(A/N: Are we ready for another chapter? Do I even have readers? I haven’t been getting many reviews on this one. If you’re reading I’d love for you to review…reviews let me know what I’m doing wrong or right. Reviews let me know what you think. So please…if you’re reading…review. It only takes a minute. This chapter continues in Reid’s POV. Thanks to Adreon for stepping in to edit this one. I’ve been dying to get it up and couldn’t wait any longer. Thanks girl.)

Chapter 5: Let’s Make It A Game

After about an hour of scouring the hospital gift shop and using my credentials to gain access to a computer with a printer I had assembled everything I needed.

“Where did you go?” Annabelle asked as I walked into Alex’s room. “Agent Jareau said you just ran off without saying why.”

“Sorry,” I said sitting down the stack of supplies I’d collected. “I had an idea.”

“An idea for what?” Greg asked, having obviously returned while I was gone.

“An idea to get Alex to talk to us.”

They looked confused.

“The only thing he’s said so far was in his language, their language I mean…his and Caroline’s. I think that’s probably how they were communicating when the unsub had them. The trauma of being separated from her has forced him to continue communicating in this way. I think he’ll speak to us if we can understand their language.”

“How are we supposed to understand their language?” Annabelle questioned. “We’ve been watching them use it for over two years and we can only understand fragments. Fragments of fragments, actually.”

“That’s what this is for,” I said gesturing to the items I’d brought in. “If I can catalogue their terms, compile them into dictionary, we can use it as a key to speak to him.”

“You really think this could work?” Greg asked.

“I think it could. This language is his connection with Caroline; if we can connect with him on the same level then I think he’ll confide in us.”

“I don’t know that he’ll confide in us at all,” Annabelle said. “Greg and I, I mean. The doctors said he was awake and alert when they were with him. Agent Jareau sat with him for a moment while the police questioned us and he was awake with her, too.” She started to cry again. “Every time when we come in the room he turns his back and goes to sleep. He doesn’t want anything to do with us.”

Greg wrapped his arm around her.

“It’s not us,” he reassured her. “It’s PTSD, right?”

“Absolutely. Like I said before, often, in situations like this, the child can retain the feelings of fear and abandonment. He still doesn’t understand why this happened or why he’s not with Caroline anymore. As his parents, he expects you to have all the answers. The fact that you don’t confuses him.”

“Maybe she’s right though,” Greg said, “maybe you should talk to him alone. He might be more likely to talk to you if we’re not there.”

“If you think so,” I said, “but this might take a little while.”

“Its fine,” Annabelle said with a sniffle. “We need to go by the house and get a change of clothes and some things for Alex.”

“Then you can get some sleep,” Greg told her. “The hospital has offered us the room next door so that we could catch up on our rest and stay close to Alex.”

“Alright. I’ll get started with Alex as soon as he wakes up. I promise,” I said looking at Annabelle, “I’ll figure this out.”

Annabelle hugged me then left.

Just as soon as the door closed Alex stirred and opened his eyes.

He looked at me as if expecting me to ask him questions. I supposed everyone had at this point.

“Hi Alex,” I said timidly. “My name is Spencer. I’m a friend of your mom’s.” I stepped toward him, trying to gage his reaction to my presence. He simply looked at me. “Your mom and dad told me about how you and Caroline,” I made the sign he’d made earlier, “talk to each other. I think that’s really cool. Do you think you could show me some words?”

Alex shrugged his shoulders.

“I have an idea. Let’s make it a game. I’ll show you a picture and if you and Caroline have a word for it, you show me how to do it, okay?”

He nodded.

“Okay. Let’s start with this,” I held up a piece of red paper. “Do you have a word for this color?”

He nodded and touched his hair.

“I see,” I said catching on, “red like your hair, very cool. What about this color?” I held up a piece of yellow paper.

He drew a circle with his index finger and then made a ‘Y’.

“Oh,” I mimicked the sign. “Like the sun.”

Alex nodded.

“This is fun. Do you want to keep playing?”

Alex nodded and situated himself cross-legged on top of his bed covers, then pointed at the foot of the bed. Taking this as an invitation, I removed my shoes and sat on the end of the bed cross-legged like him.

He pointed to my socks.

“They don’t match,” I laughed. “Funny isn’t it.”

Alex gave the smallest hint of a smile.

“Ready for another picture?”

Alex nodded.

Over an hour passed before I realized how long we’d been working. We’d made incredible progress; I was starting to understand the methodology of their language. It was simple, yet complicated. Signs were based on other words they associated with that word. Connections a child would make, but an adult might overlook. When the nurse came in to bring Alex his lunch I was already able to convey to her his dislike for orange Jell-O, and ask if she wouldn’t mind switching it for green.

After lunch the doctor came and said Alex needed his rest.

“Okay pal,” I said, “I’ve got to let you get some sleep.” I used as many signs as I could to show him that I was catching on. “I’ll be here when you wake up and we can play some more. Alright?”

Alex nodded. Then made some signs I recognized.

“Your mom and dad,” I repeated aloud. “They’re in the next room. They’re really worried about you. When you wake up I can bring them in and we can let them play our game. Would you like that?”

Alex made the sign for maybe.

“We’ll see, then. Get some sleep, okay buddy.”

Stepping outside, I was met by Greg looking fresher, but no more rested than an hour ago.

“So? Is it working? Is he talking to you?”

“At this point he’s just playing with me. I’ve made it into a game. I show him a picture and he shows me the sign.”

“Are you learning much,” Annabelle said sleepily joining us.

“Tons,” I reassured them. “I think we can start asking him questions soon. I think he’ll tell us something now.”

“You mean he’ll tell you,” Annabelle sighed.

“He asked about you,” I told her honestly. “He asked where you were. I told him you were in the next room and asked if I could bring you in on our game.”

“What did he say,” Greg asked.

“He said maybe.”

“Well,” Greg shrugged, “it’s a start.”

“It’s more than that,” I said with a yawn, “its progress.”

“Spencer,” Annabelle said mirroring my yawn. “You look exhausted. Why don’t you go back to the hotel and get some sleep? You haven’t even dropped off your bags yet. You need rest.”

“So do you,” Greg told her.

“You’re one to talk.”

“We could all use some sleep,” I told them both. “How about this, you two go back in there and get some sleep and I promise to go back to the hotel and rest. Alex will probably be out for a little while anyway.”

“Deal,” Annabelle said stretching.

(So? What do you think? I know this chapter is a little tamer than the others, but there needed to be a discovery period, a time where Reid could figure out a way to get Alex to talk. Again please, please, please review! I would really like to know what you guys think. Like I’ve said before, giving me a review that can help the story is the fasted way to get your name in the Author’s Note. Also, if I use your idea, I will grant you a sneak peak on my plans to come. Trust me…these are clues you don’t want to miss. So please…if you read, review!)