A/N: I own nothing but this plotline and one semi-recurring OC who isn't even introduced until chapter three. Warnings for each chapter will be posted at the beginning of said chapter. Most common warnings are mentions of suicide and rape, but neither one actually occurs in this fic.

This first chapter is simply the setup for the next one, which means there isn't any smut. I've never found any "rules" for how things work in Omegaverse, so I have my own little world going on, and I hope I get the chance to explore it fully. As usual, nothing is beta'd.

This is already posted on ao3 under the same name, in its entirety. I'd suggest looking it up for the tags, if nothing else. I plan on doing daily updates here, though, if you'd prefer to read it here.

Hotch/Reid. No Mpreg. This is pretty much angst with a happy ending.

Spencer Reid should have known he was going to have a bad day the moment he woke up late and had to scramble around his apartment to get ready on time—something that resulted in him spilling coffee all over his last clean white dress shirt and left him with no choice but to nab a purple one, considering those were the only other clean shirts he had. He made a mental note to do a load of laundry when he got home because he really hated how self-conscious the purple ones made him feel. It was almost like he was screaming for everyone to look at him when he really wanted the exact opposite.

When he came tripping into the conference room five minutes late, he felt his already-flushed face flush even more and cleared his throat. "Sorry I'm late. I overslept and then had to change clothes because I spilled coffee on myself," he blurted, slipping into the only vacant seat and slumping down in it. Even having slept in on accident, he was still tired.

There were a few curious, scrutinizing looks sent his way that made him shift uncomfortably and try to make himself smaller in his seat, and that was thankfully when Hotch suggested, "Perhaps we should continue. If he has any questions, we can address them on the jet."

Reid sent the older man a fleeting, appreciative smile that went mostly unnoticed, and thankfully the rest of the briefing went off without a hitch.

That wasn't the end of his problems, however. At one point while he was walking back to his seat on the jet, the plane had tilted without warning and caused him to stumble and fall to the side, knocking his jaw against one of the armrests hard enough that he knew he'd have a bruise later. JJ had asked if he was all right, and after a small amount of fussing, he had been allowed to slump embarrassedly into his seat.

And then at the police station, Reid had gone to get coffee for everyone and burnt his hand on the coffee pot. His yelp had drawn Hotch into the break area, and the Alpha had quirked a brow at him curiously. Reid had whined out an apology and started searching for a first aid kit, and Hotch had simply sighed almost fondly and gathered the coffee cups for the rest of the team, an action that only made Reid feel even more humiliated for some reason.

So it really shouldn't have surprised Reid that the moment he suddenly realized why he had been feeling off all day was when he, Prentiss, and Hotch were looking through a victim's workplace in a lab—and at that exact moment, a loud siren started blaring. The sound made Reid jolt in surprise, and then he felt dread pool in his stomach once he recognized just which siren that was. "No. No, no, no," he whispered. He was vaguely aware of Prentiss touching his arm, and he swung his head around to look for Hotch.

Hotch was standing across the room, talking almost angrily with one of the scientists standing there. His posture was stiff and his lips were pressed together when he finally turned around and made his way back to them just as the siren stopped. "That sound apparently means one of the labs had a potentially fatal substance go airborne, so we're likely to be sealed inside until further notice. No one and nothing comes or leaves," Hotch muttered irately.

Reid closed his eyes and made a pathetic noise in the back of his throat before covering his face with his hands. Prentiss's cool hand felt nice as it came to rest against the back of his neck, and Reid barely heard her murmur, "We might have a worse situation on our hands than just that."

"Reid." The Omega's head lifted immediately at the sound of his name, and his hazel eyes were wide as they found Hotch. "Are you all right?"

With a shake of his head, Reid whispered, "No." Prentiss's fingers were rubbing soothing circles against the back of his neck, and it helped keep him marginally calm. "I usually take my suppressants in the morning." Though his voice was barely a whisper, he knew both agents had easily heard him.

"It's all right, Reid," the Beta murmured softly. "I can't imagine we'll be in here longer than twenty-four hours. That's the typical protocol for something like this, right? And so long as you get one within the next, oh, forty hours, you'll be fine."

