Hey Everyone!

I hope everyone is still as safe as best they can be. If you're one to celebrate Christmas, I hope you are all enjoying the holiday, but if you are not one to participate in the festivities this year, I still hope you take the day to take time for yourselves and your loved ones. I am here to bless you all with this chapter.

For all you lovely people today, here is a chapter that will brighten your spirits!

Author's Note: I've been pumping out chapter like CRAZY, and I know you all have been enjoying the updates, but I felt that I need to take some time and slow down with the updates. I do love surprising you all, but I wanted to take more time and do other things I love besides share the story of Lou and Spencer. Don't fret! I won't drop off the face of the Earth, but I do need to take time for myself!

To the wonderful reviewers: OneWhoReadsTooMuch, bambam411. Momochan77, LisaPark, mercigirl01, zikashigaku, akina speranza, and Rubiya, all your kind words make every update filled with so much excitement to hear what you have to say. I can't wait for your words this time!

Without further ado, enjoy this update!

Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds


Zion couldn't recall the last time he had alcohol.

With him being a full-time Mossad agent, he had to always be sharp.

But now…

Now that Mossad didn't want anything to do with him…

Now that his father knew what became of him…

Now that Aya finally showed her true colours…

The blade belonging to Noah Bennett sat beside the bottle on the desk.

The same blade that was embedded in his skin a week prior.

To hell with it.

Leaning forward to grab the bottle. Zion took a swig back of the expensive whiskey previously sitting in the bar cart. He was disavowed from Mossad, and it was the first time he had ever been fired from a job. Zion didn't know how he got to that position entirely. He wasn't ready to tell everyone yet, but it was made more difficult by his significant other.

Aya had insisted that he spent more time at home, especially now that they were engaged to be married. Because of her adamant behaviour, he would leave his missions to spend time with her, which was not only not allowed, but highly frowned upon. Especially Zion, who was an impeccable agent in his own right, and ahead of all of his colleagues, was easily weighed down by the expectation of his future wife constantly asking for more from him.

He had wished his fiancée understood his job the way Lou did. Aya was often angry she was used to compare to Zion's best friend (which he never understood why everyone thought him and Lou would be a couple… he had made it clear more than once they've always been family to one another), even often accusing him of flying off to wherever the English teacher was so they could 'spend the night' when he was really on a mission and couldn't take her calls.

Zion remembered the countless arguments he had with Aya, and while he loved her greatly, he hoped she could grow to be understanding and not as demanding as she was. How often did Zion have to reassure her that he was being faithful? How many nights did he have to convince her that she was the only one he wanted to be with?

It was not the same for her, clearly, Zion thought bitterly.

How odd was it for Aya to accuse him of such a heinous crime, when she was performing the said crime herself?

When he first was suspicious, Zion was ashamed to call Lou. He had friends and family everywhere, but Lou was always there to protect him when he needed her. Even though he was a big, strong man, he felt vulnerable in a world where all they saw were the muscles, and not the smile Zion made sure was on his face every single day, no matter what mood he was in.

His best friend always made him feel like that. He didn't want to bring her down to his sad pity party, especially after he had wrote in a long, long letter that he still wanted to marry Aya, and to ask Lou for her RSVP, but he had speculations that his fiancée was cheating, and he needed Lou's help. He waited for weeks for Lou to send a letter back, and it had been a grueling time. He knew he should have called her, but his nerves got the better of him.

But then Lou called him, asking for his help.

It was a blessing he didn't know he needed.

He felt like he belonged somewhere, for the first time in a long time.

After the call, Zion immediately felt a surge of energy. His best friend needed his assistance, and he had to race home to get ready to leave. He knew he could help Neshama, even being disavowed, people loved him from everywhere. He still had the resources to help his friend.

It was as if the universe was telling him to get home and get home quickly.

He didn't know who the man was, laying in his bed. Zion had just gotten home from getting a stern talking to from the Head of Mossad, who basically said to choose between his job or his fiancée. Zion had told his boss that he would think about it, and his boss said if Zion had to think about it, then the decision was made already.

Walking into his home jobless, with the intent on going through whatever it was Lou asked him to do with her demon-like previous boyfriend, Zion wasn't prepare to his future wife in a compromising position with another man.

And she still insisted the wedding go through.

Zion remembered the shouting. He remembered grabbing clothes erratically. He remembered Aya kept being defensive, but he didn't listen. His world was crumbling around him, and frankly, he didn't give a fuck. He got his things, left, and hopped on the back of a pickup truck that would take him from Riyadh to Bahrain. He had a cousin just outside of Muharraq that could bring him on a private plane to the States.

Zion didn't tell his father about helping Lou, but he knew Malachi would find out the second Charles told him of Lou's plan.

To see his face in that hotel room after getting Lou the help she needed, Zion was ready to be chewed out by his father.

Malachi didn't say a word.

He just handed him Zion's grandmother's engagement ring that Aya returned.

The (former) Mossad agent (that told no one he wasn't a Mossad agent anymore) didn't have a moment to think about his personal troubles until after Bennett's terror reigned over the Richardsons and the FBI agents.

Now, he finally had a moment to himself.

While they were safe, his best friend and his best friend's heart were in pain, and there wasn't anything he could do to bring the two people together, and nothing could make him feel worse.

Until his father found out about him being fired.

It made any doubts of drinking fade a lot faster.

Another shot, then, Zion thought to himself before drinking the alcohol. Not that he truly hated his father, Zion had hoped one day, his own father would be as affectionate as the Richardsons were. Zion didn't have his mom anymore, not for decades. He missed what little memory he had of her, and he'd like to think that his mom was like Antoinette: warm, strong, and willing to do anything to protect her children.

Not like my own father who will not even give me a Band Aid.

"Is this party invite only?"

Zion turned to find Lou's redheaded friend outside of his open bedroom door.

Now this was a woman Zion had never met before.

Nothing like Aya.

Aya was upfront and cruel.

Caroline was…

Brash yet kind.

"I can invite you, if you would like," Zion said, patting the side of the bed he wasn't sitting on.

Caroline squinted her eyes.

"Why don't you use contractions?"

"I am sorry?" Zion asked, his drunkenness making him slightly slower.

"That. 'I am sorry'. Normal people take the word 'I' and 'am' and make the work 'I'm'."

