The jet drifted gracefully through the skies above Washington. Inside, the tension between the passengers Agent Aaron Hotchner and Dr. Spencer Reid was unbearable. They sat silently across from each other, Hotch sternly staring at the window as Reid adjusted his argyle patterned sweater vest. The pair was going on a relaxing weekend getaway to Forks, Washington. The brochure advertised a quiet small town perfect for a romantic vacation. This weekend marked the couple's one year anniversary, and although Reid could never see himself loving anyone as much as Hotch, the year had been filled with plenty of problems. Putting even more strain on the relationship was the pair's choice to keep their love a secret from the rest of the B.A.U team. Yes, Reid decided as he pulled the vacation brochure from his messenger bag and thumbed through the pictures of trees and smiling tourists, this was the perfect way to rekindle some romance with his beloved Hotchner.
"We're here" Hotch turned to Reid, furrowing his brow. He grabbed his suit jacket from around his seat and threw it around his shoulders. From the plane window the weather outside looked damp and dreary. "Nothing like the pictures" Reid awkwardly chuckled, mostly to himself but just loud enough in hopes that Hotch would hear. Hotch exchanged a cold glance towards his young lover and turned to leave the plane. Reid aggressively grabbed his arm, and shocked by his sudden forcefulness exclaimed "Can we just talk about what happened"? Hotch paused, then slowly turned his body towards Reid. "You are the first person I can say I've ever been truly happy with Reid. I love everything about you, including the way you ramble on about things people would never know or care to know about. I thought I made you happy too. I know I can be too temperamental sometimes and work is always getting in the way of time we could be spending together alone, but what I saw…what you did with Morgan, it hurt me Reid, and as smart as you are, you couldn't even begin to comprehend how I'm feeling right now". Hotch quickly exited the plane, not wanting to show any more weakness or emotion. It wasn't like him to break down so easily.
Reid slumped back down into one of the seats and buried his face in his hands. After a few moments of deep sobbing, he wiped away his tears with the purple scarf wrapped around his neck. What happened with Morgan had been a mistake, his biggest regret.
It had been a long week for B.A.U down in Louisiana. To celebrate the success of tracking down their recent Unsub, Rossi had invited everyone over for a classic, homemade Italian dinner. Reid could remember how good Hotch looked in his purple button down dress shirt, secretly worn just for him. The dinner had gone perfectly. Rossi showed off his talents in the kitchen with poise and grace. The girls, J.J, Prentiss and Garcia enjoyed glasses of fine wine and chatted away in a corner. Morgan and Hotch were separated from the group, discussing work as usual. Every once in a while Reid would steal a glance at Hotch, anticipating their own private party later that evening.
It was getting late in the evening, and everyone was saying their goodbyes and heading home. "Ready to go darling" Hotch whispered into Reid's ear. "Just a second" replied Reid as he headed towards the bathroom. He stared into the mirrow, shaking with excitement. As he was fixing his hair, he heard a faint knock on the door. It was probably Hotch coming to check on him he assumed, and he slowly cracked the door open to reveal Morgan standing there. "Mind if I come in" smiled Morgan boyishly. "…Sure" said Reid, not entirely sure of Morgan's intentions.
Morgan closed the door behind him. Reid noticed his muscles tense up underneath his tight t-shirt. "I've been watching you Reid. I know you've been noticing me too". "Oh God" thought Reid in a panic. "Morgan must have thought it was him I was looking at all night instead of Hotch. I mean, Morgan is a very attractive man and everything but I could never…would never…" "I know this is unexpected and a little crazy too, but I have feelings for you Reid, and I can't ignore them any longer". Morgan grabbed Reid's face in his hands and began kissing him. Reid resisted at first, from both shock and surprise, and then suddenly started kissing Morgan back; slowly, then intense and passionate. Morgan held Reid tightly against his body and slammed him against the wall. Reid reached for Morgan's shirt and quickly pulled it over his head, revealing his toned, bare chest. Reid had never felt so bold. Morgan kissed his neck as Reid closed his eyes in enjoyment. Just then, there was another knock on the door.
"Reid is everything alright" asked the voice from the hallway. "Shit" exclaimed Reid, pushing Morgan off of him. The doorknob started to turn and the door slammed open, revealing Hotch staring at Reid and a shirtless Morgan. Reid could see the pain and anger starting to build in Hotch's eyes. Silently Morgan grabbed his shirt from the floor and hurried out the room. "I'm sorry…" began Reid. Hotch hung his head and turned away from Reid. "Let's go" was all Hotch could say.