Reid heard himself make a pitiful noise. "Actually, I need one in the next fourteen. We wrapped our last case up so late that I forgot to take one yesterday morning. And then this morning, I woke up late and ended up walking out the door without taking it. That's why I've been so much clumsier than normal. I just didn't realize it until the alarm went off."

Hotch cursed, and Reid flinched back and towards Prentiss. Almost immediately the Alpha's expression shifted into a softer, apologetic one. "It's all right, Reid. Even you are capable of forgetting things. I'll ask and see if there isn't some way we can get a suppressant for you. If not, we'll start working on a back-up plan," Hotch explained softly, his tone purposely gentle. And even though Reid knew it for what it was, it still calmed him like it was supposed to.

Prentiss smiled reassuringly, drawing his attention as Hotch walked away to speak to someone about the situation. "It'll be all right. We'll figure something out, okay?"

"Have you ever heard about Omegas' heats?" Reid queried, his voice breaking on the last word.

The Beta frowned and glanced around before guiding him across the room, putting more distance between him and the others before she answered, "I've heard a little. I know they can be painful."

Reid choked on a slightly bitter laugh. "There's no 'can be' about it. Unless you're on suppressants in order to keep from having one, or unless you have a mate to satisfy your needs, they're painful. Why do you think suppressants are so sought after? About a third of the way through a heat, toys aren't even helpful anymore, which leaves nearly eight hours of gut-wrenching pain. The two times I went through a heat were the worst twelve hours of my life each time."

Prentiss winced, and her hand unerringly caught his and held on tightly. "If Hotch can't get any suppressants, I'll stay with you while it lasts." The offer sent something warm blooming through his chest, replacing the bitterness.

"Thank you, but I don't think you'll want to do that," Reid murmured, squeezing her hand. "Besides, depending on the arrangement, you'll probably need to be with Hotch to keep him calm."

"Why is that?" the dark-haired agent questioned, her brows furrowing.

Reid tilted his head, confused. "Because he's a currently unmated Alpha, and he's surrounded by people he doesn't know or trust. And if any of them are Alphas, we'll have a much bigger problem."

She paled slightly, her thumb brushing soothingly over his knuckles. "I see what you mean. This has the potential to get way out of hand, doesn't it?"

Reid wasn't given a chance to answer because that was when Hotch came walking up to them, his jaw set and his teeth obviously clenched together. His gaze flicked down to Prentiss's and Reid's clasped hands as Reid took a slight step forward. "Bad news?" Reid ventured to ask, bringing Hotch's gaze back to him.

The Alpha sighed and pushed a hand through his hair. "None of the workers in this area are Omegas, and until the place is given the all-clear, that door isn't allowed to be opened for any reason. The good news is that they're used to it, so there are supplies in the closet, an adjoining bathroom, and an adjoining room they sometimes use for sleeping. The woman I spoke to said you could stay in there, and they'd station the Betas directly outside to keep any Alphas away from you."

"How many are there?" Prentiss queried, and Hotch frowned.

"Three, including me," he answered, and his attention shifted back to Reid. "I'm sorry."

Reid swallowed and managed a wry smile. "It's not your fault, Hotch. I know what to expect, at least."

"That doesn't make it better," Hotch rejoined, and Reid had to concede to that point.

"If we're going to try and make this as comfortable for him as possible, we should start setting up. We may get lucky, but if not, at least we'll be prepared," the Beta suggested. And with a nod from Reid, they got to work.

Nearly an hour later, the adjoining room looked almost cozy. They'd found enough blankets and sleeping bags to make a nice pallet on the floor, and a couple of pillows were set at one end. There were bottles of water and some crackers and fruit bars set off to the side, just in case for during, but mostly there for after. They'd also nabbed a few clean washcloths and towels, the former more useful as something for Reid to bite down on so he didn't grind his teeth together. They had tried and failed to find something sturdy enough to bind his hands, but the only thing they knew would work were handcuffs, and that would only lead to him hurting himself more, so that was out of the question.

Since there were still quite a few hours to go before Reid's heat started affecting him, the three agents were simply sitting in the room, testing the comfort of the makeshift mattress. Prentiss was the first to comment, "It's not too bad. We've slept in hotel beds worse than this."

