Wow, more than 1,000 hits after the update, which was only a few hours old at the time, and now this story has broken over 100 favorites and just under 100 alerts.
Thank you, everyone one of you, for making this my most successful story I've written.
A single father who had several children, had managed to physically abuse every single one of them as they grew up. When they were old enough, he kicked them out. After some years passing, he began to hunt them down, one by one, to make them relive their awful childhood before killing them, most of them, however, he has yet to reach.
This was going to be a tough case, especially for the BAU's youngest.
"Reid, are you okay?" Hotch asked, noticing how much paler the young man had become after opening his case file. Aaron was tempted to ask him if he wanted to sit this one out, but he also knew that Spencer hated being alone, and he would probably rather be with the team, despite what this case was about.
"Yeah, I'm, uh, I'm fine." He replied, his voice wasn't convincing, but Hotch decided to let it drop for now.
After they landed, they split up, going to their designated locations. Since the team had arrived, they had somewhat of a profile, it wasn't enough and they needed more. Unfortunately, by the time this was realized, it was late, and everyone was tired. Reid tensed at the thought of sleeping, he knew very well that from what they've seen and heard so far on the case, nightmares were bound to come tonight. Just the thought of being haunted by William, as all the victims were by their father, frightened him. For the first time, he was actually eager to see a therapist about these dreams, but he knew that won't be happening until they finish this case, and none of them were sure on how much longer it was going to take. Day 1 has ended and they've made little progress, the chance of it being over with quickly was not looking too good.
When they got to the hotel, nobody was surprised when Hotch proposed that he was bunking with Reid, Morgan made no objection, he as well as the rest of the team knew that Spencer looked up to their boss as a father more than he ever has to anyone, even Gideon, which was no surprise. The team also felt that if their father ditched them as a child, only to have the next closest thing they had to consider leave them as well, they would probably feel the same way Reid did. The last thing Hotch would ever do is hurt Spencer like William and Jason had, he wasn't like them. He made sure to see and talk to his son Jack whenever he got the chance, even while his marriage was under tension, especially after Haley's death. Not only that now, but he takes care of one from his team like no one has before, Hotch gave everything Spencer never got experience, it was only fair to the young genius, and besides, Aaron wanted to help like this. Sometimes, the others on the team were a little jealous that they couldn't help their young friend out like the BAU leader can, maybe it was just his fatherly instincts, not that Rossi's haven't kicked in on occasions, but Reid's youthful innocence was just so irresistible. It hurt them so much to think that anyone would even think about causing the young doctor any harm, and they would all be damned if anyone tried to while they were still breathing, not that it hasn't happened more than once already.
Everyone said their goodnights as they retreated to their respective hotel rooms. Emily and JJ shared one, Morgan and Rossi the second, and of course, Hotch and Reid for the third quarters. Aaron allowed Spencer to use the bathroom first to shower and change into pajamas. Once the younger profiler was done, it was his turn. While his dad- Hotch was busy, Reid wondered if he would actually be able to sleep tonight, he knew if he ended up having a nightmare, Hotch would be there right away to comfort him, but all he simply wanted was a dream-free rest tonight, was that too much to ask?
Apparently so, after they both bedded down, Reid was already having trouble just closing his eyes and even trying to go to sleep. He knew a dream would come, he just knew it. Soon though, his tiredness was overtaking his resistance along with his desire to not even sleep at all, at least then he wouldn't have to endure a bad dream, but it looks like his willpower was going to fail him tonight. It was going to be a long night, he could tell, but as long as Hotch was a mere 5 feet away, hopefully whatever would haunt him tonight wouldn't be too severe.
He could only hope so anyway.
(Spencer Reid!)
Dark, that was all he could see, he hated the dark so terribly too. Feel... Wait, all he can feel was leather around his wrists and ankles, oh, God, what was going on? He tried moving his body upward the best he could, it only collided with something hard, like a ceiling. Oh, he wasn't in some tight space was he? Oh, no...
The dark, being tied down, and tight spaces, three of his biggest fears all together.
"Somebody! Help me!" He cried out, but from the sound of it, his voice didn't get to travel very far, meaning nobody could hear him. Unless someone would find him, wherever he was, he would eventually die in here, one way or another.