The car ride was silent and agonizing. As Hotch pulled up outside Reid's house, Reid turned to kiss him goodnight. Hotch pulled his face away in disgust. "I'm sorry Hotch. You know I love you, and I feel like a complete asshole for what happened with Morgan. Trust me, I never intended for this to happen. Morgan just got mixed signals from me at dinner tonight. It's you I want, not him" pleaded Reid. He felt like a small child being punished by his mother. Hotch chuckled to himself in disbelief. "Trust you? I can't even look at you". Reid's eyes started to well up, so he decided to get out of the car before he could embarrass himself even further. As he watched Hotch drive off into the darkness, he felt like he was slowly losing the best part of himself.
That night had been almost two months ago, and the weeks following the incident were the most difficult Hotch and Reid had faced in their relationship. That's what prompted the vacation to Forks. Reid was relieved to see Hotch was willing to go with him. He knew somewhere deep down inside himself that Hotch still loved him, and although he might not have been able to trust him still, their relationship was still worth saving. Shaking away the memories of the past from his mind, Reid stood up and exhaled a deep sigh before following Hotch off the plane.
Chief Swan greeted them outside the airport. "Official police escort to your bed and breakfast gentlemen" the mustachioed officer announced. "I'm sorry officer but this is completely unnecessary. The doctor and I do not require any special treatment during our visit here, we are quite capable of catching ourselves a cab" replied Hotch. Reid let out a disgruntled sigh. He had always wanted to ride in the back of a police car, the red and blue lights flashing on the roof, the siren wailing through the streets, the feeling of being on the other side of the law. He quickly placed his hands into the pockets of his khaki pants to control his daydreaming excitement. "Nonsense" exclaimed the chief. "Forks isn't some hustle and bustle city you two might be used to visiting. This here is a small quiet town, and besides the occasional animal attack there isn't much going on. You'll be waiting a long time before you see a taxi cab pass by these streets. Get in the car and you two can get your weekend started. And you can call me Charlie by the way Agent…" Charlie paused not knowing what to call the men. "Agent Aaron Hotchner and this is my…I mean the B.A.U's young Doctor Spencer Reid."
"Awesome" yelled Reid in a high pitched voice as he approached the police vehicle. "….I mean, thank you Charlie for your kind and generous gesture" stuttered Reid as his face turned pink with girlish embarrassment. "You'll have to excuse Reid, he is easily excitable" said Hotch as he turned to Reid with a sly wink, and slid into the front seat of the car. Reid smiled and let out a small sigh. He may have had his problems with Hotch, but there was never any way that he could resist his gentleman charms. Reid climbed into the backseat and began to day dream again about his upcoming weekend and all the wonderful things he would get to do with his true love. "Strange folks" mumbled Charlie to himself. The car sped away from the airport and headed into the heart of forks. In the distance you could hear the faint wail of a police siren, a special treat for Reid.
They arrived at Miss Monica's Bed and Breakfast in the late afternoon. They thanked Charlie and headed inside to check in. Behind the front desk was a tall, thin woman with curly red hair. She smiled at Hotch and Reid as they approached. "Well hello gentleman" she said with a slight southern accent "checking in"? "Yes, the reservation is under Hotchner". The woman smiled as she handed the room key to Hotch. "Alright then your room is just up the stairs and to the left. Dinner will be served down in the dining room at seven. My name is Monica and if you need absolutely anything, don't be afraid to ask Mr. Hotchner". Reid felt awkward watching this woman flirt so openly with Hotch, and a little jealous as well. They grabbed their luggage and headed up the stairs to their room.
It was a quaint room. A large four poster bed sat in the middle. Faded floral wallpaper covered the walls and a big bay window looked out onto some trees. If you looked hard enough, you could see a beautiful meadow in the distance filled with flowers. It looked to Reid as if there were a couple lying down in the grass, just gazing at one another. They looked so in love. He quickly turned away from the bittersweet scene. Hotch had headed into the bathroom to freshen up. Reid laid his suitcase next to the bed and sat down on the mattress, which was surprisingly comfortable. "How much longer is this fight going to last" he muttered to himself. "It ends now" answered Hotch, stepping out of the bathroom and walking towards Reid. He sat down on the bed and brushed Reid's cheek with his hand. "I love you. I always have and always will. I'm tired of being angry. Seeing you here and now, in this beautiful town, makes me realize all the time I'm wasting being angry with you". Hotch leaned in and began kissing Reid. Reid's heart skipped and he couldn't help but smile in between tender kisses from hotch. That night, Hotch and Reid never made it to dinner down in the dining room.