Reid's smile was wry. "I won't really notice once my heat gets further in. Are you sure there are enough blankets and sleeping bags left for the others?"

"Of course," she answered, reaching out to squeeze his arm gently.

Reid bit down on his lower lip, looking at the makeshift bed almost quizzically. "It really is a lot, though. Maybe—"

"Reid." All it took was one firm word from Hotch to make the Omega close his mouth and glance at the older man apologetically. The Unit Chief's expression softened as he smiled slightly and murmured, "There's no need to look like that. We didn't take more than was necessary, and Prentiss and I ensured everyone had what they needed. They all understand the situation, and they're more than willing to accommodate for it."

With a slight frown Reid nodded to show he understood, and it was silent for a long moment. And then Prentiss suddenly looked at Hotch curiously and asked, "Is it a good idea for you to be sitting on his bed? With the whole scent thing and all that?"

The older profiler cursed and moved to stand up, but Reid's fingers wrapped around his wrist to stop him. "It's fine. In fact, it'll actually probably help. Studies have shown in ninety-four-point-seven percent of cases that having something—typically an article of clothing or some other form of cloth like bed linens—that smells like an Alpha the in-heat-Omega is used to being around staves off the pain for an average of sixteen minutes and forty-two seconds."

As Hotch resettled, Prentiss gaped at Reid. "It's that bad, huh?" she asked softly, and the Omega winced.

Hotch's hand landed on his shoulder, effectively cutting off what was most likely going to be an apology. "Yes, it is," the Alpha answered in Reid's stead as he withdrew his hand from the younger man's shoulder. "Haley compared it to childbirth, claiming that hurt less than withstanding a heat."

Prentiss instinctively reached out and took the younger man's hand. "Reid, are you sure you don't want me to stay with you?"

"Like I said earlier, you'll need to stick with Hotch," Reid answered, offering the Beta a small smile. "I don't think any of the others are going to be much help once his Alpha instincts kick in. It'll be bad enough that I'm in heat, but he'll also sense that I'm distressed, and since he knows me, that will make it worse."

Prentiss glanced at Hotch, who smiled humorlessly in response. "It's true. Remember the Tobias Hankel case?"

Mouth pressing into a grim line, the dark-haired woman nodded and murmured, "All too well. You two have made your point." Reid gently squeezed her hand, trying to offer some form of reassurance as he exchanged a glance with Hotch.

And that was when it hit him—something he should have thought about the moment he realized the situation he was in. He honestly despised the way an oncoming heat disrupted his normal thought processes. After clearing his throat, Reid asked, "Uh, Emily, do you mind if I speak with Hotch alone for a few minutes?"

Both agents seemed surprised by the request, but when he simply waited patiently, Prentiss eventually nodded. "All right. I'll be right outside if you need me," she informed with a warm smile as she pushed herself up and walked to the door, casting one last glance over her shoulder before exiting the room and shutting the door firmly behind her.

Reid swallowed back a sudden swell of nerves as he looked up at his boss. "I need you to promise that you'll hear me out. No interruptions, no premature answers. Just listen." Hotch's eyes narrowed, but he tilted his head, indicating for Reid to continue. "I'm sure you've noticed that the Bureau doesn't make a habit of employing Omegas. With all the Omega Rights movements going on, it creates a hassled work environment when situations like this," Reid paused and gestured around them, "occur.

"However, in an effort not to discriminate because of a natural function we can't control, they put aside their hesitance for certain candidates. That should be it, but it's not that cut-and-dry. There's still the issue of what to do if an agent goes into heat in the field. You may already know about it, but along with all the normal forms, Omegas have an extra form to fill out: Agent Consent." At Hotch's wide-eyed look, Reid smiled and answered, "Yes, it's exactly what it sounds like. We aren't forced to write down a name of an Alpha, but after six months, it's highly encouraged. We have to fill them out every three months, and if something happens where we want to remove an Alpha from the list, we're allowed to do that at any time. If you think about it, it's actually a great idea. They've worked their way around the system to keep their agents safe."

Reid paused, hesitating momentarily. "You remember a few years ago, when Strauss suspended you and then heavily suggested you should switch departments?"

"Considering how those weeks went, it would be almost impossible to forget," Hotch muttered dryly. "What about it?"

