Title: Salutarem Via

Summary: After an international mission comes into light, Reid has to face the fact that his team will now need to know one of his biggest secrets: his life way from the BAU.

A/N: I am back with another chapter. If you have not noticed, please go back to the previous chapter as I replaced my author's note with an actual update. I hope that the wait was not to hard to bare. I repeat I am completely sorry for not updating in over a month, but this should change. I want to be done with this story before the semester begins. I only have a few chapters left.

Please excuse my mistakes. I am human.

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds, but sometimes I dream that I do and it is awesome. Alas, it is only a dream, though I do have Fanfiction to quench my Spencer Reid thirst.

Chapter Nineteen: And the Day Arrives

"A kind of light spread out from her. And everything changed color. And the world opened out. And a day was awaken to. And there is no limits to anything. And the people of the world were good and handsome. And I was not afraid anymore."- John Steinbeck

Anxiety rippled through her more and more with each passing day. She interpreted her worries as merely motherly overprotection until her husband packed them up and drove them to New York. That was never a good sign. They were running away from whatever dangers stood in Virginia where her family lived. The worst part was that Owen zipped his lips about the whole occurrence deciding that silence was best for all of them.

Eloise trembled with a need to know what happened. Did Addie tell him to leave for New York? Is it really that bad? Or did someone else, someone not fully informed, tell him to move his family as a precaution for possible events that no one was sure would actually happen?

She was so confused and hurt and concerned about everything. She understood her sister's reluctance to speak of anything involving her career choice, and whenever Eloise insisted, Addie would simply retort the fact that if Ellie wanted to be part of this world she would have accepted the job offers. Instead, she decided on medicine, a noble profession, but it was no government work.

Eloise admitted she was not built for that lifestyle, but she could also argue that none of them were really. Except, she had seen her sister in her element. Adelaide shined, excelled in those certain death circumstances. There was something about the pressure that made Addie transform into a glimmering diamond.

A throbbing forming in the back of her head disturbed her concentration. Escalating into a migraine, Eloise choose to sleep it off. She wondered if her sister-in-law would mind watching her children as she slept. It was nearly bedtime, and the children would be hyperactive refusing to march on into bed. Not truly caring for her reply to the question plaguing her, she laid herself on the oversized couch.

She willed the sandman to visit with the solution to all of her problems, all of her worries. She willed herself to go away from reality to the fantastical place that is her dreamland.

Her eyes fluttered close, and dreams soon invaded her. Nothing else mattered for the next two hours. All that seemed important to her was her imaginary world with her imaginary life where everything was wonderful and perfect and happy. All of her life's complications washed away with the colors of joy and love. The darkness of uneasiness and aches dripped into the ground and disappeared for just those precious moments. In her dreams, Eloise could picture all the bliss the world could offer her and her loved ones.

Staying in that dream state for as long as life would allow her, she found herself blinking away the sun in a few short hours. The daylight shined in her eyes, and the pulsing pain was no more. The universe deemed sadness and misery unworthy of attention any longer.

Her wonderful daughter could be heard laughing as her she leapt forward to crash into her mother's loving arms. "Mommy!" Her giggles brought a smile on anyone's face, but Eloise found a particular joy in their musicality especially knowing that specific sound was one of mischief.

Picking her up, she saw an angel's face telling her that her life would be perfectly okay if she would only let the world correct itself. Matching the merriment of her dear Sophia, Eloise tickled her, "What did you do, huh? Did you do something naughty?"

"Nu-uh, I am never naughty." Sophia elongated every syllable of the word naughty pushing her face into the crook of her mother's neck.

At the second, Owen's eyes popped open, "Yeah, Soph is an angel always even when she makes a big, big mess.." He grabbed his daughter quickly making her squirm in his hands. "How did you sleep, love? I know you had a migraine yesterday."

Genuinely grinning, she lost herself in the view of the sunny day outside the window before bouncing off the couch and catching her husband's look, "Sleep was exactly what I needed. I feel so much better now." Then she extended her arms and helped Owen tickle their daughter into a fit of laughter.

