16

Criminal Minds: The Dark Before The Light

The Behavioral Analysis Unit, or BAU, had been searching for an Unsub (Unknown Subject) that the FBI had nicknamed "Phantom" due to his trademark ability to leave very little evidence at the crime scene. The team had come up with a basic profile for him as a psychopathic killer who had no remorse for his victims, was well educated in many fields as shown by his extensive knowledge of human anatomy and medicine as well as religious symbolism which was shown in the way his victims were killed or positioned after death. They had been following the trail left by this Phantom for almost 3 months now. It was as if he was playing some elaborate game of Hide-and-Seek with the team; taunting them with his ability to evade capture. This is how the team found themselves searching an abandoned house which they believed to be the hiding place of the killer, all the evidence had pointed here. Agents Aaron Hotchner (his team called him Hotch), Derrick Morgan, and JJ (everyone always got her name wrong so she went with her initials) had chosen to search the house and sent the youngest of the team, and also a genius, Spencer Reid to the scene of the last crime which was located across town.

"Hey Hotch, you better come take a look at this!" Morgan called from the back room. Hotch took the paper Morgan held out. Morgan let out a sigh "It was out in the open. He wanted us to find it. Do you have any idea what it means?"

Hotch quickly read the message to himself: 'What you hold most dear is now mine. Let the game begin.' Hotch felt like he'd been punched in the stomach, "Reid" he breathed out in a whisper. The paper drifted to the floor as Hotch ran through the house. "Get everyone to the last scene!" he yelled back at Morgan as he sprinted out to the truck.

~ Scene Change~

Spencer Reid was going over the evidence at the last crime scene looking for anything that may have been missed before. The team was good, no doubt about it, but with Reid being the genius that he was it never hurt to review the scene. He was standing in front of the fireplace examining the photos that decorated the shelf above it when a noise caught his attention. He turned to face the sound when the sharp sting of a Taser bit into his back, it felt like fire rushing through his body and he collapsed as the world around him went black.

~ Scene Change~

"Dammit Reid answer your phone" Hotch cursed as he sped through the towns empty streets, grateful for the lack of traffic at this time of night. Five minutes later the truck came to a skidding halt, a cloud of dust thrown up from the dirt driveway. He threw the door open, not bothering to shut it as he ran into the house. Silently praying that Spencer Reid was inside, Hotch felt his stomach drop when he found the young man's messenger bag on the floor. The front-to-back search of the house came up empty. No sign of a struggle; no sign that anyone had been in there except Reid's bag. Hotch felt his legs shake as he sat heavily onto the edge of the couch and held his face in his hands. Aaron sat there collecting his thoughts and getting control of his emotions while he waited for the rest of the team to show up. They would find Reid. He would find Spencer no matter what it took.

~2 Weeks Later~

Aaron Hotchner sat at his desk in the BAU office starring at the evidence from all of the crime scenes related to this Phantom. The team had been working nonstop for the last two days, desperately trying to see something they had missed. Without Reid and that amazing mind of his progress had been slow. Reid. Aaron let his mind drift back to the young profiler. He had never allowed himself to think of his feelings that he had for Spencer. But over the last 2 agonizing weeks without the genius he began to let himself to feel what was really there. He had instantly been attracted to the young agent when Reid joined the BAU three years ago and that alone had frightened him. Hotch never allowed himself to get close to anyone, in his line of work it was dangerous to and he swore he'd never make that mistake again. But there was something about the young Dr. Spencer Reid that was different; besides that he was a genius and had 3 PhD's along with 3 BA's at only 24 years old. Hotch soon found that he adored the younger agent much more than he probably should have given the 12 year age difference between them. He loved the way the genius dressed so formal yet uniquely 'Reid' with his mismatched socks; how he would spew facts that no other "normal" person would know off the top of his head; his perfect memory; and especially the way he rambled and tripped over his words when he got nervous. Hotch couldn't lie to himself any longer: he was in love with Spencer. Aaron was ripped from his daydream by a knock on the door.

