Author's note: Sorry for this angsty chapter. I'm aiming to round this fic off at chapter 25 so it makes sense to start to bring it to a conclusion.

31/10/2017. BAU Offices, Quantico, Virginia. 09:02 hours.

Halloween had always been Spencer's favourite holiday. He seated himself in his swivel chair at his desk and smiled fondly at the pumpkin ornaments in front of his computer monitor. Spencer believed that Halloween should be celebrated at all times of the years. He turned his head slightly to see JJ staring intently at her monitor. He furrowed his brow at the intense concentration written into his best friend's features.

"Y-you okay, JJ?" asked Spencer. JJ jumped slightly in her seat, unaware that anyone was paying any attention to her.

"Oh, yeah. Henry changed his mind about his Halloween costume last night and he's being too stubborn to see that I can't do much about it." JJ let out a deflated sigh. Spencer cocked his head in thought.

"I have l-lots of masks and things at my apartment. W-why don't you bring him by later and see if h-he can make use of anything?" JJ's eyes widened, her pools of blue sparkling with gratitude.

"You would do that?"

"Of c-course. You're my b-best fr-fr-friend." Spencer's face fell, "S-sorry. I'm struggling t-today with my speech." JJ reached over the glass toward him. Spencer gently took her fingers into his hand.

"You don't need to be sorry. Is something stressing you out?" Spencer glanced down at his pumpkin ornament and nodded softly.

"Y-Yes. I d-don't know what it is. I-I j-just can't sh-shake this uneasy feeling." JJ smiled at him.

"It'll be okay, Spence. Why don't I bring Henry and Michael around after work and we can see what we can find?"

"S-sounds like a plan." Emily's form appeared at the rail above them in the bullpen. Her stoic face was hardened.

"Sorry, guys. The director has called us in on a hostage situation at Washington Union Station." Emily noted the horror that flickered across Spencer's face, "Reid? No one would think differently if you need to sit this one out." JJ's fingers tightened around Spencer's hand. He clenched his jaw and straightened in his chair.

"N-no. I n-need to do this."

"Spence? Are you sure?" asked JJ, her voice tinged with uncertainty. Spencer turned to look at her. His eyes had hardened with determination.

"I-I have t-t-to."

"Wheels up," responded Emily. Spencer pushed against his desk to ease himself up to his feet. JJ watched him as he shouldered his blazer over his dark grey button down shirt and gathered his satchel.

"Spencer? Do you really think you can do this?" Spencer glared at her as he stuffed his credentials into his blazer pocket.

"J-Jennifer. I can't s-sit here when I c-can be helping out there." A dull throb echoed through Spencer's skull. He pressed his palm to his forehead.

"Spence. You're not well enough." Spencer snatched his hand away. He pointed his index finger menacingly towards JJ.

"D-don't... T-tell... M-me..." Realising that he was about to explode, Spencer forced his hands around the strap of his satchel, "U-unless you're going to h-handcuff me again." JJ's mouth bobbed, tears threatening her lashes. He was unsure how to respond to Spencer's biting tone. She watched as the young doctor stalked away from her towards the elevator, his head bowed.

31/10/2017. Washington Union Station, Washington DC. 10:05 hours.

The chill in the air was almost as frosty as Spencer's demeanour. He stood at the rear of the government issue SUV with the trunk open. He shivered involuntarily at the icy breeze that whipped around him as he strapped on his Kevlar vest. The hairs on his bare forearms stood on end with the cold. Luke stood directly opposite, sliding his glock into his holster. Luke's dark eyes bore into the top of Spencer's head.

"Listen, Reid. No one is going to think any different of you. We're all trying to look out for you. You've been through a lot." Spencer let out a long, frustrated breath out of his nose.

"Y-you know what? I-I have gone through s-so much therapy t-to get back here. I'm s-sick of being babied. I-I'm ending this. Now." Spencer shoved his revolver into his holster and turned his back on Luke. Spencer's legs took him in long strides towards the train station. JJ noticed him entering the station alone.

