Title: The Dragon Chronicles: The Quantico Community
By: Tiffany F
Pairing: Gil/Nick, Jim/Warrick, Greg/Horatio, Danny/Mac, Speed/Eric
Rating: AO
Series: part of The Dragon Chronicles - all of which are currently listed on the Gil/Nick stories page, under Tiffany F
Warnings: *very* AU, insest
Summary: This continues The Dragon Chronicles series focusing on the community in Quantico, Virginia. Shows features in this series include CSI, CSI:Miami, CSI:NY, NCIS
“Is Dad home?” Don asked as he and Charlie drove towards Charlie’s house. “Because I need you, Charlie, and I’m not planning to let you out of bed until morning.”
“I don’t know, but I do know there’s food there and we both need to eat,” Charlie replied. “You’re going to need your strength, especially after what we’ve been through.”
Don shook his head. He would never be able to forget the sight of the bomb clicking to zero. The blinding light as it exploded. The feel of his human and General Hammond trembling under his wing. The heat that had washed over his scales. And the feel of rubble as it rained down on him. They had been in time – but only just. If not for Sam and Dean’s instincts they’d all be dead. Don hadn’t realized exactly how dangerous the world was for dragons and their humans.
Charlie took advantage of the fact that it was dark and they weren’t in Don’s Tahoe to slide over and cuddle up next to his dragon. Don took his right hand off the wheel and wrapped and arm around Charlie with a sigh. “I love you, Chuck.”
“I know, and don’t call me Chuck.”
“Hey, looks like Dad is home,” Don said with a small sigh. “We still have time to go to my place.”
“We need to eat first and there’s no guarantee there’s food at your place,” Charlie insisted. He kissed Don, only just letting his tongue tease his dragon’s lips. “I don’t want you to leave me empty until we have to go to work tomorrow.”
Don moaned softly. “Go on in, Charlie,” he said. “I’ll be there in a minute.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I can’t walk in there hard,” Don gritted out. “Go on, I’ll get settled down and join you. Oh, hey Charlie?”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t tell Dad what happened in New York. He’d flip if he knew about the bomb and I really don’t want to argue with him tonight.”
Charlie nodded and headed towards the house. Don watched until his human was in the door before he closed his eyes with a groan. Mac had warned him that he’d be sore for a couple of days just from the shock wave washing over him. Don wondered how long it would take for the nightmares to stop. He never wanted to think about Charlie being that close to death again.
**FLASHBACK**
With Reid’s help it was easy to find the warehouse where General Hammond and his granddaughters were being held. A quick recon showed that there were three entrances, two of which were unlocked. They broke into teams with Hotch and Reid watching the third door as back up. Mac and Don had been firm on that point as Reid was still new to the dragon world and they wanted to keep both of them as far away from danger as possible.
When they burst into the warehouse they found the General tied to a chair under a single light and two girls tied back to back under another light about twenty feet away. Ryan, Don and Mac stayed on guard while their humans went carefully forward to untie their targets.
Everyone froze when Sam and Dean spotted the bombs on the support beams close to the General’s chair. The dragons Changed quickly to true form and formed a triangle, sheltering the humans under their wings – along with Sam who couldn’t Change.
Once the building finished rumbling the humans started towards the door – Sam and Dean in the lead – with the dragons bringing up the rear. If there had been any hunters or other suspects in the warehouse they’d be on Sid’s table soon enough. The group left as fast as possible, taking the General and his granddaughters to Mac’s apartment, the sound of sirens echoing in the night. The NYPD and FDNY were quick to respond to explosions. The important part was that everyone in the communities made it out alive and unharmed.
**END FLASHBACK**
Don rubbed his head and started in towards the house. He knew, on some level, that his ears should be ringing from the explosion and his body was acting like they were – even though his was fine. He didn’t know how they all came through without a scratch, but figured it was just the same magic that let him slide into his human’s body so smoothly.
Charlie was in the kitchen heating up some leftovers when Don walked in. “Dad’s got a date,” he said with a smile. “He’s upstairs getting ready.”
“Nice,” Don grinned. “What do you want to drink, Charlie?”
“I saw a bottle of wine in there, it’ll go with this. Let’s go be slobs and eat in front of the TV.”
“Is that chocolate pudding still in there?”
“Yeah, why?”
“I’ve got plans for it,” Don whispered as he went past. He set the wine bottle and glasses on the coffee table, sank to the sofa with a soft groan and grabbed the remote.
“Hey, Donnie, Charlie talked you into staying, huh?” Alan asked as he came down the stairs.
“Yeah, he promised to feed me,” Don smiled. “You look good, Dad.”
“You do,” Charlie agreed as he appeared with two plates and silverware. “Where are you guys going?”
“I don’t know, she said it’d be a surprise,” Alan replied. “I just hope I’m not over-dressed.”
“Nah, loose the jacket and tie and you’ll be fine if it’s a casual place,” Don said as he started cutting up his casserole.
Charlie smiled. “My brother, the king of casual.”
“Watch it, Chuckie.”
Alan laughed. “You boys behave so you don’t make a mess on the couch,” he said. “I’ll see you both in the morning.”
“You got everything you need, Dad?” Don asked as innocently as he could. Both boys bit back laughter as their father flushed red and hurried out the door. “He forgot his coat, you know.”
“Its warm, he’ll be fine,” Charlie said. “You know, I cannot believe you just asked our father if he had protection for safe sex.”
“Payback, Charlie; he caught me twice and asked me the same question as I was leaving on a date,” Don grinned. “What made it worse is that I was still a virgin at the time.”
“They never asked me that question,” Charlie said.
“Maybe they figured you were smarter than me and didn’t need the reminder.”
“More likely because I never went on dates.”
Don leaned over and kissed Charlie carefully. “You’re making up for it now.”
“Eat quick and we can go to bed,” Charlie said. “Hey Donnie, did you ever hear what happened in Colorado?”
“Yeah, Mac called; they managed to round everyone up in DC and flew them out to Colorado before we went into the warehouse,” Don replied. “When Jack found out about the bomb he went crazy and killed everyone, including the team that attacked Gil.”
“So we don’t know anything new.”
“We know to keep me away from cases where kids are involved. But otherwise, no, nothing.”
“Then there might be more of these guys out there.”
“If there are, I won’t let them hurt you,” Don said. He took the plates and set them on the coffee table. Charlie grinned and leaned back – letting Don settle over him. “Charlie, you’re the most important person in the world. I’d kill before I let anything happen to you.”
Charlie slipped his hands into Don’s hair and pulled him down for a kiss. Don eased Charlie’s lips open with his tongue and slid inside, tasting dinner, wine and Charlie.
“We need to go to my place,” Don whispered. “We don’t know when Dad’s coming home and we can’t risk it.”
“I know,” Charlie moaned, “but I really don’t want to wait.”
Don grinned and kissed Charlie’s nose. “I know, Buddy, I know. The faster we clean up, the faster we can leave.”
“Then move,” Charlie said pushing on Don’s chest. He slipped off the couch and grabbed their plates. Don laughed and picked up the stuff Charlie couldn’t manage before following his brother to the kitchen.
“There are times I hate that we always have to go to your place, Donnie. It makes me feel like I’m not welcome in my own home, to be who I really am. I understand why it has to be like this, but I really hate it at times.”
“We can’t exactly force Dad to move out though,” Don said. He wrapped his arms around his human and kissed his neck gently. “Especially if I move back in. That would just look too weird. And you’re too loud for us to risk anything with him in the house.”
“You like me loud,” Charlie pointed out.
“I don’t want you to every change, Charlie,” Don said with a smile. “We just have to be careful for now.”
Charlie turned and kissed Don deeply. “I know; I know Dad would have a heart attack if he found out about us and I don’t want to do that to him. It just bugs me.”
“If I could fix it I would,” Don said. “You ready to go?”
“Yep.” Charlie held up the bowl with the pudding in it.
The bonded pair hurried out to Don’s Tahoe and drove off not noticing the figure in the hedges. Or how pale his face was.
Don pushed the door to his apartment closed and pressed Charlie up against it. Their lips met as Don fumbled with the lock and then the pudding. It was for later, but Don thought it would probably be forgotten completely once he had Charlie in bed. There was something tickling at his senses, but it wasn’t strong enough to worry or distract him from his human. “Bed, Charlie,” he whispered between kisses. “Go strip while I secure my gun.”
“I hate that thing,” Charlie grumbled.
“I know you do, Buddy, but I have to carry it. I can’t always keep you safe under my wing.”
“I know, but that doesn’t mean I can’t still hate the gun and what it symbolizes, no matter how irrational it might be.”
Don kissed the top of Charlie’s head. “That’s because you’re a more gentle soul than I am, Charlie. Go on, I’ll be right behind you.”
Charlie knew that Don had a routine to keep them both safe and secure when they were at the apartment and it would be about fifteen minutes before Don was in the bedroom. It might have been his imagination, but Charlie thought that Don had grown even more protective and paranoid since they bonded. The extra locks on the windows were probably a little much though.
When he got to the bedroom Charlie put the pudding on what had become his bedside table and started to undress. He could feel the unease flowing along the bond and wondered exactly what had Don so concerned. “Donnie?”
“Yeah?”
“What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know. Honest. There is something, but it’s too vague for me to pick out anything. I’m sure it’ll work out in a day or two and we’ll know exactly what’s wrong then.”
“You’ve been tense for a while, though.”
“I’m worried about Dad, Charlie. We’re all he has left and I don’t think he’ll support our bond.”
“I’ll talk with him if that happens,” Charlie said. He looked up when Don walked into the room. “When did you start multitasking?”
Don grinned and slipped off his boxers before joining Charlie on the bed. “I didn’t want to waste any time with you tonight.”
“I love sound reasoning.” Charlie flopped back on the pillows and held out a hand to his dragon. “Especially when it comes from you, Donnie.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Don stretched out over Charlie and leaned in to reclaim his mouth.
********************
Things were never easy when the boys were growing up and it hurt Alan to watch as the space between them grew larger and larger. Don was left to fend for himself far more often than he should’ve been, and Alan could feel the resentment and tension to this day. It wasn’t that Don didn’t realize how unique and special Charlie was, it was more that he wanted out from Charlie’s shadow and Alan just knew it was one reason Don joined the FBI.
Alan hated Don’s job, hated that he hated something his son loved, and hated that Charlie had been drawn into that world. Working the cases together had brought Don and Charlie closer together – maybe even too close.
He’d been noticing things for months, just small things, but things he couldn’t ignore. Like the fact that Don practically lived at the house again, but always went home at night and Charlie never slept at home anymore. Alan hadn’t been able to prove anything, it was possible Charlie was sleeping in the garage or he finally had a girlfriend he wasn’t talking about. It just seemed like the boys were always together and it bugged him.
He knew, as a father, he should be thrilled that his sons were finally able to get along and be the sort of friends they always should have been, but something seemed wrong to Alan. He couldn’t explain it and didn’t know what to think.
The day he thought he saw Don kiss Charlie – not just kiss but *kiss* - Alan made an appointment with his optometrist because he thought he was seeing things. But his eyes tested as fine as possible for his age and he never say any other indication from Don or Charlie that they were anything other than brothers.
Alan hated himself for what he was thinking, but he couldn’t forget that kiss. He didn’t think he’d imagined it. There was no reason to even suspect such a thing from his boys, but he decided he had to know for sure.
So he created a date as an excuse to leave Don and Charlie alone in the house. He’d driven off, parked two blocks away and walked back to the house. The light was still on in the living room and Alan managed to creep into the bushes without too much trouble. Don and Charlie were still sitting on the couch and, based on their expressions, they were talking about something serious.
