The Call

Anais Nin: -People living deeply have no fear of death.

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.

The phone started ringing at eight thirty in the morning. Reid leaned over Hotch and picked up the receiver from the night stand phone.

"Reid." A pause. Climbing over Aaron. "When?" Alarmed look on his face. "How?!" pulling clothes up off the floor. "Yes, yes, I will be there as soon as I can." Listening. "Oh. Yes there is someone." Looking at Aaron. "How bad?" Pulling on trousers. "I see, yes I will be there. Thank you." Drops the phone on the floor and stands looking at Aaron.

"Spencer? What's happened? Is it your mother?" Getting out of bed and picking up sweat pants and a t shirt off the chair.

"No." Shaking his head. "Something has happened to Floyd." Looking down at the box of Floyd's belongings. "Aaron – I was going to throw all his things away." Hotch put a hand on Reid's shoulder.

"Spencer what has happened?"

"I don't know. They said there has been a serious incident and I was to come as soon as I could. To bring a friend. I am his next of kin."

Hotch quickly removed the clothes he had on and put on a suit.

"I will go alone. You stay here." Reid was wearing dark jeans and a white short sleeved shirt and was now pulling on a pair of dark boots. He walked almost at a run to the kitchen with Hotch right behind him. "Where are they?" Opening and drawers and slamming them shut. Finally picking up a handful of smokes and the small silver lighter.

"You can't go alone Spencer. I am coming with you." He watched Spencer light up and take a long draw from Floyd's smoke. "And why are you doing that? And remember that he can take bullets to the head and not get seriously damaged. So relax ok?"

Reid nodded chucked the smoke in the sink. "You're right, but I was going to get rid of his things Hotch. What the hell was I thinking?"

"You were going through the grieving process. It's normal." Standing in front of Spencer with his hands on Reid's shoulders.

Reid looked up into his eyes. "Yes it is normal, but Floyd isn't dead." A pause. "I hope." Then he pulled away from Hotch and ran to the bathroom. Aaron stood in the kitchen and listened to Reid bringing up the cups of coffee he had drunk and he sighed. All the deprogramming they had done and now in one fell swoop it was back to where it was.

………………………….

They were met in reception and asked to show ID. A guy in a suit came out to meet them and with a frown led them into his office. The three of them sat. Aaron made sure he was within touching distance of Spencer. Spencer made sure the door wasn't directly behind him.

"Dr Reid. I am sorry to have to call you down here, but as I said on the telephone there has been a serious incident involving Mr Franks."

Reid nodded. Aaron wanted to reach over and hold his hand. He looked at the pale face and the way he swallowed and the twisting of his hands.

"Last night at some point it seems Mr Franks got hold of a knife."

"Oh." Reid thought he was going to be sick again. The images of what Floyd could do if he got hold of a knife swam through his head. Had he skinned someone? Sliced the guards? Spencer could feel his stomach twisting in panic.

"As you may or may not know Mr Franks was not on suicide watch as there had been no previous attempts to take his own life."

A nod from Reid and suddenly the imagery changed and out of the corner of his eye he saw Aaron move his chair closer and felt a hand on his and felt those soft caring hands holding on tightly.

"During early evening Mr Franks took his own life."

Hotch's stomach now did the churning twist. Reid stared back unblinking at the man. "T took his own l l life?"

"Dr Reid we need you to identify his body for legal purposes before we can release the body for burial."

Reid was shaking his head. "He can't be dead. That just isn't possible. He can't die. I need him. How? What did he do?"

"I am very sorry Dr Reid." He was looking at Aaron now. "He cut his own throat. I am very sorry."

Aaron was squeezing Spencer's hand hard. He could feel a small prickling behind his eyes. He had no idea how Reid must be feeling.

Reid just said. "He can't be dead." In a voice so quiet you could barely hear him.

The man in the suit stood. "If you would like to follow me I will take you to him. Then you can either sign the papers and let us deal with everything or you may arrange collection."

"I see. Arrange collection." Spencer pulled his hand out of Aaron's grip and stood. "Thank you. I would like to see him now."

They were led down a corridor to a room at the end with double doors and frosted glass. "I can take you in here, or you can watch from the viewing room." They were told. Reid just nodded in the direction of the door and the three of them entered. Spencer had been in enough rooms like this for it not to phase them, but somehow this felt different. They followed the man to a cold drawer in the wall. He checked the name on the front and pulled it open. "I will leave you two for a few minutes." The suit walked away.

Floyd's face was almost pure white. Spencer reached down and ran his fingers over the cold skin. "I don't believe this. This is some kind of twisted nightmare. Wake up hun." Fingers running through Floyd's hair.

Aaron couldn't take his eyes off the mark on Floyd's neck. "What was he thinking of? Why?" And now Aaron was running fingers over the cold hard body. Down his arm to the hand. Hotch's other arm he wrapped tightly around Reid. He could feel his body shaking under his grip. Floyd's special smell had been washed away. He smelt of disinfectant and prison.

…………………………

Arrangements were made.

Aaron filled in the forms and got Spencer to sign the right bits.

…………………………

They didn't invite anyone to the funeral they had arranged. They wanted this strictly private. Who else would have come? Morgan? HUH! I expect he was dancing a merry jig.

The casket was delivered to the apartment for the last evening they would spend the three of them. They had handed over some of Floyd's clothes. At least he would look right and it would cover up the smell somewhat. He was in a high necked white shirt with braces and his heavy waistcoat with dark jeans. They made sure he had his boots on and had recovered his ring which they put back onto his finger. They slipped some of his special drugs into his pocket put a cheroot and a silver lighter in the other. Reid found his hat and put his glasses in his breast pocket.

Reid stood and looked down at Floyd. He smoked a cheroot in his memory blowing the smoke in his face to get that special smell back to the cold form in the wooden box. Aaron and Reid had a drink of whisky and stood holding hands.

Aaron leaned over the body and touched his fingers to those lips. "Night friend." Was all he managed to say he could feel his voice breaking. This man he had hated for so long he now wanted back.

He stood back to let Reid say his goodbyes.

Spencer leaned forwards and gently kissed Floyd on his cold lips. "Goodnight hun."

"Goodnight Babes." A grin.

Somerset Maugham: - Dying is a very dull, dreary affair. And my advice to you is to have nothing whatever to do with it.

A/N: This IS now the end. Really it is…More to follow in new fic….but this done. Thank you all for reading and reviewing!!!

HotH