"A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down." ~Arnold H. Glasow

JJ pulled the door open to Spencer's apartment complex. The nearer and nearer she got to the building, the more dark things seemed. It was almost if he cast a shadow all around him for miles outwards. Or maybe, it just reminded her of Evie because she lived in this apartment too. Either way, JJ could feel the heaviness in her chest as clear as day.

Walking up the stairs to Spencer's floor, she was eerily reminded of when she had done the same thing as now, a couple of years ago. That had been when Maeve had been shot, however. To think that now it had happened yet again was unbelievable. Spence was so sweet. He didn't deserve this.

Not only was she here to make sure he was doing alright, but he'd left all of this stuff in the jet before going home the other night. She had his satchel slung over her shoulder. It was heavier than it looked. She didn't know how he managed to carry it around all day.

Upon reaching the top of the steps, JJ realized she wasn't alone. Hotch was aimlessly walking up and down the hallway, looking from the apartment numbers on the doors and back down to his phone in hand, most likely trying to find the right flat. He hadn't realized JJ was there yet, so she cleared her throat while standing at the top of the steps. Hotch's gaze snapped up to see her, his eyebrows raised in surprise.

"It's... It's this one." JJ said, making her way to the door on the other side of the hallway a few doors down. Hotch nodded appreciatively and joined her as she rapped on the wood three times with her fist.

"I didn't know you were coming right now. Thought I'd stop by after dropping Jack off at a friends." Hotch said, his voice grave. This was nothing new though. Hotch's demeanor was always grim and serious.

"He hasn't been answering my calls." JJ mumbled, then louder, "Spence! Hotch and I are just stopping by for a visit." she called out, shifting her weight more onto one foot and listening for an answer. Nothing.

"We just want to know you're okay." Hotch added, looking up at the ceiling and also waiting for an answer. There was still nothing. Not even a sound from the other side of the door. JJ knew he was probably fine, but her chest still tightened with worry. What if he wasn't?

"I have your bag." she said, knocking once more. Maybe he just didn't want to be bothered. He did that. Every time he was in a dark place, he shut everyone out. He built up walls that were nearly impenetrable.

Hotch sighed beside her and gazed at her with a look that said he was ready to give up. He shrugged and knocked on the door one last time.

"If you don't want us here, we'll go." Hotch called out, both of them leaning in towards the door to listen. JJ went as far as pressing her ear against the door, hoping to at least hear someone moving in there. She couldn't leave before she knew he was at least alright physically.

"Wait..." she said, picking up on something. It sounded like the clink of glass being set down on the surface. Hotch frowned at her, confused. He stayed quiet and waited for her to listen more. JJ tuned in as best she could.

Expecting another small disturbance in the silence didn't at all prepare her for the loud deafening crash that suddenly filled the air. JJ gasped and jumped back away from the door. Hotch's expression changed from serious and nearly expressionless to worried, most likely mirroring her own to a degree.

"Spencer!" she shrieked, banged on the door now, with the palm of her hand.

"Reid!" Hotch added in, his hand bracing on the door frame. JJ pushed her ear back to surface of the door, fast enough to hit her head pretty hard. Preoccupied by other concerns, she hardly noticed.

Listening as best she could once again, JJ could just barely make out small airy noises that sounded like gasping. Spencer gasping... for air... like he couldn't breathe.

"Spencer, open this door or we're coming in!" Hotch shouted, making Evie jump from the sudden shout that she wasn't expecting.

"He's in trouble. We need to get in there." JJ said, her voice much higher than usual. She was almost at the point of hyperventilating now, her palms getting sweaty and her chest rising and falling unusually quickly with short and fast breaths of air.

"I'm no Morgan, but I'll try." Hotch said, his voice raised more than usual, but still calm. He sounded calm, how could he be calm?

Bracing himself a couple of feet from the door Hotch eyed the door with a deep frown and stood with his feet apart. JJ watched with wide eyes and eyebrows pulled together as her unit chief kicked his leg forward and connected with the door. A loud bam! sound filled the air. Dust fell from the ceiling from the impact, coating the air in a thick cloud of particles. JJ coughed into her elbow and looked up at the door that still remained closed.

"Damn..." Hotch muttered. Before he had anytime to even hesitate though, he kicked again, their surroundings rattling. Right after that there came another, and finally, a loud crack split through the air and the door flew open, hitting the wall on the opposite side. JJ sprung into action immediately, only thinking of the horrible things that could be going so mortally wrong in that moment.

"Spence!" she called out, instantly knowing to check the kitchen first. It'd sounded like a pot or something similar had fallen with the crash she'd hear outside the door. The sound had clearly emanated from over here as well. She knew she was right to check there within a fraction of a second when she saw part of Spencer's hand from behind the counter, lying lifelessly on the ground. As she ran around the counter, the rest of his body was revealed. He wasn't all still, however. While his eyes were rolled back in his head, his eye lids fluttering, his body convulsed.