"Ah, you admit I am not normal?" Zion's teeth flashed brightly.

"Buddy, if you needed me to admit that, then you got problems."

Zion laughed wholeheartedly, appreciating her joke.

Caroline couldn't help but feel happy.

"You have an infectious laugh," she said, sitting beside him. "I like it. Shows off your smile."

The man looked at the woman beside him, a jolt going through his chest.

She… likes my smile?

"Much thanks," Zion was a little shy taking the compliment.

It wasn't often his smile was the first thing people noticed.

"More than welcome," Linnie said, smiling wider.

Damn, he's fine, much more with that grin.

"You say it is infectious?" Zion asked, a concerned look on his face. He was deciphering his compliment. "This is… a good word? Infection is not a good word. I am having alcohol, so I cannot be correct."

Caroline couldn't help but smile.

The super spy's a lightweight.

"No… But infectious is like… if something is contagious, and you catch their happiness."

"Oh… is this how you explain disease?"

"No, no, not disease. Like… Okay, technically yes those words explain diseases, but, when someone has an exceptionally good laugh, it can bring forth joy, and cause everyone else to follow through with the laugh, causing everyone else to be happy."

"I am… transferring my happiness to you?' Zion asked, clarifying.

Caroline nodded erratically. "Yes! Well, kinda. You understand the basis of it, at least."

Zion huffed, tired.

"The English language is too frustrating sometimes."

Caroline rolled her eyes. "You're telling me. I only know so much because Lou has practically drilled into my head the appropriate use of syntax."

"Syntax?"

"Honestly, don't even let me explain it to you, I'll confuse you even more."

Zion nodded. "I shall wait for our English professor to teach me."

"That's if she'll want to speak to us again," Caroline said sadly.

"She will. Have you seen neshama stay angry at the people she loves?"

"Well, her and her dad were fighting for almost a decade after Lou wanted to become a professor." Linnie reasoned. "But even throughout that whole time, Lou was missing her father. She won't be angry."

"Mmm." Zion agreed. "Maybe a passive-aggressive comment, and a plate of old sugar cookies sitting on the counter as the only offering of food, but that is it."

Caroline scoffed in disbelief.

"Oh my… she does that to you too?"

"Pfft. This is Lucille, she is sad with you? Go buy her a new book and a chocolate bar and tell her you are sorry. She is happy with you? Go buy her a new book and a chocolate bar and tell her you love her. She is angry with you?"

"Let me guess," Caroline stated. "Pray to your own Gods and hope they have mercy on you?"

"Ah, we are on the same page, metuka."

"Metuka?" Linnie asked.

Zion's voice turned flustered, and Caroline could have sworn he turned red.

I have called her 'sweetheart'.

"Oh! It is… It is…a name! We use! In Hebrew! For… People!"

Caroline had a wicked thought.

I'm gonna have some fun.

"People?"

"Yes, yes people."

"What kind of people?"

"Well, metuka is for anyone. People"

"What kind of people?"

"Beautiful people."

Linnie turned her head slowly, making eye contact with Zion who realized what he said.

She tried hard not to laugh.

Zion's hands went up defensively.

"I am not… saying you are beautiful…"

Zion's face paled.

"No! I mean, you are quite beautiful, but I do not want to only put value on your beauty."

Zion rushed out his words, speaking as fast he could.

"You are very outspoken, and you command respect. There is no second guess to you. Your strength should not be determined by your appearance, and it is wrong of me to see you for just your beauty."

Caroline couldn't hide her laugh anymore.

"You know, for a guy who doesn't know the English language well, you sure know how to say the right things."

"Ah…Well…" Zion didn't know what to do. He felt embarrassed, and Lou said the only way to get rid of the embarrassment was to get over it. "I am only speaking the truth."

"You have a very good way of speaking the truth, Zion."

Zion felt a blossom of emotions in his chest as he spoke to Caroline.

"Since you're on the topic of truth," Caroline crossed her legs, taking the bottle of booze from Zion. He felt odd at how comfortable he was sitting across from Lou's friend. While they slowly got to know one another, it was the first time they had a one-on-one conversation without other ears listening.

"Why do you call Lou that nickname you have for her?"

"Neshama?" Zion asked, confused.

"Yeah. I know my Hebrew friends say something like neshama sheli. It means my soul or something like that. Is that the same?"

It was Zion's turn to be impressed by Caroline.

She knows more Hebrew than I thought.

"Yes. I call Lou this because neshama can also mean 'spirit'."

Recognition fluttered over Linnie.

"Oh, like Lou has a lot of spirt?"

"Yes. I use it differently. Like… uh…" Zion snapped his fingers, trying to remember the word. "Spark? No… Spunk. Lou had spunk."

Caroline laughed silently to herself. "That's why she said she had too much neshama in her."

"Is that why you're asking?" Zion asked, a smile growing on his face. "Was this on your mind?"

"Yes! Lou is never that funny, I had to find out what was the joke she was making that made you laugh!"

They were both laughing with one another, Caroline passing the bottle back to Zion. He took a swig back before placing it on the table in front of him.

"Caroline."

Linnie wouldn't be lying if the way that Zion said her name made her spine tingle.

Nope.

No Caroline.

Bad girl.

He was cheated on by his fiancée.

He is not in that place.

Don't take it to that place.

"Yes, Zion?"

Zion stood up, and that's when Caroline noticed what Zion really looked like.

She only saw his back as he was walking to his suitcase, but Caroline's jaw practically dropped when she noticed how broad Zion's shoulders were. Even though one arm was in a sling, both of his arms had enough muscle on them that resembled the same weight that Linnie weighed.

He was a pure and unadulterated prime example of top tier physique, even if Caroline could see the man didn't have super defined muscles. He was a walking beacon of sexy, and Caroline was constantly reminding herself Zion was human (not a piece of meat, not a piece of meat).

Lou would absolutely roll her eyes and tell her that not all people were built the same way Zion was, but it didn't hurt hat Zion was build like a damn tank. Every part of his body was perfect to Caroline, and it was just a second, but she could see the well defined… posterior.

She liked Zion's personality.

She enjoyed the way the two bantered with one another.

She couldn't deny she felt protected by him when he defended her against his father.

She knew how much of a wonderful, amazing human Zion was.