"We think we may have found him" Morgan said with a look of hope on his face. Hotch jumped up and quickly followed the other agent to the elevator, shoving his side arm into place as he walked.

~Scene Change~

The team pulled up in front of a large red-brick house that one would expect to find in a white collar neighborhood, not hidden away in the woods on the back side of a lake. They went over the plan for the hundredth time while they waited for the local police to arrive. Within minutes there were five police cruisers parked in front of the home. Everyone took their positions around the home as Team A, led by Hotch, burst through the front door. At the same time Team B, led by Morgan, quickly followed lead by kicked down the back door. Hotch felt his head spin when JJ called out that the house was clear after thoroughly searching it. He stumbled outside to get some air; his chest getting tight. Wiping the tears from his eyes before they could fall, Aaron noticed a dirt path hidden by the woods that lead away from the house into the dark forest. Glancing back at the agents inside the house, he made a split second decision to follow his gut and headed toward the path. Aaron tried to keep his flashlight steady as he sprinted down the trail, which proved to be quite a challenge and he stumbled more than once. After running for what felt like miles his foot snagged on a raised tree root and he fell hard, landing on his flashlight and shattering the bulb. He was plunged into darkness. Pain shot through his side, he tried to ignore it as he scrambled to his feet and took off again. The pain forced him to a slow jog, "must have broken a rib" Aaron thought to himself as he trudged on. Finally, he came to a small clearing encircled by the forest where he saw a rickety looking structure about the size of a small horse barn. He made his way to the barn as quietly as he could manage while walking over a carpet of leaves. Opening the wooden door with a creaking sound, he peered inside to a dark room. He made his way in carefully as his eyes took in the shapes of his surroundings. Rounding a corner into a smaller workshop styled room, Aaron froze. He felt his breath leave at the sight before him. There was Reid. The young man was laying on his back, tied to a makeshift table by thick leather straps. His ankles were tied down at one end of the table while his wrists were bound and pulled above his head and tied to the other end, stretching him to full length. Hotch forced his legs to move and he staggered forward, the horror of what he was seeing only intensifying as he got closer. He had begun to silently cry the moment he saw Reid but he couldn't hold back the shock filled sob that escaped his lips as he switched on a battery-powered lantern at the head of the table, filling the room with a soft light. Spencer was stretched out along the table and was completely bare except for the shredded fabric, which at one time had been boxer shorts, that was just barely held together. Under the restraints on both his ankles and wrists were bloody rub burns where Reid had pulled desperately against the leather. But that wasn't the worst, not even close. The young agent was covered with cuts and gashes, many of them in different stages of healing. The unsub who had done this had been sure to not cut too deep, a way of maximizing pain while ensuring the victim wouldn't bleed out, around the wrists, ankles, and neck. Across his torso and thighs were a series of deep slices that had been stitched back together to keep him from bleeding out. Some of the stitches look fresh, some old, and some looked like they had been intentionally ripped open once the risk of blood loss had passed. Hotch shivered as he stared at the wounds. Aaron was yanked from his frozen state by a slight shuddering breath, barely audible, coming from Reid. Hotch blinked, "He's alive" he whispered. Grabbing his mic he called for the rest of the team, "Get an ambulance! NOW! I found him. We'll be coming from a path east of the house." Spencer's eyes fluttered open at the voice. Reid tried to focus but couldn't, as if he was fighting a groggy sleep.

"Aar-Aaron" Reid whispered in a choked voice, making Hotch's heart slam inside his chest.

The young man's eyes closed again and Hotch could feel the panic building. "Reid, look at me. You have to keep your eyes open" he said as he franticly began cutting the leather that bound the tortured man. Holding the genius's face between his hands, Hotch tried to stay calm "come on open your eyes!" he begged. "Rei- Spencer, look at me. Come on, look at me Spence." Aaron knew that no one but Spencer's mother ever called him Spence, it was a nickname those who loved him used, and the older man let out a small sob when it worked. Spencer opened his eyes and tried to focus on the man next to him.

"Hotch" Spencer whimpered, tears running down his face streaking the blood and dirt.