He closed his eyes in pain when Don took Charlie’s plate and moved over his little brother, kissing him. The move was so smooth that there was no question that it wasn’t the first time. Alan couldn’t believe that Don was taking advantage of Charlie and that Charlie wasn’t fighting him. He wondered exactly what Don had said or done to coerce Charlie into such a corrupt relationship.
He watched as the boys left in Don’s Tahoe. He just knew that they were on their way to Don’s apartment so they wouldn’t be caught when he came home from his date. It was painfully obvious that neither of his boys wanted him to know what was happening between them.
Alan didn’t know what he was going to do next, but he had to try and save Charlie. Then he’d decide what to do with Don based on what he’d done to Charlie. He took a deep breath and hurried back to his car.
********************
Charlie cried out as his second climax of the night hit him. Don nipped at his human’s shoulder and kept thrusting trying to draw out the pleasure for Charlie a little. When his human finally fell limp against the bed, Don grabbed Charlie’s hips and thrust almost frantically until he came with a moan.
“I love it when you get in this kind of mood,” Charlie moaned. “Now are you going to tell me what the pudding is for?”
Don grinned and pulled back before flopping down next to Charlie on the bed, bouncing both of them. “I’m going to use you as a plate just as soon as I can move, Charlie.”
“I don’t know if I can go again, Donnie.” He thought for a minute. “But I’m willing to try.”
“That’s my boy.” Don pushed up and kissed Charlie deeply. “But tell me if you’re too tired. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You can’t,” Charlie said with a smile.
“Maybe not physically,” Don pushed up and reached for the pudding bowl. “But I’d imagine it’s still possible for a dragon to do some mental damage. I never want to do something that you don’t want or like.”
“I know you won’t,” Charlie said. He watched as the pudding was mixed with the semen on his stomach. “Donnie, you’re more than my dragon, you’re my brother and I trust you.”
Don smiled and kissed Charlie gently in reply.
********************
Alan parked and rubbed his eyes. He really didn’t want to go up to Don’s apartment and risk seeing more than he already had. No father should have to see what he had seen. But he had to try and save Charlie, and his duty to his baby was stronger than the sick feeling in his stomach.
He had a key to get into Don’s apartment, given to him when Don first moved in, and probably forgotten. Alan couldn’t imagine that Don would be doing, whatever, to Charlie if he knew that their father could walk in whenever he wanted. He was a little surprised at the additional deadbolt, but found that it opened to the same key as the door. Alan took a deep breath and pushed the door open.
The living room was dark and empty and Alan could see the light on in the bedroom. He shut the door as quietly as he could and started down the short hall like a man walking to the execution chamber. The door to the bedroom was open and Alan froze in the doorway in shock.
Charlie was on his back, eyes closed and hands in his brother’s hair. Don was on his hands and knees between Charlie’s spread legs licking something that looked like pudding from Charlie’s erection. Alan swallowed back the bile as Don took Charlie in his mouth and started moving. He didn’t think he’d be able to say anything; if he opened his mouth he thought he’d throw up. Alan turned to move and bumped into the doorframe.
Don’s reaction was immediate and shook Alan to his toes. He spun around, placing his body between Charlie and the door with a low growl. Alan would’ve sworn Don’s eyes were glowing, but didn’t know how that would be possible.
“Don, no, it’s Dad,” Charlie cried. He scrambled up and rested against Don’s bare back.
The dragon shook his head. He could sense a threat to his human and wanted to take care of it to protect Charlie, but his human’s words filtered through enough to make him pause for a moment. Charlie saw the hesitation and leapt at the chance it presented. “Dad, why don’t you go on out to the living room?” he suggested. “We’ll come join you in a minute.”
“What’s Dad doing here?” Don asked when they were alone. “He’s supposed to be on a date.”
“I don’t know, but we should shower and get dressed,” Charlie replied. “I think we have to talk with him, Donnie. I don’t think we have a choice.”
“He set us up, Charlie,” Don said. “That’s the only explanation. He set this all up.”
“There’s nothing he can do, Don. We’re both adults and he has to respect that.”
Don closed his eyes and pulled Charlie in against him. There were days he wished he could keep Charlie innocent forever.
“Hey, are you going to be able to do this?” Charlie asked as he washed off the remains of the pudding. “For a second there I really thought you were going to attack Dad.”
“I was,” Don admitted. “If you hadn’t said what you did, I probably would’ve Changed to protect you. And I’m making no empty promises here, Charlie. I’ll stay on the other side of the room from Dad, but if he tries to hurt you I might just react on instinct.”
Charlie reached up and pulled Don down into a kiss. “Let me talk to him,” he whispered against Don’s lips. “I’ll explain as much as I can without telling him the whole truth.”
“We might not have a choice on that either.” Don kissed Charlie again and stepped out of the shower. “I think he saw my eyes glowing when I rounded on him in the bedroom.”
“There still isn’t a logical explanation for that, is there?”
“Nope, at least not that I’ve heard. C’mon, Chuck; we probably shouldn’t leave him alone much longer.”
“I wish I knew what I was going to say,” Charlie muttered.
Don sighed. “Let Dad start the conversation, Charlie. We need to know what he’s thinking.”
********************
Alan was pacing around the living room. He still couldn’t believe what he’d seen, didn’t want to believe what he’d seen in the bedroom. A noise in the hall finally caught his attention and he turned to see Don standing there, Charlie behind him. At that moment, Don looked more like a federal agent than Alan had ever seen before.
“Charlie, come here,” Alan said firmly. “I don’t know what Don’s been telling you, but you don’t have to do any of this.”
Don’s jaw dropped. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. The man in front of him actually thought he’d rape Charlie.
“Donnie,” Charlie whispered putting a hand on his dragon’s back. He could feel the anger and disbelief radiating off Don and understood most of it. He squared his shoulders and looked at the suddenly strange man in front of him. “Do you think I’m stupid?” he asked.
“Charlie,” Alan started.
“No; Don’s not guilty of anything and I won’t let you hurt him like this,” Charlie broke in. “He has never done anything to me that I didn’t want, that I didn’t ask for. Just because he’s older than me doesn’t make him responsible or guilty of anything.”
“He’s your brother,” Alan snapped. “You were both raised better than this. What do you think your mother would say? It would kill her to find out that Charlie was being abused.”
Don started to growl low in his chest. He’d always known there was little to no chance that their father would accept the new relationship he had with Charlie, but the line of thought Alan was following was flat out insulting. He stepped forward, his eyes starting to glow again. “Do you really think I’m a monster?” he rumbled. “Do you believe I would do anything to hurt Charlie when I love him with all my being? I would do anything to keep Charlie safe and out of danger and would kill myself before I did anything to hurt him.”
“I can’t believe you’d bring mom into this,” Charlie added softly. “She told me, once, that all she ever wanted was for Don and me to be happy. II think that she’d be shocked, but she’d realize that both Donnie and I are adults and would support us. And I think she’d want you to do the same.”
“She’d never support such a sin!” Alan yelled. “Charlie, come with me now.”
“No.” Charlie moved in front of Don and shifted around until he was wrapped in his dragon’s arms. “I’m not a child and can make my own choices.”
Don tightened his arms around Charlie and pulled him in close. It made his chest ache to feel the shock and pain radiating along the bond. “Get out of my apartment,” he hissed. “Don’t come near either of us until you realize what a mistake you’re making.”
“Donnie,” Charlie murmured.
“No, Charlie, I won’t have you hurt like this again,” Don said. “I’m not kicking him out of our lives forever, I’d never do that, but I don’t want anything to hurt you if I can stop it.” He looked up again. “I think I told you to leave.”
“Charlie,” Alan said.
“I’m not leaving,” Charlie said firmly. “I’m staying where I know I’m trusted, loved and understood.”
The bond pair watched the stranger their father had become leave the apartment. Don didn’t relax until he was able to lock the door. “Charlie, we need to talk with Larry and Megan. We need to leave LA as soon as possible.”
“Why?”
“Because Alan can cause a lot of problems for us,” Don said softly. “And we’re not going to hang around and wait for it to happen.”
********************
Larry wasn’t surprised when he got a phone call from Don at an unusual time, but the tone in his alpha’s voice worried him. Megan was silent on the drive to the apartment and Larry knew that something was very wrong.
“Charles, are you all right?” Larry asked when his friend opened the apartment door.
“Dad found out,” Charlie replied softly. “He accused Don of raping me, Larry.”
“Oh Charles, I am sorry,” Larry said as Megan hugged her friend. “Where’s Don?”
“On the phone with Horatio,” Charlie said. He stepped back and let the beta pair into the apartment. “It sounds like something bad happened in New York.”
“What’s going to happen now?” Megan asked.
Charlie shook his head and sank onto the sofa. “Donnie wants to leave LA, but I don’t know what else he’s thinking. He was mad, guys; I was worried that he would kill our father.”
“To protect you he might,” Megan said. She perched on the arm of the sofa and leaned forward. “I’ll go talk with Alan in the morning and see if I can make him see exactly what’s going on here.”
“I doubt it will do any good,” Don sighed as he joined the group. “Alan is convinced that I’ve managed to completely brainwash Charlie and am abusing him.”
“Why should he think something like that?” Larry asked.
“Because I’m older,” Don replied. “But, believe it or not, we have bigger problems. New York has been attacked by a hunter and has two dragons down.”
“What can we do?” Megan asked.
“Right now, nothing. It was just an informational call to let us know to be on our guard,” Don said. “Horatio told me that someone will call if they need us for any reason.”
“Who’s down?”
“Mac and Ryan,” Don said pulling Charlie into a hug. “Ryan was still in surgery when Horatio called me so they don’t know how he’s doing. Mac might lose his hearing in one ear, but is fine otherwise.”
Charlie sighed. “Why do these people hate us so much?” he asked softly. “Why can’t we just be left alone to live our lives the way we want?”
“I wish I knew, buddy,” Don said. “We need to decide what we want to do next. I have a feeling that Alan could make a lot of trouble for us and I, as an alpha, would feel better having the community as far away as possible.”
“But we can’t split up, so we need to find a place where we can all get jobs,” Megan pointed out. “For Larry and Charlie that won’t be a problem, but I don’t know anywhere that needs to new field agents.”
“I have an idea,” Don said. “Will you all just trust me? I know how hard this is, but I don’t want to say anything until I’m sure my plans will work out.”
“Of course we trust you, Don,” Larry said immediately. He might have his head in the clouds most days, his mind on one of his physics problems, but he wasn’t totally clueless. He could tell exactly how much both Don and Charlie were hurting and wanted to do whatever he could to ease their pain. “Just let us know what we need to do.”
Don tipped Charlie’s head back. “Will you be able to sell the house, buddy? I know what it means to you and how hard you fought to keep it.”
“I’ll have to give Dad some warning so he can make an offer or find a new place to live,” Charlie said softly. “Tonight has sort of soured any good memories the house could hold for me.”
“I’m sorry, Charlie; if I could’ve spared you tonight I would have,” Don sighed. “Larry, what about you and Megan?”
The beta pair glanced at each other. “We can put our house on the market whenever you need, when your plans are in place, Don,” Megan said. “What else do you need us to do?”
“Put up with Larry and me being more protective than normal,” Don sighed. “The communities back east weren’t sure if the attack in New York was an isolated incident or not.”
“We both have some vacation time saved up, Don,” Megan said. “I think David and Colby would understand if we took it. Then we could hang out at the school with Larry and Charlie.”
