Misperceptions
Disclaimer: I don't own 'Criminal Minds'. All recognisable characters, content or locations belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
Chapter Two:
It's dawn, but Jack's growing in a new tooth, and he's been generally fussy, and sleep is a rare commodity these days. It's nothing new, between feedings and his own nightmares, and Aaron can honestly say he doesn't remember what a full night's sleep is like.
He doesn't think he's had one of those since high school.
Maybe.
Either way, he envies Haley that luxury, but would never deny her of it. And so he sits with Jack in the pre-dawn light, and his mind wanders.
The message from Reid is on his mind, and though he's granted his subordinate the leave that he's requested, Aaron worries about what sort of emergency drags Reid home at three o'clock in the morning.
Nothing pleasant, he is sure.
Those are the emergencies that are the worst.
With a sigh, Aaron returns Jack to his crib, leaves a note for Haley, and heads out for his morning run.
The air smells fresh after the overnight downpour, but his run is uneventful, and he returns home with that same churn of worry in his stomach.
There's something wrong in Reid's world, and Aaron can't fix it.
He doesn't enjoy the feeling.
Not when the team has become another family to him, dysfunctional and chaotic, but always treasured. Perhaps not the same way as his wife and son and brother, but treasured enough.
He checks on Jack as he passes by the nursery, enters the bedroom, and beelines his way to the adjoining bathroom. He showers and shaves, contemplates the enigma that is Reid, and decides just to head in to work.
Worrying, he knows, will get him nowhere.
Gideon's already at the office when Aaron arrives, elbows deep in paperwork, but he greets Hotch with a hum of acknowledgement and a salute of his coffee mug. Hotch leaves him be, immerses himself in his own paperwork, and is still there some time later, when JJ calls for the team in the conference room.
"Where's Reid?" Morgan enquires.
"Family emergency," Hotch answers, "He won't be here for the next week."
JJ strides in, brings up the projector screen, and proceeds to cover the case details with them. Six couples in Las Vegas, Nevada, have disappeared within the last six months, to reappear a week later, dressed in a tuxedo and wedding dress, respectively, strangled to death.
She clicks a button on the remote, and an image of another couple appears on the screen, and Hotch thinks he's going to be sick, because the man on the screen? That man is the spitting image of his youngest team member.
JJ continues her report, and her voice is tremulous. "This is Lawson Reid, age 24, and his longtime partner, Patricia Greene. They disappeared last night, reported in by William Reid, after they failed to arrive for their scheduled plans. Police officers believe they're the unsub's next victims."
The report finishes, and the team sits in silence, occupied with the task of absorbing all that they've learned. There's no time to waste, however, so Aaron collects himself, clears his throat, and dismisses the team to prepare for takeoff in half an hour.
There's no chance in hell that they're going to pass over this case.
"I guess this is that family emergency you were talking about," Gideon comments. "His twin brother, no doubt."
Hotch blinks at him, dazed. "Did you know he had a twin?"
"Has a twin," Gideon corrects, "And yes, I did. You recall that case in New York? With those twin girls? It effected him badly. I guess this is his nightmare come true."
"We will find them," Hotch vows.
Because if they don't, Aaron doesn't know how he'll ever be able to look Spencer in the eye again.
Gideon's smile is confident, certain, and Aaron envies him that. "I know."
The team gathers on the plane half an hour later, spreads out all the information they've got, and starts brainstorming as soon as they're in the air. Locations are marked on the map of the Las Vegas area, disappearance points in red, recovery points in green, and residences in blue.
"What do we know about the couples?" JJ queries.
"None of them were married," Gideon states.
"But they all lived together," Morgan contributes.
"And they were found in wedding clothes," Elle concludes. "Someone or someones who is opposed to their 'living in sin'?"
"Kind of ironic," Morgan muses, "Sin City, and all."
"It's the most likely factor, however," Hotch acknowledges, "Let's wait until we hit the ground before any more conclusions, however. We need to create a victimology, and remember, Reid is officially on leave. Be certain to treat him as we would any other member of a victim's family."
"Yeah, Hotch, I can't do that," Morgan denies, "Reid's family. He's my little brother."
"I'm aware," Aaron sighs, "But as things are, two members of his family are missing, and if Reid weren't on leave, he'd be pulled from this case. I don't want to risk the possibility of us being pulled as well."
Morgan sighs, but he relents. Instead, he settles back in his seat, crosses his arms over his chest, and queries, "Am I the only one surprised to know he has a twin?"
"No. I kind of figured he was an only child," Elle admits. "But then, I never asked, did I? I just assumed."
"Which is the problem," Gideon concludes, "You all made assumptions by what you thought you knew.
"What do you mean by that?" Elle queries, "I just go by what I see."
Gideon gives an enigmatic smile, opens up his police file, and begins to read through the information all over again. The team does the same, certain they won't get any more out of Gideon, and truthfully, Hotch doesn't think he wants them to. His world's been shaken up enough for one day. And so he closes his eyes instead, considers the case file, and the flight continues on.