As promised, posting this one right away to make up for the darkness of the previous chapter. Thanks again for making it this far.

Warning: Nothing too heavy in this one, just some emotions. Teddy should be ok on his own.

Setting: In the observation alcove, Hotch's point of view, picking up where Reid finished relating the flashback in the previous chapter.

Surviving 21: The Agreement

We should have found him sooner. I was blinking back tears by the time Reid was wrapping up his account of last Tuesday. Morgan was doing an impressive job of holding together for him, but I could get away with this since I was on the dark side of the glass.

I'm so sorry, Reid. You had to be so brave with only your own intelligence and imagination to fall back on. God, why couldn't we have found you sooner?

Morgan was saying that they should stop until after lunch. It was a little past noon. I went back to my office where Rossi was waiting for me.

"Is he having a rough time of it?" Rossi asked when he saw my face.

I sat down adjacent to him with an involuntary sigh. "I can't begin to tell you. God, of all of us, why did this have to happen to Reid?"

"I know. The kid's too good for this world. But, and I'm sorry to state the obvious here, he fit the victimology. And we couldn't know that for sure before he was taken."

"I know." I had to think objectively, at least until this was over. I started trying to pull my walls of stoicism back up.

"I got you a chicken sandwich and salad. That all right?"

"Sure. Honestly, it's all the same to me right now. It takes a lot to turn my stomach…" I all but shuddered remembering some of the things that Reid had described. It wasn't that I had never heard anything that bad before; it was that it had happened to Reid.

"He's safe here. You have to remember that."

"I know. But his mind isn't safe yet. And I'm thinking about asking him to lay eyes on Heathbridge again."

"You mean they actually talked you around?"

"Not quite. Farrow's a good lawyer, and he's worked hard to get the arraignment moved to Maryland tomorrow. But, if we agree to a meeting, he'll get it postponed again and do the Virginia one first. Either way, he's advising Heathbridge to plead insanity, but here he's in danger of the death penalty. He'll also help us put names to the unidentified remains at his house, and I got him to agree that Reid could see him from behind one-way glass."

Rossi tilted his head slightly. "That's a little better. But still…"

"I know, and that's why I needed to talk to you. Should I even tell Reid about this, or call it off?"

Rossi took his time considering his answer. "I know you want to protect him, but if George Foyet were alive and asking to see you, would you want Strauss to keep that from you?"

I wouldn't put it past Strauss to keep me in the dark, but that wasn't the point. Rossi knew me, and he knew how to get my perspective outside the box, which was exactly why I'd gone to him with this. "It has to be his choice."

"I think so."

I nodded. "Thank you."

"Any time."

.

After I forced down my lunch, I sent a text to Morgan saying that I needed to talk to Reid before they started again.

Alone? Morgan texted back.

I knew how Morgan was likely to react to what I had to tell Reid. You may observe, I answered.

I went down to the interview room, and soon Reid came in. He looked anxious.

"Hotch?"

"You're not in any trouble," I said. That usually calmed Jack down when he looked that way, and it seemed to help Reid too. "Take a seat."

He sat across from the glass as usual, but I pulled the other chair around to sit beside him. This wasn't an interview.

"I've been in touch with Heathbridge's lawyer, Mason Farrow."

"Did something happen?" Concern was written all over Reid's face.

Worry for Heathbridge? "Farrow negotiated for Heathbridge's arraignment in Maryland to come before the one in Virginia, but he wants a deal. Heathbridge will be arraigned here in Virginia first, and he'll help us identify the rest of the victims, but only if you agree to see him. At first, I didn't want to even entertain the idea, but I asked if he'd still honor the deal if you were behind one-way glass, and he agreed. But nothing has been decided yet."

Reid didn't seem at all surprised about the proposal. "It's up to me?"

I nodded. "I wish I could give you a few days to think about it, but the arraignment is scheduled for tomorrow. It would have happened today, if not for Farrow's negotiations."

"He wants me to see him before the arraignment?"

"Not necessarily, but Farrow needs your answer as soon as possible."

Reid looked down at his hands. "When he's tried here, he could get death, and then still have to stand trial in Maryland and maybe other states, with that hanging over him."

"He's aware of the risk. But you don't have to do it if you don't want to."

"I'll do it. I'll see him." Reid looked up at me. "I'm sure."

"Okay." I put my hand on his shoulder. "I'll make the arrangements with Farrow. I'll need you to sign an agreement to see him, so he can enter his plea without thinking we'll renege on our end. I'll be sure to use all my experience in the judicial system to word it in a way that they can't twist."

Reid nodded.

"I'll have that back to you in a few minutes, then."

"Okay."

I stood up and dragged the chair back around to the other side of the table.

"Thanks, Hotch." He had an earnest look on his face, and his eyes seemed moist.

I went back around to him. "You know we're all in your corner, right?"

He nodded.

"At least one of us will be with you the whole time. I can be there if you want."

