Chapter 1

"The unreal is more powerful than the real, because nothing is as perfect as you can imagine it. because its only intangible ideas, concepts, beliefs, fantasies that last. Stone crumbles. Wood rots. People, well, they die. But things as fragile as a thought, a dream, a legend, they can go on and on." -Chuck Palahniuk

The day started off normally enough. The members of the BAU shuffled in one by one, Hotch first as always. He had expected Reid to be next, he usually got their early, but when Prentiss walked through the doors he let it go heading for his office. Rossi arrived next, Seaver beside him. He'd really become a great mentor for her since she'd joined the team. Hotch had though him the least likely of any of them to make a connection with the inexperienced newcomer but in a way he was glad that it was Rossi with all his experience and wisdom that had taken her under his wing. Morgan and Garcia arrived together a little while later, last as they often were but not late.

He watched through the blinds in his office window smiling as Garcia jabbed Morgan's stomach then tried to shove a donut from the box she was carrying into his protesting mouth. Of course, Morgan let her win but not without muttering good naturedly between bites about her donuts being the reason he was always at the gym which of course got Prentiss laughing and he thought he could see a small smile flit across Seaver's face before it vanished behind one of the books she was always carrying. The warmth in his stomach started to spread. The team was all together and they all just seemed to be in such a bright mood. This was what he lived for.

Except…except they weren't all together were they? Hotch felt the relaxed smile slide off his face. Reid was still not there and Morgan and Garcia almost never arrived before him. Whispers started in the back of his mind but he pushed them away. Reid was fine; there was no reason to suggest otherwise. He was probably just running late, maybe missed breakfast and got side tracked while picking something up on the way. He pushed the unwarranted worry back and walked out of his office to join the rest of his team. It was a testament to how long he'd been doing his job that when someone was more than 15 minutes late he started to worry.

"Anyone seen my junior G-Man yet?" Garcia questioned guarding her last donut from Morgan who was now making puppy dog faces at her. "Uh, uh, uh. If anyone needs this it's that skinny boy."

Hotch was glad someone else had asked the question before he'd had to. It wasn't on purpose, but Hotch knew he seemed to have a way of stressing people out when he asked those sorts of questions. Garcia…didn't. How could he when she called them names like junior G-Man?

"I'm not sure." Morgan's face was thoughtful. "You heard from him Hotch?" Hotch cleared his throat almost unconsciously.

"I was hoping one of you had.' There was a moment where each of the BAU members watched the others hoping Reid had called one of them. The quiet deepened and shifted intangibly as they realized he hadn't. If it had been any other one of them …but Reid was a stickler for the rules. He called ahead if he was going to be 3 minutes late, did as he was told. Reid was reliable. Those who had been around at the time hadn't seen anything like this from him since the aftermath of Tobias and the struggle with his drug addiction. Seaver and Rossi hadn't seen it at all. In fact, they probably didn't even know it had ever happened.

"Garcia, you start giving the briefing. I'll call him." Hotch headed towards his office again whipping out his phone. He clicked on Reid's picture and again on mobile then it began to ring. After several rings it went to voicemail. Hello. This is Dr. Reid with the FBI's behavioural analysis unit. I'm sorry I missed your call but leave your name, number and a brief message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Did you know that the first telephone was developed in the – Hotch hit end and let the phone slide to his desk. Damn, Reid.

Of course, it was then, just was he was starting to truly worry, that the young man came barrelling through the BAU's doors. His face was devoid of what little colour it usually had and he looked out of breath like he'd been running. Hotch barely realized he had left his office until he was standing in front of the young genius. It also wasn't until that moment that he realised Reid was holding a large envelope in his hands. His read rimmed eyes widened as they focused on Hotch and then Reid did something very uncharacteristic. He threw his arms around his boss and hugged him. Hotch stiffened in surprise, out of all of them Reid was by far the least comfortable with physical contact. When Reid finally pulled away Hotch could see tears streaming down his face causing his stomach to clench. Something was wrong, something as very wrong.

"Reid are you-"

"Where are the others?"

"They're in the other room -"

"All of them?"

"All of them." Reid practically fell into his desk chair. "Reid are you alright?" Reid looked like he was trying to find the words but in the end just handed the envelope in his clenched fists to Hotch.

"Open it." The tears in Reid's eyes were still coming. He didn't even seem to realise they were there.

Hotch, with nothing else to do, reached his hand into the envelope and pulled what was inside out. It was a stack of pictures. He glanced at the first one and felt his head reel, ringing in his ears started, and he had to do all in his power to keep the bagel he had eaten for breakfast from coming back up. It wasn't possible, it didn't make sense…

The picture was of him. He was lying on the floor of an alley he recognised as being near his house. He was very clearly shot twice in the chest, and very clearly dead. His hand went to the pot on his chest automatically but he pulled it away and, with a growing sense of dread, stuck the photo at the back. He had to see the others. The next was of Garcia slumped against her computer chair bullet through the forehead, blood pooling. With each picture the panic in his chest grew. Morgan's throat cut body outside the BAU. Rossi on the table of Hotch's office, strangled. Prentiss with a bullet through the side of the head, she was crumpled over her desk. Seaver was last. He didn't recognize the setting but it was in some kind of house (he assumed her apartment). There was a lot of blood and bruising but it wasn't clear what had done the damage. He lifted his head and met Reid's eyes.

"What…what are these?"

Reid had to swallow twice before he could answer. "They were left at my place this morning. There was a note too…" Reid turned a shade paler.

"What did it say Reid?" He was struggling to keep his poise, his control. "We have to know."

"It said grieve while you can, you're next."

Hotch couldn't hold the bile down any longer. He dropped the pictures and ran for the bathroom making it just in time to spew his insides all over the sink. He felt his stomach emptying and wanted to scream. No! No! No! His worst nightmare. His worst nightmare right there documented in pictures. He felt his stomach heave again his mouth already on fire.

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