AN- I do not own the rights to Criminal Minds, the BAU characters, or actual places. Any other characters and places are of my own creation and bear no intentional resemblance to peoples living or deceased.

Chapter One

23/06/2019. 06:45 hours. FBI Offices, Quantico, Virginia.

Dr Spencer Reid felt as though he had not slept in weeks as he sluggishly stepped into the elevator at the FBI offices. Technically, he had not slept well in some time. Ever since the train accident, he struggled night after night with vivid and horrifying nightmares. The nightmares often blurred the scenes between the crash and his incarceration. His eyelids drooped slightly, his limbs aching with exhaustion. Spencer harshly rubbed the heel of his palm into his eye, his other hand firmly gripped around a take out cup of coffee. A headache was slowly blooming behind his eyes. He barely registered the elevator doors pinging open on the sixth floor until a hand firmly gripped his shoulder, snapping him out of his reverie. Spencer lifted his head and slowly withdrew his hand. Through blurred vision, he could make out the features of Penelope Garcia standing in front of him.

"Hey, Boy Wonder. Are you okay?" asked Penelope, her hand gently squeezing his shoulder to offer him some comfort. Spencer gave her a tight-lipped smile.

"I'm okay. I'm just really tired."

"Aren't you sleeping?" Spencer gave a sigh. He had become more open with his team about his mental health since the accident, though it still left a pit of unease in his stomach. He had always hated talking about himself, and wearing his emotions on his sleeve still felt alien to him. He felt safe in his walls of statistics, facts and logic, but his therapist required him to talk.

"Not really. I keep having nightmares."

"The crash?" Spencer nodded softly.

"Yeah. And prison. Logically, I know that it takes time to get past trauma, and when you have an accumulation of trauma, it takes even longer to resolve. I have to hope that I'll see some improvement soon."

"I'm sure you will, baby boy." Spencer took a moment to drink all of Penelope in. She wore a black and pink floral dress with a plain pink cardigan and oversized beads around her neck. Her wedge sandals matched her cardigan. Two simple pink flowers were clipped into her golden curls. She wore red-framed rectangular spectacles to complement her outfit. He could not help but smile warmly at the technical analyst. Penelope always had a way of brightening someone's day, even if it was just by being present. She saw the good in everyone and everything, despite the horrors she had to look at on her computer screens each day.

"Thank you, Garcia." Penelope's dark brown eyes twinkled, a wide toothy grin spread across her face. Spencer stepped out of the elevator, feeling a little more rejuvenated than he did before.

Spencer's eyes swept across the quiet bullpen, the trotting sound of Penelope's heels fading away into the distance. Emily Prentiss was already holed up in her office with the lights dimmed, blinds down and door shut. Spencer smirked to himself. It was as though former unit chief Aaron Hotchner had morphed into Emily. Like Aaron, Emily spent many a night in her office pouring over reports. Spencer ducked his head and made his way to his desk. He dropped heavily into his swivel chair and stuffed his ancient tan leather satchel under his desk. He sighed as he eyed the stack of manila folders in his tray. There were definitely more folders than he recalled leaving before his profiling seminar the day before. It had been a long-running joke within the BAU about agents slipping Spencer some of their folders. Spencer, ever the people-pleaser, completed the paperwork without complaint. He enjoyed completing the reports after all. Spencer barely slid the first of many folders from the tray when Emily's head popped out of her office, her raven-coloured hair swaying.

"Reid? Can I see you for a sec?" Spencer swallowed hard and furrowed his brow as his heart leapt into his throat. He gently pushed the folder back into his tray and came to his feet. He picked his way up the few steps to Emily's office where she held the door open for him. Spencer stepped past her and perched on the edge of one of the armchairs in front of Emily's desk. Emily closed the door behind them and sat back at her desk. Spencer suddenly felt uneasy. The last time he was in her office like this was when he was returning to work after the crash. Emily had not wasted any time in berating him for entering the train alone and offering himself up to the unsub.