JJ shrieked and fell to her knees beside him. His body jerked inhumanely on the hardwood floor, broken glass and a pot as she had expected, scattered about. JJ gently lifted his shaking upper body into her arms and the sound of broken glass crunched under her knees where she knealt. She began cradling his head on one arm and securely holding him behind his back with another. She saw Hotch run up next to her. He froze for a second, quickly ripping his phone from his pocket the next.

Jayge had no idea what was going on, but she knew it wasn't good. To convulse like he was, was clearly unnatural. The way his eyes rolled back and choking noises escaped from his lips like he couldn't get enough air, drove chills through her body.

"Reid!" she called to him, knowing that it probably wouldn't work. "Spence! Oh god, Spence..." This couldn't be happening. It just couldn't. They'd already lost Evie, and that was more than enough to put a heavy emotional strain on all of the team. They couldn't lose Spencer too. Not her Spence.

"...overdose." she heard Hotch say. It was the one word that caught her attention and made her realize he'd been on the phone with 911. She'd been so distracted, she hadn't noticed. JJ felt tears gathering in her eyes as she looked up at Hotch with begging eyes.

"What do I do?" she asked, looking back down at Spencer and wondering to herself if she was really feeling his motions start to slow or if it was her imagination.

"Get him-"

But before Hotch could finish giving orders, Spencer's body went still in JJ's arms altogether. She looked down in horror. His eyes were open just the very slightest. She was barely able to see his brown orbs gloss over, that curious gleam that seemed always to be present, altogether gone. His body was a limp dead weight in her arms, and his mouth was just slightly open, but no more gagging noises escaped. Fear coursed through her body. She could physically feel it spread through every part of her body, pushing her into a near frenzy.

"Hotch! Hotch, he's not moving!" she screamed, knowing he had already noticed but not caring. She laid his bad across her lap to use her other hand to feel the air above his mouth. There was nothing. No soft breaths to indicate that he was breathing. Her eyes flickered to his chest that was as still as the rest of his body. JJ felt tears escape her eyes and run down her cheeks. No, no, no, no...

"He's not breathing either!" she said, her voice sounding more strained as tears crawled up on her. Hotch was instantly down on his knees beside her, leaning over Spencer's lifeless body. Every ounce of her body was begging for Hotch to know what to do, because she was much to flustered to think straight.

"Let me take him. Go into the hallway and see if there's a AED anywhere and get back as fast as you can." Hotch instructed forcefully. JJ was glad he did. She needed to snap out of her crazed and frantic state and focus. Spencer needed her.

Nodding, JJ jumped up, hardly noticing the sharp pain in her knees and calves from the cuts she received from kneeling in glass. She bolted out the door and into the hallway where she'd just been moments ago. Strangely, it felt like ages ago. It had felt like an eternity during which she held Spencer as he died in her arms. How could this be happening? Both of them?

Jayge closed her eyes for a split second and took a deep but shaky breath. She tried to remember her surroundings that she had passed on her way up to his apartment. Was there an AED anywhere that she just hadn't paid attention to?

Not able to imagine it clearly, JJ opened her eyes and ran down the stairs instead, looking left and right sporadically while she tried to spot an Automatic External Defibrillator. In building like this or offices or schools, they usually were set up in a box on the wall with a marking reading "AED". JJ saw none of this, so she kept running down the stairs until she reached the ground floor. The last rays of sun filtered through the window on the front door of the complex building. It made the walls of the room look more of an orange color than the actual cream, but something else caught JJ's eye. It was a glare where the sun was reflecting off of something: A clear plastic box on the wall.

JJ ran to what thankfully turned out to be an AED. She tore it from the frame on the wall, hurrying back up the stairs as soon as she got a secure hold on the case. She couldn't seem to run fast enough as she finally approached Spencer's jarred open door once more. She ran to where Spencer laid on the floor, flat on his back. Hotch was leaned over him, his hands together on his chest and his arms locked in place as he administered CPR. With each thrust Hotch made into Spencer's chest, Reid's body jerked from the force. It was a lively motion, though. It was a lifeless notion that showed how his body would only move with an outside force.

"I got it." JJ panted, her chest burning from air deprivation.

"Bring it around her." Hotch ordered, and immediately JJ did as she was told. Dropping back down on her knees and cringing at the renewed pain it brought, she undid the latches on the casing of the AED. She knew how to work one. It was part of basic training, and of course part of being a mother, responsible for a child's life. She took the pads connected to the wires out from the compartment of plastic, glancing up to see Hotch administer two more pushes with the palm of his hand to Spence's chest before he back off and lifted Spencer's shirt up enough to expose his chest. JJ hurriedly stuck the pads to the correct areas of his chest, making sure the two pads stayed down before turning the AED on.

