Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or its characters.
Special thanks to REIDFANATIC who has encouraged me to publish this and provided the technical help.
He entered the bare office with its functional unadorned cream walls, he noted the uncluttered mahogany desk at the far end. There was a telephone, writing pad and a rack of pens but it looked unused, this was not a working office. The blinds were down but open letting in the daylight. But the observations of his surroundings came to a close with the man's voice from behind him.
"Dr. Gideon, thank you for coming to see me," the proffered hand shook Gideon's firmly but there was no hint of dominance in the gesture, the psychologist merely sensed a natural self confidence in social situations.
"I was intrigued by the invitation," he neutrally replied.
"Please sit down," the man gestured to the two mahogany coloured leather chairs nearby with a bare mahogany coffee table within easy reach, "I am sure that you have come to your own conclusions about the security." Gideon gave a slight nod of assent, but his dark searching eyes never left the middle aged man before him. He quickly mentally filed away the information: he was tall with a familiar spare frame dressed in neatly pressed charcoal grey trousers, a light blue shirt was complimented by a co-ordinating grey and blue broad striped tie, the black cord jacket reminded Gideon of another's fondness for cord. Dark haunted brown eyes stared back at him through rimless spectacles, it was a look the team now associated with their youngest member. Slender fingers swept back the long greying brown hair from the gaunt face, there was no mistaking the resemblance even in this simple mannerism as he sat, nor the way he rested his chin upon the bony hand, the fingers poised in that certain way…Gideon mentally shook himself, the man was equally quietly scrutinising him. Their eyes met, "Shall I send for tea or coffee?" he invited.
"No thank you, I feel that I am duty bound to be here as this concerns a valued member of the unit."
"I remind you of him," he calmly stated. Gideon pulled his mind to attention, he was allowing himself to wander and he was not sure what this man wanted.
" There is no doubt that you are his father, but why did you wish to see me?"
"I have heard that he has been tortured ….. I was concerned …"
"You ought to see for yourself,"
"I don't want to distress him further …"
"Distress him further!" Gideon could feel his anger rise and fought to control his passionate soul, "He has been tortured by your absence since he was 10 years old …" Gideon was not going to let this man easily off the hook for his lack of love towards his son.
"And you do not think that I suffer!" William Reid spat, " you know little…. I spent my inheritance on Diana …. She was a drug addict at Berkley…. I put her through rehab 4 times down in Mexico so it wouldn't ruin her work prospects here. My family disowned me for caring about a druggie and then marrying her….Did you know that her mental problems are probably self inflicted because of the cocktail of drugs she took during those wild years. To her, I was 'reliable Will' when I picked up the pieces or 'Mr. Killjoy' when I refused to join in her indulgences." The leather chair could not contain the irate Dr. Reid any longer he rose and began to pace the room, Gideon watched speechless as he realised how very little was known about the Reid marriage and the assumptions that had been made.
"I still look after Diana you know. One third of my salary goes into a trust that pays for her to be in the best institution in Nevada, another third automatically goes into a trust fund for Spencer, when I die he will be very comfortable… Oh yes Dr. Gideon , I know what a living hell one's conscience can be , I've never stopped loving Diana and I have never stopped loving Spencer but this," he swept his arm before him, " this made its demands ….. I'm a top cryptographer, the family never knew …. Well you know what they are like over security and the 'cover' you're given. The political situation in the Middle East was just beginning to bubble up and I couldn't concentrate on national security while trying to get an innately stubborn woman to take her medicine. I was assured that the Organisation would keep an eye on them."
"But Spencer, why didn't you take him with you?" pleaded Gideon beginning to have some understanding of the enormity of the situation.
"Where! I was forever travelling all over the world attending top security meetings, he would have been placed in a boarding school….. and then there was Diana. I have never doubted Diana's love for our son, it would have broken her heart. I'm sure she would have killed herself. I couldn't have lived with that and would Spencer have coped if she had? What I did, I know it was cruel, but it was the lesser of the evils; nothing would have been right."
"No, it wouldn't,"Gideon sadly conceded, "but you ought to tell Spencer this … he should know the things a child never knew."
William Reid's pacing stopped, he placed his hands in his trouser pockets and turned to face Gideon still seated in the chair. He was trying desperately to calm the whirling emotions caused by the memories.
"If he wants to see me, I can give you a number and a meeting could be arranged," he replied and went to the desk to find a note pad. He brought the small square of white paper back to Gideon. "I'm quite prepared for rejection. Diana was difficult in her student years but I had hoped that her love for Spencer would have prevailed over the illness."
"I don't know the details, Dr. Reid, Spencer rarely talks about it, he mostly alludes to being bullied at school," Gideon confessed. The father nodded but he seemed lost, trapped in the thoughts of his actions.
A cell phone bleeped and both men reached into their jacket pockets'.
"My apologies, Dr. Gideon, duty calls, you will be taken back to your car. Thank you, I trust your judgement in this matter," he said in a terse manner and abruptly left. Through the now open door, came the agent who had brought him.
"Dr. Gideon, I'll drive you back now."
"Yes, thank you," a subdued Gideon replied.
The journey back was in silence, like the one before. Gideon thanked the driver once more when he reached the Mall car park and headed for his vehicle. His cell sounded as he unlocked the driver's door. It was Hotch informing him of another case, "I'll be there in 20," he assured as he fastened his seat belt. The drive to Quantico was dominated by his meeting with William Reid, he would have to find the right moment to talk to his son.