Undercover Surevillance

Late, again

"Where is he? Late again" Hotch and the others were all sat in the conference room waiting for Reid to show up. It was the 3rd time in 2 weeks he had been late, which isn't like him, at all. "We'll have to get started without him".

"4 men have all been dumped in different alleyways around the city. They were badly beaten, repeated raped before having their genitals re-removed" Garcia pressed her buttons on her little remote bring up the images off all 4 men. "Jack Winters, 26. Jordan Flanders 24. Hunter Daniel, 25 and the latest victim, Ryota Yamasaki, 25" At that moment Garcia stopped, she could see Reid walking through the ball pen. He walked straight in and sat down next to Morgan, he had a coffee in one hand and his messenger bag in the other. He was wearing the same clothes he was wearing yesterday and his hair was a mess, he looked as if he hadn't got any sleep.

"Reid?" Reid looked up from the case file to have his eye's meet Hotch's.

"Yeah?" He answered bluntly.

"You're late..."

"Yeah, sorry" Everyone was confused, Reid's attitude stank, in the 3 years everyone has known him, Emily being 2, he had never spoken to Hotch like that before. "Reid, my office!" Hotch stood up, he wasn't happy at all, but Reid just sat there, looking over the case file, his hair hung loosely in front of him face. "Now!!" Hotch was angry, it shocked everyone, he looked as if he was going red - Metaphorically speaking. Reid stood up putting the case file back onto the table. "Wheels up in 30".

"What the hell was that?" Morgan spoke first. They all grouped around in the ballpen, constantly watching Hotch's office. "Never seen the Kid like that before"

"Definitely not like him" Emily spoke as she watched Reid stand in front of Hotch. "Did you see he was still wearing the same clothes as he was yesterday?"

"Maybe he got lucky" Morgan laughed and JJ just hit him across the arm. "Ow! What was that for?"

"He's not you Morgan" JJ just insulted him and everyone giggled.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Reid what's going on?" Hotch closed the door behind him, and walked over and perched on the edge of his desk, Reid standing in front of him.

"What do you mean?" Reid questioned.

"You know exactly what I mean Spencer. You have been late to work 3 times in the space of 2 weeks, and when you come in late you look a state and you're attitude stinks"

"Sorry"

"A sorry won't cut in Spencer, I want an explanation" Hotch unfolded his arms, rubbed his eyes and sighed. "Look Reid, I am just worried about you. You haven't been yourself recently"

"Hotch honestly I am fine, I've just been struggling to sleep. That's all"

"You're not using again are you?" Reid looked shocked that his boss would even suggest that.

"What! NO!"

"Don't lie to me Reid, you look fucked"

"Hotch, I'm not using, I haven't touched the stuff in nearly 6 months" Hotch just looked at him, he watched the young FBI fallen off the wagon last time and did nothing to help, yes Reid got himself out of it but it was hard for him. Hotch didn't want him going through that all alone again. "Look Reid, if you are or if you do have the need to go back please talk to me, I'm your friend as well as you're boss remember" Reid nodded in approval and headed towards the door. "Oh Reid before you go, I forgot, I need your head in this case"

"What do you mean?" he looked at his boss slightly confused.

"You're going undercover"

The team all watched as the pair talked in the office. "So what was Reid doing last night?" Rossi spoke.

"Before you hit me again JJ, what if he really is seeing someone?" Morgan flinched, JJ just looked at him instead. "He came to work this morning in the same clothes with sex hair"

"If Reid was seeing anybody he would tell us about it" JJ said.

"Well what if he didn't...Reid always has secrets, some we know and some we don't" At that moment Reid and Hotch walked out of his office and headed towards everyone else.

"Why are you all still here? I told you to head to the Jet"

They all settled on the Jet, Reid was sat next to Morgan, both looking over the case file, Hotch and Rossi in the front of him, Emily and JJ to his left. "Right, I have filled Reid in on what's going to be happening during the case. So far with this case, the killing has done well with hiding the bodies and leaving no evidence or anything that can trail back to him, which makes it harder for us. Me and Strauss agreed it would be better if someone were to go undercover, and that's where Reid comes in. So fair all the Victims have been male, aged 24-26, tall, and skinny with brown hair, highly intelligent. Reid is the only one who fits the unsubs preference"

"But isn't going to be dangerous?"

"Reid is a big enough boy to deal with it on his own Morgan" Emily giggled.

"Emily is right though, Reid isn't a kid" Reid smiled a little, everyone has always treated him like such, he's the youngest and most venerable so people baby him a lot, and he hates it.

"Hello my spiced pumpkins" Garcia popped up on the laptop fitted on the table between Morgan and Rossi.

"What you got for us baby girl?"

"Frankie Simmons, aged 25 found down an alley again of the club Plush" Garcia brought the images up on screen. "Wait there's something different, did anyone else have this carving anywhere on their body?"

"Negative, this is the first"

Morgan read over the word in his mind, a word which was carved into the new victim's forehead. "Mama, look at all bars and clubs the victims were found near and checked to see if there gay bars"

"What you getting at Derek" Hotch asked.

"The 'f' slur is a common term used for gay's right, the men were all badly beaten, and genitalia were removed. This could be a homophobic attack"

"Morgan's you have a point. Garcia pull up the victim's social media and see if any of them were openly gay, or on any dating websites"

"Yes sir!" Garcia saluted and the chat between them ended.

"Wait...does this mean if the victims were all gay male...I would have to pretend to be gay?"

"That would be the plan, yes Reid" Hotch looked at him. Reid just slumped back in his chair, he pushed the hair out of his face. "Not happening"

"Reid, you're going Undercover"

"Can't someone else do it?"

"No Reid they can't, you are the only one who fits the unsub's profile, and I asked you too. What's the big problem?"

"Nothing" Reid answered and again slumped back into his chair. Reid began to panic, for years Reid kept who he was a secret, no one knew much about him and that just how he liked it, the team were always heckling him about getting a girlfriend, or that he needs to get out more, but that's just not him, Reid never admitted to anyone about his sexual orientation in fear that he will he hated and ridiculed, but now with this case anything could happen, so many thoughts ran through his head, What if they learn that I really am gay? "Reid" They'll hate me I know they will, Derek will stopped talking to me...Oh God! What if I'm kicked off the team? "Reid!"

"Yeah?"

"What's wrong?" Morgan asked.

"Nothing Morgan, I'm fine" Morgan knew something was up, but he didn't want to keep annoying him to the part where they fall out. Morgan just sat there why did Reid react the way he did? The kid can't be...no he would have said something to me. Morgan just let his thoughts get washed out by his music.