He heard loud shuffling from outside of- whatever he was in, the top of his tiny prison opened, but still, all Spencer could see was darkness, and now a sudden chill. Unexpectedly, it was like the straps holding him down just vanished into thin air, he subconsciously moved his now free arms and legs around to test them and confirm that he was indeed no longer restrained by whoever did this.
He tried to look and see who his savior, or possible captor was, but it was just too dark to see anything still, he was actually even afraid to get out the box he'd been originally trapped in. Then he felt a presence, although he wasn't certain, it had to be the person who got him out of that box. Eventually he was able to make out a dark figure, he wasn't sure who it was, or how they may have gotten here, but he should at least try to speak to them.
"Hello?" Spencer spoke nervously. "Is someone there?"
Silence. It only made him more scared, it was almost as bad as being tied down in that box.
"Hello, Spencer." A voice sneered. The young man looked around, desperate to find the source of the frightening, yet familiar sounding voice.
"Who are you?" Reid asked, while not expecting the voice to tell him.
"Spencer, I thought you were a genius who never forgot." He tensed after hearing this. "Also, I am deeply hurt that you somehow don't remember your own father."
Reid froze. "Dad?" He squeaked, at the same time learning to dislike calling William his father ever again.
"Your one and only." He spoke, it sounded like he was smiling. That can't be good.
"You're not my dad anymore." Spencer said determinedly. "Hotch is more of a father than you'll ever be!"
"Still convinced that he's the only one who cares for you, I see."
"No, my whole team cares about me, they showed me what it's like to a have a real family."
"Is that so? Oh, by the way Spencer," The way his voice sounded just didn't seem right, he wanted to run, but he didn't know where to. "You put me in jail, and I'd like to return the favor."
Reid's eyes burrowed, but fear was still quite significant. He dared to ask "What do you mean?"
"Let's see how weak you really are."
Spencer eyes widened, he still could see nothing, that is until a hand, a remarkably large hand, just came into view, the young genius tried to back away, but he wasn't quick enough, the giant body part grabbed him and lifted him up. His arms were caught underneath the big fingers, leaving him without any possible way to escape or defend himself. He could feel a pair of eyes on him as he tried to wiggle free.
"You're weak, and pathetic." William's now booming voice spat at the trapped agent.
"No, I'm not." Reid defended. "My team always tells me that I'm the strongest person they know!"
A brief pause. "We'll see about that." Now it sounded like he was grinning, it wasn't long before Spencer felt the fingers wrapped around him slowly but surely get tighter, making it more and more difficult to move, or even breath.
"Stop! What are you doing?" He cried out in pain. No response came, instead the grip continued to get more strict, he felt as if the very life was being squeezed out of him.
"Please," He wheezed. "Don't do this, I beg of you." Still no reply, he made one last attempt to struggle free, but with no avail, but then the death grip not only stopped suddenly, it released a little, allowing Spencer to get a much needed breath of air, his arms are still trapped though, but he didn't care at the moment. His breathing finally slowed when he managed to calm down as much as he could, he wondered why the sudden change of heart, or it could simply be a trick. He looked up, not surprised that he still couldn't see anything besides the huge hand that held onto him.
"Thank you." He dared to say as he continued to take in deep breaths.
"Don't mention it." William's voice spoke in a bone chilling tone, just before the grip from the giant hand suddenly increased tenfold.
"No!" Spencer screamed out in pure agony as he found himself yet again trying to break free from this torture.
(Spencer Reid!)
"No!" Was all that was needed to jolt Hotch awake. He literary jumped out his bed and rushed to his distraught team member. What he saw broke his heart.
Reid's face had fear written all over, his arms were underneath the blanket, acting as if they were trapped within, he squirmed around constantly and without a break, like he was trying to get away something, or someone. Aaron didn't need to guess twice who that someone might be.
First, he tore off the blankets. "Spencer." He called out, of course it didn't work. He tried louder. "Spencer!" He then began to shake the young man awake. His eyes shot open and he quickly looked around, gasping as tears poured down his face while taking in his surroundings. The team was on a case, they were currently at a hotel, in the room with him was-
"Hotch?" Spencer whimpered.