That meant she knew to stop looking at his butt.

Oh no.

Zion was unstrapping his arm sling.

He finished with straps, placing them on the counter before reaching over to grab a t-shirt.

Oh no.

He's changing.

He pulled the shirt towards him, using one arm to flick the fabric to get rid of any wrinkles.

The vein in his forearm flashed across her vision.

Oh no.

He's hot.

He's too fucking hot.

Look away.

Please don't ask me to help you dress.

I will start undressing you if you do.

Caroline, by the grace of her God, turned away and found a remarkably interesting corner in the roof of the room, and did not look away.

"You… had a question?" She managed to get out somewhat normally, not having Zion in her view at all.

"No," she heard him fumbling with more clothes. "I just wanted to thank you."

Thank me?

Caroline's head shot back, her attention going back to Zion.

That's when Caroline noticed he wasn't wearing a shirt.

While she would have ogled her eyes typically, the man in front of her was beaten and bruised and covered in wounds. Any urges to utilize Zion as a jungle gym we abated (slightly—the man was built like a perfect specimen to represent Superman and to Caroline, unlike Lou, she liked her partners to look like they were ready to move a building), and she focused on what Zion was talking about.

And she was definitely not focusing on his backside.

Focus!

You are a respectable adult!

Sometimes!

"Thank me? For what?"

"For being Lou's friend when I was not able to."

Caroline found the thankfulness from Zion to be odd.

"There's no need to thank me, Zion. I was being there for my friend. I should thank you for saving her life. Twice, if we're actually counting the car accident, too."

Holding her hand out to grab the bottle of alcohol, she didn't realize Zion had reached over to give her the bottle.

"Oh, thank you." She said, taken aback by the small yet kind gesture.

"You said that already," Zion said cheekily.

Linnie rolled her eyes.

"You roll your eyes frequently?" The man asked, his grin growing on his face.

She had the decency to blush.

"Too much, actually. I should stop."

"You should not," Zion said sternly, his voice still warm. "It shows your personality."

Caroline felt flattered. Well look at this fucking forward ass…

"Thanks, again. You're sweet."

"No, I am Zion."

She huffed at Zion's expression.

"You can wipe your shit-eating grin now."

"I am joking. But yes, you were saying something serious?"

"Yeah, uh… Well, you don't have to thank me for being there for Lou. I know my best friend can get her head under water for too long. Well, technically, our best friend, but you know what I mean. She knows when she needs to come to the surface."

"And that time is now, no?"

Zion snatched the bottle out of Caroline's hand playfully, taking another sip.

"I will go check on her," he offered the bottle back to her as quickly as he took it. "She is angry with me, yes, but not for long. I know she wanted time alone, but it has been almost a full day. I think she needs her best friend."

"Ah, which one?" Caroline said, her eyebrow twitched as she went to take another sip. "The super hot one with a great ass?"

The bottle stopped at Linnie's lips, realizing that those exact words came out of her mouth.

Did I say that?

Did I actually say that?

Did I just tell myself that I am a respectable adult and have those exact words come out of my mouth?

She turned to see Zion staring at her directly, no emotion betraying on his face.

Universe, if you wanted to swallow me whole right now, that would be great.

Linnie, choosing not to say anything and letting the awkwardness stay in the air, slowly took a sip of the whiskey.

Everything's normal. Everything's normal. Everything's—

Zion cut off her train of thought.

"You were referring to yourself, yes?"

The whiskey fell from the side of her lips as Linnie's hand slipped.

Her eyes went straight to Zion.

Did he actually just say that?

With a wink, Zion somehow skillfully put on a shirt one-handed, taking his arm sling strap and attaching it to his body before walking into the main room of the hotel suite, heading for Lou's room.

Linnie put the bottle of whiskey on the table down before laying back on the bed, staring at the roof.

She needed to stop drinking.

You're getting too flirty with him.

Okay, does he have a nice smile?

Yes.

Does he have a great body?

Absolutely.

But he is your best friend's best friend!

And he just recently broke off his engagement!

And he recently just got hurt severely bad!

Also, your best friend's safety and everyone else's safety is at risk!

Caroline couldn't help but feel ridiculous in that moment.

She was thinking about Zion when she should be thinking about how to help Lou.

But her mind needed to process what was occurring.

Do I like the attention he gives me?

Absolutely.

Is he more courteous than anyone else I've ever met?

Again, absolutely.

Linnie paused for a moment, the reality of her own thoughts coming in.

Is there a relationship you want, like the one Lou and Spencer have?

She would hate to admit it, but she was jealous of Lou.

Caroline spent years and years dating guys. She had hook-ups and honeys up the wazoo. Even when Lou was single and Caroline was back-to-back in relationships, it felt normal to be giving Lou relationship advice, and telling her when the right one will come around, they'll come around.

But Linnie never had someone come around the way Lou and Spencer were around each other.

They saw a spark and they took it.

Am I seeing sparks or am I seeing whiskey?

"Caroline!"

It was Zion's voice shouting from Lou's room.

And it didn't sound good.

Bolting from her spot, Caroline zoomed out of Zion's room. Caroline barely registered the light in Antoinette's room going off, and the door to David's room opening.

"Zion? What happened?"

When she got to Lou's door, Zion was covering the threshold.

He moved out of the way to show Caroline the empty bed.

Lou was there only hours ago, with Dexter laying on the bed.

Now neither of them were there.

Lou.

No.

Not again.

She turned her head to Zion, fear coursing through her.

"Noah?" She asked out of desperation.

Zion shook his head, turning his head to find Antoinette and Rossi walking towards them.

"They told Lou that she could not see Spencer. Do you think she listened?"

Caroline completely forgot the biggest concern with Lou that they should have taken into consideration.

No one should ever tell Lou not to do something.

Unless they wanted her to do the exact thing she wasn't supposed to do.

"We shouldn't have left her alone," Caroline whispered.

Zion sighed.

"We should not have left her with the dog."

"Dexter?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because that dog is going to be the reason they find each other."

She was confused.

"How is that a bad thing?"

"Because Lou and Spencer will find each other. The dog was used the first time to find Lou."

"Umm… How? Didn't you help her? You slipped away from the Doc to fly your ass here. How did you find her when she disappeared the first time?"

