The rest of the team was working on the case. Fueller was out of the question putting them back at square one. The coroner's report stated that he had been murdered and the team began to think whoever killed Fueller may possible have killed the victims or somehow be involved with the case.

With another dose of medication, Reid had fallen asleep that night. He demanded to be let go to work on the case, but the doctors were still concerned about his head injury. He was still having severe headaches and until they subsided, he was going to remain there.

"How's he doing?" J.J. asked when she stopped by the next day.

"Better… physically, anyway. They had to give him another sedative." Morgan said, standing up. He stretched to loosen his muscles. "How's the rest of them?"

"They've got nothing. They created a partial profile, but they don't have any suspects or leads yet. The best way they'll get a full profile is when…"

"-they have another victim." He finished. Both full aware who the next victim was almost certain to be.

"Riley…" Reid mumbled in his sleep, just like he had on the plane. Morgan and J.J. watched him uncertainly. "Riley…"

They glanced at each other, both worried about their friend, before Morgan took his leave and J.J. sat down.

Riley opened here eyes again to the sound of someone screaming. The light, however soft, hurt her eyes. She squeezed her lids shut to avoid the pain.

"No, please!" the voice was screaming. It sounded like it was coming from outside. "Please, I'll give you whatever you want, please just let me go!"

No one responded. She listened to the screaming. She wanted to call out for Spencer, but she couldn't get the message to her mouth to say something. She tried to get her body to obey her, but the rest of her muscles had a mind of their own. At least she didn't feel like throwing up anymore.

The screaming outside continued in hysterics, interrupted only by beating sounds. Riley wanted to help her. She tried to call out "stop it" but only managed a soft moan.

After a moment, the screaming stopped all together. Her mind couldn't understand why it had stopped, or why the sounds of footsteps were getting closer. The sound was amplified by her head; she'd take a hangover over this.

"Spencer," she managed to mumbled. "Spencer, where are you?"

She opened her eyes and only saw the shadow of the figure by the fire. Riley was losing strength and soon she'd be unconscious again, but she wanted to see who it was.

He never came into her sight. The footsteps wandered in the other direction and outside again, leaving Riley alone. Her hands still bound, she rolled onto her side and closed her eyes, attempting to sleep off this headache. The world disappeared again.

"Hey, sleepy head." J.J. said as Reid became conscious. Looking around, it took a moment to remember where he was and why he was there. He opened his mouth to speak, but J.J. stopped him with a shake of her head. "Give it time, Spence."

They didn't have time. He leaned his head back on his pillow and closed his eyes to stop tears from escaping. The sun was setting again which meant at midnight would be the end of the timeline. Riley will have been missing for three days… and that was the cut off. She was dead. He couldn't save her.

"This isn't your fault, Reid," J.J. exclaimed, as if she could read his mind. She reached out and took his hand. "You need to stay calm."

"Oh," Reid said, opening his eyes. "And if Will were missing, you would be perfect calm and just let the rest of us find him."

Touché. "You're right, I'm sorry." She took a deep breath, squeezing his hand tighter. He gave her squeeze back; his way of accepting her apology.

Surprising both of them, Hotch walked in a moment later. He took a deep breath, offering no word of greeting. "We have another body."

"Is it Riley?" Reid asked, voice cracking.

"No." Hotch said, and both J.J. and Reid let out a sight of relief. "Thankfully, no. The police already identified her as Leslie Hamilton. She's seventeen years old and the unsub swayed from his MO by killing her five days after she was reported missing, not three and there was no sexual abuse this time."

"How are you even sure it's the same killer?" J.J. said.

"She was found in the same area as the other victims. Things we didn't release to the press were evident on the body."

"He might be devolving," Reid said, his mind beginning to function properly for the first time in two days. "Either that or he knows we're on to him and is trying to lead us off track."

"I spoke to your doctor," Hotch said, directly to Reid. "He says you're clear to be discharged in the morning." He paused, moving slightly closer to the bed. "Do you think you'd be strong enough to work on this?"

"Absolutely, sir," Reid replied, giving not a second to think it over. "But, I thought-"

"This is off the record, Reid. Which means, as far as the FBI is concerned, you're on sick leave. Is that clear?"