Aaron couldn't help but smile, "yea, Spence, it's me. Let's get you home" he said in a relieved voice. He looked around him for something he could use to cover the boy with and found a worn cloth, probably an old window drape. As he pealed the mangled remains of the boxers off Spencer his heart broke even more. There were two long, deep slashes on each side of the boy's pelvis that ran from his hip bones to mere inches above his groin, forming a red bloody V shape. Hotch brushed his fingers along one of the gashes, he was entranced by the unsub's brutality, and as he ghosted over the wound Spencer cried out in pain jolting Aaron back to reality. He gently covered Reid's hips with the cloth the best he could, trying not to cause more pain, and snaked one arm under his knees while the other arm went under his neck. Hotch lifted Reid off the table and the room was filled with the gut-wrenching sound of the young man's agony filled screams. Spencer was much lighter than Aaron had imagined, he knew the boy normally had a petite build and was roughly 130 pounds but now he felt easily close to 100 pounds, and this terrified the senior agent. Hotch walked as evenly as he could, trying his best to not jostle Reid, as he carried the limp man into the woods and away from the hell he had been through. Aaron gently soothed Spencer, saying anything and everything that came to mind, in an effort to keep him conscious. He could see the lights of the FBI vehicles through the trees, "We're almost there Spence" he panted as his focus turned to the pain of his broken rib thumping through his side like a heartbeat. With his mind on his side Hotch didn't see the bright flash of the gun in the trees to his right. He heard the loud bang of gunfire as a new overwhelming pain tore through his right thigh. He shoved his arms out in front of him as he fell, silently praying that he wouldn't land on Reid. Both agents cried out in pain as they hit the ground and Spencer was thrown a few feet ahead, rolling to a stop on his side with his face pressed into the dirt and leaves. Aaron looked on in horror from Spencer to the Unsub and back again. The man casually emerged from the tree line, "I see you still run blindly to the aid of what you love, what makes you weak, Special Agent Aaron Hotchner" he spat as he stood between Reid and Aaron. Hotch made a grab for his side arm but the Unsub quickly pointed his weapon at Reid, who was still laying on his side, "tsk tsk Agent Hotchner. You make another move and I'll put a bullet in the back of little Spencie's head." Aaron froze. He wasn't about to risk Reid's life, not after the hell he'd already been through. The Unsub grinned, reminding the agent of a predator before it attacked. "You know Hotch, may I call you Hotch, I thoroughly enjoyed our time together; Spencer and I. He put up such a fight at first, telling me that you would find him and how I wouldn't get away with this. He had such hope. But every man has his breaking point and Reid's, well let's just say he lost hope very quickly after the first week of our 'play dates'." Aaron cringed at the way the man said it and he could tell this Unsub took great pleasure in torturing others. As the armed man continued on with his monologue Hotch noticed movement in the trees behind the criminal. The others must have heard the shot and he hoped with everything in him that he could keep the man talking long enough for the others to subdue him.

Aaron turned his attention back to the standing man, "But why Reid?" he asked "He's just a nerdy profiler."

The man standing looked pleased that he had asked, "I have found that the quickest way to get what you want isn't to chase after it but by letting it come to you" the Unsub said as he strode up to Hotch, standing directly in front of him. He nudged Aaron's bleeding thigh with the toe of his boot causing the agent to look away as he hissed in pain. The killer put a gentle hand under Hotch's chin, forcing the crumpled man to look up at him as he pressed the barrel of the gun into Aaron's forehead. Aaron felt the sharp contrast of the cold metal against his sweating skin, he looked the Unsub in the eye. If he was going to die tonight then he'd die looking at his killer. The dominating man smiled, "I think I have caused young Dr. Reid enough pain, after all, he wasn't the one I wanted; merely a tool to get the prize. Oh no. I want you to suffer, Agent Hotchner, the way I have. I want you to live with the pain of going through life alone, without the person you love; the pain of watching them die" he said as he lifted the gun from Aaron's head and turned it on Spencer. A loud gunshot rang through the night.

