A/N: Wow, 2 chapters in less than 24 hours! I can hardly believe it! And I've also decided that I am going to with making this multiple stories, which will make it much easier to write. I'm thinking there will only be a few chapters left in this one, but don't worry! I will post the next story as soon as I can! Now on to the story!
This chapter contains spoilers for Jones, as well as mentions of drug abuse.

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

Prentiss, Gideon and JJ sat in the police precinct with LaMontagne when Morgan's phone rang. He glanced at it and smiled. "Hey baby girl," he said flirtatiously, answering the phone. "What've you got for me?"

"You're going to love me for this, my dear," Garcia purred on the other end of the phone. "I found a murder in Galveston, Texas a few months after Katrina, which fits the MO of your killings in New Orleans exactly."

"A lot of people relocated to Galveston while the town was still rebuilding," LaMontagne said.

"So our UnSub could've relocated there as well, and recently moved back to New Orleans," Gideon mused. "Prentiss, I want you on a plane to Galveston tonight. Call Reid and Morgan, tell them to meet you on the plane."

Prentiss nodded and rose from her seat, pulling out her phone and dialling as she walked out of the precinct. JJ turned to Gideon. "Where is Reid, anyway?" she asked.

"He went to go see his friend, Ethan," Gideon replied. "There wasn't anything for him to do around here, so I let him go."

JJ nodded and looked away from the others, just staring into space. She wanted to run to Reid right now and throw her arms around him, holding him tight and telling him that everything was going to be okay. But she knew she couldn't do that- not yet, anyway. All she could do was pray that Reid's friend Ethan would either be smart enough to see what was going on with Reid (which he probably was, if he was Reid's rival) or that Reid managed to open up and tell Ethan exactly what was going on. And so she prayed.

Reid, meanwhile, had just arrived at a jazz club in New Orleans and stood in the doorway for a moment, watching. Ethan was sitting in a booth, facing away from Reid. He walked over to him silently, and placed a hand on his shoulder.

Ethan turned around hurriedly, and smiled when he saw Reid. "Geez, Reid, you scared me!" he exclaimed.

"I was always one step ahead of you, man," Reid joked, sliding into the booth opposite Ethan and ordering a red wine. His drink had just arrived and he was taking his first sip when his cell phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID: EMILY PRENTISS. Pressing the 'ignore' button, he turned back to Ethan.

"I'm glad you called, Reid," said Ethan. "It's been a while."

Reid nodded, swirling his drink. "That is has."

The two men remained silent for moment, both taking more of their drink, before Ethan spoke up. "You know you can ask me the question, Reid."

"I don't know what you mean," Reid claimed.

"Reid, I know it's been bothering you," Ethan said. "You can ask me."

Reid sighed. "Why did you quit after one day of FBI training?" he asked.

"As well as I know you, you know me," Ethan remarked. "You've already thought of an answer, haven't you?"

"You were battling your own demons, and you didn't want to take on anyone else's," Reid guessed.

Ethan nodded. "Those days, I did prefer Jack Daniels to Jeff Dahmer," he admitted. "They both weigh on your soul eventually."

Reid's cell continued to ring, and he looked down to see that it was still Prentiss. Again, he ignored it. Ethan noticed the expression on Reid's face.

"You know, my music makes me happy, even in the worst of times," Ethan said. "It's easy to see that you aren't." He raised his glass towards Reid, who just stared at Ethan. "John Coltrane – he was a genius, too. He died of cancer but most people think it was the booze and heroin that did him in." Ethan put his glass down and placed both hands on the table, holding Reid's gaze. "I can see you aren't well, Reid," Ethan whispered, and Reid's expression became one of what was almost shame. "You work with some of the smartest minds in the world. If I can see what's wrong with you, the people you work with- who profile every day, have seen it too."

Reid looked down and sighed. "I know," he admitted. "I didn't want to believe that they did, but I know." He opened his mouth to say something else, but once again his phone went off. Without even confirming that it was once again Prentiss, he ignored the call.

"Can't you talk to one of them about it?" Ethan asked. "I'm sure that they would want to help you."

"You just said it yourself, Ethan- they're profilers. They'll just try to fix me, and I don't want that," Reid said.

"Surely you can talk to one of them," Ethan said more softly. "I know they care about you."

Reid shook his head. "I don't know…" Something entered his mind then, and he stopped talking.

"Who is it?" Ethan prodded gently.

"Agent Jareau- JJ," Reid said. "She's the heart and soul of our team, the one that keeps us all sane."

"You love her, don't you?" Ethan guessed.

"What? No!" Reid exclaimed. Ethan just stared him down, and he sighed. "Yes. I do. More than anything else in the world."

"Does she know you love her?"

