A/N: What's this? Updates two days in a row? What is the world coming to? I must be inspired or something. . Hopefully the quality is still good enough to keep you guys entertained!

Disclaimer: Sadly I own no aspects of DC comics, Batman, or Criminals Minds.


"The beginning is always today."

Mary Wollstonecraft

It took two hours and Spencer bribing him with his favorite tea to get Jonathan to join the team in the living room. He had resisted firmly until the scream of a crow sounded from outside and sent him into an inner panic. Even now, as he sat tucked against the arm of the couch with the entire team visible to him and a mug of tea warming his hands, he couldn't help but hear the echo of the sound inside of his mind. It was a terrible, loud, never ending chorus of his worst fears and most dangerous memories. He was terrified, though he refused to let it show, and still Scarecrow wouldn't come back to him.

Jonathan jumped when a hand came to rest on his shoulder. He was only just able to keep his tea from sloshing out of the cup and onto his lap, but his heart was pounding in his chest and he already knew his mask had slipped up for a moment or two. Cerulean eyes blinked slowly as Jonathan fought to compose himself as quickly as he could. He may not have been an officer of the law, but he had done extensive research on psychology and he knew that a team of profilers would have no issues seeing right through his mask right then.

Soft, caramel colored eyes appeared in the skittish man's line of site as Spencer kneeled in front of him, seemingly trying to block out the rest of the room by having Jonathan focus on him.

"Everything alright, Doctor Crane?" he asked softly, carefully keeping space between them and not touching any part of the man in front of him. Reid waited until he got a nod and a hollow eye roll in response before saying anything else. "If you're sure… Agent Hotchner was just asking your opinion on the Riddler's latest puzzles." Just like that Reid was back on his feet, standing awkwardly as he spewed a information on the known puzzles, their locations, and anything else the man thought may be useful.

Jonathan was only half listening, but he managed to pick out the important details as he shifted into a more comfortable position on the couch. He refused to acknowledge the stares the rest of the team sent his way.

"Edward," Jonathan began quietly, not looking at any of the agents but opting to stare at a window with the curtains drawn back instead. "Edward does not want to leave riddles. He has no choice but to leave them, it's a compulsion he has tried to fight against, but can never win against. He recognizes that it is controlling him, but he will always fall victim to his own disease in the end."

The ex teacher raised his mug to his lips and took a few sips of tea as he settled into the language that had come to him as naturally as breathing for many years now.

"He cannot be tried as criminally insane in most areas, because he suffers from OCD and that is not a cause for insanity. In Gotham, however," he snorted softly, "the standard laws hardly apply. He will leave clues until you find him, not because he wants to, but because he has to. He knows he will end up back in Arkham, and that terrifies him. When you find him he will run and he won't go quietly." A slight smirk flickered at the corners of Jonathan's mouth as he spoke of his previous cellmate.

"It may be best to lure him in with a riddle of your own. He won't be able to leave until he solves it."

Silence fell over the room like a wet, heavy blanket when Crane finished his short speech about his fellow Arkham inmate. He had spent many long weeks studying Edward Nigma when they had been forced to share a cell and he had learned much about the man that had proven useful on several occasions. He wouldn't give the agents that information, though. No, that was for him to use for himself if he ever got into a bind and needed the Riddler's resources.

The silence of the room was broken by Hotch speaking to Jonathan. "If that's true, if he is going to lead us to him, why would he harm innocents and commit so many crimes? If each crime has a clue, wouldn't he commit less of them so it would take longer to find him?"

Jonathan paused to gather his thoughts, not wanting to give any false information away and have it come back to haunt him later.

"No," he said as he took a sip of tea, studiously avoiding the slightly awed look on Doctor Reid's face. "He cannot control his need to leave clues and commit crimes enough to space them out over any lengthy period of time. If he could do that he would be able to stop leaving clues all together without the aid of therapy and medication."

Hotch mulled the new information over in his head before nodding slowly, glancing up at Reid. "Do you trust what he's saying?"

Jonathan should have known it wouldn't be that easy. When he looked over at the man in question, though, he was biting his lip nervously, but he was nodding. The man was vouching for him, a hardened criminal. That shocked Jonathan more than Scarecrow's absence.

"Yea," Reid said, locking eyes with Hotch, "I think he's telling the truth."

Morgan opened his mouth to protest against the situation, but Rossi stopped him with a hand on his arm. "We need to trust Reid's judgment, Morgan," the older man told him in hushed tones.

"Rossi's right. If Reid thinks the information is reliable we need to look into it. Morgan, Rossi, why don't you go back to Arkham and see what you can find out about Nigma's behavior while he was there? JJ, Prentiss, and I will see what we can dig up about his past puzzles and how long it took before police were able to apprehend him. Reid, Garcia, you stay here with Dr. Crane and see what else he knows about Nigma. We'll meet in the morning to discuss what we find out."

Jonathan sent a glare towards the man when he spoke about him like he wasn't there, but if it bothered Hotch he didn't show it.

"Alright, we'll call you if we find anything," Morgan informed Hotch as he pulled his coat on. Rossi nodded in agreement and they headed out the door after muttering a few "good-byes" to their coworkers. A few minutes later Hotch, J.J., and Prentiss followed them, leaving Reid, Garcia, and Crane alone together.

An awkward silence filled the room as the three of them remained in their positions, glancing back and forth between each other.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of silence, Garcia began to fidget and finally got up, crossing the room to stand in front of Crane.

"Oh, honey, I know you don't like being touched, but you really are far to skinny. I think you are even tinier than my Junior G-Man." She tsked softly and pushed her glasses further up her nose, pushing bright pink bangs from her face. "What kinds of food do you like? We need to get some meat on your bones."

Reid couldn't hide a smile as a very flustered Jonathan Crane was pestered until he finally caved in and snapped out food he thought was enjoyable enough to eat at the moment. Garcia always did have a way with people who acted tough but were really just like scared children on the inside. Reid still couldn't get the image of those few seconds of fear that had showed on the man's face when he'd touched his shoulder out of his mind. What could have possibly happened to cause the man such fear? He hadn't been skittish when he'd come with Reid to the hotel suite.

Whatever it was, he was going to find out and do his best to fix it, even if it meant staying behind after the case was finished. Something told him Garcia would support that thought one hundred percent.


A/N: So what do you guys think? Are things moving along nicely? Was that a hint of softening up we saw Reid doing? Is Crane trying to be helpful? I guess we'll have to find out next time!

As always thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed! Reviews are much loved. 3