"Yes, Reid, I'm here." He gently took his hand into his own for reassurance.
"I had another one." The fear had yet to leave his eyes. "I'm sorry."
"I know." He admitted. "It's okay, you have nothing to be ashamed of." He started to rub his back in circles, hoping to ease him some. This was becoming all too familiar to the Unit Chief.
A knock at the door made Spencer jump. Hotch patted him on the shoulder and went to see who it was. He was a little surprised to see everyone else from the team, minus Garcia, who was back in Quantico.
"Everything okay in here?". Rossi asked. In the bedroom, Spencer blushed at the attention he was getting.
"Reid just had a nightmare, don't worry though, I've got it under control." Hotch assured his team.
"Did he say what it was about?" Prentiss couldn't help but ask curiously.
Their leader's gaze fell. "It was about his father again." Everyone looked sympathetic after he spoke.
"Is he okay now?" JJ asked, concerned.
"I think so." Hotch said quietly, glancing toward the room.
"Are you sure, man?" Morgan asked, worry in the dark skinned agent's eyes.
"Yes." He nodded. "You should all get back to sleep, Reid and I are going to do the same." Although still unsure, they complied and returned to their rooms. Aaron relocked the door and came back to see Reid lying in the fetal position in his bed, facing the door. His eyes were open, indicating that he was still awake and hadn't fallen back to sleep.
"When will it end?" He suddenly asked, catching his boss off guard. Hotch's usually stoic expression saddened and he sat down on the bed, stroking the younger profiler's hair.
"Don't you worry, Spencer, we're going to get through this together, the team included." He promised.
"I know," Reid said softly. "It's just that I'm the only one who sees them." His gentle brown eyes looked up, Hotch swallowed. Why did it always have to be Reid?
"When this case is finished, the first thing I'm going to do is see if you can get a therapist right away." Aaron stated, he only hoped that that time would come soon.
"Thank you so much, da-, I mean..." Spencer stuttered.
"Spencer, you may call me 'dad' if you'd like, considering you already have before." Hotch smiled genuinely down at his youngest, who returned a small one of his own.
"Okay, dad." He spoke barely above a whisper, before his eyes started to grow heavy.
"We better get some sleep." The BAU leader said as he slowly got up. Reid's tired eyes widened a little.
"Aaron?" He asked.
"Yes, Spencer?"
"Um, can I sleep in your bed?"
Naturally, Hotch wouldn't say 'no', not especially since whatever happened in the younger man's head earlier. He wordlessly slid into his bed, holding the covers over as he quickly patted the empty spot. Spencer eagerly slipped under the covers, then he scooted until he was lying next to his 'father'. Aaron wrapped a protective arm around him before he felt his own eyes droop down. Reid sighed with content before he eventually followed.
The nightmares never came back afterward that night, but that didn't mean they were gone for good just yet.
(Spencer Reid!)
The end of the case couldn't have come soon enough, a week and a half passed before the team got the break they needed. They caught the father, most of his grown children now safe, Spencer couldn't shove away the thought on how the unsub kind of resembled William, but it may just be from what he's been dealing with lately.
Everyone felt relieved once they were on the jet heading home. Reid, having calmed down significantly, was playing poker with Morgan and the girls. As expected, he was winning. Hotch was off in a secluded corner of the jet, after having Garcia find a therapist within the DC-Quantico area, he was on his cell phone to confirm the soonest appointment he could possibly get. Conveniently, the therapist she found happened to be watching a story on the news about the BAU saving several people from a man on a rampage, thus he was more than willing to fill Dr. Reid in tomorrow morning, 9 AM. Due to the kindness of his actions, Aaron made no objection, he went down the aisle, seeing his youngest still engaged with his friends, he decided to wait until later to tell him.
After landing, everyone dispersed and headed home. During the drive there, Aaron noticed that Spencer had become strangely quiet compared to just a little while ago, he had a few guesses as to why. They arrived at Hotch's- well, their house, and since they had been gone for so long, Jack was staying at Jessica's. Exhausted as he was, Reid once again was almost too afraid to go to sleep, he had a couple more dreams while they were on the case, but every time however, Hotch was there by his side. Sighing, the young man plopped down on the sofa, Aaron sat down next to him, ready to give him the news.