"I did not find her. She called me. The thing with Lou is that if she wants to disappear—"

"She will, and she will do it easily because her dad does the same shit and if Lou's pissed, I know she would leave a yellow brick road for the Doc to find her. Ah, fuck."

Zion nodded along, finding it oddly cool that they both knew a lot about Lou, but they had more to learn about each other.

She was quicker than most people gave her credit for.

"But if she wants the Doc to find her, and no one else, she'd figure out a way," Caroline explained. "But… there was no way she could. We brought her here, she didn't have anything on her person that would help her find him."

"Maybe it was Reid who ensured there is a way to find Lou," Zion suggested. "We should not underestimate him. He is quite quick on his own feet."

Caroline's eyebrow furrowed.

"You really think he would have done something?"

"I do. If Lou has run away from him once, he would do something to find her again."

"And you think Dexter is the clue to it all?"

"The dog was the one who figure out where Elena was, yes?"

"No. No way. He just found the area you and Lou set up your spy training."

Linnie took a second to think.

"And, well, Dexter helped the Doc get his… Doctor Whoville thingamajig that recorded Bennett's confession. And… the dog was the only one to be hella suspicious of the bodyguards at first glance. Oh, and he also was the only one to see where Lou was and jumped into the freezing ice to fish her out of the water, and the fact that he was the one that might have found my secret stash of goodies and maybe Dexter was the one who alerted us of your dad surprising everyone—"

Linnie cut herself off, realizing what Zion meant.

The dog was the clue to get to Lou.

That's why Bennett had his minion partner try and take Dexter.

They would have caught him to release him, so he could lead a trail straight to Lou.

Dexter was Lou's yellow brick road.

The Doc knew that all along.

All he had to do was to make sure he could find the dog.

He'd find his partner right after.

"Oh you secret agents are something. Okay, I'll bite. Let's say you know something. Let's say the dog is the holy grail to it the Doc have any way of finding the dog? Lou had her scarf with her, but since it's gone I'm assuming she took it, so the Doc wouldn't have it. Why you look so certain Dexter is the key to it all?"

Zion didn't respond, which caused Linnie to face him.

Motherfucker knows something.

"Well?"

"I may be wrong—"

"I don't care." Linnie looked to Zion, who allowed her tall frame to reach his. She could tell Zion wasn't used to someone such as herself being so abrupt with him.

"What?"

"When I first met the dog, the dog's collar was red."

"So?"

"When I saw the dog earlier when he is laying on Lou, the collar was yellow."

Caroline wasn't following.

"Meaning?"

"Someone changed the dog's collar. Someone who was with the dog the entire time before Dexter was back to Lou. Someone who knew once the dog was with his mother, that the dog would not leave her side, making it easier to find Lou if they put something on Dexter's collar."

Zion didn't have to explain it further, as Caroline turned to a shocked Toni Richardson and a concerned David Rossi.

Linnie was flabbergasted.

The Doc transformed Dex to be Lou's literal yellow brick road.

"What a sneaky little bitch."

"Which one?" Zion asked.

"Both of them!" Linnie shouted.

"Caro—"

"Fuck off, Auntie Ton! I didn't get my second outburst out on Lou and now I'm Pissed with a capital 'P'!"

[ + ]

"Finally!"

JJ turned to the sound of Morgan's voice as he was walking (with the aid of crutches) towards JJ and Garcia. Jennifer was getting used to not leaning against the wall to catch her breath. It was almost a full week since the explosion, and both women were cleared from their hospital stays, with Jennifer receiving her dismissal earlier that morning.

The team felt different that morning. With Garcia cleared earlier that week, and JJ happy she didn't have to lean against a table in exhaustion, the two women were walking over to Reid's room while Morgan came from behind them, swinging his crutches alongside him as his leg was secured tightly in a brace. Hotch was gathering another agent to assist the team with exiting the hospital, as Reid was scheduled to be signed out of the hospital. Penny and JJ were in better spirits, as the sun did its best to shine bright through the windows of the hospital.

"What do you mean 'finally'?" Garcia asked, waiting for Morgan to catch up.

"They gave me my discharge papers. I am free as a bird."

"No more rollin' in unannounced, huh?" Penny cocked an eye at Morgan.

"Oh, you know me, Mama. I'll find a new way to roll in." He said, winking at her.

"Oof, you better."

JJ smiled bright. It felt good to be in the turn of things, to have Garcia and Morgan playfully flirt/banter, with her blissfully walking alongside them.

For the first time in so long, the team felt they were achieving some form of normalcy.

"Any reason why it took them all morning?" JJ asked.

Morgan swung his crutches alongside his teammates.

"They were ensuring my leg didn't have any residual bone chips from the impact of the chairs." They rounded a corner, with Reid's room at the end of the hallway they were making their way down. "Or that's what one of the nurses told me before she gave me her number."

Penelope stopped, her playful demeanour radiating off of her.

"A nurse? Hitting on my hot stuff? …She does have good taste."

With all three of them smiling, they noticed they were getting closer to Spencer's room.

"You both checked on Reid yet?" Jennifer asked, her pace picking up slightly.

"Garcia and I went to visit him last night."

"No changes, JJ," Penelope said, dejected.

"Still staring at the tablet she gave him." Derek managed to get out without huffing air. His ribs were burning, but he wasn't going to let anyone know of that.

Not when they were just all about to leave the area.

"I'd be surprised if the kid got any sleep."

"He should have," Penelope agreed. "But I know he didn't. Poor Reid… he's just praying for a miracle."

Or something else, Morgan thought, choosing not to interject between the two women.

He would keep his suspicions to himself.

Until he had to share them.

"Did he tell you why he wanted the tablet?" JJ asked, to which earned a head shake from Penny.

"Nope. He was too fast in signing."

"Damn, still not speaking?"

"Far from it."

Knocking on the door, the team unceremoniously walked immediately in, not waiting for Reid to respond.

What the three were welcomed with was an empty bed.

"Oh no," Penelope said, shock running through her.

Morgan almost lost his balance from leaning against the crutches.

JJ's hand was still resting on the door handle.

Reid was gone.

His personal items that were sitting on the counter in the room were no longer there. The bed clearly showed signs he had been there, and the fact that nothing else was left in the room that would indicate Spencer spent some time in the hospital left the three people unsettled.

