Playing Games by JuliaBC
A/N: Thanks for all of the messages of support.
Obviously, Kate is my favorite character. As that sometimes happens, as it tends to with beloved characters, Jennifer Love Hewitt has become/already was my favorite actress, similar to how Paget Brewster is to many CM fans, in roles way beyond Emily Prentiss.
I welcome criticism of the story. I do not welcome criticism of Kate or Jennifer Love Hewitt.
That said, welcome to my tag to season 11, episode 5: The Night Watch.
"Have you ever heard of an street artist called Morpheus?"
Reid's voice filled her phone without preamble.
Kate readjusted the cordfree phone between her ear and her shoulder, considering the question.
"He sounds familiar but I don't know where," she said. "I don't think any case ever involved him."
"Not a him," Reid said.
"Oh, really?" Kate said. "What kind of 'her'?"
"A grieving mother looking to honor her child,' Reid said. "It was quite an interesting case."
"Where are you?" Kate asked. "On the plane?"
"On the tarmac," Reid said. "Waiting to take off. Someone's in front of us."
"Ah," Kate said. "You usually turn it off during the flights."
"I will when it's time," Reid said. "I was calling to ask about Poe. He was acting skittish the morning I was called out. How was he when you picked him up?"
It must have been an extremely busy case if this was the first time he'd called to ask about Poe. Kate's heart warmed to realize that this was proof of Reid's trust in her that he hadn't called before now, even though concerned.
"He was restless when I picked him up," she said. "But when we got home, I put Jamie in the stroller and hooked Poe to it and we went for a really long walk and he calmed down."
She frowned. "Come to think of it, he hasn't been eating that well."
Reid was quiet. "I switched foods on him," he said after a moment. "I went up in his age group."
"That could be it," Kate said. "I still have the young puppy blend so maybe he doesn't like it anymore."
"He was acting a little picky with the new food, though," Reid said, and a sigh echoed through the line. "I guess I'll have to make an appointment to go to the vets."
"It might be a good idea," Kate said. "The shelter you got Poe from, doesn't it offer veterinary services?"
"I might as well go back there," Reid said. She heard a smile in his voice as he said his next words. "I might as well update Travis on how well Poe is doing."
"Travis?" Kate asked.
"The volunteer that helped me adopt Poe," Reid said. "He was at the adoption fair."
"Oh!" Kate said. "I didn't realize he was a full time volunteer."
"They're giving the signal now," Reid said. "I'll talk to you more when I get home but we're all going to the bullpen first for reports."
"Was it that messy?"
"We left the station without doing most of them," Reid said. "I think Hotch has a meeting he doesn't want to miss or delay."
"Got it," Kate said, swallowing other questions she had for Reid. "See you after that."
"I don't need to talk about it," Tara told Reid as they walked into the bullpen. "That's the good thing. He's gone and I'm still here." She shrugged, adjusting her bag on her shoulder. "I don't need that kind of drama."
"It's good you feel that way," Reid agreed as they settled at their desks, pulling out paperwork to finish.
"I've got more interviews this weekend," Tara said quietly. "Do you ever go into a jail and just get this feeling? Like, this resignation that you're back here, with the dregs of humanity?"
"I think I know what you're talking about," Reid said. "But you push through it."
"You do," Tara said, pleased, leaning back in her seat and neglecting the stack of papers in front of her. "You really, really do."
She returned her hand to the desk and sighed. "I am really tired of paperwork right now."
"I know that feeling too," Reid said; his stack was already half gone.
Tara sighed and grabbed her pen. "Off I go."
Reid had finished his paperwork in minutes and Tara, still distracted, had a ways to go. He had a momentary thought that he should offer help with it but wasn't sure how she would take it, especially since she'd so obviously chosen the job over personal life.
"I can give you a hand," he finally said. "If you want it."
"Make that two hands and a toe," Tara cracked. "No, I'm good. Go see your puppy and fish. They need you more than I do right now."
He liked her answer.
Jamie lay on the bed, staring up at Kate with soulful eyes. "You're so philosophical when I change your diaper," she said cheerfully, since numerous sources, including Reid, urged parents to talk to babies as if having a conversation to stimulate early speech.
The doorbell rang and Kate waited for the explosion of barking that usually came with it, but Poe was unsettlingly silent. She frowned as she bundled Jamie back into his clothes and placed him back in his crib, flat on his back and with no toys surrounding him.
The doorbell rang again as she washed her hands.
"Just a minute," she called before jogging downstairs. Was it not Reid? He was so patient; it wasn't characteristic.
It was the mailman. Kate mentally reprimanded herself for assuming it was Reid and signed for the package he held.
"Thank you," she said, coming back in with a large box she didn't remember ordering. Whatever. It was addressed to Chris, so she put it aside on her way to the kitchen to check on Poe.
"Hey, buddy," she whispered, scratching the dozing dog behind his ears. He moved a little into the rub before almost sighing and letting his head go limp again.
"What's the matter?" She asked. "I'm not a dog whisperer, you know."
Poe didn't react to her words and she sat back on her heels to grab her tablet from the kitchen table. She googled a few things and came back to Poe.
"It says you might be out of it because you have an injury," Kate said. "I haven't noticed anything, but let's check."
She carefully examined his paws and head, and the puppy didn't even squirm. "Oh, buddy," she said. "You sure you're okay?"
He yipped as her hair hung over him, tickling his face. "Well, as long as I can get you to react to something," she murmured.
The doorbell rang and Poe suddenly became alert.
"I think I know who's at the door," Kate said. "And I think you do too."
Poe beat her to the door, not barking but he did place his front paws on it in an expression of impatience.
She opened it and Poe exploded onto the porch, jumping as high as his little legs would take him onto Spencer Reid.
"He missed you," Kate said, stressing the words. "He was moping and then your doorbell rang and he could smell you and—" She snapped her fingers. "Like that, he was alive again."
"I guess my traveling is taking a bigger toll on him than I thought it would," Reid said, troubled as he picked up his puppy and let Poe lick his face.
"Come in?" Kate offered, cracking the door wider.
"I actually have something planned," Reid said. "Not that I don't appreciate the invitation."
"Understood," Kate said. "You're good, then?"
Reid just smiled.
"Hey, mom," he spoke into the screen. He'd set up a Skype account for himself and arranged for the sanatorium to set up one for his mother. This was their first chat.
"Spencer?"
Diana looked tired.
Spencer remembered, not for the first time, what his mother's doctors had said about her condition.
"You're back from school?" Diana asked. "What are you doing in there?"
"Mom, I was thinking we could try a chess game today," Reid said. "It's our favorite thing to do after reading."
She moved closer to the laptop. "How do you play chess like this?"
"I'm going to put it up in front of the screen," Reid said quietly. "Like this."
He moved the Lord of the Rings chess set Kate had given him into view.
Diana's eyes widened before she squinted to look at it. "That doesn't look like a chess set," she said. "Not one I've ever seen."
"It's Lord of the Rings themed," Reid said.
"J.R.R. Tolkien was a fan of old English literature," Diana said. "He translated Beowulf himself, you know."
"I know, I actually have my own edition of his translation," Reid said.
Diana blinked at the screen. "I'm white."
"Yeah, mom, you are," Reid said.
"Pawn to d-4," Diana said, her voice suddenly clearer. "I can still beat you at this, you know."
"I know, mom," Reid said, adding under his breath, "and I'm more thankful for it than you know."
A/N: And BTW, no one needs to worry about Poe. I'm not the writers; I won't introduce someone for Reid to love only to kill her off. *cough* Maeve *cough*
I wasn't a fan of the Maeve storyline, in case you couldn't tell.