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No matter under what the circumstances you leave it, home does not cease to be home. No matter how you lived there – well or poorly

Joseph Brodsky

"It was going so great," Morgan stressed enthusiastically. "Dinner, dancing, slow dancing, I might add, then we're at my place and I'm looking at a home run, hell a grand slam, and I'm this close," he moved his thumb and forefinger mere centimeters apart; "Then the phone rings and it's JJ."

Reid stood on the other side of the elevator yawning at being called in at 2 am, an expression of mock sympathy on his face as he scratched his chin. He crossed his arms in front of him. "I feel for you Morgan, I really do."

"She said we didn't need our go bag, so it must be in the area." Morgan surmised, as the elevator opened on the sixth floor.

Reid's cell rang just as they were about to open the glass doors of the BAU. He looked at the call display, his eyes widening and a look of concern rather than surprise crossed his face.

"What is it?" Morgan asked, noticing the look.

"A 702 area code, it's from Las Vegas, but it's not from Bennington. At this hour, it can't be good. Tell them I'll be right in," he said as he opened his phone, "Dr. Reid."

"Dr. Reid, this is Dr. Hal Sutton from Summerlin Hospital Medical Center." Reid's heart jumped to his throat at the man's words. Surely Bennington would have called him if something was wrong with his mother. "Dr. Reid," the man said when there was no response.

"Yes," Reid found himself squeaking.

"I'm sorry to call you at this hour, I know it's the middle of the night there, but we had a beating victim admitted earlier tonight and you are listed as being next of kin." The voice over the phone told him.

"A beating… " Had one of the patient's got unexpectedly violent… "Is… is it my mother, Dianna Reid?" Reid held his breath for the response.

"No," the doctor responded. "The man is William Reid and you are named as next of kin."

Reid released the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. After a few moments he spoke into the phone. "That's my dad." He told the man. "Is… is he okay?"

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A little blonde haired blue eyed girl's picture appeared on the screen. She looked to be about six, Emily thought as she took her seat. "Where's Reid?"

"He just got a call from Vegas," Morgan told them as he got some coffee. "I don't think that can be good news at this time of night. Missing kid?" He said as he sat down.

"Yes," JJ informed them. "Kimberly Westcott, age six disappeared tonight from her home in McLean. Her father was the last to go to bed about midnight, checked on her before he did and when her mother got up shortly after one to go to the bathroom, she looked in and Kimberly was gone. The Westcotts looked around the house because Kimberly has been known to sleep walk, but she wasn't there. The alarm was still on so the only way she could have gotten out was through one of the windows. She has left the house before while sleeping, that's the main reason they got the alarm. So, Mr. and Mrs. Westcott went out and scoured the area but could find no sign of her. They called the police and the police did a much wider grid search, but have come up empty so they called us."

"Do they suspect foul play?" Rossi asked.

"I don't know if they know what to think." Hotch said. "But the grid search covered an area far larger than a six year old would be able to cover in that amount of time."

"Has anyone looked into the parents?" Emily asked.

"They're doing that now," JJ replied.

"Garcia," Hotch said.

"On it sir," Garcia rose from her seat and headed for her computers that would tell her everything there was to know about the Westcotts. She passed Reid in the hallway, still talking on the phone.

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"Your father sustained some rather serious injuries," Dr. Sutton explained. "He was almost strangled and he has five stab wounds some involving major organs. He made it through surgery okay but there are some decisions that have to be made."

"Decisions," Reid said.

"Dr. Reid, your father is in critical condition. He's in a coma. Due to the pressure on his trachea we had had to intubate with a tracheostomy. He also has fractures to numerous ribs and his lung was one of the organs damaged in the attack. He's hemorrhaged into both the thoracic and abdominal cavities and has lost a great deal of blood. It was fortunate that a neighbor came out to empty his garbage at the moment he did and the attacker ran away or I would be informing you of his death. We have a ventilator inflating his collapsed lung and he is getting blood transfusions. His spleen was removed and one of his kidneys was also badly damaged. We repaired it as best we could. Luckily, one can survive without a spleen and with only one kidney." He paused for a moment. "The prognosis, I'm sad to say, is uncertain and, in the absence of a living will, we have no idea as to his wishes regarding a situation such as he is in now should his condition remain unchanged. That is the decision you, as next of kin, need to make. He has a lawyer friend who has power of attorney over legal and work related affairs, but he has no say in medical matters."

"Okay, thank you Dr. Sutton, I'll get back to you as soon as I can." Reid closed his phone and headed into the BAU.

"We should figure out who knows that she sleepwalks," Emily was saying when Reid walked into the room and saw the picture of the little girl on the screen.

"Missing kid," he said as he sat down and perused the file. "Emily's right, we need to know who else knows she sleepwalks. I mean that gave the unsub about an hour's head start while the parents searched the neighborhood, presuming she'd been somnambulating."

"I love it when you use the big words," Emily said.

"Everything okay Reid?" Morgan asked.

"My dad… my dad was badly beaten last night and he's in a coma. I'm listed as next of kin and they want me to make decisions if it should come to that because he doesn't have a living will."

"Then what are you doing here?" Hotch removed the file from in front of him. "Go, get to Vegas and do what needs doing for your dad."

"I don't know what to do. I don't know what he'd want." Reid admitted.

"You're not going to figure that out sitting here." Rossi opined. "Go, do what you have to. Say," he stressed the word, "what you have to say."

"But what about…" Reid's hand gestured to the child on the screen

"We've managed to get through cases without you before." Morgan said with a smile before his face became serious. "Rossi and Hotch are right, get outta here, and if something happens and your mom has to find out, better she find out from you."

Hotch picked up his cell while Reid just nodded as he grabbed his messenger bag and headed for the door, only to be met by JJ. She made a move to give him a hug but he brusquely waved her off. She did her best not to look offended and said only, "Take care of yourself and your dad. Don't worry about us, we've got this."

"Garcia's getting you booked on a flight and a hotel room." Hotch said as he closed his cell. "Take all the time you need."

Reid headed down the stairs and through the bullpen. He hated going home.