Title: Where the Current is Rushing
Author: Pants
Rating: FRT
Pairing: Reid/Gideon
Summary: The situation unfolds a bit.
Notes: Part eleven million in my strange pea-verse

***

Morgan sat at Reid's desk, staring blankly at the computer monitor. Prentiss came up behind him and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Anything?"

Sighing and tossing a pen back onto Reid's desk, Morgan stood up abruptly, "Nothing. Not a damn thing."

"Is that… surprising?"

"No," Morgan looked at Prentiss, "since the unsub wasn't after Reid."

They both turned and headed towards Gideon's office, where Hotch was searching for anything amiss.

Hotchner was standing with his back to Gideon's desk, staring idly at the multitude of pictures and frames, when Morgan and Prentiss came in.

"Anything?" Morgan questioned.

Hotch shook his head grimly, "Nothing I can see is out of place." He turned to them, "You?"

Morgan shook his head, and Prentiss said, "The only fingerprints on the envelopes and contents were Reid's and Gideon's. Garcia and JJ are setting up the conference room now.

Hotch nodded and they made their way out of Gideon's office.

~*~

With you I will roam the river's nine channels,
when blasts of wind rise, driving waves across stream
we will ride my coach of waters, its canopy, lotus

We will ride on white turtles, goldfish attend us

Reid's mind winced. That wasn't right. That wasn't right at all. Then he heard it again, a deep rumbling seemed to be coming from inside of him as the words played out softly by his ear. That wasn't right, that wasn't how it went!

Reid awoke with a gasp, lurching forward only to be held in place by a firm hand splayed across his stomach. "Shh, you're okay."

Reid felt the rumbling again, but while it may have made his insides vibrate pleasantly, it was coming from behind him, "Gideon?"

"I'm here."

Not knowing exactly what to say, Reid focused on the subject of his dream. "Did she," He cleared his throat, "Did she leave a line of poetry in your envelope too?"

Gideon shifted minutely and Reid felt every nuance of his movement, "Yes; ‘We will ride on white turtles, goldfish attend us.' Mean anything to you?"

"It's from an ancient Chinese poem. I got a line from it too."

"You know the whole poem?"

"Yes." Reid said, resisting the urge to lay his hands on Gideon's legs. He decided to rest them on a heavily-sleeping Schnapps.

"Read it to me." Gideon whispered.

Reid cleared his throat and sat up a little straighter.

"With you I will roam the river's nine channels,
when blasts of wind rise driving waves across stream,
we will ride my coach of waters, its canopy, lotus,
hitched to paired dragons, by basilisks flanked

I climbed Mount Kun-lun, I gazed all around,
the heart flew aloft, it went sweeping off free.
soon the sun was to set, I, transfixed, forgot going,
and then to the far shore I looked back with care.

My roofs are of fish scales, halls of the dragon,
turrets of purple cowries, palaces of carmine-
why is the holy one here, down in the water?

We will ride on white turtles, goldfish attend us,
with you I will roan by the river's isles,
where the current is rushing, there we'll go down.

You clasp your hands, journeying eastward;
you go with the Fairest to the southern shores
where the swell of the waves is coming to meet us,
and the schools of fishes, will send off my love."

"Where the current is rushing," Gideon repeated softly, "Is there any significance to it?"

"Well, it falls into a popular category of poetry written around 300 B.C.E. They're, well they're almost chronicles, of a shaman's quest. The shaman feels spurned or neglected by the gods, and goes off in search of the gods or goddesses that he feels slighted by."

"What does the Shaman do when he finds the god?"

Reid turned around, shifting to a position where he could look Gideon in the eye. He leaned back against a steadying hand, "He exacted revenge."

Reid turned around and leaned further against Gideon, suddenly very cold. He shivered, and as Gideon's arms wrapped around his middle, he said quietly, "I don't think you should convince her you love-" me "someone else."

There was a sound at the top of the staircase, and Reid grabbed the arms around his waist, trying to pull them off and scoot away before she saw. But Gideon only pulled him closer, pressing his lips against the back of his shoulder. Reid felt and heard a muffled, "Too late." against his skin as Schnapps ran across the room to hide under the sink.

Adelaide made her way noisily down the steps, and Reid dropped one hand from Gideon's arm to Gideon's thigh. Just before she turned the corner, Gideon's arms fell loosely down, and the lips against the back of his shoulder were replaced with a warm weight on top of it and the sensation of hot breath against his neck.

Reid squeezed the hand beneath his to show he understood, and stared resolutely at Adelaide as she stepped onto the concrete floor.

She paused when she caught sight of them. She eyed Reid warily, and he looked defiantly back, "He's asleep?"

"Your observational skills are astounding." Reid deadpanned, and he felt the corner of Gideon's mouth quirk up.

"Wake him up." Adelaide ordered. Reid didn't move. Wake him up!

Reid lifted his hand and reached behind him to lay it on the back of Gideon's neck. Massaging the skin beneath his palm, Reid whispered into Gideon's ear, "Wake up, sleepyhead." his voice laden with sarcasm.

Gideon made a show of yawning and letting his hands wander as he woke up, and Reid was blushing when he called Gideon's attention to Adelaide.

Gideon looked at her blearily for a moment, before straightening and moving to stand up, pulling Reid along with him.

Adelaide's eyes never left the hand Gideon had on Reid's arm as she ordered, "Tie him back up." Gideon did nothing but share a glance with Reid, and Adelaide shouted, drawing her gun, "Tie Him Back UP!"

Gideon snapped back, shocking Reid, "Alright!" Gideon nodded at Adelaide, "Give me a minute." He turned back to Reid and rubbed his hands up and down the other man's arms, "You'll be okay?"

Reid nodded, and Gideon sneaked a look at Adelaide out of the corner of his eye. Aware she was watching him closely, Gideon un-tucked his shirt and pulled it over his head, leaving himself bare-chested. Reid raised his eyebrows but said nothing as Gideon nudged his arms up and slipped the shirt down over Reid's own clothes.

Gideon took his time fussing with the sleeves, rolling them up at Reid's wrists, then stepped back to look at the young doctor. He turned his face so Adelaide couldn't see it and mouthed, "Hug me."

Reid did, feeling something spark inside him as his hands rested on Gideon's bare skin. Then, Gideon walked him gently back to the wall, tying him the rope around Reid's padded wrists. With a wink, Gideon turned back to Adelaide and walked sedately up the stairs.

Reid waited a few minutes after he heard the door close before tugging at the sleeves of Gideon's shirt with his teeth.

Once he got the cotton cuffs out from under the rope, Reid was able to work a hand free. Quickly slipping his other hand out of the loop, Reid stood and made his way to the sink, relieving his aching bladder. He reached under the sink to reassure a whimpering Schnapps, before climbing quietly up the stairs and pressing his ear to the door. He heard muffled voices.

~*~

She slammed her head on the table and groaned, "This is ridiculous."

Morgan rubbed Garcia's back in small circles, feeling helpless himself.

"We need Reid and Gideon to find Reid and Gideon." She remarked sullenly.

Prentiss, who was tired of staring at blown-up close-ups of Spencer's eyes and lips, sighed and stood, addressing the back of Garcia's head, "I'm going to go check Reid's desk again, you're welcome to come help."

Garcia lifted her head and looked at Prentiss, "Okay."

***