A/N: Hello everyone, I'm sorry for the delay but real life sometimes throws us for a loop. In this case, despite medical experts saying that I could never conceive, I'm expecting a little one in December and I haven't been feeling well enough to get online. Ahowell1993: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. Daisyangel: Helping Morgan was at the forefront of my mind when I originally set up the series. Silent song of shadows: Don't worry. Whitney is going to be around for a bit. As she says, (in a future draft) "I'm like a bad habit you just can't get rid off." LaRieNGuBleR: Yes it was a good bromance wasn't it? Lol. Autumnamberleaves: Thanks. I"m glad you liked the chapter. I'd love to get your thoughts on this one. Charmony: Thanks for all your help. See you in a few months.

Y'all know I don't own em.

Whitney casually sipped her drink as she watched Spencer answer the trivia question. She shook her head at the collective groans of the other team as her boyfriend once again produced the right response.

"When will you guys learn that whoever has Spence on their team is going to win?" she asked rhetorically.

"Hey there's always hope that he'll be wrong," one of the other girls remarked.

"Yeah right. He won the academic achievement award at the academy hands down. The kid's a walking encyclopedia," the newest member of the group remarked.

"Thanks Mitchell." Spencer rolled his eyes at the agent he had known since the Academy. "You can shut up any time now."

Mitchell's eyes danced with laughter as he took a swig of his beer. "We're off duty Spencer. You can call me Garrett."

"Old habits die hard," Spencer quipped at his former classmate. He glanced up as JJ appeared at his side.

"Spence I hate to interrupt but we just caught a case."

The young agent stiffened at his colleague's tone. "Bad?"

The blonde nodded. "Sounds like it. Hotch is calling your dad."

"Ok, I'll be at the office as soon as I drop Whitney off."

"If you need to go, I can just as easily call a cab," Whitney interjected. Her boyfriend shot her a withering glance.

"I'm not letting you take a cab home from a date."

"Spencer, you're not going to be late to the office because of me."

"It's the principle of the thing."

"Spencer…"

"Spencer, I'll take her home," Mitchell spoke up. "That way you can head to work and Whitney can get home and you guys both win the argument."

The couple glanced at each other before laughing softly in unison.

"Thanks Garrett," Whitney said quietly. "I appreciate it." She kissed her boyfriend quickly. "You better get moving. Your team needs you."

"I'll let you know where we're going as soon as I can. I love you." Spencer hurried after JJ as she rounded up the other members of the team. He glanced back as he left to see Whitney watching him and he waved as he slipped out the door.

Whitney sighed as the door closed behind the team, absentmindedly spinning her straw between her fingers. She couldn't explain the sudden sense of unease that she felt.

"You okay?"

She glanced up to see Mitchell watching her.

"Yeah, it's just hard to watch him leave knowing he could get hurt or worse." She changed the subject by finishing the rest of her drink. "Thanks for offering to take me home. It really did make things easier."

"Oh it's no problem. You ready to head out?"

Whitney nodded as she rose and grabbed her jacket. Mitchell held the door for her as they left. Once in his car, he closed her door before heading toward her apartment. The girl was nearly silent as they drove.

"How long have you and Spencer been together?"

Whitney glanced over at him. "Are you asking as an agent or as a friend?"

Mitchell paused, stunned, before laughing out loud. "He said you had a quick wit. I'm asking as a friend. I'm glad to see Spencer making friends and I think you're good for him. You balance out his introverted personality."

The young woman's defensive posture melted. "I'm sorry. I'm just worried. Something feels off and I'm taking it out on you. And in answer to your question, Spence and I have been together for about a year. He's an amazing person."

"Yes he is, and he's a lot stronger than most people give him credit for."

"I know." Whitney smiled faintly. "You were one of the guys who befriended him in the academy. He's mentioned you a couple of times."

"In a good way I hope," he remarked.

"Yeah, he has a lot of respect for you and Brett Johnson. So what brings you here to the BAU? Spencer said you were down in the Miami field office."

Mitchell laughed. "Yeah well I hate the Florida humidity so I'm looking to transfer and I'm weighing my options. So I'm shadowing some of the agents at the BAU for a couple weeks to see if it's something I want to do."

"Makes sense. Oh I'm right up here on the left." She gathered her purse and coat as he pulled into the driveway. "Thanks again."

"My pleasure."