"No!" Hotch heard himself scream. But instead of Spencer being the one to die, the Unsub gargled incoherently and fell flat on the ground with his face turned to Aaron in a silent scream. Hotch scrambled through the dirt over to Reid and lifted him onto his lap as Morgan, JJ, and five local cops came running from the trees. Aaron smoothed Spencer's long hair from his face, "It's over, it's all over" he whispered reassuringly, not only to Reid but to himself as well.

Morgan stood over them, "You both alright?" he asked, clearly out of breath.

"He needs a hospital now" Aaron replied as Reid's breathing began to slow. Morgan bent down to pick up the young genius but Supervising Agent stopped him, "No" Hotch said, "I promised I'd bring him home and that's what I'm going to do." The older agent staggered to his feet with a little help from the others and carefully picked up the battered agent. After a few stumbles and close falls, Aaron got his balance and began limping his way back to the house. Morgan and JJ walked on each side of him in case he stumbled again as he emerged from the woods with the man he loved cradled protectively against his chest.

~ Spencer's Dream~

"Hotch!" he cried out, his voice echoing around the tiny workroom. He felt fresh tears run down the side of his face, "please" he whimpered.

The Unsub's voice drifted from somewhere in the shadows, "Oh come on Reid, you can do better than that." He could hear the smile in the man's voice. Suddenly he felt the familiar sting of cold metal on his bare skin. He began to sob silently. "Let's try again, shall we?" the man sneered as the metal of a blade sliced through the young man's skin.

"Hotch!" Spencer cried out, his voice cracking. "Hotch!...Aaron please, help me!" Reid begged, crying and thrashing against the restraints.

~End Dream~

Beep. Beep. Beep. Spencer Reid felt himself lifting out of a cold darkness as his body tensed and he let out a whimpering groan. Hotch, who was seated next to Spencer's hospital bed, lifted his head from the side of the bed where he had been resting; awakened from his light doze. He looked up at Spencer to see the young man's face scrunched in what looked like pain. The senior agent gently covered Reid's hand with his own in an attempt to comfort the sleeping agent. Spencer began to quietly cry out, throwing his head from side to side, and suddenly sat up throwing the hospital blanket off as he did.

"Aaron!" Reid screamed as he sat up, panting and looking around wildly.

Aaron jumped from the chair and took Reid's face between his hands, "Shh, Spencer, it's me. It's Aaron. Spencer look at me" the older man said as he brushed the loose hair out of Reid's face.

The young genius finally focused on Hotch's face, the terror in his eyes slowly fading. "Whe-Where am I?" Spencer asked in a hoarse voice as he tried to move but was stopped when he felt pain shoot through his chest and stomach. He looked down to see his front covered with bandages and gauze, so much in fact that his own skin was only visible in small sections. His mind flooded with scenes of the man who had kidnapped him hovering over him with a large pointed knife, smiling sickly as he bent over to slice his flesh. Reid's breath came out in gasps as he began to panic from the horrible memories and started clawing at the gauze wrappings, wanting all evidence of his traumatic experience to disappear, causing some of the white bandages to turn pink with fresh blood.

Hotch quickly grabbed Reid's wrists, trying his best not to press too hard on the wrappings around them, and pinned them to the bed. "Spencer, you're safe. It's all over Spence" Aaron said, attempting to calm the panicking man.

Spencer finally calmed enough for Hotch to release him and looked up at the older man, tears streaming down his face. "You came for me" he said with a sniff. "He made me scream for you while he…he…" Reid dropped his head with a shuddering breath, his tears dripping off the tip of his nose. "I begged for you. Every day, I begged for you to find me. And you did." He couldn't hold back any longer and burst into shaking sobs.

