Déjà Vu- Chapter 6

As the tears silently leaked from his eyelids, Reid began to bury his head in the palms of his hands.

"Reid, what's wrong?" JJ asked. When he didn't respond, she tried again, "Reid......Spencer, please, tell me what's wrong!"

"This can't be happening.", Reid murmured inaudibly into his hands.  

"What?" she prodded, trying to get a clear response.

Reid rubbed his hands across his cheeks, as if that would clean his tear-stained face. He then proceeded to wipe his hands on his trousers, and slowly lifted his head so that his eyes met with hers.

"This can't be happening, JJ.", he repeated.

"What can't be happening, Spence? What's wrong?"

"That-that girl", he started, "That girl on that screen, she-she's my sister, JJ, he took my sister..." He paused, trying to accumulate his thoughts, as JJ chose that moment to call the team in.

"Hey guys, get in here!" she practically bellowed.

" It's happening all over again, JJ. He's doing it again. He's tearing my life apart.... It's-it's happening all over again.....", Reid said while his eyes never left JJ's.

"What is?" Hotch asked as he and the rest of the team entered the guest room. He took one look at the screens and immediately turned to Morgan.

"Call Garcia. Tell her we need her here, ASAP."

"Yes sir.", was all he said in reply as he left the room with the rest of the team, so that only Hotch, JJ, and Reid were left in the room.

"That's Reid's sist-", JJ started.

"I know.", Hotch interrupted.

"You do?"

"Yes."

"How do i know about your sister?"

"Point taken.", she gave in.

"It's my job to know anything and everything about everyone on this team," Hotch elaborated as JJ nodded, "in case of an emergency."

Reid then turned to follow them when Hotch placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.

"Reid," Hotch started, "Look at me."

Reid, whose attention was greatly focused on his fire-truck red converse sneakers, reluctantly looked up into his superior's eyes. Knowing all his thoughts were being analyzed by the profiler that very second, he tried his best to keep his behavior in tact.

"You've been craving, haven't you?" Hotch asked as Reid proceeded to lower his head in guilt. "Reid, I-"

"I'm not stepping down from this case."

"I wasn't going to-"

"I know you already thought I was too close to this case because of Hankel, that's why everyone tried to get me step down before we even started, right? And now that my sister's involved you have a valid reason to take me off, but i am a valuable asset to this case. This Unsub is copying Hankel, and no-one knows Hankel better than I. Plus, the fact that my sister was taken just makes it even more crucial that i work this case. I don't want to find out second-hand that you apprehended the Unsub, or that he beat and drugged my sister.....or that she OD-ed.....Natalie's strong, but she's only human. For god's sake, Hotch, if Tobias didn't revive me i wouldn't even be alive! I don't-"

"Reid.", Hotch firmly stated," I was not going to suggest that you step down from this case, but rather you take a moment to calm down, and then come and explain your situation to the team. They are going to have questions, you know. Garcia should be here in about two hours. We'll gather everyone in the Unsub's family room then, and you can explain everything, okay?"

Reid, too grateful for words, just nodded and headed towards the Unsub's bathroom. He closed the bathroom door, locked it, and leaned his elbows against the sink, staring at the drain. Slowly, he lifted his head to reveal a monstrosity staring back at him. His cheeks were red and tear-stained, his eyes were puffy, and his hair was raddled so much that he could easily pass for a homeless man. Or a drugee. He reminded himself. Hotch had been right, he had been craving. But it's more than that, he thought. He had practically been begging himself for the drug. What's the point? Natalie is just going to end up dying and it'll start all over again. He knew the team would want to help with his addiction, but he didn't want to admit it. Who would want to help me anyway?  It doesn't matter. I'm worthless. I'm a worthless drugee who spurts out random facts every five seconds. Who would want to even be near me, no matter help me. Despite this, he took a towel on a near-by rack, and began to wipe his face with it. It was no use, however, because not even thirty seconds later he was huddled up in a corner, sulking his eyes out. after about an hour of crying, he reached over to his satchel and pulled out 2 small bottles of Dilaudid and a needle. I could do this right here. In the Unsub's bathroom. No one would care. No one would give a dam. Despite these thoughts, he let the rest of the tears fall and, upon hearing a knock at the door, he took the towel he had clutched in his hand and wiped his face about two more times with it. Only then did he unlock the door and proceed towards the Unsub's family room, only to find all six team members sitting on the Unsub's couches, waiting for his explanation on, well, everything.  

It's so bizarre to be moving around an Unsub's home without a care in the world, he thought. We should be out there catching him, we should be saving my sister! Though he knew that would have to wait, because excluding JJ and Hotch, no-one o the team even knew he had a sister, no matter that she was taken by Hankel. Then it hit him.This time it's different. As he looked around the room, he saw loving, comforting, and concerned people. He saw people ready to take this Unsub down the second they saw him, just because they knew this case affected him more than anyone else And they don't even know why, he thought as he confidently approached the room. This time I'm not alone. This time, I have Family.