Working it Out

O, popular applause! what heart of man is proof against thy sweet, seducing charms:- William Cowper

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.

Reid sat in the waiting room. Thankfully the bruising on his face was all but gone now. The darkness around his eyes was still very much there though and made him look tired and sickly. He seemed to be losing weight again and his mind felt clouded and often confused. It was no surprise when Strauss had told him that his position in the BAU had been terminated. Permanently. He still hadn't gone back to collect the few things he still had there. Morgan had packed his things into a box and Aaron was going to bring them around for him, but he needed to feel confidant enough to do at least that him self, but for now here was here. Job interview. He didn't want to, but Floyd insisted. He had the bruises up his spine to prove it but yes he needed to get a job. Floyd made his dolls and sold them to various specialist places for vast amounts of money. Reid needed to contribute to household income too.

Well this wasn't the actual interview as such. It was a call back. They wanted to talk to him again. He sat and looked down at his hands, his hair falling down around his face in a protective curtain against the world. Against everything and everyone.

"Dr Reid. Can you come this way please?" a woman in flat black shoes led him to the door behind which he had his interview the previous day. He wanted to yawn – nerves – he wanted to smoke – he wanted a drink. All of these things building up now. A deep desire to escape.

He walked in and sat on the chair in front of the desk and looked down at his hands. Today he had his glasses on. Floyd said he looked more the part.

"Dr Reid. There thank you for coming back. There were a few more questions we would like to ask you."

A quick glance up. Surely he had answered everything last time.

"Would you be willing to take a drugs test?"

Reid stood. He could feel he was shaking so quickly put his hands in his pocket. "No I wouldn't. Why would you ask?"

"It's just that….."

Reid cut him off. "I am thin and look ill? That makes me someone dependent on illegal substances?"

"Dr Reid, I never said that." The head curator was now standing up too.

"You implied it. You want to test me for what? Heroin? Cocaine? Which one do you put me down for?" He wanted to pull his hands from his pocket and cross his arms tightly around himself. He wanted to be sick. He wanted to run away but where would that get him.

"We will get in touch with you Dr Reid. Thank you for dropping by."

He left in a rush from the room and made his way quickly out of the large museum. He hadn't wanted to work there anyway and he still had the other places he had been. He was waiting for a call from them.

Once out of the building he felt calmer. Drugs test? How dare they assume! It wasn't his fault he looked like this. It was just the way he looked. He found where he had parked his car and drove home wondering how he was going to break it to Floyd that he had walked out and lost the chance of a job. Once he had parked up he walked over to the elevator and called it. He took it to the laundry room floor and got out. Not in the mood to face Floyd right now. He walked over to the bean bag and slumped down. He pulled his messenger bag over to him and pulled off his jacket. Too hot down here for all the layers. He rolled up his off white shirt sleeves but left his grey sweater vest on. Today he was in tan cords. He lay his jacket on the floor next to him and opened up his bag. He slipped in his hand and pulled out the pot of pills. Floyd hated him taking these, but Floyd didn't have to know did he?

Three or four? He couldn't decide on the depth of despair he was feeling right now. Aaron was meant to be coming over later so he needed to be with it for then, but right now? Well right now he was realising that he would never get back the excitement he had experienced from working with the BAU. He had been there for so long – all his working life – how can working in a museum compare? Ever.

Four it was then. Well his back was in agony. But that had been his fault. Maybe not getting the job was his fault too. Getting kicked from the BAU had been. He was a failure.

He was just scrunching down on his little bit of heaven when the door swung open and some guys from the other end of the apartment walked in.

Spencer tried to stand up. He wanted to get away. He needed to get back to the elevator, but already the pills had taken away the use of his legs and as he heard the sniggering of the guys walking towards him all went black and he fell back again his struggle stripped from him by the drugs.

He could hear right in the back of his mind behind the fog and beyond the confusion words being shouted and then he felt them dragging him by his feet and pulling him off the bean bag. He felt pain in his ribs as he made involuntary 'umph' sounds as the air was kicked from his lungs. He felt his head being kicked and more pain in his back. Spencer wanted to defend himself. He wanted to call for Floyd, but all he could do was lay there and take the beating. Such was life. It seemed to Reid it was all he was made for. Blessed darkness finally came and Spencer stopped hurting. For a while.

…………………….

When he woke up Floyd was with him sitting on the edge of the bed. Reid could smell blood and opened a swollen eye and looked over at Floyd. He wanted to say something, but Flanders put a finger to his lip.

"It's OK hun. Don't talk – just sleep. It's all sorted." He ran gentle fingers through Reid's hair then leaned over and kissed him on the nose. "Now go back to sleep. You need to rest. I will call Aaron and see if he can come over early."

A small painful nod and he was drifting off again.

……………………

Aaron stood in the elevator and held the handle ready to open. Floyd had called almost hysterically enraged demanding Hotch came over as soon as possible. Someone had beaten Reid. 'No it wasn't me!' Floyd had insisted. He wasn't sure what to expect. This was a very unpredictable situation. He pulled open the door and stepped out straight into Floyd who was standing waiting for him.

"Where's Reid?" Hotch tried to push by Floyd.

"He's out of it. It's just us."

"You said he has been attacked. I want to see if he is alright."

"He is sleeping. He will be for a long time."

"But…." And now a finger on Aaron's lips.

"Shush."

Aaron stood and breathed in the heavy scent of this strange man who always seemed to get exactly what he wanted. He allowed him to remove his jacket and tie and put it over the back of a chair. He let Floyd undo his buttons and slide his hands over his chest.

Floyd however was multilayered again in a heavy waistcoat and dark jeans and a baggy white shirt. Aaron's hands worked on Floyd's waistcoat buttons with shaking fingers and Flanders ran his fingers slowly over Aaron's chest. Hotch pulled the garment down over Floyd's arms and let it drop to the floor and let out a small gasp. The white shirt was blood splattered. Arterial spray by the look of it, but that was nothing compared to the braces running from the top of his jeans and over his shoulders.

Flanders smiled and slowly pulled Aaron's shirt down over his arms and with a jerk the cuffs popped off his wrists.

"Are you – are you – sure Spencer is s s sleeping?"

Now hands unbuttoning his trousers and loosening his belt. They slip down over Aaron's hips and dropped to the floor. Immediately Floyd was on his knees running his fast fingers down Hotch's legs and guiding his feet out of the trouser legs. Shoes and socks were removed at the same time.

Flanders stood again and smiled. "I have a gift for you." He walked away and picked something up then returned. Hotch was looking again at the blood and a small warning bell began to ring only to be silenced by a quick kiss on the lips. "Let me put it on for you." Aaron ran his fingers across the braces Floyd was wearing and felt the hands tying something around his waist. "Are you alright there Aaron?"

"Yu hu. Fine fine."

"You want to check out Spence?"

"Um yes."

Floyd walked slowly to the bedroom holding Aaron by the hand. Hotch glanced down at the pale green and turquoise sarong Floyd had given him – small beads hanging off the hem and he grinned.

………………….

A/N Dedicated my sis who is Aggy and who is a life saver. :c)