The X Files

Hatochiisai

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Criminal Minds, OR the X Files

Hotch/Reid

Chapter 9

Scully knocked softly on the door, and then she and Mulder stepped in. They looked around.

The BAU was keeping a silent vigil over their young comrade. Hotch was sitting in a chair, holding Reid's hand. Morgan sat against the wall, his arm around Penelope Garcia who had flown out the day after Reid was pronounced as comatose. JJ was sitting by the window, staring out at the golden sky as the sun prepared to set. Her eyes were red and puffy. Rossi was standing by the bed staring down at Reid, but he sighed and turned away when the X Files Agents came in. Prentiss looked up from where she was curled up in a chair, half asleep.

"How is he?" Scully asked softly, taking Reid's hand in hers and gently stroking the skin.

"… He's stabilizing." Rossi sighed, glancing at Hotch who simply sat and stared at Reid's face. The man held Reid's fingers in one hand, and was stroking Reid's hair with the other. Just like he had been doing for the past two weeks.

"Any sign of him?" JJ asked.

"No." Mulder said, frowning. "Nagi Naoe has… vanished."

"You won't find him." Garcia said, softly. Mulder looked at her.

"Did you find something?"

"… I found Schwartz." Garcia said, and pulled out her laptop. Mulder and Scully walked over to see what she had. "From what I can see… they're assassins for hire. They go by code names. Oracle, Mastermind, Berserker. And recently added, Prodigy."

"Bradley Crawford is Oracle." Mulder murmured. "He's a precognitive. Schuldig, the telepath, is the Mastermind. And the Berserker?"

"No real name that I can find." Garcia said. "But they claim that he doesn't feel pain."

"So Nagi Naoe is Prodigy." Scully said. "Are they freelance?"

"No… I don't know who is in charge of them, but someone is pulling the strings." The woman said, looking at Mulder and Scully. "and they operate in Europe and Asia. Especially in Japan and Germany. I'm gonna guess that they're going to be headed back there. I don't think you'll catch them."

"… So that's it then." Mulder sighed, shaking his head. He looked back at the bed and at the delicate form in it. "… They're just gonna get away with this…" He walked over and stared down at Reid, grief on his face. He had truly enjoyed the week he had spent working with the eager young genius. The boy was genuinely interested in everything that Mulder had to say… such a thirst to learn… In infuriated him that this had happened to the boy… and the men responsible would get away…

Hotch awoke when the door opened. He turned and watched Dr. McKay walk in. She smiled at him. Hotch glanced at the clock. It took a moment, but then he realized that as of three hours ago, it had been three weeks. Three weeks since Reid had fallen into the coma.

"Agent Hotchner." Dr. McKay said. "I think that in a week, we will be prepared to move Dr. Reid to a facility in Virginia, per your request. He's as stable as he's going to get." Hotch nodded, turning and gently caressing the boy's face, then laying his hand down on Reid's bare chest, feeling his heart gently thumping against his ribs.

"… His other injuries are all healing well." Dr. McKay said after a moment, wanting to give this man as much good news as she could… She admired his devotion to his Agent. The rest of the Agents had reluctantly returned to Quantico when the Section Chief had ordered them to. But Hotch had refused. And he made it clear that he would quit his job if it would force him from Spencer Reid's side. He would stay with Reid until the boy was settled in a hospital near Quantico, and only then would he return to work.

"His fractured ribs look good, and his bruising is almost gone. His vitals are strong. Good pulse, blood work is beautiful. We even ran a urinalysis this morning. Everything looks fantastic." Dr. McKay continued. Hotch didn't respond. She sighed and walked over, laying a hand on the man's shoulder. But she said nothing. What could she say? Reid's body may be healing, but the specialist had confirmed her suspicions. Reid was in a coma, and there was no way to predict when he would wake from it… IF he ever did…

Dr. McKay sighed and left the room, leaving Agent Hotchner to sit and maintain his vigil.

No one noticed the boy walking down the white hallway of the hospital. He walked up to the desk and stared at the back of the head of the nurse before him and closed his eyes. He sifted through information… When he got the room number, he turned and headed on his way. He passed several people. No one saw him. He had made sure to touch their minds and make himself invisible.

Finally, he reached the room. He reached out with a pale hand, and pushed the door open. He stepped in and closed it.

He stared silently at Agent Hotchner. The man was asleep in a chair beside the bed. Slowly, Nagi made his way across the room and around to the other side of the bed. Then he looked down at Spencer Reid and sighed.

"You." Hotch hissed. Nagi looked up and stared at the man. He stood.

"I'm not here to hurt him." Nagi said.

"You did this to him." Hotch growled eyes blazing in protective fury.

"… I'm sorry." Nagi said softly. "I've come to fix my mistake."

