No.

No way.

That couldn't be.

That... that just couldn't be.

Just two seconds ago, he seemed to be contemplating the idea of this happening. Now, Spencer didn't want to even wrap the idea of (Y/N) being gone. He couldn't bear it.

(Y/N) couldn't be gone... could she?

"Garcia found her cell phone in a fountain that was near the poem. We didn't want to tell you because... well..." JJ trailed off.

"We didn't want you to go off by yourself and find him," Hotch finished.

Spencer looked up at everyone, his eyes getting ready to fill themselves with tears any minute now. Spencer had to push them back. He couldn't let his team see him cry. "Any ransom offers?" he asked.

"No," JJ said. "But we're going to find her, Spence. I promise you."

Spencer nodded and walked out of the room, fighting back the tears that were risking the chance to flow out of his eyes.

Spencer heard JJ try to walk after him, but Rossi must've caught her arm and pulled her back. "He'll be okay," Rossi said. "Just don't worry."

Spencer was barely able to walk straight and almost didn't sit on his seat properly, his mind racing with all of the different possibilities of what could've been done to prevent this, or what could happen to his best friend. Tears tried to escape his eyes, but Spencer could never let that happen. He just couldn't. Not at work like this.

After gathering himself and shoving his emotions away, he stood up and walked back into the conference room, which looked exactly how it did before he left. "What did the poem say?"

"Reid, I don't want you working this case," Hotch responded.

"I know you don't, Hotch, but if you think that I'm just going to stand around and do nothing while (Y/N) is out there with a murderer, then you're very wrong." What in Spencer had the guts to say this, he didn't know, but all he knew was that this was the truth. "I'll lose my title, I'll give up my gun, I'll do whatever, but I'm going to help this team find (Y/N), so help me God."

Out of the corner of his eye, Spencer saw Prentiss and JJ look at each other in shock. Rossi raised his eyebrows, Morgan crossed his arms, and Garcia stopped typing.

"Fine. But you will do everything I say and in no circumstances are you allowed to leave this building unless I say so," answered Hotch, his face hardened.

Spencer nodded. "Now, what did the poem say?"

Garcia clicked her remote as the poem popped up on the screen. On the screen, it read the following:

"Do accept this incredible loss

for I know it's causing trouble

but I look at it as a lucky toss

or that cards that were given a good shuffle.

What were the chances that I could take

what belonged to you?

Find the answer and the girl, for her sake,

and maybe for mine, too!"

Chills went down Spencer's spine. "Did you try to connect it to the other poems? Maybe those other poems could be an extended metaphor relating to (Y/N), or maybe they're alluding to her."

"We tried that," Rossi answered, "but we came up with nothing. But now that you're working the case, maybe you can find some connection."

Spencer walked closer to the table and took a good look at the three poems that were lined up on the table. The first poem had the neatest handwriting, he noticed, and it talked about holding people hostage, which was no surprise. The second poem seemed to talk about caged animals, which was strange.

Then, it clicked.

Reading them over once again, Spencer stood up straight. "These poems, while they may not have a direct connection to (Y/N), they have an indirect connection to all of the Whisperer's victims, including (Y/N). The poems are talking about the steps of his kidnapping."

JJ looked at Spencer like he had four heads. "How'd you figure that out?"

"The first poem talks about hostages, right? Nothing too out of the ordinary, he does abduct people. The second poem, however, is about caged animals," he said.

"We just assumed that meant that he feels caged, or trapped by his need to abduct and kill," JJ replied.

"It could, but what I'm thinking is that the UnSub is telling us what he does with his victims. He's putting them in cages."

Your eyes seemed to be stuck shut as you pulled them open to see a dimly lit room. The light flickered on and off, making your headache no better. You tried to stand up, but you're currently in a cage. Not the big and open kind, the kind that animals stay in.

Suddenly, everything rushed to your head at once. You were abducted. You don't know who took you or who knows about your abduction, but you were abducted. The sudden realization gave you a headache.

You kept repeating, "Stay calm, don't scream, they're gonna find you," over and over and over in your head. You just had to stay calm.

Suddenly, a dark figure emerged from the shadows. You had to use every bit of strength within you to not scream.

Slowly, this dark figure walked closer to you, and soon enough, he was at the door of your cage. He knelt down so he could make eye contact with you. The man put his index finger in front of his mouth and shushed. That's when it hit you.

You have been abducted by the Whisperer.

Reading these poems over and over again gave Spencer a headache, which shocked him a little. Spencer never ever got a headache from reading. But the circumstances of this situation seemed to be wearing Spencer down. While reading, Spencer felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to see Morgan.

"Pack up your stuff, kid," he started, "I'm taking you home. Hotch's orders."

Spencer looked at Morgan, an eyebrow raised. "I told Hotch that I'm working this case!"

"Yeah, and you are. But Hotch wants you to go home and clear your head." Morgan looked down at the genius.

Spencer had no choice at this point. He grabbed his satchel and a few books, signed out of his computer that he barely used, and nodded towards Morgan. "Let's go, then."

"You love her, don't you?"

Spencer looks towards Morgan, who has been talking about the development they made on (Y/N) and her whereabouts. Now, Morgan has the nerve to ask Spencer if he's in love with her.

And he is.

They walk up to Spencer's door, possible responses to that question swirling in his head. "I-I don't know," he responded, tears pricking his eyes.

Morgan nodded and sighed. "You'll know when you see her. Get some rest, kid," the agent said, watching the boy genius walk into his apartment. "I'll see you in the morning."

With that, Morgan waved to the kid and shut the door, exhaling.