Aaron felt his own silent tears roll down his cheeks as he leaned in to hold Reid, the man he loved, as the smaller of the two quivered and sobbed in his arms. Spencer threw his arms around Hotch and squeezed, causing the older man to grunt in pain. Hearing Aaron's pain, Spencer immediately let go and stared up at him with a sad, concerned look; his tears seeming to dry up at the thought of the other man hurt. Taking in his Superior's appearance for the first time he saw that in the place of Hotch's usual white dress shirt and black suit jacket was a red plaid shirt that was left unbuttoned, exposing a thick layer of tightly wrapped bandages around his torso. Realizing that Aaron had been hurt somehow both frightened and infuriated him. He quickly scanned over the remainder of Hotch's body and noticed the man was putting all of his weight on his left leg, indicating that the right one had been injured. "Are you okay, Hotch? What happened?" Spencer asked, unable to keep the worry from his voice.

"Me? I'm peachy. Never better" Aaron replied with a chuckle that quickly turned into a groan. Spencer scooted to the edge of the small hospital bed to give the other man room to sit, he looked terrible. Reid patted the bed and Hotch took the hint and sat as comfortably as anyone could with 2 broken ribs. "I tripped and fell while searching the woods for you, must have landed on a rock or something" he explained, trying to make it sound like it was no big deal, he didn't want to upset Reid any more than he already was. Reid only nodded then turned his gaze to the man's leg which was obviously causing him pain. Aaron sighed and shook his head, "The damn bastard shot me. Guess I'm getting slow in my old age" he said with a rare smile. His smile vanished when he saw Spencer's eyes tearing up again.

Tears spilled down his face again, "I'm so sorry Aaron" Spencer cried out. He started rambling as he got more emotional, "I was so stupid! I should have heard the man when he came into the house. I should have been more careful. Because of me you were hurt and people don't put the person they love in danger" the young man only quieted when he saw the look of shock on Aaron's face.

He had never heard Spencer call him by his first name before this horrible experience and hearing the young agent refer to him in the same sentence with 'love' was an even more shock. "What?" Aaron stammered in surprise, "You -you love me?" he asked, surely he had heard Spencer wrong.

Reid lowered his head in shame, "Well, yea. I have for a while now. I'm sorry, I just thought you felt the same with the way you act and stare when we're at work together. I guess I was wrong" he explained. He went to turn his face away when he felt Hotch's hand on his cheek. He face was turned back towards the older man who had a look of shock, relief, and joy all in one. Suddenly Hotch leaned in and pressed his lips gently to Spencer's. Reid leaned into their kiss but was surprised when Aaron broke away suddenly and studied him with a confused look.

Aaron stared at Spencer for a moment, "How did you know that I was in love with you?" he asked.

Spencer smiled, and with a chuckle answered "I'm a profiler, Aaron, and a pretty good one too. It's my job. Plus, being a genius never hurts."

Hotch smiled back, "Alright genius" he said affectionately, "I'm going to grab some bad hospital coffee and call the team. They all want to come visit you but I'll try my best to fend off the wolves" he said as he bent down and kissed Reid's forehead lightly. "Try to get some rest, Spence" he added, placing his hand lovingly on top of Spencer's head, grinned, and then ruffled the younger man's long messy hair.

~3 Months Later~

Spencer was sitting on the corner of the hospital bed staring intently at the floor. Well, mainly his shoes on the floor. He bent down slowly, reaching for the shoes, and groaned at the pain in his abdomen. It had been three months since he was first admitted into the hospital and though he was still wrapped in gauze bandages he was well enough to go home. The doctor had said, very sternly, that even though he was leaving he still needed to change the bandages 3 times a day and watch carefully for any sign of infection. He had managed to get one shoe on when there was a knock on the door.

Hotch cracked the door and stuck his head it, "Hey, Spencer. You ready to go home?" he asked with a smile.

Reid nodded, "Yea, I just need to get my other shoe one" he replied as he leaned back down with another grunt. The older man rushed to the bedside wanting to help. When he reached out to grab the shoe Spencer swatted his had away, "Aaron, I'm not a child, I've got this" he said a little harsher than intended. Aaron frowned a little but backed off and let Spencer put his shoe on himself. Once Spencer had double and triple checked that he had gathered all of his belongings he faced the door and with a sigh, nodded, indicating that he was ready. Hotch opened the door and looked over at Reid with a smile only to find the smaller man was shaking.