“That’s actually not a bad idea,” Larry added. “It would be for the interim and we’d be sure the danger has passed us by.”
Don nodded. “All right, I’ll make the calls in the morning. Thanks for coming over so late, you guys.”
“It was no problem,” Larry said. “We’ll see you both in the morning.”
When Hotch and Reid got home after their experience in New York they both knew that the time had come for Hotch to tell Hailey the truth – that he was leaving her and wanted a divorce. Reid still wasn’t sure how he felt about it, but also knew that he and Hotch wouldn’t be able to live without each other, and didn’t want to try. He just had to trust that Hotch knew what he was doing and support him through everything.
“Come with me,” Hotch said softly.
“I don’t think Hailey will want to see me right now,” Reid said. “I should probably just go home and wait for you there. You are going to come to my apartment, aren’t you?”
“Spencer, I need you with me for this,” Hotch said. “You can go into my home office and read through some of my books, but I need to know you’re there. And maybe it’ll help Hailey see exactly what I’m talking about.”
“Or it’ll just piss her off more,” Reid said. He looked over and then leaned to kiss his human. “You shouldn’t sulk, Hotch. You don’t look right when you do. I’ll come with you, even though I think it’s a bad idea.”
“Do you think the back of the Tahoe is big enough for us, Spence?”
“I imagine so, but I can’t imagine why you’d want to sit in the back rather than the, oh, I’m being dense again aren’t I?”
“Want you so bad.”
Reid pulled Hotch over for a firmer kiss. “I want you too, Aaron,” he said. “If I had my way, I’d never let you out of bed again. Let’s find a dark place where there’s little chance we’ll be seen by the local police and I’ll show you exactly how badly I need you.”
Hotch nodded and started driving. He thought he knew just the place, it was isolated and he didn’t think that anyone would disturb them. He jumped and moaned when Reid’s hand touched his leg and slid up towards the growing bulge behind his zipper. “Not while I’m driving, Spencer.”
“You have such good control over everything,” Reid replied with a smirk. He started rubbing Hotch slowly. “I won’t do anything dramatic, but I want to be able to touch you so badly.”
“What are the statistics on sex related car accidents?”
“I don’t know that I’ve ever seen any,” Reid said. “But I would imagine that those people are probably doing a lot more than we are. If it makes you feel better though, I’ll go in the back and start getting ready.”
“That might actually be worse,” Hotch admitted. “I’d be picturing you stretched out on the back seat, your long fingers wrapped around your erection coating it with lube so you can slide into me. It’s distracting.”
“Then find us a place fast,” Reid growled softly. “And I’ll show you how nice my mouth can actually be.”
“Spence,” Hotch gasped.
“Would you rather I do it now?” Reid asked. “Unzip your pants, ease your erection out into the night air and slowly take you in my mouth?”
Hotch didn’t know when Reid had developed such an erotic vocabulary, but he could feel the effect it was having on his body and knew that he wouldn’t be able to hang on long. He pulled off the road, behind some trees, parked and turned off the Tahoe. “Spencer.”
“Back seat, Aaron,” Reid said. He slipped out of the car and opened the door on his side just as Hotch slid onto the bench seat, his feet towards Reid. The dragon grinned and settled onto the floor as best he could with his lanky form and leaned in. He puffed a breath of air over the fabric covered bulge before unzipping Hotch’s fly and pulling his pants down. Hotch helped as much as possible until his lower half was bared to his dragon’s gaze. Reid licked his lips and took the head of Hotch’s erection in his mouth, sucking gently. Hotch moaned and pushed up, managing to brace his feet. It was something Reid hadn’t done before and Hotch could tell it was something that Reid had never done before in his life; but he had to give him credit for effort. He let himself get lost in the sensations and could just feel his climax about to start when Reid pulled back.
“Spence?”
“We don’t have a lot of time, Aaron,” Reid said. He positioned himself and slid into his human’s body in one firm stroke. “And I really want the first time you explode in my mouth to be in our bed.”
“Feels so good,” Hotch moaned as Reid started moving. The feeling of his dragon in his body was electric and took him up higher than any other experience had before. Reid shifted around so he could take Hotch’s mouth in a deep kiss and kept moving, finally reaching between them to wrap his fingers around his human’s erection. Hotch moaned into the kiss as he came, Reid not far behind him. “Spence.”
“Love you, Aaron,” Reid said. He slumped down on his human for a moment and the pair just enjoyed the feeling of being together.
“We need to get moving, Spencer.”
“I know. Gonna stay back here and nap.”
“Okay, I’ll wake you when we get there.” Hotch kissed Reid’s nose and slid out from under him. It didn’t take long to clean them both up and get dressed. Hotch didn’t want to mention it to Reid, because he knew his dragon was already tense enough, but he had a really bad feeling about how things were going to go once they were home.
********************
Hotch pulled into his driveway and parked the car with a sigh. He knew he was doing the right thing, but that didn’t make it any easier. He wasn’t sure if any other dragon pair had been through the same situation and made a mental note to ask the next time Reid spoke with Grissom. “Spence, we’re here.”
“Okay, just give me a second,” Reid muttered. He rubbed his eyes and tried to smooth his hair down into place. “I’m sure I look like hell.”
“You’re fine.”
“You’re biased.”
“True.” Hotch unlocked the front door and pointed down a hall. “My office and books are down there; help yourself. Hailey, I’m home.”
“Outside.”
“I love you,” Reid whispered.
“I know. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Hotch went through the house and out onto the back deck. “Hey, where’s Jack?”
“He’s upstairs asleep. Where did you vanish off to?”
“I told you, I had some personal matters to attend to over the weekend,” Hotch said. “Hailey, we need to talk about something important.”
“What now?” she asked. “Is it another case? Do you have to go back to the office or go out of town again? Why did we even have the baby in the first place, Aaron? You’re never here to help with him.”
“You knew what my schedule was like before we even started talking about children,” Hotch said calmly. It was almost scary how easily he fell into his work persona when questioned about anything. “I’m the unit chief, Hailey. That means that I’ve got a lot of additional responsibilities that will, at times, take me away from my family. But it’s unfair of you to place the blame solely on my shoulders. I questioned the idea of having children at this point in our lives, but you insisted that we could make it work. Truthfully, at this point, I find that my work is going to be taking me away more and more.”
“So what are you saying, Aaron?”
“I think we need some time apart, Hailey,” Hotch said. “I cannot have stress at work and at home. It’s not fair to either of us and it certainly isn’t fair to Jack. You can have the house and everything in it, all I want is to be able to see my son when I’m in town.”
“You’re leaving me?”
Hotch caught a glimpse of Reid hovering in the doorway and sighed. “Dr. Reid was kind enough to let me stay on his sofa until I can find a place of my own,” he said. “And came to help me pack a few things. I was hoping we could be adult about this and handle it without lawyers, Hailey.”
“You are a lawyer.”
“I’m a profiler first and foremost,” Hotch said. “I left my law practice years ago, and that, truthfully, is where the problems first began.”
Hailey finally glanced over at Reid and shrieked, picking up a knife. “You let one of those freaks into my house?” she demanded.
“What are you talking about?” Hotch asked, puzzled.
“He’ll eat Jack,” Hailey said. “Get him out of here now.”
“Hotch?” Reid asked.
“I don’t know, Reid,” Hotch replied. He took a step towards Hailey. “Put the knife down, Hailey. You don’t want to do this.”
As Hailey turned towards Hotch, knife raised, Reid reacted and Changed. Hotch was knocked back by the purple leg and tucked safely under a lime green wing. The dragon growled at the menace to his human and struck, knocking her over onto the grass.
“Let me loose, Reid,” Hotch said, his voice muffled by the wing covering him.
Reid’s head was down and he looked ashamed when Hotch emerged. The human looked down onto the grass and sighed. Hailey had fallen on the knife and appeared to be dead. “Change back for me, Spence.”
“I’m sorry, Aaron.”
Hotch stepped down and checked for a pulse. “Call 911 for me and get Jack,” he said. “Tell them who we are and that my wife just killed herself.”
Reid Changed back and took out his cell phone. “Aaron.”
“It is not your fault, Spence,” Hotch said firmly but softly. “We need to set up what happened here. Get to work.”
After Hotch and Reid answered all the questions the responding police officers had for them - all fairly routine - they received permission to pack bags for both Hotch and Jack, and went to Reid’s apartment.
“I’m sorry, Aaron,” Reid said as he watched Hotch put the travel playpen together. “I really didn’t mean for that to happen.”
“I know you didn’t, Spencer, and I do not blame you,” Hotch replied firmly. “Hailey obviously knew more about dragons than I realized. I honestly had no idea that she even knew about the world.”
“She obviously had some warped information on us.” Reid glanced down to make sure Jack was still asleep. He kept waiting for the normal crying and screaming that happened any time he was around a child, but it hadn’t come. Jack had just seemed fascinated by him and gone back to sleep.
“We’ll have to check the house and storage unit once the investigation is closed and look for anything to do with dragons,” Hotch said. He smiled at his dragon and infant son. “I almost hate to move him, Spencer.”
“This isn’t normal.”
Hotch laughed. “You mean you’d rather have him screaming right now?” he asked. “Trust me, this is much better.”
“What are we going to do, Aaron?” Reid asked with another glance down at Jack. He could feel his draconic instincts insisting that he protect the baby in his lap against all harm. “How are we going to raise him?”
“I think Garcia would be happy to help us out,” Hotch said. “The bureau has a day care center that we’ll use during the day, as much as I hate the idea of leaving him with strangers, and we’ll ask Garcia if she can take him when we’re out of town.”
“Will it really be that easy?”
“I don’t see why not. Come on, let’s put him to bed and try to get some sleep. We’re going to need it.”
Reid looked unsure. “What about when he wakes up hungry? I’ve never fed a baby before, Aaron.”
“I’ll take care of him tonight, or what’s left of it, and teach you tomorrow. It’s really not that hard.”
“I’m sorry, Aaron; I’m sorry that Hailey was like that, I’m sorry that Jack has to grow up without a mother. I’m sorry.”
Hotch made sure there was only the single cover in with Jack and then pulled Reid into a tight hug. “Are you sorry we bonded?” he asked softly.
“Never,” Reid replied instantly. He pulled Hotch in closer and kissed him deeply. “That’s the one thing I’ll never be sorry about.”
*************************************
Gideon, who’d been briefed by Hotch, had prepared the team for Jack’s arrival when Hotch and Reid returned a few days later, but Elle, JJ, and Garcia still swooped in and took the baby from Hotch without a word. Hotch just smiled and handed over the baby bag as well before heading to his office to get started on his paperwork.
“So, what did the locals say?” Gideon asked from the chair in front of Hotch’s desk.
“Suicide,” Hotch replied shutting the door. “But it’ll still be a few more days before I can get back into the house for the rest of Jack’s things.”
“How’s Spencer handling it?”
“Hailey knew what he was, Jason, and called him a monster,” Hotch said. “I had no idea she knew about that world until she had the knife in her hand and was coming for me. So Spencer is blaming himself for what happened.”
“And, in spite of your reassurances, he’s going to feel guilty for a long time,” Gideon said. “Because he really grew up without a mother, he thinks it’s his fault Jack is going to have to do the same.”
“Exactly, but do you want to hear something strange?”
“Isn’t that all we hear around here?” Gideon smiled.
“Funny; Jack hasn’t screamed or cried once around Spencer,” Hotch said. “In fact, he’s calmer when he’s with Spencer. Jack just looks at him.”