Two days later

"Tobias!" Spencer paused, listening at the edge of the cornfield. Slowly he advanced, straining his ears to hear any sound that would tell him where the troubled young man was hiding. He held his gun tightly as his heart pounded. The little voice in the back of his mind told him he should have waited for JJ before following Hankel into the fields. Suddenly a sharp blow caught him from behind and he tumbled to the ground. He rolled over and stared into the tormented eyes of a killer who now held a gun pointed straight at his head.

"I'm going to kill another one of these devils."

Spencer slowly became aware of the stench of burning flesh. He kept his eyes closed hoping, that he was still in some sort of a bad dreamland. Finally, the pain in his head and neck became unbearable and he opened his eyes to see that he was tied to a chair in the center of a small shack. As his eyes focused, he realized that there was a bank of computer monitors in front of him and Tobias was standing with his back to him.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Raphael," the flat emotionless voice replied. It still sounded slightly like Tobias', but the demeanor had shifted completely.

Spencer shook his head as panic threatened to overwhelm him. His mind was inexplicably drawn to a room nearly twenty-five years previous and all of the horrors that had happened to him as a child. He forcibly reminded himself that there had been no sexual assaults on any of the victims in an effort to pull himself out of the memories. He trembled as he shifted in the hard chair, realizing that he was restrained by a broad leather strap across his pelvis while his hands were cuffed in front of him. Tobias paced around him, obviously agitated.

"Why did you bring me here?"

"You can read men's minds."

"No, I study patterns of behavior." Spencer licked dry lips. "Why did you kill all those people?"

"They were sinners. Sinners must be punished. I am carrying out the mission of God to cleanse the earth."

Gideon hurried outside, trying to calm his pounding heart. His hands shook as he pulled out his phone, dreading the phone call he was about to make. He jumped as Hotch put his hand on his shoulder.

"Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not okay My son has been kidnapped by a psychotic killer and we have no idea where he's been taken!" Gideon's rage abruptly faded into pain. "And I have to call his mother and tell her that he's missing."

"I'm going to call Garcia and get her on the first flight down here. We're going to need her to be able to hack Hankel's system. Right now that's our best chance of finding Reid."

"What if we can't find him? What if Hankel's already killed him?" Gideon whispered his deepest fears into the darkness.

"Do you really believe that?" Hotch countered. "In any case, you can't think like that. We will find Spencer and we will stop Hankel from killing again."

"I can't lose him like this Hotch."

"If you don't stop talking like this, I'm going to order you back to Virginia."

Gideon glared at the younger agent. "You wouldn't dare."

Hotch stared back. "If you can't get out of your head, then yes I will."

Sarah hung up the phone feeling as though she had been punched in the gut. She held onto the counter, trying to keep the panic at bay. She couldn't fall apart while Ezra was still in the room. She had to be his mom, even while her oldest was missing.

"Mom, are you okay?" Ezra asked as he put his plate on the counter.

Sarah smiled at the boy. "Yes, that was just your dad letting me know he's going to be gone a little bit longer than they originally thought."

"Will he and Spencer be home for my school play?" Ezra asked hopefully. He had a small speaking part in the school play the following week.

"Dad will do everything he can to be there and you know Spencer will too after all the practicing he did with you." She ran her hand over the boy's dark blonde hair. She was still amazed that his hair was so light when both of his parents had dark hair. "It's time for bed so go brush your teeth and put on your pj's. I'll be up in a minute to tuck you in."

"Thanks Mom." Ezra hugged her briefly before scampering up the steps. Sarah forced down the lump in her throat and blinked back the tears before following in her son's footsteps.

Spencer turned his head as Hankel came back into the shed. He froze as he realized that the young man's aura had shifted once again. "Raphael?"

"Do I look like Raphael to you boy?" The harsh quality he had seen in the cornfield had returned to Hankel's voice.

"No sir." He swallowed hard. "Thank you for burning those. For keeping us safe."

"It's time for you to confess."

"Confess what?"

"Confess your sins, boy."

"I'm not a sinner. I don't have anything to confess."

"We're all sinners." Charles knelt in front of him, pulling off his shoes and his left sock. "Confess!"

The young doctor yelped as the heavy wood impacted his foot. The beating lasted several minutes as Spencer continued to deny the accusations. Soon the pain overwhelmed him and his brain shut down, sending him into merciful darkness.

The next thing he knew Tobias was crouched next to him, watching him with sad eyes.

"I'm sorry," the young man said softly.

"Who was here before?" Spencer whispered through a dry throat.

"Probably my father. I'm sorry if he hurt you." Tobias rolled up the agent's sleeve.

"What are you doing?"

"Trust me, it helps."

