Alone

"I don't think so, Reid." Hotch looked at Spencer in all seriousness. "There's no denying that his insight here might help, but we don't even know what his mindset is. Calling him in now might very well be more detrimental to his state of mind than the benefit of any help he might be able to give us. Frankly, I'm surprised that you didn't think of that possibility on your own."

"I don't have any evidence that he's really that fragile, do you?" Spencer countered. "What's the harm in at least calling and asking him? For this one case? I happen to believe that when he hears about this, he'll do all he can to help. Isn't the point of us being here to solve this, to catch this UnSub?"

"You happen to believe, or you have to?" Hotch answered. "I'll tell you what I think, Reid. I think you're being selfish in wanting this, and if I didn't know you better I'd think you just wanted him back here for your own personal reasons that have nothing to do with this case. What Hankel did to you was horrific, but you are healing, moving forward and making the most of your life. Do you really want to sacrifice all Gideon's progress just to get a few answers? I'm denying your request." Hotch grabbed a file off the desk and moved to go talk to the police Chief.

"I'll go to Strauss." Spencer said, his face stubborn, his arms crossed.

Hotch stopped, turned around, and walked back to stand right in front of Reid, his face inches from Spencer's. He said in a low voice - "You're welcome to do that. And when she asks me my opinion, and she will, I'll tell her exactly what I've told you. What do you think her decision will be? Instead of looking for a solution from someone else, you need to keep your head in this. I need your reason and logic right here, not off ruminating about getting Gideon back." Hotch looked at Spencer right in the eye for another long moment before moving off to find the Chief.

Spencer let out his breath, unaware that he'd been holding it. Quiet Hotch was even scarier that angry Hotch. Still, Spencer felt he himself was right, he just knew that Jason was the key to cracking this case wide open. If the team didn't agree, too bad. He was still going to try to convince them. And he was still going to Strauss with his request.

JJ woke up in the dark, on a hard metal floor. She shook her head... big mistake. Ugh it hurt! Damn it, where WAS she? She couldn't see anything but could tell she was in a vehicle, she could hear and feel the engine vibration. No windows. She knew they were moving... but who? Who had her, and... why?

Last thing she remembered was watching Spencer retreat, upset that she wasn't in agreement with his need to call Jason. She called his name and listened... no answer. GOD her head hurt. She fought rising panic and tried to think. She felt for her sidearm and was dismayed, though not really surprised, to find it gone. Same for her phone - no, she had dropped that. Agent Jennifer Jareau had been taken. Kidnapped. The awareness sank into her stomach like a rock. She was alone.

Emily walked up to Morgan, phone in hand. "Hey Morgan, have you seen JJ? She's not answering her phone."

Derek closed the file he was reading and said "You mean after she chewed me a new one for carrying Reid out of the room?" He smirked. "Don't mess with her man."

"Uh, okay. No, I - " Emily began. Just then Spencer walked over, his phone in his hand too. "Hey Reid, you calling JJ? I can't get her to pick up."

"No, I was calling Strauss but I just got her voicemail. What, she's not answering? We had a little difference of opinion outside, but she didn't seem upset or anything..." He said, thoughtful.

"You called Strauss? Reid, you should let it go." Morgan warned.

"I told you I'd call her if I had to. I told Hotch, too. I still think I'm right."

"Wait, what'd I miss?" Emily asked.

Derek stood with his arms folded as Spencer filled Emily in. She looked from one man to the other and said to Morgan, "What? I think it's a great idea. All the points you touched on make sense, Reid. Gideon could be a real help with this case."

Spencer looked triumphant. "I know! And all Derek and JJ can think about is that maybe I'll get hurt again, and Hotch is worried about Gideon's mental health. I'm telling you Emily, it won't be a problem. We need his insight to help catch this guy!"

Morgan put his hands up in front of him. "Look, you know how I feel about it, and now I'm out of this conversation. I've got other fish guts to fry." He backed away and headed for the briefing room, file in hand.

Spencer frowned at the pun, but just shrugged and turned back to Emily. "So I can tell Strauss that you're backing me on this?"

Emily distractedly said "Sure..." as she tried to dial JJ once more. "Still no answer."

Spencer looked out the window but couldn't see any sign of Jennifer. "She was just out there by the car a few minutes ago..." he said.

He felt a cold stab of fear in his stomach. "Emily, check and see that her purse is still here, I'm gonna see if I can find her. Spencer moved quickly out the door, picking up his pace when he got outside. He scanned the parking lot, unable to see her. He ran over to their rental car and there on the ground was her phone. He leaned down to pick it up as Emily came running up to him.

He looked at Emily's worried face, panic starting in his own eyes. "Her purse is still here," she said.

Spencer held up JJ's phone, still looking around, frantic now. Emily put her hand on Reid's arm as Spencer met her eyes.

"No." he whispered. "Emily..." he choked.

Spencer felt like he couldn't breathe. There was a dense heaviness in his chest and his head was buzzing. He saw Emily's mouth moving but he couldn't hear her past the roaring in his ears.

" - Reid!" she shouted for the second time. "Reid it's alright, she's okay, we'll find her! She took his anguished face in her hands and said "Look at me, hear me! We will find her-"

Spencer looked at her... god it was so hard to breathe - and everything was gray, out of focus, the edges of his vision black. Hotch came running up, "Prentiss, what? - "

"Someone's got her, someone took JJ! Reid just nearly... "

"I'm fine, no... I'm fine," Spencer said, bracing himself against the car. He stood looking all directions, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. "We need to go after her!"

"Besides her phone, did you find anything?" Hotch asked.

"N-no. With all... there's been no..." Emily exhaled and put her hands on her hips, looking down at the ground. "Sir, he took her from a police station parking lot. Is this guy for real? There has to be a connection to this case. This was no random abduction."

Hotch walked around the car, scanning for anything that could give a clue to how she was taken, and even to who took her. Emily took the opposite side and did the same. "Hotch, Reid, look at this," she said, pointing to two even scuff marks on the pavement. "If these are marks from her bootheels, she didn't fight. She was either knocked out or drugged, then dragged a little before being lifted into a waiting vehicle..." Emily walked to where she pictured JJ being put in the car, and bent down again. "Tire tracks."

Hotch said, "Lets get Garcia to review the security surveillance tape, and get forensics out here. When did this happen, exactly?"

"Reid said she was just out here a couple of minutes before he came back in. He said they had a small disagreement, but that she wasn't upset or anything." Emily replied.

"I can guess what that was about," Hotch said under his breath. "There's nothing more for us out here, lets go look at that security recording."

Spencer pressed the heels of his hands to his temples and said "I'm going to look out here a little longer, see if anyone was out here, saw anything. I'll meet you guys in there, tell Morgan!" He turned and ran to the edge of the parking lot, head pivoting as he ran.

He couldn't falter right now, he had to move past the crushing fear. To think. Thinking was the very best thing he did. SHE needed him to be there, to be strong, and smart, and right. He needed it too, and they needed him to help get her back.