Chapter Text
Reid had been taken by the unsub. The team watched, watched as he seized and stopped breathing over the video feed. The saw how beaten and tortured he was, their hearts ached for their team member, for the friend, for their little. At some point at the BAU age regression had been discovered by Reid and his team, many of the team took part in this coping mechanism. It helped with their trauma, on and off the job. They all took care of each other, they were a family. And right now part of their family was missing and being brutally tortured.
By the time they found Reid the unsub was dead, shot by Reid moments earlier. The team rushed to his side, not sure of how he would react they all slowly approached and huged and him and explained how glad they were to see them.
"How has he not dropped?" Morgan asked to Gideon, suprised to see the man walking and talking. Gideon shrugged, because in all honesty he had expected to find Reid regressed and in pain. Instead he found a broke man, who had been drugged and tortured for hours upon hours, and wasn't letting down his guard anytime soon. The team knew they need to get him some place he felt safe, after they cleared him of any serious injuries.
Finally on the plane the team began to rest, except for Gideon and Reid. Gideon walked over to Reid, trying to casually check on him. "Can't sleep?" He asked him. Reid shook his head. "Reid, you've been through a lot today. And I just want to remind you, you are safe. Everything is gonna be okay. Let go" he said as he sat down next to the younger man. "Let go Reid, I'll be right here" Reid made no comment, he seemed completely checked out. "Spenc, look at me" he said as he reached out to hold the man's hand. "What's bothering you kiddo, I can't help unless you tell me" he said in a much calmer quieter voice. Reid didn't say anything, instead he went to cover his right arm. Gideon had noticed the arm had been covered since they found him. "Did he hurt you there?" Reid shrugged, because he wasn't sure how to answer that question. The man hadn't hurt him, he had drugged him. "Spencer can you show me your arm?" Reid immediately shook his head, as he began to panic. "Okay, okay. Breathe buddy. It's okay" Reid calmed a bit after the subject was dropped but was still obviously in panic. "Okay, how about this. I'm gonna offer you two options and you let me know which sounds better right now, okay?" He asked, waiting for Reid to nod. Gideon held up his right hand as he began to offer the boy his first choice, "would you like headphones with some music" or he began as he lifted his left hand, "watch a movie?" He waited for Reid to make a choice, letting him take as much time as he needed. Evantually Reid pointed to the man's right hand. "Okay, good choice. Now would you like water or apple juice to drink" Reid pointed left indicating apple juice. "Bottle or sippy cup" Reid pouted at this question, because he didn't want to admit that he was regressed and had been repressing it for most of the day. He took a deep breathe and shyl pointed right for a bottle. "Awesome job Spencer, Ill be right back, okay"
Gideon soon returned with a bottle of apple juice, an ipod, some headphones, as well as a blanket and a stuffie. He set Reid up with some calming piano music while he wrapped him in the blanket and encouragingly pushed the stuffied towards him. Reid took the stuffed penguin with a small smile. He began rocking to the rhythm of the piano while sipping at his apple juice. It wasn't the perfect situation put it would be enough for now. Gideon stood up to go give the boy some space, until he heard a small whimper and a hand reaching out. "Stay" he said quietly, pleading with tear filled eyes. "Of course" Gideon responded as he sat down and pulled the regressed boy into his arms.