"Spencer? Spence!" JJ turned on a dime and raced after him, the team following a short distance behind.

Spencer's pace slowed as he neared the platform. He could see the stationary train past the brick pillars. He drew his revolver from his holster and quietly flicked off the safety. Fear, uncertainty and anxiety welled in his chest and tightened around his lungs. Memories flashed before his vision. Setting his jaw, Spencer slowly approached the train.

"FBI!" announced Spencer, his firearm clasped tightly between his clammy palms. The door to the train hissed open. Spencer took a wary step onto the train, his gun raised. His heart skipped a beat at the sight of the man wielding a gun and a military knife. The mismatched eyes staring back at him sent tingles throughout his spine. He had seen those eyes before. The man stretched his arms out as if to welcome the agent.

"Dr Reid! So good of you to join us." Spencer swallowed hard.

"Y-you don't n-need these people." Spencer indicated to the several people in the carriage, "T-take me instead."

"Why, that's a generous offer! We do have unfinished business after all." Spencer eyed him cautiously over the top of his revolver.

"Drop your weapons."

"You first, doctor. Or I'll shoot her." The man aimed his gun at a terrified woman's head. Spencer's breath caught in his throat. He slowly lowered his weapon and tossed it at the man's feet. He raised his hands, palms facing outwards.

"Y-you can end this n-now. L-let them go." The man crouched down and grabbed Spencer's revolver.

"Are you scared, Dr Reid? This must be triggering some, uh, memories."

"No," lied Spencer, desperately trying to steady his quavering voice.

"Don't lie to me, doctor. How is your leg now? I see you have a little speech impediment."

"My l-leg is fine. Y-you should know. Y-you caused it."

"So my knock to the head had a long lasting effect? Interesting."

"H-hardly." Spencer edged forward, his hands still raised.

"Stay right there, Dr Reid." The main trained his gun on Spencer.

"L-let them go. T-this is between us. T-they have nothing to do with it." The man visibly smiled underneath his ski mask. Spencer stepped forward.

"I told you to stay put, doctor."

"Y-you'd be doing me a f-favour. L-let them go. T-take me." Spencer stepped forward again until the barrel of the gun was pressed into his Kevlar vest.

"You make a compelling argument." The man turned to glance out of the window to see the remaining BAU members were approaching the train. The man tilted his head thoughtfully, "Do you carry handcuffs, Dr Reid?"

"N-no."

"What kind of FBI agent doesn't carry handcuffs?"

"M-me. L-long story." The man sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, the gun still pointing at Spencer's chest and the blade of the knife flashing in the light.

"Well, luckily for you, I was prepared. Turn around. No funny business." Spencer slowly turned. He swallowed the lump of anxiety in his throat. The man tucked the knife and gun into his belt and yanked Spencer's left hand down behind his back. Spencer compliantly lowered his other hand. Spencer gulped at the tearing sound of duct tape being wound tightly around his wrists. Spencer flexed his fingers as he turned back to face the other man.

"L-let them go. Y-you have me." The man considered the young doctor for a moment. He indicated to floor next to a metal safety pole with the knife he withdrew from his belt once again.

"Take a seat, Dr Reid." Spencer lowered himself awkwardly down to the dirty floor of the train carriage. He seated himself with his back to the bar, his legs crossed underneath him, "Give me your ankles. You're not getting away that easily." Spencer silently unfurled his legs and brought his knees up to his chest. The man wound more tape around Spencer's ankles, binding them tightly together. Spencer eyed the man warily.

"I-I done what y-you asked. L-let them go." Spencer tilted his head towards the passengers.

"You really do talk too much, Dr Reid. I bet your team wish they could shut you up."

"P-probably." Spencer stared intently into the man's heterochromatic eyes as a large strip of tape was torn off the roll and pressed tightly over his lips. The man tossed the roll onto a seat and trained his gun on Spencer's forehead. Spencer continued to stare at him as if taunting him. He let out a long, shaky sigh through his nose as the man turned away and barked orders at the other passengers. He watched as the other passengers filed out of the carriage. The man turned back to Spencer and lowered himself to the ground, crossing his leg underneath him. He tugged the ski mask off over his head. He had a striking resemblance to Cat. A flicker of fear and anger flashed in Spencer's eyes. The man thoughtfully rested his chin in his hands and rested his elbows against his knees.