He swallowed, sucked in a breath and said faintly, "Yeah, I want you."

"Okay." Given all he'd been through, I still wasn't sure how much contact he was all right with, but he hadn't shied away from any of us so far. I reached for him and he leaned into me, his face against my stomach. I watched carefully for any sign of fear as I stroked the hair at the back of his head.

"I'm sorry, Hotch."

I frowned and moved away a little so he could look at me. "For what?"

He looked up with wide eyes. "I shouldn't have gone down that alley without calling Morgan first."

"If I thought there was a chance in hell you hadn't learned the lesson there, I'd have brought it up." A tear ran out of his eye and I intercepted it with my thumb. "Don't give it another thought."

He sniffed and reached up to grip my forearm. "Okay." His fingers twitched on my arm and slowly started moving upward.

I leaned down to hug him and his dam broke. I hadn't counted on a meltdown at the moment, but Farrow would just have to wait a little longer for the paperwork. Reid was holding on to me so tightly that I could actually feel some of my scar tissue resisting the pressure.

"Reid, I'm not disappointed in you," I said firmly. "I'm very proud of you." I felt my throat suddenly tightening into a painful lump.

I could tell that he was trying to stifle his sobs, but even Morgan, who I knew was still on the other side of the glass, would be able to tell that he was crying. His grip became slack only to be renewed with strength I had not realized he had. He must be working through a volley of differing emotions, and all I could do was ride them out.

"It's okay," I said softly.

My shoulders were getting tense from leaning over when his crying petered out. I rubbed his back and nearly kissed the top of his head as I would have if it were Jack, but I caught myself, realizing that that might detract a bit from his dignity, particularly knowing that Morgan was watching us.

"You're still sure about the meeting?" I asked, rearranging his tousled hair.

He nodded.

"Okay. I'll tell Morgan to give you a few minutes."

Another nod.

I gave his shoulder a squeeze and turned away. I exited quickly for his sake, though I fully expected the stormcloud waiting for me on the other side of the glass.

"Hotch."

I met Morgan's gaze, though my eyes hadn't adjusted to the dim light yet.

"You can't think he's up to seeing Heathbridge… look at him!"

"He had to agree to it before the arraignment, but he doesn't have to see him yet," I said evenly. "Reid wants to go, and we need to respect his decision."

"It shouldn't have been an option in the first place—I thought you were going to negotiate a compromise!"

"I was. But after talking with Heathbridge, I think it's important that Reid has a chance to see him outside the courtroom. It will be in a controlled environment, and he'll have the security of a barrier between them."

"You think Strauss will approve this?"

"I do. Now, he needs a few minutes to collect himself, so use them to remind yourself that these decisions go through the proper channels for a reason. And don't try to talk Reid out of it."

I could see Morgan's face more clearly now, and he was shaking his head with a look of frustration. "I never thought you'd pull rank over something like this."

"That's not what I'm doing. I'm reminding you that we're a team." I moved closer to the window and looked at Reid, who was leaning on the table in front of him, head resting on his folded arms. "What he needs more than anything is support. If you don't calm down, you won't be equipped to give it to him. The further he goes into his account, the harder it will be for him to give it. Help him."

Morgan looked at Reid, too, and slowly I saw his features soften.

"I'll be in my office. Text me if I'm not back when you're ready to start again."

A few minutes later, I had quickly drawn up the agreement from a template, printed it off, double-checked the wording and signed it. I added a short cover letter, explaining my reasons for approval, to Strauss. Morgan was still outside the interview room when I got back.

"I'll send this to Strauss for approval once he signs it," I said. "Then we can resume when he's ready."

"Hotch…"

I knew that tone. It was Morgan's gap-bridging tone. "Forget it," I told him.

"You know I'm just worried about him."

"So am I. But we'll get him through this."

"I know. And I'm going to try to trust your judgment."

"Thank you. Try to trust his, too. He's down, but he's not licked yet."

I took the agreement form into the interview room. Reid sat up as I came in and I took a pen out of my jacket pocket to give to him with the form.

There wasn't much information on the page, and Reid took it all in at a glance.

"I know you know this, but once you sign it and Strauss approves it…"

"I'm still sure." Reid signed the paper.

I took it back and put my pen away. "I'll have this taken up to Strauss, then. Think you'll be able to continue your debriefing after that?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"All right. You're halfway through. We're all waiting for you at the other end."

He put his head down again. "Okay. Thanks."

I handed the form off to Rossi with instructions to scan and email it to Farrow as soon as Strauss gave it the green light. I knew that the rest of the team was wondering what was going on, but I considered it need-to-know at this point. They did not need the added worry, and Reid did not need pressure from anyone else.

I steeled myself on the way back to the interview room. I remembered what Reid had told Dr. Stanley about Wednesday. This was going to be rough.

Next chapter will be back in the flashback, but not as bad as 20. Yet. Hang in there.