A/N- Hey guys :) Thanks for the reviews as always. This ones a three parter :P

I took another liberty here. For the purpose of this story adult mental health wards = 16+ not 18+

Love ya's.

After what had seemed like decades of silence, Valencia spoke.

"I'm sorry about your mother."

Reid looked up at her sad, not sure whether it was for her or himself.

"It's hard enough living with it in here." she tapped the gun to her head. "I can't imagine what it would be like... Sorry."

"It's okay." Spencer didn't know what to say but he felt like keeping her talking was a good thing. "I'm sure it harder on you."

"Dr Reid," He said nothing but signified he was listening. "Do you think the ends justify the means?"

He pondered it but couldn't think of what the right thing to say would be.

"No." he said quietly.

She looked down.

"Me either."

Frank and Morgan arrived at St Mary's in a little under an hour. The place was no Ritz but it was adequate. Not quite the stuff horror films were made of, Morgan thought.

The walls were like you'd expect- White, with only child like drawings breaking the blandness.

"Sargent Limbone? Detective Morgan?" A mousy young brunette in a pink cardigan said.

"Yes," Morgan said, extending an arm. Frank just smiled. "And you are..."

"Allison Berkowski, I'm Dr Mack's assistant. He's been waiting for you. I'll take you too his office."

On the way there, Frank asked Allison a question.

"Did you know Valencia Porter?"

"Oh yes," she smiled. "Everyone knew Valencia."

"Why is that?" Morgan asked.

"She was different to the other people here. She had her problems of course... Delusions, nightmares, anxiety attacks... But she was smart. And always so caring."

Allsion smiled as if recalling a memory.

"There was this one time when Michael Dalco, a patient, got his hands on a pair of scissors and threatened to cut his wrists. She was the only one who managed to talk him down." This time, she frowned. "I just can't believe she'd do something like this."

Now they had reached Dr Macks office. Allison knocked at the door.

"Yes?" He called out. Allsion opened the door. "Dr Mack, the FBI are here to see you."

"Of course. Come in." He gestured to two seats in front of his desk while Allsion excused herself.

Frank decided that they were the same age. The doctor had little eyes and was a bit on the hefty side. Not that Frank was one to judge.

"I got this while you were waiting." Said Doctor Mack, handing Valencia's medial file to Morgan.

He read over it while Frank asked a question.

"The girl's been in here most of her life, is that normal?"

"Not at all. Schizophrenia usually begins in early adulthood, but Valencia's case was very rare. She's been with us here almost two years, we moved her over to the adults ward when she turned 16. The truth is, she had no where to go. No other family apart from her father and her condition would have deteriorated ten fold had we forced her to live with him. If we had released her, she would have gone into the foster care system, and there aren't many people willing to take in a girl with Valencia's... needs. The plan was to reassess her once she turned 18."

"You said her case was rare..." Said Frank, willing the man to elaborate.

"Yes, well, her delusions started at such an early age as I believe you know. When she was eleven she stabbed herself twice in the stomach, convinced there was something inside of her."

Morgan and Frank shot each other a look. This didn't sound very good.

"Though there has been remarkable progress." He continued, almost proud. "On medication, she's aware these were fantasies and she ceases to have them. All but one."

"The Washington Snatcher." Said Morgan, finishing the mans sentence. The doctor nodded

Frank asked, "Can you give us any clue to what we're dealing with here doc?"

Dr Mack frowned like he was trying to decide.

"Valencia is a smart girl. That's not just being kind- She has an IQ of 140. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't hurt a fly. However, she's off her medication I believe. Her roommate Daisy Lilac admitted to one of the doctors earlier that she had been throwing up about a week up to her escape. It's been a long time since she has been off her medication- I'm not sure what she is capable of."

"Best guess?" Asked Morgan.

The doctor thought again.

"I'd say that she is more of a danger to herself than she is to the hostage. I don't think she'd hurt him- Well, unless she thinks he will hurt her or that he will hurt someone else. It's impossible to predict the actions of a schizophrenic mind."

Morgan looked down at the file and saw something scribbled to the side about letters.

"What's this about letters?"

"Ah. Valencia spends most of her time reading books or writing her letters. Until she met her roomate Daisy she barely talked to anyone. We used to read them, the letters, but as time wore on we realized they just said the same things. We told her we mailed them, but of course, we didn't. We keep them in a box out back."

"We're gonna need to see those letters and have a word with Miss Lilac" Said Frank.

"Of course. I'll take you to the letters."

Hotch pulled up on the roadside and looked at the numbers dialed in his phone.

"Uh, Detective Odette?"

Margaret Odette paused in a room full of busy people. She knew that voice anywhere.

"Hotch?"

"Maggie." He said, closing his eyes.

For a moment nobody talked. Hotch wouldn't have called if he had felt there were any other options, but having worked the Washington Snatcher case with her all those years ago, she seemed to be the only person who could truly understand.

"Hotch... What... Where are you?"

"Outside your station." He said in a matter of fact way.

"What?" she screeched a little to loud, turning heads.

"It's Valencia Porter."

Suddenly, Maggie couldn't move.

"Of all the cases you could have called me for Hotch..."

"I know. But this is important. She has a gun and she's threatening to kill one of my agents."

She didn't say anything.

"Do you have time?" He asked.

"I'll be right out."