Chapter 16

Hotch ushered Reid to his living room, placed a glass of plain water for Reid and waited for him to open up. Hotch knew the intention behind Reid's arrival in the middle of the night. Reid's behavior has been a little different lately, but Hotch never pushed Reid to talk about it because he knew the difficulties being through by him for the past few months.

The situation remained still for at least two minutes before Reid's outburst. "How did you move on, Hotch? After what happened to Hailey and Foyet in your life. How did you move on? Because I can't. I know whatever happened to my family is not bad compared to yours but still, I can't…"

"There is no scale to indicate which one is bad and which one is not, Reid and I never moved on." Hotch said. "It still hurts whenever I thought about Hailey but the truth is I can't do anything about it."

Hotch looked at Reid's tired face. "I could never forget the moment of anxiety I had while driving back, the gunshot sound I heard through the phone and the sight of Hailey dead on the floor. I could never put these things out of my mind but there was one thing which made me to put all these things behind."

Reid looked at Hotch with a questioning look.

"Jack." Hotch answered. "I revenged back, I killed Foyet by my own hand but it never lessens the pain nor gave Hailey back to me. We cannot do anything to change the past. Reid, I can understand your feeling but it it pointless to blame yourself."

"What do you think I should do?" Reid asked.

"I am not sure if I am the right person to tell you, Reid but there is one thing I can tell you. You have a wonderful family, Reid. A wife who stood behind you all the times, not matter how difficult things are. Two children who loves you to pieces."

Reid smiled a little when his mind flowed with the pictures of Elena and Oliver.

"I know that you want some answers like when you will able move on. Honestly, Reid, I don't know. It is something only you can answer yourself. Things will be difficult at first, no doubt but Jack made my life worth living despite all the things I have been through. Don't keep everything inside you, Reid. Just let it go."

"I can understand, Hotch but each time I see Elena and Oliver, I just can't. Elena is just six and she has scar made by a gunshot wound. Oliver is afraid each time we took him out, if anybody seems to be near us, he will ask ' is he following us?' They are kids who suppose to be playing happily, not going to physical therapy or scared of other outsiders."

Hotch could see tears in the corner of Reid's eyes. Hotch gently laid his hand on Reid's shoulders. "Yes, Reid. You are right, they don't deserve such things but Reid, things had happened. There no point in thinking what should have happened. I suggest you focus on the present moment."

Reid looked Hotch again. "Samantha thinks that how I am behaving right now is breaking our family."

"What do you think?" Hotch asked.

Reid remained silent for a moment. "She is right. I was never myself for the past few months."

"So, change yourself" Hotch said. "You are lucky to have such a family, Reid. Have you ever thought of Samantha? How things must be difficult for her? To see her kids struggling at the same time, her husband?" She has been holding the family together for the past months, don't you think?"

Reid nodded. Hotch was right. "I screwed up." Reid mumbled.

"No, Reid. You still got a chance to set everything right. The past will always try to haunt you down but when you think about the beautiful future you have with your family, it could never possess you." Hotch said. "Just don't let the past to break the future you have."

"Thanks, Hotch." Reid said genuinely.

"You are welcome, Reid." Hotch said and started when Reid ran towards the door. "Where are you going?"

"I am going to get my family back." Reid said before he stormed out.

"I wish we could something about this," Deleena said to her husband in kitchen with her eyes on her sister.

Morgan walked and stood behind his wife. He could see Samantha sitting on the couch, hugging a small pillow and crying silently. The kids were in another room, watching cartons.

"I know." Morgan said. "But we can't… for now. It's their family matter. We will give them some time and if things get ugly, we will step in, okay?" Morgan hugged Deleena from behind.

Samantha couldn't hold her tears behind. It took her a lot courage to walk out of her house. Her mind kept on wandering back to Reid. She knew that Reid must be upset right now, but Samantha had no other choice. She desperately wanted to make sure Reid doesn't blame himself anymore.

Just as her minds were wondering, her phone rang. She took the phone and figured if she should answer it. She waited for a few seconds and answered it when her heart never allowed her to disconnect it."