"Reid, Garcia helped me find a therapist close by, he gave me the soonest appointment I could get for you." The Unit Chief explained.
"Really?" His eyes lit up a little. "How soon?"
"Tomorrow morning at 9:00 AM." Hotch stated.
"Tomorrow?" Spencer repeated frightfully. That meant he had to endure one more night before then. The older profiler noticed his youngest's increase in tension, he didn't need an explanation for it either.
"Reid, I know you aren't looking forward to having to go through one more night, but it is just one more, I know you're afraid that you might have another nightmare, but I promise that I will do anything I can to make it more comfortable for you." Hotch said as he rested a hand on the young doctor's shoulder.
"It's not just that," Spencer admitted. "I'm a little nervous about the therapist, even though I want to see him so he can hopefully help me get rid of these nightmares."
"Do you know of some of the questions he might ask you?"
"I think." He replied. "Actually, I'm not all that sure."
"Would you like me to go over some? You don't have to answer them to me."
"No, thank you." Reid yawned. "Sorry, I'm just really tired, the case and all." Hotch nodded in understanding, they were all tired from the week and a half they spent away from home. Nightmares haunting Spencer during then didn't help, thanks to the case being about a father attacking his children, not that they had any control over that. Although it did fuel his suspicions of the possibility that Reid may have suffered abuse as a child, but these dreams hadn't started until after William's 'visit', meaning either that event alone was the cause, or it had brought back memories that Spencer somehow managed to forget about. There was also the chance that Reid's mother could possibly shed some light on the subject, Aaron wasn't about to go that far to find out though, as he would likely be learning more than he needed to by tomorrow, hopefully.
Spencer was about to drift off, while he was trying to fight it, Hotch was quick to have him get in pajamas so that he wouldn't be wearing his regular clothes in case he did fall asleep. He went and did the same after he felt his own eyes get a little heavier. Upstairs in his bedroom, he had just slipped on a pair of sweats when his other 'son' shuffled inside.
"Hey, Hotch? I was wondering if..." He was hesitant, but then was cut off by his boss.
"Yes, Reid, you can sleep in here again." Aaron couldn't hold back a small smile. The kid was just so damn cute at times.
"Thank you." The younger agent's nervous expression vanished instantly.
The two bedded down, snuggled together. Spencer noticed that Hotch had already went to sleep, he really wanted to sleep himself, but he wasn't sure if another bad dream would come or not. He was so tired though, not just the kind of tired one feels when they want some shuteye, but he was sick of these nightmares, his father haunting him constantly, it's not like he was dead or anything, he was very much alive. Granted, he was in prison, but why was he always intruding his mind? He just didn't get it.
Sighing, he closed his eyes and simply waited for sleep to come. Aaron's arms were wrapped around him protectively, this comforted him some.
Unfortunately, it wasn't enough.
(Spencer Reid!)
"Spencer..."
"Leave me alone!"
"Spencer."
"Please, go away."
"Is that anyway to speak to your father?"
Reid suddenly felt a pain at his side. When did that happen? Most of all, what caused it? He looked around, that voice was calling out to him, it scared him. He appeared to be in someone's bedroom, it looked sort of familiar. A Star Trek poster hung on the back of the door, An entire wall had a large shelf full of books, the carpeting was a really light tan color.
Where was he? And what was he doing here?
The sight of the poster was short lived when the door flung open. Spencer shot over to see a dark figure, though he could already guess who it was. He gulped and started to back away as the man approached him, he noticed that his usually long legs were suddenly shorter, in fact, he himself had grown shorter, with the exception of his hair.
A hand came out and struck him on his left cheek. He cried out when a fist made contact with his stomach. Groaning, he looked up, why was his father doing this? What did he ever do to him? Tears slid down his cheeks as he sobbed, strong hands suddenly grabbed his shoulders and began to shake him.
(Spencer Reid!)
"Reid, wake up!"
Spencer's eyes snapped open, he was covered in both sweat and tears. He saw Hotch with his hands on his shoulders, looking at him with concern. The young genius collapsed into the BAU leader's chest, crying.