Spencer shook his head as he realized that Tobias was planning to drug him. "This isn't going to help. Please don't do this Tobias." His pleas fell on deaf ears as Tobias injected the drug into his arm. A rush of warmth washed over him and the room spun before he surrendered to unconsciousness.

Flashback

Five-year-old Spencer shook from the chill in the room. He turned his head to look over at the still form of the other boy in the room. Riley hadn't said more than a few words except to warn him not to talk. Pure fear filled the child as he recalled the events of the last 24 hours. Suddenly the door opened and he watched as Gary Michaels strode into the room. The man grabbed Riley by the back of the neck before dragging the boy out of the room. The door slammed shut once more before Spencer heard Riley's strangled cry. The cry abruptly cut off as silent tears ran down the remaining boy's face.

Whitney thanked the agent as she collected her visitor's tag and caught the elevator to the sixth floor. She glanced around, hoping to quickly spot Garcia before one of the other agents could fuss at her for coming to pump the tech analyst for information on the team. She jumped as someone caught her arm from behind. She relaxed as she recognized Mitchell.

"What are you doing here? The team is in Georgia."

"I know. I also know that Spencer was taken by the unsub and I'm tired of being in the dark. I didn't appreciate it the last time Spencer did it and I'm not going to be put off this time!" The young woman's hazel eyes flashed. "I was looking for Garcia."

Mitchell sighed. "She flew out first thing this morning. They called her down there to hack the guy's computer." He ran a hand over his face. "I hate waiting like this. I wish I could do something."

"You're not shadowing today?"

"I was supposed to follow JJ. She was going to explain how she picks the cases for the team. But since she's in Atlanta…"

"You can't exactly follow her."

"I would drive down there if I could," Mitchell muttered softly. "Spencer is a good friend."

"How long would it take to drive?"

"About nine hours if you didn't stop."

"So what are we waiting for?" Whitney asked nonchalantly.

Mitchell stared at her. "Are you serious? You're a civilian!"

"So? I'm also a nurse and I guarantee you, Spencer's going to need medical attention. So let's get going."

The agent continued to stare at the redhead for a minute longer before a slow smile crept across his face. "You driving first or am I?"

Prentiss glanced over at JJ as she drove. The haunted look the blonde had worn the night before was gone, but she was also hiding her eyes behind a pair of sunglasses. She was still closed off and mostly silent as the brunette followed the directions out to the farm of Hankel's narcotics anonymous sponsor.

"Are you blaming yourself for Reid being gone?"

"Shouldn't I?"

Prentiss winced at the harsh tone. "You had no way of knowing what was going to happen."

"But we shouldn't have split up. Maybe if we hadn't, we'd be on our way home."

"Or we could be searching for both of you," she pointed out. JJ sighed, turning to stare out the window once more. Any further conversation was put on hold as they reached their destination.

The grey haired man paused as the SUV pulled into the driveway.

"Can I help you?"

"I'm Emily Prentiss from the FBI. We spoke on the phone about Tobias Hankel."

"I haven't thought about him in years. That boy definitely had a bad time of it too."

"How so?" Prentiss glanced over at JJ, who so far hadn't said a word.

"His father was a religious nut. When Tobias' mother ran off with another man, Charles went plumb berserk. Beat the daylights out of Tobias. No wonder the kid ended up hooked on Dilaudid. He used to cut it with a psychedelic just to escape reality. Why are you interested in him anyway?"

"We think he may have killed his father."

"Good for him."

The agents exchanged a stunned look before thanking the man and returning to the SUV.

"Well at least we have another piece of the puzzle. The drugs would contribute to the psychosis."

"And I'm terrified of what that means for Spence." JJ's statement was so soft that Prentiss wasn't sure the blonde even realized she had said it out loud.

"We'll find him JJ. We have to."

Spencer came out of his memories to the sound of the shack door slamming open. He watched as Hankel set up computer equipment and set up a video camera in front of him. With a sinking feeling, Spencer realized that the recording light was on. "What are you doing?"

"I'm sending a message." The angry voice told the young doctor that Charles was back. "You're going to help me."

"No. I won't help you kill anyone."

"You can read men's minds. Pick one to die."

"No."

"Choose!"

"I won't choose someone to die." Spencer's continued refusal angered Charles, and he backhanded the young doctor across the face before stalking out of the shack. Spencer closed his eyes as he shook from the blow. He wasn't sure how much more he could take. Suddenly the man stormed back into the room. He struck some keys on the computer and several screens lit up showing feeds from the webcams Hankel had tapped into.

