A/N: I think everyone who stuck with it and sent me all those reviews to keep writing deserve another chapter.

P.S. Has not been beta'd yet.

Fate

Chapter 15: One Last Thing

Sheriff Pryce had asked that we bring Reid in to make a statement. After that we were free to take him back to Quantico. He would have to come back for the trial, but that would be months away. Now we just wanted to get him home and get him on the road to recovery. We just had to get him through that interview.

I knew he was nervous. He had to relay his horror story to a complete stranger. I wouldn't even know where to start if I was in his shoes. How could he make anyone understand what had happened?

He had to face this regardless of how hard it would be, so I tried to coax a good breakfast into him before sending him off with a good luck and a promise that we'd leave right after he got back. He wrapped his arms around his middle while following Gideon through the door. Morgan and I watched, both hoping that he would be ok.

After they left we began packing our stuff up so we would be ready to go. That only took a fraction of the time that we knew they would be gone. We were feeling just a little cooped up in the hotel rooms so we walked to the nearest coffee shop. We walked, ordered our coffee and found a table in silence. I would have preferred some mindless chatting rather than my own thoughts. Or at least I would have until Morgan opened his mouth.

"What happened last night?"

I thought about the question for a moment, not wanting to expose Reid's nightmare. "What do you mean?" I asked slowly, gauging his reaction.

Now it was his turn to watch and wait. He sighed, knowing that I wasn't offering anything up for free, "I heard you guys last night."

"So?"

Now he was getting frustrated, "So... what happened? You know, I care about him too. I know you and Gideon are keeping something from me. I get that. I can even understand it. I know you've got his best interests in mind, but come on Hotch! I want to help him too. Why won't you let me?"

"It's complicated."

"No. It's really not. I know the last year and a half hasn't been a picnic for him and I've worked this job long enough to know that people can do some bad stuff to each other."

"It's different."

"Yeah, because it's Reid. I'm not that naive, Hotch. I know this isn't going to be pleasant for any of us."

"You know how private he is. I think he deserves whatever control we can give him."

"He can't do this on his own."

"And he doesn't have to. I'll be there. Nobody else needs to know his business, not even you. You're curious, Morgan." He clenched his teeth and looked away, not liking what I was saying. I continued anyway, "You want to know everything because you think it will make it easier for you to help him, but you don't need to have all of the information to do that. Just be there when he needs you."

He let out a loud breath and stared straight in my eyes, "Some people don't walk away from stuff like this."

"I know."

"I don't want that to happen to him."

"We don't have any control over that." It frightened me to say that, but I knew it was true. If Reid didn't want to come away from this, then he wasn't going to, no matter how much we wanted it. "We just have to be there and hope for the best."

He looked away again, but I could see that he was having trouble keeping his emotions in check. I looked down at my drink to give him some privacy. It wasn't real if I didn't see it. He'd just deny it anyway.

After all, Derek Morgan didn't cry.

We had enough time to drink our coffee, walk back, and putter around the rooms before the other two agents returned. Gideon and Reid came back the same way they left; only Reid looked much paler.

"How'd it go?" was the first thing that came to my mind.

Gideon answered with a tight frown and a slight shake of his head.

Reid just ignored the question, "Can... can we go now?" The words were quiet and he sounded tired.

I looked to Gideon. I wanted nothing more than to get him away from this place, but Gideon had implied that the meeting with the sheriff hadn't gone well. I wouldn't risk the case against Sibly by whisking Reid away before all of the loose ends were tied up. It would be better for him to deal with this now instead of letting it drag on.

This time I got a nod from the older man.

"Yeah. Let's get out of here." Reid didn't even look relieved. God, giving that statement must have been hard.

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