That Deep Dark Place Where It Sits And Waits.

A/N final chapter.

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds isn't mine. Floyd Flanders is.

Reid was standing in his hospital room dressed in his cords and shirt and sweater vest. Shades of brown. His arms still had dressings on them, but he was going home today. Aaron was going to pick him up and take him back to his place for a few days. Haley and Jack were 'away' visiting her sister again so he wouldn't be getting in the way and Spencer wouldn't feel the need to avoid looking at the child all the time. There was something about Hotch's son that scared the pants of Reid.

His mind was clear. He had been evaluated and then talked to and evaluated again and talked to and talked at until Reid thought his head would explode. They wanted answers and he didn't have any. He had no idea who this person who persecuted him so was. He would like to get to know him though but this is something he hadn't talked about. He kept that little nugget all to himself. A man has to have some secrets. Reid was building up quite a library of them.

The charges had been dropped. The unknown DNA which kept turning up was Floyd's as he himself had said. He was free. But there was that nagging something.

He was jolted out of his thoughts when he heard Hotch's voice behind him.

"You ready?" Hotch was talking so quietly like he thought the vibrations of his voice would break Spencer.

"Yes Hotch. I am ready and you don't have to be so – erm – cautious. I am fine. Just a few scratches and bruises." Spencer was smiling a big tooth filled smile. "I just want to get out of here and get the smell of hospital soap off me."

"I think a few people might drop in tonight to have a welcome back drink. I'm sorry, Garcia you know, I don't know how to stop that woman once she gets going on something."

"That's good. She's good. We need to tell her more often. People need to be told that they are loved and needed, sometimes we forget. We assume and then we start to think we know when really we have no idea and suddenly it's all too late."

Hotch frowned "Are you sure you are feeling alright?"

Reid answered with a nod and picking up his bag he left the hospital room.

……………..

Floyd was in a dark hole. He was puzzled as to how he had got here. His plans had not worked out. They always worked out. What had gone wrong? Was his Spencer alright? Yes. Somehow he knew he was alright. They will let him go because what had he done wrong? Kidnapped a federal agent? That was a joke. He hadn't. His Spencer came with no force. He just walked right into his open arms.

"You will be back my Spencer. I know you will."

……………

The house felt very empty without his wife and child. He was glad Spencer agreed to come back for a while to stay. He could keep an eye on him for a couple of weeks then try out work again. Hotch was taking his vacation time now. Gideon was keeping things going at work. He showed Spencer to the spare room. It had an adjoining bathroom with a nice big tub. The house smelt of home. He could smell coffee and polish and the things houses should smell of.

"Are you going to get changed Spencer, they will be arriving soon to make sure it's all true."

"What's all true?" and he looked alarmed for a fleeting second.

Hotch noted how jumpy Reid was. "That you are finally out of the hospital. Take a bath…get the smells off you, and change your clothes."

"Hotch I like the way I dress. I feel comfortable like this." And he did his little kitten scowl at Hotch.

"I can tell you are feeling better Reid. I am not complaining of the way you dress, but you smell like a hospital."

Reid went into the bathroom and locked the door behind him. Hotch stood and watched for a while. Still very worried about Reid but he could hardly tell a grown man to leave the door unlocked when he was still showing so many signs of hyper-vigilance. He sat on Reid's bed and ran his fingers over his bag. Should he unpack for him? Should he wait here for him? Should he just go away and leave the boy alone?

Hotch got up and went down stairs, making sure he left all the doors open, and waited at the bottom of the stairs. Waiting for signs that things were still wrong. Waiting for the screams or the sudden noises of panic. He was still standing there when a wet haired Reid came back down the stairs.

"Hotch? Are you going to open the door? They have been pounding on that door for ages."

"Spencer, I was waiting for you. You open it. It's you they want to see, not me."

Reid frowned and looked at the shadows the other side of the door. "No – it's erm – no. Hotch. I can't"

And Reid walked quickly away to the kitchen to grab a strong coffee. Sitting on the counter was a small mirror. Haley must have left it there. Reid picked it up and stared intently into it. "Where are you? I can feel you. I can smell you. Where are you?" Reid ran his fingers slowly over his face and up to his forehead. "Where are you?"