The next morning Reid woke to the sun struggling to shine through the miserable looking clouded sky. The weather didn't bother him though, because as he turned over to see Hotch snoring away peacefully next to him, Reid couldn't have been happier. The night before had been one of the best nights he had ever experienced, and he decided to go for a short walk through the woods before Hotch woke up.
He dressed in his usual uniform, khaki pants, sweater vest and scarf. He brought along a jacket to keep off the chilled air. "Good morning Monica" Reid greeted the desk clerk. "Good morning. We missed you and Mr. Hotchner at dinner last night" she said with a wink. As he made his way into the woods, he followed a path that twisted among the trees. The woods here were so beautiful and mysterious. Reid walked along the path for a while until he stumbled upon the meadow he had seen from his room window the day before. The green grass and purple flowers were breathtaking. To Reid's surprise, somehow the sun had managed to shed light on this beautiful, hidden place. Feeling the change of temperature, Reid took off his jacket and laid down among the grass. He closed his eyes and thought of his love sleeping soundly in their room as the warm sun rays grazed his skin. Just then, he heard a rustling among a patch of trees, and a shadowy figure approaching.
"Well hello there" began the stranger. "He's beautiful" thought Reid as he opened his eyes and stood up to introduce himself. Standing in front of him was a pale man, around the age of twenty. He had honey colored hair, and was tall and lean. He almost seemed to be sparkling underneath the sun, and the closer he got to Reid, the calmer Reid seemed to feel. "I haven't seen you around Forks" said the stranger. "I'm Jasper, Jasper Hale. I live a few miles from here with my family" he said, extending his hand out to Reid. Reid noticed his arm, covered in crescent shaped scars. He shook his hand and couldn't help but wonder who this stranger was, and how he had seemed to find him in this place. "I'm sorry to have disturbed you Mr…" "Reid. You can call me Reid" he said to Jasper. The two men sat down together on the ground, Reid keeping a safe distance from his new found friend. There was something different about him, but Reid couldn't figure it out just yet.
"So how do you like Forks so far" inquired Jasper. "It's absolutely beautiful. I'm here with my boy…I mean my best friend Hotch and it seems like the perfect place to get away and relax" replied Reid. "You're right…" began Jasper again "It is pretty perfect. I've lived here for a couple years with my family. The thing I love most of all is how quiet and deserted most of the spots in town can be. No one around for miles to hear you scream" Jasper chuckled. Reid knew he should have been feeling extremely uncomfortable, but something about Jasper wasn't letting him, almost if he had this weird power over people. Jasper moved closer to Reid, placing his hand on his knee. "Listen Jasper…Mr. Hale, I'm very flattered by your gesture, but I think you're getting the wrong idea from me" said Reid, shooing Jasper's hand away. "No" replied Jasper, "This is going just the way I wanted it to".
Suddenly, everything went black.
Reid woke up in a cold, dark and musty room. He had been stripped down to nothing but his underwear and mismatched socks. The room was slowly coming into focus. He noticed something strange on the floor in the far corner. He stood up from the wooden chair he had been sitting on, although he couldn't remember how he had got there to begin with, and walked over to the corner of the room. "What the hell…" Reid remarked as he picked up the strange object. It was a red curly wig.
"I see you've woken up" said a familiar sounding voice from the other side of the room. Reid turned around to see Jasper standing there, dressed in his khaki pants, sweatervest and scarf. "What are you doing dressed in my clothes" demanded Reid. "Your clothes" laughed Jasper. "I'm sorry you must be mistaken, these are my clothes, and I'm going now to meet my boyfriend, Aaron Hotchner". "No" screamed Reid as he ran to Jasper, a failed attempted to tackle him to the ground. Jasper flew across the room with amazing speed, and pinned Reid to the floor. "Now, I can't have you running around here thinking you can just leave" said Jasper, leading Reid to the chair and sitting him down. He continued to tie his arms and legs with rope.
