Disclaimer: See my profile for a blanket disclaimer and warnings

Agent Stephen Calloway left his office and strode past the nearly empty bullpen. It was Saturday night, and as always, the only person in the office was Aaron Hotchner. Calloway snuck a look at the man with his head of dark hair bent over his desk.

You think you're so smart, but I've taken your best man right out from under your nose.

He tried to squash the feeling of glee that bubbled up in his chest. It made him want to laugh and to dance along the hallway that led past Hotch's office. He wanted to jump up and down and cheer, but he didn't, it was too risky. There was always the chance that Aaron Hotchner would look up and see him there, celebrating like a ten year old boy with his first two-wheeled bike.

He passed another office whose door was open when he walked by. It was the office of Hotchner's personal tech or so the others called her, half in spite, and half in jest. She was one of those people he'd only heard about, the ones the Bureau put on a special watch list. He always thought whenever he saw her that she was nothing special. She was pudgy, with blond hair she regularly colored in every color of the rainbow. Her clothes were so far out of the dress code, it was a wonder she wasn't fired. Hotchner didn't seem to care though. If the truth was known, he probably got his jollies looking at her cleavage.

He stepped on the elevator. His team was meeting in the same location as Dr. Reid and it wouldn't do for him to be late. A leader must be punctual at all times, or so his sainted mother had told him. She used to say if you were late, you wouldn't accomplish anything in this life. He pushed back his black hair and grinned. Mother would be very proud of him soon.

---

Agent Eugene F Stark stepped into the huge conference room. The one table in the room was twelve feet long, and polished wood, with ergonomically correct office chairs sitting around it upholstered in blue patterned fabric. The walls were hung with matching blue fabric. The carpet was also blue. A group of people sat around it waiting for Calloway.

"He doesn't look like a profiler. He looks like a college student that wandered in from Georgetown University." Agent Helen Curtis was observing when Stark entered the room. "He looks harmless." She ran a hand through her light brown hair and frowned.

"He's not harmless, and you'd do well to remember that." Agent William Brooks stated, while flexing his perfectly manicured hands. His muddy green eyes were full of something like derision while he talked about the young doctor.

"I still don't think this is a good idea," Ramirez said worriedly. "We can't expect to keep him here forever. Don't you think that someone, namely his team, won't notice that he's gone?" The very tall, very skinny Hispanic man gestured wildly around with his hands as he talked.

"All of you shut up and pay attention." Calloway entered the room and glared them all down in turn before taking his place at the head of the table. "We all agreed on this plan and it has been enacted for better or worse. He can't get out of that room and there's no way for him to contact his team. His cell phone won't work and he doesn't have access to a computer from that room."

"He's a genius Calloway… You can't say that he won't find a way out of here."

"Then let's give him something to keep his mind occupied."

"I agree with Calloway. We did this for a reason. It's time that Agent Hotchner and his team were displaced from their position in the Bureau." Stark said.

"Stark's right, Hotchner's team has received special treatment for long enough. I'll bet that Strauss boots him out for Agent Reid's loss. He won't be able to talk his way out of this one. As for all of you, I would remind you the reasons for which we are doing this." He looked over at Helen as he spoke. "Your mother needs full time care and nursing homes are expensive. Medicare will only pay so much. Remember that the money you're getting for this assignment will take care of her for the rest of her life."

Agent Curtis opened her mouth and then fell silent at a look from Calloway. Brooks laughed and Calloway turned on him. "Remember the loan sharks I saved you from. If the bureau were to find out about your little problem, you'd be out of here like that." He snapped his fingers.

"Enough of this," Stark said.

"Stark is right, for better of worse, you're all mine now. Get used to it!" He snapped at them.

Calloway's phone beeped. "You better come down here." A voice said over the speaker.

"What's wrong?"

"There's something wrong with Dr. Reid."

"I don't have time for cryptic games."