"… What do you mean?"

"It's my fault his mind is locked away. I'm here to set it free." Nagi said.

"How?"

"I have to go in and find it." Nagi said calmly.

"… Take me with you." Hotch said, staring Nagi in the eye.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." Hotch said. Nagi sighed, then nodded. A moment later, the door opened.

"About time." Nagi snorted. Hotch turned, and stared.

"YOU!"

"Me." Schuldig said with a smirk. "I don't want to be here any more than you want me here."

"This is YOUR fault." Nagi snapped. "You're going to help me fix it."

"Yeah, yeah. I know." Schuldig said, rolling his eyes and laying a hand on Nagi's shoulder. He closed his eyes, took in a deep, then slowly let it out. "Okay, I'm ready. Let's wake Sleeping Beauty." Nagi sighed and reached out, laying one hand on Reid's forehead, and his other on Hotch's hand. He closed his eyes, and Hotch gasped as he felt like he was being sucked through a dark tube…

A moment later, he opened his eyes. He and Nagi stood side by side in a vast dark abyss.

"… Where are we?" Hotch asked.

"… In your Agent's mind." Nagi said, looking around. "… I've never been in a comatose mind before…"

"… Do you have any idea what you're doing?"

"… Improvising." Nagi said.

"… What are we doing then?!"

"We need to probe into his mind. And search for him. Schuldig will make sure we don't get lost or trapped." Nagi said, and began walking. Hotch blinked and followed. He looked around, frowning. He never wanted to have anything to do with Mulder and Scully's X Files again… this was too much.

They made their way through the darkness for what felt like hours. Hotch didn't like it. Not at all. It felt like it was getting colder and darker with each passing minute. He was getting tired. He could tell that Nagi was, too. But neither suggested stopping. Hotch was beginning to feel a grudging respect for the boy. He still seemed determined to find Reid. And Hotch hated to admit it, but Nagi was his only hope to get Reid back…

Reid… Spencer… Hotch sighed. Why did everything happen to him? Why had he been unable to protect him?!

"There." Nagi said, softly. Hotch jerked himself out of his train of thoughts and stared up ahead of them.

"… What the hell is that?!" He breathed, his eyes slowly growing wider.

"… I'm not sure." Nagi admitted. "I don't know what a coma looks like. But that could be it."

Before them was a transparent orb floating in the air. It had dark swirls in it, like marble. These dark swirls seemed to reach into the orb itself… it became strands of material looking almost like liquid obsidian. And these strands of material were wrapped around a thin pale body, holding it suspended within this strange bubble. Reid hung head down, his body at a rough forty five degree angle. His limbs were held up and back at awkward angles from his body, the black material coiled up his arms and legs, and larger bolts of the material were wrapped around his hips and chest.

Hotch slowly stepped forward, staring up at the boy. His hair fell in loose tangles around his pale face and his thick lashes rested on his cheek. Pale pink lips were slightly parted, and he looked… sad.

"How do we get him down?" Hotch asked. Nagi blinked, then turned and stared off into space. A moment later, he turned back.

"Schuldig says that this is only the shell. First, we have to release him from a deeper place." He said, then placed a hand on Hotch's shoulder. "Hold on." And the darkness around them faded and swirled. Then it all came back into focus. Hotch frowned.

"What is that?" He asked. Before them was a small, concrete cube with a single door in it. The door had one small window, and it was barred.

"That's what we have to break him out of." Nagi said. Hotch looked at him, then turned and ran to the box. He reached the door and peered in. Inside, a harsh white light was glaring down onto the padded walls. Hotch heard a whimper, and his eyes darted to the far corner. And his heart broke.

Reid was curled up in the corner, wrapped up in a straight jacket. He was rocking himself and crying, his entire body trembling. Hotch seized the door latch and rattled it, but it was locked. Reid let out a frightened cry and jumped, burying his face into his knees as his body was wracked with dry sobs.

"Spencer!" Hotch called out to him. "Spencer! It's okay! It's me! Aaron!" He turned and looked at Nagi. "Can't you… blast this door down?" Nagi blinked.

"… We're in his mental plane. I can only enter it! I can't manipulate things in here!" Nagi exclaimed, acting as though Hotch should have known that.

Hotch groaned. He turned and eyed the door.

"… Can I kick it down? Or will it hurt him?" He asked.

"… I don't know. But we have to get him out or he'll never wake up." Nagi said. Hotch nodded.

"Alright then." He said, then raised his foot and placed a practiced kick into the door. Reid cried out at the impact, and Hotch could hear him sobbing hysterically. He growled to himself, and kicked it again, harder. Reid's cries fueled him. He was not going to let this door keep him from his Agent… the boy needed him… And dammit, he was going to be there for him. With a loud roar of challenge at the door, one more kick defeated it. The door splintered and fell in. Hotch quickly ducked through the doorway and fell to his knees beside his hysterical Agent.