Reid struggled for a moment, and then paused to assess the situation. The red wig, the weird coincidence that Jasper had just happened to stumble upon him in the woods, why Jasper was wearing his clothes, it had all begun to make sense. "Oh my God! You're Monica" exclaimed Reid with slight confusion in his voice. "That's right Dr. Reid, I am Miss Monica. I run the bed and breakfast in search for victims, and Agent Hotchner will be served for dinner in just a few short hours" said Jasper. "Served for dinner?" pondered Reid out loud, but he didn't have to question for much longer. As soon as the words had left his mouth, Jasper began to grin, revealing sharp fangs. "You're a….a vampire" Reid exclaimed in astonishment. "You're a fast learner Doctor. However I'm afraid you weren't fast enough. You see, unlike my family The Cullens, I am unable to live a vegetarian lifestyle. My palette is too sophisticated". "Vegetarian?" questioned Reid. "They live off the blood of animals, where as I enjoy a much richer selection; human blood". With that Jasper ascended the stairs, leaving Reid in complete solitude. Reid wasn't sure how he was going to escape, but one thing was for certain. He needed to save Hotch.
Back at the room, Hotch was pacing back and forth. Nervous sweat glistened off his brow. He heard the door click open, and in walked Reid, or so he thought. "Baby I was so worried about you" said Hotch, running up to him and giving him a loving hug. "Is everything alright, you seem a little tense". Jasper cleared his throat in attempts at his best Reid impression. "Yes, I'm fine, just a little tired from my walk" he said with a sigh of relief. Hotch would never suspect a thing. "You were gone for such a long time, I was worried an animal had attacked you or something" Hotch said as he led Jasper to the bed. "Lie down and rest for a while". Hotch began to massage Jasper's shoulders. Jasper could smell the intoxicating scent of his blood. He couldn't resist it much longer. Jasper sprang from the bed and crossed the room, his back turned to Hotch. "The only thing that would relax me right now is you". Jasper gracefully turned around and lept towards Hotch, grabbing him by his arms and pressing him into the mattress. Hotch wasn't used to Reid being so bold. He went to kiss him, but Jasper pulled his face away, kissing Hotch behind his ear, slowly making his way down to his neck. His veins were so tempting and fresh. He could feel Hotch's warm breath against his cold, hard skin. Hotch attempted to tear the sweater vest off Jasper's body, but Jasper pulled his hands away, holding them harder against the bed. This was his time, the moment had arrived. "Reid…what are you doing" screamed Hotch as Jasper began to sink his teeth into his neck.
BAM!
The door opened, and standing behind it was Reid, still dressed in nothing but his underwear and mismatched socks. With newfound strength, Reid raced over to Jasper, violently grabbing him and throwing him across the room. He laid on the floor for a quick moment, holding his head in his hands. Hotch was on the bed, shaking and confused. "Honey, it's alright. I'm here and everything is going to be ok" Reid reassured him. "Over there boys" Chief Swan shouted as he barreled through the door. With Jasper still recovering from the unexpected attack, Charlie and a few other members of the Forks police unit were able to get handcuffs around his wrists and walked him out of the room.
Reid held Hotch, still shaking in his arms. He gently kissed his forehead and whispered in his ear "It's alright, you're ok. I'm sorry I let this happen to you, it's my fault". "Nonsense" replied Hotch "You are the best thing that's happened to me" and with that he kissed Reid. Hotch rose from the bed and headed towards the bathroom. "Let's go home. Wheels up in twenty".
As the jet ascended into the air and headed back to Virginia, Hotch and Reid cuddled close together, watching Forks fade away among the clouds. "I'm glad you're alright" Reid said, holding Hotch's hand in his own. "Me too" replied Hotch. "I have to ask though. How did you manage to escape and have time to alert the police to save me"? "Simple" began Reid. "Jasper didn't know I keep my cell phone in my right sock. Once I was left alone, I called Garcia, who got a hold of the Forks police department. Once they had me located we headed straight to the bed and breakfast". They were both silent for a moment, and then Hotch cleared his throat. "You know, I've been thinking. How about when we get back to work on Monday, we tell the rest of the team about us"? Reid could feel tears begin to form, and he jumped out of his seat with excitement. "I love you" he screamed, and passionately kissed the love of his life.
*Voice-over*
Johnny Depp once said "There are four questions of value in life... What is sacred? Of what is the spirit made? What is worth living for, and what is worth dying for? The answer to each is the same. Only love."