Hello again^^ Motivated by your lovely reviews I have written on. I hope no one will be dissapointed. We are getting there, people!

Btw, did anyone figure out the symbolism of the rose?

Reid heard the glass of the window behind him shatter a mere second after he realized that there was a gun aimed at Morgan's chest.

He didn't think, instinct throwing him into action. He threw himself at Morgan, using all his body weight to throw the significantly heavier man off balance and to the ground.

It all happened in a blur, his heart missing a beat, Morgan shouting out in shock as they crashed to the ground, a bullet slamming into his wall just inches above their heads.

For a frozen moment, they just stared at each other, neither of them blinking -then chaos broke out in the room. Suddenly, the agents around them were shouting and yelling commands, rushing to pull the curtains shut and then get away from the window.

Reid more heard then saw some of them rush out the door, probably to try and find the shooter, but he couldn't really pay attention. That last shocker, along with everything else that had happened that night had been too much finally; he felt like he couldn't move, petrified.

Gideon was shouting above them and Morgan was gripping his arm, snapping out of his trance much quicker than he. Before he knew it, he was dragged back to his feet and to the wall.

"Anyone hurt?! Fuck!"

They were rushing out of the apartment and down the stairs before he got his bearings back, Morgan's grip on him never wavering, while Emily was at his other side, both of them with their guns drawn and looking around frantically fro any threats.

Then they were in the car, speeding off.

By the time Reid found his voice, they were on the highway.

"Where are we going?"

No one answered him. Instead Gideon turned around, looking at him gravely and urgently, "What did he say to you, Spencer?"

Reid swallowed, reluctant to remember the phone conversation he'd just had. "He..had said he should have known that I would be on your side as long as...as long as you live. He said he'd come for you and then me, and that he wasn't sure in which order yet. And then he told me to duck, and- I didn't understand at first, until I saw- He almost-"

He couldn't bring himself to look at Morgan, relive the possibility that the man could have easily died just now.

"Hey, kid, it's alright," Morgan gripped his shoulder again, this time squeezing reassuringly, "He didn't get me though, you saved me."

But Reid couldn't find comfort in that. All he saw every time he blinked was the heart in his bedroom and the shattered window...accompanied by the echo of Aaron Hotchner's smooth voice. He looked around the car, at Morgan, Gideon, and Emily, and he had never been so scared for anyone -not that he could remember. The thought that something might happen to them made him sick to his stomach, scaring him even worse than the idea that something might happen to him.

"We need to go somewhere safe," he murmured, "none of you will be safe at their houses alone. We need to stay together."

"We will, Spencer," Gideon reassured him, "I texted JJ just now. We are meeting her and Garcia, and staying together tonight." His expression turned grim as he looked out the window, "We won't make it easy for him."

xxx

Spencer's heart dropped the moment they entered JJ's house.

She was there, along with Garcia, Will, and Henry. None of them looked ready to leave or like they had packed anything.

He started to protest but JJ took his hand reassuringly and pulled him over to the couch to sit. The others moved about the room, sitting or standing close by.

"We've decided to stay here for the night, Spence," JJ explained, "Our house has the most room and it can easily be guarded from outside."

"But-" he began to protest, eyes flashing to his godson in fear. "Henry will be safest here with us. We've secured all the doors and windows, and there is protective detail all around the property. Tonight we'll sleep in shifts and until then, we'll do our best to solve this thing."

It sounded logical and well thought out, but Reid still wanted to protest. To even think that Hotchner might get his hands on Henry or JJ...

No one else seemed to oppose the plan though. In fact it didn't take long for a dynamic to develop in which they formed smaller groups to prepare a meal and arrange for rooms to be prepared. By the afternoon, they were all sitting in the living room, planning and plotting, while Henry played idly, out of earshot but well within sight.

Slowly, Spencer began to feel a little less as though he was on the verge of having a panic attack. The underlying tension and fear remained though and he knew the others felt no different. They all seemed tense and drawn. Frank had already been taking a toll on them and now this...

"Well, it's clear what he wants, isn't it?" Morgan summarized just then, "He won't be stupid enough to attack while we're together like this but he knows that sooner or later we'll have to go back to work. He'll try to pick us off one by one. Maybe in a certain order, or maybe he won't care as long as it gets done."

Gideon nodded grimly, "It's possible he'll take the time and risk to attempt abductions which would give him more time to exact his revenge. That means nobody goes anywhere alone, maybe pairs isn't enough even..."

"You think he is in contact with Frank?"

"It would certainly please, Frank. If Hotch would be up to it, I don't know. Let's hope for our sake that he wouldn't."

They all shuddered slightly at the thought of Hotchner and Frank possibly collaborating. Well, that was a scary thought.

They debated for a while longer, until night fell. By then it had become clear that the shooter wouldn't be reported found anymore. He escaped to try again.

They had a late dinner and retired early, all of them exhausted. Emily and Gideon had received the guest room and Henry's room; the boy was to sleep in his parents' room.