…………

The get together was odd. No one was really saying that which they wanted to. They all avoided the subject Reid needed to talk about but felt gagged by their friend's silence. Garcia was having a triple sugar rush and was all over the place with words and thoughts, but she still managed to avoid it. Reid didn't say much. He sat and listened to how Morgan's bike had to get new tyres, and how Emily had refused to pay the hairdresser for messing up here hair again. He listened to JJ and how she had entered into a darts tournament, and Gideon watched Reid as he listened. He watched the man he thought of as a son wriggle and squirm and sigh and drink far too much coffee. Eventually Jason got up and led Reid out to the kitchen.

"What's wrong?" Spencer asked and has hand flittered over to the mirror and he grasped it in his hand.

"I was going to ask the same thing. You need to talk about something. I am here. Talk to me Spencer."

"I I cant – I can't explain it." His voice was low and nervous.

"Try me." Gideon pulled over a tall stool and sat down. "Sit and drink coffee with me Spencer and tell me what's bothering you."

But Reid shook his head and walked around the kitchen island. "I said – I can't – I need. Jason I need to visit Mahoney."

Jason nodded. "I can arrange that. Now tell me what you can't."

Reid fiddled with the coffee machine until it hissed at him and made him jump. "Well that's the thing. I don't know what it is."

And he fiddled with the toaster for a while whilst Gideon watched him.

"I feel I am being watched. Not by you and the others, but from inside me. I know it makes no sense and I know you are going to send me back for more evaluations, but I can't stop the feeling."

Gideon smiled. Was that all? "Its hyper-vigilance, it will slowly fade. It's to be expected. You are still very traumatised Reid and we don't expect you to just flip back the pages and be how you were before all of this. Now come and join the others, and a few useful facts about anything will make everyone feel happy."

Reid smiled and slipped the mirror into his pocket without even realising he had.

………….

That's it my boy. Stay with me now. We are part of each other. A whispering in the back of Reid's mind. Not quite there but not quite gone.

………..

"Mahoney you have a visitor."

He sat at a table and waited. Mahoney didn't get visitors, so he was puzzled over who this could be. When Reid walked in and over to him he jumped up beaming.

"Damnit I thought you were dead!"

Reid smiled. "Thank you." He slid some cigarettes across the table. "All I was permitted. Sorry."

"Thank you Spencer."

"I need to say sorry to you Mahoney. I was an ass. I should have accepted your – erm – protection. But anyway, thanks for everything."

"You are welcome. And thank you too Spencer." And Reid blushed crimson.

"Erm Mahoney – my business card. If you ever need anything. Call me please.

……………

Spencer was alone in the room he was staying in at Hotch's place. He really needed to be in his own place now. Hotch was a very educated man, but Reid had still managed to read every book in the house and drink more coffee than he should. There was that thing he still needed to do though. He picked up his cell phone and made a quick call.

Reid slipped out of the house without telling Hotch. He knew he was only looking after his welfare but it was suffocating. He walked down the road which led to the bus stop and waited. When it arrived he paid his money and sat at the back and pulled the mirror out of his pocket and sat and stared at it. "What did you do to me?" He thought.

……..

Floyd Flanders was incarcerated in a cell alone. Very alone. No one to talk to and no one to bait. His cell had a bed and a small desk bolted onto the wall. The three walls were off white, and the floor was grey. The fourth wall was thick bars. He had been sitting with a bit of paper in his had all day. It was blank. They refused to give him anything to write with. He had bitten into his arm and made it bleed and written over the wall next to his bed. HERE I COME over and over again.

He looked up when he sensed someone watching him. His eyes locked with Reid's.

"What have you done to me?" Reid's voice was cold

Floyd stood and walked to the bars. He ran his fingers over the bars looking deep into Spencer. "You can feel me can't you?"

"What have you done?" a whisper.

"Come closer. I want to touch you." He was leering.

"You are not answering my question." He hissed.

"Let me touch you. Then I will tell you. Just a hand. Come on Spencer you know you want to feel me."

And he did so desperately need to touch this man who had – who had – who had done what? He couldn't really remember anymore. It was fading into a nightmare blur. He slowly shook his head.

"Very well." And Floyd turned to go back to sit on his bed.

"NO! no – Floyd." And Spencer could feel his hand reaching out for the bars. "Please."

As Floyds fingers wrapped around his he felt something deep inside him open up and rip his soul apart.

………….

END!!!!

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A/N expect a sequel.