A/N: Does Spencer actually drive? It's never really crossed my mind... He probably does and the chances are that I'm being stupid but erhm... *awkward cough* anyway. Le chapter you came here for:

The storm's back broke, and its ferocious contents were dispelled across the coast as the daylight bled from the sky. Along the horizon line, all of the sunset's beauty had been tainted by brooding thunderheads cloaked in blue-black cloud, rain and howling winds pounding into the land without a shred of mercy. A bruised sky was torn open with a terrific rumble and a blinding flash of lightning, and beneath this maelstrom one black SUV raced towards Washington.

Spencer's knuckles were white against the black of the wheel, and Penelope didn't think she had ever seen her boy genius look so grim and yet so determined as he did in that moment: his slight frame was hunched forward, eyes blazing out into the darkening, storm-struck night. Amidst the darkness, the pale yellow of the headlights was nothing, but the two of them needn't have worried. Barely a soul dared to drive the road under these conditions, although it was hardly as if Spencer and Penelope had any choice. In the back seat, Penelope's face was pale from the shock that continued to freeze her system, and she appeared more like a phantom as the rain-on-glass patterns swirled across her skin.

"How long is the drive?" She asked, shivering.

"It's been measured at 47 minutes but in these conditions..." his throat felt thick. "An hour... hour and a half, at the least," a shaky sigh left his lips, crystallising instantly in the frigid air- (they had been in such a rush that Reid hadn't stopped to turn on the heating)- and he glanced back at Garcia. He seemed to suddenly notice the chill, because a faint quiver racked in body and he switched on the heating. They drove on in silence, Spencer clenching his teeth in an attempt to fight back the rising nausea in his throat. His head was getting bad again, and if this little headache turned into a full-blown migraine they would truly be stuck; all the time he was waiting for the tell-tale flashes in the corners of his eyes, while his heart beat out a frantic taboo in his throat. Still, not a single team member was answering their mobiles- and the radio was bringing in absolutely nothing apart from depressing thoughts.

-"...It is believed several police officers and federal..." Garcia's head jerked up, and Spencer swiftly adjusted the volume and fixed the station. In the driver's mirror, Garcia's frightened eyes met his. "agents are inside the building, along with twenty civilians. The security guard present at the arrest has been taken to safety, but there are no further reports on the people still inside the building. It is believed to be a bomb..."

"Reid, she said Federal Agents..." Garcia's voice was cracked, and her lightly curled fist pressed up against her mouth.

"I heard her," Spencer replied, with a little more harshness in his response than he intended. Noting this at once, and the way that Garcia recoiled, he took a deep breath to try and steady the nerves jittering around his body. "It's exactly another 37 minutes until we reach the explosion sight, and then we can try to- to assess the situation," He finished, unable to keep the shake and quiet fear from seeping into his tone. This didn't feel right to him; this position of issuing orders under stress and trying to keep order was Hotch's job. Heck, JJ could take this position with more authority than he ever could! Spencer was a loss, like a fisherman drowning but having to keep his head above the water for the sake of his crew. Just then, he was the only agent qualified to keep up this case- unless, of course, Strauss could magically produce a team of co-operative, fresh agents that could learn two weeks' worth of profile in one night. Now what were the chances of that?

Arriving at the explosion scene, it was as if the warm interior of the SUV had gorged Spencer and Penelope out into hell. Reporters and policemen were everywhere, yelling orders and instructing rescue teams through megaphones, shielding themselves from the freezing rain with cheap umbrellas and emergency poncho's. Spencer pulled up the collar of his overcoat, splashing through ankle-deep puddles towards the officer who had been in charge of the investigation.

"Detective Inspector Smith!" Reid held up his FBI badge, automatically pulling his hands back from the proffered handshake. Again, he was in an unusual position: introducing himself without a comment from another team member. Garcia was walking close behind him, a black umbrella screening her from the worst of the rain. She introduced herself, glancing around.

"Special Agent Doctor Spencer Reid, I assume?" Smith said, merely as a way of introduction. His niceties were met by an abrupt nod from Reid, and a distracted air resonated off the young doctor.

"What's the situation?"

"We have firemen inside what little remains of the building as we speak, but... I don't want to lie to you; the situation is looking pretty grim. Your fellow agents haven't been seen at all- I, I guess you could get suited up and go in with them...?" The DI suggested. He was fresh on the post, a mild-mannered character with a stern hand when it came to justice; and just then he looked to be their only friend in this hard time.

"Yes, that would be good," Spencer was secretly relieved that Smith had suggested before he had had to ask.

"What about me?" Garcia piped up, and Reid whirled around. He bit his lip briefly.

"Go to the hotel, get set up as best you can,"

"You'll call?"

"yes, Garcia, I'll call," he tried for a reassuring tone, and wished that he could use it with the same command that JJ or Hotch did. Garcia nodded, as an officer led her back towards his own car. Reid watched her go, and that same foreboding from earlier raised its unwelcome head once again. He swallowed, and followed Smith to where the paramedics and firemen were working side by side to duck beneath the rubble and search through the inner wreckage.

A/N: That's it for chapter one! Hopefully a better chapter this weekend... Again, the ending was a little too rushed but what can I say? I was really excited to get another chapter up tonight.