2 | GREEN LIGHT. [SPENCER REID]

TWO.

"I heard rumors," he said quietly, seeming to squeeze her tighter, "I just wasn't sure if they were true."

"They're true," Quinn whimpered, a heavy breath leaving her lips. She paused, uncertain to ask Connor about her issue.

Connor noticed her change in demeanor. "There's something else, isn't there?" he asked, pulling away from her.

Quinn sighed again, shrugging her shoulders. "The team that I was apart is flying in tomorrow to meet with Prentiss. She's going to tell them I'm alive."

"And you're worried about they're going to take the news," he finished. She nodded. "This is the team that you had the boyfriend on, correct."

Her cheeks tinted red, a small smile tugging at her lips. "He wasn't my boyfriend," she muttered.

"Right," he said, unconvinced.

"Connor," she whined, stepping away from him and beginning to walk into her apartment. "What am I going to do? What if they all hate me?"

"They're not going to hate you, Quinn," he assured, following her in and shutting the door behind him. "This was something you had to do to keep yourself safe. They couldn't know that you were alive. They'll understand." Quinn felt herself nodding, even though she was still unconvinced. "But, uh, let's go back to the Horsemen. What do you mean they're back? Are the hurting people again? Do they know-" He trailed off, glancing at Quinn.

"That I'm alive?" she finished. Connor nodded, watching as Quinn shrugged. "If they do, they're not saying anything about it. Messages boards around the world got Kyle's news."

Connor furrowed his brow once more. "What did he say?"

"When the time is right," she recited, leaning back on the counter space in the middle of her kitchen.

"What the hell does that mean?"

"I wish I knew," she replied, a humorous laugh leaving her lips. "Kyle's cryptic. He enjoys leaving people in suspense and surprising them." Quinn paused for a moment, hesitant to tell Connor everything, knowing how he would react. "Prentiss wants to tell the world I'm alive. She thinks it'll speed up the reaction time for Masters."

He looked at her in astonishment. "And you're going to let her?"

"I have to," she responded. "It makes sense if we want to get a reaction from him. He wants to surprise us, we need to surprise him. He'll feel the need to one up us." She shrugged. "It's a good plan."

"No, it's not a 'good plan'," he protested, shaking his head. "You've been safe for two years now, Quinn. Why would you want to ruin that?"

"Because it's my job," she said. "I know what has to happen, and I'm okay with it. This is my mess. I have to clean it up." Quinn sighed, adding on, "And after everything that Emily and Hotch have done for me, I owe them this one."

Connor sighed, defeated. He bowed his head, placing his hands on Quinn's shoulders. "I hope you know what you're doing," he whispered.

Quinn simply smiled softly at him. "What?" she asked. "You don't trust me?"

"That's the thing," he admitted. "I trust you a little too much." He pressed his lips to her temple, looking back down at her. "Which means I know you well enough to know that you'll make stupid decisions to make situations better for others."