Elijah sighed as he worked on heating up Lizzie's bottle. He knew what Reid was doing had to be important, but that didn't mean he needed to like being without him.

"Oh, Elijah dear, it's so early." Diana walked through.

"I know." Elijah nodded,"Did you sleep alright?"

"No, no. Not at all. I couldn't sleep with all the banging and the shouting." Diana shook her head.

"Oh, that's.. Terrible. I'll make sure to have a word with the neighbors about that." Elijah told her.

"Make sure you do." Diana pointed.

"Don't worry, I will." Elijah told her as he took the bottle out of the microwave.

"Is that for yourself? That's a funny bottle." Diana chuckled.

"Y'know, there have been occasions where I thought about it but, no. This is for Lizzie." Elijah answered.

"Lizzie.. Oh yes! Little Lizzie." Diana smiled as she remembered.

"Will you be alright while I go grab her?" Elijah asked.

"Of course." Diana nodded.

Elijah nodded and made his way upstairs, bottle in hand, to Lizzie's room. Lizzie was awake, looking up at the ceiling.

"Hello, baby. How are you?" Elijah asked as he picked her up.

Lizzie giggled and clapped her hands.

"That's good. It's time for your bottle, are you hungry?" Elijah held it out to her.

Lizzie babbled and grabbed her bottle.

"Good girl." Elijah smiled.

*********************************

"She okay then?" Fleur looked at Elijah.

"She was hallucinating last night, couldn't sleep because of banging and shouting." Elijah sighed,"Other than that, she seemed alright."

"Sorry." Luke sighed.

"Don't be, I've got this under control and Reid's gonna be back any day now." Elijah hummed.

"Did he not even say where he was going?" JJ blinked.

"Didn't tell me." Elijah shook his head,"I just woke up and he was gone, he left a note saying he would be gone for a few days."

"I hope he will." Stephen nodded.

"But hey, I've been making things work around the house." Elijah nodded.

"Good. And if you need any help-" Fleur began.

"I know- I know." Elijah stopped her,"You and Morgan are always there to help."

"We got you. We all do." Luke nudged him.

"..Thanks." Elijah cleared his throat

That's when Rossi and Emily walked in.. More like rushed in. Everyone could tell something was up.

"What's wrong?" JJ asked slowly.

"Reid's in jail." Emily sighed.

"..Jail?" Elijah blinked

"In Mexico." Emily nodded.

Fleur quickly took hold of Elijah's hand, she didn't know how he would react.

"What the hell is he in for?" JJ questioned.

"Drug possession." Rossi swallowed,"With intent to distribute."

"What type of drugs?" Alvez asked.

"Cocaine and heroine." Rossi sighed.

"This can't be happening." Fleur blinked.

"We need Lewis and Walker here ASAP." Emily pointed.

"Yeah. I can call- I can call them." Garcia quickly grabbed her phone and called them.

*********************************

"This has got to be Scratch." Tara looked up from the file,"I mean, he was laying low. Now we know why."

"Crossing the border as a fugitive is a huge risk." Fleur sighed, sitting beside Elijah.

"The reward is greater. He's been punishing the team. Now his target is Reid." Emily shook her head.

"Peter Lewis dropped off the map after attacking Tara's family. Maybe he's been hiding in Mexico this whole time." Stephen suggested.

"We also have to consider this might not be related to him." Emily added.

"Who else would it be?" Rossi asked.

"Drug cartels.. Could have threatened Reid and used him as a mule." Elijah suggested.

"Agreed. This could simply be a case of bad luck." Rossi shrugged,"Reid was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Spence's mom is okay. The home nurse he hired says all is stable." JJ told them.

"Oh, thank the stars." Garcia sighed of relief.

"How long did he tell the nurse he'd be gone?" Alvez asked.

"Three days." JJ nodded,"Is that what he told you Eli?"

"I was left a note, it said a few days." Elijah looked away.

