There's a thin line between love and hate. Some sources point to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet where Benvolio says, “Here’s much to do with hate, but more with love,” hinting at the close tie between the two emotions. Others suggest W. Somerset Maugham’s quote, “A thin line separates love from hate, success from failure, life from death, a line as difficult to walk as a razor’s edge,” as an early influence, but Spencer knew that it was not possible to pinpoint exactly where the expression came from. Still, it was the only thing that had been in his brain lately. Well, after you.

You were here to cover his absence, to take his place while he was in jail, but you were good. Good, good — which led not only to the team really like you, but to the FBI director actually ask you to stay with the team after Spencer had been proven innocent and released from prison. You've said yes, of course. It was a huge opportunity, to be BAU. Spencer didn't like it, though.

Sure, you tried being nice to him, but he simply didn't like you. Or maybe he did, and that was the issue. Spencer actually admired you, and considering you were younger than him, he felt a bit threatened by you in the beginning — that's why he treated you like shit. Reid didn't like competition when it came to his IQ and Reid didn't like when he liked someone so much that it could easily turn to love if he let it. No, shit, he had lost too much already — no one was going to get close again. But he was, God— so wrong, because you were already there. You already were part of his life, of his heart.

This unsub called himself "Ex Ash A Twelve" — homage for Elon Musk's son. Uh, ew?

The man was an incel, meaning he had a strong hate towards women, but he didn't stay online. Oh, no. He evolved when he lost his dad and he had started to kidnap, heavily torture and end women's lives. It was very A24, the movie company that makes movies that... Well, it read like A24 — cut tongues, torture, broken bones, sexual abuse. The bodies — four, until now — showed that they had been kept chained somewhere. And, the worst part is, that this unsub's victims looked just like... You. Skin, hair, eye color. Height, body type — Prentiss and Garcia were worried about you, even, meaning it was pretty damn serious. But you weren't worried, you knew you were a good BAU agent. Yet, pride comes before a fall.

The discussion started like just a normal one between you Spencer (everyone was used to them by now) but it ended up in a screaming fight. Spencer, who was scared for you but would never admit it, not even to himself, masked it as not wanting you to risk any other women's lives and, fine, he did hint of thinking you were not capable enough of going alone to find this unsub — which he was kind of right. You were capable enough, of course, but it wasn't safe, and that's what he had been trying to say — but didn't considering he had no idea how to express himself. You made Spencer feel so...

Ten hours. It had been ten hours since he had screamed at you and you had stormed off the building to find the unsub and no one had heard from you ever since, and when Garcia found your location...

Spencer did throw up, thankful you were not awake.

You were not only chained to the wall, but you were inside a cage, like an animal. As JJ looked around the basement for the key, Spencer was just frozen, standing there, gun in hand, looking at you. You were hurt, hurt. Black eye, busted lip, cuts all over your arms and legs — since you were in a... dress? Where did this came from? —, bloody nose, no shoes. Maybe if he hadn't screamed at you. Make if he had come with you... Spencer couldn't lose you. No, shit, he... Maybe all this hate was... Wasn't hate.

Finally, JJ found the key and unlocked the cage and the chain from your wrist, but you were still not awake. Spencer helped her to get you out the cage, and JJ ran upstairs, from the basement, to call for the EMTs. And then you opened your eyes.

God, everything hurt.

"{{user}}?" Tried Spencer, his eyes glossy from holding back his tears.