A/N: Okay, here's the next chapter. So far there are three chapters that I'm in love with. This is the first. But please don't let that stop you from making any correction or criticisms. Enjoy!
Fate
Chapter 4: Home Sweet Home (Part 1)
The ride over to where Reid had been kept seemed to take forever. The house was on the outskirts of the city, having little to no view by the public and few neighbors. I sat in the backseat of the sheriff's vehicle watching the scenery go by, grateful that there were neighbors or else Reid may not have been found.
The house itself was ordinary. It was one story and painted blue. There was a small porch with well taken care of flower beds on either side. It looked like any other middle class home, but I shuddered as I thought of the horrors that had taken place within those walls. I couldn't even grasp what Reid had felt, the terror of being locked away, not being able to get free, not knowing if anyone would help.
Sheriff Pryce lead us around to the side of the house where I could immediately see Reid's attempts to escape. A window was shattered, but not one piece of glass had fallen out. I shot a questioning look to Pryce.
"A security company down here makes the glass. It's expensive, but damn near unbreakable. One of the marketing strategies is how much noise it makes when someone's trying to break in. I don't think Sibly planned on that working against him." Pryce explained. He motioned back towards the front of the house and said, "I'll take you all inside now."
I nodded in reply, but had to take a deep breath to calm my nerves. There were times when I was hesitant to go into crime scenes, but never to this extent. Everything in me was screaming that I didn't need to see this, that I didn't want to see this. However, there was the need to know. It's shameful to say, but I was curious. Most of me wanted to live in the last amount of blissful ignorance I could get from this whole situation, but part of me needed to know.
Simply put... I needed to know. I needed to know what Reid saw when he woke up every morning, realizing that he was still in Hell. I needed to see any remnant of how he passed the time. I needed to see where he ate and where he slept. I just... I needed to know. Because hopefully, it could help me to help him.
The first thing I noticed was how immaculate the place was. Besides the area near the window, the place was clean, even sterile. Everything had its place and there was no clutter or dust to speak of. From the drawers and cupboards in my view I could see that each was labeled. I heard Gideon whisper, "OCD."
We had come through the front door into a mud room, which lead into the living room where we were now. Pryce said that the officers had to bust through both doors to get to Reid. My eyes scanned the three other doors which lead out of the living room. There were triple locks on each, identical to the doors we came through.
I was slightly relieved when I saw the large television and crammed bookshelves. At least Reid had something to occupy himself. Not that I think it would have made this any more bearable for him. I heard Gideon sigh softly and my gaze followed his down to the floor. My stomach did a flip when I saw it. I shouldn't have been surprised. We knew he had been restrained, but I wasn't expecting to see it. A large metal eyehook had been bolted to the middle of the floor and a length of chain had been attached to it. A lock able clip was on the end of the chain.
I watched as Gideon took hold of the free end of the chain and drew it out to its maximum length. It couldn't have been more than a few feet. It would have allowed Reid to reach the television, the rack of DVDs next to it, and the bookshelves. I took the offensive piece of metal from Gideon and walked towards the windows. It didn't reach. "Sibly didn't chain him down today. That must be why Reid hadn't tried the windows until now," I murmured.
Gideon nodded then stated, "I wonder why he didn't take the same precautions this morning. He wouldn't have underestimated Reid. The chains, the windows. Sibly planned this down to a tee. He knew what Reid was capable of. Why did that change? What made him get sloppy all of a sudden?"
"I don't know." I replied. "I don't know." I don't think either of us really wanted to wrap our heads around this. We were too close and that made it too painful.
Against my better judgment I continued to examine the room. I picked out a bottle of water and a bag of pretzels on the coffee table. That drew my attention back to the locked doors.
"God... he treated him like a puppy." The words should have caused me outrage, but all I could muster was sadness and mild disgust. At Gideon's inquisitive look, I motioned towards the table, "Reid couldn't get to the kitchen. All of the doors are locked. Sibly must have fed him in the morning, chained him up, and left him a snack before he went to work. The same thing with the bathroom!"
By now I'd worked myself up to anger. Anger at Sibly for taking my genius and anger at my team for not being able to find him, for leaving him here, chained to the floor. I could hear Gideon telling me to calm down, to breathe, but I didn't want to listen. How could we have left him here? How did he survive this?
I could feel a hand on my shoulder and I heard Gideon whisper to go outside and get some air. He gently pushed me through the doors and onto the porch where I sat down heavily on the steps. I put my face in my hands and I broke down. I cried for Reid and this whole messed up situation. I cried, and I didn't care who saw.
Gideon's hand never left my shoulder, just moved down to pat my back. I was never one to let myself receive this kind of attention and Gideon was rarely one to give it, but I didn't care. I had never let myself lose it after Reid disappeared, choosing to deny that we wouldn't see him again. Now I wish I had. Maybe then it wouldn't have all built up until I was left crying on the steps of a crime scene in Iowa. I would be embarrassed by this later, but for now I'm sure it's what I need.
After I had regained most of my composure I asked how we had let this happen.
Gideon's voice was gruff in a tough love sort of way, "We didn't let this happen. We had no control over this."
"We should have found him."
"We did everything we could."
"It wasn't enough."
"It can't always be enough, Hotch. You know that."
I nodded, knowing he was right, but feeling miserable about it anyway.
I figured now was as good a time as any to tell him what the doctor had told me. No matter when or where I told Gideon it wouldn't make the news any better, and I needed to get it off my chest.
"Gideon."
"Yeah?"
"When... when I told you Reid's doctor only wanted to talk to me because it was hospital policy... I lied." He stayed silent, but I couldn't bring myself to look at him. So I continued, telling him everything I had been told, waiting to see how he would react.
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