All was right in the world. The darkness left, and the day began with a freshness that calmed all of her anxiety enough to realize that fear limited you in every aspect. She was no longer afraid; therefore, she could tackle all of life's wacky and unexpected and woeful challenges it may throw her way.

Miles away from the sunlight, Reid planned a way for them to rescue Addie from the clutches of those working for Stafford. There were three locations for them to visit. And luckily for them, there were plenty of bodies willing to enter the warzone in search for her.

Sending his friends out there was a complex mixture of emotions. It was easy yet difficult. It was comforting yet frightening. It was everything he expected it to be. Deciding that the best choice of action would be to attack all three locations simultaneously, Reid picked locations based on skills.

Hotch, JJ and Glover were to investigate the first location, the warehouse. Best at profiling in the details, Reid knew that among the three of them there should be enough expertise to be most useful at the previously known location. Rossi, Ortiz, and Manuela would go to the old factory. Unsure of what was there, there was enough diverse skills among the three of them to be ready for whatever may occur during their raid. That left Morgan, Emily, and himself to invade the old estate. Chances were that Addie was there meaning that the rest of the team assembled by Stafford would be as well.

They needed people prepared for attack. No one on the team were as ready for action as the three of them despite what the others thought about Reid. Spencer, himself, understood exactly what his body was capable of and how much to demand from it.

He was ready to kill.

Splitting up, Garcia gave each directions for the best travel time and Reid gave each instructions of what to do in case of an emergency. In those minutes of distraction, Javier and Spencer communicated with one another with simply glances.

Completely comprehending one another, Javier pulled his cell phone and dialed a number. He was gone for simply a sparing seconds, but he had done so much. He called a number rarely used, a necessity no one recognized. He spoke to a powerful man and relayed to him the information gathered over a span of years. He informed that powerful man about the hard work of a group of individuals specifically mentioning Dr. Spencer Reid's efforts and the efforts of his team based in Quantico.

Sneaking back in, he listened for any cues signaling any abnormalities. Noting nothing out of the ordinary, Javier waited for his team to make a move.

Hotch observed his team knowing none of them would twitch without his permission. Unfolding his arms, he addressed his group, "JJ, Glover...lets get going." Walking out, he refused to wait for his subordinates to march on behind him.

JJ and Glover exchanged looks and nodded before waving their farewells. Both of them followed their superior out of the building's security and out into the dangers of the search.

Rossi taking point also declared it was time for his team to leave to their assigned location, "Alright, let us go find the answer to the mystery building." He peered to Emily and Morgan who were standing offly close to one another as a coping mechanism, "Good luck." Vocally that was only he announced, but his body language revealed his worry over the youngest member of his family.

Both Emily and Derek understood the implications. Despite how angry they both were at Reid, neither were willing to forego his safety. They both nodded in recognition, but Morgan was the one that spoke, "Don't need luck, but thanks old man."

Manny used the same silent language to communicate with Reid. Disclosing her anxiety, she glanced at him willing him to respond in kind. He merely shook his head slightly as an attempt at telling her not to fret over him about things that were uncontrollable.

Rossi stepped out of the room with Javier and Manny in tow leaving Emily, Morgan, and Garcia alone with Reid. None of them knew what to do in this situation. Morgan itched to move but forced himself to wait for the precise moment where it would be most effective. This new Reid was uncharted territory for him creating relentlessness in the pit of his stomach. Not knowing made him frustrated and nervous around his teammate, his confidant, his brother.

On the other hand, Emily observed Reid with a deeper understanding than the others. She knew exactly what it was like to be embedded in the darkness of lies. She guarded secrets close to her chest and discarded everything in her path to survival. She realized that her relationship with Reid reflected all of this and more. A closeness between them developed over the years, and she always wondered the reason behind their mutual appreciation and awareness of one another. There was something about Spencer that compelled her to open herself up to him in ways that the others did not.

Now, she knew. It was the similar backgrounds, similar interests, similar intelligence. They mirrored one another in ways the others could not comprehend. One look from him and the world's light overcame the shadows. One look and she knew someone out there had insight to her feelings.