He placed a hand on Reid's arm, "Hey, it's going to be alright. We're going to take it slow. Together" he said reassuringly as he slid his hand from Spencer's arm down to his hand and took it in his own, intertwining their fingers.

Reid smiled wearily up at Hotch and they walked out of the room together. "Wow" Reid said when he saw the hallways deserted "Where did all the staff go? I was hoping to say goodbye to them", he frowned, drooping his head.

"I'm sure they'd love to see you off, Spence" Aaron replied and squeezed Reid's hand as they rounded the corner. The sudden sound of loud clapping and whistles stopped Spencer in his tracks, his mouth dropping open. Shocked, he quickly looked from the hospital staff up at Hotch only to see the older man smiling fondly down at him. "Aaron" Reid whispered, "Did you plan this?" he asked as a smile widened on his face.

"You had mentioned before that you wanted to see everyone when you were released" Hotch replied, placing a soft kiss on top of Spencer's head. Reid could feel his eyes tearing up as they walked towards the small group of doctors and nurses. He went down the line of staff who had nursed him back to health these past few months and each of them gave him a gentle hug along with words of encouragement or praise. After many tears and smiles, Spencer walked out of the hospital hand-in-hand with his lover. Although Reid wished they could have started their relationship in a better way he doubted they would have ever admitted their feelings had it ended any differently, so in a way Spencer was happy he had been taken, even if it was a horrible experience. The young genius was quiet on the drive through town and Aaron found himself frequently glancing over at him, his profiler instincts trying to decipher what Reid was feeling as he starred out the passenger window.

They eventually turned down the small side street and Spencer sighed as he watched his apartment complex get closer. He stared at the floor mat, somewhat dreading the idea of going home, then whipped his head up as Hotch drove past it.

"Umm…Hotch?" Reid said questioningly, "My apartment is back there."

Aaron just smirked, "I know" was all he said. A few minutes later he parked his personal truck in front of a decent sized two-story house

Spencer looked around confused, "Whose house is this?" he asked as the other man got out and opened the passenger door for him. "Mine" Hotch said, "You'll be staying with me until you're strong enough to take care of yourself on your own."

Reid was about to complain but stopped when Hotch began unloading his belongings from the hospital. The young man quickly countered, "Aaron, no. I don't want to be a burden on you" he said hoping it would work.

"You're not a burden Spence. I want to take care of you" Aaron said with a smile.

Trying again Spencer said with a whine, "But I don't have any of my belongings, except what's here from the hospital." This excuse had to work he thought.

Hotch's smile grew, showing his teeth, "I had the team bring some clothes, bathroom supplies, and your favorite books from your apartment. Plus, Garcia synced your Netflix account with mine so you can watch all those documentaries you like" the older man replied.

Spencer should have known Garcia, their Tech Queen, would have been in on this. He opened his mouth to complain again but couldn't think of a reasonable excuse to why he wouldn't be able to stay, so instead he hung his head in defeat and followed Hotch into the house. Spencer turned the corner into the front room and was smacked in the face by a giant heart-shaped balloon being blown around by the ceiling fan. "oof!" he cried out in surprise. He looked down to see the balloon was tied to the arm of a bright purple Teddy Bear holding a heart that read 'Love You'. Reid shook his head, "Let me guess, Garcia picked these didn't she?" he asked with a smile.

Hotch laughed, "We told her to get something low key" he replied, "I'm afraid of what you would have found if we let her go all out" he added with a chuckle.

Sitting on the coffee table behind the face-attacking balloon were 3 different assortments of flowers and one of those fruit bouquets that Spencer had always loved, it was even made out of his favorite fruits. His heart felt like it was about to burst with love and appreciation, though he knew that was physically impossible.

Hotch stood behind him and wrapped his arms gently around the young man as he starred in amazement at all his welcome home gifts. "The team missed you" he said as he brushed Spencer's long hair from the side of his neck and kissed the soft skin, "I've missed you." Hotch took hold of Reid's hand and began leading him around the house in a simple tour of the place.

