I did have a story started where Reid has an autistic little brother but I didn't think I would do that fic justice, so I decided to create this story instead because I don't know enough about autisim to write about it.
Reid swallowed. It had been 7 years since his younger brother's kidnapping. He was 20 when his 13 year old brother was taken. 21 when he was hired. Gideon had known about his brother, but he had asked him not to say anything to Hotch or anyone else. It was too painful not to know.
But after Hotch finding out about his mother the way he did he decided to confess about his brother's, Billy, kidnapping. Hotch promised not to tell the rest of the team. He understood the need for privacy. He hated keeping something like this from Morgan and the others, but...he still felt guilt for what had happened.
He was used to leaving Billy at home while he went to college. He was finishing up his 3rd degree. Billy shouldn't have been left alone, though. It was his responsiblity to look after him.
It was hard, caring for a little brother and a mentally ill mother. Billy tried to help, but mostly he got in the way. And he was so different from Reid. Reid was always a little jealous that Billy was so...so normal.
He shouldn't have been gone that night. But no, he had to catch up on studying and leave Billy to fend for himself for dinner. He remembered the sick feeling he had gotten when he saw the house had been broken into. That it was trashed. And Billy was missing.
He searched none stop that year and then the FBI recruited him. He went on secretly searching, though. He couldn't give up on Billy. He still hadn't but he had seen enough kidnapping cases to have to face the grim reality of the situation.
Those cases made him sick to his stomach as he imagined that happening to Billy.
He had to get rid of those thoughts, though. It was time for a briefing.
He noticed JJ looked at him oddily, as if afraid to say anything to him. He brushed that off, though as he slid into his seats. Morgan was chatting with Emily and Rossi was in some kind of debate with Hotch.
"What do you have for us, JJ?" Hotch asked.
JJ sighed.
"This one is going to be...unsual." Again she glanced at Reid.
"Unusual how?" Rossi asked.
"It's unusual because the victim is alive. He was found after being kidnapped for several years."
"My God," breathed Emily.
"We have reason to believe the kidnapper will strike again, soon," continued JJ.
"Do you have a picture of the victim?" Morgan asked and JJ slowly nodded. A picture of a young man with blond hair and a bruised face appeared on the screen. But beneath the bruisings Reid recoginzed the young man instantly and almost fell off his seat.
"His name is Billy," JJ said softly. This time she looked directly at Reid. "William Reid Jr."
All eyes turned on him but all he could see was his brother's face staring back at him.
His brother who was alive after all these years.
His brother who was finally found. Finally safe.