"Reid!" He gasped, grabbing the boy's shoulders and pulling him up to face him. "Spencer…" Reid stared at him, eyes wide and panicked.

"… Aaron?" He gasped.

"Yes." Hotch said with a smile.

"… Why am I here?! I… I'm not crazy! I'm not!"

"Shhh… Hey… Hey… It's okay. I'm here to get you out…"

"Promise?!" Reid asked, his voice high and bordering hysterical. Hotch nodded.

"Turn around." He said, and Reid turned, sitting on his knees. Relieved tears rolled down his face as he felt Hotch working at the straight jacket. And a moment later, his arms fell away from his sides. Hotch helped Reid to his feet and stripped the jacket from his lover's body, hurling it aside. "Come on." He said, and guided Reid out of the cell. But as soon as they crossed the threshold, Reid vanished.

"… What… where?!"

"Behind you." Nagi said. Hotch turned and stared up. They were back before the glasslike bubble with Reid's nude form suspended within.

"Schuldig says that this is the prison that the coma is keeping him in… the other was the prison built by his own mind to keep it from being lost." Nagi said.

"How do we free him from that?" Hotch asked, looking up at the orb.

"… I don't know. Schuldig doesn't know either." Nagi said. Then he frowned and eyed Hotch up and down. "You kicked down the door. Maybe you could shoot through that." Hotch blinked at the boy, then looked down. Sure enough, there was a gun at his hip. He blinked.

"Apparently, his mind equates that as a part of you." Nagi said. "Look at you. This is how he sees you. You weren't dressed like this in the hospital room."

Hotch blinked and then realized that Nagi was right. He had been in jeans and a t shirt in the hospital room. Now he was in his suit, with his guns, and his little FBI ID tag pinned to his front. He turned back to the orb, and stared. He could see himself in it. His reflection. His eyes widened and he slowly drew closer.

"That… that's how he sees me?!" He gasped. He hardly recognized himself! He looked… well… amazing! "… I look like a Greek God in a business suit!" He blurted, and Nagi smiled slightly in amusement. The man was clearly both flattered, baffled and embarrassed.

"And you probably see him differently than how he sees himself. We all see ourselves as being less attractive than our significant other sees us as being." Nagi said. "You gonna get him down?"

Hotch blinked, then stepped back, pulling his side arm. He raised it, and fired.

The sound of shattering glass was accompanied by shards flying everywhere. Hotch pulled the trigger again and again and again, watching as cracks spread out across the orb. When his gun was empty, he lowered it. He could see and hear the cracks continuing to form… Then, the globe shattered completely. The glistening fabric seemed to melt away, and Reid's body fell. Hotch moved, and a moment later the boy fell into the man's outstretched arms. Nagi watched in silence as the man gathered the body and held it close, speaking softly to the boy.

"… We have to go." Nagi said. "We set him free. Now we wait. Schuldig says he'll wake in his own time. But it will take him a while to gather the strength to do so."

"I'm not leaving him here." Hotch said, staring down into Reid's face.

"… You can't do anything for him now. We've done our part." Nagi said. "Look around. It's already getting warmer and lighter. There's nothing more we can do in here. And as he wakes, his mind will become dangerous for us to stay in. We're in it too deep. We HAVE to go or we could be trapped. For good."

"… Alright." Hotch sighed, and gently lay Reid down. He smoothed the boy's hair out of his face, then took off his jacket and draped it over Reid's inert form. Nagi placed a hand on Hotch's shoulder, and the world spun.

When Hotch opened his eyes, he was back in the hospital room. Slowly, he turned and looked at Nagi and Schuldig.

"Tell the doctors that he's showing signs of waking up." Nagi said. "He'll be okay."

"… Thank you." Hotch breathed, looking slightly confused. "But… why?"

"I've seen into his mind." Nagi said. "And he's a good person. I didn't want to hurt him. But he was a threat. But I did this to him. So I had to fix it. I have. Now I have to go."

"You know I can't let you." Hotch said.

"… And you know you can't stop me." Nagi said. Hotch didn't reply. "When he wakes… tell him I said goodbye. And that I'm sorry. And… tell him I said thank you." And Hotch watched as Nagi and Schuldig walked out of the room, unnoticed by the hospital staff. Hotch wanted to chase after them, but in his heart he knew it was pointless. He wouldn't be able bring them in.

Instead, he turned and slowly sat down on the edge of the bed, reaching up and gently stroking his lover's face. And under his fingers, he felt a twitch. Hotch stared, then slowly smiled.

"… Come on, Spencer." He called, gently. "Wake up…" And he turned and left the room to get the doctor.