"Crystal clear, sir." Reid said. "But why? I mean… why are you letting me?"

He hesitated, seeming almost as if he wanted to leave without answering. "I want her back as much as you do, Reid. I need my best men in order to save her."

With that, Hotch turned and left the room. Reid leaned back on his pillow again. His thoughts alive. Hotch really seemed to love her, didn't he? There was no way he loved her as much as Reid, but… he did love her. And if he was the one Riley wanted… as long as she was happy, Reid wanted him for her. Alive most importantly, but happy.

"You better rest up, kid, you've got a lot of work ahead of you."

Reid nodded. The meds were working, taking control again as it was.

By early light, Riley opened her eyes, conscious at last, her mind all but clear. She remembered spurts of acuteness, waking up in a dream like state and seeing this room, but she had thought it was a dream. Her head ached, but she couldn't exactly recall why.

"Look who's awake," a voice whispered from out of sight. She knew that voice. It was… damnit, she couldn't think of a name.

"Who's there?" she asked, her voice sounded so different. It was the echo, that was it. The smell of blood and vomit hit her nose again. The smell of vomit always made her want to be sick. "Hello?"

"I think it's time for another shot," the man said, he moved into view… but Riley couldn't place his face at the moment. Her head hurt too much to remember.

"Where's Spencer?" she asked.

He leaned down, not answering her. "I know this seems cruel," he said, checking the syringe in hand to remove any air bubbles that were in it. "But it's only temporary. I just need you to stay calm and quiet for now. This is the best way."

"What are you doing?" she asked, trying to blink out the pain. "I know I know you."

"Now don't act like that," he said. "You know who I am. I've seen you every day. You know how I feel about you. And you just ignored me. You thought you could push your feelings for me aside and get on with your life, but I'm not going to let you do that."

He sounded like Spencer. An insane Spencer, of course. But she knew it wasn't him. He'd never hurt her. He… a small, fuzzy memory floated to her mind… he fought to save her…

"Who are you?" she asked, unsure.

"That hurts, Riley. Acting like you don't know me." He said. She felt like he was ripping at her nylons. Instinctively, Riley tried to kick him away. He grabbed her leg to make her stay still. He was strong, but Riley had some fight left in her.

"Let me go! What did you do to Spencer!" she yelled. Maybe someone out there would hear her. Stupid of him not to gag her.

No, he just drugged you. She thought, trying to pull from him again. She tried to wiggle her hands free from the duct tape, but it was too tight.

"Spencer. You don't need to be concerned about him anymore." He said, almost soothingly, still trying to keep her still.

"What are you talking about?"

"I know he hurt you," Her captor said. "You tried to hide it, but I know. He broke your heart. Stupid of you to think you'd be happier with him. But, it doesn't matter. I'm willing to let it go, and you never have to worry about Spencer Reid again."

"What do you mean?" she asked, trying to pull herself up to see him better. "What did you do to him?"

"He's gone," he said. "I love you, Riley. I will never break your heart like he did."

"He didn't break my heart!" She cried with frustration. "I broke his!"

"You don't have to protect him. I made him pay for what he did to you." He smiled. Riley tried to pull and squirm away, but his grip was too strong. "I made him pay. Five times I made him pay."

"He's not dead." She sobbed, letting a few droplets fall out. "Please tell me he's not dead!"

"I think that makes my intentions clear," he said, forcing the needle into her skin. She winced from the pain, feeling the injection go in. "I killed for you. If that's not true love, I don't know what is." He went up to kiss her forehead.

"Get away from me, you son-of-a-bitch!" she cried out.

Rage took over and he smacked her twice across the cheek. The pain was unbearable. She sputtered, spitting up blood. He took a deep breath to calm down.

"I'm sorry," he said. "You'll understand soon. This is all for the best. You really don't know what it is you do to me, do you? I don't want to have to hurt you anymore."

She lay on her side, pretending to have been knocked out. A hand brushed over her matted, curly hair and then he walked away. Riley listened to the footsteps head into the next room.

"Spencer," she quietly moaned. He was dead because of her. "I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry, Spencer." She never got a chance to tell him she was lying, that she loved him. The tears fell onto the dirty mattress until the drugs took her away again.