After the tour, which ended upstairs, Spencer was exhausted; though he was stronger than before he was nowhere near back to normal. "I think I need some rest" he said with a yawn, "Do you have an extra pillow and blanket that I can use for the couch?"

Hotch shook his head, "You're not sleeping downstairs, I have to keep an eye on you" he said. Before Reid could question he was gently pulled into Aaron's bedroom and told to sit on the bed. He didn't have time to complain when Hotch had taken the younger's shoes off and lifted his legs up onto the bed. The mattress was so incredibly comfortable that Spencer wasn't even aware that he was drifting off to sleep. He was aware though, before sleep took him, of the mattress dipping behind him as Aaron laid down and wrapped his arm gently but securely around him. He felt safe.

~2 Weeks Later~

Spencer Reid had never been one to ask for help but he had to admit that having someone there to take care of him was nice, even though it was extremely embarrassing at times. He had insisted that he was well enough to shower on his own. Hotch had been a bit reluctant to allow it, so when Reid had gotten dizzy and fell in the shower managing to take the curtain down with him, the other agent refused to let him do anything alone after that. The older man helped change his bandages throughout the day, carefully cleaning the healing wounds each time. The shallower cuts were healing nicely and were only tender red marks, they should be fully healed in a week or so and wouldn't leave any scar. The deeper wounds, on the other hand, were a different story. Though they were much better than when Spencer had woke in the hospital, they still looked pretty nasty and caused great pain when the bandages were removed. An infection had flared up in a few of the larger wounds and had delayed the healing time of them. The first few days after Reid had left the hospital Aaron was carefully helping him change the larger bandages around his mid-section. The gauze had peeled away from the wounds with a sickening sound, Spencer gritting his teeth in pain, to reveal the worst of his wounds. There were three main gashes on the front of Reid's mid-section, the largest of all the other injuries: two of them ran horizontally on each side of his abdomen located in between his rib bones while the other one ran vertically from his sternum down to his naval, similar to an autopsy incision. The two injuries on his ribs were about the width of a single blade slice but had run deep enough to almost puncture his lungs. The vertical laceration was the worst, it was an inch wide, having been stitched closed then ripped open multiple times by the Unsub. Hotch was gathering supplies to clean up Reid when he noticed the young man starring at himself in the bathroom mirror. He was in a kind of trance as he starred at the two deep slices that ran from his hip bones to just above his groin. Aaron saw a range of emotions play across Spencer's face from shock and disgust to fascination.

Reid lifted his hand unconsciously and moved it slowly to touch the angry red lines. He was ripped from his trance when he felt a hand grab his wrist. "Aaron" he whispered, failing to hide the pain in his voice. A tear made its way down his face. "I'm hideous" he thought to himself, "How can Aaron, how can anyone, love me when I look like this." He let Hotch finish cleaning his wounds in silence.

Later that night the two men were laying on the couch, Reid slightly on top of Hotch, when the older man broke the silence. "Would you like to move in with me?" he asked absently, as if he were commenting on the weather, while he played with Reid's hair. Spencer looked up at Aaron, the shock clear on his face. Hotch never talked about it much but the young agent knew that the other man hadn't been with anyone, at least seriously, in almost 7 years. Not since his fiancé had died, Reid knew that he had loved her immensely. Hotch looked down to meet Spencer's eyes, a slight smile crossing his face, "only if you want to" he said. The young man had been starring at him in silence for so long that he thought he may have crossed a line, he was Spencer's superior for Christ sake. He was about to look away when Reid finally found his voice.

"Ye- yes. Yes, of course. I'd love to move in with you" he replied with a huge goofy grin. Aaron wrapped his arms around the smaller man and buried his face in his messy hair, breathing in the crisp smell of Reid's apple scented shampoo.

"Come on" Aaron said with a sigh, "Let's head to bed, it's getting late." Spencer groaned and moved just enough for Hotch to squeeze out from under him. Standing over the smaller man, who showed no intent of getting up, he grinned mischievously. Hotch quickly shot his arms under Reid and hoisted him up off the couch and held him against his chest. "He's gained some weight back but he's still way to light" Aaron thought to himself.