Morgan refused to leave Reid alone though and so they ended up occupying one couch in the living room each. Reid didn't have it in him to protest. He couldn't help but feel like he was being sheltered again -but then, after today...he wasn't sure he'd have slept too well had he been alone in a room.

xxx

Falling asleep wasn't easy. He tossed and turned for a good hour before his body finally came to rest. His mind however, wasn't so lucky.

The dream started out much like it usually did; this time however it was worse, so much worse. Hotchner didn't just strangle him, he pushed him down, onto the ground covered with his family's blood, but not just his families but that of the team also. Their dead eyes were staring at him as Hotchner started ripping, tearing into him...and he couldn't move, couldn't do anything, all while Frank was standing over them, laughing manically...

"Reid, wake up, man!"

He woke with a scream, feeling hands on him and frantically trying to get them off, to get away-

"Reid, it's me, Morgan!"

He blinked, staring up into the half dark to indeed find his unit chief hovering over him, shaking his shoulders. With a sound of relief, he sank back into the couch, drawing in shallow breaths as he tried to calm himself.

On the stairs, he could hear hasty steps and seconds later the team was there, sleep-tousled but armed and ready to fire, eyes livid. "It's fine, guys," Morgan waved them off, looking exhausted but also relieved, "just a dream."

They hesitated only briefly before wandering back upstairs. Reid could feel shame burn in his cheeks as he cast an apologetic look over at JJ. She just smiled at him and then let Will usher her back upstairs.

Once they were all gone, Morgan dropped down on Reid's makeshift bed with a sigh, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "Shit, pretty boy, you scared the living daylight outta me."

Reid sank back against the cushions, pulling the covers over his knees at the same time that he pushed his sweat-slicked hair out of his face. "Sorry,"he mumbled, still embarrassed.

He wished he could laugh the dream off now, but it still seemed to real, even now...like any second something, someone might swoop down on him.

"It's gonna be alright, Reid." He looked up to find Morgan smiling slightly in the dim light. "We're strong as a team. He's not gonna get us. I know you especially have reason to be scared...but he won't get you."

Reid tried his best to smile back, but it ended up as more of a grimace. He wished so much that he could believe that, that it would make him less scared...but he had no control over his dreams.

"Did..." he stopped himself two times before he managed to form a question which had gnawed at him since this morning. "Did...you ever suspect...that anything was going on between me...and him?"

Morgan shook his head, expression turning serious, "If I had I probably would have had the same preservation as Gideon. Hotch wasn't exactly...stable, even long before Foyet. And you're too good for your own good, pretty boy. It could have easily become something it shouldn't have been."

Reid nodded, reveling in the brief swell of warmth he felt at his friend's words. They were mostly overshadowed by dread though. "So...what do you think it was?"

"Honestly?" Morgan asked and Reid nodded. "I think you would have let it slip if there had been anything serious. I'm your best friend, man, and honestly, you're an awful liar...so, no, I think that Hotch might have had an interest, that he might have hoped for more...that maybe he'd started making advances, advances that you did or did not know how to reject...and that the whole thing was interrupted with Foyet. His mind took a break that night, we all know that...and you were there with him, fighting for his family...you weren't there when we arrested him...I think that it is something he conjured up in his mind, an obsession to give himself something to focus on, a beacon of light in the darkness. And now that that fantasy has been crushed-"

"-he wants to crush me."

"It's not gonna happen, Reid. He'll never touch you as long as I'm alive."

Reid swallowed thickly. That was exactly what he was afraid of. Yet, he didn't say anymore, letting Morgan have his confidence, letting him think he'd reassured Reid. They both went back to bed soon after.

Luckily, there weren't any more nightmares after that.

There wasn't a lot of sleep either though.

Xxx

The next day came, bright and sunny, and thankfully without any more interruptions. It was mid morning by the time they all filed out of bed and began gathering for breakfast.

The tense atmosphere from the day before had been lifted a little, aided by the fact that there had been no breech to the houses security reported.

They had made it through the night alright.

It almost gave Reid a little hope, almost made him want to believe in Morgan's words.

He was on the couch, reading to Henry, when the call came.

It was to Gideon's phone this time, once again an unknown caller. Garcia didn't waste any time to try and trace the call this time, hacking away at her computer. The rest of them stood around, breathless, listening.

"Having a party, Jason?" Hotchner's voice sounded colder than when he'd spoken to Reid, barely contained contempt coloring it.

"You can always join us, Aaron," Gideon suggested calmly, "where are you, we'll come pick you up."

Hotchner laughed at that, but it still sounded just as chilling. "I'm sure you'd love that. I'm actually at an old friend's house at the moment -but I'm sure she wouldn't mind you coming over as well."

Gideon hesitated at that, briefly staring at all of them in alarm. Then, a female voice, shaky and terribly familiar came over the speaker phone.

"Please...help-"

I would apologize for the last cliffhanger but yeah...it's a thing. I can't help it. Forgive me? :)

R&R please