"Just come done here and see for yourself," the voice insisted.

"This better be an emergency or you'll be out of here on your ass with no money."

"I said it was important."

Calloway shut his phone, "Let's go…" He said, leaving the room without waiting for a reply from his team. The others got out of their chairs and followed their boss out the door.

---

Reid stepped out of the sleeve that connected the exit of the plane to the gate at Atlanta airport. The sky outside the airport was sunlit. The bright light from the sun outside was cut by the tinted windows all around the gates. Airplanes landed and took off as he walked toward the baggage claim. The sky was blue and white with fluffy clouds that made a shiver shoot up his back as he looked out over all the passengers crowding the hallway.

When he looked back to the hallway, he was suddenly in front of the entrance to the airport. His suitcase was in his hand and his bag over his shoulder. Austin was standing there and she was smiling like she had when she'd pulled his business card out of her hair.

"Spencer…"

Her voice sounded like it was coming down a tunnel from far away. He could barely hear her. She called out again and her smile looked like it had been painted on her face.

He walked toward her, faster and faster, but the distance remained constant. Then he hit the double doors at the entrance to the airport and burst through them. He was breathing like he'd run ten miles at full speed.

He looked up and the sky was black with millions of stars over head. "Austin…" He yelled.

The airport was gone, and the rustle of corn stalks took the place of car engines and people talking and shouting to one another. A cold breeze was blowing and in the distance dogs barked and someone screamed.

"Austin…" He yelled and ran through the corn toward the barn. Something told him not to run that way, but he couldn't leave her there screaming.

"Help me Spencer." Her voice was muffled as though stuffed with cotton, or covered with duct tape, a voice said in his ear.

He turned toward her voice and the voice that had spoken in his ear. Austin lay on her back on the ground. Tobias Henkel stood over her, his gun pointed at her head. The dogs growled and barked again. The three of them surrounded Reid, Tobias and Austin, who was crying.

"Help me Spencer…"

"Shut up you little bitch."

Tobias reared back and kicked her in the ribs. She screamed and the dogs howled. Blood caked their muzzles and their necks. Their eyes blazed as they turned on Reid.

"Choose which one will die." Tobias was looking at him.

"I chose myself."

"Choose which one will die."

Now JJ lay on the ground next to Austin. She was heavily pregnant again and her arm was bleeding into the ground. The dogs growled and advanced on her.

"No… I choose myself, let them go!"

Emily took JJ's place. "I already took a beating for you. Do I have to die for you now?" She shouted at him. The dogs moved closer and skinned back their teeth.

Austin screamed and Tobias demanded. "Which one of them will die in your place, Satan?"

"I choose myself," It came out in a whisper that couldn't be heard above the rustle of the corn in the wind and the growling of the dogs.

Emily became Hotch, and Hotch morphed into Rossi, who turned into Garcia, and then into Morgan and lastly into Gideon, they all begged for their lives from him. Tears were running down his face and the dogs were standing over Austin. They waited for their master to loose them on her. Gideon disappeared and Rafael said. "Which one do you choose?"

"I choose myself… Please don't hurt her. I choose myself." He shouted as loud as he could.

"No… She dies…" Austin looked up at Spencer who ran toward her with legs that felt like they were in quicksand. "NO…"

Austin changed into Reid's mother as the dogs attacked. Tobias laughed and the dogs howled. Reid screamed and the sky changed. His mother's screams faded, and the sky was blue and white over his head again.

"No… I won't choose… I won't choose. Take me instead."

His throat was raw and tears were smeared on his cheeks. The sky overhead was the ceiling of his prison he realized and it had all been a horrible dream. He was stuck in this room, and suddenly the thought came to him that maybe it was better that he was here. Perhaps his captors were doing the world, and his friends, a favor by keeping him here. No one could be hurt because of him, ever again, if he was trapped in this prison. He'd pay that price willingly to keep them safe. It was a small price to pay.