A/N: This is the alternate version to the ending of Camera Obscura. There are only a few changes, but it ends just a little bit diffrently. Just a shame to let it go to waste, so here it is (beta read by editor frog)

The very second Penny closed her eyes, Reid threw his arm over her head, grabbing her shoulder length brown hair, giving it a violent yank backwards. The tug made Penny cry out, but it also made the young doctor realise in how much pain he actually was. His shoulder felt like it had just been pierced by a red hot poker. The restraints had caused his muscles to go into rest after the first few hours, to keep them from cramping up. The young agent now realized that he did not have even half of his normal upper body strength, with the broken ribs and aching shoulders and arms. But he had to try.

Gathering up as much strenght as he possibly could, Reid pulled Penny's entire body back towards his legs, and with all his might jammed his right knee into the left side of her waist. Unknowingly, he had hit the girl's kidney spot on, and with a groan, she fell to the ground clutching her side.

Reid forced himself up onto his elbows, ignoring both the pain in his chest and in his arms. Pulling his legs up, he managed to roll over and get on his hands and knees. The burning in his chest was undescribable and he coughed hard. He could taste the blood in his mouth. Keeping his left arm firmly clutched around his chest, he struggled to get on his feet. The young agent moaned as pain shot trough his entire upper body with every move he made. But he had to. He had to get out. He had to escape.

Stumbling over the room, Reid had almost reached the stairs when he heard a high shrill behind him. A split second later, he felt Penny leap onto his back, knocking him to the ground with a scream of pain. He never had a chance to make another run for the stairs before he felt a violent blow to his head. Nearly blacking out, his body went limp; the only sound excaping his lips was a weak whimper.

Feeling his already sore body being turned onto his back, Reid had nothing to put up against the young girl's treatment. Every bone in his body was aching and his head felt like someone had just dropped and anvil on it. He slowly opened his eyes only to see Penny sit across his hips, panting, holding the meat tenderizer in her hand. It was covered in blood. The darkness in her eyes had returned, and it was deeper than ever. And Reid knew.

It was over.

--

Sharply turning the black SUV, Hotch drove straight up onto the sidewalk outside Penny Harrow's house, followed by two police vehicles and another SUV, containing the remaining part of the BAU. In less than 15 seconds the entire team was running towards the house, weapons in hand. Hotch sent the deputies around to the back together with JJ and Gideon, while he, Prentiss and Morgan ran up to the front door.

They stopped for a moment to listen. The house was silent. Hotch felt the door knob.It was unlocked. He motioned his team members to follow him inside. Silently, they slipped through the door, weapons ready and aimed in front of them. The moment they entered the hallway, Prentiss sniffed in the air. "Do you smell that?" she whispered. Hotch and Morgan looked at her, not scenting what she referred to. She stared into the hallway. "Bleach. And lemon."

It was all the proof Hotch needed. The team swiftly moved into the house, ready to take their UnSub down.

--

Penny had straddled the young FBI agent after bludgeoning him over the head with the meat tenderizer. She was now staring straight at him, insanity gleaming in her hazel eyes. "You don't love me..." she hissed through her teeth. "You lied to me!"

Reid knew there was nothing he could say at this point to make her calm down. He had betrayed her confidence by trying to escape, and now he was going to pay the price. But what price? His ears were ringing from the blow and his vision was partially blurred. The young agent would never stand a chance in a battle, not with his injuries and his severly reduced senses. And no words could help him now. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" he cried, holding his hands up, trying to plead for his health – or his life.

"'I'm sorry, I'm sorry', it's all I hear from you!" she almost yelled at him, rage rising in her body. She lifted her hand high into the air, holding the meat tenderizer. "And I'm sick of it!"

Reid closed his eyes. His body had given up. His mind had given up. He had nothing more to give, nothing more to try. Somewhere in his mind, he actually felt relief that it would be over. He simply hoped that it would be swift. And painless.

"Penny Harrow!"

Reid's eyes flew open at the sound of the familiar voice roaring through the basement. Turning his head towards the staircase, he saw his team, halfway down the steps with their weapons drawn and pointed at the young girl sitting across his hips. It was Hotch who had lead them down there, as he came down the stairs ahead of the others. "Drop it!" Hotch stopped at the base of the stairs.

Penny never released her eyes from Reid's head, although they had now lost their gleaming insanity. There was nothing there now but fright and desperation. As Reid turned his head back, his eyes met hers, and he saw the look she gave him. He opened his mouth to say something, not knowing what – but it was too late.

Penny reached her hand further back, gathering additional force to let the club hit the young agent's face. She never got that far. The single gun shot echoing through the basement was all the young girl heard before she felt the burning pain in her chest. The force of the bullet threw her off Reid's body and struck her to the ground, landing hard on her side, knocking the club from her hand. The young doctor turned his head, seeing the girl fall. His eyes met hers once again as she lay on the ground, but this time – there was nothing in them. They were dead. Penny was dead.

Reid could hardly breathe. It was over.

The team rushed over to aid him. Hotch reached him first. "Reid! Reid, are you okay!?" He fell to his knees beside the young man, helping him to sit up. "Reid, talk to me." The worry in Hotch's voice was more than obvious.

Reid nodded as he tried to sit up, wincing with every move he made.

Prentiss touched Hotch's shoulder. "EMS is right upstairs."

Nodding shortly, the older man put his arm under Reid's arms, helping him to stand up. The young agent's legs were pretty much useless as he had lost all sense of coordination after the blow to the head, and his knees gave away, nearly making him fall over. "Hotch..." he whispered.

Hotch had a strong hold of him, and was not going to let him hit the ground. Morgan rushed to Reid's other side, taking one of the younger agent's arms over his shoulders, supporting him. Raising his bloodied head, Reid looked at his older colleague. "I... I heard you, Morgan... I knew you'd find me...!"

The exhausted smile on the young man's lips brought some light back into the heart of the entire team. They finally had their youngest member back in their own safe arms. Now they had to get him to the hospital. Slowly making their way up the stairs, the agents left the dead teenagers in the basement for the CSU to handle. They had to take care of their boy.

A/N again: Aha! You thought I'd kill him off in this one, didn't you!? Like I could kill poor little Reid.. Shame on you:)