"That seems reasonable, after the Palm Springs case, Reid said he had to get back to Houston, to talk to his moms doctor." Fleur pointed.

"Well, Houston is only a five hour drive from the border." Tara nodded.

"Usually I can read him." JJ looked up,"I can't believe I didn't pick up on any of this."

"He didn't want you to, and there's no way you would have guessed he'd end up in Mexico." Elijah shook his head.

"The question is, why did he go down there?" Tara raised a brow.

"And why does he have narcotics?" Rossi questioned.

"Yes! Exactly. That he wouldn't- He wouldn't do that. You got.. I'm not gonna share any secrets I'm not supposed to but those drugs were planted on him." Garcia pointed.

"Absolutely. But there's something bigger at play. That's why he crossed the border and kept it a secret. There's something he didn't want to share with any of you." Stephen explained.

"Okay, so what would make him risk everything?" Emily asked.

"His family." Fleur pointed.

"Yeah, but we're here. And we're safe." Elijah sighed.

"Cruz just sent me the arresting report. Hold please. Translating now.." Garcia typed,"It says here that Reid was involved in a high speed chase."

"What? He hardly ever drives." Emily shook her head.

"None of this sounds like him. It says he was wearing jeans, he was really confused and.. According to the arresting officer he was really high on something." Garcia blinked.

"No- No, he wouldn't do that." Elijah swallowed,"Not after what happened with Tobias Hankel."

"Who's that?" Luke raised a brow.

"And offender with DID.. Who kidnapped and drugged Reid." Emily told him.

"When was this?" Tara looked up. She never knew this.

"Ten years ago." Elijah rubbed his face.

"What does the report say about the intent to distribute?" Rossi questioned.

"Uh, it says he was charged with constructive possession, and in the duffel bag.. There was cocaine, cash and three bricks of heroin." Garcia informed him.

"Okay, we'll be there in less than an hour. Dave, were you able to reach Jack Garrett?" Emily asked.

"He's deep in a case, but he promised to do what he can." Rossi nodded.

"Okay, we're gonna need all the help we can get." Emily sighed.

*********************************

Soon enough, some of the team arrived at the station Reid was being held at.

"Thank you for calling us." Rossi nodded.

"A US Fed in our custody isn't something we see everyday." Officer Cabrera sighed.

"We appreciate you letting us talk to him. Have you got his tox screen panels back yet?" Emily asked.

"No." Cabrera shook his head.

Fleur was by Elijah's side, she didn't know what could break him, especially if they saw Reid.

"You will need to extradite that, we gave cause to believe that Agent Reid was drugged." She told him.

"He was definitely high and driving like a maniac with $20,000 dollars worth of heroin in his possession. Both at which put my officers at risk." Cabrera pointed,"You're in our jurisdiction. The rules are different here."

But Elijah caught sight of Reid in his cell, almost immediately walking up to the bars.

"Hey, Spence.." Elijah smiled softly,"It's good to see you, my love."

Reid looked up at Elijah.. An empty look on his face, tilting his head.

"It's me, Elijah." Elijah told him.

"..Eli." Reid stood up, walking to the bars,"Thank you for coming."

"Of course." He nodded.

"We're gonna get you out of here, Spence." Fleur walked over with Rossi, Luke and Emily.

"We need to work out some details with the locals, okay?" Emily told him.

Reid's eyes darted around them all, he couldn't even stand straight.

"Who was your contact down here?" Alvez asked him.

Reid thought for a moment, "Rosa." He pulled up his sleeve to show her name written,"Rosa Medina. I think she's a doctor."

"Alright." Alvez took a picture of the writing,"Where did you meet her?"

Reid shook his head, "I don't remember."

"If you saw her, would you.. Would you remember her?" Elijah raised a brow.

Reid nodded, "Yeah..I think so."

"You're missing time, aren't you?" Fleur looked at him.

"It's peeking out.. It's coming in flashes." Reid told her.

"And you've been drugged." Emily watched him.