"R-right, sorry. Uh, when you expressed an interest in staying with the BAU, it wasn't just because the case was handled well that Strauss allowed it." Reid swallowed audibly and shifted in obvious discomfort. "She'd been urging me to put a name on the Agent Consent form for three years by that point, and I was literally the only Omega employed by the Bureau who hadn't. The Director wasn't happy about it, and he was putting a great deal of pressure on her for it. So... I told her I would fill out a new form at that exact moment, but only if I was capable of writing your name on it."

Hotch groaned in half-amusement, half-misery. "Reid, you bribed your Section Chief?"

The Omega flushed and shrugged his shoulders. "I will admit she was a little angry, and she called me out on what I was doing before sending me away. The very next evening, however, she stalked up to my desk, placed the Agent Consent form on it, and basically stormed away. I can only assume the Director caught wind of it, and she didn't have enough evidence against you to keep from reinstating you."

"If you had been any other Omega, she most likely would have fired you," Hotch admonished.

Reid flashed an unconcerned grin. "Good thing I'm not just 'any other Omega,' then." His hazel eyes were bright with amusement. "Anyway, you're either missing my point or purposely ignoring it. Your name is still on that Agent Consent form."

"I was purposely ignoring it. I don't think you understand what you're asking of me," Hotch replied warily.

"I know exactly what I'm asking, and I hate having to do it. But it's the safest way for everyone, if you think about it. I'm less likely to hurt myself, and the other two Alphas can't contest your authority in this because I already smell a little like you from being around you so often. In turn, that puts less strain on the Betas because they don't have to worry about any Alpha fights," Reid reasoned. "Why don't you tell me what you're worried about, so we can talk through it? If there's a legitimate concern, then I'll manage on my own."

Reid waited patiently as Hotch gathered his thoughts. "First, I've never had casual sex with an Omega during a heat. I don't know if I'll be able to keep from marking you, which leads to the concern of bonding. We don't have any form of protection, and even if we are both clean, that doesn't eradicate the possibility of impregnating you. That would, in turn, lead to even more complications because there is no way I would be capable of standing back and letting you take care of the child yourself." Hotch paused to take a breath, and Reid settled his hand over the Alpha's to stop him from continuing.

"It doesn't matter if you mark me. Unless it happens consistently, the mark will go away after twenty-eight days," Reid explained, deciding to address the concerns in order. "Permanent bonding from a single heat occurs with less than one percent of heat-matings. Most bonds that form are only temporary, and the effects will completely disappear within three months. That's the longest-lasting known case of temporary bonding, at least. Even then, however, the percentage rate of a temporary bond is only three-point-four percent." After a moment's hesitation, he continued, "I am clean, and you don't have to worry about potentially breeding with me. I can't have children."

Hotch frowned, turning his hand over to gently squeeze Reid's. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Reid shrugged slightly. "It's not a huge concern, really. I've never exactly aspired to have children like most, and it's probably for the best. My medical record is subpar, at best," he murmured wryly. "Besides, I have the best godson ever. That's enough for me." Hotch studied him for a long moment, and Reid was fairly certain the Alpha didn't believe him. Wanting to get off the subject, he withdrew his hand and made a circling motion. "I basically cut you off mid-stream. What other concerns do you have?"

The older man shook his head, a hint of a smile playing at his lips. "You actually kept me from rambling nonsense." When Reid's brows shot up in surprise, Hotch agreed teasingly, "I know. Usually it's the other way around." That prompted the Omega to scowl and gently shove Hotch, who responded with a low rumbling chuckle. They fell silent for a moment before the Alpha took a deep breath, and Reid glanced at him curiously. "I'll send Prentiss back in here while I call Strauss and re-discuss the situation with everyone outside." Reid's face must have shown his absolute confusion because Hotch smiled almost fondly before he stood and stretched. "You'll do a far better job of explaining it all to Prentiss. When I'm finished with the others, we can discuss what we're comfortable doing and set some rules."

It took a moment for the words to register, and then a bright smile formed on Reid's lips as relief burst inside him. "Thank you," he whispered earnestly.

Hotch chuckled humorlessly as he made his way to the door. "Don't thank me just yet. We have a long twenty-four hours ahead of us."