-1 A/N: Kay, so, here's my new fic! YAY. There is some super naturalness to it, but, it will still be cool…I think. It's mostly based on a dream I had, just enhanced because stupid me woke up in the middle. And, OMG!!! A NEW EPISODE! Finally!!!

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds isn't mine, but I had another really cool dream, where I got to eat dinner with the cast!

1. Out of this Reality

"Reality is for those who lack imagination." - Author unknown

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There was no case for the day, nothing to do, except paperwork. Of course, it wasn't that they wanted a trail of dead bodies to follow, another crazed human to put away, but, something. Anything other then this silence as they filled out forms until the ink was one from their pens, and their eyes blurry from hours of reading.

The building was hot, the air wasn't working well and the overhead fans were doing little to help circulate the air. As if that wasn't enough, the coffee machine was acting up. It was once in a blue moon when anyone on the team got a look ay a frustrated Reid, and it was indeed a frightening thing. Morgan had actually left during his lunch break to run down the street and bring a couple coffees back, which Reid thanked him for greatly.

Six hours of light conversation and paperwork can really pull someone down. And once the lack of air conditioning and coffee are figured in, it makes for a rather miserable day. All any of them wanted to do was get out of there, get a drink with the group maybe, and go home.

It was JJ who went to organize the much needed after work drink. She had finished another set of forms, and walked up to Hotch's office, her hair pulled into a messy ponytail and her clothes loosened. She knocked first, then slowly entered.

Hotch had been a mess since Haley had left, taking with her a part of his heart, and his son. She had been kind though, letting Aaron have Jack whenever work slowed, or even, just when he asked. But she had still broke his heart.

He had been thinking about his plans for the weekend when JJ walked in. The look of her, of the team actually, was amusing. The heat was killing them, combined with an enemy almost of the most evil nature: paperwork. He could not wait to get out of there. "What is it, JJ?" A case? Anything to get them out of here.

"I was going to try and get everyone out to the bar after work, wanna come?" She asked, tired and in need of a cold drink.

He looked down at the desk, running his hands through his loose black hair. "Sure." He said, a light smile breaking through.

She smiled. "All right, I'm going to ask the others." She said, and was on her way out.

"JJ," Hoch called, waiting until she turned around to speak. "Send Reid in, please."

"Yes sir." She said, and walked out into the bull pin.

She hadn't realized just how attentive the rest of the team was until she saw each of them looking at her from over their paperwork. They had all seen her go into Hotch's office, they must have thought she had something. She smiled, and nodded to them. "Anyone want to go out for a drink after work?"

More paperwork, great.

Everyone agreed to go to the small bar down the street after another hour of work. Just one more hour.

"Reid," JJ said, walking up to his desk, watching the way he read over everything so quickly, the way he was trying to make that coffee last. "Hotch wants to see you."

He finished the page, then looked up at her. "Thanks JJ." And then he was up, heading toward Hotch's office.

It was a breath of relief, to see Spencer alone in his office, to have a little bit of peace, and affection. Hotch offered Reid a lazy, tired smile as the younger profiler walked into his office and sat across from him.

"Are you going out to the bar?" Hotch asked casually.

Reid smiled, that shy twitch of the lips that Aaron had fallen for so easily. "I think I will, are we still going to your place tonight?"

Reid had been staying with Hotch, comforting him as much as Hotch comforted him back. Shielding one another from their fears and insecurities. Covering each other with love, hope.

"As soon as we leave the bar." Hotch assured him.

.-.-.-.-

The day was coming to a close when they finally put down their pens for the last time of the day. Sweet evening hours.

They gathered their things, suddenly full of things to talk about, full of life that had not been there earlier. They were ready to get into an establishment with air conditioning, to drink a cold beer and just breath. No paperwork, no desks. Just friends, out for a few hours.

They gathered in the bull pen, JJ, Morgan, Garcia, Emily, Gideon, Reid and Hotchner, all smiling, all relieved. They were standing there, chatting while they gathered the last of their belongings, Reid fumbling with his messenger bag, Morgan grabbing his keys. They were smiling, ready to go, when suddenly, all of them became still, dizzy.

They blinked their eyes, shook their heads, trying to clear their minds as darkness danced around their vision, falling on them like a net.

First everything was black, they fell, weightless onto the floor. Then there was a flash of neon light, a breath of fresh air, and then the darkness, thicker then frozen ice cream, and just as cold.