Emily clasped her hands on her desk, her dark eyes fixed on the young man sat opposite her. Spencer was fiddling with his fingers between his knees, one of which was visibly bouncing up and down with anxiety. His hazel pools were fixed to his black and white converse shoes. Mismatched socks were visible between the shoes and his black dress trousers that had lifted slightly. Emily tilted her head slightly and considered him.

"Are you okay, Spence?" Spencer's head snapped up.

"Uh... um... I guess. The nightmares are still keeping me up at night. Dr Carson says that it'll take some time for me to fully accept what has happened to me." Spencer gave a stiff laugh. "The last time we had a conversation like this was six months, twenty-three days and two minutes ago when you gave me the third degree for entering a hostage situation alone." Emily's eyebrows shot up and scoffed at her own failure in reminding herself that Spencer recalled everything he sees with vivid clarity

"I promise that isn't going to happen today." Spencer frowned and pursed his lips, the speed of his bobbing knee increasing by the second.

"So why do I feel like I'm about to be told off by the principal?" Emily chuckled.

"No telling you off today. What it is, Spence, is that Warden Michaels at San Quentin has informed the director that one of their death row prisoners is wanting to talk to us. Apparently he wants to give us the names of his other victims."

"Who?" Emily pushed a manila folder across the desk towards him.

"Walter Melnick. He is due to be executed in three days time. He was found guilty of the rape and murder of at least five women. According to Melnick, there are another five victims we don't know about." Spencer narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"To what end?" Emily shrugged and sat back in her seat.

"He's about to die and wants to put things right." Spencer snorted derisively.

"Come on, Emily. We both know he'll tell us nothing and it'll all be a big taunt."

"Maybe, but the warden is keen for us to talk to him and has specifically asked for you." Spencer's eyes widened and his mouth suddenly became devoid of any moisture.

"W-why me?"

"I don't know. Reid, if it was up to me, you wouldn't be going. The director mandated it." The walls visibly shot up around the genius. He carded a hand nervously through his dark brown, collar-length curls. Sweat trickled down the back of his neck and under the collar of his white button-down shirt. His eyes darted in every direction as though searching for an escape.

"Emily... The last time I set foot in a prison, I strangled an inmate. A pregnant inmate. Yes, I may be doing better now, but I can't guarantee that something won't happen this time."

"I'm sorry, Spence. He will remain in shackles for the duration of the interview. Just ask him the questions and keep your head down. If you feel your anger creeping up, step out and get some air." Spencer's pulse bounded in his ears and his heart felt like it was about to tear a hole in his chest. Emily leaned forward as she noticed the agent before her visibly paling. Spencer used a single finger to tug his collar away from his clammy neck.

"When do I go?" Spencer's voice came out low, almost a whisper, and laced with despair.

"A flight has been arranged for you to leave in the next two hours from Dulles International Airport. A room has been arranged for you at the Golden Leaf Motel. Anderson will take you to the airport. An SUV has been arranged for you when you arrive at the airport. You'll meet with Melnick tomorrow morning."

"Wow, the director really thought of everything," mumbled Spencer. Emily came to her feet and crouched down beside him. She gently rested a palm on the back of his trembling hand. Spencer's glazed, hazel eyes trailed up from the floor to their hands, then up to meet Emily's deep brown gaze. He pressed his lips together into a tight, restrained smile. His curls hung loosely over his face and clung to his eyelashes.

"I really am sorry, Spence. I tried to get you out of this. Please, believe me." Spencer lifted his chin and furrowed his brow, his eyes reading every micro-expression.

"Who's job did he threaten?" asked Spencer cautiously. Emily's mouth dropped open.

"What do you mean?" Spencer traced the tip of his parched tongue over his bottom lip.

"Emily, you tried to get me out of this, and yet had to fold under the director's instructions. For him to get you to agree, he had to threaten someone's job. So, tell me... Who's job did he threaten?" Emily sighed and bowed her head.