Anything and everything that would have told the team Spencer was still there was no longer there.

He vanished.

"Don't tell me Reid just pulled a Lou," Garcia pleaded.

Morgan turned to his friend.

"Garcia—"

"Don't do it," she pleaded.

"He's gone."

"Dammit Morgan!"

"The tablet's missing too."

[ + ]

Technically, he wasn't stealing.

Spencer was driving a car that was defined as more 'borrowing-and-allowing-the-police-to-return-the-car'. He could tell that the owner of the car was definitely not going to miss it, as Reid saw the owner of the car sitting out in their front yard, drunk out of his mind. Digging through the man's pockets to find his keys, Spencer knew the drinking fellow had another bottle beside him, giving Reid another day with the car until it was reported to the local authorities.

He didn't have a second to waste.

The battery to the tablet just died.

He had no way of tracking what he was tracking.

The only good news, however, was the tiny dot on the screen previously hadn't moved for several hours. Which Spencer had enough time to make a much-needed detour before he followed the dot.

He hoped she was still at the dot's location.

Spencer knew that Elena would figure out Dexter's collar.

After spending all his time with Dexter, Spencer knew that the dog was the most important asset to find his Elena. Just after Caroline had given Spencer the head's up in Dexter's abilities, after they landed on the plane, the good soldier was outfitted with an armoured vest, and a brand-new collar that Reid happened to fit with a small tracker.

Was it the best option? He taped it ridiculously and used an old tracker he managed to find within Garcia's pile of tech. There was a moment he had on the jet to look into how electronic trackers work, just after Caroline told Spencer of the possibility of Dexter finding his mother. Reid had to do a bit of studying (it took an extra thirty minutes than he needed due to his electronic illiteracy), but he quickly figured out that if he could access the IP address of the tracker just as long as the tracker was on.

To avoid detection, as Garcia had monitors everywhere of non-FBI tech while they were searching for Elena and Bennett, Spencer couldn't turn it on, and didn't know it would work. His plan was to have Dexter locate Elena when they were in the middle of the Manor, but he never got around to convincing the team and executing his plan. They went to save Elena without Dexter, and the dog would just have to enjoy his brand-new yellow collar Reid planned on giving Elena the morning she vanished.

It took him a few weeks, and a bit of shopping with Dexter himself, but Reid managed to find a collar with a unique pattern and a unique colour that was fit for a unique person.

Reid had no idea that planting the device on his dog would help him now in this unique situation.

Not that I knew Bennett would cause an explosion, causing Elena to be ripped from me again.

He waited hours upon hours for her to figure it out. She was smart, quicker than most. Elena would have figured it out and turned it on. When there was no notice of her tracker and after waiting for a single day, Spencer was losing it.

Especially after a week of waiting in that hospital bed, he was about to burst.

He knew Elena would have seen the tracker. He knew she would have figured it out quickly. So why was he waiting days to see where she was? The worst fear coursed through Spencer's body, if Elena had been severely hurt, or worse, she was in no condition to be responding to anyone. It increased his worry tenfold.

Maybe she was unconscious.

Which is why she couldn't see the tracker.

Spencer did everything he could to convince himself she wasn't dead.

He was losing his mind until a week later, as Morgan and Garcia were walking back to Derek's room, he saw the screen pop open, and a tiny dot blink.

Spencer first saw the dot travelling fast. He was grateful that it was early in the morning then, with not that many nurses milling about. He managed to change without too much pain, sneaking out of the hospital and heading down the street, where his luck would find him in the form of a full tank of gas. While the team did give him a hard time for driving, he should have paid attention as Reid adjusted quickly to driving on the opposite side of how he usually did.

He frantically tried to close the space between him and the dot for quite some time, Spencer having to travel a long distance to make it to Central London and was grateful that he was able to pull up to the place where the dot had stopped moving all those hours ago.

A hotel, Spencer thought to himself as he pulled into the luxurious, modern driveway of the hotel.

An over-the-top hotel. Not Elena's typical style.

A thought hit Spencer.

Maybe it's not Elena.

Was it her who turned on the tracker?

Spencer couldn't contain himself. This had been the worst month of his life, being ripped away from his love only to be tormented and have his family harmed just so Elena could be torn away from him again?

The luxurious nature of the hotel screamed…

Bennett.

But the thing in his chest said otherwise.

His heart was thrumming against his chest.

Spencer couldn't explain it.

But he felt she wasn't running away.

Not this time.

This time, he didn't think that Elena was staying away from him on purpose.

Not with the way she shouted his name.

Hotch had given him the rundown of his conversation with the Ambassador. The second Spencer had gotten the info from Hotch, and Hotch's speculation of Elena's status, and the infiltration of the FBI, he knew he had to get his hands on a tablet. He couldn't open his mouth and let the team know of his suspicions, or the fact he had Dexter as the ace up his sleeve. If it was true, and Bennett had invaded the FBI, he didn't know what he could say that wouldn't be heard.

And considering how devious Bennett was, he was best to keep his mouth shut.

But who else could it be to find Dexter's collar?

Shaking the thought from his head, Spencer got out of the car. The valet eyed Reid suspiciously, to which Spencer dropped the keys in the young man's hand with a tight smile, walking around the car. He took account of his appearance, thanking Garcia that she was able to go back to the hotel to grab him a fresh set of clothes and his beige overcoat, along with his purple scarf.

While he wasn't underdressed by any means, Spencer could easily profile that the valet viewed him as having less income than most of the visitors of the hotel. Considering the car Spencer showed up in was several decades past its prime, he was certain of the judgement coming from the valet would carry over to the other to the representative at the front desk.

The woman at the front desk made eye contact with Spencer, and sure enough, the same look came across her own face.

As Spencer was walking towards the front desk, he realized something he should have taken into consideration before approaching the hotel.

What if Elena didn't use her real name?

Of course, she wouldn't have.

Not with Bennett having eyes and ears everywhere.

What if it's not her?

Spencer stopped that train of thought again.

It's her.

It has to be.

Who else would have Dexter and run away with him?

He realized he was forty feet away from the front desk, and he knew he had to be confident.

Any flutter of hesitation, and the employees at the hotel would know that something was off, or that he wasn't who he said he was.