She missed him more than anyone else. The others she could live without, but Spencer, Spencer was very much a part of her. Being here and living this nightmare made her confront everything she already knew existed. He was slowly breaking. That was happening before she left for London, and it was still happening. The team, the family, was over.

Emily Prentiss decided then and there she was going to take Spencer Reid away from all of this. She would hand him the fresh start he deserved. She would give him a job. That was later. Right now, she gazed up at Morgan's frown leading up to both of them turning their attention to Reid.

Unbeknownst to them, Spencer saw most of their interaction. It was over for him here. He no longer was part of the trust among a team, but he needed them to focus long enough to escape death. He needed them to focus for a couple more hours until all of this was done. "Okay, let's go."

They all trekked over to the elevators and down to the SUVs. It had been the longest night of their lives. None of them had slept in almost thirty-six hours, but they trudged along. As they existed the parking lot, the beginnings of morning's rays peaked into the sky.

Tomorrow was landing in the horizon, and it brought new misery and mirth with her.

Hotch drove the SUV with JJ in the passenger's seat. Glover selected the seating arrangements by handing the keys to Hotch as he settled himself in the back. He was new, not dull. He held an insight beyond what the others thought. He was out of his depth here, and the sharper minds required the front seats to talk among themselves.

It was not to say he did not care for the parties involved. He just did not know Reid like the rest of the team. To him, Reid seemed more like an overgrown child with Google inside his head. Sure, he was impressive beyond normal, but nothing so special to go to give so much credit, to go to so much trouble. Then again, he was new.

Interrupting his thoughts, JJ proclaimed his thinking exactly, "Are we not going to address the elephant in the room? I mean, Hotch..."

Gripping the steering wheel, Hotch never once broke character, "I will talk to him about it. We will figure it out, but right now we have to concentrate on the case. Someone is missing, and we have to find her. Everything else comes after."

JJ wiggled in her seat as she searched for Glover's approval of throwing the questions out the window and waiting for all of this to be over. Parts of her resented Reid and Hotch for discrediting all of her concerns. She yearned for answers and reasons for this secret life her friend kept away from her, and she yearned for her boss to put everything back in its place after such disruption. She understood the impossibility of her desires, yet she could not help them.

At that moment, she knew after all of this only her husband's cool, calm voice of reason would ease away any of her anxiety and animosity and anger. Until then, she rode in silence.

Hotch felt the steam of JJ's gaze and the blaze of Glover's insecurity. It was within this case that Aaron Hotchner saw the deep-seeded vulnerability of Nathan Glover. He saw the mistake he made as a commander in hiring him. Glover was slipping, losing himself to these cases. He was not going to last for very much longer. Still, Hotch did not permit himself such thoughts until this was all over.

Quiet embraced their vehicle leaving only nervous breathes and thumping hearts. Staying like that for the last ten minutes, eventually, they all saw the tall cement-based building. It looked lonely and bland, lifeless. A darkness caressed its outer walls adding to the eeriness of the whole structure. Looking absolutely abandoned, Hotched saw no harm in merely walking to the front door.

Parking the car, Hotch ordered, "I would suggest splitting up, but that seems completely useless given the circumstances." He softly journeyed to the back of the empty warehouse with his weapon firmly gripped by his side.

JJ and Glover shuffled behind him, both whispering their agreement with Hotch as they climbed out of the SUV. Arming themselves, each one carefully marched with their guns ready for battle. Quietly stepping on the ground, they observed their surroundings waiting for anything out of the normal.

They made a mistake. JJ's heel was just a little too loud, and it echoed in the empty hall. It echoed and alerted the enemy. It warned Wanda that someone was approaching.

It was all a blur. There was crashing and yelling and a big boom. Next thing Glover witnessed: JJ running toward him and Hotch launching himself toward a small woman before shooting her dead. He heard a thud as the woman's body fell to the floor.

Nothing made sense. JJ repeated his name in an effort to comfort him. "Nate, it's going to be okay. I promise. It's going to be okay. You're fine. Nate, can you hear me? Nate? Nate? Nathan?"

An unmistakably confusion consumed his every thought. Then, pain overwhelmed him and a bright, shining light thwarted the fear away. It reminded him of home.