"Ready?" Hotch breathed quietly, seeming exhausted from constantly compressing Reid's chest. JJ nodded and ghosted her finger over the shock button. She glanced at Spencer's lifeless face that already seemed to be getting paler by the second, and pushed the button. A shrill beeping noise filled the air. There were three tones, almost like sound of MarioKart counting down by three before the characters took off on the race track. It was Henry's new favorite game. What would she tell him when she had to come home and explain that both his Uncle Spence and his girlfriend were dead? She hadn't even told Henry yet. She was planning on it before Evie's memorial service, but now... how could she look into her son's innocent eyes and tell her that two of his favorite people were never coming back? She couldn't even handle the thought of that fact herself.

After the three descending tones rang through the air, the shrill sound of an electric shock zapped, and Spencer's chest arched up, his body jerking once until it went still again. JJ watched with wide eyes, hoping he'd stir, but no such luck.

"Come on, Reid..." Hotch muttered, bending back over his chest to thrust his palm above Spence's heart a few more times. When he sat back after nothing happened, JJ pushed the button again.

The three ear-splitting beeps filled the air again, and after the third, Spencer's back arched violently to go along with the crackling zap of the shock. While craning her neck to look for signs of life, JJ caught the slightest glimpse of something that gave her just the tiniest glimmer of hope. His eyes fluttered open for just a moment, but ended closed once more.

"Try it once more." Hotch said urgently, obviously noticing the sign as well. As sirens began to sound from far off, JJ pushed the button and the machine revved up, the three tones sounding and the last zap rattling Spencer's body. His chest convulsed and his back arched so high off the floor that he nearly looked possessed. It was worth it when they heard that relieving deep breath that Reid took in. JJ let out a big breath of air she had been subconsciously holding. She watched as Spencer continued to bring in shaking breaths. It was visible that his body was still shaking, but not near the violent convulsions he was having earlier. His eyes weren't open either, but he was alive. That's all she could hope for right now as the sound of people ascending the stairs came closer.

"In here!" Hotch's voice boomed across the room, making JJ jump from the unexpected shout. Hotch lifted Spencer up so he was propped up a bit on Hotch's outstretched arm. The medics filtered into the room, wearing white coats and blue latex gloves. Two of them were rolling in a stretcher, their faces red from the run upstairs.

"Alright, gently now." One of them said. One of the medics walked in between JJ and Hotch and knelt down to snake their arms beneath Spencer's back while two others supported him from the other side. JJ stood up and backed away to give them room as Hotch helped the team of doctors carry him onto the stretcher, safely lying him down. JJ held her breath to hold back sobs as they strapped his body in, rolling him out of the room. The only thing that she could keep herself together with was the sight of Spencer's chest rising and falling as they carried him away.

She imagined if they hadn't have gotten there when they did. He'd be dead by now for sure... Wait... had he just died? Did he just die in her arms a moment ago?

The realization hit her and JJ buried her head into her hands.

"Oh my god..." she murmured to herself. She took dramatically large breaths in attempt to calm herself down, but it only helped a little. What was happening to their little BAU family?

"You okay?" Hotch asked, his voice calm and comforting opposed to the harsh and frantic tone he'd had a moment ago. JJ felt a hand on her back and Hotch's presence at her side. She took another deep breath to regain herself and nodded. Spence wasn't gone just yet. He had years and years left to live. So had Evie... Why the hell was this happening?

"How- How'd you know it was an overdose?" she asked. The symptoms were obvious, but Hotch had sounded so confident in telling the 911 operator.

Hotch let his hand fall from her back as he made his way towards the counter. The remaining glass crunched beneath his feet as he reached forward and plucked something small of the counter, followed by another object. He lifted them up for JJ to see: A small bottle of liquid and a syringe. She closed her eyes and sighed in disappointment. Not this again...

"Dilaudid?" she asked, already knowing the answer. Hotch nodded solemnly and walked over the sink. JJ watched his back as he turned over the vile and released the liquid out and down the drain, stuffing the remains of the glass container and syringe into his suit pocket. She couldn't believe it. Well, yes she could. JJ really didn't know what to think. The speed at which her best friends life was falling apart was unparalleled. First Evie, then Dilaudid, then... death. He died. She just kept repeating that over and over again.

"JJ?" Hotch called out to her softly, concern etched on his face as he watched her pull her eyebrows together in deep frightening though.

"I'm fine." she whispered, running her hand through her long blonde hair to try and pull herself back to the reality that this was happening. "I- I'm going to go get a bag of his stuff together to bring to the hospital." she stammered as she willed her feet to move to take her to his bedroom. Before she could cross the threshold, Hotch spoke up in the unbearable silence.

