Chapter 2

Connecticut Ave. northbound
Washington DC

Will

"So what's her story?" Laura asked

"Abuse in the past," Will told her. "They don't talk about it much, but Reid met her on a trip back home. Las Vegas. Love at first sight for the both of them. Kinda like me and JJ."

"Oh. You know most women don't leave that behind."

"I know, we were worried about it, but Kat's made it go. Got into therapy, got her GED, now she's at GWU. She's doing all right. And those two are so far gone on each other it's not even funny. Two years and they're still newlyweds."

"Awww, that's nice. It's always good to hear when someone makes it out in one piece."

"Yeah, she still has her moments though; Garcia said she had a panic attack in class."

"I wonder what set it off."

Will chuckled. "You are not going to believe it."

Police station #1
Tulsa, OK

Spencer

"Everything all right?" Hotch asked.

Spencer nodded. The one thing they were all careful of was family. All of their families bore scars one way or the other. It didn't matter if Morgan needed to turn around and run to Chicago because his sister was in a car accident or Emily's mother needed help with a friend or JJ needed to fly home because Henry was having febrile seizures, family always had to come first. Knowing that was the only thing that let them keep their heads in the game. And from the moment Kat came into his life, she was family.

On the other hand, he had yet to have to leave a case to help her. Garcia could usually help her through a crisis as well or better than he could and, if need be, Kevin or Will or someone from the support group could be deputized instead. There had only been a need for that twice in five years, and both times a phone call, a pint of ice cream and some company had solved the problem. For all Kat's issues with her past she was still a remarkably resilient woman.

And this crisis didn't need him to run home either. "It will be." He told Hotch. "Ten minutes?" When his chief nodded, he moved to a quiet corner and dialed the number Garcia just sent. "May I speak to Dr. Stern, please?" He said when the phone was answered. "It's Dr. Spencer Reid."

"Spencer!" came the familiar, professional voice on the other end of the line a moment later. "How are you?"

"Well, and yourself?"

"Not bad, not bad. So I assume this has something to do with your wife running out of my class today?"

"Yeah, I think we might need some adaptations after all."

Connecticut Ave. northbound
Washington DC

Will

"She's terrified of television screens?" Laura asked, clearly shocked.

"Yep, they don't have one, not even a computer. Reid's got to use a laptop for work so he can put it away when he's not using it. You can see it when she's in a room with one, she starts getting twitchier and twitchier, like a cat in a room full of rocking chairs. JJ started draping the blanket from the couch over ours whenever they came over; finally we just broke down and bought one of those cabinets to hold the thing. Garcia said they had a video in class today, poor thing practically ran screaming."

"How the hell does she even get out of the house? They have to be everywhere."

"Near as I can tell she sticks to specific places when she's out alone, to try to avoid them, and I know she's had therapy about not looking at them when she can't help it. Other places she goes with Reid and when they can they get up to this cabin up in the mountains where they're easier to avoid. That's why Garcia called; they have monitors up in the Metro stations so she was going to walk home."

"Which is not a good idea if you're already staving off a panic attack," Laura was quiet a moment. "How do you abuse someone with a television screen?"

"That's the one thing JJ and I never did figure out."

Police station #1
Tulsa, OK

Spencer

Spencer heard the sigh on the other end of the phone. "Well, now I have heard everything. OK, I'm sending you the list now. Just try to watch them before the next section, and ask her to sit in the back so when she cuts out after the lecture she won't disturb the other students."

"I'll do that Susan, thank you so much."

"Sure thing."

Spencer rang off with her and then called Garcia to ask her to find copies of those videos for him. Problem solved.

2940 Upton St #A
Washington DC

Kat

Kat sighed as she shut the door behind her. Whatever happened out there, here she was safe. Something about being home always felt safe. Nothing could get to her here. Even though this house reminded her of some awful memories, it was still better than being out there. It wasn't as good as the cabin in the woods, but it would do.

For one, there were no television screens.

For another, her bow was here.

She left her things in an untidy heap by the front door and headed upstairs to Spencer's study. Once there she opened the lock on what looked like a gun safe carefully hidden in the floor.

It wasn't.

This safe held flexible armor that no longer fit her, and a helmet that looked like the crest of a bird that did not yet exist and a sleek, black bow that invoked wings and could bring down a plane from the sky. She hadn't even looked at these objects in a long, long time. But now she reached out and lightly caressed the bow with one finger. If I ever need it, she thought, if I ever need.

Her phone chimed an incoming text. Problem solved. You're safe?

Kat smiled and shut the safe before she replied. Yes I am. Thank you. Love you.

Love you too, came the reply.

Yes, she thought, I am safe. I am known here. I can be myself here. There are no hidden microphones, no hidden cameras, Spencer has checked and checked again. No one has ever nearly died on the dining room table. No one has ever run screaming from this house in fear. And no rose has passed over the threshold since we came here. Not one.

Calmed and comforted at last she locked the safe, went out back, collected the dogs, and took them for a walk in a park where no mockingjays ever sang.