"I am so sorry." Reid's voice comes through the moment she picked up the call.

Reid continued. "You were right. You were always right. I was breaking us apart… I was breaking our family apart."

Samantha sobbed. "I never meant to hurt you, Spencer."

"No, Samantha. You opened my eyes. I should have talked to you, I should let you in. I am so sorry for pushing you away. I just … I don't want you to know that I am struggling."

"I am your wife, Spence. We were meant to help each other." Samantha justified.

"I know and that is why I am asking you, will you forgive me?" Reid asked from the other side of the phone.

Samantha wiped off her tears. "You do something like again, I will shoot you myself."

"I love you…" Reid said.

"I love you too…" Samantha replied.

"Can I have my family back?" Reid asked.

Samantha smiled a little but something else knocked her heart. She could sense Reid's presences. She walked to the window, pushed her curtain aside and saw Reid standing in front of the house. Unable to hold herself, she tossed the phone back on the couch, and ran out of the house.

"What is she doing?" Deleena asked and she ran behind Samantha but stood at the door itself when she saw Reid.

Samantha ran towards Reid, stood in front of him and said "You are an absolute moron." Samantha hugged him.

Reid wrapped his hand tightly around her "I was really unaware of that." He joked.

"What happened?" Morgan asked, arriving at the door shortly but smiled at the sight in front of him.

"Where is mommy?" Elena asked towards Morgan and Deleena but never waited for an answer when she saw her father.

"Daddy!" the girl screamed which alerted Oliver. Both ran out of the house towards their father. Reid bent down and hugged his kids on each side.

"Mommy said you have work today." Oliver said.

"I finished it, wanna go back?" Reid asked.

Morgan shouted from the door. "Are you guys coming in?"

"No, Morgan. I am taking my family back home." Reid said before he fetched them back.

Reid crashed on the couch with Elena and Oliver on his each side. He wrapped his hand around both of them and dragged them closer to his chest.

"Daddy…" Elena called. "Are you going to leave us?"

Reid was stunned by Elena's question. He knew somehow his odd behavior would have triggered the question. "No, Elena. I would never do that. Both of you are my life. How could I live without you?"

"You look different recently, daddy." Oliver said next.

"I have been just… I feel guilty with what had happened with both of you." Reid said

"Why? It was the bad guy who hurt us, besides, you saved us, you helped us, you were there for us, Daddy. We love you." Elena said as she hugged her father.

"I know… I am sorry." Reid uttered. "I love both of you more than anything." He said, kissing both Elena and Oliver's forehead. "Why don't both of you get ready to bed and I will come in, read some stories for you."

"Okay!" Both of the kids jumped and ran towards their rooms.

Reid turned around and his sight found Samantha standing, leaning against the bookshelf nearby. Reid stretched his hand to her in which she took and sat beside him. She wrapped her hand around his waist, snuggle near his chest, listening to his heartbeat. Just like her, Reid cuddled her and rested his chin on top of her head.

"Sam, I can't promise you that I won't mess up again but if I did, you will be the first person I will talk to." Reid said, pressing a kiss on her forehead.

"You better do that because I wasn't joking about shooting you." Samantha said, looking into his eyes and trying to be serious.

"What?" Reid played along. "I though you love me."

Both Samantha and Reid shared a light moment of laughter and calmness before both the kids stormed out.

"Come on, dad. Bedtime stories!" Elena yelled.

"Okay, how about this one?" Reid asked, pointing towards one story book. Oliver was lying in the middle of Reid and Samantha while Elena was on Reid's other side.

"No. We want to hear the story of you and mommy." Elena said.

Reid thought for a second, then resumed. "Well, there was guy….."

Reid woke up after a few hours. Elena was sleeping on his left side while hugging his arms, she was an absolute beauty even when she was asleep. Oliver was in the middle with both his hands, around Samantha and Reid's waist. Beside Oliver, Samantha was sleeping peacefully with her one of her hand on Reid's chest. Reid thought for a second.

This is his family and he would never, ever let anything to break them apart.

The End.