After Will left, JJ sat down on the couch and sighed. She decided she'd lay down and try to have a nap, then she'd head back to BAU headquarters to help the team find Spencer.

It wasn't long after she had fallen asleep that there was a knock on the door. She didn't hear it as she had been so exhausted that she had quickly fallen into a deep sleep. After a couple moments the door opened and a man walked in.

The man walked over to the couch where JJ was laying and looked down at her. He smiled, and upon seeing the photos around the apartment knew he had the right place. He walked through the rest of the apartment and once he found the bathroom he started the water and waited for the tub to fill...

Spencer had just pulled into the BAU parking lot. He got out of the rented car and quickly made his way inside the building. People looked at him strangely when they first saw him, they recognized him, but just barely because he looked very different with short, black hair.

The team was still in the conference room trying to solve the case, but they weren't getting anywhere. They had all the files since Penelope had hacked into the CIA database, but the victims didn't seem to have anything else in common that would let them know who their killer was. The man had covered his tracks well, and without a living victim such as Spencer, they were worried they wouldn't find this guy.

"I hate this," Derek finally said, "I hate that we can't crack the case."

"We need to keep trying, there has to be something here that we're missing," Hotch tried to reassure him, but Emily spoke up.

"We're missing Reid," everyone was looking at her, "not only because he knows the case, but also because he always sees the things we can't. He has always been like that-"

"That's really sweet Emily. Thanks."

Everybody had been looking at Emily, except for Penelope who had seen Spencer quietly slip in and lean against the wall beside the door.

Penelope got up and rushed over to him, embracing him and saying "you came back! Don't you ever do that to us again Spencer, we've been worried sick!"

Spencer smiled, "I won't, I promise."

Emily was smiling, but the other three men could only look at him in surprised and for Derek, anger.

Spencer noticed this so he walked towards the table and started explaining himself, hoping that they'd all understand, especially Derek who had become his best friend in the last few years.

"I tried to leave, but I realized that I'm tired of running and hiding, and that if anyone could help me find him it'd be you guys. You're the best FBI agents in this place, but not only that- I also realized that if there's a guy that's going to kill me, I'd much rather be with you. You guys care about me and have always protected me, and you've never given up on me."

Spencer had been looking at everyone as he said this, but then he focused in on Derek.

"I've realized how much I need you, all of you but maybe especially you because you've become like a brother to me. I never meant to care about any of you like this, I've always tried to distance myself and you all know why-"

The team knew Spencer still struggled with abandonment and trust issues because of his Father leaving when he was young.

"I'm not going to deny it anymore, I've been even more afraid to open up since Gideon left. I went through I really hard time after Hankel, and I felt like I was left alone all over again to cope with something that was honestly just too much to cope with on my own. When the case file fell into my hands I felt like that was happening again. I was being handed something I couldn't cope with it by myself, but now I see I don't have to."

Penelope hugged him again and Hotch gave him one of those rare smiles, Rossi was also smiling, but Spencer was only paying attention to Derek whose face had softened. However, he still looked angry, and hurt?

"How could you think you had to handle this alone Reid?" Derek asked, there was an edge to his voice and whether it was anger or maybe being on the verge of tears it didn't matter because the team cared about each other and would never judge.

"I don't know, I guess that's what I'm used to and I didn't want to lose you guys because of this."

"How could you think you'd lose us though?! We've always been there for you the best we could be, you said it yourself!"

Derek had gotten up and was no longer trying to keep his composure. He felt completely betrayed, and Spencer understood this.

"I was scared that you guys would hate me for lying, I was afraid you'd think that I wasn't me, but I am. I'm still the same guy Derek, I'm still your best friend. I know you feel betrayed, I know you have problems trusting people after what happened to you and I feel so honoured that you managed to trust me. I'm sorry that I broke that trust, but you have to understand that I was only trying to protect myself... like you were."

Rossi was looking between the two men before looking at the other three members of the team with a confused expression because Rossi didn't know what Spencer was talking about when he said 'like you were.'

The team knew though; Spencer was referring to how Derek had lied to them about Carl Buford because he hadn't been able to trust them, and he was afraid of anybody finding out the truth about what had happened to him. Derek had only been trying to protect himself, but back then Spencer had felt a little betrayed too. He hadn't understood why Derek wouldn't have at least trusted him with the truth, he supposed now that he was a hypocrite.

"I could never hate you pretty boy," Derek understood what Spencer was saying and he couldn't stay mad once he heard his explanation, "I trusted you because you have always been honest with me, even when you thought I was acting like a jerk-"

"I've always been who I really am with you. I kept a big secret about who I am and for that I'm sorry, but everything I said and everything I did throughout the years has been me."

"We know that," Hotch stated, "at least I did, and I knew that you had your reasons for keeping this secret Reid. I understood and I trust that everyone else does too."

Emily nodded, she certainly understood everything Spencer was feeling. Penelope had felt hurt at finding out Spencer's secret, but mostly because of how he had been hurt and how afraid she knew he must have felt running and hiding from his past for so long. She had forgiven him, and to Hotch and Rossi there was nothing to forgive.

Derek stood there looking at Spencer and after several moments said, "I don't think you've always been completely honest about who you are and what you can do, from what happened at the apartment you seem to have better self defence skills. You'll have to show me some CIA moves sometime."

Spencer smiled and knew that at least Derek seemed open to forgiving him. He knew Derek and him would have to talk later, but he was sure that Derek understood and that they'd be able to stay best friends/brothers after this was all said and done.

'If you survive it,' a voice in Spencer's head said, but he shook it off because he didn't have time for anxiety.

Right now, Spencer needed to speak to JJ because he knew that she'd be even more hurt than Derek, but he didn't see her anywhere.

"Where's JJ?" He asked once he and Derek had sat down, beside each other.

"I sent her home, she wasn't doing well," Hotch answered.

This hurt Spencer and he stood back up quickly, "I need to go, I need to talk to her."

"We need to solve the case Reid, you can speak to JJ later-"

"No, I need to go to her now Hotch," Spencer told him firmly, "you have to understand-"

"Let him go, maybe now that we know he's okay we'll be able to focus and he'll come right back with her," Derek added.

Hotch nodded, "go quickly, and Spencer-"

Spencer stopped at the door as he had already gotten up and hurried towards the door.

"You better come back," Spencer smiled and looked at his team one more time before leaving the room.

Once again, Spencer was leaving the BAU headquarters, but he had full intention of returning after he had spoken with JJ.

If the team felt like they had Spencer back and solving the case would be easy, they were wrong.

Things wouldn't be easy, wouldn't fall into place the way Spencer had hoped. Spencer had been right about the case file falling into his hands and changing everything.

Things weren't ever going to be the same.