18/08/2017. St Andrew's Hospital, Virginia. 14:02 hours.

"Spencer... Spencer..."

Spencer could make out the sound of a light melodic voice calling out to him, almost as if it was singing to him. He was unsure if it was his mother calling for him, or perhaps it was another. What he was sure of, was that it was comforting.

Spencer opened his eyes to find himself alone in the BAU offices. Spencer glanced up from the bullpen to see a light on in the office above him. Cautiously, Spencer climbed the few steps to the offices. Aaron Hotchner's office was in darkness. As he edged closer, he observed the form of Jason Gideon seated at his desk, thumbing through the pages of an ornithology book. Spencer crept up to the open door. Jason lifted his head and smiled at the young man that had come upon his office.

"Spencer? What are you doing here?"

"Gideon? I-I'm lost. Where am I?" Jason smiled and waved Spencer into the office. Spencer slowly lowered himself into the chair opposite Jason, his hands tightly grasping the arms of the chair and his eyes never leaving the senior profiler's face.

"You're having another haemorrhage. You were bashed over the head with an iron rod." Spencer looked as though his world had flipped over.

"Am I dead?"

"Not necessarily, Spencer. You are at a crossroads."

"I don't want to die, Gideon. I need to be out there. I need to be saving people."

"Then wake up, Spencer."

"Wha-?"

"Spencer? Spence? Time to wake up, sweet cheeks. Let me see those eyes. Remind me what colour they are." Spencer felt as though his eyes had been glued shut. It took more strength than he had anticipated to simply open his eyes a fraction. He managed to open his eyes into small slits.

"Well done, Reid. Come on, you can do it." A male voice too? His eyes dropped shut and he made another attempt. Spencer managed to make out two figures beside him. Everything was blurred before his vision. Spencer blinked several times to see Penelope and Derek beside him, "Hey, pretty boy. Welcome back." Spencer swallowed thickly, his tongue feeling as though it had turned to brisket. Derek pressed an ice chip to the younger man's lips. Spencer felt confused but allowed the ice to melt in his mouth. He traced the tip of his tongue over his bottom lip.

"Wha- -appened?" Spencer furrowed his brow. He was unable to speak properly and it was very unnerving.

"You've been unconscious for two days, baby boy. You had another bleed and it affected your speech. The doctor says you'll get that back again with speech therapy." Spencer turned his head slowly to look at Derek. He could feel a bandage wound around his head, trapping his curls underneath.

"Wha- appen in amb-lance?" asked Spencer slowly.

"You had another seizure. They had to anaesthetise and intubate you. You started to show signs of improvement last night so they took you off the ventilator. They almost had to take you to surgery due to the swelling around your brain but the steroids they gave you managed to bring the swelling down. Reid, I thought you were gone in the ambulance, man."

"I s-saw Gid-on. H-he tol' me to w-wake up." Derek and Penelope glanced at each other, "S-sorry, M-m'gan."

"You don't need to apologise to anyone, kid. This is not your fault and never was." Derek observed that genius in the bed who appeared horrified at his predicament, "Only your speech has been affected, Reid. Your cognitive functions are intact. There's no limb weakness."

"-m tired," mumbled Spencer, his eyes closing again, his chest steadily rising and falling. Penelope gently stroked the bandage on the sleeping man's head.

"Sleep, boy genius."

23/08/2017. Mount Pleasant Women's Correctional Facility, Washington. 10:42 hours.

Spencer's brain raced with hundreds of thoughts and emotions. Frustrated was the primary concern. He had become considerably more angry since his head injury and subsequent speech impediment. He chose to simply stay mute. The very sight of prison was enough to cause anxiety, however his overwhelming rage swept this to the very pits of his stomach. A piece of gauze remained taped to his temple, hiding the crudely stitched laceration. Spencer stared ahead, his lips pursed, hands folded on his lap and elbows resting against the arm rests of the wheelchair as JJ guided him along a long, dim corridor. Spencer's shoulders hunched and tensed. His fingers interlocked, knuckles turning a ghastly shade of white. A prison guard held a heavy steel door open for JJ and Spencer. JJ wheeled Spencer silently into a small, dark viewing room and turned him to face the window that had been obscured with a pair of black curtains.

JJ noted the tension emanating from Spencer. His jaw was clenched, eyes fixed with fury on the window ahead. JJ slowly reached for his wrist and cradled it in her hand. Spencer's eyes flicked down to her hand, then up to her face. There was something there, hidden behind his hazel orbs. It was a deep sadness. JJ smiled softly.

"You okay, Spence?" Spencer nodded sadly, "You are going to get through this, you know."

"I kn-now. I 'ave you guys." Spencer forced a smile and placed his other hand on top of JJ's.

The curtains drew back from the window, revealing a large white room. In the centre, Cat Adams was strapped down to the gurney by heavy leather straps. A large bore IV was taped into the crease of her right elbow. A pump containing four large syringes filled with clear fluid stood to the side. EKG wires slithered out from the top of her navy blue scrub tunic. A portly man with greying hair stood to Cat's left, his hands clasped behind his back. Spencer audibly gritted his teeth. He had the overwhelming urge to jump through the Perspex window and kill the woman on the gurney himself. JJ tightened her grip around his wrist. The gurney was tilted so that Cat could see through the window. Spencer's eyes locked onto hers, boring lasers into her skull.