“That is unusual. “Do you know why?”
“I suspect it’s because of what Spencer is now. Maybe children react differently to dragons than they do other humans.”
“I suppose it’s possible, but we’ll have to test your theory in the field. I can’t imagine animals will react better as well,” Gideon said. “As a dragon, he has to smell different.”
A knock on the door stopped any reply Hotch could make. “Yes?”
Don Eppes stepped into the room. “Hey, Hotch, do you have a minute?”
“Sure; what are you doing here, Donnie?”
“You can stay, Agent Gideon, as this concerns you as well. Megan and I have been reassigned to Quantico, Hotch. She’ll be helping Gideon with his teaching duties, and I’m taking over weapons and tactics.”
“What about Charlie and Larry?” Hotch asked.
“They’re consultants for everyone up in DC you can think of, but based here,” Don replied. “I’ve already let Gil, Gibbs and Jack know, and we’ve got permission to form our own community here with me as the alpha.”
Hotch and Gideon glanced at each other. “That’s all great, Donnie, but I’m not sure I fully understand why you’re all suddenly here,” Hotch said. “Did you give up some good positions back in LA?”
“We didn’t have a choice.” Don finally sat down in the chair next to Gideon. “My father found out about Charlie and me, Aaron. As a father yourself, you can imagine how he took it.”
“What happened?” Hotch asked.
Don related the whole story from the fake date right up to the final confrontation right before they left. “We had to tell him we were leaving LA because Charlie sold the house and Alan lived with him,” he said. “And Alan refused to even acknowledge that I was there. He just told Charlie that he’d always have a place in LA and, if he ever escaped, to come home. I think that hurt Charlie more than anything else. He’s been having nightmares.”
“Would you like for me to speak with him?” Gideon asked. “I was already planning to help Spencer with a few problems.”
“It couldn’t hurt, but what’s wrong with the Doc?” Don asked.
“He’s still sleeping a lot, but we had an issue here a few days ago,” Hotch replied. It was his turn to relate a painful story. “This is our first day back and we’re still working out where Jack will go when the team has to be out of town.”
“Charlie and I can take him, or Megan and Larry,” Don said. “We’re a community now and we’re all here to help each other.”
Hotch couldn’t help but sigh in relief. He trusted Garcia, but he knew he’d be able to focus a lot more if his son was with another dragon pair. “Thanks, Donnie,” he said. “I think the community is all something we need and, excuse me.”
Hotch and Gideon both went to the door and looked out over the bullpen. “Morgan?” Hotch called.
“It’s Reid, Hotch, I can’t get him to wake up,” Morgan replied. “One minute we’re talking and he was out cold the next.”
“He’s still recovering from LA,” Hotch said. “Jason, can he sleep on the couch in your office?”
“Of course, I have classes today anyway, and I should co-ordinate with my new partner,” Gideon replied. “Can you move him?”
“Yeah,” Hotch said.
“Hotch, man, if he’s this sick he should be at home, not at work,” Morgan protested as Hotch carefully picked Reid up.
“The doctor said that it’s an imbalance in his minerals,” Hotch said. “He’s not contagious, Morgan, and he can hear every word you’re saying.”
“What doctor?”
“That would be me.”
Hotch turned at the sound of the snarky voice. “Dr. House, not that I’m not happy to see you, but how did you get in here?”
“My charming and sunny personality.”
“I cleared him, Hotch,” Don Eppes commented. “Hope you don’t mind me answering you phone.”
“That’s fine,” Hotch said. “Well then, Dr. House, once I get him settled in, he’s all yours.”
House followed Hotch towards Gideon’s office. “Has he been eating properly? Or as properly as any of you seem to be able to eat.”
“We’ve had some issues here, so the answer is no, not really. Spencer and I now have full custody of my two month old son and are trying to adjust to even less sleep than normal.”
“And new teammates if the alpha glaring at me is any indication.” House shut the door. “How many people here know the truth, Agent Hotchner?”
“You may as well call me Hotch, everyone else does,” Hotch said. “On my team, just Gideon, although I’m sure my tech agent is suspicious and will figure things out soon enough. I don’t know who Donnie and his people have told, you’ll have to ask them.”
“I need to talk with your alpha anyway about joining your community,” House said. He pulled a chair over and sank down into it. “This young dragon is going to need me for the rest of his life, and I’ll be able to patch everyone else up as needed.”
“I’ll make sure he agrees.”
“You do know you should let your dragon be the snarly one,” House commented. “It looks so much cooler.”
Hotch sighed, refusing to take the bait. “Spencer and I are not going to change our personalities just because of what happened in LA or New York,” he said.
“So what if he tells you to do something to keep you safe and you refuse?” House asked. “Then you could both get killed and baby Hotchner has no one at all.”
“His name is Jack, and I think I’m better at risk assessment than you are.”
House turned his intense blue eyes on Hotch and studied him closely. Stubborn humans and equally stubborn dragons gave him headaches. “For his sake, Hotch, I hope so.”
Hotch had just shut the door to Gideon’s office when he heard the voice of the last person he wanted to deal with. He quickly schooled his face and turned around. Good morning, Director Strauss, how can I help you today?”
“What’s going on with Dr. Reid?” Strauss asked.
“Reid has a mineral imbalance brought on by the flu he caught out in LA,” Hotch said. “It makes him fall asleep at odd times. The doctor is treating him an, hopefully, will get everything worked out. Until then he’s still cleared for work.”
“We don’t need agents sleeping on bureau time,” Strauss snapped. “He shouldn’t be here until he’s capable of being a fully functioning member of the team. Send him home.”
“No.”
“Excuse me?”
“I said no,” Hotch repeated. “Reid’s sleeping spells apparently last no longer than half an hour at a time. He’s more than capable of being at work now, and I will not insult him by sending him home like a child.”
“And what happens when you have to go out in the field?” Strauss demanded. “Are you guys going to allow Dr. Reid to fall asleep in the middle of an ongoing serial killer case?”
Hotch was about to answer when the door behind him opened. “Wow, I guess all female bosses are bitches who are so out to prove something that they never listen,” House said leaning on the door frame.
“Dr. House, how is Reid,” Hotch asked.
“He’s awake and about ready to go back work,” House replied. “I gave him a couple of booster shots for now, but he’s going to need to change his diet around. I’ll talk with him about it more later.”
“Thank you,” Hotch smiled.
“And I’m also going to recommend he get a good lawyer,” House continued blue eyes fixed on Strauss. “The sleeping condition Dr. Reid is suffering from comes under the heading of a legal disability, and it sounds like his big boss wants to discriminate against him because of it.”
As much as he wanted to see Strauss’ face, Hotch just couldn’t risk turning around because he knew he’d start laughing. “Maybe I’ll have to dust off my old law books,” he said. “Although I’m sure that the last thing the bureau wants is to be suspected of discriminating against one of its agents.”
“The bureau, yes,” House smirked. “Her I’m not so sure about. I’ll make sure Dr. Reid is okay and send him back out, Agent Hotchner.”
“Again, thank you,” Hotch said.
“Who the hell is that?” Strauss demanded.
“Reid’s doctor; he was here on an unrelated matter and offered to look at Reid today rather than insisting on an appointment,” Hotch said. “Was there anything else, Director Strauss? I really need to get back to work.”
For a moment it looked like Strauss was going to argue, but thought better of it and left without another word. “I think she’s going to be a problem,” Don commented coming up next to Hotch.
“I think you’re right,” Hotch agreed. “Will you check on Reid for me, Donnie? I, unfortunately, have a problem to deal with out here. Tell him I’ll be in as soon as I can.”
“Yeah, no problem; I saw the look too.”
“Thank you.” Hotch turned towards the bullpen. “Morgan, my office, please.”
Morgan closed the file he’d been pretending to flip through and walked to Hotch’s office. Hotch waited until the other man was inside and shut the door. “Do you want to tell me what that was all about?” he asked.
“I was just looking out for Reid,” Morgan replied. “It’s pretty obvious he needs to be at home and equally obvious that you and Gideon aren’t going to send him there.”
“I told you he’s fine, Morgan,” Hotch said. “And your phone call to Strauss only shows that you don’t trust me.”
“Hotch, fine is not falling asleep in the middle of a conversation at work,” Morgan exclaimed. “Fine is being able to stay awake for more than ten minutes at a time. By those two examples, Reid is not fine.”
“You heard Dr. House, a change of diet and Reid will be back to his old self,” Hotch said. He crossed his arms over his chest. “And until a doctor says that Reid has to stay home, I’m going to allow him to do as much as he can here.”
“I think the problem is that you just don’t want to see that Reid is human,” Morgan said.
A muffled laugh from the other side of the door interrupted any reply Hotch could have made, which was just as well because he was on the verge of sending Morgan home for going over his head. He opened the door and found Reid �“ holding Jack �“ and House standing together. “How do you feel, Reid?”
“More alert,” Reid grinned. “I wanted to see if you had his bed set up yet.”
“No, I haven’t had a chance,” Hotch said with a smile. He could feel the emotions rolling along the bond with his dragon �“ all of them positive �“ which just made him happier. “Dr. House, what’s the verdict?”
“He needs to be a good boy and eat all his veggies twice a day,” House replied. “Less junk food, lower caffeine intake for a month or so and he needs to take his supplements. I’ve adjusted the doses and want to see him in as close to a month as possible.”
“You’re a doctor?” Morgan asked.
“Are you a pompous ass who thinks he knows everything about everyone around him?” House asked in reply. “And who keeps sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong?”
“No!”
“Then I must be a doctor because I suck as a profiler,” House said with a pointed look at Morgan.
Reid laughed. “Morgan, this is Dr. Greg House. He started treating me when I got home from LA,” he said. “Although I’m not sure why he’s here, honestly.”
“I needed to talk with Agents Hotchner and Eppes,” House said. “Dr. Chase is out house-hunting and made me promise to behave.”
“Which you’re not,” Reid pointed out. “Why is Agent Eppes here, Hotch?”
Hotch ignored House’s muttered “I had my fingers crossed” and made a mental note to keep Jack away from the snarky man as much as possible. “He and Agent Reeves were reassigned, Reid,” he said.
“Okay, I’m obviously missing something here and as no one seems to want to clue me in, I’m going back to work,” Morgan said and slipped out of the office.
“What’s up with him?” Reid asked puzzled.
“I wish I knew.” Hotch shut the door and, after taking Jack from Reid, moved to sit behind his desk. “But he called Strauss on me.”
“Tattler,” House muttered.
“How does Dr. Chase stand having you around?” Hotch asked glancing at House.
“I grow on people.”
“So does fungus,” Reid pointed out.
“You’re good,” House grinned. “I think I’ll like it here.”
Hotch shook his head. “We’re part of a community now, Spencer,” he said. “The alpha is Don Eppes, the beta is Larry Fleinhardt; they all had to leave LA because Donnie’s dad found out about him and Charlie.”
“I’m guessing he wasn’t in favor of their relationship,” Reid said.
“He accused Donnie of raping Charlie,” Hotch sighed. “So they all came here because they knew we were here alone. And Dr. House is going to be joining us too.”
“What about our relationship with Miami and Gil?” Reid asked.
“That’s totally different,” House said before Hotch could say anything. “Eppes is your alpha, the one who’ll look after you on a daily basis and help to keep your human and son safe. From what I saw, Grissom is more like a father to you and that has nothing to do with community politics.”
“Donnie won’t make you break your ties with Gil Spencer,” Hotch said.
“Do you remember what I said about letting the dragon be the snarly one?” House asked.
