Title: Off the Edge of the World
Author: Elizabeth Shorley
Pairing: None as of yet.
Chapter: 1
Genre: A/U, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Family (subject to change)
Rating: T or FRT – for now – warning for Profanity
Summary: A member of the BAU team goes missing
Disclaimer: Written after season 1 because I haven't seen enough of season 2 to make it believable. In my universe, Elle died after being shot.
The names of all characters contained here-in are the property of CBS. No Infringements of these copyrights are intended, and are used here without permission
OoO
I just realized that there's going to be a lot of painful times in life, so I better learn to deal with it the right way.
~Trey Parker and Matt Stone, South Park: Raisins
OoO
It came as a surprise to all of them.
It was bad enough the year they had been through… case after case, challenging their minds, their emotions, their ability to act as a team. Then they all set out on vacation, eagerly anticipating the down-time, with their own plans and ways to relax. It was a wonderful 48 hours (or was it less?) before they were called back and wrapped in the most terrifying case yet – one that took the life of one of their own and threatened those they loved.
When it wrapped up, none of them felt safe. It showed in the way that Hotch guided JJ out of a room with his hand resting on her shoulder a little longer than necessary – Morgan and Garcia upped the sexual tension of their banter to levels that made Reid blush – Hotch invited Reid over to help him hook up his new computer and after eating a beautiful meal prepared by Haley, Reid bounced Jack on his lap for hours as they discussed football (Reid made it all up). Then there was the day that not one of them could've predicted.
"Reid." Reid looked up from his recent acquisition; a computer program that could find books based on a few key phrases. Hotch was standing in front of him. "Conference room in 5."
Reid slowly got up, powering down his machine. There had been a time, in his naivety, when he looked forward to case presentations – they were his favourite part. He wasn't much to look at physically but he had a brain that rivalled no one and he loved the statistics that he was able to provide the team. It was really the only time when he felt useful. But now… he couldn't deny the tension in his stomach, the anticipation of seeing someone's pain and knowing that one person touched hundreds of people as well.
He entered the room and took a seat beside Emily, Elle's replacement. No one knew her really well but Garcia had started a rumour that Emily and Hotch went way back and somehow that was how she ended up in the BAU. Reid did not put much stock in rumours and remembering what it was like to be the new kid, he went out of his way to smile when he crossed her path. She grinned at him graciously and he beamed back, glad that she wasn't annoyed by his constant attention. He and Emily were growing their friendship and now he was toying with the idea of telling her his secret. For all he knew, the whole team had guessed by now that he was in a serious relationship – they were the youngest on the team, and he had a slight crush on her and advice from Emily could only help the process to go much more smoothly. But for now he focused his attention on the screen at the front of the room and prepared to take notes.
But there was something different about this meeting. Usually JJ would be pacing at the front, her hand holding a remote, ready to show pictures and tell the story of another case unsolvable without a profile. Today she was seated with the rest of them, a confused look on her face while Hotch paced at the front in her place. Reid noticed that Garcia was there too, almost unrecognizable without a keyboard and computer screen in front of her. Her hands needed to be moving, not still in her lap.
Hotch cleared his throat. "You'll notice that we're short one team member today," he began. Reid looked up, astonished at his lack of observational skills. He glanced around the room and mentally chastised himself for not noticing sooner. Jason Gideon, his mentor, was missing.
Hotch held up a hand before any of the team could jump in with questions. "I know you're all curious and looking for information but I have nothing to give you. There was a message on my voice mail this morning from Erin Strauss, saying that Jason wouldn't be in and his replacement would join us as soon as he was approved."
He stopped and looked around the room, deliberately, taking the time to meet the eyes of each team member. "She also emphasized in her message that none of us were to go looking for Gideon. That means no Internet searches, no visiting his apartment, no contact of friends or family. It was the one demand that Gideon made and Erin made it clear that it would be followed." He stared a little longer at Garcia than the others, his point clear. He didn't need to say anything else. The team knew the consequences if this rule was broken.
"A replacement for Jason will arrive soon. Until then, you all have paperwork to catch up on. Anyone looking for work should feel free to come to me – there are always background checks and research work we can do for other teams."
With that, Hotch left the room.
The team looked at each other, stunned. There was a long moment of silence as if they expected the wrath of Erin Strauss to descend on them if they even talked amongst themselves about the situation. Finally Morgan broke the silence.
"Did anyone see this coming?" They all shook their heads. He asked another questions, hesitantly, "Do you think this is related to his PTSD?"
Reid took a sharp intake of air and Garcia immediately jumped in. "He did take Elle's shooting hard because he was the one who ordered the press conference. While she was in the hospital I often heard him ask himself if he did the right thing."
"And then there was the cabin," added Morgan, still steaming at the memory of Gideon calling Garcia stupid. "The fact that someone knew where it was and dirtied its privacy, hit him hard."
Reid shook his head. "We all suffered because of The Fisher King. We all managed to come back. Gideon either can't… or won't."
They stared at each other, helplessly.
