No Escape:

A Criminal Minds Fan-Fiction

Summary: After 'the Hankel case,' Reid cannot overcome his nightmares and decides to leave the BAU. Years later, a case forces the team to ask for Reid's help, but Reid happens to already be involved in the case, more so than even he himself realises. Reid-centric.

Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds, or Spence... :(

AN: This is my first attempt at a CM fic, and I am new to the show (though completely and utterly addicted), so please be nice!

Prologue:

Spencer Reid's Apartment – Quantico, Virginia

The apartment was filled with darkness, the only light coming from a small crack in the master bedroom door. Eerie shadows lined the walls as Spencer Reid tossed and turned in his sleep.
Spencer had always disliked the dark for the fact of 'the inherent absence of light' within it, but since his last case, his fear had increased.
Though he would not, like any sensible person, leave all of the lights in the apartment on, he did refuse to sleep in the dark; the dimmer switch at its full intensity.
Max, his new German Shepherd, lay curled up next to him; Spencer's hand unconsciously stroking his fur in a bid for the feeling of security.
But none of these things helped with the nightmares.
Most nights, Max would howl and whine to Spencer until his owner woke up, the only dog in the entire world to not only not be affected by 'the Reid effect' but to actually care about Spencer. This technique usually always woke Reid up, and for that he was thankful, but it still didn't stop him from being affected by the plaguing images in his mind.
Usually, he would go about his daily duties, though only household ones for he had not been back to the BAU in weeks, and try and forget about it all, hoping that they would eventually disappear and he could go back to work.
When he woke up that morning however, he knew what he had to do.
Even if it was going to be the hardest task the young genius had ever had to face.

BAU Headquarters: Quantico, Virginia

The occupants of the bullpen were sombre that morning, silence hanging in the air.
JJ had come down from her office to be with the other members of the team, as had Garcia, and they were all staring at Hotch's office with a mix of anticipation and fear.
After 'the Hankel case,' during which the youngest member of their team had been tortured and drugged, said youngest member had taken a few weeks off to recuperate.
He'd returned only today, but having entered without his usual smile and greetings, only silent and heading straight for Hotch's office, they all assumed the worst.
At only 24 and having gotten his doctorate at 17, Spencer Reid was a genius, and no-one could say otherwise. But it was his genius that made the rest of the team often fail to realise that he was still really just a kid, and it was this failure that had, at least in some part, caused Reid's pain.
The door slowly creaked open, and the four BAU members, Gideon having been in the office with Hotch and Reid, held bated breath.
Hotch came out first, his eyes tired but his face blank.
Reid came out second, looking ten times more tired than Hotch did, black circles under his eyes, and his clothes sagging off his thin frame. It was obvious to them all that he hadn't been sleeping well.
Gideon was the last to exit, looking sad and disappointed.
Hotch held out his hand and Reid shook it for a brief moment before turning to Gideon who pulled Reid into a hug. Though clearly looking uncomfortable, Reid allowed Gideon to do so, tears blinking in both men's eyes.
Pulling away, Reid smiled at both men lightly, though pain still evident in his eyes, before making his way into the bullpen and staring at his team-mates with regret.
"I'm sorry..." He managed to choke out before the tears broke through and the BAU members all embraced him in a large though still uncomfortable hug, their own tears also breaking through.
Spencer Reid was leaving the BAU.

And there's the prologue! Sorry it's a little short, but the story actually takes place WAY after this, when Spence has been away from the BAU for a few years. This was just the intro.

Either way, I hope you enjoyed reading it!

I'm not sure when chapter two's going to be up as I have a ton of uni work at the moment, but, the more reviews I get, the quicker I will write as they will cheer me up from all of this stress!

So, please review!