“Do you remember what I said about our personalities not changing?” Hotch asked in reply.
Reid laughed. “You two are like a broken record,” he said. He yawned. “Excuse me; I’ll protect Aaron when I have to, Dr. House, and the rest of the time I’m content to let him protect me. That’s just who he is and I love that about him.”
“My stomach can’t take all that sap,” House commented. “I’m leaving. Reid, go take your pills. Hotch, let Agent Eppes know I need to talk to him.”
“Well, I don’t think life is going to be boring with him around,” Hotch said digging in the baby bag for a bottle.
“Hotch; have you looked at our lives recently? I wouldn’t exactly call them boring,” Reid replied. “Can we stop at the drug store on the way home? I want to get a couple of different pill carriers.”
“Sure, anything to make sure you’re healthy.”
“In that case, I’m going to take my pills and get back to work,” Reid said. “I’ll see you in a couple of hours, Hotch.”
********************
“I’m telling you, baby girl, there’s something just not right.”
“What do you wish for me to do about it, my studley prince of paranoia?” Garcia asked.
“You really think I’m making all of this up?”
“Of course not, but Hotch just lost his wife in a horrible way and he’s having to adjust to being a single dad,” Garcia said. “I think it’s sweet that Reid’s letting them stay; it’ll make things that much easier on Hotch.”
Morgan sighed. “I’d still feel better if you did some checking on those agents that just transferred in, and Dr. Greg House.”
“For you, my prince, I’ll see what I can do,” Garcia smiled.
“Thanks, baby girl.”
Hotch glanced up at the hesitant tap on his door. “Come in, Garcia,” he called.
“Can I talk to you for a minute, Hotch?”
“Of course.” Hotch closed the folder he was working on, put down his pen and leaned back in his chair. “What’s on your mind?”
Garcia shut the door and moved closer to the desk. “Look, Hotch, sir, I don’t want to get anyone into any trouble, but you need to know what’s going on because it could get really bad, and I don’t want anyone to die.”
“Garcia, take a deep breath, calm down and tell me the facts, please,” Hotch said. He wasn’t sure exactly why he made the tech expert so nervous at times, but there were days when he just wanted to sedate her.
“It’s Morgan,” Garcia finally said. “I really think you and Reid should talk to him about what’s going on with you guys so he can relax.”
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Sir, I’ve seen it before, all the little signs, even though I’ve never seen one of them Change,” Garcia said. “Something must have happened in LA that meant you were about to die because Reid has that look now. So does our new weapons instructor.”
Hotch stayed quiet, wishing that Reid or one of the ranking dragons was in the room with him. He wasn’t sure exactly what he was supposed to do in a situation like this.
“Hotch?” Reid called from the other side of the door. “Can I come in?”
“Yes, Reid,” Hotch replied.
The young dragon walked in and paused when he saw who was in the room with his human. “Oh, hey Garcia, is everything okay?”
"I was just telling Hotch that you guys need to tell Morgan the truth before this gets too far out of hand,” Garcia replied. “But I didn’t mean for him to call you like that. Sir, I’m sorry, I’m really making a mess out of this, but I know the rules and don’t want to break them.”
“Garcia, what exactly has you so worried about Morgan?” Hotch asked.
“He asked me to check up on Dr. House and the two new agents who just transferred in,” Garcia replied. “He didn’t give me a real reason other than he’s worried about Reid, but I didn’t need one. I know what can happen to people who start poking around and really don’t want Morgan to die.”
“Hotch, I really think we need more advice about this,” Reid said. “I know what I’d like to do, but don’t know if it’s okay.”
“Donnie and Gil did say it was okay if our team found out,” Hotch replied. “Follow your instincts on this, Spencer.”
Reid nodded and took a deep breath. “Garcia, whisper and tell me exactly what you think is going on here,” he said.
“I know you’re a dragon,” Garcia said. “And probably the new agent too. I don’t care, you’re still my friends and I love you both, but I love Morgan too and really don’t want you to kill him for prying into your business.”
“I guess we shouldn’t be surprised,” Hotch commented. “We’ll have to let everyone know. Garcia, you said you know the rules; how?”
“My uncle was one,” Garcia replied. “He taught me the rules and what to look for. I’m really happy for you both, and I think the others will be too, if you ever tell them.”
“Jason knows,” Hotch said. “We’re not the only ones, Garcia; there are others along the east coast that we’ve networked with.”
“We’ll give you some of the contact info,” Reid said. “The lab staff at any rate, so you can be brought into the family officially.”
“Oh, that would be so cool,” Garcia said. “But sir, what about Morgan? You know he isn’t going to let this go and he’ll probably figure out there’s something deeper between you and Reid.”
“Morgan is walking a fine line already, Garcia. He went over my head to Strauss earlier today and I will not allow that sort of insubordination in my unit, no matter what his intentions were at the time.”
Reid moved to the crib, picked Jack up and rocked him a little to try and settle him down. “I think he’s hungry, Hotch; do you want me to feed him?”
“Reid, that’s so cute,” Garcia exclaimed. “But I thought kids didn’t react that well to you.”
“We think it’s because of LA,” Hotch said with a fond smile. “Garcia, let me talk with Donnie and see what he wants to do, but I’ll promise you we won’t kill anyone within our family.”
“Can you create something that will convince Morgan that everything is fine?” Reid asked. He shifted Jack and squatted down to dig out a bottle from the baby bag.
Garcia nodded. “The new agents will have enough information in their files that I can put something together easily,” she said. “But I’ll have to be careful with Dr. House.”
Hotch laughed. “House is an interesting character, but I doubt he has anything that horrible in his background,” he said. “Thanks, Spencer. Garcia, go ahead and start with Donnie and Megan since they’re agents and I’ll bring in some information on House for you tomorrow.”
“Thanks, sir,” Garcia said. “Reid really loves Jack, doesn’t he?”
“I suspect part of that is instinct as we’ve been warned to be careful about cases involving children, but yes, in his own way he really loves Jack,” Hotch said. “Hailey’s death was so horrible that I suspect Reid is going to spend a lot of years making up for it. He knows what it’s like to grow up without a parent.”
“Do you mean it wasn’t suicide?” Garcia whispered.
“She knew what he is,” Hotch said softly. “She tried to kill me.”
“And he reacted. Oh, the poor baby.” Garcia paused for a minute. “Wait, he shouldn’t have been able to do that.”
“That’s the real reason he’s so tired all the time,” Hotch admitted. “He blended when he Changed, his talents has developed and put stress on his body. We’re just lucky House knows what he’s doing and can treat Reid without us having to risk telling anyone else the truth or being discovered.”
“They’re still around?”
“Yeah, and we believe they’re preparing to target the larger communities. Like Reid said, we’ll put you in touch with some people who will be able to tell you more.”
Garcia smiled. “I can’t wait, and I’ll keep Morgan happy as long as I can until you guys can work out what you want to do next. Thanks, Hotch.”
“No problem; yes, JJ?”
“Hey, Hotch, sorry to interrupt, but I’ve got a case we need to move on. Gideon is getting the team together.”
“Do you want me to take Jack?” Garcia asked.
“Please, that would really help,” Hotch said. “Fill me in, JJ.”
“People have been receiving things from someone called the Fisher King,” JJ said. “And there’s a challenge to find his next victim before he kills again.”
TWO WEEKS LATER
Garcia quickly closed the window she was working on for the Miami community when the door handle to her office rattled. “Who seeks the oracle of all knowledge?” she called as she rolled to another computer.
“Hey baby girl, have you found anything?” Morgan asked shutting the door behind him.
“Not since Elle checked in with me an hour ago,” Garcia replied. “This Fisher King guy, whoever he is, is good. I can’t get a sense of him and that makes it really wicked hard to come up with new things to look for.”
“Hotch and Reid are talking about something right now,” Morgan said. “No, I meant about what I asked you to look into when you had the time.”
“Well, I haven’t had a chance to check out Reid’s doctor, but I did look into our newest agents,” Garcia said. “Don Eppes has an outstanding record with the bureau. He’s been team leader in a couple of different cities and this is the second time he’s taught here at the academy. His mother is dead, his father lives out in LA and his younger brother is a math genius who consults for pretty much everyone in DC, although mainly the NSA and us.”
“He must be the one Gideon was muttering about with the numbers profiling,” Morgan said. “What about the other agent?”
“Megan Reeves is a former member of the BAU, she left to take a field posting closer to her family,” Garcia continued. “She’s taking over some of Gideon’s classes on profiling and will help out with our backlog. She’s married to Larry Fleinhardt, a physics professor and mentor to Charlie Eppes, who has also started consulting for the FBI.”
“And Charlie and Larry?”
“Sweetie, I may be wonder woman, but even I have limits,” Garcia smiled. “This case has been front and center of my every waking moment since JJ briefed us on it. But do you really think the NSA wouldn’t run even stricter background checks than we do?”
“Yeah, I know, you’re right,” Morgan sighed. “I’m sorry, Garcia. I don’t know what I was expecting you to find in the first place. I dunno, maybe I’m just imagining all of this and I need to forget about it.”
She glanced up at him. “You’re just worried about your friends, and it’s sweet, but you need to realize that Reid is a big kid and can look for himself, no matter how much we want to keep him here and just protect him.”
“You haven’t seen him lately, baby-doll,” Morgan said. “You can be talking to him and then he’ll just fall asleep. It’s so frustrating because Hotch and Gideon refuse to send him home.”
“Didn’t his doctor say he’s okay to work?”
“I don’t like Dr. House,” Morgan said. “His attitude is all wrong. I really don’t think he’s a doctor.”
“Oh, come on Morgan, give Hotch and Reid some credit,” Garcia exclaimed. “They’re smart enough to know if someone is legitimate or not. I thought I heard Hotch say he was going to start taking Jack to see Dr. House soon.”
“Where is Jack?”
“With Agent Reeves; Hotch didn’t want him here during this case, and I don’t blame him. We’re finding some really nasty things.”
“Yeah, and I’d probably better get back to it,” Morgan sighed. “Maybe Hotch and Reid have come up with something.”
********************
Hotch braced his weight against his desk and looked back at Reid. The younger man’s eyes were glowing softly and, were Hotch not used to the look, it would have been scary. He bit back a moan as Reid’s slick erection slid into him. “Spence.”
“Need you so bad right now, Aaron,” Reid whispered. He paused for a minute when he was fully sheathed and leaned up for a kiss. “And I hate that we have to be quiet.”
“We don’t want the team to know,” Hotch panted as Reid started thrusting.
“I’d still rather be at home in our bed, you over me so I can watch your face and hand as you stroke yourself,” Reid whispered. “Hear your moans and cries as you climax and roll us so I can get you hard again before we come together.”
“God,” Hotch moaned. He’d found that not only was Reid good at talking dirty, the images his words painted in Hotch’s mind made him hotter and took him higher than just physical stimulation ever could. And then they would try out what Reid imagined, usually leaving Hotch in a sated puddle on their bed, and Reid to take care of Jack for the rest of the night. And Reid seemed to love every minute of it.
“Come on, Aaron,” he whispered licking Hotch’s left ear. “You need to climax so we can get back to work.” He reached around and wrapped his hand around Hotch’s erection. “Imagine this is my mouth taking you deep, Aaron; my tongue caressing your length until you flood my mouth, my throat working to get every single drop.”
Hotch buried his face in his arms to try and muffle the loud cry he could feel building in his chest. Sucking him off was Reid’s new favorite thing to do, and he was getting good at it too. Usually just the thought of Reid’s mouth on his cock was enough to make Hotch hard, and it pushed him over the edge into an intense climax that left his gasping for air as he felt his dragon explode in him.
