Underground

A/N Yet another Sequel to go with Scarecrow, This, Grooming Dr Reid and Bookstore. Probably best you read those first.

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds still isn't mine.

Turn around. Turn around. Turn the car around and get the hell out of here. Right now. Don't go back. Do not go back there. – Mort Rainey.

Reid sat in front of the computer his eyes fixed onto the screen and a small frown on his brow. He was looking for new stock and had found something he really needed to have. "Justinus and Cornelius Nepos." He mumbled and quickly flicked the mouse over another link. Pictures of birds popped up on the monitor. "Jason?" he called out. "You were looking for new prints weren't you?"

Gideon walked across from the back of the small bookstore they were running together. Making a substantial loss right now. Reid had suggested they go online and set up a site for their shop – his shop – their shop - the Franks but Gideon had talked him out of it. Keep it as it is – why spoil what is working so nicely. Except it wasn't really working was it. Both of them paid out huge sums of money to buy books, maps and prints for the shop the hung onto them lovingly and couldn't sell them on. First law of owning a shop: sell things.

Jason came over and stood looking at the screen Reid had showing and smiled. An indulgence. "So what did you see this time?"

"Prints of birds." Fingers tapping on the desk.

"I can see, but show me what you have been sitting here staring at for nearly an hour." He rested a hand on Reid's shoulder and he was happy that now Spencer didn't flinch away from contact.

"Justinus and Cornelius Nepos. Jason I need this book." And he flicked the screen back to three pictures of a battered of book. "It is beautiful. His fingers ran slowly over the page."

"You don't have enough books Spencer? If you want it buy it, if you have the money."

Spencer pulled a pained face. "I don't. I will have to trade. I need that book though."

"Give them a call and work something out then. Where is it? We can lock up and go tomorrow." Gideon loved to indulge his boy. "They will be here soon."

"Ah well that's the other problem. It's in England. I can book a flight and go though. That's not really a problem – is it?" He knew Gideon wouldn't let him go alone. He was still keeping a very close eye on Spencer, and a trip overseas would have to be supervised, even if Spencer seemed like his old self now, it wouldn't take too much for him to slip again. Jason squeezed Spencer's shoulder.

"Go get ready. We can talk about this later." He walked back towards the kitchen.

…………

The guests arrived about half an hour later. It was the first time Reid had been with the whole team for a long time. Morgan and Garcia arrived together and Reid received a huge hug and kiss on the cheek from Pe20n, and a manly hug from Morgan. Prentiss nodded at Spencer, still feeling uncomfortable around this strange man. JJ wanted to give him an enormous hug but smiled at him and his nervous little wave instead. Hotch gave Spencer a wonderful smile that tied his stomach in a knot and made him feel dizzy. Why did life have to be so complicated?

They sat around the table and ate the food Gideon had managed to prepare in the microwave. No one commented on the lack of cooking facilities, no one asked Reid how he was feeling. They acted like everything was normal - as though nothing had ever happened.

"So Reid, what are your plans? Emily suddenly blurted out. Everyone looked at her. They had agreed not to discuss future plans or past happenings, and Reid sighed and smiled.

"I am going to England to purchase a book. In actuality I am going to see if I can trade for some rare editions I have already. Would you like to see them?" He was on his feet and smiling and talking too fast. "Justinus and Cornelius Nepos, do you know it? Come with me I will show you. Help me choose something to swap. There might be a book here you like Emily." They sat and watched him walk out of the kitchen. They saw the slight limp and they saw the shaking hands.

"No its ok Reid." And she returned to picking at the food in front of her.

………….

Reid stood alone in the shop. Always alone, even when there was company. He wanted to talk to Hotch, he wanted to smell that apple shampoo again. He wanted Morgan to tease him, and Garcia to tell jokes he didn't understand. He wanted to be able to look in JJ's eyes and see a pretty lady. But it was gone and all he had now was books. Things he could hold and love but couldn't hurt him back; except for this book – this book he needed. More than needed, he lusted after this book. He couldn't explain it. That book had to be his. He looked at it mocking him on laptop sitting on the counter. He picked up the laptop and slammed the lid shut. It flew across the room with a satisfying smash as it hit the wall. Garcia stood in the door way watching. She watched him walk his strange Reid walk across the shop and leave

She turned and called back "Reid and I are going for a little walk. Wont be long." And she was hot on his heals.

She saw him walking with his head down across the road and then down a small side road.

…………

Reid sat on the bench and pulled his watch down past his cuff, then carefully undid the buttons and rolled up his sleeve. He sat for a while looking at the cuts and burns and scars, then took a cigarette from one pocket and a lighter from the other. He lit up and took a deep lungful of poisonous smoke and closed his eyes thinking of things he needed to try to forget.

"You shouldn't be smoking." A voice from next to him.

"I'm not. Not really." Spencer turned his head and opened his eyes to look at Garcia. "Why did you follow me?"

"I thought you might want company."

"I need to do this alone Pen."

"I can't walk away knowing what you are going to do, sweetcheeks. How about a hug instead?" She slowly took the cigarette from Reid's shaking hands and ground it into the floor with her platformed toes. Then wrapped her arms tightly around him. "Does Gideon know you are still doing this?"

In a whisper, "He will now." He was shaking.

"You really do want that book you were talking about don't you?" She could feel him nodding as he rested his head on her shoulder. "I can help you book the tickets, I know some shortcuts to get you the best seats on the flight, but you have to promise me that next time you feel like doing this you will pick up a phone and call my direct line."

"Thank you Pen.

…………

The flight out was good. Garcia had kept her promise and they had good seats. Reid had packed up a selection of books he hoped he could use as trade.

They had rooms booked in central London and took a cab from the airport to the hotel. Reid had insisted on separate rooms. They managed to get one with an adjoining door, which they both decided to keep unlocked, but Spencer was going to take the opportunity to have some proper space. It was early afternoon and not time today to go to the collector so they decided to take a walk around the park nearby. Everything was new and different. The big London busses, the accents, the smells. The park was beautiful and Jason was loving his time walking around relaxed and not having to watch Spencer one hundred percent of the time.

They watched the pigeons, and Jason told Reid about racing pigeons and breeding and Spencer listened and smiled. There was a children's entertainer of some kind in the middle of the park. He had balloons he was handing out to children, and was selling something. Gideon was looking across to the lake but Reid's eyes were fixed on the crowd of children.

There was something wrong. He could feel it. Somewhere deep inside him something was stirring. Something exciting, yet terrifying. A child skipped by him with something in his hand. Then another. A mother with a child in a push chair stopped to light her cigarette. Spencer's eyes flicked from the flame on the match to the child in the buggy. He was holding something in his grubby hands and putting part of it in his mouth to suck, but his small hands slipped and the thing dropped to the ground.

Spencer stood looking at the toy now on the floor and then to the crowd of children and the balloons and back to the toy. They buggy was moving off now and the toy was still laying in the grass. He bent down to pick it up. His hands were shaking so much he could hardly hold it. He carefully lifted it to his face closed his eyes and inhaled. His head swam with a million memories of love and lust and pain.

Jason turned from looking at the pond back to Reid in time to see him sway and put his hands out in front of him. Gideon had seen this odd movement too many times now and watched helplessly as Spencer fell back in a convulsion. He didn't notice small hand made doll fall nor did he notice the crowd dissipate and the balloons float up towards the clouds. He definitely didn't hear the screaming in Reid's head.

……………

Floyd Flanders once said: Watch out here I come.

A/N OK that's the setting up chapter, now for the real fun to start :c)