As always I do not own the rights to Criminal Minds, CBS, ABC and their affiliates. This is a fictional story for entertainment purposes only. All Original Fictional Characters are of my imagination and any resemblance to living or deceased individuals is purely coincidental. Do not use any or all parts of this story without prior permission from the writer.
Buried Beneath Still Waters
Introduction:
The team has a mandatory leave and Reid finds himself at Gideon's cabin. Basically abandoned he finds that the place isn't nearly as bad as he thought it might be. Seems someone was taking care of the place, besides the people Spencer hired. Deception and lies soon surface along with a body, bringing the FBI to the small community of Bath County Virginia.
Romance, suspense, angst, violence and sexual content RATED M for mature readers only.
Chapter 1
It was cold in the cabin when he rolled out of bed. Spencer Reid swung his feet over the edge of the mattress, cringing at the onslaught of bone chilling hard wood flooring on bare feet. He grabbed his jeans from yesterday, sliding them on over his pajama bottoms. Jason Gideon's cabin was equipped with all the luxuries, coffee maker/espresso machine, gas stove with indoor grill, dishwasher, laundry facility, satellite TV, and what Reid forgot to turn on last night-central heating and air conditioning. Roughing it here was like checking into a five star hotel without the room service. Reid turned the thermostat to 72 degrees. He crossed his arms over his chest, tucking his hands into his armpits in an attempt to warm up. Quickly dashing back into the dark bedroom, he rummaged blindly through his bag until he found two socks, one powder blue with green embroidered triangles, and the other neon rainbow striped. Socks were socks and as long as they kept his chilly feet warm he didn't care what they looked like. Morgan had teased him relentlessly over them. Telling him that if he didn't care then why not buy solid colored socks black or white, this way they would match always. "For a genius you're not so smart." Morgan had said as he taped Reid on the forehead. But truth be told Reid had heard long ago that if your socks didn't match it would bring you luck, and Reid was not about to tempt fate.
Last night Spencer had set the coffee to brew automatically and the aroma was pulling him in that direction. Before he made it there, he squatted in front of the fire place lighting it. He poured a cup of coffee, donned his light weight jacket and stuck his feet into his suede shoes, leaving the laces open. The sunrises here were always beautiful. A fleeting peek out the window told Reid he was up just in time. Spencer walked out onto the small porch of the cabin. He stopped at the railing, leaning his shoulder against the post, looking out into the predawn sky. Steam rose from his coffee mug and his breath crystallized in the air, creating white puffs that evaporated as quickly as they appeared. The chill was invigorating and the coffee gave him a buzz of adrenaline. He thought about a walk after the sun came up completely. He stayed like that for long time just waiting.
The sun was peeking up over the eastern horizon, causing the sky to turn the slightest shade of pink and gold. He watched it like it was a blockbuster movie unable to take his eyes off of it. The lake sparkled like diamonds as the light hit it. Gideon's cabin was a place of solitude for Reid, as it had been for Gideon all those years. Nestled on the edge of Lake Moomaw, in Bath County Virginia, Covington Basin was once part of Moomaw. Water loss and a natural slope in the lake bottom created a gap between the two. Covington Basin wasn't as popular as Moomaw Lake and rightly so, it paled in comparison to the sheer size of the other lake. And Moomaw was open to the public, whereas Covington was not, making Covington prime landscape for the owners who wanted a lake side property away from the tourists. Years of overgrowth on the levy made it more of a solid land mass and required little upkeep. The tree line on the 25 foot wide area, shielded any view of Moomaw. And unless you knew the area well it was as if Covington didn't exist. The solitude was the number one reason Jason purchased this property. It provided exactly what a man like Jason Gideon needed, and what Reid discovered, he also needed. His closest neighbor was on the other side of the Basin, their cabin facing a curve in Moomaw Lake. In winter, part of the roof of that structure was visible, but nothing else. As Spencer watched the sky change color and dawn make its debut, he wished Jason could come back here and enjoy it once again. But that didn't seem likely to happen. By all accounts and purposes this was Reid's cabin now. Jason had left it to him. He hesitated returning here since that fateful day when he found Jason's note. Spencer had almost expected to find Gideon. He quickly banished the thought of Gideon killing himself from his mind. He would not let it creep in. He would enjoy this place, and remember the man who gave it to him, the man who was his friend, but most of all, more like a father. 'I hope you're happy, wherever you are.' Spencer whispered the words almost inaudibly.
He sipped his coffee, contemplating what he was going to do for the next ten days. The team was on vacation for a fourteen day mandatory leave. Everyone had plans, JJ, and Will were going to Disney with Hotch, Jack and Henry. Morgan was heading home to see his family and Prentiss was taking a trip to Mexico. Ross went north to hunt. Penelope had wrangled the time off so she could get away with Kevin, and they headed west to Las Vegas. Reid flew out there with them, spent three days with his mom, before deciding on a whim to come back east. He felt a twinge of guilt, at leaving his mom. He missed her and loved her dearly. She was lucid and they had a good time talking, reading, and playing cards. But then she started asking questions about his personal life and his mental state. It bothered him that she worried he could be like her. It brought up his own fears and Spencer did something he never did, he lied to his mother. Told her a case came up. The guilt rose up, like a monster threatening to devour him. He no longer could enjoy the sun rise so he pulled himself from the railing and went inside.
A/N Special thanks to CSK for helping me with the forensic aspects of the case. Without you Crime Scene Kelly my case would be a bunch of fabricated foolishness. From the bottom of my heart a very big thank you for your time and effort!
Thanks to all of you who are out there proof reading, giving me suggestions and helpful hints. And to you the reader for your reviews and your continued support!