C A P T I V E || S.R

T W O

Cloud suddenly found herself back in her old neighborhood, running through the streets. She panted heavily and kept glancing behind her, looking for the man that was chasing her. She felt herself begin to tire as the shadow-like figure continued to pursue her. She quickly ducks behind a building and tucks herself into a corner as tightly as she can. Cloud does her best to slow her heart rate, not wanting her heavy breathing to give her away. Terror flooded her body as she quietly listened for any signs of her attacker. Once she feels it's safe to do so, she carefully peeks out around the corner. When she sees that no one is there, she collapses back into the wall and allows herself to calm down before turning to leave her hiding spot. As she does, she bumps into a hard chest and looks up to see the man that had been chasing her now standing in her path. She can't contain the scream that passes through her lips as the man grabs her and the world fades to black.

Cloud sits up quickly, panting heavily as she scans her eyes over the room. She takes in the furniture and decor that makes up her room and manages to take a few deep breaths, realizing she's safe. She would never get used to how real her nightmares felt.

It had taken weeks for Cloud to heal enough to leave the hospital, both physically and mentally. She was thankful for the patience her doctor's demonstrated and the continued support from her friends at the BAU. It made going home feel ever so slightly less daunting. Cloud truly owed Spencer more than she could ever repay. He often went out of his way to visit Cloud, even if he wasn't assigned to stay with her. It helped give Cloud some stability and she would never forget what Spencer had come to mean to her. She had never had such a close friend before.

While being in the hospital, Cloud took the opportunity to get to know each of the BAU members that had come to look after her. She learned more about what the BAU does and found herself absolutely infatuated with the idea of one day joining. While it was a goal she still had even now, she was unsure of how she would ever reach it. Not with how hard it was for her to even leave her apartment without someone else accompanying her.

After recovering from the nightmare that so suddenly pulled Cloud from her sleep, she decides it would be beneficial to get up and try to start her day in as normal of a manner as she possibly could. Especially since she had another doctor's appointment today to ensure that all of her wounds were healing well. She climbs out of bed and makes her way to the bathroom. Showers tended to be a challenge as she healed with all of the wound dressings, but she would take that over still being trapped in that basement.

It didn't take long for Cloud to get ready to go. Amongst everything else she had done to get ready; she had made sure to take a moment to text Spencer and inform him of when she would be leaving, and where she would be going. It was a small thing, but it made Cloud feel better. She was beyond glad when Spencer had offered her his number so that she would always have someone to keep in contact with on days where she was forced to leave home. After confirming that Spencer had seen her text and she had everything she needed, Cloud slowly opens her front door. With a deep breath, she steps outside and turns to make sure she locks the door. As she turns to walk away, she bumps into a hard chest. "Oh, I'm so sorry." She was beyond startled but managed to keep herself together as she took a small step back. Her eyes meet his and the first thing she notices is his soft smile. "That's alright." The male was holding out his hand as if to ensure he could catch Cloud if she were to fall. She carefully steps around him, not overly fond of the idea of maintaining a conversation with this complete stranger. She gives the male a small wave before quickly making her way down the steps. Cloud makes sure to take note of everyone else around her as she walks, not wanting to bring anymore unwanted attention to herself. She sighs in relief when she makes it to her car without being forced to interact with anyone else. As Cloud climbs into her car, she takes a moment to think over all of the progress she had managed to make. A month ago, the interaction with a strange man she had would have sent her into a full meltdown. She was proud of herself for all of the work she had put in and was determined to continue healing.

At Cloud's appointment, the doctor assured her that everything was looking great physically before asking her how she felt she was doing mentally. Cloud explained all of the nightmares she had been having and how little sleep she was getting because of them. Her doctor kindly offered to refer her to a therapist, but Cloud refused. She wasn't ready to talk to new people in that way and she definitely wasn't prepared to talk about the details of what happened to her. She truthfully would rather push it all away and never think of it again, but she also knew Spencer would never stand for that. He had been slowly getting her to open up to him. Telling one person about all of the things she'd rather forget was enough.

After the appointment, Cloud sent Spencer a text letting him know she would be heading home and was pleased to see that he had quickly sent a reply asking if he could come over. Cloud enjoyed his company and having him around helped her feel far less alone. She sent a text telling him he was more than welcome to and then made her way back home. She spent a few minutes straightening up the living room in preparation for Spencer's arrival, not wanting him to have to sit in the many blankets she had strewn about the couch. As she was finishing up, a knock sounded through her apartment. Cloud jumped a bit in response, not expecting the sudden, loud noise. After taking a moment to catch her breath, she quickly shuffles over to the door and opens it to reveal her friend. "Hey." She greets with a smile as she opens the door wide enough for Spencer to walk through. "Hey, how are you feeling?" Spencer questions as he steps inside. Cloud closes the door behind him and makes sure to lock it before turning to face him. She gives Spencer a small shrug in response to his question before speaking. "I'm doing alright. Today is one of the good days, at least." Spencer gives Cloud an empathetic look as the pair make their way over to the couch to sit down. Cloud is glad when the conversation quickly shifts from her to whatever random facts Spencer decides to rattle off. She had come to adore his ramblings and was always more than happy to listen. It truly didn't matter what it was or how deep it went, Cloud was just glad to be focused on someone else for a while. "How was your appointment?" Spencer's question shakes Cloud from her thoughts. "It was good. Everything is healed up nicely, so I won't have to go back for a while." Spencer nods, a soft smile on his face. "I'm glad. Did you happen to bring up your nightmares?" Cloud had woken Spencer up in the middle of the night more often than she would like to admit going on about the nightmare she had just had. She felt bad, but Spencer was always quick to assure her that he didn't mind, and that he was glad she trusted him enough to call him. "I mentioned it. He suggested that I see a therapist. I just don't think I'm really ready to go into all of it with someone new. It's hard enough telling you, and I've known you for a few months." She explains. Spencer nods a bit, but Cloud watches a thoughtful look come across his features. "I can see the wheels turning, what is it?" Spencer had never been overly good at hiding when there was something on his mind. That kind of transparency was something Cloud had come to appreciate. "Cloud, I can understand that it can be hard to talk about all of this with anyone, yet alone a complete stranger, but I do think that you need to talk to a professional about what happened to you. It isn't healthy to internalize emotions, especially where trauma is concerned." Cloud lets out a deep sigh. Leave it to Spencer to intervene if he felt she wasn't looking after herself properly. It was comforting to have someone else so attuned to her needs. "I understand your concern, I just..." Cloud trails off. Spencer watches her for a moment before prompting her to continue. "Just what?" Cloud glances at her hands in her lap before her eyes meet Spencer's. "I just can't handle reliving the worst thing that's ever happened to me." Cloud gives Spencer a sad look. She knew he of all people understood her, but she fully expected him to insist. "I can understand that. Of course, talking about anything nearly as severe as what you went through is far from easy. What you were forced to go through was scarring and reopening those wounds is going to hurt. At the same time, the more you can talk about it the easier it gets." Cloud knew he was right. "Would you be willing to listen?" She questions. Of course, she knew he would. She just didn't want to unload all of this on him if he didn't feel up to it. "Of course, I am." Spencer assures her right away. She quietly reaches for his hand, unsure that she would be able to make it through this without him keeping her here. Spencer is quick to give his hand to her. She feels his thumb brush over the back of her hand as she takes a deep breath, trying to prepare herself. She knew she needed to share this burden with someone else if she was ever going to be able to move on. She was mostly just grateful it was Spencer sitting in front of her when she needed him the most, just as he always had.