Playing Games by JuliaBC
The night she resigned found Kate at home, Chris having swung by to pick her up on his way back from work.
"Kate, you doing okay?" He asked, poking his head in the door now and giving her a quizzical smile.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Kate said, rousing herself. He had been so calm about everything, so good. He had made these weeks bearable.
She had seen barely any of the team, just Penelope and JJ who had made sure to swing by 'after'. But everyone else was so busy cleaning up the rest of the mess and Kate was on 'bed rest' and somehow the team got the message that they shouldn't bother her.
And that bothered her more than anything else.
But that was what had happened. She hadn't even seen Reid in weeks and she was wondering how he'd changed in that time.
You're thinking about him as if he's a baby, and liable to grow up in two weeks' time, she thought to herself, but still recognized the truth in the statement. Reid could have changed.
No one was guaranteed to remain the same. People were fluid; even if their concrete 'you-ness' didn't change, little things did. And little things could add up to big things if there were enough.
She didn't know how Reid was handling this. She didn't know anything about it.
She could just think of him coming into her bedroom while the team was off rescuing her daughter, bearing a game board...
Flashback two weeks ago.
"I found this on your game shelf," he said unapologetically. "You have a lot of games, Kate. It was hard to pinpoint this one."
"Almost as many games as you have books," she said and raised weary eyes to meet his and almost laughed when she saw what he was holding.
"Candy Land?"
"It's metaphorical," Reid said, coming to jump onto the bed beside her and opening the box. "We are going to make a journey to find King Candy while the others are out rescuing people."
"Okay," she agreed, not able to say much else.
He set up the board quickly and Kate felt the dull ache in her heart lessen a bit. "Thank you for this," she said quietly. "Do you think they'll find her?"
"Of course they will," Reid assured her.
"And if they don't?" Kate said. "Or if it's too late?"
"We can meet that if it comes," Reid said, voice quiet. "But you will move onward, Kate. No one will let you fall. We'll all be here."
"I promised Liz I'd keep her safe," Kate agonized. "And now this. It's my fault. I kept pursuing it. I shouldn't have, Reid. My promise to Liz was more important than anything else in my life. It was more important than work."
"You just saved dozens of girls like Meg from being kidnapped and sold," Reid reminded, taking the red gingerbread man and placing him at the beginning.
"Yeah, and lost her in the process," Kate said. "Meg is a price I cannot pay, Spencer."
"You won't," Reid promised. "It is never too late. We will get her back."
His answer was a choked sob as Kate took the green gingerbread man and placed him at the start.
"Okay, I'll be in charge of the cards," Reid said, and turned over the first one. "Green." He moved himself to the first green space, Kate watching the move intently to avoid looking at him.
"Double orange, Kate! You just passed me," he exclaimed, moving her piece with alacrity.
"This has happened before," Kate said dully. "You've tried to help before and it wasn't enough."
Reid's hand stilled on the deck of cards.
"They all left," Kate said, grabbing a kleenex and blowing her nose. "And now you're scared I will too."
"We won't lose you either," Reid said, turning over the next card. "Blue."
He moved himself to the nearest blue space and turned over a card for Kate. "Whoa, Queen Frosting? She's the last space to jump to!"
He moved her piece quickly. "That could be a sign, Kate. Maybe the team has already rescued her."
"Huh," she said, watching as he pulled a Double Yellow space and bounced his piece along.
"Orange," he announced and moved her piece again. "You are going to beat me really badly," he said.
"It's chance," she said. "Not much of a victory."
"You thought chance was all right previously," Reid said. "With other games."
"Chance is never enough," Kate said.
He turned over another card and moved her piece.
"Yes, I got Princess Lollipop!" He exclaimed, moving his piece. "I'm right behind you now."
The next card he turned over made him pause. "Plumpy."
Plumpy was the very first space to bounce to. In other words, it completely reset Kate.
"So that's how it's going to be," Kate exclaimed frantically. "We're going to get really close and then get shot straight back to the beginning. This was a great idea, Spencer."
Reid was obviously torn as she knocked the board from the bed and collapsed on it, trying to stifle her sobs but the tears kept coming, choking her.
"It doesn't actually mean anything," he said, placing a hesitant hand on her side.
Kate wanted to lie on her stomach but her burgeoning baby bump prevented the movement and she instead curled into herself as best she could, letting the tears fall onto the comforter with abandon.
Reid could see every emotion she was feeling on her face as she sobbed: worry and fear and misery. How could this possibly end well? Why couldn't she have left well enough alone?
"Kate, the team is out there right now," Reid insisted. "Who knows, they might already have her. And we got so many more names. Lots of these gangs were taken down tonight."
"I don't like being the victim," Kate said. "And I'm not going to fall for any of the usual tricks of the trade."
"It will be good," Reid said. "This is going to be good in the end."
His phone rang. "It's Rossi," Reid said.
Kate's heart stopped, it seemed. The moment was lengthened horribly; then Reid picked up.
"Rossi?"
"We have her," Rossi said. "Tell Kate she's safe and healthy. We're coming straight there; give us an hour, tops. I think Morgan is ready to break every speed limit from here to there."
"Thanks," Reid said.
Kate stared at him, breathing so fast she was barely breathing at all. "Spencer, what is it?"
"She's safe," Reid said, and that was all she needed. The expression of utter relief that crossed her face almost made Reid cry himself.
"Liz, she's safe!" Kate whispered. "They rescued her, after all my mistakes. Liz, she's going to be okay. She's coming home."
"I'll go tell Chris," Reid said, slipping from the bedroom.
Chris was in the living room, staring out the window at the night. "Hey, Dr. Reid."
"Hey, Chris, they found Meg," Reid said. "They're driving back here right now."
Chris, who, whenever Reid had seen him, had always been unbelievably level-headed. He was a calming influence on Kate; it was obvious sometimes why she'd married him.
But now, the usually stoic man's face crumbled and a sob escaped him. "They did?"
"Yes," Reid said. "They are literally driving back here right now, bringing Meg straight to you and Kate."
Chris put a hand up to his mouth, as if to hide his emotions but then he broke down. "That's so...unbelievable."
"Believe it," Reid said, conquering himself enough to place a hand on the man's shoulder.
Chris completely floored him when the man pulled him into an embrace. "Hey, man, I know you helped. Thanks so much. This is like winning the lottery and you gave me the winning ticket."
Chris patted him on the back a few more times and then pulled away, leaving a stunned Reid behind as he headed for the bedroom. "Kate's in there? I need to go see her."
"Yes, she is," Reid said and Chris jogged away.
"I think my work here is done," Reid said to himself. He'd almost gotten a speeding ticket driving to Kate's house after getting the rest of the names and now he decided to head back.
Penelope was waiting alone there, and she'd welcome the company. Maybe they'd drive back to the Callahan house later, to see Meg and Kate.
He didn't know, but as he left the house in silence, he looked up at the night sky.
It was always hard for Reid to believe in a Creator, an omniscient being that ruled the heavens and earth.
But tonight, it was that much easier.
A/N: I know, I chickened out again. But last time, I published the chapter and then regretted not having something during the actual episode. So I took us back for it.
NEXT time we'll have Kate talking to Reid. Promise.
And Hippiechic81: I know there wasn't a game, but it was (originally) meant to be a part I and then part II would have the game. I mean, it still kind of is. Next time we'll have the game.