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Reid stared at the case file in front of him. It looked like every case file he'd ever seen in his years with the FBI. It probably contained the same kind of horrors they saw every day. There was nothing special about it.

He picked it up. The cardboard-like paper slid around in his hands. It was cool to the touch, like it had been sitting outside in the cold, fall air. The paper was smooth under his fingertips. He'd opened too many files like it in his lifetime to count. It was part of his job. He flipped it over and looked at the back. It looked like an FBI file, but there was no name or marking of any kind.

He dropped it back on the table in front of him. He leaned back against the back of the couch and folded his hands behind his head. His feet were stretched out in front of him and he closed his eyes. There was a relaxation technique Jerry Kimball from Beltway Clean Cops had taught him when he'd refused to go to a shrink. The deep breathing exercises were just the thing to get his head clear and convince whoever it was that was watching him into thinking that he was sleeping.

The folder on the table called to him. He could almost see it. There was only one question… Was there really anything in the file? It could be filled with blank paper. From what he knew about Calloway, the man would think it funny to give him a fake file, and then watch him wonder about it. Or the case was an old one that Calloway would think Reid was unfamiliar with, that had already been solved. Or it could be real and he was delaying for nothing other than to try and irritate his captor.

Was he small enough to want to do that? He pinched the bridge of his nose tightly between his thumb and forefinger. The breathing exercises had ceased to work. There was only one way to deal with the situation at hand.

He got up from the couch and stretched out the kinks in his legs and back from sitting so long. God what he wouldn't give for a stimulating case to occupy his mind? He looked down at the folder again. Speaking of cases - his fingers itched to pick up the file and look through it. He shook his head, hoping the person watching got the hint.

He went to the closet in the corner of the sparsely decorated room and opened the door. He took an armful of fresh clothes from it to the bathroom.

---

Agent Todd entered the briefing room and began dropping file folders in front of the agents gathered around the table. The last folder dropped where Reid usually sat and the group went quiet.

"Oh, sorry, I forgot Agent Reid was on vacation."

She hurriedly picked up the extra case file and went right into her presentation of the case that the team would be working on.

The face of a small boy appeared on the screen. "This is Glen Simeon. His file just came across my desk. He disappeared two hours ago from Rock Creek Vermont. He's five years old and had been playing at a friend's home after school when he disappeared."

"What about his friend and the parents?"

"His friend's mother was supposed to take Glen home, but she got a call from his father claiming that it was his afternoon to take the boy."

"So the victim's parents are divorced?'

"Yeah, and the mother said that she recognized the voice. The car that Glen's father drove was the one that she recognized. She said that Glen ran to the car and got in before she could go out and talk to Mr. Simeon."

"Why have we been called in, if this is a simple case of kidnapping by the father?"

"Because the car and Scott Simeon's body were found outside of town, the kid was gone, and the father had been shot in the head."

They looked at each other for a long minute. "Okay… Wheels up in fifteen minutes," Hotch was first out of his chair and out of the conference room with everyone else following him.

---

Calloway watched Dr. Reid try to ignore the case file that he'd brought to him. The young man kept picking up the folder and looking at it like it was an interesting puzzle to solve. But he didn't open it or look at the contents inside.

"I thought you said he wouldn't be able to leave it alone. It looks like he's doing a very good job of ignoring it."

"Be quiet Ramirez!"

"No, if we're going to risk prosecution and jail time, we need him to look at this case."

"I didn't think you were such a whinny little girl Ramirez."

"Shut up Stark!"

"Both of you shut up. We are all in this to the very end. We are going to show the FBI that Hotchner's team has to be taken down a peg or two."

"I didn't sign up to help you with a personal vendetta."

Calloway grabbed Ramirez by the arm. "I'd be more concerned with your family and what will happen to them if this doesn't go as planned."

"Don't threaten them!"

"Oh stop it," Stark pulled Ramirez away from Calloway. "We're all in this for our own reasons, and that includes you Ramirez. So grow a pair, and deal with the unpleasant details like a real man."

---

Reid came out of the bathroom and went to the couch. He threw himself down and lay out at his full length across the comfortable piece of furniture. He squirmed around a bit, feeling very uncomfortable, but hopefully it wouldn't be for long. He was counting down in his head when the key clicked in the lock and Calloway entered the room with his gun drawn.