“Hmm,” Reid purred nuzzling his human’s neck. “I love you, Aaron.”
“Love you too,” Hotch replied. “It’s too bad we told everyone you’re not contagious because I could really use a nap right now.”
“Instead we get to go and search for an insane unsub who seems to be equally as smart as we are.” Reid kissed his human again and moved back so they could start cleaning up. “I’ve been thinking we should ask Charlie and Larry to come help us out.”
“That’s a good idea,” Hotch agreed. “I’ll give Charlie a call and see if he’s in town or up in DC.” He slipped on his suit jacket and pulled Reid in for a deep kiss. “Are you going to be okay to work?”
Reid bit back a yawn. “I should be, but I’ll go work in Gideon’s office to be on the safe side,” he said. “I don’t want Morgan freaking out again.”
“I do think we’re going to have to tell him the truth,” Hotch sighed. “He hasn’t been near a hundred percent on this case and I know it’s because he’s worried about you.”
“Let me talk to him again,” Reid said. “I spoke with Gil last night, and we’re the only community not at immediate risk from hunters. Miami has a large mixed group of spook and regular hunters moving in, New York has already been attacked and both they and DC are waiting for the fallout from that.”
“Is it because we’re new or because we’re isolated?” Hotch asked.
“Probably a little of both, but my point was that the fewer people who know the truth, the longer we stay safe and hidden.”
They both looked over when someone knocked on the door. “Come in,” Hotch called.
“I think someone needs his dad for a while,” Megan said with a smile. “He’s been great all day, but he’s starting to fuss a little, Hotch, and I have a class.”
Hotch took Jack and settled him against his chest. “Thanks for keeping him today, Megan,” he said. “Is Larry in town?”
“Yeah, he and Charlie are unpacking our new houses,” Megan said. “We’re not far from your place, Hotch.”
“I haven’t decided what I’m going to do with the house yet,” Hotch sighed. “Spencer thought Charlie and Larry might be able to help us out on this case.”
“I’m sure they’d love to, anything to get out of putting dishes and towels away.” Megan paused for a minute. “Actually, I could stand not to have all my dishes organized by size, color and weight. You’d be doing me a favor by calling them.”
“Life with a genius is never dull,” Hotch laughed.
“I think I’ve just been insulted,” Reid said with a small frown. “Anyway, I’ve got to go and take my medicine. See you guys later.”
“Aren’t you worried?”
“No, if Reid really felt insulted he would’ve tried to smile before he left,” Hotch said. “He knows I was kidding.”
“If you say so.” Megan glanced at her watch. “I’ve got to run, see you later, Hotch.”
“Thanks again, Megan.” Hotch took his cell phone out of his pocket and scrolled through to Charlie’s new cell phone number. “Charlie, its Hotch.”
“Oh, hey Hotch, what’s up?”
“Are you busy?”
“Larry and I were just debating the relative weight of some of their pots,” Charlie replied. “But it’s really just something to do.”
“In that case, how about coming in to help with a case? As much as I hate to admit it, we’re stuck.”
“Yeah, absolutely,” Charlie replied. “Just let me get some stuff I’ve been working on for Gideon together and we’ll come in.”
“A project for Jason?”
“It’s some notes on how I’ve used math formulae in past cases,” Charlie said. “He thinks it’s possible to base a profiling system off numbers.”
“I’ll leave you guys to that then,” Hotch said. “See you in a bit.”
House stood on the sidewalk and stared up at the building in front of him. “This color is horrid,” he finally said.
“Well, if that’s your only complaint then we can go sign the paperwork right now,” Chase said. “Come on, Greg; try to keep an open mind about this. We can always repaint of remodel if we want to.”
“Where’s the real estate agent?”
“She’s running a little late, but said to go ahead and look around outside,” Chase said. “I want to show you the deck.”
“I just can’t get excited about woodwork,” House grumbled as he followed his lover along the smooth stone path. In truth he was impressed with the house Chase had finally chosen to show him and, if his young lover was so pleased with it too, then he knew it was likely they’d end up buying it. The paths around the house were smooth stone that House could move over without worrying about tripping or falling on. The house itself was a single story with one lone step leading up to the front door.
“I’ve never had a real house of my own,” Chase said as they rounded the corner into the backyard.
“Yeah you have, every night for the past four years,” House grinned.
“Greg,” Chase groaned. “I’m serious.”
“So am I,” House replied. “Is that a hot tub?”
Chase smiled. “Yep, and tucked in close to the house too so it can be used all year,” he said. “Think how much that will help your leg when it gets cold.”
“Not to mention hot tub sex. Maybe I will like this place after all.”
“You’re not just humoring me?”
“Would I do that?”
“Yeah, you’re not that nice,” Chase said. “Oh, there’s the real estate agent. Behave yourself.”
House ducked his chin down and looked at Chase with his piercing blue eyes. “I always behave.”
“Sure you do, Greg; and I’m Santa Claus.”
********************
The house wasn’t as nice on the inside was the exterior, bad color aside, but House could see the potential in the building. It was too segmented, boxed in, but he thought if they hired someone to take out some walls and open things up then the house would truly live up to its potential. And, as Chase had been hired by the local hospital, they had more than enough money to not only buy it, but remodel and paint as well.
“The question now is what will you do while I’m at work,” Chase said once they were back in their hotel room. They’d be able to move into the house the following week once all the paperwork was done and their things arrived from New Jersey. “You know how cranky you get when you don’t have something new to work on.”
“I can oversee the remodel,” House replied. “And I’ve promised to research various dragon medical problems for Mandy. I think not knowing what was going on with Reid really bugged her.”
“Then what will you do?” Chase stretched out carefully over his lover and shifted a little, creating friction on purpose. “Come on, Greg, you know that’ll only keep you going for about a year or so.”
“Then I might just be crazy enough to try and get back into medicine,” House replied. He glared over at the door, as if trying to fry the person on the other side who had just knocked. “That just killed the mood.”
Chase kissed House softly and pushed off the bed. House sat up and was just settling a pillow under his leg when he caught sight of who knocked. “Special Agent Morgan, what a surprise,” he said. “What do you want?”
“I want to know how you’re treating Reid when you don’t have a general practice here or in DC, or anywhere else that I can find,” Morgan said leaning against the wall near the door. “And are living in a hotel.”
“Maybe I should have my lawyer present,” House said. “I didn’t know I was going to be interrogated by the feds tonight. Why don’t you read me my rights and I’ll call him.”
“Greg,” Chase sighed.
“But it’s so much fun,” House protested.
“Don’t piss off the feds,” Chase said.
“Spoilsport,” House muttered. “Agent Morgan, I’ve never been anything as common or easy as a GP. If you’d been a little more thorough while rummaging through my past you would’ve found I’ve got a double specialty in infectious diseases and nephrology and work with diagnostics. I’m what’s knows as an elite doctor.”
“Then why are you treating Reid?”
“Sorry, confidential information,” House said. “I can’t discuss my patient with anyone without his permission, and you’re not on the list.”
“And Hotch is?” Morgan demanded.
“Agents Hotchner and Gideon,” House said. “Truthfully, I don’t see why you’re so uptight about all of this. Reid’s health is improving and that’s all that should matter to his friends, isn’t it?”
“Because I don’t think you’re really a doctor,” Morgan replied. “I don’t know what you are, but I doubt you know anything about medicine.”
House’s blue eyes narrowed. “Really?” He let his gaze travel slowly over Morgan’s body. “You’re favoring your right arm and leg. It’s not obvious, I doubt anyone on your team has even noticed, but you did something to mess yourself up. You should swallow your pride and go see your own doctor before it becomes chronic and starts to impact your work.”
“I just tripped while jogging, but that’s not the point,” Morgan said. “I think you’re a fraud.”
“You did more than take a little tumble, Agent Morgan,” House said. “Stand up straight.”
“No.”
“Fine, be stubborn, but I think it’s your back and hip that are in trouble, but what would I know?” House asked. “But you’re an idiot if you don’t go see your own doctor. And have your computer expert check the medical database and journals; you’ll find me. I’ll be nice and not demand an apology; I’ve been called worse.”
“Stay away from Reid,” Morgan said and left.
Chase locked the door and sat down on the bed. “I saw it too, Greg. He was hit by a car wasn’t he?”
“I think so, but it was a low speed impact or he wouldn’t be walking around,” House said. “And he’s not going to see anyone about it either, he’s too stubborn.”
“So what can we do? We can’t force him to see a doctor.”
“We can’t, but his boss can.” House grabbed his phone.
“Greg?”
House looked over at his lover. “You know as well as I do that if he does something in the field he could reinjure that hip badly enough to need surgery, and maybe lose his job. I’m not going to let that happen, Bobby.”
“You do have a heart.”
“Don’t tell anyone, I don’t want to ruin my reputation.” House moved the phone up towards his mouth. “Hotch, this is Greg House; I just had a visit from one of your agents.”
“Which one?”
“Morgan, and you have a problem there,” House replied. “And no, I’m not just talking about his general attitude. I noticed something while he was here.”
Hotch sighed. “I’m sorry, House; I’ll have another talk with him. I don’t know what’s wrong with him, but he’s really usually not like this.”
“I do know; he’s got a bad case of big brother syndrome combined with what I suspect are injuries from a car accident,” House said. “It’s really slight, but he’s favoring his right side. He said he fell while jogging, but it’s more than that. Morgan needs to see a doctor to make sure there’s no lasting damage, or do more to himself while at work.”
“This is the first I’ve heard about it,” Hotch said.
“Pride and overconfidence are bad things.”
“You would know,” Chase muttered.
“I’ll take care of it,” Hotch said trying not to laugh. He’d heard Chase.
“Thank you, and you might also want to mention that his investigative skills suck when he’s emotional.”
“Spence is going to talk with Morgan soon too,” Hotch said. “He’s trying to show the team that he’s a grown man who can take care of himself, and not the nerd they all seem to think he is.”
“Let’s get him healthy first and then I’ll talk to him about an exercise program,” House said. “How much did he sleep today?”
“We’re still going, but grand total this far is about five hours,” Hotch said after a minute. “But the attacks are definitely getting shorter and less frequent.”
“Good, but I want to see him if he’s not down to three hours in another week,” House said.
“Will doo,” Hotch said. “And thank you for the call, House; I’ll make sure Morgan gets to a doctor if I have to drag him there personally.”
“I’d pay to see that.”
“I’ll let you know. Night.”
“Morgan, my office please,” Hotch called as soon as he caught sight of the other agent.
“Yeah, what’s up, Hotch?”
“Shut the door.” Hotch leaned back in his chair and sighed. “Where’s the food, Morgan?”
“What food?”
“Didn’t you tell me you were going to run out and get us all dinner?” Hotch asked. “So where is it?”
“Hotch,” Morgan started.
“Just don’t, Morgan,” Hotch said. “I already know where you were, and you’re extremely lucky Dr. House isn’t going to file a complaint against you for harassment.”
Morgan’s mouth dropped open. “He called you?”
“Yes, Morgan, he did, but not for the reason you seem to think,” Hotch replied. “Why didn’t you tell any of us you’re hurt?”
“Because I’m not.”
“Dr. House believes you are, and I refuse to take any chances with my team,” Hotch said. “So you have a choice; either see your regular doctor in the next twenty-four hours or I’m going to have Dr. House examine you.”
“Hotch, do you know he’s living in a hotel?” Morgan asked. “And he’s not in practice.”
