Chapter 1

In just over six years with the BAU Dr. Spencer Reid had been awakened by his cell phone ringing to notify him of a new case twenty-three times. If he had ever stopped to think about it he would have said that on average twenty-three times was a remarkably small number. Then again that number didn't include the dozens of times that he'd been awaken by his phone ringing while on cases over the years. After six years Reid's body and mind had become conditioned to be completely awake by the second ring.

That's why Reid wasn't surprised when he was awakened by his phone in the middle of the night while on a case. Flinging one arm out he groped blindly around the bedside table for his phone. Once he located the phone he pressed the talk button "Yeah, Reid. What do we have?"

"Spencer its Judy, there…there's been an accident."

Using the side of his fist and part of his forearm Reid pounded on Hotch's door five times in quick succession. When he didn't get an immediate answer he pounded on the door again. This time he heard a muffled thump and cursing from inside the room before Hotch yanked the door open. "What? What happened? Reid what's going on?"

Anxious to be on his way Reid shifted from foot to foot. "I have to go…family emergency. I'm sorry Hotch…I…I have to go." Leaving Hotch standing in his hotel doorway half awake and very confused Reid jogged down the hall to the elevator.

Wrapping his arms around himself Reid stared at the heavy oak front door. He knew he needed to knock, needed to let them know he had arrived. No matter how hard he tried, though, he just couldn't make himself raise his arm. There was this little voice in the back of his head that kept screaming that if he didn't knock then this wouldn't be real.

Reid was still staring at the door when it suddenly opened. A frail petite woman in her early fifties started to step out only to stop and gasp when she saw him standing there. "Oh! Spencer you're…thank you for…." Taking a deep breath the woman squared he shoulders. "Go on in, she's in the den."

The overly exaggerated sound effects of cartoons could be heard as Reid slowly made his way into the den. He could see her from where he stood just inside the doorway. She was laying on her back on the sofa with her head turned toward the TV. The arm of the sofa had pushed her glasses sideways at an angle that he knew made it impossible for her to actually see the animated bears frolicking on the screen.

For the first time in a long time Reid had to fight the urge to run. Instead he made himself walk to the far end of the sofa. Clearing his throat he whispered. "Danni."

The little girl reacted immediately. Scrambling to her feet on the sofa she launched herself at Reid. Wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist she buried her face against his chest. "Oh Daddy, Mommy died!"

His daughter's heart wrenching declaration destroyed Reid's tenuous control. Cradling Danni against his chest he finally allowed the tears he had been fighting for hours to flow. Grief, not just for Lila's death but for Danni's loss, threatened to overwhelm him. "I know baby. I'm so sorry."