White Rabbit - A Criminal Minds Fic

Twenty Six

Spencer was on edge the whole ride to the compound. Alice's apology had sent his brain into motion and he wondered if her words had been picked up on the listening devices and if the team were wondering the same thing.

What exactly was she apologising for? Simply dragging him in to this, or was there something more. Was there something more to this?

But she'd been blindfolded too, surely if this was something else she wouldn't have been. He tried to listen to her breathing to see whether he could pick up anything from it, but the sound of the truck travelling through the woods was too much. He'd just have to wait.

And wait he did, as did the team back at their base. It was around an hour before the truck came to a stop and Spencer heard one of the doors open and someone leave it. Moments later the vehicle moved forward, stopping again as the person rejoined them. Some sort of gate or entrance they had to go through, he assumed. They stopped again fifteen minutes later by his count and this time the doors by his and Alice's sides were opened and the bags removed from their heads as they were helped from the vehicle, Alice scurrying quickly to be at his side and taking his hand. Spencer quickly pushed his earlier thought to the back of his mind. If this had been something else, why would she keep up the pretence?

He scanned the premises, his eyes taking a moment to adjust to the dull light of night sky. It was..... Almost exactly what he'd imagined from Alice's description, yet he was in disbelief that this place had managed to go undetected from the public eye for so many years. Alice looked concerned and confused though and when he followed her eyeline he could see why.

The compound was dimly lit but he could make out dilapidated huts in the distance, homes in disrepair like they weren't lived in. From what Alice had said, this place had been thriving and fully self sufficient so for there to be buildings in the sort of condition that these were in, made him wonder.

"Charlie.... What happened?" Alice addressed the younger of the two men, him coming to stand by her.

"You'll find out tomorrow. No doubt Lewis will want to fill you in himself. But for now, I'm sure you're both tired. Collect your things and we'll show you to your room. Well, you know the way actually. It's your old room."

"In the main house still? Is that.... Isn't that weird. I mean, Spencer and I.... Erm... " she looked alarmed at the mention of her old room and Reid recalled that it had been next to Lewis's.

"Lewis wanted you next to him and Rebecca."

"Rebecca... Him and... Becca? But..." she turned to looked at the other man.

Eric looked at her and nodded. "Rebecca and I are no longer a match. After you left and Marnie died, Rebecca decided that she preferred my father to me and he was only too happy to accept her into his bed. I have no ill feelings towards either of them, I have a new match Jo, and we're very happy together. She gave birth to our daughter last May, I finally got to be a Father."

Eric smiled and he saw Alice soften. Something he'd said though irked Spencer and it took him a second to realise what.

Finally got to be a Father.

Alice had told him that the child she talked about; Abby, was Eric and Rebecca's. Now though, he wasn't so sure and when he looked at Alice with a question in his eyes, she looked away.

Eric took a step towards Reid and held out his hand towards him. "Excuse my manners, Ally hasn't formally introduced us yet. I'm Eric and this is my brother Charles."

Reid took his hand feeling a firm strong grip." It's a pleasure to finally meet you both, to finally be here. I've heard so much about this place from Ally, although it took her forever to open up about it. My wife and I are very excited to be back and to help work towards the future. I'm Spencer, by the way."