"Hey!" Spencer cried out in surprise.

Hearing Spencer cry out and the feeling of him in his arms shot Hotch into a sudden flashback. He was back in the old workshop building, Reid was limp and bleeding in his arms. Terror began to seep through him, "No" he thought, "I got him out of there. This can't be happening." Suddenly he heard Reid moan his name softly, then again louder.

"Aaron…Aaron" Reid's voice was saying.

Hotch blinked and shook his head. He was back in this house holding Spencer who was staring up at him with a look of confused worry.

"Are you okay?" the young man asked, concern filling his voice.

Hotch genuinely smiled as he said "Yea, I'm alright." Spencer was safe and it was all over. He tilted his head down to kiss the other man. He only meant for it to be a brief, gentle kiss but he soon found himself crushing his lips against Reid's. He could taste the faint remains of the peppermint coffee from earlier on the younger man's tongue as their kiss deepened. Hotch broke away suddenly, out of breath, "I love you Spence" he said matter-of-factly.

Spencer wrapped his arms around Aaron's neck, "I love you too" he replied and snuggled his head into the other's chest. Hotch carried Spencer up the stairs and into the bedroom, depositing him lightly onto the sea of soft blankets, then went to clean up in the connected bathroom. After a hot shower Aaron returned to find Reid had cocooned himself in the sheets and was on his side, cuddling into Aaron's pillow. Spencer reminded him so much of a child at times. He couldn't stop the edges of his lips turning up into a smile when he sat on his side of the bed and ran his fingers through the other's tousled hair, causing Spencer to bury his face in the pillow with a groan. Reid turned over to face Hotch, who was on his side with his head propped up in his hand staring lovingly at him; Spencer felt his heart flutter.

How could he have been so lucky to find someone like Aaron? Especially considering he was the first person Reid had dated in his life. Spencer put his fingers under Hotch's chin and pulled his head down for a kiss. He could feel his pulse quicken as he deepened the kiss, sliding a hand through the older man's hair. Reid grabbed a fist full of Aaron's hair and felt the man's chest rumble as he let a growling moan slip out. Aaron was about to climb on top of Spencer when he broke their kiss, grabbing Reid's wrist when he reached out for him.

"We can't" Hotch panted, "Not yet." His heart ached at the look of hurt that went across Spencer's face.

The younger man turned his head away, confused and hurt. "It's because of how I look now, isn't it?" he asked, motioning to the bandages, "I'm hideous."

"What?" Hotch asked, confused for a moment, then it clicked. "No. God, no. Spence, I love you" he hurried to explain, "I don't care how you look."

Reid didn't seem convinced, "But the scars are never going to go away" he sighed.

Without a word Hotch stood up and yanked his night shirt over his head, "Look at me Spencer" he said in his 'Boss' voice. "What do you see?"

Reid faced him, taking in the sight of his boyfriend. "I see you" he replied.

"Exactly, Spence. You see me, you don't see my scars" Aaron said pointing at the scars that riddled his chest, shoulders, and stomach. Scars that he had earned while on the job. He had been shot, stabbed and abused more times that he could count. He crawled back into bed, wrapping Reid in his arms as he said, "Your scars show that you're strong, you've been through more hell than anyone should. Especially at your age."

Spencer sighed, "Then why can't we…you know…" he asked, squirming.

Aaron chucked at Reid's obvious awkwardness, "Trust me" he said "I want you. But I don't want to hurt you" he answered snuggling into the smaller man. "You're still healing and I want your first time to be great" he explained as he began stroking Spencer's hair soothingly, loving the feel of the long messy locks run through his fingers. He took Reid's hand and began rubbing soothing circles on the back of it with his thumb.

Reid's eyes felt heavy and he caught himself drifting off, but as much as he tried to fight it he couldn't help but be overcome by sleep. Aaron could hear Spencer's breathing slow as he fell asleep and took the opportunity to gaze down at the peaceful looking man. "I love you Spencer Reid, I want to spend the rest of my life with you" he whispered as he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep with a smile. He was the happiest he had been in a very long time.

THE END