Evolution, a Spencer Reid/Criminal Minds Fanfic

Chapter 6. A Defining Moment

During the drive in to the Bureau, Reid’s phone rang seven times. After watching him check the display and refuse each call, Hotch was curious.

“Anything wrong, Reid?” Besides just about every damn thing in your life, that is?

“No…well, sort of.”

“Wanna talk about it?”

Reid inhaled deeply, expelling the breath in a shaky shudder. “It’s Dr. Bescardi. She didn’t want me to leave.”

Hotch glanced at him. “Did she have more tests she wanted to run? ‘Cause, if you need to, I can give you time off…if you think it’ll help.”

“Not like that, Hotch.” Reid crossed his arms, pulled his knees in closer.

Hotch recognized the body language. He was folding in on himself in a way that indicated he felt a need for protection. There’s enough on his plate already. What fresh hell is this? “If you tell me, I might be able to help.” Silence. “Sometimes just saying it out loud will make something less stressful.” Eyes on the road, he could feel Reid watching him.

“Hotch, will you promise me something?”

“If I can.” The Unit Chief did his utmost to keep promises. He had too many memories of ‘promising’ Hayley he’d make up for short-changing their family due to demands of his job. Since her death, he was cautious. Past promises left unfulfilled were an area of his life that still hurt.

“Don’t let me end up in a lab somewhere.”

“What? You mean working as a researcher or something?”

“No. I mean as a lab rat.”

Hotch’s knuckles whitened as his grip on the steering wheel tightened. “Reid, what are you getting at?” Long pause before the answer came.

“Dr. Bescardi’s great. And I really appreciate everything Rossi did to hook me up with her, but…Hotch, she got a little scary when the test results started coming in. I was okay staying an extra day, but she tried to talk me into staying…indefinitely. So she could study me. I got the feeling she was thinking in terms of devoting the rest of her career to having ‘discovered’ me.

“So I’m asking you: promise me you won’t let me end up in a lab for the rest of my life.”

Hotch’s thoughts were ricocheting at a frantic pace. He’d never considered this aspect of Reid’s circumstances. He recalled historical instances when paranormal abilities had been studied with the intent of using them as weapons. Using the people who wielded such powers as weapons, he corrected himself. Bureaucrats and government administrators tended to discount the human factor and see only what they could unleash against adversaries. And Reid was already right in the heart of a federal agency that could be merciless in the name of patriotism.

Hotch endured the concerned stare from the passenger side. He swallowed and wondered if Reid knew what was racing through his mind.

“I promise I’ll do my best not to let that happen to you.”

It was a lame way of giving a promise with a loophole. But it was the best he could do without lying. Reid had been thrown a curve and he would have to rebuild the entire structure of his life from the inside out. Hotch hoped honesty would be a strong enough cornerstone to let Reid construct a safe haven. Or at least believe safety was still possible.

xxxxxxx

When the two agents entered the BAU bullpen, they waded through a sea of curious stares and went straight to Rossi’s office.