"Catherine Adams. You have been sentenced to death by lethal injection by the US constitution. Do you have any last words?" A small tear ran from her eye as smiled at him.

"Hi, Spencie. I knew you'd come." The pair stared at one another through the window as the warden watched for the clock to strike the hour. The warden gave a nod and the first syringe was pushed down. Once empty, the second followed. Cat's vision blurred significantly, though she was able to make out two simple words from Spencer:

"I win." Cat started to feel numb and her body slackened as the fourth syringe was plunged home. Cat's eyes fluttered closed as the EKG let out a single steady whine. After a few minutes, a doctor stepped forward and checked her pulse, chest sounds and pupil responses, then gave a silent nod to the warden indicating her death.

Spencer became numb himself, unsure of how to respond. His tormentor was finally dead, yet he did not feel any like justice had taken place. He wanted her to suffer in the same way he had. His fingers gripped the arms of the wheelchair in an iron-tight grip, rage surging through his veins. He barely registered himself snarling at the still form of Cat Adams in the execution chamber. Spencer released the brakes on the wheelchair and edged himself towards the Perspex. JJ was frozen to the spot in fear of what was running through her best friend's head. Spencer curled his fingers into a fist and launched a punch at the window. JJ watched in horror as Spencer repeatedly pummelled the window with his fist. JJ cautiously approached him and drew the handcuffs from her belt, aware that the guard at the door was slowly making his way over with his baton in hand.

"Spence? Spence. You need to stop this. Now. If you don't, you're going to end up getting locked up again." Spencer turned his head menacingly to glare at her. His eyes watered with unshed tears. He continued to prickle with fury. Sensing that he was not going to relent without a fight, JJ unlocked her handcuffs and looped one around Spencer's left wrist and clicked it shut.

"I'm sorry, Spence. But this is for your own good. I'll take them off once we're back at Dave's." Spencer eyed the handcuffs warily as the second loop locked around his other wrist. JJ used her key to ensure they were secured and then draped her jacket over his lap to hide his shackled wrists. Spencer fired her a look of betrayal.

23/08/2017. David Rossi's House, Virginia. 12:22 hours.

The drive back to David's house had been tense and silent. Spencer was still staring at his cuffed hands, the cold steel glinting in the sunlight, as the car came to a stop on David's paved driveway, pain and betrayal written all over his sombre face. JJ turned off the engine and twisted slightly in her seat. Spencer did not register the woman next to him in any way. JJ rested a hand on his arm which he quickly withdrew, the chain connecting the handcuffs rattling slightly.

"Spence, I'm sorry. I know you're mad at me right now. I had to do it, for both of our safety." Without raising his head, his hair hanging over his face, Spencer tensed his shoulders.

"Y-you really t-think tha' I'd 'urt you, Jen'fer?"

"Spencer, when you're angry you get tunnel vision and you have no concept of who's around you or where you are when you lose it." Spencer snapped his head up. Tears tracked over his cheeks.

"I c-can't bel-ieve you'd think I'm cap'ble of that, Jen'fer. H-how c-c-could you?"

"Spencer, I didn't mean it like that. This isn't you."

"T-take me inside," snapped Spencer.

"Spencer, please." His eyes flashed with anger.

"I s-said..." Spencer concentrated hard, "T-take me inside. Now." Relenting, her heart in her throat, JJ pushed the wheelchair towards the house.

David was seated in the armchair with a glass of whiskey, his legs crossed and a newspaper balanced on his knee. He turned his head and placed his glass on the table at the sight of JJ and Spencer making their way through the front door. David sensed that there was a friction between the usually friendly pair. He set the newspaper down on the table next to his glass and pushed against his knees to bring himself to his feet. He glanced down questioningly at the restrained man in the wheelchair.

"Something you guys want to tell me?" asked David, his voice tinged with concern.

"Spencer lost it after they pronounced her dead. He wasn't calming down and the guard was ready to take him out. It was either this or watch him get locked up again."

"'m already in a p-pris'n," mumbled Spencer.

"I think we need to get you to bed for a while to sleep this off."

"C-can you pr'mise that s-someone won't c-come and try to kill m-m 'gain?" David sighed.

"The building was secure. The guy got in and out with barely a trace. Derek had a key to come in and check on you whilst I was away on a case. Look, I get you're pissed off, kiddo. I would be too. But you can't hold this against us all. We're just trying to help you."

"J-just take me 'pstairs." JJ handed the key to the handcuffs to David, "L-leave them on. Safer." Spencer's strength was visibly waning and his eyelids had begun to droop. David looped his right arm around Spencer's left. JJ repeated the action on the opposite. They eased Spencer out of the wheelchair and towards the stairs. Taking a step at a time, Spencer clumsily climbed the stairs with the support of JJ and David. They sat him on the side of the bed and lifted his lanky legs onto the mattress. Spencer shifted over to his right side, brought his knees up to his chest and rested his cuffed hands on the pillow.