(Disclaimer: We do not own Criminal Minds or its characters.)

Thank you guys for all of your ongoing support through this story.

Me and Sarry have come to the decision to end this story here ;( it's been a whirlwind (literally) and it's finally coming to an end.

Please enjoy the final chapter. Much love to everyone who favourited, followed, reviewed, alerted, and just read our story.

Hotch stared up at the tattered remains of the FBI building. He could make out the roof which had since collapsed in on itself. The glass doors on the bottom floor had been smashed from the pressure of the water. Hotch could see bricks piled up through the cracked and foggy glass, he recognised the particular area of rubble that he and his team had climbed.

His eyes glided over their floor which was leaning with the rest of the building. He didn't want to thin about the deverstation of their office. He grimaced when he realised he'd left Jack's baseball trophy on his desk.

Suddenly, Hotch felt a soft hand grab hold of his and squeeze. He glanced to his left and saw Garcia's purple rimmed glasses staring back at him, her eyes filled with sadness and her mouth quivering between a smile and a grimace.

She didn't say anything and instead looked up at their second home. A tear slipped down her cheek at the thought of her lair being in a similar state to the building. She grabbed Morgan's hand and he held onto her tightly.

JJ stepped out from behind the car and joined her team in gaping at their workplace. She was quickly joined by Emily. None of them could speak, their words caught in their throats.

Spencer rolled his chair beside Hotch and offered him a lop sided smile. Aaron couldn't help smiling back at the young man's resilience. Rossi trailed behind Reid with his hands hovering over the chairs handles in case the boy needed help. He'll have to get used to it either way, Rossi thought to himself bitterly. He watched the young man gaze at the disaster that had permanently damaged his spine. He cringed when Spencer suddenly looked down numbly at his legs as if he were hoping for them to show some sign of mobility.

Hotch reached down and took Reid's trembling hand out of his lap and gave it a reassuring squeeze, transferring his heat into the bony fingers. Spencer's smile returned as he pulled his attention from his useless legs. He reached up and grabbed Rossi's hand and they became one; united as they glared at the thing that had almost broke them apart.

JJ closed her eyes and felt her mind drift back to that day.

"Hotch!" She cried as her foot sank into the floor. She jumped back, heaving in panic. Hotch grasped her arm and guided her safely across the quivering floor. JJ collapsed into his arms crying in relief.

"We can do this," Hotch insisted, taking her face in his hands.

"I-I'm scared, Aaron," she mumbled. Hotch swept her tears away and gave her a stern look.

"We're getting out of here. I promise."

Morgan felt JJ's fingers dig into his hand and he saw a tear slither down her cheek. He glanced at Garcia who looked back at him her bottom lip shaking as she held his gaze.

No witty Garcia greeting left her chapped lips.

She took a deep breath as a memory flashed before her eyes.

The floor disappeared. She remembered that part. She could feel it crushing her; forcing the air from her lungs and forbidding it to re-enter.

Garcia wriggled her fingers and felt dust and plaster shift with them.

"Help," she whispered into the stone that was kissing her chin and biting into her flesh with its jagged edge.

She could hear Morgan's frantic voice and she closed her eyes, praying that he'd find her.

I'm going to die, she thought.

Spencer could see the roof and recalled standing on the edge looking down to where he was currently sat.

Standing, Spencer thought begrudgingly. He could still remember what that felt like.

He peeked down at the set of wheels he had acquired. A sigh escaped his lips and he closed his eyes.

"Spencer! You're awake!" Garcia squealed. Spencer frowned at her, still swallowing hard from the tube that had been in his mouth.

"Wha-," he started, but his throat screamed out in agony as his voice vibrated through it.

"Easy, Kiddo, you've had it rough," Rossi laid a hand on Spencer's leg and smiled with a mix of relief and happiness. Spencer scowled at Rossi's hand and didn't notice the straw being thrust in front of his face.

"Drink. It'll make you feel better," Hotch ordered. Reid took a quick sip and focused back on what was terrifying him.

"You alright?" Morgan asked. Rossi squeezed Spencer's leg again and the young man gasped at him.

Why can't I feel it, Spencer thought desperately.

"What's wrong, Spencer?" Emily asked. Spencer looked around and saw her on his left side beside Morgan, both of whom were watching him anxiously.

Reid tried to wiggle his toes but nothing happened. He sat up and reached for his uninjured leg.

"Woah, woah," Morgan said, pushing him back gently. Spencer's vision spun dangerously, but he had managed to poke his leg and when he felt nothing the heart monitor had started beeping faster.

"I-I," he swallowed thickly, his throat still protesting.

"Don't exert yourself," Rossi interrupted, tapping Spencer's leg again. Reid's breath caught and his eyes filled with tears.

"I-I c-can't f-fe-feel..." He hicupped breathlessly. "F-feel m-my legs," he whimpered and the team looked down wide eyed at him.

Spencer allowed his eyes to trail over the shiny arm rests and the rigid wheels that he knew Rossi had paid a fair price for despite his protests that he didn't need to pay for it.

Morgan looked over at Spencer who was looking sadly at his chair. He bit the inside of his lip hard, drawing blood.

It should have been me, his mind berated.

Spencer could feel eyes on him, but instead of hiding he raised his chin bravely and looked back at the FBI building. What was left of the glass panel in the door reflected a frail young man confined to a wheel chair with his strong, capable team stood beside him, holding him together.

He wished that the glass reflected the man he was two weeks before. Messenger bag slung over his shoulder, coffee in one hand, a book in the other, his legs moving out of their own accord. Now he could never read while moving unless someone was pushing him and he wouldn't make a habit of that. He shook away the former image of himself from his mind and saw the man he had become. He sat up straighter and fixed his reflection with a determined stare.

"Let's go back to mine," Rossi broke the silence and the team all turned to him.

"Spaghetti?" Garcia quipped, an eyebrow raised.

"Carbonara," Rossi replied. Garcia's face split into a grin and she nodded eagerly.

"Red wine?" Emily asked and they all broke out into grins.

"Why not," Rossi Sighed, making a pantomine of rolling his eyes .

The team laughed and slowly broke their chain, turning back for their SUVs. Spencer grabbed his wheels and stuck his tongue out with concentration as he tried to turn the equally stubborn contraption that had become his new legs. Rossi tried to shake away the sympathetic look on his face and avoided watching the younger agent struggle.

"Let me, Kid. Give those arms a break," Rossi muttered, grabbing the handles. Reid looked as if he was about to protest, but his arms really were getting tired from the last few days of pushing himself around Rossi's 'mansion'. He nodded and relaxed into his chair as Rossi rolled him to the SUV.

"Can you make me a coffee instead?" He asked quietly, giving Rossi a shy smile.

"Anything you want, kiddo."

Don't kill me! I'm sorry! Also sorry to Sarry22 because I kind of sprang that plot twist on her too ;D

Thank you guys so much for all of your support, it has meant so much! I have loved writing and collating on this story so I have to give a massive thank you to my lovely writing partner: Sarry22! I wish her all the luck on her stories.

Sarry has told me to thank you guys so much for everything and how much of an honour it was for her to write this story (honestly, she is super stoked about the support you guys have given us and we are both so overwhelmed with the number of people who read this!) and I'd just like to tell her that I appreciate everything she's done for this story and I hope we can collaborate again soon!

Well...that's it... I hope you all enjoyed this journey as much as we did!

Goodbye from both of us!