A/N This is the second CM fanfic I ever wrote, I've just been too lazy to type it up. But here you go finally! An Elle chapter! Rated T/M because it deals with adult-ish themes(as follows): There are some theories about why Elle originally was in the Sexual Crimes division or whatever, and I'm rolling with that. Read and Review please!

"She quit?" Reid asked.

"Yes, I'm afraid so. She turned in her badge and gun," Hotch answered.

"It's probably for the best. That guy destroyed her," Gideon added at the looks on the other agent's faces-mostly Reid who looked shocked. Morgan, JJ and Garcia just looked sad.

"Back to work everyone," Gideon said with a troubled look on his face. Morgan, JJ, and Garcia nodded, but Reid stood in place, as if paralyzed.

"Reid, you okay?" Morgan asked him.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Reid said shaking his head and sitting down at his desk. He tried to focus on the papers in front of him, but he couldn't. He just wondered if things would have turned out differently if he had told someone that he thought something was up with Elle. Eventually he couldn't just sit there any longer. He got up and knocked on Hotch's office door.

"Come in," Hotch said.

"Has anyone talked to Elle?" Reid asked.

"Excuse me?" Hotch asked.

"I mean, I know she refused the psychological eval, but has anyone just talked to her?" Reid asked.

"She won't talk to me or Gideon. She claims she's fine and that it was self-defense," Hotch answered.

"Yes, but she has PTSD. She faked it well at first, but she obviously still has it from getting shot. I-I talked to her the day before she shot that guy and she claimed she was fine then too, but she was drinking. She just doesn't want to look weak. If left to her own devices, this could destroy her," Reid finished quickly, trying to explain what he believed.

"She has refused help, Reid, and she quit. There is nothing more I can do for her," Hotch said, going back to his paperwork, dismissing Reid.
Reid opened his mouth to argue, but thought better of it and awkwardly went back to his desk.

"Spence, you sur you're okay?" JJ asked him, giving him a concerned look.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Reid nodded, giving her a half smile. She studied him for a minute but nodded and went back to her desk.

The rest of the evening passed slowly, until Reid and thr rest of the team were able to leave.

Reid got in his car, debating whether or not he was making the right choice. Elle had changed so much in the past six months it scared him. He knew no one else was going to talk to her-not with her quitting...

He pulled up to her driveway ten minutes later and hesitated before knocking on the door. A moment later, Reid found himself with a gun to his chest, Elle looking almost terrified.

"Oh, it's you," Elle lowered her gun bu didn't move out of the doorway.

"Can- can I come in?" Reid stuttered.

"What do you want?" she asked him harshly, but Reid could hear the tiredness in her voice, despite her cold facade.

"I just want to talk," Rrid said with understanding. He looked past Elle, into her house and saw cardboard boxes on the ground, filled with pictures, CD's, books, and other of Elle's possessions.

"Are you moving?" He asked her. At the question, Elle finally lowered her guard and moved away from the door, letting Reid in.

"Yeah," she said softly, picking up her cup that contained some sort of alcohol. "I just don't feel safe here anymore," Elle continued packing things up, stopping momentarily at a picture of her and her father from when she was a kid.
"You know, Elle, yo don't have to deal with what happened by yourself-"

"I shot him in self defense, Reid-"

"That's not what I'm talking about. You know when traumatic things happen to you when you're young and something else traumatic happened later in life it can re-trigger PTSD," Reid said.

"How do you know about that? The only people who were supposed to know about that were Gideon and Hotch," Elle said.

"I deduced. You transferred from sexual crimes and you only got really upset when we had a case specifically dealing with rape... and in light of recent... events," Reid answered.

"Yeah. Okay, genius boy I get the point, but I am fine," Elle replied, throwing herself back on the couch and crossed her arms.

"If you were fine you wouldn't have quit," Reid said. Elle didn't reply but avoided his gaze.

"Elle, you should talk to someone. I know you don't want to but..." his voice trailed off as Elle's eyes welled with tears.

"Do you think I did it?" She asked him.

"What?" Asked Reid, shocked.

"Do you agree with Hotch and Gideon?" She asked again.
Reid looked at her, searching for remorse on her face, but there was none. There was pleanty of fear and anger, but no remorse.

"I think...I think whatever you may have done, you have PTSD, Elle. When you have PTSD, you don't think straight, so it's not your fault," Reid said cautiously, avoiding the actual question.

Tears were rolling down Elle's face. "He deserved it. That bastard deserved it. He raped those girls in their home, the place where they should have felt safe," Elle said, standing up, her voice shaking, tears rolling down her face.
It was very close to a confession and Reid hoped she wouldn't completely give him one. He didn't want to have to arrest her. Even if she did confess, he still wasn't sure he would turn her in.

"We may not have been there for you when you got shot, Elle, but we're here for you now. You can talk to us-to me about what happened. It doesn't make you weak. Just because you're an agent, you don't have to do this alone," Reid told her.

"Were," she said softly.

"What?" Reid asked.

"Just because you were an agent... I gave it all up. What I've wanted since I was a kid. I don't regret shooting him, I just regret the fact that I can't help anyone anymore," she said quietly, finally breaking down in to tears. Reid pulled her into a hug as she cried. He guessed it was the first time in a long time she let herself break down.

"You don't need to be an agent to help people, Elle. You don't need to be on the field to help." Reid said quietly. "But before you can help anyone, you need help."

Elle pulled away from the hug, wiping tears from hr eyes and regaining her composure. "Where do I start?" she asked. Reid smiled, thanking god that he got through to her. He looked around the room and saw an empty bottle of alcohol and another bottle a quarter of the way gone. He picked it up.

"First we get rid of this," he said, showing it to Elle. "It doesn't help." Elle bit her lip, but nodded anyway. Reid opened the bottle an poured it down the sink.

"And now?" she asked,

"I help you pack. You're right about that. No one would be able to feel safe here after what happened," he replied. "And tomorrow you schedule an appointment with a psychologist." Elle looked like she was going to argue, but Reid cut her off.

"Yes, it's necessary. Elle. It will help, I promise." Elle bit her lip and nodded again.

JJ came up to Reid the next day at the BAU office, "Did you go talk to Elle?" JJ asked him.

Reid looked up at her, "How did you know?" he asked.

"You aren't the only one who can profile, Spence," JJ joked. "I knew you would want to help her." Reid nodded.

"So how is she?" JJ asked.

Reid smiled slightly, "I think she'll be okay eventually."

"Good. You're a good guy, Spence," JJ smiled at him and ruffled his hair before walking away.

Reid sat back in his chair and smiled, knowing that he was helping Elle. Knowing that he was doing the right thing.

A/N I know it's unlike Elle to break down but I plead PTSD and the fact that I have her slightly drunk in this story. Review please!