"Yeah, but I didn't take it myself." Reid shook his head.

"No, of course you didn't, Spencer. We're.." Elijah paused before sighing,"We're thinking it could be Scratch."

"Scratch.." He mumbled while Luke's phone went.

"Excuse me." He walked off, returning after a few minutes and showing a picrure,"Reid, the team sent this. Is this the doctor you met?"

Reid studied the photo before nodding,"Yeah."

"Her alias is Rosa Medina but her real name is Nadie Ramos. Garcia tracked her to a motel just outside town. Does that sound familiar?" Luke asked.

Reid thought before shaking his head,"No."

"Okay, we'll need to take Casteneda and his officers with us." Emily sighed.

"..You want company here?" Elijah asked him.

"No, I'm.. I'm okay." Reid shook his head slowly.

*********************************

Unfortunately at the motel, they found Nadie Ramos... Dead.

"We know you didn't do this." Emily assured him.

"How did it happen?" Reid asked.

"She was stabbed multiple times. It looked personal." Alvez informed him

"We got the results of your blood work. There's cocaine and heroin in your system." Cabrera walked over.

"What else?" Elijah asked.

"He was in possession of cocaine and heroin when he was arrested. I found what I need." Cabrera shrugged.

"No, I need a full tox screen panel. We're looking for scopolamine." Emily pointed.

"That'll take longer." Cabrera looked at her.

"I don't care. I need it." Emily stated.

"You were given a speedball. The opiates block the dopamine, that's why things go from clear to hazy." Luke explained,"The combination of the drugs causes a dissociative state and explains the memory loss. Are you coming down now?"

"I think so." Reid nodded.

"Do you think you could do a cognitive interview?" Fleur asked.

"I could try." He told her.

"Do you have a quiet room we can use?" Emily turned

"Yes." Cabrera nodded before looking to Reid, holding up a bag of vials,"There were five of these in your bag at the motel. You recognize them?"

Reid blinked slowly, just staring at them.

"What is it?" Cabrera questioned, only garnering a head shake so he walked off,"I'm gonna run it through the lab."

"Whatever is in those vials, I was giving to my mom." Reid admitted,"That's the only thing I'm sure of."

*********************************

"How's he doing?" Rossi asked as Emily left the interview room.

"Well, he's made some breakthroughs, but I'm not sure how helpful they'll be." Emily shook her head.

But the others were silent as Elijah paced beside them, raking his hand through his hair.

"What?" Emily blinked.

Alvez sighed,"They just charged Reid with the murder of Nadie Ramos."

Emily looked at Elijah who was panicking.

"We can't get him out of here, can we?" Fleur asked.

"I don't know how." Rossi shook his head.

"He didn't kill her." Elijah cursed.

"If all I had to go on was the evidence, I would swear he did." Rossi sighed,"But knowing Reid, hearing the cognitive.."

"Yes, he said there was another person in that motel room, but.." Emily played the audio from the interview.

In the audio was Reid admitting to holding the knife that killed Nadie Ramos.

"Right now, this is just more evidence against him." Emily sighed.

*********************************

"Reid? We got good news, backup is here." Fleur walked into his cell with Matt, Clara and Emily.

"Hey, Spencer." Matt smiled.

"Thank you for coming." Reid stood up.

"Yeah, of course. Jack and me are finishing up a case in Costa Rica, so we hopped on a commercial plane to get here." Clara told him.

"We're trying to stop your transfer to El Diablo." Matt sighed.

"Do you think it's possible?" Reid asked.

"Yes. Lab reports on the vials came back. Some of what was in there hasn't been approved by the FDA, but there aren't any illegal substances." Clara told him.

"That's great news." Emily nodded.

"Is there anything else you remember about your time here?" Clara asked.

"I remember what happened to the vials at my home. My mom threw most of them out." Reid told them.

"So that's why you were here, to get more?"

"It must be."

"Well, you're off the hook for that. There was no contraband involved." Matt shrugged.

