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Epilogue

"Do I look alright?" William's raspy voice asked his son as he ran his fingers through his hair and moved gingerly to sit up straighter in his bed. His lungs had healed enough that they were able to remove the endotracheal tube and he could finally talk. Something he needed right now. He'd been moved from the ICU yesterday to a regular room.

"You look great dad." Reid replied as he sat on the window ledge in his father's private room. After a few moments of silence, he spoke again. "Alex Menendez told me what you've been doing… helping abused children navigate the legal system, pro bono. It's a good thing you're doing."

William lowered his head and said nothing for a few moments. "You could have been Riley Jenkins."

Reid crossed his arms in front of him. "Mom told me."

"When she started on this business about moving because you were in danger; well, with her condition, you know what I thought."

"Paranoid delusions," Reid replied.

"Right, and I thought they would go away, they usually did or changed to something else, but she kept up about this. So, sometimes it was better to give in to her than to argue all the time. I couldn't take that and she did calm down once we moved. I never saw it back then. With your mother, sometimes it was hard to know what was real and what wasn't. Then after the murder I knew she'd been right and you know what happened. I let you down so terribly and I saw that when you came back here and thought that I could have killed Riley. I didn't know how to make it right with you so I thought the least I could do was to try and make it right for some other kids."

Reid got up from the sill and sat in the chair near his father's bed. "My… friend Emily once told me that she got that I was angry about your leaving but I should remember that you gave me ten good years before you left. Those are the important years in a child's life, the years that make him the person he is. I've tried really hard to push all that out of my mind and maybe I shouldn't. Mom's got a photo album. We were looking at it one day," he chuckled, "we did have some great times."

William swiped his hand across his eyes. "Maybe we could…"

Reid glanced at the doorway. "Here they are."

They turned out to be a short woman Reid thought to be his own age, brunette with streaks of blonde in her hair, holding the hand of a little black girl with pigtails he knew to be Rachael McDaniels. She wore pale blue denim jeans with a matching tee shirt and her pigtails were held with holders that looked like blue pom poms that shook when she moved her head. It somehow made him think of Garcia. Her feet were covered in white sneakers. She looked like an ordinary little girl.

Rachael had been lucky for once in her young life, Reid thought. On her return to Las Vegas, because of the news coverage the case garnered, there had been quite a few offers to take the child. She was eventually given to the custody of Reverend Dr. Nathan Maxwell. He was a Lutheran minister as well as a professor of religious studies at UNLV. His wife, Althea, was a child psychologist and that was considered likely to be of great help to Rachael. The couple had three children of their own; a girl fourteen and two boys, twelve and nine. The family had been thoroughly vetted by DCFS but, unbeknownst to them, also by Garcia. Rachael had just started on therapy and, by all accounts, was adjusting well to the Maxwell household in the short time she'd been there.

Reid stood. "Hi," the woman said as they entered the room. She held out her hand, "I'm Kayla Carmen and this is Rachael."

Reid shook hands with the woman. "Spencer Reid and this is my father William."

Kayla shook William's hand. "I must say I was surprised when you asked to speak to Rachael," she told him.

The little girl still held on tightly to the DCFS worker's hand. At last she pointed to Reid. "You were there when they made Mitch and the others go away," she said.

"Yes, I was there," Reid replied.

Rachael let go of Kayla's hand and threw her arms around Reid's waist burying her head in his abdomen, "Thank you."

Reid was unsure whether to touch the child or not. Would a man's touch bring back the memories of what had been done to her? He eventually allowed himself to tap her gently on the shoulder. "I'm glad I could be there," he replied, unable to hide the quiver in his voice.

"This Mr. Reid wanted to talk to you honey," Kayla said, turning the child toward William.

