Evolution, a Spencer Reid/Criminal Minds Fanfic

Chapter 39. Glass Unicorn

When Reid ‘heard’ Hotch’s voice, he roused a confounded Ana and insisted on going out into the night again.

To avoid getting separated he had Ana follow him as he traversed the perimeter of the building. Even with a flashlight, he kept one hand on the exterior wall, using it as a guide and an anchor to keep from being swallowed by the darkness. But despite shouting Hotch’s name as loudly as they could, there was no answer.

Finally, Reid admitted defeat and they went inside to wait for dawn. The young doctor spent the rest of the night ‘listening.’

Before the sun had fully risen, Reid and Ana had packed their bags, as well as Hotch’s.

“How are we supposed to get out of here, if she doesn’t drive us?” Ana could feel Spencer’s anger overlaying a deep, guilty self-loathing for having trusted Dr. Bescardi. It worried her. She loved his trusting nature. But she knew that such people could become jaded cynics if that trust was abused too often. The quiet discussions they’d had in their brief relationship led her to believe that Spencer had already suffered more than his share of broken promises and cruel hoaxes.

Ana had loved to read plays when she was in high school. In a private corner of her mind, when she thought of Spencer, she was reminded of ‘The Glass Menagerie.’ She was a misfit herself and he was her glass unicorn, bringing something beautiful and fragile into her life.

She didn’t want him broken.

“She’s not driving us anywhere. If I have to, I’ll take the keys to her van away from her and we’ll use that to get out of here.” Reid took a last look around to make sure they’d left nothing behind. “But I know I heard Hotch last night. And yesterday you had that vision of him in the woods. I wanna look for him, but our best bet might be getting to the closest town and putting together a search party or something.” He’d been talking in a rapid, staccato way. It was speech propelled by pure frustration.

They were leaving their cell, about to go in search of Bescardi when Reid had to give vent to his anger. Ana watched him drop his go-bag to the floor and slam the flat of his hand against the stone wall with a resounding smack. “Damn it, Ana! I don’t know enough about myself anymore to be useful!” When he turned to look at her, his eyes were full. “We came here because we need to learn. She was supposed to help us. I knew her priorities were screwed up, but I don’t know anyone else who can teach me what I need to know.”

He rubbed at his eyes. “And I still don’t see how she could have done anything to Hotch. But I know he’s in trouble. Something happened. Maybe she’s got nothing to do with it, but she doesn’t even care! How can someone, especially a doctor, be so lacking in compassion?”

Ana put her own bag down and hugged her friend. “Spencer, she’s not here to help us. She’s here to study us. And, sure, we’d learn stuff along the way, but…” She drew back so he could see the earnest light in her alpine eyes. “…I think the best way to learn about what we can do and where it might lead, is from each other. And others like us, if we can find them.”

Reid gave her a sad smile. “If there were others like us, we wouldn’t be the only ones here. It’s just us, Ana.”

“We don’t know that for sure. Maybe we just have to find them.” Maybe there’s a whole menagerie of glass animals like us.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, Reid nodded and picked up his bag again. “First, let’s find Hotch.”

xxxxxxx

Morgan made good on his pledge to drive nonstop until they found the location of the psychic retreat.

After Rossi had driven several hours, he put forth the tentative suggestion that they find lodgings for the night. Morgan told him to pull over and switch places.