Going Home

To forgive is the highest, most beautiful form of love. In return, you will receive untold peace and happiness: - Robert Muller

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.

The three of them walked in silence each bearing a resentment towards the other. Aaron was feeling more and more angry with Reid and the way he was acting with Floyd. Touching – holding hands and that stupid giggle of his. It was irritating beyond measure – and Floyd accepting it and enjoying it.

Reid didn't like the way Hotch was looking at Floyd. All that time he had been so against his friendship with him and now he was watching his every more and not in a suspicious way but with those dark eyes he usually reserved for him. It made his toes curl in the leaves and made his head spin with anger. He took a few painkillers and crunched down. He was more careful this time. He didn't want to sleep. He wouldn't sleep and leave those two alone.

Floyd was pissed off too. Yes he was pleased that Hotch was finally accepting the pull, but he was giving Aaron sideways glances which weren't so kind. Eventually Hotch stopped walking and frowned.

"Did I do something to offend you Floyd? because you have been giving me that look for the past hour now. If there is something you want to say then please say it, or keep that look to yourself or save it for Reid later."

Floyd looked at Reid who didn't stop walking but he could see the way his shoulders moved that he was listening and not liking what he was hearing. "Yes you did something to offend me and you don't even know what it is. That hurts."

Hotch frowned. "Then tell me what it was and I will try to fix it."

Now Floyd turned and looked at Aaron properly. He waited before speaking, listening for Reid to stop walking. Which he did. He heard his bare feet turn in the leaves and then Floyd started.

"Stop me when I get it wrong." He raised his voice to make sure Reid could hear him. "Whilst my 'friend' was having fun with My Spence and I was laying somewhere out there – well not somewhere I could probably show you the blood still – while I was laying bleeding – oh pinned to a tree – you crawled on hands and knees, ribs broken, your body hurting so much your couldn't stand – you crawled knowing you would probably die down there in that cave. Am I right so far?" Now he was shouting.

Hotch nodded still looking confused, but Reid had walked back to join them. Wonderful and oh so predictable.

"Where the hell were you when I was getting torn apart out there? He.." a gesture to Reid. "Doped up again and you? Were you crawling on hands and knees for me? Did you even look to see where I was? Did you come looking for me when you heard the screaming had stopped? No you didn't. I tell you why, cos the only thing ever on your dirty whorish mind is him." Again a gesture to Reid. "Try to fix it? You want to try to fix how that felt? You can't fix that Agent Aaron Hotchner. That was abandonment. You left me to die. And why was I being torn apart and abused by some monster? Because I begged it to take me rather than Spence. It broke the agreement – not me. So take that bloody look off your damned face."

"We were too injured to follow. You saw the mess he was in. I could hardly walk. What help would we have been?"

Floyd shook his head. "It would have shown you cared but you don't give a shit about me do you? You are just here to try to get into Spencer's pants."

'Good one.'

"It's not like that." Hotch put a hand out and ran his fingers down Floyd's arm. "We are hungry, thirsty and tired. We need to relax and try to think what to do."

Reid's eyes were fixed on Hotch's hand. He could feel a deep resentment building up. How dare he walk in and think he could take Floyd from him. Floyd was his partner. They lived together. Who the hell did he think he was?

"You would eat something I caught and cooked for you? No you wouldn't so tell me the point in trapping?" And he pushed Reid out of the way without even looking at him and started to walk.

Spencer watched Floyd walk down the pathway and turned to Hotch. "Nice one. Now look what you've done." He did a strange hobbling painful looking run to try to catch up. "F f floyd w w wait."

'Oh joy – the stutter is back.'

Flanders waited for Reid to catch up and walk beside him. He wrapped a protective arm around his waist and pulled him close. "You feeling any better Babes? I really didn't mean all that crap to happen. You know that don't you? You know I would never do anything to hurt you."

That rich smell of Floyd sent Reid's head spinning again, only this time a very pleasant feeling. "I know you didn't exactly plan for you to get mauled by whatever that was. You should never make a deal with an UnSub like that. It could have killed us all."

Floyd let out a little laugh. "An UnSub?"

"Unknown………….."

Floyd cut him short.

"I know what it means you fool. I just wouldn't have thought to call it an UnSub. I got the impression you got to know it quite well. Hardly unknown was it?"

Spencer stopped walking and stepped away from Floyd. "That wasn't even slightly funny. Do you have any idea what that thing did to me?" He felt Floyd reach out and hold his hand.

"Yes I have every idea. I have the same ideas myself sometimes. You just bring the animal out in me Spence."

A cough from behind and Floyd squeezed Spencer's hand.

"When you two are quite ready – we need to find a camp site. There is no way we can reach the railway by nightfall and even then we have quite a hike back to the car."

Floyd turned to Hotch and smiled. "How right you are. We need firewood too and water. Give me a minute."

Keeping hold of Spencer's hand he knelt down. A quick glance up at Spencer told him to crouch down with him. "Feel the ground Spence. Feel the vibrations."

Reid put his fingers on the ground the same way Floyd did and turned a puzzled face to him. "I don't feel anything."

A smirk. "Of course you don't my dearest Spence. This is why you need me to get you out of this place. You – both of you need me."

"I I I never s said I d didn't n need you."

A nod. "Just a small reminder." He stood up. "This way." He walked off the path into the darkness of the forest leaving a very puzzled Spencer and Aaron behind.

"What was that all about?"

Hotch walked to Spencer and put a hand out to help him up. "I don't know." He took Aaron's hand and stood up again. "You tell me."

Spencer looked down at the hand holding his and right now all he wanted to was curl up with this man and for once feel safe and needed but he looked over to where Floyd had gone and knew that as much as he needed Aaron to be there and to hold him and be protected and loved by him he needed Floyd too. He wanted them both.

Hotch was looking at Reid's profile. Perfection. He had never seen anything so perfect in his life. Even with the scratches and bruises there was nothing to compare with this sight. The sun shining through the trees glancing off his hair giving it that rich auburn glow. Hotch closed his eyes feeling the need to hold him closely but also knowing that Floyd was just beyond those trees and there was something strangely alluring about that man. Something he had never noticed before.

A voice from in the forest made them both look up. "Water and a camp site." A pause. "Are you two going to stand there staring at each other all night?"

Spencer pulled his hand out of Aaron's and looked him in the eyes and sighed and then the two of them went to find Floyd.

…………….

They had collected fire wood and had drunk water with cups made with their hands in a small stream.

Floyd – never one shy to show his body stripped off and washed. He stood in the knee deep cold water and started to splash the water over his cuts and scrapes. Reid stood and watched for a while. He turned to look at Aaron who was also watching.

Spencer rolled up his trouser legs and walked into the water with Floyd. He stood behind him and wrapped his arms around Floyd's chest. "I am sorry I mistrusted you."

Aaron walked back to the fire and sat with his back to them. He pulled his blanket over and pulled out Reid's torn and bloodied shirt. He held it to his chest and released a deep longing sigh. Why did he always go back to Flanders?

After about ten minutes of listening to his iPod which had somehow survived this adventure he turned to look. Just a quick glance. Reid's cords lay on the bank and he and Floyd were standing still just holding each other. Well Floyd holding Reid who was now standing in front of him his head tipped back while Floyd was breathing in the sweet scent around Reid's neck.

Aaron turned back to the fire quickly. A sick feeling of envy gripping the pit of his stomach.

Floyd heard Reid moan with happiness as he looked over at Hotch and felt Reid's hand move up to hold the one he had resting on his chest.

'This was all too easy. I really thought Hotchner had more fight in him than this.'

And a lovely smirk at the back of Aaron's head.

………………………