"It happened again, Aaron." He whimpered.
Hotch hugged the sobbing bundle in front of him and rocked back and forth as he glanced at the clock; 6:37 AM.
"Why won't he leave me alone?"
"He will, Spencer, I promise you that. Shh..." He shushed.
"I hope so." Reid sniffled.
I hope so too. Hotch thought somberly.
He managed to lay Spencer back down before he fell back asleep. He looked down at the younger man. His skin has been more pale recently, for likely obvious reasons. He hoped dearly that the therapist would be able to help him, otherwise, he didn't know what else to try. He decided he would go down and start making breakfast, if Reid was even hungry. While he didn't really want to leave him alone, even though he was just going to be downstairs. He carefully slid off the bed and tiptoed out of the room.
Hotch sighed after he entered the kitchen, it was hard seeing someone like Reid suffering like he was, and considering it's not the first time. He's been kidnapped once, held hostage twice, caught anthrax poisoning, been shot in the leg, had his father try to attack him, and now he's being plagued by nightmares. He could only assume what his childhood was like, and he'd be damned if he actually had been abused by William at the time.
Shaking the thoughts from his head, he pulled out the waffle iron and started it to let it heat up before he began to work on the mix. Once that was finished, he poured some into the maker and closed the lid. While waiting, he pulled out some strawberries, whipped topping and chocolate syrup. The first batch of waffles were done, he sat the steaming food on a plate and spread some strawberries on the waffles, followed by the whipped topping with a drizzle of chocolate syrup on top. The Unit Chief couldn't help but lick his own lips at his masterpiece before he started a second batch.
Spencer opened his eyes, he frowned when he found the bed empty, then the smell of something delicious caught his senses. He knew then that Hotch must be making something downstairs. He crawled out of bed and used the bathroom before heading down. After passing through the living room, he saw a plate of food on the table, just looking at it made his mouth water. The young profiler looked over and saw his boss dishing up more waffles, piling goodies on top.
Aaron started for the table when he met eyes with his team member. They shared a silent smile before sitting at the table after he grabbed a couple of forks. To say "good morning" seemed a little inappropriate, regarding last night.
Reid used his eating utensil to pick up a piece of his food, he put it in his mouth and closed his eyes, savoring the taste. "Mmm."
Hotch took a bite himself. "Not bad." He said before taking another.
The 'father and son' finished their meal, this time, Hotch allowed Spencer to help with the dishes. When they were done, he glanced at his watch, seeing that it was 8:19 AM. He offered Reid to take a shower first before they left for his appointment. The younger man felt the butterflies in his stomach reform, yet he was excited at the same time, he had his hopes up that he would finally put an end to his nightmares.
After he had bathed, Spencer got dressed, his usual dress shirt, tie, and sweater vest. Hotch stepped out of his room, fully dressed also. "You ready?" He asked.
"Yeah." Reid nodded.
The two agents left the house, locking it behind them. Aaron frowned when he saw that his truck had two flat tires. He didn't recall them being low since he last drove it. Shrugging, he got into the driver's seat of his Suburban, Spencer hopped into the passenger. After backing out onto the road, they headed off. Reid had began to fiddle his fingers again, it was his way of attempting to deal with nervousness, Hotch wondered if some music might calm his nerves, but he was also afraid of what might come on this time, after already having two bad experiences with the radio, and if he ever had to hear that Bieber kid one more time...
"Reid, what kind of music do you like?" He asked curiously.
"Beethoven?" Came a reluctant reply.
"I doubt we would find that on the radio." The BAU leader shook his head before turning it on. "What else?"
"Um," Spencer pondered. "Country?"
"Country it is." Hotch flipped through the stations until he found the right one. They sat in silence, aside from the tune playing, although that didn't last long until...
"Did you know that George Strait holds the record for the most number one hits on the Billboard Country charts? He ranks only behind The Beatles and Elvis Presley for record sales, and he is only the second artist to be inducted in the Country Music Hall of Fame while still actively recording. Also..."
Aaron couldn't hide the smile forming on his face. That's the Reid I know.