"Pick one to die."

Spencer shook his head. "No!" He braced against the harsh blow that followed.

"Choose a sinner to die and you will save one as well."

"I won't choose one to die but I will choose one to live."

Gideon trembled as he watched his son being manipulated by their unsub. That Hankel was well beyond reason was obvious to everyone.

"He's going to feel guilty that someone will lose their life even though he doesn't have a choice," Prentiss spoke softly.

"He's controlling the situation as well as he can. He doesn't have anything to be ashamed of," Hotch added.

"And both of you can tell him that when we get him home." Gideon's voice was much sharper than he intended. "That madman is using my son for his own purposes." Suddenly the man turned and stormed away from the computer. Hotch waited a moment before following him. A slamming sound told the unit chief that his friend had gone outside into the chilly Georgia night and he didn't have to search far before he saw Gideon's silhouette against the nighttime sky.

"Spencer is stronger than any of us give him credit for. You of all people know that. He's going to get through this and while he'll have some scars, he's going to be okay." Hotch paused to let his words sink in. "Do you know how I know this?"

"Because he survived being kidnapped and molested as a five-year-old?"

"No. He is going to be okay because he has a family to surround him with love and support. He has a girlfriend who is as solid as rock and obviously isn't scared off by tough situations. And because he has a friend in Morgan who gets the survivor's guilt as much as he does. Jason, Spencer was tested by what happened to him as a child but he's who he is because you and Trish and Sarah took a malleable young boy and turned him into a man." Hotch placed his hand on his friend's shoulder, not surprised to find him trembling as much from the cold air as from emotion. "He's going to come out of this in one piece. We're going to make sure of it."

Silence reigned for several long minutes before Gideon spoke again. "Thanks Hotch. This is one time, I'm doubly glad you are the unit chief. I don't know that I could be objective if I was in charge.

Morgan sighed as he paced along the driveway. He was frustrated that they didn't seem to be getting anywhere. He glanced up as headlights swept across him in the predawn greyness. His eyes narrowed at the license tag, realizing that the car was Bureau issued. His mouth fell open as Mitchell stepped out of the passenger side. He walked toward the vehicle before he stopped in his tracks as Whitney slipped from the driver's seat.

"What the heck are you doing here?" Morgan demanded. "You're a civilian and this is an active crime scene."

Whitney stared back at him, her arms folded defiantly across her chest. She waited until his splutters of rage settled down before fixing him with a pointed glance. "Are you done now?" She pushed off the car and stalked past him. "I'm a nurse and I'm Spencer's girlfriend. You need me."

Morgan continued to stare at her back before turning to face Mitchell who had his hands up in surrender. "We just want to help. She was at the BAU and she wasn't taking no for an answer."

The dark skinned agent sighed. "Guess we'll let Gideon and Hotch deal with her."

Whitney paused just inside the doorway, her gaze drawn to Gideon's face. She knew immediately that he wasn't handling Spencer's disappearance well at all. His face was more closed than usual and his shoulders were stiff with worry. "Is there any news?" she asked as she moved to his side.

Gideon started as he realized she was there, then his eyes narrowed at her. "How in the blazes did you get here?"

"Mitchell and I drove down. We were hoping to make it just before midnight but we got sleepy so we pulled off and took a short nap." Whitney knew she was supposed to feel reprimanded but she didn't really care.

"You shouldn't be here. This is an active investigation."

"Yeah, Morgan just said the same thing."

"Morgan is right. However, I don't have an agent to drive you back to Atlanta and put you on a flight so just stay out of the way." Hotch's voice was as stern as his face. "And I don't trust you to go by yourself. You're just ornery enough to double back."

"Thank you."

"That wasn't a compliment," the unit chief remarked dryly. He turned to Gideon. "Has there been anything else from Reid?"

"No. Nothing."

"He's posted the latest murder online," Garcia interjected. "But that's it. It's going viral as we speak."

"Isn't there anyway to stop it?" Gideon asked.

"No. It's been shared too many times. It's like ripples in a pond. There's no way to stop all of them."

"If we could shut down the video, it would deprive him of an audience. That's what he wants." Gideon paced behind the tech analyst's chair.

"Well I can't delete it. But I think I could piggy back a warning on the video's feed to warn everyone not to download it because it contains a virus."

"Do it."

Garcia nodded as she quickly typed on the keyboard. "Ok, I've been able to link the warning. Now it's not going to stop the people who've already shared it, but anyone that clicks on it from here on out will get the warning."

