1 | TREPIDATION. [SPENCER REID]

ELEVEN.

ELEVEN ; IN SEVEN YEARS.

It was when Quinn met the setting sun that it finally hit her. She was free. She was free from the Horsemen. She had a life to begin.

The BAU had told a small lie to the public, telling the people that Quinn had been abducted by the Horsemen years ago (fact) and that they had kept her hostage for the time being, never letting her out of their reach (minor falsity). This explained why the girl was being released without charges, why she would suddenly be free.

There were no words to express the amount of gratitude that she felt to the BAU Unit. They had given her so many things and she would never be able to repay them. She almost felt as though she didn't deserve the treatment she was getting.

Perhaps that's why her mood had boosted so dramatically in the past hour. The team was released from work to go home to their families, each of them excited to finally have the time off. Quinn was being led to her new home (about three blocks away from Quantico) by Blake and Reid.

The three made small talk as they walked, the subjects reaching everything from possible new team members to new lessons for Blake to teach in her classes for the next semester. Quinn listened in with a smile, adding in comments when called for. It was strange to be able to have a conversation that wasn't about the next kill or the next training session. It would take a bit, but she was ecstatic to get used to it.

Blake grinned when they approached the building that Quinn would soon call home. It was a tall, brick apartment complex with a lit up clock lamppost on the sidewalk next to it. "Here we are," she announced, looking up. "It's a great little place to live, I should know. I lived here for a couple of years a while back, before the FBI bought it and turned it into this."

"You lived here?" Spencer asked, opening the door for both women. "I never knew that."

The three walked through the small lobby and over to the elevator. Blake nodded towards Reid. "I lived on the second floor," she replied. "It was a fun three years." When the elevator arrived, they entered and stood quietly, watching as the number on the screen in front of them slowly rise up.

The doors opened and they proceeded to walk out into the hall, Quinn grinning as she got closer to her apartment. Her apartment. That was going to take some getting used to.

And then it was in front of them. The black door with a gold number two and a letter B staring them down. This would be the first time Quinn had a place of her own in seven years. The government would be protecting her. She would be safe.

Just the thought of that brought a smile to her face.

Blake took the keys out of her pocket and placed them into the lock, opening the door. Spencer went in first, turning the lights on to reveal a small living area. It had a sofa and two chairs with a dark brown coffee table in front of the couch. There was a small television that sat on a table opposite the couch. A glass, sliding door revealed a balcony that overlooked a tiny park. There was a narrow hallway that led to a bedroom with an attached bathroom and another small hallway that had a powder room and a washer and dryer. A small kitchen sat tucked into a corner. "It's a little small, but-"