He had to play it cool and playing it cool was not Spencer's forte at all.

Think!

If she didn't use her real name, what would she have used?

Reid was struck with the memory of everyone on the jet, recalling Elena's nicknames. He remembered Caroline's words.

"Don't tell me you guys gave her more nicknames."

His mind went into overdrive, knowing he had just a few seconds of processing before he had to speak to the front desk.

Morgan called her 'Little Lou', which wouldn't fit if she's using a fake name.

He was just about to approach.

Garcia calling her' Lucy' could be a possibility…

Reid gave a tight smile to the receptionist.

Caroline's 'Rocky' nickname would be a long shot.

She wouldn't put Henry in danger by using 'Lulu'.

Elena Lou perhaps? No, too close to her real name.

Would she use 'Lou'?

"Can I help you?"

She gave him a look through her lashes, not moving her head from her computer screen.

Damn, I'm too late.

Focus.

"You need a room?" The woman asked, attempting to prompt a response.

It made Spencer realize why Elena chose this specific hotel.

The elitism of it.

The modernity of illusions throughout the whole lobby.

The quietness of the ambiance.

This is a hotel that deals with private clients.

Some who don't want their names on file.

Elena would have made sure I had access to the room without having to flag my credit card.

Spencer froze.

He made a mistake recently.

I already used my credit card.

"I… have a friend, who's left a room key for me?"

He hoped it was specific enough for the woman to help him, so that way,

This time, the receptionist's head moved to look him dead-on.

"Your friend got a name?" She challenged; her fingers pressed firmly into her keyboard very accusingly.

Shit.

Spencer was desperate.

Elena has too many nicknames.

I won't be able to narrow it down fast enough.

Here he was, feeling like his Elena was out of reach.

His—

He blinked for a moment, a wave of clarity overwhelming him.

Or rather, a memory clung to him.

It was one of his most cherished memories.

From when they first met.

From when she first asked.

From when he learned the one thing he was not allowed to do.

'My nickname is Lou, not Ellie.'

Spencer paused, the memory of Elena's sweet face overwhelming him.

'Why do you call me Ellie?'

His eyes lit up with delight.

'I like calling you Ellie.'

'You do?'

He leaned forward towards the front desk representative.

Remembering why Spencer was not allowed to call her 'Lou'."

'I like that only you call me Ellie.'

Spencer, for the first time in a long time, felt dumb.

He knew exactly what name she used.

"Ellie," Spencer said.

There was a pause.

"Does this 'Ellie' have a last name?" The slightly annoyed woman said.

Her hands were hovering over the keyboard still, however, her fingers slightly relaxed.

He had no idea why he said it, but the answer came out before he could stop himself.

"Reid."

The receptionist was not expecting that answer.

"Reid?" The front woman asked.

"R-E-E-D?" She asked.

"R-E-I-D." He clarified.

The woman huffed in frustration, not moving to type on her keyboard.

Tilting her head, she eyed Spencer up and down suspiciously.

Oh no.

It's not it.

Was I wrong?

Would Elena have used another name?

She automatically lifted her fingers from the keyboard.

"She didn't say you'd be so adorable."

Spencer tried desperately to stop himself from gasping (unsuccessfully).

I was right.

She's here.

Ellie's here.

His body started humming with energy.

He watched as the woman was going into the back wall where a bunch of boxes and file folders were kept; the receptionist grabbed a small yellow envelope in the size of a key card.

"You know, I don't know who's cuter."

Spencer was confused.

"Who?"

"You or your wife."

The tips of Spencer's cheeks were growing flush.

Ellie…

Ellie told the receptionist that they were married.

It seems the both of us are thinking the same way.

Ellie Reid…

It had a ring to it.

"Definitely her. She's always been the cutest," he mumbled, tucking his hair behind his ear.

Reid managed to finally get a smile off of the front desk representative as she gave him the key card.

"Oh, you're one of those ones who knows how lucky they are, huh?"

That managed to pull a genuine smile from Spencer.

"You don't know how much," he said, taking the card from her.

"Holy, you guys are smitten, ugh!" She said, shaking her head and going back to her keyboard, typing erratically.

"She's in room 333. Go on, go get to your wife. She has some cute hair!"

Cute hair?

Reid waved off the front desk as he made he way to the elevator. The doctor thought that maybe the woman enjoyed how Elena's hair faded, or how long her hair was.

The thought escaped him.

The overwhelming feeling that was bursting out of his chest took precedence.

Ellie.

I'm almost there.

I'm coming.

The elevator doors open, and Spencer managed to walk into the elevator and pressed the button as if he were calm.

But in reality, he was thrumming, watching as the elevator took him to the third floor.

His hands were tapping inside the pockets of his jacket, and Spencer took another break to steady himself.

The elevator mercifully open, and he walked out onto the floor. The hallway was lit warmly, and although it was modern and sleek, there were touches of yellow throughout the entire hallway.

He noticed the carpet had a pattern within it.

A yellow overlay pattern on the floor that led to the hotel rooms.

Walking diligently, he kept moving down the hallway, looking at the room numbers.

309, 312, 315…

Rounding the corner, he noticed he had one corner left to pass.

324, 327, 330…

Reaching the end, Spencer noticed it was at the end of the hallway.

333.

He took a quick look around, noticing that this was the only room that had direct access to the fire escape.

Quick exit, Spencer thought.

Walking up to the grand yellow door, Spencer didn't know how to proceed. Should he enter the key card and walk in? From the last time he showed up unannounced, Elena's Mossad friend pointed a gun at him. Should he knock? He didn't want to startle her, knowing that she could possibly be sleeping. His thoughts got to the better of him… maybe she wasn't in the room? Maybe she stepped out? How did he know for sure she was in there?

But he was desperate.

And he missed her desperately.

Reid's hand went to knock when he was interrupted.

He was interrupted by the sound of a dog softly barking behind the door.

Any and all doubts were erased.

Dexter.

The sound of footsteps running to the door hit his ear next.

The locks behind turned clicked against the wood.

The door flung open.

His eyes locked onto the person standing in front of him.

The one person he ran through hell just to get to.

It was all worth it.

"Ellie," he cried out, relief pouring out of him.

His Professor burst into tears.

"Spencer!"

