Rossi stared at the walls. He isn't actually focusing on anything. He's just gazing blankly, willing his brain to stop. But that image of Reid, bloodied, screaming...

He shook his head, if anything happened to Reid, the team wouldn't survive. He knew that. It isn't just a euphemism, the team would break up. It's Spencer for god's sake. This wouldn't be similar to Gideon or even Hotch leaving. When Gideon left, the team was morose, yes, but they survived. They won't if anything happens to Spencer.

They'll get Spencer. They had to get Spencer.

When Rossi returned to the BAU a little less than two years ago, he was slightly unsettled, nevertheless appreciative of how much the BAU had changed. Back in his days, they didn't have a communications liaison, never mind a technical analyst (Rossi wasn't even sure what that meant initially) and he was more than a little aware of how much older than the others he was. But he was impressed. Hotch was a new intern turned agent when he had left and 12 years later he'd worked himself to the Unit Chief. Sure, it was a little awkward at first, taking orders from someone he used to order himself, but Hotch had floored him. And not that he'd never say it out loud, Hotch was a better Unit Chief than Gideon, and a better one than Rossi could be.

And then he met the kid.

When Gideon had mentioned Reid to Rossi, he'd heard, but only half listened and was skeptical. The kid sounded more like am academic than an FBI agent and when he'd pointed that out, Gideon had tersely told him not to judge a book by its cover. Honestly when Gideon kept referring to Reid as kid, Rossi brushes that of as an age difference thing.

He didn't expect Reid to actually be a kid.

Reid was barely 17 when Gideon met him and already on his second doctorate. One conversation with Reid and Gideon was convinced he belonged to the BAU. And shockingly the Bureau was more than willing. Gideon later admitted to Rossi that he suspected that the State Department would rather have someone like Reid, given his history and intellect, working for them than potentially against them. There had been a growing trend of "geniuses" joining extremist organisations and having Reid in a federal job was about countering that but also to partly ensure Reid didn't become that.

Not that Rossi agreed with that. One conversation with him and you'd know the kid had an empathy streak a mile wide. But on paper, he understood the Department's concerns. Not that he'd ever read his personal file, but Rossi had profiled enough to know the painfully shy and secretly low esteemed genius had a more than difficult childhood.

He'd seen glimpses of a few cigarette burns on Reid's fingers. Reid didn't smoke.

In a rare vulnerability of emotion, Reid had told Rossi, "Being bullied and lonely is one thing. Being bullied and lonely with a scarily smart brain is a whole other thing".

Honestly Rossi found the kid a little annoying at first. There didn't seem to be a thing the kid didn't know but was somehow still extremely socially awkward. Hotch tended to keep him in the precinct as much as possible and Reid didn't seem to mind. But they warmed up to each other quickly enough. Rossi commented once how Gideon was a surrogate father in Reid's eyes and he hadn't denied it, just softly smiled and shrugged.

And then Gideon left. With nothing but a note. When Rossi found him a few hours later, eyes blank, clutching the crumbled piece of paper and staring at the floor, Reid bitterly commented "Gideon left. He left a note. Just like my dad". Rossi sighed and squeezed his shoulder gently, taking the seat beside him in silence. He scooted closer to Reid and if Reid leaned into him slightly, he didn't mention it.

Rossi and by extension Hotch, quietly filled the large emotional vacuum Gideon left. Rossi understood Gideon's need to leave and but stills felt that Reid deserved better. He wasn't sure if Reid ever forgave Gideon but he did grow a lot closer to Rossi, and for the moment, that was enough.

When Morgan radioed, voice loud and paniced, Hotch immediately felt his stomach fall.

"Hotch, Reid! The unsub! He took Reid. Hotch he took Reid!". Morgan was shouting and Hotch couldn't find it in himself to correct him. Of all the possible scenarios, not Reid and not this unsub. They didn't even have an identity yet, but the profile and MO was enough to make Hotch feel nauseous. A sexual sadist and torture enthusiast with their not even 19 year old agent. Not for the first time, Hotch cursed that Reid's too young for the job.

Five minutes. That's all it took. Five minutes for Reid's radio to go silent and Morgan to reach where he was supposed to be. Five minutes and Reid's gone. Morgan swore as we felt his eyes sting. Not Spencer. For god's sake, not Spencer. And not with this unsub. He felt a warm hand on his shoulder. He kept his eyes down.

"Morgan", Hotch called out, "It's not your fault".

He looked up, eyes shining, "Isn't it?".

"No it isn't", Hotch replied firmly. "I know this is difficult. But our first priority is getting Spencer back. And we can only do that if treat this as another abduction case. You need to keep it together Derek. For Spencer".

Hotch wasn't sure how much if what he said he believed himself. Brigs, the unsub, didn't keep his victims alive for more than a few days and it had already nearly been one since Spence had been taken. But it seemed to have the desired effect Morgan, who wiped his face and nodded.

As Morgan made his way out, Hotch forced himself to hopw as well. They would find Spencer. They had to.