“Yes, I do. He’s a specialist who happens to not be working at the moment.” Hotch set his briefcase on the desk, opened it and pulled out some medical journals. “Take a look through these while you’re making your decision. The consultants I asked to join us just arrived. I’m not going to tell you this again, Morgan. Leave Dr. House alone.”
Hotch left Morgan in the office and walked out into the bullpen. “Charlie, Larry; thanks for coming in.”
“Of course,” Charlie grinned. “If I could get a look at everything you’ve got so far I should be able to at least start narrowing things down for you.”
“Whatever you need,” Hotch said. “Reid, will you take Charlie and Larry to the conference room?”
“Sure,” Reid smiled. “Hi guys.”
“I don’t understand how you can be stuck,” Charlie said falling into step with Reid. “You’ve got so many good people working on this team that this is the last place I expected to be called to.”
Reid smiled. “It’s because we’re not used to the way the unsub is talking to us,” he said. “See for yourself.”
On the board were pictures of all the evidence in the case, along with each agent’s name. “Wait, you mean you all received something from the unsub?” Charlie asked.
“Yeah,” Reid said, “and I seem to be his main focus.”
Under Gideon’s name was a 1963 Nellie Fox baseball card in a protective sleeve, a small manila envelope with block letter that simply said SAVE HER and a picture of a severed head in a plastic bag in a box.
“Marty Hams,” Reid said. “When they located his body the same message was written in blood on the wall.”
“JJ received a butterfly with her message?” Larry asked. “She has been searched for yet never found.”
“Yeah, JJ used to collect butterflies,” Reid replied. “Hotch got a phone call that said don’t waste time on the first victims, they were unrepentant bad men who got what they deserved. You must help him save her. The voice was garbled enough that Hotch didn’t recognize it.”
“She has been searched for yet never found,” Larry repeated. “This phrasing is very interesting, Spencer.”
“I noticed that too; it made me think of older English, medieval almost,” Reid agreed. “And I suspect the her our unsub keeps referring to has been kidnapped to fulfill some kind of roll in whatever fantasy our unsub is playing out.”
“And the evidence sent to you?” Charlie asked.
“I got a skeleton key and a note,” Reid said. “She will die unless you save her, Dr. Reid. Call Gideon. He knows.”
“And what has Gideon said about that?” Charlie asked.
“I don’t know, none of us can get an answer out of him,” Reid sighed. “He’s been acting strange ever since he got that package in the mail. Hotch is worried, Morgan is fixated on proving House is a fraud and Elle’s going to work herself into a coma.”
Larry looked over. “Spencer, you only have one known victim here, but the message Hotch received speaks of men in the plural form. Does that mean you’re missing some of the needed evidence as well?”
“We have another name, Frank Giles, but we’re having a hard time tracking him down,” Reid said.
“Not any more,” Hotch said leaning in the door. “We just got a location. Let’s go, Reid. Charlie, Larry, see you when we get back.”
Larry sat down at the table and stared at the wall to the side of the board. “Charles, does it seem to you like this is more than a fantasy for this particular man?” he asked. “I can’t imagine its normal for someone to kidnap a girl, hold her for an unknown period of time and then use her to taunt FBI agents.”
“Some unsubs like to taunt the police of FBI to prove that they’re smarter than then.” Charlie sat down next to Larry and let his eyes flick over all the pictures. “But you’re right that there’s something highly unusual here. I don’t like that this man is focused on Spencer. There are too many references to him in all these clues.”
“Charles, are you thinking what I believe you’re thinking?”
“Donnie’s been in touch with all three cities,” Charlie said. “A death in New York, the flood into Miami, two heading towards DC and now this. Does it really seem that unlikely that we’ve been discovered as well?”
“No, but it is worrying considering how short a time we’ve all been here,” Larry said. “We need to tell Don immediately.”
Charlie grinned. “I’ve already called him. He and Megan will meet us here when their classes are over.”
“Good. Well then, we should start to look at these puzzle pieces. What doesn’t fit?”
“The baseball card,” Charlie replied. “The message on the envelope it was in fits, but not the card. We have five separate references to a woman, four of which say her and one that says she.”
Larry nodded. “Everything is written in block letters in an obvious attempt to disguise his handwriting,” he continued. “I’m curious if these are pleas to find the missing girl, or taunts. I recall Megan mentioning a couple of serial killers who left messages asking to be caught so they would not kill again. Is it possible he regrets what he has done but cannot find another way out of this?”
“I don’t think so, Larry. Look at the wording in Spencer’s note. She will die unless you save her. That tells me this is the most important message; the one we need to focus on the most.”
“Never ignore evidence, Chuck.”
Charlie didn’t even glance back. “I know, and don’t call me Chuck,” he said. “How were your classes today, Donnie?”
“Good; now fill me in here.”
“Charles believes we may have a hunter problem of our own,” Larry said taking Jack from Megan. “Should he be in here?”
“No; why don’t you guys take him home,” Don said. “I’ll stay with Charlie.”
“Okay,” Megan said. “We’ll call when we get home, just to be safe. If there are hunters in the area then we need to be on the alert.”
Don glanced over. “I called Ian today; he’ll hit town as soon as he can and stay until the threat is over.”
“It’ll be good to see him again,” Charlie said. “Night guys. Don, take a look at the evidence so far.”
“He is fixated on Reid,” Don said. “But is it because of what he is or how smart he is? I can’t imagine there’s anyone on the team with a higher IQ.”
“More street smarts possibly, but for just pure intelligence, Spencer is it,” Charlie said. “But I can’t imagine anyone would believe he could solve this case all on his own. I don’t even know where to start.”
“You need a known factor,” Don said. He still wasn’t great at match, but had learned how his human worked. “What about one of those map things showing the location of the evidence drops and dead body? Wouldn’t it be likely the suspect would be in a zone of some kind?”
“I’m surprised they don’t have a geographic profile already,” Charlie said. “I’ll get started on that.”
“And I’m going to call Hotch to let him know what you suspect,” Don said. He rumpled his brother’s hair, the only affectionate contact they could risk in public. “And then call the other alphas and fill them in. If we’ve got a hunter here, he’s known about us a lot longer than we’ve known about him. And that makes me nervous.”
“I understand, thanks for the heads-up,” Hotch said as he pulled his Tahoe to a stop. “Yeah, we’ll see you when we get back.”
“What’s wrong, Aaron?” Reid asked.
“Charlie thinks that our unsub is a hunter,” Hotch replied. “And that’s the reason he’s so focused on you.”
Gideon leaned forward. “Is this really possible?” he asked. “For all of us to be put through this just to get to Spencer?”
“I don’t know, Jason,” Hotch said. “We’ll talk about it more when we get back to the bureau. There goes the SWAT team; let’s go.”
Reid followed Hotch and Gideon across the street and into the building. He couldn’t help but notice not only how well Hotch’s black slacks fit, but how hot his human was in his vest. Reid wondered if there was a way to convince Hotch to wear the vest in the bedroom.
“Reid,” Hotch called when the younger agent almost walked into a wall, “focus.”
“Trust me, Hotch, I am,” Reid said.
Hotch sighed and leaned in. “On the case, Spencer; you can stare at my ass later.”
“Promise?” Reid asked licking his lips. “Maybe I have other plans for you.”
“Man down!”
Both Reid and Hotch broke into a run towards the target apartment. They found two SWAT men guarding Morgan who was on the floor. “The room is clear, sir. One DOA in the bedroom.”
“What happened here?” Hotch asked.
“He kicked the door open and went down.”
Hotch bit back a sigh. “Morgan.” He stopped and shook his head. “Do not try and move.”
“Trust me, Hotch, I’m going nowhere,” Morgan said.
“Hey guys, you’re going to want to see this,” Elle called from inside the apartment.
“You’ve called for the paramedics?” Hotch asked.
“Yes sir,” the SWAT team leader replied.
“Stay with him until they arrive,” Hotch said following his dragon and Gideon into the apartment. “Morgan, I’ll be at the hospital as soon as I can.”
“Hotch, man, don’t worry about me,” Morgan said. “Just catch this guy.”
Frank Giles was lying on his back on a bed, a medieval sword through his chest, making everyone immediately think of the sword in the stone. Behind him on the wall was a message written in bloody block letters.
“Here thy quest doth truly begin,” Reid read putting his gun away. “More references to old England.”
“Does that mean anything, Spencer?” Gideon asked.
“I’m not sure,” Reid replied. He glanced at his watch and pulled out a piece of blue taffy. “Blood sugar,” he muttered in answer to the question glances and popped into his mouth.
Hotch recognized the candy for what it was and knew the blood had to be bothering Reid if he was trying to numb his nose. “So we have a message and a body with a sword,” he said. “What else?”
“There’s a bag of money on the dresser,” Elle said. “He killed him and left the money behind? That doesn’t make any sense.”
“He’s playing with us,” Reid said. “Hotch, there’s something etched on the sword.”
“Can you read what it says?” Hotch asked.
“I think so.” Reid shifted his position a little and squinted at the sword. “To learn what should next be done, leave the blade to the hour be none.”
“Midnight?” Elle asked.
“No, there’s no light then,” Hotch replied. “Reid?”
“Three pm,” Reid said instantly. “Its how the days were broken up in medieval times.” He glanced around the room. “I need a light source.”
Gideon nodded and left the apartment. Hotch looked over at Reid. “It’s starting to sound like this unsub thinks we’re the knights of the round table, Reid. Can you think of anything that can help us out?”
“Hotch, I can think of about a hundred possibilities off the top of my head,” Reid replied. “Unfortunately all of this is still to vague for me to do anything with. And I’m equally sure that Charlie is having the same problems I am. Normally in cases, no matter how much data we have, there’s something that stands out. But so far the only thing I know for sure is that this unsub has been studying us.”
Hotch nodded. “Which we already talked about.”
“We did?” Elle asked. “And what’s up with this guy liking to write with blood on walls?”
“Part of his signature,” Hotch suggested. “He’s done it with both victims so far.”
Reid took the flashlight from Gideon. “This will be bright enough,” he said. He moved in front of the windows. “If the shadow of the sword is there at five, then we can track down until three.”
Elle was closest to the wall and started tapping as the shadow of the sword went lower and lower until she hit what was obviously a hollow spot. “There’s a space here, and I think the wallpaper has been replaced.”
“Tear it open,” Hotch said.
Gideon stepped over and took out a pocket knife. He took the mark from Elle and cut a clear line through the paper, pulling it open to reveal a box. He took it out and set it on the floor. “It’s locked,” he said after trying the lid.
“The youngest holds the key,” Hotch said. “Reid, do you still have the skeleton key you got in the mail?”
“Yeah, they gave it back to me after dusting it for prints.” Reid dug it out of his pocket and tossed it to Gideon. “Hotch, can you come here for a minute?”
Hotch moved over next to his dragon as Gideon took the key out of the baggy it was in. “What’s up?” he asked softly.
“Thanks for humoring me,” Reid whispered in reply. “I wanted to be able to protect you if it was a bomb.”
“Spence,” Hotch whispered.
Music filled the room when Gideon opened the lid. “Schubert,” Gideon said. “The Trout Quintet.”
“Five men fishing,” Hotch commented.
“Well that’s certainly true,” Reid said. “Is that a note?”
Gideon took the folded piece of paper out and read it. “Never would it be night but always clear day to any man’s sight.”
“Well that sure clears everything up,” Elle said leaning against the dresser. “What now?”
“I think there’s a tab on the lid near the top of the box,” Reid said.
