(Later the same night, after Reid has been rescued.)

It was troubling to Morgan having to watch Reid limp barefooted through the wooded cemetery. Hankel had beaten Reid on the soles of his feet and they were badly bruised. Reid occasionally leaned on Gideon's arm. Slowly, he made his way to the police cars parked on the dirt road ahead. Pain showed plainly on the young man's face.

Morgan was strong. He could easily have carried the frail agent, but he knew Reid had to walk out of the cemetery on his own. It was important to his self-respect. Consequently, Derek just watched from a short distance away in case Reid needed his help.

He was proud of Reid. The kid was more resilient than he'd ever imagined. He would tell him so, as soon as they had a chance to talk. After this, Derek decided, he could never tease Reid again.

At least not for awhile…..

Reid was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta to be checked over. Hotch and Gideon accompanied him. It worried Derek that Reid had to have CPR earlier that night. He was concerned it could have caused some permanent damage to his heart. Derek took Gideon aside before they left and expressed his fear to him. Gideon promised to call the Hankel house with news as soon as Reid was evaluated.

Morgan drove Emily and JJ back to the house. He was anxious to get back for Penelope. He knew she must be freaked out being at the Hankel place alone. Not being a field agent, it was against FBI regulations for her to go out to with the team. There was no cell phone signal in the area. She had no idea that Reid was safe or that Tobias Hankel was dead.

Emily sat in the back seat with her arm around a very emotional Jennifer Jareau. JJ had maintained her self-control through the past difficult days, but now broke into frequent spells of crying. She was devastated knowing how Reid had suffered. More than the guilt she felt over his abduction, she had become intensely aware of how much Spencer Reid meant to her.

When Morgan pulled into the Hankel driveway, every light in the house was turned on. He saw the curtains in the front room pull aside when they drove in. A moment later, a frantic looking Penelope Garcia appeared in the doorway.

As Derek got out of the SUV, the first blush of daylight appeared on the horizon. "Em, fill Garcia in on what happened," he said. "Maybe you and she can calm JJ down so she can get some rest." He sat down on the front step. "I'll be in soon."

Derek wanted a few minutes to unwind. He looked out across the field that had appeared so sinister just a few hours earlier. He saw several white-tailed deer in the rows of cornstalks. A rooster was crowing nearby. The symmetry of the world had been restored and a sense of peace swept over him. "Thank you, God," he whispered.

Morgan was not particularly religious, but he had felt powerless in the past few days. He'd found consolation in reaching out to something stronger than him.

Now that Reid was safe, he could actually find it within him to feel sorry for Tobias. The journals described the brutality his father had inflicted on him most of his life. Even the strongest psyche would be damaged by the horrors to which the he had been subjected. The thread of sanity that remained in Hankel's personality was gentle and decent. This was the person who ministered to Reid, who fed him, who gave him the CPR that saved his life. Derek found enough forgiveness in him to say a prayer for the soul of Tobias Hankel.

He recognized her footstep behind him even before she spoke. She brushed her hand across his back as she sat down on the step next to him.

"How's JJ?" He glanced at her, his hand resting on her knee.

"Sleeping." She sounded stern. "You should be, too."

"You missed a night's sleep yourself," Derek reminded her, looking back toward the horizon.

"You've missed about three."

Morgan shrugged. "I know. I wanted to watch the sunrise. I've always found it…..hopeful." He paused. "When I lived in Chicago, I used to go out to Lincoln Park to watch the sun come up when I needed to think."

"Oh, really?" she said with skepticism, "I can't imagine you getting up that early."

Morgan grinned. "You're right. It was usually before I went to bed. I'd have trouble getting up before the sun."

"I know," she teased. They both knew she'd rarely seen him get to work on time since they had been at the BAU. She was happy to see him smile again. He hadn't smiled in days. None of them had.

"Reid did look okay, didn't he?" After watching Reid so near to death on the video, she needed Derek's reassurance.

"Seemed like it. He's tougher than I thought."

Morgan looked out at the sunrise and stretched. "I'm going to have a talk with him about JJ. It's obvious to everyone but him that she's crazy about him. For a genius, our young Dr. Reid is pretty dense." He shook his head and smiled. "Sometimes you can't see what's right under your nose."

The air was cool but the emerging sun was pleasant and warm. Rabbits were nibbling the grass near the edge of the woods. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. It was going to be a beautiful day. They sat silently enjoying the tranquility, absorbed in their own reflections on the past few days.

"We should go in," she suggested after several minutes. "We don't want to miss a call from the hospital."

Walking into the house together, Morgan's feet faltered and he stumbled.

"Derek!" She reached out to steady him.

"I'm sorry," he said tentatively. "I'm kind of dizzy." He covered his eyes with his hand. In a moment, the light-headedness passed.

She knew he was not ill, but exhausted. She put her arm around him and led him into the living room. As Morgan lay down on the sofa, she slipped a pillow under his head. She untied his shoes and slid them off. His eyes were closed when she covered him with a blanket. He was already asleep when she kissed him, her long hair brushing against his cheek.