The Letters Series featuring Gideon, Hotch, & Reid

by Kuria Dalmatia

There's only one person in the BAU whom Gideon attempts to maintain contact with, but his letters go unanswered until the Reaper resurfaces in Boston. Set during S3, S4 with AU for 5x01. Gideon, Hotch, Reid, Hotch/Reid

2. Chapter 2: Vellum

Title: Vellum

Author: Kuria Dalmatia

Rating: FRT, PG

Pairing: Hotch (Gideon, Reid)

Summary: Hotch isn't sure what emotion washes over him: anger, envy, protectiveness, fury, unfathomable hurt, unadulterated relief.

Word Count: ~750

ARCHIVING: my LJ... anyone else? Please ask first.

SERIES: Criminal Minds

Feedback always welcome.

DISCLAIMER: The Mark Gordon Company, ABC Studios and CBS Paramount Network Television own Criminal Minds. Salut! I just took them out to play and I promise put them back when I'm done. I'm not making any profit just trying to get these images out of my head.

TIMELINE/SPOILERS: late 3rd season.

Thanks to Pabzi for the encouragement.

***/***

The list of items to be gathered from Reid's apartment is short: a change of clothing from the bedroom closet, eyeglasses and case from the nightstand, and the sheaf of paper and Mont Blanc pen from the desk.

Of all the things to put Reid in the hospital, a car accident on his day off seems so... wrong.

Hotch packs the items into the leather go bag he'd given Reid last Christmas (honestly, Reid's hard-sided suitcase just had to be retired). He plucks the two poly-bagged magazines from the nightstand as well - Journal of Experimental Psychology and Foundation: The International Review of Science Fiction - because obviously Reid hasn't had time to read them. Hotch then laughs. It will take Reid perhaps 10 minutes to devour both.

It's the though that counts, Hotch reasons as he leaves the impossibly neat bedroom and heads towards the explosion that is Reid's desk.

Once there, Hotch cautiously sorts through the stack of papers, searching for the specific pack of paper and Mont Blanc pen. The latter is easy to locate. Picking it up, a wave of irrational envy hits Hotch because the pen is exquisite and obviously a gift. A very, very expensive gift.

He slides the pen into his breast pocket, telling himself that he doesn't want to get it lost in the go bag. He shifts through envelopes from Brown, Cornell, Cal-Tech, Harvard, UPenn, Yale…

Hotch wonders just how many offers Reid receives in a month. From the postmarks, these letters are from the last two weeks alone. He sighs as he realizes just why Reid had specifically asked him to retrieve his personal items. He smiles as he continues to dig, the quote about discretion and valor floating in his head.

Then, he sees it.

The innocuous beige vellum envelope with very distinctive writing.

The go bag drops to the floor.

Hotch isn't sure what emotion washes over him: anger, envy, protectiveness, fury, unfathomable hurt, unadulterated relief. He closes his eyes.

"Jason," he breathes as his fingers glide along the top of the unopened envelope.

God knows, Hotch had tried to track him during those first few months. He had enlisted Garcia's help (unofficially, of course) and they had gotten as far as Butte, Montana before he had called it off after he had recognized the pattern.

He remembers Garcia whispering, "Gideon's revisiting cases, isn't he?"

Hotch had nodded grimly as he had stared at the screen.

"I have an address," she had said before scribbling on purple Post-It note using a lime green pen.

Hotch had thanked her and had gone back to his office. His own letter to Jason had been short. He has never received a response. His letter has never been returned either.

He pushes those thoughts to the side as he continues his search, resisting the urge to examine the envelope for a postmark or return address. Still, he wonders if this is Reid's subtle way of (finally) wanting to talk about Jason.

Maybe.

Maybe Reid doesn't even know the letter is there. After all, it is mixed in with a bunch of letters from various universities.

He finally locates the cream-colored linen paper, hiding in one of the desk drawers instead of on top like Reid had told him. The paper is still in the original, sealed slim box. As Hotch pulls it out, he catches a glimpse of more beige vellum in the back of the drawer. His mouth drops open; he can't stop himself from reaching in and pulling the letters out. They are tied in a bundle. Fourteen all have the same return address and all postmarked within the last three months.

All unopened.

He slips them back into the drawer and closes it.

***/***