Spencer Reid and Elle Greenaway

Morning

I found myself in the motel hallway again in the middle of the night. Only every other ceiling light was working, and most of them were flickering. I had no shoes and I couldn't see very well. It was silent.

I was looking around, unsure of from where I came or where I needed to go. When I turned around, I saw a man walking towards me in a suit with a red tie, loosened. He stared at a small bundle of fabric in his right hand as he approached me. He stopped, close to my face and looked up.

He looked so familiar, but I couldn't place him in the dark. I felt unaware of and disconnected from reality, but not scared until he grinned at me. He had yellow teeth. My eyes widened. "It's you."

"Elle, Ellie, El-an-ore!" He laughed after each recitation of my name. "How are you?" His fingers played with the shirt in his hand. It was a woman's.

"What are you-" I looked around for anyone else. "What are you doing here?"

"Don't you remember? You let me walk." He grinned again, taking smaller steps towards me. I backed up, beginning to hyperventilate.

"I didn't let you walk." I reached for my gun, but my holster was empty. He was holding it.

"Don't worry, Elle. I'm not gonna shoot you." He glanced over my body. "Well, not yet." He lunged at me, but was interrupted by a piercing buzz. I felt a hand squeeze my shoulder.

"Elle, wake up. Wake up." I opened my eyes to Reid's face, bespectacled and concerned. He had been holding a newspaper in his other hand, but dropped it to hold me. "Is everything ok? You were hyperventilating."

I looked down at my hands, which were clasped together tightly. My nails had sunk into my skin, breaking it and drawing blood. I sat up. "Yes. I just- yes. I'm gonna go shower. You should leave to avoid- you know." I rolled out of bed and quickly moved into the bathroom.

While I turned on the shower I heard Reid gathering his things in the other room. He knocked on the bathroom door.

"Are you sure you're ok?" I had freaked him out.

"Yes, I promise. Go sneak back." I heard the door to my room open and close moments later, and I was alone.

Later, the team regrouped at the local police station and we were going over what we had with fresh eyes.

"This guy, he's smug and arrogant." Morgan paced back and forth while Reid slowly spun in his chair. "He thinks we're never gonna catch him."

"He has to be a resident and live within a 12 mile radius from the first dump site." Reid added, drawing a circle with a compass on the map.

"He's intelligent and methodical- he doesn't have a menial occupation. He can only strike at certain times." I added this to the evidence board on a post-it while explaining it, glancing at Reid as he stood in front of the map. He cheeks flushed for a moment.

We went on for an hour, further narrowing the profile and giving Garcia more specific parameters.

"I've got 3 white males in their early thirties that fit those characteristics. I've got a lawyer, school district administrator, and a nurse practitioner."

We all glanced up at the mention of a nurse practitioner. The case involved opioid use.

"Have any of them ever been written up at work, Garcia?" Hotch leaned over the table intently.

"Yes. The practitioner. Sexual harassment. I'm sending his information now."

We rushed to the cars and strapped on our vests as Morgan and Hotch peeled out of the station, sirens blaring. Hotch instructed us on marching orders on the way. When we pulled into the driveway, we all spotted a small shed to the left of the house. We looked at Hotch.

Morgan, Reid, and Elle, take the shed. Gideon and I will take the house. We split up.

As we approached the shed, we heard metal clinking together and feet shuffling.

"Cory Nelson? FBI." Morgan knocked on the door and nodded for me and Reid to get on either side of the shed. "Open this door, sir." No answer, but we heard muffled screams.

Morgan kicked the shed door open and we followed from behind, guns at the ready. Inside we found Cory Nelson, his hand around the mouth of missing 23-year-old Ashley Connor, his other hand pointing a gun at the three of us.

"Put the gun down, Cory." I gestured to the floor with a distinct nod. His brow furrowed before he fired at me. Morgan instantly shot him in the side, taking him down before rushing to Ashley.

Reid darted over to me. Without hesitation he removed his vest and cardigan, applying pressure to the wound on my thigh. I called for Hotch and Gideon in the radio. They, along with medics, arrived moments later. I felt my body draining of blood.

"Elle, stay awake. Please stay awake." My eyelids were getting heavy.

"I cant...I dont..." my head was rolling slowly from side to side.

"Just keep talking. Tell me about your family." He looked up at the medics coming down to the shed.

"I'm an only child." My leg was throbbing. "My dad passed away when I was 8 and my mom..." I passed out looking up at Reid and Hotch's concerned faces.