It was easier to be civil when they were talking about a neutral subject, Reid decided. Discussing the case would distract him, and make Reid forget the man he was with and what he had once meant to him. The tension was building up in his shoulders. Now he understood why Riley had been so rude to him when their sessions began; feeling like this could certainly bring out the worst in people.

Inside the car was silent. Reid drove. Gideon didn't bring up the case – or anything for that matter – and Reid made no attempt to start a conversation.

The parking lot at the police station was almost empty. Most people in circumstances like this would consider that a bad sign, but Reid was not superstitious. Inside was almost like a ghost town, the front desk completely empty. Gideon rang the bell as they approached. All they could do was wait.

The synapses in Reid's brain went off like fireworks, trying to think of something to distract him. Thousands of subjects floated through his mind; Einstein's general relativity theory, the Georgia Guide Stone, the Trail of Tears, anything so as to distract him. But it didn't work. All he could think of was the bitterness bubbling up from his stomach. He could feel his face getting hot when he realized Gideon was staring at him.

"You're not pleased to see me," Gideon stated at last.

How could you possible deduce that? He thought bitterly. A blind man could see the discontent radiating from him. "I'm just a little amazed you're here, sir."

"Reid, I know you." He explained. "And that's not amazement, that's anger."

"But I am amazed, sir," Reid said, finally turning to look at him. "You came to my funeral. I figured if you had learned I died… you would have just sent me a letter."

Reid had expected him to say an apology, but the silence hung around them for several long minutes. "You haven't changed," he said with a smile.

He could swear Gideon was enjoying this, "Funny, you're the first person with that opinion."

"I'm not saying you're just as you were when I left, Spencer," He said softly. Every movement and hand gesture was just as Reid recalled. "You look different. You like growing your hair out a bit more, your fashion style doesn't reflect that of a prepubescent boy so much. You've gotten braver, you've become more confident in many areas… but you're still the same. Inside, you're still the exact same person as I remember."

It didn't dissolve his anger, but his words made an impression on the boy.

He was saved from having to respond, though, with the appearance of a young rookie officer. "Can I help you?" he asked, approaching the front desk.

"Yes, I'm from the Behavioral Analysis Unit with the FBI," Reid flashed his badge. "We're here to question Shakira Fallon on a case we're working on."

The hesitation was enough of a clue that something was wrong. "Well… that… might be difficult."

"What's the problem?" Gideon asked.

He didn't seem to have much experience in situations like this, nor did he have much confidence. Struggling to find the right words, his eyes darted around in a attempt to stall. "…Maybe I should get my captain."

"Is something wrong with her?" Reid pressed, watching the young man squirm a bit.

"She's been taken to the hospital." He shifted uncomfortably on his feet, probably thinking of all the places he'd rather be. "She had a little accident… early this morning."

Both men were concerned. "Did someone hurt her?" Reid asked.

"Not exactly… she tried to kill herself." He explained. With a deep breath, he began to explain before they could ask. "We heard her screaming this morning, about five… when we came in, she had stabbed herself in the abdomen with a letter opener."

"How did she get a letter opener in a holding cell?" Gideon questioned. "Isn't it routine to strip inmates of possessions when they're put into lock up."

"They are… and she was…" he shifted again, looking around for someone to take over for him, but they were alone. "There was a commotion in the cell… when I got there, she was curled in a ball on the floor screaming. Apparently the other girls in there were trying to beat her up. She was moved to another cell by herself; she must have picked it up on the way."

Gideon looked at the young man with an intense stare. Reid remembered that stare, having been fixed with it a handful of times himself, including the first time they met. "It seems like the cop that moved her made a… rookie mistake, not noticing she grabbed a weapon."

The young man's eyes darted around again. "It was my idea to move her. I should have let the sergeant do it, but I figured I could handle it myself."

"Are you even certain she was being beat up?" Reid wondered. "Did you see any marks on her? Any proof she was in danger?"

"Well, no," He replied, "but she was trying to protect herself, and she was screaming bloody murder. The girls denied it, but that always happens when fights break out in the cells."

Gideon was pensive. "Is she going to be alright?"

"We managed to get to her before she bled out. The ambulance took her to the hospital. She'll remain in custody until she's discharged… but that could take a few weeks."

Looking at Reid, he gave a nod towards the door. There was nothing more here. Reid pulled out a card. "Give us a call when you have any new information on her condition."

