Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds and intend no copyright infringement.

~ inspired by Sue1313 ~

"There's got to be a way out of here!" Emily gave the door a forceful kick, but since it was made out of solid steel all she produced was a low humming sound as the metal reverberated from the impact.

"Hotch and Morgan know where we were heading. Garcia will find this place. I bet she's already putting together a cross reference list." JJ was probably just as much trying to calm herself as the others.

"What if the unsub comes back in the meantime? Reid is hurt. We need a plan." Emily crouched down and squinted at the lock.

"Maybe you could pretend to be dead", Reid suddenly commented from his corner of the cellar, where Rossi was tending his injury as best as he could.

"And JJ could tell him you're dead. She comes across as pretty believable."

For a moment both women just stared at each other. Finally Emily spoke up: "Whoa, Reid, was that your idea of a caustic remark?"

"I'd go so far and say it was my idea of a jaded remark." Reid was definitely looking darkly at the two.

"I thought we'd cleared the matter up…", JJ began.

"Oh, you thought one evening with hard noodles changes it all?"

"Al dente", Rossi corrected him.

"Maybe I'd known the difference if you had waited with explaining till I was around." Now Reid's dark look was directed at Rossi.

"You're taking no prisoners today son, are you?"

"You, with all your experience, you had an inkling that they were lying, hadn't you?" Reid pressed his lips together. "But you didn't bother to share. All of you watched me suffer all these months. And NOW you're making a fuss about this ridiculous scratch." He hit the wall with his injured right arm. "This here doesn't hurt half as much as standing at your grave, Emily."

"Do we really have to discuss this right here and now?" Emily made a circling gesture that was supposed to serve as a reminder of the situation they were in – unsub, cellar, sadistic killer of half a dozen people…

"Well", Rossi said thoughtfully, "we're rarely together without Hotch jumping in to shoulder the blame…"

"You've got to be kidding me…" Emily rolled her eyes and JJ tried wiggling the handle one more time, but Rossi was obviously on Reid's side here.

"Tell us how you felt when you found out it was all a deceit, son."

At this very moment someone banged against the door from the outside.

"Dave? Reid?" Hotch's voice. "We're going to get you out of there, Morgan's already preparing the battering ram!"

The women looked relieved. But Rossi saw Reid's shoulders slump.

"Uh, Hotch, could you give us a moment here?"

Silence. Then: "You want to stay trapped in there? We found traces that indicate one of you is hurt!"

"It's not that bad", Rossi replied, locking eyes with Reid. "That wound is not that bad."

The hint of a smile appeared on Reid's face.