She flung herself at him, her arms wrapping around his neck tightly as she buried her face into his neck. With all the strength he had, he brought them both into the hotel room, using his back to shut the door behind them. He clung to her tightly, his one arm wrapping around her whole torso while he locked the door with his free hand. After that, he scooped her up in his arms, squeezing her tighter than he normally would have, but they both didn't care.

Elena would have wanted him closer somehow if she could.

Ellie pulled away from him, and Spencer had to hold her face between his hands.

It felt like an eternity since he was standing in Elena's bedroom all those weeks ago, having the same privacy that they had now. He got to look into her eyes, see how much she missed him, how much he missed staring at her.

He couldn't stop the tears in his own eyes as he stared at his love.

"You found me," she whispered, the relief overwhelming her.

"I always will," Spencer promised back.

He felt her stand on his feet, and on the tips of her toes, she reached up to kiss him long and hard.

Her lips melted with his, and he felt the utmost relief being able to kiss Elena. She pressed her entire body against him, and all of the bruises and cuts and welts covering his body seemed to not exist in that moment due to Elena's affection radiating over him temporarily.

He didn't think he was going to get this again. To be able to pull her closer to him, to press his lips against Elena's, to meld their tongues together in a passionate state that made them crave each other more. He felt her hand on the back of his neck as she pulled him deeper into the kiss, and Spencer's hands directly went to Ellie's lower back, pulling him right against her.

Did he notice how sexual their positions were?

He did.

But he didn't care.

He had Elena back.

The dog barking loudly caused the two people to pull away from one another, temporarily stopping the two from their embracing welcome.

Spencer took a moment to see how Dexter was waving his tail erratically, extremely happy Spencer was back.

"Hi boy!" Reid said, patting the dog as he came over excitedly asking for scratches. He saw the bright yellow collar still around his neck, but no sign of the tracker.

The dog was frantically wagging his tail, eager to welcome his other parent.

"You did so good protecting your mother."

"You have no… idea," Elena said, her voice raspy and painful sounding.

Spencer stopped playing with Dexter, his hands automatically reaching for the source of her pain. He gently caressed her neck, his fingers playing along her chin.

"When you screamed?" Spencer deduced, realized that her voice must have been damaged due to straining.

She nodded, leaning into Spencer's embrace when his hand travelled behind her ear.

His heart broke upon realization.

She almost destroyed her voice so that I could hear her.

That's why I could hear her with the acoustics.

"Does it hurt?" He whispered.

"Sometimes," she answered, walking into his embrace.

His arms wrapped around her instinctively.

"Are you okay?" Spencer realized he didn't know what her injuries were. "What are your injuries?"

"Concussion," she said. "stitches… bruises... everywhere… and possible… lung damage from… the heat of the blast. Oh, and… a burnt pigtail."

Reid smiled; happy his Ellie still had her humour.

That's what the front desk rep was talking about.

He put his hands in her hair, seeing how short it was.

"Must have been quite the burn."

"Caroline… was fixing it… made it shorter."

"You miss the pink?" Spencer said, his hands trailing up and down Elena's back.

She thought about it for a moment, before shaking her head. Her hair still had its bounce as she twirled her head from side to side.

"No. I needed… a change."

He laughed a little bit, however the intake of air caused him to wince in pain, squinting his eyes shut.

He opened them after feeling Ellie's hands rest on his chest. She ran her hands across his chest, and Spencer almost caved at the feeling of her hands back where they belonged. He watched as her eyes locked onto the backside of his head, and she raised her hand to where the patch of hair had been shaved off to allow access to the wound.

"From the… explosion?" She asked hesitantly.

He nodded.

"Any other—"

His professor went to grab her throat instinctively

Reid put his hands up to talk to her.

'Don't talk if it hurts,' he signed to her. 'I can sign too if you want.'

Her face broke out in a sad look.

It tore Spencer to see her react in such a manner.

'But I won't be able to hear your voice,' her hands signed quickly.

The warm smile spread right over his face.

"Then I'll speak," he said, pushing her hair behind her ear. "I know my signing isn't the neatest. I'll do all the talking. I won't ask you to."

'You won't miss my voice for the while?'

Leaning down to kiss the tip of her nose, Spencer couldn't help but drop more kisses on her face as he spoke.

"For now," another kiss.

"But I will," a kiss to her forehead, "take you," another to her cheek, "any way I can."

She softly grabbed his jaw, stopping him from kissing her face.

She locked lips with him fiercely, pressing her entire body against Spencer.

"I missed you," She whispered once she moved out of the kiss, the tears running down her face.

He brushed them away, not allowing Elena's sadness to overcome her.

"You don't have to miss me. Not anymore," he pulled her closer again, not having enough of Ellie. He wrapped his arms around her body, encapsulating her with comfort.

"I'm right here, El." He placed another kiss on her forehead.

He watched her tears fill in her eyes.

"What is it?" He asked, concern overtaking him.

She slightly shook her head.

"I'm sorry... I—"

He knew where she was heading with her thoughts.

"Elena, stop apologizing," he said, walking her to the bed. He waited until he sat down comfortably before proceeding. "We've been through so much these past few weeks. I know how guilty you feel, and you don't need to voice it. Not anymore."

He brushed her hair away, and he wasn't expecting her short hair to be too short, causing the piece to swing back into its original spot in front of her face.

The motion caused both Spencer and Elena to laugh.

He relished in her laugh.

"I want—"

Her voice caught in her throat, causing Elena to raise her hands.

'I feel like you're letting me off easy,' she signed, staring at him. 'I know you forgive me, but I vanished out of no where. I wouldn't be so accepting if it was me.'

"Elena. You knew what Bennett was capable of," he said, moving closer to her. "I didn't realize the knowledge he has on everyone and everything. He is dangerous on all levels. The best thing you did was leave without anyone knowing. I wished you had done something different, but the fact that you knew how he would work, and you didn't play by his rules, is why we are in front of each other right now. Bennett was waiting for us to strike; he most likely knew of our plans before we executed them. You were just ahead of him before even he knew it. The price of that was our pain, and it was worth it."

Elena sighed, a small smile growing on her face.

'Don't be so understanding,' Ellie scolded.

"Don't tell me what to do," he teased to her.

Her tiny giggled escaped her, and this time, Spencer was successful in tucking her hair behind her ear (slightly).