Reid nodded. "She said it first," Reid said. "We're together, but, well…"

"You can't tell the team?" Ethan surmised. "Have you talked to her about what's going on with you?"

Reid shook his head. "I can't. She'd leave me, and then it wouldn't be worth it anymore."

"Reid, if she loves you, she'll hang around," Ethan assured him. "But if you don't tell her she will think you don't trust her, and then she'll bolt."

"I think it's already too late for that," Reid said. "This detective on the case we're working on… he was flirting with JJ. And I- I think she might leave me for him."

"If she really, truly loves you, she would never do that," Ethan assured Reid. "You just need to talk to her.

Reid sighed. "I don't know. I just don't know."

Prentiss looked up hopefully when she heard footsteps coming closer. Morgan walked onto the plane- alone. He looked around the plane confused, before his gaze focused on Prentiss. "Where's Reid?" he asked.

"I was hoping he was with you!" Prentiss said.

"I thought you called him," Morgan said.

"I did, three times!" Prentiss exclaimed. "Nothing. What are we going to do?"

Morgan sighed. "Only one option. Wheel's up."

Prentiss and Morgan sat back in their seats. If Morgan's thoughts were anything along the line of Prentiss's, he would be thinking about Reid. It wasn't like him to miss a plane- in fact, he never missed a plane. They had to do something.

Prentiss pulled out her phone and pressed one of the speed dial buttons. "Prentiss?" said JJ's voice. "What's up?"

"Reid never showed up for the plane to Galveston," Prentiss told her. "I thought you should know."

"Why me?" JJ's voice sounded a little bit flustered.

"You're his best friend," Prentiss replied. "If he's going to talk to anyone, it would be you."

"Okay, I'll see what I can do," JJ said. "Thanks, Prentiss."

Back in New Orleans, JJ hung up her phone. She was sitting in a bar with Detective LaMontagne. He was drinking a beer, while JJ just had a mineral water in front of her.

"Something the matter?" LaMontagne asked.

"Uh, I don't know… maybe," JJ said. "But we're here for the case. That's what we have to focus on now." I'll help Reid as soon as I'm done here. Definitely.

LaMontagne just watched JJ for a moment, until she became uncomfortable. "What is it?" she said.

"I've been flirting with you all day, and you haven't even reacted to it once," LaMontagne pointed out.

"No, I haven't," JJ agreed. "Your point being?"

"Most women would have at least said something, or reacted in some way," LaMontagne said.

"I'm not most women," JJ said evenly.

"No, you aren't," LaMontagne said with a small smile.

"Detective, listen," JJ said. "I'm not interested. This isn't helping the investigation."

LaMontagne hung his head. "You're right, I'm sorry. I should be focused on solving this case for my daddy."

"We will," said JJ. Suddenly her phone began to beep; she had a text message. From Reid.

I need you was all it said. "I've gotta go," she said hurriedly, jumping out of her seat.

"There's something more important that this case?" LaMontagne asked.

"Yes," said JJ. "Something much more important than the case." With that, she ran out of the bar with one person on her mind.

Reid was in his room at the hotel, pacing backwards and forwards. The vials and needle were lying on his bed, covered haphazardly by a cloth. He didn't want her to see them straight away.

He looked over and saw his phone sitting on the bedside table, where he had left it after texting JJ. He hoped he had made the right decision in telling her to come to him, so he could talk to her. He knew that he couldn't lie to her, but whether she would stay around after she found out… Reid couldn't think about it.

A knock sounded on Reid's door, and he instantly stopped pacing. It was her; she was here.

Reid walked over and opened the door, instantly thrown by the look of concern on JJ's face. "I'm here," she said.

"Come in," Reid managed to stay, stepping aside so JJ could enter his room. After he'd closed the door, he turned to look at her.

"You guys were right," he said. "I'm not fine. I'm struggling. So, so much. If it wasn't for you, I- I don't know what would've happened by now."

"Hey, Spence," JJ said soothingly. "It's okay. I'm here."

"Maybe not for much longer," Reid said.

"I'm not going to leave you for LaMontagne, if that's what you're worried about," JJ assured him.

"You might, after what I'm about to tell you," said Reid.

JJ was confused now. "Spencer, what's going on?"

"It's time for you to know what I've been doing since you rescued me from Connors," Reid said. He moved over to his bed and pulled the cloth away, revealing the vials and needle beneath.

"Dilaudid," JJ whispered.

A/N: What's JJ going to say to Reid, now that she knows his secret? Will she stay with him? Guess you'll have to wait for the next chapter to find out! It should take a bit longer to post than the last one, as I have school AND work tomorrow, and I leave the house at 8:30am and don't finish work until 10pm (kill. me. now.) but I'll try and post asap!