"Good. That should stop the video from advancing any further." Gideon began pacing again. "Now we wait and see what happens."

"Sir? What happens if Hankel takes his anger out on Reid?"

"That's a chance we'll have to take. If he starts streaming video again, we might be able to find a clue to his whereabouts." Hotch ran a hand over his face. He caught Whitney's scowl from the corner of his eye. "I don't like it either but we're running out of options...and time."

"They're trying to silence my message!" Charles' personality took control as the virus warning popped up. "This is all your fault."

"I can't control what they do. I'm not with them. I'm with you," Spencer whispered. He was still fighting the lingering effects of Tobias' injection. His blood ran cold as Charles' anger intensified.

"This ends now," the man snarled. He quickly keyed up the link between the shack and his home. He wanted the others to see the consequences of the virus ruse. Those satans would learn not to interfere with God's work.

Garcia gasped as the video popped up on her screen. She heard Whitney swear softly behind her and she glanced over her shoulder to see equal parts pain and anger in the young woman's eyes.

"Jason!" she called out to the agent who was in a deep conversation with Hotch. "The video link is back."

Gideon returned to the room with Hotch a step behind him. Mitchell also joined the group gathered behind Garcia. They watched as Hankel screamed at Spencer to confess before punching him repeatedly.

Whitney's hands involuntarily curled into fists. Her entire body coiled like a spring and she wanted nothing more than to jump through the computer screen and beat the living daylights out of their unsub. A hand touched her shoulder and she looked up into Hotch's understanding gaze.

"I know you're angry, but you won't gain anything by losing your temper."

"I know that," Whitney muttered. "It doesn't mean I have to like it."

Garcia's whimper of distress coupled with Gideon's sharp inhale drew their attention back to the screen.

"S***!" Whitney fairly shouted as Spencer began convulsing. Her shout brought the rest of the team running.

"Oh my G**!" Prentiss exclaimed. "If he can't clear his airway..." she couldn't finish the sentence.

The team stood like statues, no one daring to even breathe as the drama unfolded on the screen.

Suddenly Tobias leaned over Spencer, pressing on his chest and abdomen with quick upward thrusts.

"What in the world?" Mitchell muttered.

"Heimlich maneuver. He's trying to clear his airway." Whitney whispered the answer before she even realized she had spoken aloud.

The silence grew weightier as Tobias continued administering first aid. Finally, Spencer gasped, coughed and took a deep breath, allowing the team to collectively release theirs. Tobias righted the chair, allowing the agent to catch his breath before beginning to pace around the room.

"You came back to life." The flat, measured voice indicated that Raphael was in charge.

"I was given CPR," Spencer replied.

"How many agents on your team?"

"Seven."

"Just like the seven archangels pouring out God's judgement. Who do you serve?"

"I serve you," Spencer whispered, choking out the words.

"Choose one to die!"

"No."

Raphael pulled out the revolver, loading it with a single bullet before spinning the chamber closed.

"Choose one to die," he repeated.

"Kill me."

The hammer fell on an empty chamber. "There are six others. Choose one to die."

"No."

Once more the hammer clicked empty. Spencer held his captor's eyes.

"Choose!"

"No."

Click.

"Choose!"

"I choose Aaron Hotchner!" Spencer cried out in a rush. "He's a classic narcissist. He thinks he's better than the rest of the team. Genesis 23:4…"

Hotch's eyes narrowed as he listened to Spencer speak, the young man's words fading into the distance as he thought. His brain was whirling at what he was hearing. It wasn't even the fact that he had been picked that was bothering him the most. His mind went back to the playful argument that he and Spencer had had a few weeks previous about the definition of narcissism. He quickly left the room and hunted for the Bible that had been left on the table nearby. He looked up at the team as they filed into the room. "I'm not a narcissist."

"Hotch, you can't take this personally," Gideon started to respond, before the unit chief shook his head firmly.

"No, hear me out. Right now, everyone list my worst quality." When the team just stared at him, he said, "I'll start. I have no sense of humor."

"You're a bully," JJ said.

"You can be a drill sergeant sometimes," put in Morgan.

"You don't trust woman as much as men." Prentiss spoke so quickly that it seemed she didn't want to lose her nerve.

"Good. I'm all of these things. But none of you said that I ever put myself above the team because I don't. Reid and I argued about the definition of classic narcissism and he knew I would remember that. He also quoted Genesis 23:4. Read it." He handed the opened Bible to JJ, silently encouraging her to read the words aloud.

