Disclaimer: Usual disclaimer, I do not own any CM characters, I'm just borrowing them and will return them in the same condition as I found them.

Storyline Rules: There may be violence, mention of drugs and sex crimes -- this is Criminal Minds. All CM characters will remain true to character as I see them. This may be fantasy, but I will try my best to make sure anything presented as fact is accurate.

THE INJURY

The team watched in dismay as the unsub scrambled up a very rickety looking scaffold and disappeared onto the roof of the building. Grimly Morgan jumped and grabbed a support bar, which gave way under his weight. Hotch ordered several of the officers with them to surround the building and stop anyone from leaving. Gideon and JJ led the way around the building.

Reid looked at the thirty-foot-high scaffolding, the unsub had made it up there, obviously it was a weight issue, he holstered his weapon and said, "Morgan, give me a boost."

They heard pounding from above; apparently the door to the building was locked.

A chorus of "whats" met his demand. "Look, Emily and I are the only ones light enough to get up there. I used to climb these things all the time, just get me past that bar you just broke."

Hotch looked at him, "You're not going alone," he looked at Prentiss, "Do you climb?"

Prentiss holstered her weapon and nodded, "Yeah. Not my favorite activity, but I can do it."

Hotch nodded to Morgan who cupped his hands for Reid's foot. "All right, but be careful, and if you can wait for Emily before confronting him, do it. I want you both on firm footing before you get his attention."

"Got it." Reid placed his foot in Morgan's hands and gripped his shoulders. Morgan stood up and Reid reached for the closest crossbar. When he had it in his hands he raised a foot and stood on Morgan's shoulder while he pulled himself up. He cringed a little and muttered "sorry," as he felt his crotch bump against Morgan's face, no way around it though.

He wiggled the scaffolding experimentally, it gave more than he liked so he whispered back down, "Don't send Emily up until I'm all the way up, I don't think this thing'll hold us both."

Hotch watched as Reid scrambled upward like a monkey, carefully but quickly checking each crossbar before putting his weight onto it. The moment Reid reached the roof he signaled Emily to follow.

Emily placed her foot in Morgan's waiting hands and warned him, "Not one word," as she too scrambled up his body in positions that would normally be quite awkward.

"Yeah, just be glad you wore pants today, or I'd have quite the view." He steadied her as best he could as she stood on his shoulder to pull herself up.

Hotch radioed to the officers stationed around the building, letting them know what was happening, and ordered to men to climb the stairwell and access the roof from inside the building.

As Hotch and Morgan waited nervously following Emily's progress, she didn't have Reid's reach, so her progress was noticeably slower. They were reassured by the sounds of the unsub still trying to break through the security door at the top. Obviously he hadn't spotted Reid yet, which meant Emily should be able to get over without being seen, then hopefully the two could move into position for a clean capture.

Finally Emily pulled herself over the side of the building and out of sight.

Hotch flinched as he heard a loud crack, indicating the unsub had broken through the door lock. It was immediately followed by Reid and Prentiss yelling, "freeze," and the sound of three shots.

&&&&&&

Reid watch Emily's hand reach over the rooftop as he crouched silently behind a stack of empty moving crates, he tapped her hand to let her know he was there, then grabbed her arm to help pull her over the edge. He silently signaled for her to go left while he held position. The unsub was still trying to break through the door, so they had time to approach from different angles. The unsub was armed and couldn't aim at both of them if they approached separately.

Emily was about twenty feet away when they heard the door crack. Reid whispered, "Now," into his mike, and stood up behind another stack of crates, yelling, "Freeze," as Emily did the same from behind a large water pipe. The unsub ripped the door open and heard the sounds of several police officers running up the stairs. Trapped.

Slowly he turned to look at Emily, then Reid. He smiled, Reid had a moment to think, "He looks about sixteen," before the unsub pointed his gun at Emily and fired as he lunged at Reid. His body jerked as two shots hit him, arm and shoulder, but pure desperation kept him moving towards Reid and carried them both over the edge of the building.

&&&&&&

Emily heard the scaffolding clatter as two bodies hit the metal and boards, slowing their descent, but striking multiple times. She ran over to the edge of the building just as the officers came pouring out of the stairwell, yelling "Freeze" and "shots fired."

&&&&&&

Hotch and Morgan had no choice but to dive for cover as they watched in horror as two bodies fell over the side of the building, crashing into and through the scaffolding, bringing the entire structure down in a rain of boards and clanging metal. The sounds of bodies hitting the pavement brought their hearts into their throats.

They ran back over to where their friend and their enemy lay one atop the other in a tangle of limbs, wood, metal and blood, Reid having landed face down over the unsub. Both men were unconscious, or worse, Hotch gingerly reached out to feel for Reid's pulse. Morgan was calling for a medic over the radio even before Hotch nodded and whispered, "He's alive."

He felt for the pulse of the other man, it was weaker but still present. He keyed his mike, "Officer down, we need two ambulances, fast."