“You’re right, Spencer,” Gideon said. He opened it, revealing a five inch lock of blond hair tied in a pick ribbon and a DVD labeled THY QUEST. “A possible communication from the unsub?”
Hotch rubbed his eyes. “None of this makes any sense,” he sighed. “Jason, you and Elle stay here with the CSIs. Reid, let’s go check on Morgan and see what the doctor has to say.”
********************
After a quick personal break in the back of their Tahoe, Hotch and Reid drove to the hospital. They were a little surprised to see the doctor on duty. “Chase,” Hotch said. “It’s good to see you again.”
“Hey Hotch, Reid,” Chase smiled. “It’s my first night on duty. So I’m guessing there wasn’t a chance to get Agent Morgan to a doctor?”
“I told him he had a day before I dragged him in,” Hotch said. “What happened?”
“As Greg suspected, Agent Morgan had a small run in with a car that went unreported,” Chase said. “It caused two small tears in the tendons in his hip that would be painful, but he’d still be able to move around without too much trouble. When he kicked in the door tonight he completely ruptured one of the tendons and, at the moment, is getting ready for surgery.”
Hotch sighed. “Will he recover?”
“If he’s willing to work at it, yes,” Chase said. “I just wish he hadn’t been so stubborn.”
“That’s just how he is; it’s what makes him such a great agent,” Reid said. He yawned suddenly. “Sorry.”
“Time for dinner,” Hotch said. “Chase, will you have someone call me when Morgan is out of surgery?”
“Of course,” Chase said. “Have a good night.”
Reid looked over at Hotch as they walked out of the hospital. “You knew that Morgan was hurt?”
“Only for about an hour before we went out into the field,” Hotch said. “House called and told me.”
“And how did House know?”
“Morgan went to accuse House of being a fraud. Fortunately House was more concerned about Morgan’s health than anything else.”
“I really need to talk with Morgan.” Reid broke off into another yawn.
“Once this case is over,” Hotch said. “Sleep in the back, Spence. We’ll be taking a look at that DVD and I need you at your best.”
“Okay,” Reid agreed. “And dinner sounds good too.”
“I’ll get us something healthy,” Hotch said. “You just sleep.”
Hotch really didn’t want to wake Reid up when they got back to Quantico, but knew they had work to do. He parked where there was a small blind spot and opened the door by his dragon’s head. He wasn’t sure when he’d grown so reckless, but Hotch leaned in and kissed Reid softly. Reid moaned in his sleep and responded to the kiss, mouth opening as his hand reached up for Hotch’s hair. Hotch pushed his tongue into Reid’s mouth and took control of the kiss until they broke apart for air.
“Where are we?” Reid asked blinking.
“The academy.”
“No wonder I still feel so sleepy.” Reid stretched letting his fingers slide over Hotch’s zipper. “Maybe I’ll jump you in the bathroom.”
Hotch moaned at the touch and moved away to get their food. “After we watch that DVD, I’ll let you do whatever you want,” he said. “We’re going to have to wait a little on DNA from the hair, so I’m going to make everyone go home and get some sleep.”
“Especially Elle,” Reid said falling into step next to his human. “I’ve never seen her like this before.”
“We all need some time to regroup,” Hotch said. “This is the strangest case I’ve ever seen. I can’t believe how it’s affecting the team.”
“This is the first time we’ve been so personally involved with a case,” Reid said. “And if Donnie is right, if the Fisher King is after me, then we might really be in trouble.”
“I’m sure we can come up with something.” Hotch glanced around the bullpen. “It doesn’t look like Jason and Elle are back. Let’s go see what Charlie and Larry have come up with and you can eat.”
Don and Charlie looked up from the folders in front of them. “Hey guys,” Don said. “Did you get anything from your suspect?”
“A peppermint overdose,” Reid replied. “He was dead.”
“Not a surprising development considering the message Hotch received,” Charlie said. He took the plate Hotch held out. “Thanks. I’ve been working on plotting locations and attempting to narrow down the area it’s possible your unsub is in, but I’m hampered by the fact that your personal residences are skewing the numbers.”
“What if you just use the two bodies and Reid’s apartment?” Don asked.
“What happened to not ignoring evidence?” Charlie teased erasing lines he’d drawn on the laminated map.
Reid looked over. “It makes sense because he’s fixated on me for some reason,” he said. He took a bite of his turkey burger, made a face and reached for a couple packets of mustard. “I’ve been thinking if we could just figure out why he’s fixated on me then we’d be able to find him and our victim.”
“Well, we know one possible reason,” Don sighed. “I’ve got a meeting tonight with Gibbs and Gil to talk over the situation. They wanted Larry there too, but I want him to stay here and watch over things. The more power we have, the better.”
“And if we’re wrong?” Hotch asked.
“This unsub has a definite purpose in mind,” Reid said. “And, for some reason, I’m in the middle of it. How does that new set of variables work, Charlie?”
“Nothing, not even if I figure in the head at Gideon’s,” Charlie sighed.
“Hey,” Don said as Gideon and Elle walked in.
“Hi Don, Charlie,” Gideon replied. “JJ will be here in a minute, Hotch; she’s double checking something with the lab.”
Hotch nodded. “Do you want to load the DVD, Jason? We might as well see what message the unsub has for us.”
“Sure.”
Don leaned over towards Reid. “Keep a close watch on the monitor, Spencer,” he whispered. “Our eyes are sharper than the others and we might see something they miss.”
“Right,” Reid replied.
The monitor came to life showing a dimly lit study with an antique desk centered in the shot. There was some movement and noise and a hunched figure limped into view. It was hard to determine the gender, but everyone had the same thought in mind that it was a man, and not just any man but the Fisher King �“ the unsub himself.
“I must congratulate you,” the man said, “on surpassing all of my expectations thus far on your quest. But from here it becomes far more difficult, there is a maiden in need of rescue and, as you can see, she is in considerable distress.”
The scene cut to what looked like a stone jail cell. A young blond woman lay on a wrought iron bed shivering and coughing. It was obvious that she needed medical attention quickly. Then it cut back to the unsub. “There is only one rule you must follow,” the Fisher King continued. “One rule only. Only the members of your team �“ Jason Gideon, Aaron Hotchner, Spencer Reid, Elle Greenway, Derek Morgan, Jennifer Jarou, and Penelope Garcia �“ may participate in the quest. One rule that you must follow. More items will be sent to you as you require them, and you’ll need a book that has inspired many an adventure. Remember, only the team may work on this quest or the consequences shall be dire indeed.”
“Well, that was unusual,” Elle said as the screen went black.
“Unsubs just don’t do this,” Reid said. “They don’t go to this level to communicate with us.”
Hotch sighed. “What did you notice?”
“He has pictures of all of us,” Reid replied. “They were taken in the field and none of them looked like local crime scenes.”
“I’ll have Garcia check to see if there are any newspaper archive pictures of us available to the public,” Hotch said. “What else?”
“He’s been injured,” Don commented. “Injured badly by something.”
“Which means he probably has agents or helpers working for him,” Reid added. “He was winded just walking across the room. It seems unlikely that he ever leaves the house.”
“What could injure someone so badly?” Hotch asked.
“Car accident, fire, fall,” Reid listed. “But it could also be a chronic condition.”
“Why not show the video to your doctor, Spencer?” Gideon asked. “Isn’t his specialty in diagnostic medicine?”
“Yeah, but he’s not a member of the team.” Reid said. “This unsub knows us, Gideon; he knows where each of us lives. Do we really want to risk breaking the only rule he put in place for us?”
“We already have,” Gideon said. “Don and Charlie aren’t members of the team and they’re working with us.”
Hotch could feel the concern radiating along the bond with his dragon and tried to send reassurances back to Reid. He bit back another sigh. “Reid has a point, Jason. Don and Charlie were here before we knew about this rule, and no one else knows they’re working with us. It’s too much of a risk to involve Dr. House or anyone else at this point.”
“I will not be led around by the nose or dictated to by an unsub!” Gideon exclaimed pushing back from the table. He stood and stormed out of the room, brushing past JJ as if she wasn’t even there.
“Everyone go home and sleep,” Hotch ordered. “Meet back here at seven.”
“What was that all about?” JJ asked.
“I don’t know,” Reid replied. “What did the lab say?”
“We have a victim name,” JJ said. “Her DNA was on file so they were able to make a quick match. Rebecca Bryant has been missing from Boston for the past two years.”
“He’s had her all this time and he’s only just now challenging us to find her?” Elle asked.
“I’ve requested her file from Boston,” JJ said. “It’ll be here in the morning.”
“She must have family,” Elle said.
“Yeah, I’m going to be talking with them tomorrow too,” JJ said. “I want to make sure they understand that just because we found her hair doesn’t mean she’s still alive.”
“Do you have a picture of her?” Reid asked.
“Here.”
“Don?” Reid handed the picture to the other dragon after studying it.
“It’s her,” Don agreed.
JJ and Elle looked at them. “What are you guys talking about?” Elle finally asked.
“The girl showed on the video; it’s Rebecca,” Reid said. “So she was alive whenever he shot the video footage.”
“Yeah, but Reid, the guy could’ve taken that lock of hair and footage two years ago,” Elle said. “We have no way of knowing Rebecca is still alive.”
“Actually, I think we do,” Charlie said speaking for the first time. “I mean, yes, this guy has shown that he’s willing to kill, or have people killed if he is as injured as he looked in the video. But every clue he’s sent us indicates that he wants Rebecca found. Why would he be so passionate about it, and set up so elaborate a scenario if she’s already dead?”
“He’s got a point,” Don said.
“I’m still going to be realistic with her family,” JJ said. “They’ve been through more than enough already. They deserve the truth.”
“Hotch?” Reid asked catching sight of his human at the door.
“I don’t know,” Hotch replied. “Come on, everyone, we owe it to our victim to be rested so we can find her faster. Let’s all go get some sleep and come back to this in a few hours.”
The team nodded and left to gather their things. Don lingered behind to ask Reid one last question. “Have you sensed anything?”
“No, and I’ve been trying,” Reid replied. “Maybe now that I know who I’m looking for I’ll have more luck.”
“That’s true,” Hotch said. “This is really the first chance we’ve had to test out your new talent since New York, Spence. It’ll be interesting to see how things work out.”
“Hopefully for the best.” Reid yawned. “Excuse me; I think I’m ready to head home, Aaron. Did you let Megan know we’re coming?”
“She said Jack’s sound asleep and not to worry about it,” Hotch replied. “She’s working cases tomorrow and can come in late if he has a rough night.”
“Megan loves kids,” Don said. “She and Larry keep hoping to have some of their own.”
Hotch smiled. “I’m just thankful for the help with Jack,” he said. “Because I know I couldn’t leave him with a stranger when I’m out of town.”
“We’ve got you covered,” Don smiled. “Ready to go, Chuck?”
“Yeah, and don’t call me Chuck.”
********************
Elle unlocked her front door with a sigh and used her foot to kick her two bags inside. She wasn’t sure why, but the Fisher King case was wearing her out more than any other case since she’d joined the BAU.
She locked the door behind her and stepped over her bags to the sofa. In all honesty she was too tired to make it to her bedroom and planned to just crash in the living room for a few hours. Then she’d head back to work and try to find Rebecca. Elle agreed with Reid and Charlie that Rebecca was alive and needed them to find her.
The light clicking on made Elle’s eyes fly open. The figure from the DVD pointed a gun at her. “I told you the consequences would be dire if you broke the rule,” he rasped.
And then he pulled the trigger twice.
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