"Yeah, but we were still looking at the planyed drug and murder charhes, which could keep you here for a long time." Clara told him.

"So what can we do to delay the transfer?" Emily asked.

"You said that you met Nadie, who calls herself Rosa, in Houston. Why didn't she just give you the vials in the US?" Clara asked Reid.

"I don't know. I don't know but she helped us and.. I trusted her. I was right to. I..I still believe that." Reid nodded.

"Well, she convinced you to cross the border multiple times. She had uou risk your life." Matt shook his head.

"Because she must've had something to lose, too." Fleur suggested.

"Like family." Emily nodded.

"We need to know more about her." Clara looked at Reid.

"Well, what was in those vials?" Reid blinked.

"There are some nootropic compounds like Ampalex, but also some more natural stuff, coral calcium, Jimson weed, coconut oil, a variety of vitamins, B12, D3.." Matt listed.

"Where are we right now?" Reid looked around.

"Matamoros, Northern Mexico." Matt stated.

"Jimson Weed, otherwise known as the Devil's Snare, originated in Mexico, but it's natural growing region is further north or south of the border." Reid explained.

"Now that sounds like you." Emily smiled.

"So, it isn't from here?" Clara raised a brow.

"Where did she get it?" Matt raised a brow.

Emily quickly called Garcia,"Garcia, we've got some questions."

"Hey Penelope." Matt hummed.

"Oh my god. It's the dulcet tones of Matt Simmons." Garcia gasped,"Are you here to save the day?"

"I'm trying. Clara's here, too." Matt chuckled.

Garcia let out a sigh of relief,"Knowing we have you guys as backup is providing me so much needed hope, and I work better this way."

"Hey lady, we're trying to catch up on a few things." Clara sighed.

"Shoot it at me." Garcia nodded.

"Where is Nadie Ramos from?" Clara raised a brow.

"Uh, she lives with her family just north of Matamoros." Garcia told them.

"That must be where she got the Jimson weed." Emily pointed.

"What's weird is she crosses the border, like, a lot." She told them.

"Why?" Fleur asked.

"Well, she works at that clinic in Houston. She also helps at a low-income healthcare centre. I can't find a visa on her, which is double weird. And finishing the weird trifecta, there's a social security number on her W-2 form." Garcia explained.

"Social security? She's an American citizen?" Matt blinked.

"Yeah. She has dual-citizenship. She was born in Houston and her family had to move back to Mexico. She lives with them and she works in the US." Garcia told them.

"Well, this changes everything and we need to consulate." Emily sighed.

"It's time for his transfer." Cabrera walked in.

"We've had a break in the case. The victim was also American, and that calls for extradition." Clara turned.

"I've got orders. Sorry."

Fleur quickly rushed out of the cell and down to Elijah, "Eli?"

"Flo?" Elijah turned quickly.

"Reid..He's getting transfered. You might want to come."

"Transferred my ass, he's not going with them." Elijah shook his head as he started walking.

When Elijah got to everyone else, he heard Emily on the phone and saw Reid walking away.

"With the victim having dual citizenship, we now have concurrent jurisdiction. It is to my understanding that the official order to extradite SSA Spencer Reid would be evaluated.. I understand, thank you. Elijah, go get him." Emily nodded.

Elijah hurried after them, managing to catch up as they went to take Reid through a metal gate.

"Hey, stop!" Elijah called to them,"We just got word that he's under our jurisdiction. We'll be taking him back to the US, okay?"

Reid smiled softly once he saw Elijah, the guards speaking in Spanish before they nodded and passed Reid over.

"Okay, thanks." Elijah nodded as he lead Reid away,"You're not going anywhere, darling."

Reid turned to Elijah,"..Thank you."

"We're going to get you out of this mess, okay?" Elijah looked at him.

"Yeah..Yeah." Reid nodded.

*********************************

"Well, thanks for the ride home." Matt hummed as they got on the jet.