After double checking the address to confirm they had the right one, Hotch turned the large SUV into the parking lot of a two story building. Spencer caught a glimpse of the sign before they passed it. "Dr. Cesar S. Aled?"
"Hm, strange name." Aaron thought aloud. He started hoping that Garcia had picked a good one. The two FBI agents got out of their vehicle and went inside. It looked like any other typical medical office, there were chairs in the waiting room for patients, several magazines and some newspaper. Hotch and Reid walked up to the front desk.
"Hi, appointment for Spencer Reid?" The Unit Chief asked.
"Oh, yes!" The female receptionist exclaimed. "Dr. Aled should be right with you." The two were about to sit down when an aged, yet friendly looking man stepped into the waiting room. His gray hair was well groomed, he wore a white coat, with a shirt and tie underneath.
"Spencer Reid?" He called.
"Yes." Reid responded. "Isn't it still early?" He noticed a clock on the wall read 8:49 AM.
"Oh, nonsense!" The man laughed. "Come on back." He gestured for the young doctor to follow, Hotch wasn't far behind. They soon found themselves in a large room, a huge window on the other side across from the door allowed in plenty of light, to the left was a sofa and a nearby chair. Additional chairs on the other side of the couch. To the right was a desk littered with papers, a framed photo, a name plate, and a lamp.
"You may either sit or lay down on the sofa, Dr. Reid." Cesar offered.
"Thank you." Spencer said, he sat down, Aaron taking a seat next to him.
"So," Aled started as he sat down on the chair, clipboard in hand. "I've heard that you've been having some problems, most particularly at night."
"Y-yes." Reid confirmed. "I've been having these bad dreams."
"And how often do these occur, like in a week?"
"Three to five, I think."
"What are they about?"
"My father."
Cesar frowned a little. "I see, and what is he doing?" The young genius tensed, Hotch noticed and gently rubbed his shoulder.
"He's... doing things."
The therapist nodded. "What kind of things?" He pushed.
Reid swallowed. "Attacking me, or sometimes beating me up."
"What would you say is the general severity of the dreams?"
"It's a little hard to determine," He admitted. "Sometimes they're semi tolerable, other times, well, they're pretty bad."
"Dr. Reid?" Aled asked. "Have you, urm," He hesitated. "Did your father ever abuse you as a child?"
"Um, no, not that I remember of, I don't think." He replied. Aaron silently breathed a sigh in relief, but was that actually true though? He knew Reid had a strong memory, but it's not like he could remember everything, such as when he saw his father burning clothes when he was younger, which he could only vaguely recall.
Some time had passed, it was then that Cesar asked Spencer if it was okay that he spoke with his boss privately for a moment. He obliged and the two older men walked over to the other side of the room, out of earshot.
"What do you purpose Spencer does about the dreams?, doctor?" Hotch asked.
"Well, with chronic nightmares such as these, I do believe that having him talk about them helped significantly, but I would recommend a special medication that he takes every so often, at least until the bad dreams no longer persist." He explained.
The Unit Chief felt a little uneasy about Spencer taking medication, and he wondered if he would likely feel the same way, but if Dr. Aled was positive that it would help, then...
(Spencer Reid!)
After leaving the office and picking up Reid's prescription, Hotch treated the younger man to lunch, then they went home. At this point, Spencer was still examining the bottle of pills, he never has liked taking medication, but as long as it would actually help, that is, if it helps, he was willing to take it.
"Eventually, you're going to bore holes in the bottle." Aaron joked. Spencer rolled his eyes, but he noticeably blushed.
"Wanna watch TV?" The BAU leader suggested.
"Sure." The young profiler replied.
"Maybe that one show is on again." He said as he picked up the remote and turned it on, then began to flip through the channels. "By the way, what was it called again?"
"Oh, it was called Criminal Mi-" Before he could finish, everything powered by electricity, including the lights and TV suddenly turned off without warning. Despite it still being daylight, and the fact that the weather was calm.
Growling slightly in frustration, the older man got up from the couch. "I'll go check the fuse box."
The End, this little sentiment anyway.
I've got three more ideas up my sleeve, but just so you know, I'm still accepting any ideas you'd like to share.
Is it just me, or does it seem like that Hotch will never find out what that show is called? :P