"JJ... It was an accident... right?" he asked. JJ didn't know why he was asking her. Most likely, it was just to reassure himself, because the way Hotch had said that seemed like he doubted his said presumption. JJ turned back and nodded, also doubting herself.

"Yeah." she said, knowing somewhere deep inside that it was a lie. "Of course."

JJ turned around once more and walked into his room. The sheets on his bed were tousled all over the place as if he was having nightmares again. The drapes were pulled open just a bit, letting in a sliver of the orange rays of the last sunlight of day. JJ squinted against the light as she passed through it, making her way over to Spence's dresser. She opened a drawer and instantly her heart dropped. It was filled with a bunch of Evie's shirts and tank tops. Seeing that almost made it feel like she was never gone but made everything so real at the same time.

Quickly shutting the drawer, JJ opened another one to Spencer's shirts. She fished around for a plain comfortable tee shirt and then found his pants drawer and grabbed him some sweat pants. She tried to think of other things she may need while she gathered up his tooth brush, socks, boxers, and various books he may want to read. She had gotten things from his place before, so it wasn't too hard to get a good pile of things going in little time. Maybe she was even going a bit overboard with the packing, but it kept her mind busy and distracted. She needed something to calm her down.

Looking for other books, Jayge made her way over to his desk where there was one lying face down as if he had been in the middle of reading it before he had to put it down. Taking the book and wedging a small piece of paper inside for a bookmark, JJ placed it in the bag that was holding all of his things. She was just about to turn, when something caught her eye.

JJ.

It was her name written on an envelope on Spencer's desk. It sat on top of a pile of them, the handwriting messier than Spencer's normal penmanship like he scrawled it out in frantic hurry. She picked up the envelope and spread out the others to reveal all of the other member's of the teams with their names written on the fronts. Not only that, but there was one marked to his mother and Henry as well.

Knowing very well what she speculated them to say, JJ tried to deny it in her mind. Her body worked on its own accord however, as she tore the top of the envelope marked to her with shaky hands. Sliding the paper out, she scanned the surface of the letter with words in Spencer's handwriting. Every single word she read, got her closer and closer to the acceptance of what this was. Not wanting to believe it, JJ skipped through and skimmed, trying to find anything that would prove that this wasn't a suicide note.

Within a few seconds, she knew that's what it was though. Spencer hadn't overdosed on accident.

He did it on purpose.

Evie was starting to feel like she was getting her much needed energy back. Her side still hurt like hell and she was scared to death for what might happen to her, but she was regaining her incentive. Everything she thought was towards the idea of getting out of here. Spencer... she had to get back to Spencer.

It took twenty minutes for her to sit up and still hold on to consciousness. It wasn't so much from her gunshot wound as it was from just lying down for who knew how long with very limited food and water. The wound didn't help, though.

When she did sit up and regain her focus, everything seemed easier. Evie tried to push herself up to stand, but to no avail. Her knees collapsed from under her and she fell to the ground, just able to catch herself before she hit the ground hard at the wrong angle. Grunting in pain, Evs pushed herself up with all the strength she had in her arms. There were machines under her bed just as she had speculated from the sounds it made and the tube running from under her bed to her arm. Speaking of which, she tore the needle out and tossed it aside. She liked Hani and she trusted him, but she didn't want his help to get better anymore. She wanted out.

Crawling over to where the panel would be on the wall, Evie pushed herself close to observe the small crack that designated where the door was. She pressed her face close, looking out of the small sliver of space with one eye. She couldn't see anything but the door frame of wood. Sighing and leaning back, she observed the room. She needed something, anything to help her get out. She didn't know what she'd do if she did find a way out, but she supposed she'd figure that out later. For now, she just needed a lead on a plan. There was no more waiting around.

Evie crawled to each corner of the room, pawing at the walls and boards to try and locate something loose. Nothing.

For five or ten minutes more, she rammed herself against walls, tried making something sharp out of the pieces of useless metal on the floor, or seeing if the medical machines could help in any way possible.

Her attempts were interrupted when the panel flew open, nearly hitting her as she was trying to claw her way through a particularly old piece of wood on the wall. Evie's heart went cold as she turned her gaze upwards to see a hand shooting forward and grabbing her by her shirt and practically dragging her to the bed she had spent so much time in. It was Slick, the one she was most afraid of. Of course he'd come in when she was trying to escape.

Despite her fear, Evie fought. Despite the pain in her side and the energy it was taking her, she lashed out and tried to punch him in the gut. She tried over and over but he always caught her find. Evelyn did land one good one that made him "oof", but he had her pushed down in no time. When he was reaching back to pull something from his pocket, Evie was terrified that it'd be a gun and he'd finish her right there. She shrieked, but felt relieved when his hand came back with a pair of handcuffs. He threw them around one of her wrists with the other one attached to the bed post.

"Bitch." he spat at her. "You can forget your second meal."

And with that he walked out.