Javier volunteered to drive them there seeing as he needed a well-intended distraction to keep his mind wandering to unwanted pictures. He could almost taste Adelaide's blood in the air as he visualized he body contorted in unnatural positions.

Manny settled herself as far away from the others as allowed, so Rossi sat in the passenger's seat with little satisfaction at such a position.

He accepted his company's need to distance themselves from the task at hand, but he also acknowledged his own need to examine the evidence presented to him. He needed to ask personal questions, and damn it, he earned some answers. "I get it. I really do, but I am going to ask anyway. What is up with Adelaide Lancaster? I know it has more to do than her being the boss." He poked the bear.

Manuela cowered at the question, not out of fear but out of respect. Her eyes averted Rossi's and her cheeks reddened into a deep crimson blush. David Rossi congratulated himself in asking the perfect question especially seeing that Javier reacted to his words as well.

Nothing as strong or obvious, Ortiz simply cleared his throat and pulsed his hands on the wheel ever so slightly. His eyes never left the road, and his face never gave anything away. His mouth began to form words, "She saved our lives. It is only right we save hers." Determined to leave it be, he lined his lips shut. No more words were to escape.

Rossi was not going to tolerate such an action pressing on, "Well, that I get. There is still more. Look, I have worked with Spencer for almost a decade now. I think I know him pretty well. I know that it he has the calmest temperament I have ever seen. It takes a lot to make him angry, and when he is, it's not explosive or violent. It's usually quiet and stern. He exploded on many occasions because of this girl. Now, who is she?"

Expanding her person to appear bigger, more confident that she was, Manny shakily responded, "She's...she's kind and selfless and brave. She forgave me despite everything I did to her. She put herself in the position she is in to ensure that I live. She lied to make sure Spencer wasn't investigated. She risked everything she built to protect all of us from humiliation and scrutiny. I owe her more than my life. I owe her my way of living, my reputation. I should have a lot more scars than I do, but Addie took the burn for me, for us."

Using the rear mirror, Rossi peeked...there was a woman breathing heavily sucking in her tears. Manuela Ferro loved Adelaide so much so her emotions rippled through her into the air smacking Rossi's body so fervently he started to love her as well.

He experienced a new necessity; they all needed to find her now.

With the switch in dynamics, Javier relaxed enough to sigh his own story, "I love her not in a romantic sort of way. I just love her in the way you could only love her. She's something extraordinary. I feel rather unworthy of her even giving me the time of day, so I can't love her like that." He turned to his right just so Rossi could detect his honesty. "She restored my will to live in a time I didn't think anything was worth it. She smart and funny and compassionate. She genuinely cares about people, so I would give my life to make sure people like that live."

That was all Rossi needed, because if these two individuals cared so deeply for her, he could readily enter the cage without regret. Not only did he love her, he felt like he knew her. A sadness crept inside him at the thought of her loss. Suddenly, Reid's actions not only made sense but were entirely justified.

Ten more minutes passed, Javier parked the SUV in front of a rusty factory. Nicer than what he imagined, Ortiz climbed out and hurriedly armed himself. He saw that his companions mimicked his movements as they each help a gun in their dominant hand.

They rushed to the door when a car popped in their line of sight. Knocking the door down, Javier saw a man grasping a box. Noting a slam, he cursed at letting one of them go.

Manny announced she would catch the runner sprinting out the door. Rossi and Ortiz commanded the man to gentle lower the box.

Rossi pleaded, "Sir, please put the box on the floor and put your hands up." He continued the charade back and forth. He was too busy to notice the change in behavior.

Javier caught it just in time, "Rossi, run..." He pushed Rossi practically out the door until a bang cried out into the morning dew. The shot was too late to slow them down as they were out the building, but it still hit its intended target. Not that it mattered, Rossi flew with Ortiz right behind him gripping him tightly as the world roared.

Conscious just enough, Javier flipped them in the air so Rossi would land on top. He came and went for the next couple of minutes. Rossi attempted to keep him alive, and Manny's ashy face brought some relief. Both of them so worried and grateful at the responses they received from Javier.