"Yours." Spencer let out a dark laugh.

"Of course he did. Thanks anyway."

"Let me know when you land and I'll call tonight before you go to sleep. I want you to check in again after your interview. Please? I just need to know you're safe." Spencer nodded softly.

"I will." Spencer slid the folder from the desk, eased himself to his feet and made his way to the door. He turned back to Emily who remained crouched beside the chair he had just vacated. "Really, thank you for trying. I'll be in touch." Spencer offered the unit chief a small smile before leaving the office, gently closing the door behind him. Emily remained in place, her body wracked with guilt. She hated the prospect of sending Spencer into a prison alone given all that he went through for three months whilst incarcerated himself and his following battle against Cat Adams.

Spencer swept past Jennifer 'JJ' Jareau's desk connected to his own and grabbed his satchel, dropping it on top of his desk. He flipped back the flap of his satchel and stuffed the folder inside. He tugged open the top drawer of his desk and hastily threw the orange tube of anticonvulsant medication into the abyss of his bag. If there was one thing he had had to endure since his train accident and the subsequent head injury at the hands of Cat Adams' brother, was seizures. They did not occur often, but when they did, they were spectacular and would render Spencer bedridden for the following two or three days. The medication kept them at bay for the most part. Spencer glanced up at the sound of approaching footsteps to find Agent Grant Anderson watching him in anticipation. Grant was around seven years older than Spencer with bright blue eyes and dark hair. He was fiercely loyal to the BAU and they considered him to be an unofficial member of the team.

"Dr Reid?"

"Morning, Anderson."

"Are you okay?" Spencer nodded as he buckled his satchel closed and grabbed the go bag from under his desk.

"Yeah." Spencer slung the strap of his satchel over his head so that it came to rest over his chest, trapping the maroon tie he wore underneath. He straightened up and hardened his features. "I'm ready." Grant nodded and led Spencer towards the elevator. Neither of them noticed Emily watching them between the blinds at her office window.

The elevator ride to the underground parking complex was silent with Spencer staring at his shoes and fiddling mindlessly with the strap of his bag and Grant looking at his cell phone. The elevator doors slid open and immediately Spencer's senses filled with smells of asphalt, engine oil and diesel. Spencer stepped out into the parking complex and glanced over his shoulder at Grant who was retrieving a key fob from his blazer pocket and directing it at a nearby black Suburban. The anxiety of his upcoming task weighed heavily on the genius' mind. The very thought of being caged in was horrifying. Above all, he feared how he would react if the criminal pushed his buttons. He feared being recognised. After all, many of the unsubs he had arrested over the years were incarcerated in San Quentin. He was sure they would give anything to get their hands on him.

...

23/06/2019. 08:10 hours. Dulles International Airport, Virginia.

The drive to the airport had been just as silent and stifling as the elevator ride. Spencer had read through Walter Melnick's case file on the way, each disturbing detail made his stomach churn and was permanently etched into his eidetic memory. Grant pulled into a space outside of the airport and put the SUV into park. He turned to see Spencer chewing on his bottom lip with uncertainty, eyes fixed on his knees. Grant retrieved the flight tickets from the inside pocket of his jacket and handed them over. Spencer accepted them with a forced smile. He tucked them into his satchel and climbed out of the car, dragging his go bag out with him. The breeze swept his curls into his eyes as he stepped onto the sidewalk and looked up at the relatively modern building. Grant rolled down his window.

"Please be careful, Dr Reid." Spencer turned on his heel to face the agent and swallowed hard.

"I will. You too." Grant nodded in affirmation and rolled his window back up. Spencer watched as the SUV peeled away from the curb and disappeared out of sight. He turned back to the airport entrance and took in a deep breath through his nose. He would check in, get on his designated flight and allow his mind to drift away for the duration of the flight. Once he reached California, he would drive to the motel, contact Emily, and then disappear for the night into a book. Tomorrow, he would face his new, greatest fear- being back in prison.