Please Note I do not own Criminal Minds, any of the characters, or any other copyrighted content that appears in this story. This is just based off my own personal musings after a vivid dream after watching the show. Rated T for Language and Intense Content.

It was at that point that I became unable to discern between the chills caused by the crisp air and those from the sound of his voice grating out across the space between us. The phrase 'like a deer caught in the headlights' took on real meaning for me as my entire body froze in his unyielding gaze. No matter how much I willed my feet to move they refused to obey. It was beyond infuriating, but being angry with my uncooperative limbs was the least of my concern at the moment. "H… how did you find me?" It angered me how weak my voice came out, but could you really fault me?

"Find you? I never lost you."

All the blood must have gone to my head in a panicked rush of adrenaline because all I could hear after that was the rapid beat of my own heart. The only thing I could keep track of was his body language, which wasn't easy to do with only the aid of the shimmering moonlight which was now streaked thanks to some rogue clouds. There was still, however, the glint of his knife which slowly drip, drip, dripped with Jessica's blood onto the gravel below our feet, which only pulled my attention away from his body language more often.

It wasn't until he took a few steps towards me that my body started to cooperate. Well, cooperate may be the wrong word. React and work on its own volition is probably a better description of what happened. No matter what you want to call it, I can easily say that it led to me running harder than I have ever run in my life. I could hear him keeping up with me easily over the rocky terrain, stumbling behind me with his knife in his hand.

I felt his hand close around the collar of my shirt, choking me as he yanked me back and threw us both to the ground. I kicked and flailed and screamed as the tears and sobs threatened to overcome me. I didn't stop even when I felt his knife biting into the flesh of my left bicep. It was clear that he wasn't intending to damage his prey, so I took that moment of shock to kick him away, clamor to my feet, and run through the house as I screamed loud enough to attract any nearby mountain lions.

My eyes remained trained behind me, searching for him. I turned sharply to look forward as a dark figure manifested in front of me, wrapping their inescapable arms around my already frantic form. I screamed louder and pounded against his chest as the tears finally poured down my face. My throat began to close up as those horrible months in that damned basement flashed back in front of me. I was ready to throw myself against his knife to just escape the hell when the steady voice – the protective, warm voice that was so unlike his cut through my terror. Slowly I forced myself to calm down as I looked up with tear filled eyes and realized that it was a policeman.

One of the neighbors had apparently reported the partygoers and he had loathsomely made his way up the mountainside abode. I wanted to be mad at him for not getting there as soon as he had received the phone call, but I was just too relieved that there was someone there to save me and that I wouldn't have to go through this alone.

They tell me I went into shock after that, which makes sense because I remember very little of what followed other than blurs of blue and red lights accompanied by the wail of sirens and the pestering of paramedics as they stitched up my arm. They carted me away – much to my own chagrin because I wanted to wait until they found the bastard – to keep me overnight. My parents were out at Lake Tahoe, so I didn't complain too much being kept under watched guard in a hospital. However, it wasn't exactly restful. All I could think of the entire time was seeing Jessica's body and knowing that the reason she and Tim were dead was because of me.

Again, the counselors would tell me it wasn't my fault, but again we all know that's total bull shit. If it wasn't for this asshole's fixation on me, there would be two more people alive. Two more wonderful people who didn't deserve to be dealt the hand they were given.

The only upside to the shock was that I didn't realize how quickly time was moving and I was in the hospital before I even knew it. My arm throbbed, but it was the least of my concerns. The physical wounds were so much easier to repair than the damned mental and emotional scars they left behind.

Worst of all was what I heard whispered between the cops. That one abbreviation that told me that we were all in deep trouble:

FBI.

They were coming back, hopefully to finish the case. Protective custody was being ordered, my parents were being kept in Tahoe because being near me was apparently a death sentence, and I would be questioned rigorously.

Yay.

Oh and did I mention that this all happened exactly two weeks before my twenty-second birthday?

Happy birthday to me…

At least I would have some old friends to keep me company.

I didn't even bother wishing for a cake or extravagant presents. I just wanted some peace of mind and safety for my birthday.

If only it was that fucking easy.

Oh, did I mention? They still hadn't found him other than a blood trail leading back towards the valley that ended somewhere in the wooded areas on the mountainside.

Happy birthday to me…

After sitting up in that bed for three hours without moving one of the nurses had enough empathy to bless me with enough morphine to knock me out and let me sleep. Apparently I would need my rest because they would be here in the morning.

The BAU.