Things had changed in a year's time and Reid couldn't be happier. He hadn't missed a chess game since, not even if he was sick, though now it would be hard considering he lived with Gideon. A week or so after they'd made up Gideon had suggested they get an apartment together since neither one of them had ever had a family. He had agreed automatically and found it easier to sleep knowing he wasn't alone at night. Of course it hadn't been all roses and sunshine, but they had managed to get through it side by side. Now though he found himself at a crossroad of sorts and on the edge of breaking his promise.
Hotch sighed as he noticed the desolate look on Reid's face; he wasn't sure what it was, but this time Gideon hadn't noticed. Whatever was bothering Reid, he had made sure to keep his emotions hidden as soon as Gideon was around. It had started about a month ago, rather suddenly, and it didn't make sense. Ever since Reid and Gideon had said what needed to be said a closeness had developed between them. Reid was almost always with Gideon, had even moved into a new apartement with him, and never let anyone say a thing against him. It had caused problems once in a while and some arguments between Reid and Elle when she pushed Gideon, but it had mostly been for the best. Shaking his head he made the decision to watch him for a few more days and then say something if things hadn't changed.
Meanwhile Hotch wasn't the only one noticing that Spencer was changing. The second person to notice, or actually maybe the first, was Sarah. Sarah had been in an on again-off again relationship with Gideon for a few years before Gideon and Spencer got close. While she had always loved Jason she knew that he was a man with a lot of pain in his life. Once Spencer had become a part of it though she had noticed the changed. Now when he smiled there was a lightness to it that came from being a dad.
She loved Spencer, he was one of the sweetest kids, and she thought that he needed someone to care for him. Jason had told her that his mom was in a hospital getting help and his biological dad had walked out when he was a kid. In her opinion he was to reserved and tried to keep things close to the vest. Sometimes at night though when he was getting sleepy she would catch glimpses of the child underneath. While he loved chess and found books to be good friends she started to find out the other passions in his life. He loved westerns, Halloween was his favorite holiday, and enjoyed memorizing lists of random things. She had also learned a lot about his past. He had been bullied as a child, traumatized actually, and for so long he felt like no one in the world really cared about him. Lately though things had changed. She knew that Gideon didn't notice because Spencer was good at hiding his feelings, but once Gideon was out of the room he forgot she could also read people.
He was withdrawn, pulling away slightly, and quiet. She pulled on her shoes and headed out; it was time to fix this.
