put her hand on his arm, he knew that was her promoting him to explain.
"They're all okay, uh, except… except for Stephen. He's dead." He elaborated, taking her hand to offer comfort.
She gasped and leaned against the car, tears streaming down her bloody face and her body shaking in silent sobs.
"It should've been me." she whimpered, "I was supposed to sit in the back, but I was feeling a little sick and he told me to take the front."
"Stop that. It wasn't your fault, you didn't ram into the SUVs, causing them to crash. You didn't put down a spike strip. None of this is on you and I will remind you that every day till you believe it."
She sniffled and leaned against him. "Thank you for staying with me."
He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in, "of course."
Neither of them spoke again until the paramedics came.