Hey everyone, here is the next chapter for you. I hope you enjoy it. Let me know what you think. The next chapter will be the last for this fanfic, I'm sorry to see it go but I've loved writing it and I hope you have all enjoyed it as it has progressed. One more chapter after this! Enjoy!

I didn't update yesterday as I felt a little burned out. I was trying to write yesterday and it just came out really bad so I gave myself a day to refresh my mind. I hope you all don't mind but it was for the benefit of my writing. I hate putting out something half arsed and terrible. Sorry for not updating.

Thank you for all the reviews, you're the most wonderful and faithful reviewers in the world and I love you all. Thank you!

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All mistakes are my own

Reid waited for the elevator doors to open. He was nervous about walking into the BAU. He had not been here in a very long time. Garcia had assured him that any digital trace of his crimes were now erased and that he would be fine. The doors opened and he walked in. He made a straight line for Hotch's office. He was here to pick up Jack as Hotch's ex sister-in-law was ill. He knocked on the door and walked in when Hotch called for him. Surprisingly, he found another man in the room. One he didn't recognise.

"Hello, Reid."

"So this is Spencer Reid?" the man questioned Hotch.

"This is Dr Spencer Reid, he used to work for the BAU. He's here to pick up my son for the day."

The man stood and shook Reid's hand. "I'm Section Chief Mateo Cruz. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too," Reid greeted before looking to Hotch. "Where is Jack?"

"Garcia has him, she has all the sweets so he is enjoying it there. He can't stay and you were the one person I knew could take him for the day. Thanks again for doing this."

"It isn't a problem," Reid smiled. "Penny is happy to have friend for the day."

"Who's penny?" Cruz asked.

"My daughter, she's two."

"Is that why you left the unit?"

"I left the unit for personal reasons. It didn't seem like the place for my life anymore."

"What do you do now?"

"I restore vintage and classic cars and fix basic cars as well. It brings in good income and I love doing it."

Cruz gave him a strange look. "Seems like a large step down from being an agent for the FBI. You had a very promising career at the unit. I've seen your file and I know Jason Gideon brought you into the unit. Going from a profiler to a mechanic seems wasteful of your talents."

Hotch watched the conversation. He resisted the urge to step in and put Cruz in his place. Reid could handle himself. He watched Reid stand straighter and look into Cruz's eyes calmly. "I love my job because I control my business and I get home to my family every single night when I always promise my daughter and my wife. I lost a lot working for the FBI but I gained a family. If you've seen my file, you know what happened to me and you know why I resigned. I did my part for the FBI for eight years and during that time I was hurt and I lost people I loved. My talents are now for my daughter. Used for when I go home at night and show her magic tricks. I don't consider leaving the BAU a step down, I consider it a step up, Mr Cruz. Now, I have a busy day ahead of me."

He looked to Hotch. "I'll see you later, Hotch. I'll call you if anything happens."

Reid walked out of the room leaving a slightly shaken Cruz standing by the door. "Well, I don't think there was a need for that."

Hotch shrugged and resisted the large urge to grin. "That's Spencer."

Reid opened the door and watched as Jack jumped out of the car. He still couldn't get over how big the boy was. "Jacky!"

Penny came running across the grass and over to Jack. Reid smiled as he watched Jack hug Penny. "Hi, Penny."

"Momma, cake. Momma got cake."

Penny grabbed Jack's hand and began to pull him to the house.

Hotch let out a yawn as he pulled up outside Reid's house. He made his way to the door and knocked, he smiled as Jack opened the door. "Hey dad, I saw you pull up. Dinner is ready."

"Dinner?" Hotch questioned.

Jack pulled him into the house and led him to the kitchen. The table was all set up with two extra plates, one for him and one for Jack. Plate after plate of food lined the table. Hotch sat down next to Jack and looked up to see Luna and Reid finished the preparation for dinner.

"Hello Aaron," Luna smiled. "Jack was wonderful today. He was a great little helper."

Hotch smiled and ruffled Jack's hair. "He's a good boy. This all looks wonderful. Are you sure about us staying for dinner?"

"Yes," she smiled. "We also cooked extra pudding for you and Jake to take home."

Penny walked up to her mother and reached up her arms. She lifted her up and put her in her chair. "Hutch," Penny giggled.

"Sorry, she still has a little trouble saying Hotch."

"That's okay," Hotch smiled.

Reid brought over a bowl of bread and sat down. "Hello, Hotch. How was your day?"

"It was fine. The best thing about it was watching Cruz get put in his place by you this morning. You really shook him. I can't believe what he said to you."

"I know, what a-"

"Spencer!" Luna said quickly, pointing to the kids.

Spencer thought for a moment. "What a rainbow," he corrected himself.

"Yes, a rainbow indeed," Hotch chuckled.

"Dig in everybody," Luna said as she spooned some peas on a small princess plate for Penny.

Luna and Reid laid in bed together, holding each other's hand. They stared at the ceiling.

"Spencer, what happens in your nightmares?"

"I don't remember them all but most of the time, I'm back in that warehouse or back with Jason."

"What did you feel when it was happening?"

Spencer took a deep breath. "It's terrifying and your heart never stops pounding. For a few seconds, you think you got a chance at getting away but after those few seconds, that chance is lost. The first time it happened, with Jason Mordo, I couldn't think straight and all I thought about was my team and why they weren't there to save me. He pinned me down to the floor and put his hand over my mouth. He didn't care that I was scared, in fact, he loved it. The initial pain was unbearable, I screamed and I couldn't believe he was raping me. I struggled but after a few minutes, I stopped because I thought it would hurt less. It didn't. He just kept on going and whispering these horrible and disgusting things in my ear. I laid there for twenty minutes, feeling like he was ripping away everything I was. For the last minute or so, he was relentless. He hurt me so much that I never stopped screaming and when he finished up, I cried. I felt so dirty and used."

"Oh, baby," she whispered before snuggling closer to him and laying on his chest. She kept holding his hand.

"The two times at the warehouse were horrifying because I knew what was going to happen. I had promised myself that I would never let myself be raped again but it happened again at the warehouse at the hands of that man. I don't know his name to this day and I don't want to know. He was quicker than Jason but not by much. He covered my eyes and started. I don't remember much about the second time, it comes in bits in pieces. I remember my body moving up and down as he did it and I focused on a crack to try calm my mind."

"Baby, I'm so sorry. They deserved to die. They hurt you. My poor baby."

"That's why I struggled for so long," he sighed. "It wasn't so much the pain but the emotional cracks the rapes caused. I felt so much betrayal when Jason just walked away after it happened. I was lying in a hospital bed with a tube helping me breathe, a cut throat and pain through my body. I know it wasn't my team's fault he walked away but back then, I felt like it was. After the second time, they helped me and made sure justice got served. I had a goal after surviving that night. The goal was to return to you and Penny and be a family. They helped me do that. They saved me and gave me my life back. This is my life now and I love it. I love you and I love our daughter."

Luna stroked the scar across his throat before leaning down and kissing it. "I love you too and I'm sorry that you got put through all that. I just want you to know that you are a strong man and that you are a wonderful father and husband. You went through a lot of pain and I won't let you go through any more. Here, you're loved and nothing bad will happen as long as we stay together. Your past is your past, this is the present and we have a wonderful future to look forward to."

Reid reached up and pulled her gently to him, he kissed her and put his arm around her. "I'm looking forward to the future."

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