"I love you," she said to him, purposefully voicing those words.

'More than all the galaxies the TARDIS can find,' she finished by signing to him.

Spencer's heart almost jumped out of his chest.

He forgotten how it was to hear those precious words.

He forgotten how previous his Ellie was to him.

How foolish of me.

"I love you," he said to her, resting his forehead.

"More than all the yellow bricks in Oz."

Ellie laughed softly, shaking her head.

With their foreheads still touching, the two individuals breathed deeply, both of them sharing a moment of peace with each other. They both had what was the most hectic weeks of their lives, and for them to be sitting beside each other in complete peace was something the two of them were grateful for. Elena's hand was tracing over Spencer's skin, and while he was waiting for her typical 'one, two, three,' pattern, he was pleasantly surprised to see that her patterns were aimless, and they did not have a three-tier pattern to them.

Ellie was calm.

None of her anxious tells were present.

It was a victory in his eyes, to have his heart be at ease with him, after she had gone through one of the most traumatic events in her life.

To see her happy made him feel that much better.

It was worth the pain.

Elena managed to have her hand follow up his forearm, straight to the exposed skin showing from his collar.

She pulled away slightly to trail his skin underneath his neck.

"I missed touching you," she whispered softly.

He leaned down, kissing her lips longingly.

Without pulling away from her kiss, he slowly unbuttoned his shirt, allowing his chest to be exposed. He took both of Elena's hands, placing them on his chest, his own hands firmly holding hers in their rightful position.

Spencer felt her hands on his body.

He wanted to feel more than just her hands on his body.

He pulled away from her kiss.

For just a moment.

"Don't stop," he encouraged.

Kissing her again, he felt his Elena slide her hands underneath his shirt, slowly pushing his shirt and overcoat off of his body unceremoniously.

Elena had one hand over his heart, and another behind his neck.

She pulled him down gently to her level to have her kiss him deeper.

It was that he realized she was pulling him over her, causing Elena to lay on the bed.

He softly pulled away, staring into her eyes.

Spencer was now highly aware of how sexual their positions were.

He was also aware of how Elena's response was too.

She was noticing how sexual their positions were as well.

Had the two noticed the third party in the room however, they most likely would have stopped what they were doing.

But Elena and Spencer didn't realize that Dexter was sitting in the dog bed across the room, watching the two as Spencer and Elena got closer and closer with one another, the dog noticed more and more his humans removing articles of clothing.

This was confusing, especially to Dexter, who had never seen his parents act like this. Were they playing? Were they getting ready to do 'zoomies'? Were they going to go sleep? While Dexter was smart, he was still a dog, and he didn't really have a full understanding of why his parents were laying down on the bed like… that.

The dog was getting really confused, and somehow the dog knew that whatever was going on, he wasn't going to stick around to watch.

Dexter remembered the comfy bathmat sitting in the bathroom and made his way into there while his humans did… human things.

The good little soldier snuggled himself to bed, ignoring his parents and dreaming of how many cookies he can steal.

[ + ]

"Really Garcia? Right here?"

"This is the best reception we've found for miles! Stop!"

JJ pulled over to the side of the dirt road. Garcia, JJ and Morgan all were on a mission to find Reid right after he had gone missing. They told Hotch of what had gone through, and he gave them the okay to look for Reid. Hotch was being held by all the bureaucratic tape, having multiple people monitoring him and the team. Hotch was buying the team time for the team to get Reid back, as the three of them explained the situation to them.

Without government resources, the team had to get creative when trying to gain access to the internet without setting off any alarms. Penelope threw out the idea to start piggybacking off of other wifi networks in the area, and with no one else coming up with alternate ideas, Morgan, JJ, and Garcia all piled in a rental car, driving around the city to find open wifi networks that were strong enough to pick up their signal, but not restricted by the merchant they were using the network from.

It was an easier idea than a plan, especially after driving for hours.

Pulling to a stop, JJ, who was driving, and Derek, who was in the passenger seat, turned to Garcia, who was sitting in the middle of the backseat, typing at her personal computer furiously.

"Anything?"

"Hush!" Penelope scolded Morgan, causing him to huff in frustration. "It shouldn't be this hard to find my own damn tech!"

Morgan sighed, turning to JJ, who was looking out of the window, her hand tapping on the wheel.

He noticed that JJ was often getting lost in though, ever since Henry was approached on the hill.

"JJ," Morgan said. "You have something on your mind."

The woman shook her head, taking a deep breath.

"Why Henry?"

She turned to face Derek. "Why would Bennett go after Henry if he wanted to get at Lou?"

Morgan thought about it for a moment. "Henry means a lot to Lou. Opportunity, maybe?"

"Maybe," JJ said, not able to shake off her intuition. "I can't shake that Bennett's using everyone."

"He is," Derek confirmed. "Bennett's using everyone. If he can find a pressure point, he'll press it. Henry is one of Lou's biggest points, along with Reid and Dexter and Lou's mother and the entire team."

JJ nodded, having Morgan's words attempt to reassure her.

"Uh…peeps?"

Both agents turned to the technical analyst sitting in the back seat.

"You find him?" JJ asked.

"Not exactly," Garcia kept looking at her screen, typing erratically.

"The tablet must be dead. I haven't been able to pick up on where it was being used, and if the remote wifi isn't on, I can't track it."

"Shit." Morgan muttered.

"What are you looking at now?" Jennifer asked.

"Well, I did my out of the box thinking as per usual, and, well, if I click this button, and this one, and maybe if I keep going…"

Penny kept typing, the final key being hit and a beep coming from Garcia's screen caused her face to turn into a grin.

Garcia's smiling?

"Damn, I'm good."

"What is it?" Morgan asked.

"For a genius, you'd think he'd be smarter about covering his tracks."

"Garcia," JJ prompted. "Where is Reid?"

"I don't know," she confessed.

"But," she continued, "I'm highly suspicious he found Lou somehow with the tablet and went straight to her. Well, maybe did a little detour, but right now, I can guarantee he's with Lou."

"How do you know?" Derek asked.

"Five hours ago, Spencer used his credit card."

"Where?" JJ asked.

Penelope's smile grew wider.

"At a jewellery store."


Next Time: "What did you do?"