The Sea is Blue

It has long been my belief that in times of great stress, such as a 4-day vacation, the thin veneer of family wears off almost at once, and we are revealed in our true personalities: - Shirley Jackson

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine: Floyd Flanders is.

She curled into a ball and made a low keening sound.

Hotchner wiped his arm over his face to remove some of the muck and turned to Spencer.

Reid howled and tore at his face with his fingernails.

Aaron took his hands and looked up to the armed men standing on the side of the yacht and then down to the ripples in the water where Floyd had disappeared to. He had expected him to come floating back to the top with a grin on his face. He had expected something. Movement. A hand reaching out for help. Something. Not this complete nothingness.

And as they bobbed around in the small life raft he saw that the engines had started on the yacht and away it went. Taking with it the faint reminder of the ripples where Floyd had disappeared.

"What are we going to do?!" Rosa shouted over the sound of Spenders screams. Her face carried a look of total terror. "What about daddy? We need to help him!"

Aaron just looked at the child. He knew he wasn't capable of diving down into those depths to search for him. He knew Spencer wasn't and he very much doubted that Rosa was. He looked over the side of the raft again.

"I don't know. Help me calm down Spencer."

"What about my daddy?!" She put her hand on the side of Reid's face. "It's OK Spence – I'll help you."

-o-o-o-

It was warm. That was the first thing that struck him about it. It had a familiar taste and it was trickling down his face and across his lips. Bits of Floyd. He wanted to spit it out from where it had slipped in between his slightly open lips. He wanted to get it off his face. Now. He needed it gone. If it wasn't there then maybe that didn't just happen. Maybe this was still part of the nightmare.

Spencer could hear screaming and he could feel someone digging nails in his face and now he could feel a gentle hand and something searching his mind for that warm comfortable place to sleep and be calm. Once it found it and it settled there he allowed himself to be held and take up the soft sweet scent invading his mind and body.

Aaron sat and watched. To say he was a bit jealous might have been going too far. It wasn't jealousy of the comfort Spencer was getting from somewhere else it was more of a deep sadness. Then as he sat looking at the deep blue sea he remembered how he had rejected Reid after the incident in the cave and that this was probably all his fault now.

The moon shone down on the three of them and now that the lights from their yacht and the one the thieves had arrived in had gone it was no longer romantic and fantastical. It was horrific and frightening.

They had no idea which direction land was in and even if they did there was no way to steer of move this thing they were stuck in.

Once the sun came up and they were able to say which direction was east or west and Aaron had marvelled over the awesomeness of the sun on the horizon it Rosa slipped her arms away from Reid and moved carefully to Hotch.

"I thought he would be back by now."

Hotch looked at the tear stained face and nodded. "So did I – but don't worry. Your dad will be fine."

"He will come and rescue us wont he?"

"Always. Come here and have a hug."

She crawled over the small bit of space in the raft and rested her head on Hotch's lap. "He's a hero is my dad."

The hairs stood up on the back of Hotch's hands as he thought of all the 'heroic' things Floyd had done – He wouldn't go so far as to say they were heroic – more like insane.

How long they sat in the raft like his was unknown. Hotch could see the sun travelling across the sky. Rosa stayed where she was occasionally wriggling in the hot sunshine. Hotch could feel the sun slowly cooking the top of his head and he could see it glaring off Reid's white skin slowly turning it a rich pink. There was no shade. There was no water. There was no hope.

"I called for help." Reid's voice sounded tired and dry. "I called out and you all ignored me."

Aaron looked over at Spencer who still hadn't moved from his scrunched up position at the side of the raft. "I know you did."

"I heard you too." Rosa muttered. "But you shout like that every night. You should have shouted out something like 'Oy I am awake and some pirates are nicking the boat ouch ouch ouch.' You needed to be more specific."

"Hush Rosa." Again Aaron was reminded that this was a miniature Floyd he had resting on his lap here.

"Well he's not much of a good surrogate mum is he?"

"I'm not your mother."

"Thank the gods of Pluto for that small mercy then."

"Yes let's give thanks shall we. Thank you gods of Pluto for sticking me a life raft with a psychotic child and a – a – a I don't know – what exactly are you Aaron?"

Spencer winced as he turned over and let his other side cook.

And in the back of all of there minds was the one thought. 'Hurry up Floyd – we need you.' But as darkness began to fall and the thirst really set in a small nagging thought was there. 'He wasn't going to be able to help.'

-o-o-o-

To start the healing process he needed to take that deep breath and fill his lungs.

The part of him which was pure impulse took a deep lung full of salt water.

The part of him which was trying to survive ripped the flesh off his hands to release the fishing line holding them together.

Survival instincts put Floyd's hands to his neck and tried to pull off the wire around his neck but his torn ripped fingers wouldn't let him.

It was dark – and it was wrong. He needed to heal and breathe and recover.

Floyd felt the feeling slowly leaving his hands and feet. He felt his arms become light and useless and his legs floated in front of him as he slowly drifted downwards on his back staring at the darkness above him.

-o-o-o-

Aaron awoke when the rain started to fall in big drops on his face. They fell on his dry parched lips and for a minute he just lay and let the wetness drop onto his face.

"Rosa – Reid – wake up. It's raining. Get some fresh water in your body while you can."

They didn't answer but Rosa rolled over and opened her mouth and licked her salty lips and felt like she could almost smile.

Reid moved a hand and wiped the wetness off his face and put his fingers to his mouth.