"I see you've finally decided to get comfortable Dr. Reid."

"Why not?! I'm going to be here for awhile."

"How do you feel?"

"I feel fine. In fact, I've decided that a permanent vacation is just the thing for me. Why don't you let me go? I have my new look and it's helped me to decide that I don't need the FBI."

Calloway looked at the young man dressed in a pair of brand new jeans that were artfully faded. He also wore an orange Caltech tee shirt and matching dark blue socks. The brand new running shoes were gleaming whitely in the light. The doctor looked like he belonged in a college dorm rather than this room.

"I know what you're thinking." Reid said suddenly.

"What am I thinking?"

"That I look like I belong in college. I have three doctorates and two BAs, and I'm working one more BA as we speak. I'm thinking I could quit the BAU and go back to school full time. When I get my next BA I could work anywhere I want. It would be better than the stress and worry of the BAU."

"Is that what you think?"

"Sure, why not, I could be making millions in the private sector. That's what my father said the last time I saw him."

"I thought you said that you didn't get along with your dad."

"I don't, but that doesn't mean he didn't have a point."

"True…"

"So why don't you let me out of this room and we'll call it even. I won't tell my boss where I've been for the last three days. He believes I've been on vacation so no harm no foul."

"You can use your smile, and your big dark eyes, to get what you want from Agent Hotchner and the others. You can use your natural awkwardness, and pretend to be shy and socially inept with your teammates, but you don't fool me Dr. Reid."

"Really, why not."

"Because I know what you really think of your team and every other inferior mind, including mine."

"You do," Reid's eyebrows went into his wavy hair.

"Of course I do. You think you're better than everyone else in every room you've ever been in. You think you can outthink and outwit anyone. Unfortunately, you can't do that with me."

Reid felt a big smile pull his lips up in a curve. "We'll just have to see about that."

"I'd stop playing games Dr Reid. It won't work with me."

Calloway left the room and a still smiling Reid. The young doctor lay back on the sofa and closed his eyes. It was time for a long overdue nap.

---

The team left the plane at the small airstrip seventy miles outside of the small town of Rock Creek. They were met by a very tall man with salt and pepper hair that was arranged in a bad comb-over across his round head. His eyes were dark brown and very small in his doughy face. He was pudgy around the middle and he looked very relieved to see them.

"Hello, I'm Detective Schmidt. I can't tell you how glad I am that you're here."

The others looked at each other. Rare was the day that the locals were happy to see them. Morgan thought that Reid would know exactly how many times they'd been greeted with open arms.

"Morgan…"

He looked up to find them all staring at him. Apparently the introductions were done and the team was headed to the cars that would take them to the small town with a missing little boy.

"Sorry Hotch," He took off behind his boss. It was going to be very different doing this job without his friend.

The team made their way to the cars. Morgan got into one carrying Jordan and Rossi. As they pulled away from the airstrip Morgan noticed that the trees were losing their brightly colored leaves. He wondered as the scenery rushed by, how the weather was in Las Vegas. Was it was warm as it had been when they were there just a few weeks ago? Or had it got colder? Was Reid okay? Was his mother doing okay? He pulled his phone out of his pocket and hit the speed dial for Reid's phone, then slapped it shut when it went to voice mail as it had for three days.

Why didn't Reid call him back? His mother must be very ill if Reid wasn't taking the time to talk to any of his friends. If that were true then Reid would be very stressed and need his friends around him.

He opened the phone again and hit another speed dial number. "You've reached the Oracle of Quantico, speak and be recognized!"

"Hey baby girl… I need a favor."

"Shoot!"

"Can you get into medical records at Bennington and find out how Reid's mom is doing?"

"No!"

"No you can't, or no you won't?"

"No I won't, I'm not violating his privacy like that. I can't believe you would ask me such a thing."

"I haven't talked to him in three days. I don't think anyone has heard from him since he left. It's not like him to not to return phone calls."

"I'm worried too, but I can't do what you want. Try calling him again."

"I did, no answer."

"I'm sorry stud muffin. I'm sure he's fine though. Give him a chance to get settled with his mom and I'm sure he'll call one of us,"

"You' right baby-girl. I'll call you when we need your expertise."

He shut the phone again. There was something wrong, but he had to get his head back in the game till the case was over. Then he could find out if Reid was okay.