Ashes stormed into the air, and the sunrise barely streamed through the thick layer of smoke. None of that frightened him. Fear gone, Javier remembered how the blazing light of the burning building changed everything. It was red and orange and yellow in the midst of the grayish hues to which became accustomed in his shadowy life.

He smiled thankful for the brilliant arrival of the sun.

Morgan took the wheel with Emily sat to his right. Reid was in the back covered in the darkness with a look on his face that spelled out do not mess with me right now because I am think of ways to kill someone.

Emily's eyes warned Morgan about broaching the sensitive subject too harshly. Morgan ignored her, "Reid, are we ever going to talk about this? You lied to us, to all of us. We trusted you, and you just laughed at us."

Not reacting, Reid calmly continued planning everything in his head. He memorized the blueprints for the estate before he left. Trying to conclude the possibilities of where she might be, his mind was only half-present in the car.

Irritated, Morgan exclaimed, "Damn it, Reid! Don't ignore me like I'm some kind of idiot." His nose flared out, and sweat covered his brow.

Emily intervened, "Morgan! Now is not the time for this."

"Then, when is the time, Emily. 'Cause, I am trying to understand all of this, and I just can't." Knuckles white, Morgan gripped the wheel tightly.

Plan in place, Reid snapped back into reality, "When we know that Adelaide is safe, and the terrorists responsible for thousands of deaths are apprehended. Do you think you can calm down enough to do your job, Morgan?" The underlying tone of his voice seethed with authority. It was not a question but a command.

Not waiting for a furious Morgan to reply to the rhetorical question, Emily twisted her body to peer Spencer in the eye, liar to liar, "We can handle it."

Moments of silence, the tension grayed the world. Closing his eyes, Reid softly murmured a truth that prompted Morgan to realize the brotherhood he created with Reid, "I wanted to say something the moment I came back. I would have to, if the whole thing with you and Doyle didn't happen." He waved his hand to Emily. "It didn't seem important after that. I just wanted to go back to normal, and normal was nowhere to be seen. Then, it just got too dangerous to say anything."

No one said a thing. He fluttered his eyes open. Exhaling and inhaling, Reid found the exact words to say to soothe the savage beast in Morgan, "The moment I could I told you the truth. I knew I would die, if I didn't. None of you would forgive me for that. I wanted to do something right before I died. Telling the truth to the people that have become family seemed like that right thing."

Pressure gone, the next twelve minutes was easy. No words were exchanged, no unwanted glances. All of them were focused on the case at hand. As a worn down, wooden structure stood before them, Morgan placed the SUV in park.

Seeing two other vehicles by the building, all three of them prepared themselves for a fight. Scampering to the door, Morgan turned the knob. Glancing back, Reid signed to him to go to the back and then take a left. Following the instructions, they all stumbled upon a well-built man. Not wanting to take chances, Morgan tackled him.

Seeing things under control, Emily and Reid roamed further into the estate. Splitting up, Emily went to one room and Reid into another.

Emily witnessed a gruesome scene as a woman hung from the ceiling swinging like a broken doll. Before any action could be taken, a burly man jumped her. The commotion coaxed Reid to the room pointing his gun. Unwavering, he pulled the trigger causing the big man to drop to the floor as Emily clutched her neck.

With the attacker dead, Spencer Reid saw Adelaide Lancaster smiling despite the blood and bruises, "Hey, Billy Boy. I knew you'd make it."

Slowly ambling his way to her, color smashed back into Reid's life. Lights beamed around her, and the sun's early morning brilliance crowned her as the most significant creature of the universe as it crawled into the dark room from the small window. The apprehension of the last few hours slipped from the bottom of his life's pages. In its place, a new courage painted his world anew with radiant rainbows and golden flashes. Lifting her, nothing scared him anymore. She was alive; she was in his arms.

Carrying her away from the torment, Emily called for an ambulance. Morgan hauled a cuffed animal into the back of the SUV. She held on to him for dear life as they stepped out into the daylight with such relief.

Day materialized, and the time of darkness and nightmares was over. The world was safe and welcoming again. And love, love could dazzle them with wonderful hues of joy and mesmerizing glows of gentleness.