When the wind started to whip through Aaron's hair and blow water off the sea he began to get worried.

He felt for something to hold onto, but there was nothing. Just the rubber sides of this not very suitable life raft thing.

"Spencer." No response. "Reid! Listen to me."

He slowly turned over and looked at Aaron. "Yes?"

"We need to somehow hold onto each other. You have a belt around your robe – take it off and tie yourself to Rosa. I will do the same. I don't like the look of the sky."

Spencer turned his face upwards. "A storm? We won't survive a storm." He turned over and lay with his back to Aaron again.

"Reid – your might not care but I need to make sure this child is safe."

"I didn't say I didn't care."

"Reid – Reid – he will be back. He always comes back."

A small nod. "Until then I can taste his brains in my mouth." He curled up tighter trying to shield himself from the wind.

-o-o-o-

He came to rest on an outcropping far under the water.

The thing he had tied around his waist floated gently.

His hair moved and swayed around his head.

Something nibbled on his fingers.

Floyd blinked.

-o-o-o-

Even though they each knew it would happen. Even though they had been mentally preparing for it. Even though Rosa had snuck the end of Reid's robe belt and tied it to her wrist it was still a shock when the storm hit.

Rosa screamed and leapt on Aaron holding him tightly as the small craft dipped and heaved in the ocean. She wrapped her legs tightly around his waist and in the flash's of the lightening over the sea Aaron could see Spencer's wide eyes shining looking at him in a new panic.

It didn't take long for the wind to catch them and throw the small rubber boat into the wet stormy air.

The storm emptied them into the deep dark sea.

Hotch reached out and clung hold of the edge. As long as he could keep holding on then there was a chance that they wouldn't all just die out here. There might still be a chance. A very slim chance that they could survive.

The water stung the eyes. The screams ripped from between their lips before they had a chance to release it.

Aaron pulled on the line he tied to Rosa and hauled her in close. He pulled her head up high and tried to throw her onto the bottom of the small rubber boat which was now upside down in the sea. Her little body was slippery and cold as he took her by the waist but she wriggled and struggled and kicked and her mouth was open in a never ending scream. Hotch turned to look for the rope belt tied to her other hand. The one Spencer was attached to and he pulled it in closer hauling a spluttering panicking Reid towards the boat. As long as they stayed together they would be alright. They just had to stay holding on.

-o-o-o-

He felt the boat tip and he could feel the sea sucking him in. Spencer thrashed around in the water feeling the weight of his robe pulling him down into the depths. The deep darkness where somewhere Floyd was. Maybe waiting for him. Maybe gone forever – but he didn't think so. He felt a confusion and a loss but not the huge wrench he would have if Floyd was really gone. That silver thread was still there.

There was water in his face and up his nose and in his mouth and eyes.

He tried to keep his head above the water and he could faintly hear someone calling him. At first he thought it was Aaron, but the voice was wrong. Something was pulling on him. Pulling on his robe. A voice again from somewhere calling at him from under the waves but something was stopping him now. Something dragging him.

Reid spluttered and floundered and he knew that logically he had to keep his head above the water. He knew he had to stay with Aaron and Rosa. He knew that he must keep the child safe, but still that nagging voice calling him down.

A hand reached out and grabbed at his robe and pulled him towards the small boat bouncing and rolling in the huge waves. Spencer looked into Aaron's eyes and for a flash a tiny drifting moment he saw the Aaron he loved.

But it was gone as soon as it appeared and was replaced by something abhorrent something he knew was going to hurt him. He could see the blood splatter over his face and he could see the redness of his teeth.

Spencer let this person hold his robe. He let him pull him closely to him. He put a hand on Rosa's shoulder and whispered something no one but him self could hear and planted a kiss on her back.

Reid turned to Aaron and smiled whilst slipping his arms out of the robe.

-o-o-o-

Aaron pulled Spencer in and watched as he moved towards Rosa – pressing himself against her back and protecting her from the elements. He saw him say something to her but he couldn't hear what it was. Hotch watched as Spencer kissed the child on her exposed back and then turned to look at him. Spencer smiled and Aaron started to smile back thinking that finally he had remembered what had happened. But he watched in horror as Reid started to pull the robe off and thus get rid of the life line holding them together.

As he saw it slip over the thin shoulders Aaron grabbed him by the hair. It was the first thing he reached and he started to tow him back in close. Above the sound of the wind and the crashing of the waves he could hear the long drawn out howl of Spencer in pain and distress. He wanted to comfort him and hold him tightly and curl up behind him taking away the horrors he had seen and was still seeing, but right now he couldn't. Right now he just had to think about keeping them all alive.

He put one arm over Rosa and the other he kept hold of Reid with and together as the storm abated they drifted – their bodies so exhausted that they fell into a dark place which for now held them close and kept them safe.

-o-o-o-

He had called for Spence but he never came and so he carried on laying on the rock and let the fish nibble at his white flesh and swim in his hair. He wondered how the hell he was going to get out of this one. Some sensation was coming back to his hands and feet now. He curled and uncurled his toes and flexed his fingers.

He put his hands slowly to his neck smiled to himself.

"Well – I didn't know that was going to happen." The words came out of his mouth in little bubbles and he grinned a big toothy smile.

Evolution is fascinating to watch. To me it is the most interesting when one can observe the evolution of a single man: - Shana Alexander

A/N: I really shouldn't have posted this chapter. I don't feel well and life has distracted me today. Please tell me if it is crap and I will redo it – thank you Pb xoxox