"I never understood my little sister's obsession with you. Of course, when my sis asks for help, I come a'running. You see, Dr Reid, Cat always wins. She lost to you twice and she never loses. The crash was supposed to kill you. And yet, you somehow survived. The depression was supposed to make you kill yourself. And you didn't. My blow to the head should have finished you." The man closed his eyes and sighed, pinching the bridge of his crooked nose between his fingertips, "When by some miracle you survived that, I knew I had to get to you and end this once and for all." Spencer simply stared at him, studying the features of his face; the one blue, almost white eye, and the dark brown eye. The crooked nose. The angled jaw. He looked a lot like Cat. Spencer twisted his wrists slightly, the tape tugging at the hair on his arms. He needed to force the tape to break somehow but it held fast. The man came to his feet, suddenly distracted by the door to the carriage hissing open.

"FBI! Stay where you are!" The man raised his gun. Spencer had an opportunity and he had to take it. He shuffled around until he managed to ease himself onto his knees. His leg protested slightly. Spencer thrusted his entire body forward into the man's legs. The man toppled over in a similar fashion to that of a cut down tree. Twisting his body on the way down, the man fired a single shot. The sound echoed throughout the silent carriage. Spencer quickly turned his head to the side and squeezed his eyes shut. Everything was moving in slow motion. The bullet zipped through the air, whistling past Spencer's ear and piercing his shoulder having narrowly missed the strap of his Kevlar vest. Ignoring the red hot agony in his shoulder from the bullet he was sure had ricocheted off his collar bone, Spencer threw himself on top of the man. Blood blossomed across his shirt. The man gasped as the air was swiftly knocked out of his lungs. The team took the opportunity of the man being dazed to drag Spencer's half angry, half weakening form from their suspect. Tara sat Spencer down on the floor and leaned him back against a seat. She observed that Spencer appeared to be struggling for breath. His chest rose and fell rapidly, a noisy wheeze sounding from his chest. Tara reached up and gently peeled the tape away from Spencer's lips which were slowly turning blue.

"Reid? It's gonna be alright, man. Just breathe with me. Slow your breathing." Spencer's eyes were open wide in terror. JJ crouched down next to Tara and brushed some of Spencer's hair out of his face.

"It's okay, Spence. You're going to be fine. It's over now." JJ tugged at the tape around Spencer's ankles, successfully tearing his bonds apart. Tara grabbed the unsub's knife and cut through the tape binding his wrists. JJ tore apart the velcro straps holding the vest secure to Spencer's chest.

"We need a medic here!" yelled Tara as Spencer's eyes fluttered and his body slowly slumped to the ground. Tara flicked her head back to her fallen colleague, "Reid? Reid!"

"Spence? Spence! No, stay with us!" screamed JJ as she frantically tried to shake him awake and pressed her hand against his shoulder to stem the bubbling blood exiting the wound and soaking through his shirt.

"'m 'wake," mumbled Spencer. Tara gently tapped Spencer on the cheek.

"Well, keep your eyes open."

"T-they are..." slurred Spencer in response, "T-tired. D-did we save them? D-did I d-do good?"

"Yeah, everyone's safe, Spence. The unsub's in custody. You did great," answered JJ. Spencer smiled.

"G-good." Spencer's eyes peeled open and fixed on JJ, "W-what 'bout Henry's c-costume?" JJ let out a half laugh, half sob.

"Don't worry about that now."

"J-Jennifer? It... It's getting h-hard to breathe."

"Just stay with me. Keep breathing nice and slow. The medics are here now." A pair of medics bustled past the commotion and perched next to Spencer. Immediately, they hooked an oxygen mask over his head. Air had never tasted sweeter.