"Don't mention it. Commercial airlines kick my ass, nowadays. You?" Rossi chuckled.

"Once you've had the best, it's hard to go back." Matt shrugged.

"I was just thanking Clara for helping us." Emily walked over.

"Yeah, and I told her, when one of us is in trouble, we all are." Clara added,"You guys have any other problems with this, we happen to know some people."

"Love that." Rossi chuckled.

"Hm." Clara smiled as Luke brought Reid onto the jet.

"I can't thank you enough." Reid looked back at everyone.

"Hey, it's all good, man. We're just glad you sound like yourself again." Luke told him.

"Me too." Reid hummed softly.

"Okay, so here's the deal the Cruz made. We can stop by the BAU when we land, but then we'll drive you into the district and take you to the federal jail." Emily explained,"Since you are under investigation for murder, these cuffs are going to have to stay on until you are arraigned, but you're not a flight risk up here."

"Thank you. Circulations a wonderful thing." Reid joked.

"And the moment there's a chance for outside witnesses, these go back on." Emily added.

"Have you talked to anyone about the legal team?" Clara turned to the others.

"Yeah. Stephen Walker made some calls to the BAP to get the best we can." Rossi nodded.

"The BAP's a great group. You'll be in good hands." Matt assured Reid.

"Mark my words, kid. This whole thing has been a nightmare, but we're gonna get you out of it." Rossi assured him.

That's when Fleur's phone pinged,"Prints and samples from the crime scene came back to our home lab. They've found proof that backs up your cognitive. There was a third person."

"You're not out of the woods, but I swear we won't lose you." Elijah cupped his face.

Reid gave a small smile,"I know."

*********************************

Soon enough, they arrived back at the BAU Headquarters where the rest of the team was ready to meet them.

JJ hugged Reid once he walked out of the elevator,"Hi." She covered his cuffs up with her cardigan,"Oh- I'm sorry. It's only because there are other people around."

"I know. It's okay." Reid nodded.

"We know you didn't do anything wrong." Fleur assured him.

"But I should have told you guys I was going there. I never.. I never imagined in a hundred years it would have turned out like this " Reid shook his head.

"No one thought that this could have happened." JJ sighed,"Look, you're not in this alone anymore, okay? No secrets."

"Deal." Reid nodded.

"My turn." Garcia walked over and hugged Reid,"Come here you. Your colour's better. All I had to look at was that mug shot and it had me really worried."

"Yeah, we all were." Tara sighed.

"How's my mom doing?" Reid asked.

"She's fine. You don't have to worry about her, I promsie." JJ assured him.

"I can't help it. What about Lizzie?"

"She's doing great. Trust me, Garcia had meals delivered to your mom and Lizzie almost every night." JJ chuckled.

"And that nurse you got is amazing, Cassie." Garcia added.

"Cassie, she's great." Reid nodded.

"I brought the boys by. Your mom really loved them." JJ told him.

"I bet she did." Reid chuckled.

*********************************

Elijah sighed, watching as Reid was lead away. He hated this, hated not being able to go home with his husband, not knowing whether everything would be okay.

"You must feel horrible." JJ walked over.

"That's an understatement." Elijah sighed, rubbing his face.

"You know, I was just so worried." JJ sighed,"I brought the boys over to see your mom. Lizzie's with Morgan so we went over there."

"It's just.. Seeing my husband in handcuffs, there are things he doesn't remember." Elijah shook his head.

"I understand." JJ nodded, "He must be some confused. I just- I can't imagine what it's like for him."

"Ten years.. He managed to stay clean for ten years." Elijah crossed his arms,"I know what that's like- To have that stolen from you."

"I'm sorry, Elijah." JJ put a hand on his shoulder.

"Thanks." Elijah nodded slowly.

"I don't know what to do.. He doesn't deserve this." JJ sighed.

"I'll fix this. We'll all fix this, they can't- I won't let this happen to him." Elijah pointed.