William was about to pat the bed for her to sit when he thought better of it. "Is it okay if she sits on the bed?" He asked Kayla. Before the worker could reply, Rachael sat of her own accord. "Hi Rachael, I just wanted to talk to you about your mommy. I didn't know your mommy very long. I only met her on the day she passed away but I know that the thing she wanted more than anything in the world was to be with you and she was working hard to make that happen. I was going to help her. Your mommy loved you very much and I just wanted you to know that. He glanced up at his son before carrying on. "Sometimes a mommy … or daddy will do something wrong that keeps them away from their children. It doesn't mean they ever stop loving them. Your mommy never stopped loving you."

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"So, what, trying to sneak off without saying good bye," a voice said behind Reid as he waited for his flight to be called.

"Nick, I didn't expect to see you here," Reid said.

"I just wanted to say good bye, thanks for everything you did on the case and that I'm glad everything worked out with your dad."

"Thanks," Reid held out his hand. "Thanks for caring and for, everything."

"No problem," the CSI shook his hand. "Do you think you'll manage to work things out with your team?"

"Yeah, sort of, it's going to take some time." Reid said. "But I think we'll be alright. Thanks… thanks for the drink the other night and for sharing with me about the time you felt betrayed by Catherine and Jim. It helps to know somebody else felt this way and got past it."

"Anytime man," Nick handed Reid a card. "Next time you're here to see your family," Reid looked at the name and number. "Don't forget about your friends."

"I won't," Reid said after staring at the card for a moment, "Thanks."

"Catherine says you Vegas kids have got to stick together and you owe us a big dinner next time you're here by the way."

"A big dinner?" Reid's eyebrows pulled together and his forehead creased.

Nick chuckled. "Wipe that confused and innocent look off your face. You know that since you used that sand evidence to get a warrant and help you solve the case and rescue those kids, there'll be no living with Hodges."

"Sorry about that," Reid said although he didn't appear to look sorry at all.

"Yeah, sure you are," Nick chuckled again

The speakers announced the flight to DC. "That's my flight. I have to go. Give my regards to everyone."

"Will do," Nick said as they shook hands again. "You have a safe flight." Reid nodded and headed through the doors that would connect him to his flight.

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Reid's cell rang as he headed down the ramp toward his flight. "Hi Katie," he responded to the call display.

"Dr. Reid, how are things with your dad?"

"He's much better thanks. In fact I'm just about to board my flight home."

"I won't keep you then. I just wanted to update you. Thanks to you we've made thirty-six arrests from viewers on the site before it was closed down. We had them in as fast as the judges could sign warrants." He heard her sigh.

"That's great Katie, you okay?"

"Yeah, you feel elated by the fact that you've managed to get some of these sick minds behind bars, but then you realize again, it's just the tip of the iceberg."

"Well we got this site closed down anyway." Reid tried to be positive.

"And another will pop up tomorrow, but yes," she agreed with some degree of enthusiasm. "We should pat ourselves on the back, get some rest and come out fighting.

"You ever consider leaving?" Reid asked.

"No, you?"

"I… can't," Reid admitted finally.

"Yeah, it's in us isn't it?" The speaker once again called his flight. "You go Dr. Reid. Someday we'll all have a drink and not talk about this stuff."

"Ya think?"

"Who am I kidding, huh? Have a good flight."

"Bye Katie."

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Reid looked at the lights in the darkness as the plane made its slow descent into DC. The Washington Monument and the Capitol Building were definitely not the neon world he'd just left but they were no less striking and beautiful.

He pulled his bag from the carousel and headed for the exit. There were new challenges here now with his team, both professionally and personally, and it would take some time. That was okay. He'd never been one to back down from a challenge. Once outside he sniffed the cool night air and looked into the sky. The stars seemed to twinkle a greeting, reminding him, once again, that the clouds were gone; this storm was over. Now was the time to rebuild, making something strong and sturdy by meshing the best and most cherished parts of the old with the freshness of the new. As his feet began their walk along the pavement he relished in the fact that he loved coming home.

Home is not where you live but where they understand you.

Christian Morganstern.

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THE END