"I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a burying place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight."

"He wouldn't get it wrong unless it was on purpose." Hotch saw understanding in the team's eyes.

"He's in a cemetery."

Tobias crouched beside his prisoner, drawing clear liquid into the syringe. This time the young agent didn't have time to formulate a protest before he was carried into unconsciousness from the Dilaudid.

Flashback

"Please don't hurt me! Please stop. It hurts." Spencer's cries went unheeded as the two men continued to have their way with him. He curled in on himself as much as he could with the restraints when they finished and stepped away. "I want some water. I'm thirsty," the little boy whimpered.

"Only good boys get water," snapped Michaels as he slapped the child across the face.

"I'm sorry. I'll be good. I'm sorry!" he wailed as the door to his prison slammed shut.

"I'm sorry. I'll be good," Spencer mumbled as he came out of the drug induced haze.

"What are you sorry for?" Charles demanded.

"I disobeyed the orders."

"God hates disobedience. It's a sin. Deuteronomy 28:15, But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day…."

Spencer whispered the end of the verse, "that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee."

Charles released the young man's bonds and jerked him to his feet. "Let's go. It's time for you to face your punishment."

Whitney hurried after Gideon. "I'm a nurse! You're going to need me. Spencer is obviously injured."

"It's an active crime scene Whitney. We know that Hankel is armed and I'm not going to take an untrained person into that kind of situation."

"I'll stay in the car!"

"No. You're staying here and that's final." The command came from Hotch with sufficient authoritative force that any further protests died immediately. The redhead could only watch as the SUVs headed into the night. Once the taillights had faded, she turned and wandered back into the house, dropping the first available chair.

"They'll find him." Garcia handed her a mug of coffee.

"I know that. I just want to be there when they do. They let Garrett go with them and he's not a team member."

"Yes, but he is an FBI agent," Garcia pointed out.

A half smile touched Whitney's mouth. "True," she mumbled.

"Marshall's Parrish." Morgan pointed to the sign as Hotch slowed enough to make the turn. "Hotch, even though we know where they are, there's still a lot of ground to cover."

"We'll just have to hurry and keep our eyes open."

"Hotch, there's a shack just ahead through those trees." JJ pointed to a dim light filtering though the branches.

"I see it." He radioed the other car. "Stay alert people. We don't know where Hankel is right now."

He killed the lights as they pulled into the clearing. The team quickly surrounded the shack and Morgan kicked the door open.

"FBI!"

"Clear!"

"Clear!"

"Clear!"

"What is that smell?" Prentiss gagged as she caught a whiff of the burned flesh.

"Spread out and search the area!" commanded Hotch.

"Agent Hotchner, there's a glow off in the distance. It looks like it might be a camping lantern." Mitchell called to the team from the clearing.

"Let's go."

The group headed in the indicated direction, hoping that they would be in time to save their youngest member. Suddenly a gunshot echoed through the night and they all broke into a run. Not surprisingly, Hotch was the first to reach Spencer where he was crouched next to Tobias Hankel's body.

"I knew you'd understand," the young man gasped as he pulled his unit chief into an uncharacteristic embrace. Hotch squeezed him back in reassurance as he trembled from both the cold and the emotions.

JJ was next, apologizing profusely for leaving him.

"It's not your fault," Spencer replied as he released her, only to be swept into a hug by Morgan.

"You scared us, kid."

"Kinda scared myself too." Spencer tilted his head as he noticed the agent standing behind Morgan. "Garrett, what are you doing here?"

"Whitney and I drove down yesterday night. Someone's gotta keep you out of trouble."

Taking the comment as it was intended, Spencer turned to his dad. Gideon had held back, knowing that both his son and the team needed to connect with each other before he did. However, now he enveloped his son in the biggest hug he could manage. Feeling Spencer's shivering increase, he whispered, "Let's get you out of here."

His son nodded before pausing. "Can I have a minute?"

"Sure." Gideon watched as Spencer knelt next to Hankel's motionless body, closing the vacant eyes before returning to his father's embrace.

"Dad, is Whitney really here?"

"She sure is. Hotch wanted to put her on a flight back to Virginia but he was pretty sure she'd duck the flight if he didn't send an agent with her. Since we didn't have anyone to spare, she's back at the house with Garcia."

"I'm glad she's here. I need to see her."

"She'll meet you at the hospital."

Spencer sighed, knowing that arguing with his father was useless. He was however relieved to have so many people who cared about and loved him as he walked away from the nightmare he had just recently survived.