He followed Gideon back out the station, heading to the SUV. "She'd rather kill herself than turn Nathan over." Gideon stated. "He's manipulated her to a point where she's unbreakable."

"When you interrogated her, you didn't sense she was suicidal." Reid pointed out as he climbed into the front seat. "You would have said something if you had. We would have made sure she was put on a watch."

Gideon observed him, still clandestinely impressed by the power of his mind. "She must have contacted Nathan… not for help, but to warn him they we're getting closer to him."

"And when he did, he told her how important it was they never find him." Gideon agreed. "Shakira had to stop us by any means necessary."

"Her only option was taking her life." Reid nodded, thinking, "This could push Nathan to do something drastic. He wants to be caught. He wants to be killed in the process… if he senses that's coming, he'll start devolving, his MO will change radically… and for two reasons. One, because he feels he is doing his duty and two, to ensure his capture… and ultimately… his death."

"The only problem is his third intention." Gideon added. "He wants you to suffer as he had for most of his life."

"Unless he still thinks I'm dead." Reid replied.

Gideon met his eye. "Do you really think he still believes that? If he believed it at all?"

He had already thought that, but had wanted to hope for the best. The truth was the truth, though. Nathan had to have realized it by now, and it wouldn't be long before he continued with his mission. He started the car, heading back to the unit.

…

While the rest of the team waited for Strauss, Morgan and Garcia disappeared into her office to avoid distraction. Neither one had any desire to encounter the chief, today or any day.

"I hope this makes sense to Reid." Garcia muttered, squinting her eyes at the map. "Because all it's doing is making my head hurt." She glanced at Morgan, staring at the map but not really seeing it at all. "Or maybe it's like one of those electronic pictures… where you're supposed to see a rocket ship or something."

Again, there was no response. Garcia normally would get very annoyed at being ignored, but if Morgan wasn't giving her his usual attention, something was definitely wrong. "Penny for your thoughts."

"They're not worth that much." Morgan mumbled, flashing her a sad smile.

"They are to me," She reached over and took his hand. Everyone had noticed the change in Morgan this week. But the case had been fraying everyone's nerves, each one handling the stress in his own way. Garcia, however, sensed more than emotional exhaustion. He was sad. Usually when he was sad, he hid it with anger. However this time, he just seemed heartbroken, like he had lost all hope.

He wanted to tell her what had happened with Emily. He needed someone to confide in. But they had promised never to mention it to anyone. She may not keep that promise, but he certainly would.

There was a knock at the door. "Password?" Garcia called.

"Um… Penelope Garcia is the pinnacle of beauty and perfection?" Emily's voice said on the other side of the door.

"That'll do!" She cried cheerfully. It opened and revealed Emily and Riley stepping in, both looking despondent.

"How are the maps coming?" Riley asked.

"We're done," Morgan said, "But I have a feeling it was a useless chore, wasn't it?"

"Not entirely," She continued, "Strauss just left."

"Oh, that's why the temperature suddenly went up in here," Morgan said, giving a mock shiver.

"What's the verdict?" Garcia asked.

"Well…" Emily began, "we showed her all the evidence, we made clear points on how close we are to catching Nathan… but she said most of it was just guess work. There is no concrete evidence that Nathan did any of these murders, the girls and those connected to Reid… the only evidence we have is attempted murder on Reid, and that's not enough to keep the case open."

"Rossi tried to point out that most of profiling is guess work and she should know that, but she said she can't justify keeping this case open, wasting all the time and money that the BAU doesn't have without results." Riley added.

"So we're done?" Morgan asked, his anger beginning to bubble.

"Not yet," Riley continued. "She gave us 24 hours. If in that time we don't find solid, tangible evidence we're close to closing… she'll declare it cold and we'll have to move on."

Morgan all but yelled, "But she has to realize… in almost any case, we can't get tangible evidence without actually catching the unsub."

"Exactly," Emily said, "And she knows that."

"So… we have one day to catch Nathan Harris… otherwise Reid's parents are dead."

Riley let out an irritated huff. "And he won't stop at his parents."

"Sweetie, he's not going to get to you. Reid would not let that happen again." Garcia said soothingly, trying to reassure her.

"I wasn't referring to me." Riley explained. "Nathan seems to be going through victims in importance to Spencer… old friends, old flings, now his parents. If my thinking is correct, I'll be his last victim."

Emily considered Riley's theory. "So… next after his parents…"

Garcia's face was ashen. "…is one of us."